Or more specifically, super cheat day.
I'm sitting here eating chips and salsa for lunch. Totally healthy I know. I don't even care. It tastes so damn good. I think that allowing these little cheats here and there keep me sane.
Last night my husband and I were packing our bags for our trip home this weekend and I was going through my capris pants and shorts for fun, trying them on to see if I can feel a difference. I had some that I could, some that I didn't. I was going, are you serious?? But it's ok. I know I am starting to see the difference. Honestly. I'm finally seeing it with my own blind two eyes ;-)
We then got to talking about how we should take the next step to clean up our eating choices. We're doing well with our counting calories - and that is great and much needed - but we now have to refine our choices. We are still very carb (mostly bread-y) heavy and we could stand to eat leaner proteins. Luckily I do not eat steak and pork (other than bacon) so those are easier for me. We are generally good with choosing leaner ground beef but we really let the grocery sales dictate our meat purchases.
Every week we have been trying to have some fish fillets which is a positive step for me. I am allergic to shellfish so I've generally stayed away from any seafood in the past. While it's still not the best options out there, we've been getting some of the frozen fish fillets in various seasonings and breading. I've actually decided I like the plain old 90 calorie per fillet Van de Kamps version the best. I then put a teeny amount of BWW Asian Zing sauce on them and they are delicious. I could eat those multiple times a week.
I also have a major gag reflex reaction when any salmon or tuna is near me. Honestly, I'd rather shovel horse manure than smell tuna or salmon. When I waitressed my way through school, I used to have other people run my salmon dishes out to my tables for me. I don't know that I will ever be able to get past the smell in order to put it in my mouth. Have you ever had to get over something like this?? If so, how did you do it? With Lent beginning next week (and even though my hubby is a lapsed Catholic and my denomination doesn't do no meat on Fridays), I would like to be able to humor him with more seafood choices. Wisconsin is a fish fry paradise but the "fry" part totally defeats the purpose of eating fish. LOL.
Well, enjoy your cheat days if you are indulging in them with me. Just make sure to close your mouth at midnight and get back to the healthier options in the morning!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Weigh In Wednesday
I saw a new second digit this week on the scale!!!
Today I was down to 218.2 lbs! That is a total of 36.4 pounds lost in total.
What a relief it was to see that "1" on the scale. I feel like I've been flirting with it for weeks now. I love getting the rush of accomplishment when the number pops up. It's also fun to see my projected weight on MFP when I plug in my food diary each day. Right now I'm usually around a projected weight of 206 in 5 weeks. Soon I will see 200...and then the number will begin with a 1. Holy cow. I can't wait.
In exercise news, last night's run was a bit hard. I was really hurting. My shin was very bothersome. I've been icing it on and off for the last couple of days and that does seem to relieve the pain when I do. Tonight I am going to possibly just do some swimming to keep off of the legs as much as I can. I'm going to do my 2 mile run tomorrow but then I am contemplating either skipping this week's Sunday run and just repeating this week's training schedule next week or just doing the 4 miles on the elliptical on Sunday. We shall see!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Motivation Monday
This week's motivation is prompted by some kind words I have heard lately. I've had friends and acquaintances .reading this blog and my facebook updates and have been inspired or moved by my journey. They have said how proud they are of me and how happy they are to see me succeeding. A few have mentioned how much they are motivated by me.
Of course this makes me feel good that I can help them in their own respective journeys. It's not easy to commit to this big of an overhaul on your life. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I don't always want to go to the Y and get my workout in. I would love to not feel extreme guilt when I eat some of my favorite foods. I just want to eat my cheese sticks in peace dang it, lol. Some weeks I think, "Wouldn't it be nice to have an 'off, no diet' week?"
But I choose to keep going because I have to, even in those moments I don't want to. Want is such a hard action or thought to overcome. Nobody wants to be fat. They just become fat. Nobody wants to diet and watch what they eat. You have to want to lose the weight. You have to want that more than you want instant gratification. My god is it hard some days. But I remind myself that one day I will look back at this time and I will know that I was strong enough to accomplish something that is truly life changing. I know what it is like to be the thin girl. I want to have that back more than
I hope that all of you that are reading this, those of you trying to find the courage and strength to start off on your own journey, find your own success. You can do it!
Of course this makes me feel good that I can help them in their own respective journeys. It's not easy to commit to this big of an overhaul on your life. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I don't always want to go to the Y and get my workout in. I would love to not feel extreme guilt when I eat some of my favorite foods. I just want to eat my cheese sticks in peace dang it, lol. Some weeks I think, "Wouldn't it be nice to have an 'off, no diet' week?"
