The Breakup

It is with great sadness that we announce

 that 

Greg and I are breaking up...

with certain foods that is.

For the past week Greg and I have embarked on yet another health/fitness adventure. {We sure have done a lot of those since the beginning of the year, haven't we?} Only this one was spurred on purely by a desire to fight my fibromyalgia from within and not to lose weight. 

I'm not going to lie to you- I was frustrated after my 5k a few weeks ago. 

Yes, I know that running 3.1 miles in 36 minutes isn't bad. Yes, I know that my time was especially good given the circumstances surrounding my race. But I was still frustrated. I have been training for this race since January. I had been running it consistently at my desired pace {10 minute miles} and yet, I was thwarted once again by my fibromyalgia. And so I began to do some more research. I've discovered that fibromyalgia flare ups can be triggered by a number of different things and they are as unique as the person suffering from the disorder. Disruption in sleep patterns, stress and certain foods seem to be my primary triggers. So, after discussing the matter with Greg, we have decided that it would be best for us to break up with foods that were never meant to be apart of our daily diet in the first place.

Goodbye Starbucks White Chocolate Mochas

Photo Credit: Google Images

I will miss you, so...

Goodbye Chick- fil- A

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I miss your tasty goodness already.

Goodbye Dr Pepper

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You have been a part of my life for 20+ years. I think I will miss you the most.

We've learned over the course of this process that if you truly want to transform your body and gain optimal health, it starts with the food that you eat. If you put crap into your body- your body is not going to work right. There is no magic pill out there that you can take that will allow you to eat whatever the heck you want and remain in optimal health. I don't care what the label on the back says. Eventually, it will catch up to you. It may take years and years for it to happen, but it will happen. I know that sounds harsh, but it's the honest truth. I'm speaking from experience. 

Our kitchen has gone through a major makeover. 

We no longer have processed food in our house. 

No more refined sugar. 

No more grains. 

No more legumes. 

No more dairy. 

I cannot even begin to count how many confused faces we have received as we have described to our friends and family the transition we have made. No dairy? No grains? No legumes? But aren't those things good for you? No. They are not necessarily good for you. If our bodies have some sort of food allergy, it generally falls into one of these categories. Not always- but a good majority of the time. These foods generally do not have a positive contribution to your overall health. 

So then they quizzically ask, "Well, then what do you eat? We eat: real food. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, healthy oils, nuts and seeds. Whole9 Living has been a tremendous resource for us as we have made this transition. I highly recommend reading it. Greg likes to tell people that when reading the ingredient label, if he cannot recognize it, pronounce it, shoot it, or grow it himself- he doesn't buy it.  

And we are already seeing results. My body feels better than it has in years. Greg has lost 9lbs and 2 inches around his waist. Our energy levels are sustained throughout the day because we no longer have spikes in our blood sugar. Our quality of sleep has improved. Our attention span is clear and focused. My seasonal allergies are no longer bothering me. 

Everything has improved. 

And that's just after 1 week!! I honestly don't know why I haven't done this sooner. It literally has been the best thing that we could have ever done for our health.

The last set of questions that we generally get from people are, "So how long  do you plan to be on this diet?" Our answer: "Ummm... forever. It's not a diet. It's a lifestyle change." Then we get asked, "Well, what if you are invited over to a friend's house for a meal and they don't follow all of these changes that you've made? Are you just not going to eat their food? Or what do you plan to do at restaurants or when you go on vacation?" Great questions! Our answer: "We are gracious guests and will eat what we are served. If there are healthy options available, we will choose those. We plan to not eat out a lot at restaurants and instead, make our own food, but when we do, we know what food items to look for and what food items to avoid. We understand that not everyone follows the same dietary guidelines that we do. We know that there will be occasions where we will eat something that is processed, or contains dairy, or any of the other foods that we  no longer eat. But that's just it- it's occasionally." 

So... yeah. We've broken up with certain food now. And I am SO glad we did! If you would like more information on Paleo living, email me and I will send you links to several blogs and other resources that I have found over the past few days. 

Attacked

One of my worst fears as a runner manifested itself on my evening run on Thursday.

I was attacked by a dog. And I was bitten. Not once- but twice.

