Forward Progress

Success!
Finally, I feel like I am making forward progress! I credit most of my success to all of the wonderful friends who have been following my progress and supporting me with kind words and helpful advice. My team mates from Team All Ears have aso been a wonderful source of support and advice. I feel very lucky to not feel isolated and alone on this tough personal journey. Thank you everone!!!

Weight Watchers was a great decision. Thank you Gael and Diane and Tara for suggesting that and inviting me to meetings. I never realized the food mistakes I was making before I started to track what I was really eating and how many points were assigned to what I was eating. I have lost 6 pounds in two weeks on weightwatchers and I have not been as faithful as I should be, so that shows that this is a good plan and it is working. What I like the most is that I can eat whatever I want, I just have to keep track and be accountable. In the past, I would think nothing of having five spoonfuls of the kids mac and cheese and then eating a full takeout dinner with Nik. Wow, what a big mistake that was!

I can feel my body changing and feel lighter in my step. I have now lost 18 pounds overall. I feel like summer is a great time to start this because of all of the fresh fruit and veggies and the accessibility to the grill.

I have also discovered baked tostitos chips, which makes me feel like I am not missing out on anything.

Exercising is going well. I am not improving as fast as I would like in my running speed and ease, but I am also taking it very slowly, so I do not injure myself. I have discovered that I love swimming, what a fantastic workout. I am in need of a road bike so that is on my list of things to acquire. I woud like to complete a mini Triathalon by the end of the summer, 1/2 mile swim, 3 mile run and 15-25 mile bike ride. I am going to run as many races as I can this summer and will work toward the Tufts 10K in the fall.

For my 1/2 marathon and training I am rasing money for the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation. Breast cancer is a serious disease that is affecting as many as 1 in 4 women. Please consider donating to this fund. If breast cancer has touched your life in any way or if you fear it might, please consider donating. I will be sending a new donation sheet out soon, but I am hoping to inspire people to donate to the breast cancer cause through my running, training and journey to become healthier.

Consider this, I am running my first 5K tonight, if I can do it, will you consider donating $5 toward fighting breast cancer?
If I can complete a triathalon would you consider donating $10?
If I lose 25 pounds, would you consider donating $5?

A very good friend of mine is battling ths disease right now and she is in my thoughts and in my heart everyday that I train. K if you are reading this, I hope you know that you are part of my inspiration.

Please Help me raise money to fight this disease. I am on a running team, you can read more about the team here. http://allears.net/pluto/teamallears.htm.

The Avon Foundation is distinguished from most other donors that fund a single institution or scientific investigator by supporting a virtual national network of research, medical, social service and community-based organizations, each of which is making a unique contribution to helping patients or advancing breast cancer research. The Avon Foundation awards funding in breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, support services and scientific research, including prevention and therapeutic vaccine studies.

Checks should be made out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and should be mailed to:
Deb Wills, 3520 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite F03-105, Fredrick, MD 21704 Please to be sure to write Team All Ears Amanda Gonzales on the check in the notes. If it is easier, you can give me a check and I will bulk mail them as I receive them.You can also contribute online by clicking below or visiting
http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/DebWills Please be sure to put All Ears, Amanda Gonzales after your donation.

Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted on how the 5K went! Thanks again for all of your support!