But I choose to keep going because I have to, even in those moments I don't want to. Want is such a hard action or thought to overcome. Nobody wants to be fat. They just become fat. Nobody wants to diet and watch what they eat. You have to want to lose the weight. You have to want that more than you want instant gratification. My god is it hard some days. But I remind myself that one day I will look back at this time and I will know that I was strong enough to accomplish something that is truly life changing. I know what it is like to be the thin girl. I want to have that back more than
I hope that all of you that are reading this, those of you trying to find the courage and strength to start off on your own journey, find your own success. You can do it!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
5 Weeks until Shamrock Shuffle!
Today is the last Sunday in February so next week's Shuffle update will be the first one I can say, "This month I'm running an 8k!!" Eeeek!!
Today I stepped up to 3.5 miles. I set my pace super slow because I wasn't sure how my knee and shins were going to hold up. By doing so, I still felt really good at the end of the run. I think around mile 2.75 I must have been putting my weight in a weird place when I landed because I got the tingling feeling in my right foot for a few laps. I slowed down and made sure to move my foot around and flexed it as much as I could while running and I was back in business in no time.
This week's training schedule looks like this:
Monday: stretch and strength (upper body & arms)
Tuesday: 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 40 min cross train (I'm going to try swimming laps)
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength (legs)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 50 min cross train. I'll be home going to the Blackhawks game. We'll be doing a lot of walking from the train station to Soldier Field so I'm going to call that good enough.
Sunday: 4 mile run
In non-training news, I'm sitting here watching the closing ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and I'm so bummed that the Olympics are over. I watch any and everything I can for both the summer and winter Olympics. I love seeing all the top athletes of the world come together to compete. It might not have been the best showing for the US, but we still did very well. I have grown tired of hearing the complaints about how "bad we suck this time." We don't suck. We just got beat or we beat ourselves. It happens. That's life. It will make us hungrier for Pheongchang in 2018. But first....my countdown to Rio in 2016 begins tonight! I can't wait for the summer games!
Today I stepped up to 3.5 miles. I set my pace super slow because I wasn't sure how my knee and shins were going to hold up. By doing so, I still felt really good at the end of the run. I think around mile 2.75 I must have been putting my weight in a weird place when I landed because I got the tingling feeling in my right foot for a few laps. I slowed down and made sure to move my foot around and flexed it as much as I could while running and I was back in business in no time.
This week's training schedule looks like this:
Monday: stretch and strength (upper body & arms)
Tuesday: 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 40 min cross train (I'm going to try swimming laps)
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength (legs)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 50 min cross train. I'll be home going to the Blackhawks game. We'll be doing a lot of walking from the train station to Soldier Field so I'm going to call that good enough.
Sunday: 4 mile run
In non-training news, I'm sitting here watching the closing ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and I'm so bummed that the Olympics are over. I watch any and everything I can for both the summer and winter Olympics. I love seeing all the top athletes of the world come together to compete. It might not have been the best showing for the US, but we still did very well. I have grown tired of hearing the complaints about how "bad we suck this time." We don't suck. We just got beat or we beat ourselves. It happens. That's life. It will make us hungrier for Pheongchang in 2018. But first....my countdown to Rio in 2016 begins tonight! I can't wait for the summer games!
Friday, February 21, 2014
First signs of pain
I am feeling my first signs of possible strain or pain or injury. I'm not sure where to classify this as I'm not sitting on the couch sidelined nor am I about to head into the doctor for an x-ray or check-up. I'm also not mistaking it with the good sore pain. This is right knee pain and left shin pain. I'm really hoping that neither ache is the beginning of anything serious.
Today I just did my water fitness class and that was it. Tomorrow is just going to be a rest day. Well, rest as in not actually going to the gym. Actual rest is probably unlikely as this will be our first weekend in three weeks that we either don't have guests or we're not out of town. We have a ton of cleaning and organizing to get done. Sigh. Sometimes being an adult is so overrated. Oh who am I kidding - *most* of the time being an adult is overrated.
I'm really, really hoping that my bones start feeling better. I have my longest run to date coming up on Sunday with my 3.5 miler. No lasting injuries please!!
Today I just did my water fitness class and that was it. Tomorrow is just going to be a rest day. Well, rest as in not actually going to the gym. Actual rest is probably unlikely as this will be our first weekend in three weeks that we either don't have guests or we're not out of town. We have a ton of cleaning and organizing to get done. Sigh. Sometimes being an adult is so overrated. Oh who am I kidding - *most* of the time being an adult is overrated.