While out on my run around our quiet neighborhood, I was chased my a group of dogs. Though they were all small in size, they were particularly aggressive. 

I am a dog owner.

 I grew up around dogs. 

And I have never in my life, been afraid of a small dog, until now...

{Sorry for the poor picture quality. It's difficult to take a picture of your leg using an iPhone}

Why, oh, why, do people think that it is okay to let their dogs roam around freely and unsupervised? Apparently, all of our neighbors do, because it's like an open pet store around our neighborhood. There are dogs of all sizes and breeds that literally roam the streets from sun up until sun down. I've seen Yorkies, Schnauzers, Pit bulls, Rat Terriers, Pit bull mixes, German Shepherds, Chihuahuas, Labs, Mutts- you name it. All of them without a collar or ID tag. All of them without a leash or their owner nearby. It's like the owner simply lets the dog(s) out of the house to fend for themselves during the day, and allows them to come into their backyard once night falls. 

I don't understand this. At all.

Perhaps it is because I grew up in large cities where there were city ordinances that stated you must keep your dog on a leash while outside of the confines of your property. But in Nash, Texas- there is no such ordinance. 

And what aggravates me even more than random dogs roaming all over our neighborhood, is the response that I get from the dog's owners when I informed them that their pets bit me while I was out running. They were apologetic, but immediately cast the blame on their children. "Oh, my daughters must have let them out of the house." I'm sorry, but I'm a parent too. And my children have yet to set our animals lose to roam around the neighborhood. And if they did- I would have noticed and immediately gone outside and brought them back into our yard- where they belong. These people acted like it is not a big deal that their dogs are out wandering the streets, attacking unsuspecting people who are merely trying to enjoy their evening run.

So I apologize in advance, negligent neighbors of mine, if I beat your dog upside the head with a stick the next time it attacks me while I am out running.  

Lone Star 5k Recap

I did it!!
I completed my first 5k on Saturday!!!

Despite a tough course

{2/3 of which were uphill}
and an unexpected fibromyalgia flare up,

I finished in 36 minutes and 44 seconds. 
{ I finished with the first half of the 5k runners, so that made me happy!}
My goal was to finish around 30 minutes, but given the circumstances, I'm proud of how well I ran.

I've been asked on more than one occasion what it is like during a fibromyalgia flare up- so I will do my best to describe it to you. Each flare up is unique and different and I can never fully prepare or anticipate how I will feel during each one. This particular flare up effected my energy levels more so than it did my muscles. It would be as if I was running my race while having mono. I had very little energy going into my race, so I knew that I would not be running as well as I have been during my training. And given that I have been training hard for the last couple of months, naturally, I was in a disheartened mood stepping up to the starting line.

And then came the hills...

Y'all... I was not expecting hills to make up the majority of the course.
I was running in a pack of some very fit college students, and they were struggling- which made me feel better- so this may provide some insight into how difficult this course was. So throw a tough running course on top of a fibromyalgia flare up and you get a grumpy runner struggling with all her might just to finish.

What got me through the race was knowing that my family was awaiting me at the finish line.
As soon as I spotted Hayden and Rylan in the distance-waving their arms and cheering- something happened that I did not expect. I suddenly had enough strength to finish strong. I kicked it into high gear and finished the last leg of the race at a sprint. I wanted to show my sons that even when you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel, it is important to finish strong.

Even though I did not meet my 5k goal, I will not let it distract and deter me from my ultimate goal- the half marathon in October. After a couple of days off I plan to get back out there and keep training. I will make some adjustments to my workout routines which will hopefully help me prevent another flare up from happening again on race day.

Each race is a learning experience.
It's important to take what happens-learn from it-make adjustments as needed- and get back out there.

And despite all that went wrong in my race... I really did have a good time!
Greg and I are now addicted to running and we're already in search for another race before the half :)
So stay tuned!

Lone Star 5k/10k

 As I make my final preparations for the Lone Star 5k/10k

{I will be running the 5k portion}

I thought that I would humor you with something I found on Pinterest

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Hope Y'all are having a great week!

I can't wait to recap the race and let you know how I did!

Thank you again for all of your support and encouraging words. 

They have definitely provided me with the strength to keep going and not give up on my goals. 

