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Dawn McSwain

I have been struggling with my weight for several years now. I am 75 lbs over weight, 47 married empty nester, accountant for a non-profit. Recently I have committed to doing a 1/2 marathon in November. 12 weeks (EEKK). My mom & sister will be joining me. My mother has been running since her 40's. She ran her first marathon the year I made her a grandmother :). Anyway this will be my 4th 1/2 marathon since 2004, I walked the first 3. I have decided I am going to run at least a 1/3 of this one. I started using a Jeff Galloway Iphone AP for interval training about 5 weeks ago. I have been very extremely careful because I don't want to injure myself and not be able to do it at all. I originally started with 1 minute running 2 minute walking with the running at 6mph. However carrying so much extra weight I could feel my right leg was not liking it very much, this is when I decided that the tortoise is the one who finishes the race and I backed down to 4.5 mph and running 30 seconds walking 45 seconds. I have since upped it to 5mph and am really feeling good about it. I am running 5 days a week, and today I am going to do my first long run of 5 miles, I have been doing a daily run of 2.5 which I upped to 3.5 on Tuesday this week. I am really starting to feel strong and its not as much of a mental battle today as it was 5 weeks ago.

Also in regard to my diet. My husband and I live in the Houston Texas area and there is a local trainer who stared a company called My Fit Foods. They prepare fresh food for you that you can pick up a couple times a week, so it is very much the easy way, no food prep or too much though required.. Its gluten free and comes in 3 serving sizes and all I have to do is grab my meals in the morning on my way out the door. I started logging my food today on Lose it and yesterday I ordered the Fit Bit (wish I had it already).

I am in prayer that I will be successful this time, because there have been so many times in the past I have failed. My motto this time "Do or Do Not - There is no try" Yoda! I will DO!!

My short term goal is to lose at least 15lbs by the race.

My long term is to lose the 75 lbs and to continue running an hour a day 5 days a week.

Thank you in advance for encouragement & support thru my journey! I need all the help I can get.

Also I would love to hear how the fit bit has helped anyone already!

Be Blessed

Dawn

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cliff Ravenscraft @GSPN on August 29, 2011 at 2:33pm

Dawn, I am so excited to see you set these goals. Stephanie is still getting used to her FitBit. But I do notice that seeing her activity level on the screen each day is motivating her to do more.

Keep us posted on how things are going with your journey!

Permalink Reply by Bethany on August 29, 2011 at 9:41pm

I am so inspired by your story! I recently started training for my first 5k - though embarrassingly enough this will be my third time trying because I fell off the wagon the last two times. I really want to complete my training this time and actually run the race! Running can be such a struggle, especially staying committed to a schedule. I'm really impressed that you are running so often and so far! That is incredible - keep up the good work and the best of luck on your next half marathon! :)

Permalink Reply by Dawn McSwain on August 30, 2011 at 2:24pm

Thanks Cliff!! I am supposed to receive my FitBit today in the mail. I am really looking forward to seeing all the info it can tell me. I ran/walked 4 miles last night in 1 hr 4 minutes, and plan on doing that 4xs this week. Hopefully do 6 miles this weekend. Bethany I would recommend doing intervals, meaning running a short time period then running, and going back & forth. That is the only way I could have ever gotten to where I am in such a short time period. Jeff Galloway has two Aps for the Iphone, one for a 5K and another for a 10K. I had been using the one for the 10K, however this week I switched to one called seconds as I can create my own intervals and make it as long or short as I want. It also lets me use my own playlists for music. Up until a couple months ago I would never have even thought to train this way. Apparently they do interval training on the biggest loser as well, I didnt know that until after I started doing it. When is your 5K? I will be praying for your success!!

