Mom Works It Out by Angela Gillis

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The toughest race I’ve ever ran

The toughest race I’ve ever ran

On Memorial Day, Willie and I ran the The Patriot Half Marathon (me) and 5k (him) to support Carry The Load.  We started out being very excited about this race but it kind of got over shadowed by the race we will run in San Diego on Sunday!  But this was the hardest race I’ve ever ran.  There was humidity and wind and hills. I’m just not use to the rolling hills so I had to take it slow.  Plus, I wasn’t interested in injuring myself where I couldn’t run in SAN DIEGO!  You see?  It’s become that important to…

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Everyone wants to know what we eat for …

Everyone wants to know what we eat for lunch

*This post is not sponsored or paid for by any entity.  It may seem like we are pushing Healthy Choice meals here, but we’re not.  This is just something we found and loved on our weight loss journey.  You will always be notified before reading a post if it is paid and/or sponsored. This is the most frequently asked question from blog readers and every day people. I wish I could share something amazing with you, but just don’t have it to share.  I cook two meals a day most days and lunch really isn’t one of those meals.  I…

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Fear caused a momentary lapse

Fear caused a momentary lapse

Fear is a crazy thing.  It will make me second guess my choices, it will make me afraid to take a risk, it will hold me back in life. Fear always creeps up when I’m feeling the strongest to cast a shadow of doubt over my life.  I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been going through such a roller coaster lately with pretty much everything and it all comes down to fear!  Fear is a bad thing.  I remember being little and not being afraid of anything.  I went through life being my bravest self; becoming an adult…

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Notes on the weekend: Running, weights, new people …

Notes on the weekend: Running, weights, new people and family

The weekend has come to a close and I’m glad to report that this week was a good one.  Last weekend I was so down in the dumps and miserable, but things were totally different this week.  On Saturday morning, I got up made breakfast and was ready to run with Willie. I did a short 4 mile run and then headed off to do my weight training at the gym. This is probably a big reason why I was having a good weekend. I made it to weight training throughout the week and I was really proud of myself.…

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Changes in the wardrobe

Changes in the wardrobe

I remembered hating clothes shopping with my mom when I was a kid. I was always the bigger kid in the family and I was always ready to leave the clothing store as soon as we walked in. I don’t know what it is about clothes or just notion of shopping for clothes that always bothered me. I carried that feeling for the longest time. There’s an old saying, “Clothes make the man” or something like that. In a sense, it’s true. You are how you dress. I started my weight loss journey at 492 pounds. My clothes definitely reflected…

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The one about lacking the motivation

The one about lacking the motivation

This past weekend was doozie for me.  I didn’t really want to talk to anyone, do anything, or even concentrate on television.  I completely lacked the motivation to move.  All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and maybe watch some television, but that was a BIG maybe. I don’t know what put me in this horrible mood, but it happened.  Last Friday I decided I needed a work out break because my workouts that week sounded like I was ordering hamburgers from Wendy’s:  triple (M), double (Tu), triple (W) and double (Th).  When Saturday morning came around…

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The Catch Up Post: Goals, Races and Mother’…

The Catch Up Post: Goals, Races and Mother’s Day

I feel out of touch with the blog because so many things have been going on in life. As you may have read, my grandmother passed and I took it very hard. I didn’t expect to take it that hard, but I did. There were a lot of tears shed over this experience. I saw her decline every day until she passed; I basically watched her die. She’s in a better place now after living a long and amazing life. Her passing added emotional stress and sleep deprivation to my life so my overall well being kind of took a…

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Chicken,Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stir-Fry

Chicken,Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stir-Fry

Quinoa is great and one of my favorite things to eat. I eat a mostly plant based diet so quinoa is a great way to get my protein. Willie is still a meat eater, so this is something I can fix for both us and still be satisfied. I’ll just throw some chicken in the mix for him. Best part, low in sodium and very filling! FYI: I don’t use the canola oil when cooking. I try to stay away from any oils when cooking, even though they are good fats. I don’t think you need oil/butter to cook your…

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Donate To St. Jude Children’s Hospital To …

Donate To St. Jude Children’s Hospital To Make A Difference

We need your help! Cancer is something that has touched both of our lives this past year when my mom was diagnosed. We have seen the monetary cost of cancer and that is why we are choosing to run for a reason. On December 7, 2013, I will run my first marathon (26.2 miles) and Willie will run the half marathon (13.1 miles) but we want to be St. Jude heroes. To do that, we both must raise $500 EACH! We have changed others lives by sharing our story and this is how we want to change someone else’s life.…

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It’s not a diet. It’s healthy …

It’s not a diet. It’s healthy lifestyle changes to lose weight.

The biggest piece of advice we can give you is to stop dieting.  It’s not a diet; it’s healthy lifestyle CHANGES to lose weight and keep it off. A lifestyle change is very difficult, especially for the people in your life.  We had so many problems with our friends and family because it wasn’t only a change for us, it was a change for them too.  Both Willie and I were overweight our entire lives and our weight defined us.  When it was time to make a change things did get very sticky and possibly people didn’t take us too seriously. For people who…

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We haven’t left you hanging

We haven’t left you hanging

My grandmother passed and right now things are in a bit of chaos.  The blog has taken a backseat to the health of my grandmother.  Things will be back to normal very soon! Thanks for understanding, Angela

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