{Weigh In Wednesday} Battle of the Spouses: Round 1

Ding! Ding!

Round 1

Biggest Loser Challenge

Here are this week's stats:

Week 1 {Team Meg}:

Wall Squat {time}: 70 seconds

In& Out {Abs}: 20

Push- Ups: 35 {girl push-ups}

Weight: 155 lbs

Measurements:

Waist: 34 1/2 inches

Thighs: 23 inches

Chest: 35 inches

While I didn't lose any weight this week 

{I blame PMS... but, whatever}

I am proud of the progress that I made. I mean, I lost 2 inches in my waist in one week! Not bad at all. Plus I improved in all areas of our fitness test, so I can't complain. And I'm losing inches in places that Greg and I aren't measuring in our Biggest Loser Challenge {like my arms- get your minds out of the gutter!} and I feel my overall physique changing, so I am anxious to see next week's results.

Now onto Greg's stats for the week:

Week 1 {Team Greg}:

Wall Squat {time}: 77 seconds

In& Out {Abs}: 35

Push- Ups: 35

Weight: 261 lbs

Measurements:

Waist: 46 3/4 inches

Thighs: 27 inches

Chest: 42 inches

I am so proud of my husband. 

He has been swamped at work {inventory at his store, auditing another store, training an MIT who is getting ready to manage a store of his own, and more} So by the time he comes home from work each day, he is exhausted. BUT- he doesn't let that stop him from working out. He has been focusing more on strength training recently rather than cardio {which explains the increase in weight} mainly because of time. But I have no doubt in my mind that he will accomplish his goal by the end of this challenge.

Also- I don't know if you noticed, but we received a $200.00 donation today for World Vision! Greg and I are running for Team World Vision when we run the Dallas 13.1 in October and we have each committed to raise $1,310.00 to go towards clean water projects in Africa. If you would like to make a donation, simply click on the World Vision logo on the side of the page and it will take you directly to my donation page.

***If you would like to donate under Greg's donation page so that he can reach his 

goal as well, email me at megan.card@gmail.com and I will get that information to you.***

 I wanted to thank you for all of the support and encouragement that y'all have given us in this fitness challenge and in training for this half marathon. While Greg and I are playfully competing to see who can lose the most weight by the time we go on vacation, we both feel incredibly blessed to have so many people {including those we've never actually  "met"} cheering us on. 

We appreciate each one of you. 

More than you will ever know. 

So again, thank you!

Another Milestone!

I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes 40 seconds!!!

That means that I am on par to meet my goal of a 30 minute 5k!

My first 5k is on March 31st and at the rate I'm going, I'm not only on track to meet my goal-

 but to exceed it.

I'm thrilled to say the least!

Now...

onto my weight workout.

Happy Monday Y'all!

It's OFFICIAL!

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Greg and I are now 

OFFICIALLY 

registered for the 

Dallas 13.1

in Dallas, TX on Oct 27, 2012!

We will be running with Team World Vision.

World Vision is an organization that is very near and dear to our hearts, as our family sponsors a 5 yr old little boy from Chile. Our goal is to raise $1,310.00 each. The money that is raised will go towards clean water projects in Kenya and Malawi. If you would like to make a donation, please contact us at either 

megan.card@gmail.com or gregcard@gmail.com 

for further information.

Also, if you are in the Dallas area and would like to come out and support us as we run, we would love for you to join us! Knowing that we have a team of people at the race who are cheering us on helps to keep us motivated. If you would like more information on what you can do to support us in this endevour, let us know and we will get you directions to t he race. 

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Battle of the Spouses: Biggest Loser Challenge

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Greg and I are battling it out: Biggest Loser style

As I mentioned in my previous post Getting Beach Body Ready, we are going on vacation to the Dominican Republic in May. Therefore, we are buckling down and getting serious about reaching our individual weight loss goals. 

Greg and I have made a friendly bet about who will come out on top as the Biggest Loser in our Family Fitness Challenge, and we invite you all to join us on our journey! We are including two separate pages located at the top of our blog, titled Team Greg and Team Meg, which will provide those of you who are interested, our stats each week as we make this commitment to fitness.  

Let's place your bets! 

Will it be...

Team Greg 

or 

Team Meg? 