Dawn

Permalink Reply by Bethany on September 1, 2011 at 6:16pm

Hey Dawn! I am definitely running intervals, though it sometimes can work against me! I don't have a program/iphone to tell me when to start and stop (those apps sound awesome!), so I think sometimes I stop running before I should! I do wear a watch but don't always keep track of how long I am running or walking. I tried the couch to 5k plan twice and have never made it all the way though :( I am on the second week of Hal Higdons plan, which doesn't include invervals, but I'm working my own in anyway. :P I ran 1.5 miles straight yesterday, which was an incredible accomplishment for me, I don't think I've ever done that - it was hard! My 5k is coming up October 9th - my entire extended family is running it so I better not chicken out. :) It helps to hear others running successes because it makes me want to succeed to, so I'm glad you are sharing!

Permalink Reply by Dawn McSwain on May 21, 2012 at 4:39pm

I have run into some health issues over the last few months and have not met any goals. Hurt my foot training for the 1/2 marathon. tendonitis. Then did a 10k in March that I didn't train for very well and hurt my back. Just arrived from my first cruise this morning and I decided I cannot keep giving myself excuses. 1st thing in the moring I am going to start doing the following.

1) count calories using my fit bit

2) start back to working on my elipitical. Slowly and safely.

3) Stop giving my self excuses.

When I quit smoking 15 years ago I told my self I wasnt going to try to quit that I was a "Now a Non-smoker) I didnt allow my self that "OUT" Well as my son and I were talking about that this weekend that is what I have done over and over in regard to my weight, I have given my self 100's of "outs"

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE!!

Praise Jesus!

Permalink Reply by Cliff Ravenscraft @GSPN on May 22, 2012 at 10:12am

Dawn, I'm happy that you didn't let the fact that you've dropped the ball keep you from picking it back up again and moving forward. Congratulations!!!!

Permalink Reply by Byronious on May 24, 2012 at 12:43pm

Hi Dawn, I soooo feel for your struggles with staying on track day after day. One of my most powerful moments of clarity that I've experienced in my life is learning that:

a) if we get off track today its vitally important not to self sabotage our emotional health with guilt tripping and negative self talk

b) every new day we get to start fresh - if we learn to live in the moment (not guilt trip on the past or the future) we empower ourselves with a healthy emotional state. I have found that a happy emotional state of mind is soooo much more of a pleasurable existence.

c) being content/Ok and accepting your weakness's creates a very positive state of mind.

I've established a rule for my self that I live by every day - guilt tripping myself for any reason is unacceptable behavior.

Permalink Reply by Kim E. Landwehr on May 22, 2012 at 11:35am

Dawn, congratulation on making the decision to get back on track. Remember steady is better than fast, and increasing distance slowly but steadily over time is key (at least that is what I try to tell myself.

Permalink Reply by Dawn McSwain on May 22, 2012 at 9:42pm

walked 3 miles this evening, didn't start tracking till this evening tho. Kim FYI even tho we are friends on fitbit now, everything about you is hidden from me. I went and changed my setting so my friends can see my progress as well. Your my only fitbit friend as of now. No one that is my Facebook friends has fitbit apparently.

BTW the walk felt very good, not sure why I let myself make excuses, since i feel better when I am active.

Permalink Reply by Kim E. Landwehr on May 22, 2012 at 10:46pm

Hey Dawn first congratulations on the walk and thanks for the FYI, I'll fix that in the morning, time for bed now.

Permalink Reply by Kim E. Landwehr on May 23, 2012 at 6:47pm

Dawn, I changed my Fitbit privacy settings, so hopefully you can see more now. How is it going today? My walk this morning went ok, according to Fitbit it was 3.0 miles the hardest part was the humidity.

Permalink Reply by Dawn McSwain on May 26, 2012 at 2:35pm

i am doing pretty good so far!! As Cliff says, I have had 1 hr of intentional exercise every everyday this past 4 days. My husband and I went swimming at the Y yesterday, May do that again today. We bought a juicer a few weeks ago and am about to make pineapple strawberry juice and will be freezing some of it for snacks. Pot of beans cooking for a gathering tomorrow however making extra for us to have as well. I can smell the cilantro on my hands as I type this lol I am wearing my fitbit and it helps me feel accountable to what I am doing. I do wish I had more friends with it.

Thanks for everyone's encouragement.

Be Blessed

Dawn