Greg is known for his determination and drive. When he puts his mind to something, it almost always gets done. His focus is unparalleled. He once lost 30 lbs in 8 weeks while in college. Do you think he will  arise victorious once again?

Meg is known for her commitment to the things in which she is most passionate about in life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been recently added to this list. She is already in the process of training for a half marathon and has an upcoming 5k scheduled for the end of March. Do you think Meg has what it takes to overcome her husband in this challenge?

Join us each week for 

Weigh In Wednesday

Leave a comment and let us know who YOU are rootin' for!

Milestone

Okay Y'all...

I just hit a major milestone in my Journey to 13.1

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I just ran a 5k in 34:53 minutes!!!

Now I know that for you more experienced runners that may not be such a big deal; but it's a huge accomplishment for me because I haven't run distances like this since college. My goal is to complete a 5k in under 30 minutes by my first race at the end of next month. I'm pretty sure I can reach my goal if I keep this up- so that excites me! 

Well, you can all go about your day now :) 

I just wanted to share my exciting news with you! 

Bucket List {Listable Life}

 Mornin' Y'all!

Today I am linking up with Nicole from Moments that Define Life in her listable life series because I think this is a fun way for my readers to get to know a little more about me. This week's prompt is sharing  5 Things on My Bucket List,  so here we go!

As I sat down at my computer desk for a moment and thought about my bucket list, I suddenly realized that I have never taken much time to actually consider what I would put on it. Or even write them down for that matter. I mean, I set goals for myself all of the time, but I've never sat down and created a list of things that I'd like to do before die.

Crazy, huh?

So.... after much thought, here is what I have come up with so far.

1. Visit the Nation of Israel

Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of traveling, especially to Israel. I so desperately want to walk the very roads that Jesus walked. I want to sit beside the Sea of Galilee. I want to walk the road to Golgotha. I want to stand on the Mount of Olives. I want to see the Western Wall. If this were the only thing that I could check off on my bucket list, I would die a happy girl.

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2. Run a Half Marathon

Now this one I should be able to check off at the end of this year because I intend to run the Dallas 13.1 at the end of October. I am currently training as we speak. If you'd like, you can keep up with my Journey to 13.1  where I post my training schedule. It definitely keeps me accountable knowing that my friends and family are checking up on my progress. And who knows, maybe once I have completed a half marathon, I will start training for a marathon. Ha! We'll wait and see about that.

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{We can just pretend that that's me. Okie dokie!}

3. Adopt a Daughter 

Adoption is a huge passion of mine and I'm pleased to say that Greg and I are already taking steps to make this happen. After much  prayer we have decided that our first adoption {yes, Lord willing, we want to adopt multiple times} will be domestic. Greg deeply desires to adopt an infant, which could possibly take longer to go through the adoption process, but we don't mind. We'd also like to one day adopt internationally as well. 

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4. Take a Photography Class

I have always been interested in photography and it has been a dream of mine to be able to take lessons. I used to own a Canon EOS Digital Rebel, but it was stolen on a beach camp trip with our student ministry a couple of years ago. I haven't been able to replace it yet, but would like to do so sometime in the near future. 

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5. Tour Europe 

Having small children at moment, kind of puts a damper on our travel plans {not that we really mind} so this one will have to wait for a few years. I have always wanted to tour places like Venice, Rome, Paris and London. I enjoy history and love ancient architecture- plus the shopping would be fabulous, don't you think?! 

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Well, that wasn't so hard! And it was kind of fun too! 

What are some of your life ambitions? 

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Music Monday

I've been perusing iTunes lately in search for some new songs for my running playlist.

I came across this new one from Kelly Clarkson:

I heart Kelly Clarkson. She's fab.

I repeat the lyrics "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" over and over in my head while I'm running. 

It seems to help. Or at least I'm convincing myself that it helps  :)

I'm also obsessed with Adele. Then again, who isn't these days?

What is on your running playlist? 

In other news:

I am almost down a pant size! Woohoo! 

I'm seriously considering framing these two images below and hanging them up in front of my treadmill, along with the bikini that is already up on the wall. I'm one of those runners who needs to visualize my goal while I work out. I know, I'm weird like that.

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What keeps you motivated during your workout?