I'm really, really hoping that my bones start feeling better. I have my longest run to date coming up on Sunday with my 3.5 miler. No lasting injuries please!!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Eff Foam Rolling & Weigh In Wednesday
Seriously. I was trying to keep the title of this post PG 13 but I really wanted to say Fuck Foam Rolling in all it's spelled out glory.
What masochist decided that this foam rolling thing was an awesome thing?? Oh yeah, skinny, fit people most likely.
I went out and bought one from Target on Monday night because I was a little sore after my run on Sunday and multiple people have told me about them. I watched some online videos and thought, "Hmm, ok, I can do this." Yeah, no. It is painful. It freaking hurts. They *say* that it will get better over time but I'm not sure that can come fast enough. It helps if you have good upper body strength to begin with... Oh and no fat rolls. I was like a beached orca flailing around.
In all honesty, it might have helped me for yesterday's run because I ran my first mile at a 10:30 pace. That is amazing for me. The second mile slowed way down though, hahaha. But I felt pretty good all 2.5 miles. So I rolled out again (or attempted to) last night and I got a damn rug burn on my arm. Why do those hurt so bad?? I mean really?
Today I still feel sore in my right knee and hip. So basically the jury is still out on this whole rolling thing. I know many tout the benefits of it so I'll stick with it for a while.
For anyone looking to get one, after the fact I looked into the different colors of them. The color actually means something. Go figure. I just went for my favorite color, green. The white ones are the softest version. The blue or green are more of a medium firmness. The black ones are the most firm and for the more advanced users.
This is the one I bought:
As for weigh in...not a ton of movement. I was at 221.0 on the dot this morning. Still a small loss but not as much as I would have liked. Maybe I shouldn't have gone overboard this weekend in the food department ;-) Just sayin'...
What masochist decided that this foam rolling thing was an awesome thing?? Oh yeah, skinny, fit people most likely.
I went out and bought one from Target on Monday night because I was a little sore after my run on Sunday and multiple people have told me about them. I watched some online videos and thought, "Hmm, ok, I can do this." Yeah, no. It is painful. It freaking hurts. They *say* that it will get better over time but I'm not sure that can come fast enough. It helps if you have good upper body strength to begin with... Oh and no fat rolls. I was like a beached orca flailing around.
In all honesty, it might have helped me for yesterday's run because I ran my first mile at a 10:30 pace. That is amazing for me. The second mile slowed way down though, hahaha. But I felt pretty good all 2.5 miles. So I rolled out again (or attempted to) last night and I got a damn rug burn on my arm. Why do those hurt so bad?? I mean really?
Today I still feel sore in my right knee and hip. So basically the jury is still out on this whole rolling thing. I know many tout the benefits of it so I'll stick with it for a while.
For anyone looking to get one, after the fact I looked into the different colors of them. The color actually means something. Go figure. I just went for my favorite color, green. The white ones are the softest version. The blue or green are more of a medium firmness. The black ones are the most firm and for the more advanced users.
This is the one I bought:
Monday, February 17, 2014
Motivation Monday
Using these two for my motivational messages this week is helping me to remember to slow down mentally and remember why I started this journey in the first place.
There are countless stories that highlight the pain of being overweight. The stigma, the embarrassment, the pain, and the heartache. I'm not sure there are many stigmas out there that are worse than being overweight or infertile. I happen to be battling both of those issues currently. Feeling like a failure and that your body is flawed is a huge mental road block. Some people are never able to get over them.
I don't want to feel the pain of being fat anymore. I don't want to cringe at myself in pictures. I don't want to cry in a "normal person's" clothing store dressing room because I can't fit into the largest size they carry. I want to be healthier and thinner. Under no circumstances have I felt any pain from my workouts that can even compare to the pain of being overweight.
I also have to do that one pound at a time. There isn't a quick fix for this problem. Little by little, it will happen. Sometimes I get down on myself when I see other people have huge weeks with losses of 4-5 lbs. I have to remember that I'm not in a race with anyone other than myself - and there isn't a prize for getting there first. The medal only comes from reaching the goal.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
6 weeks until SS 8k!
I'm another week closer to the BoA Shamrock Shuffle! Every Sunday it's like a flashing neon countdown sign in my head, lol. I'm positive these 6 weeks are going to fly by in the blink of an eye. My schedule is jam packed until then.
Today was another "step up" day in distance for me. I did my entire 3 miles!!! I only ran into a slight problem around laps 22-26 (of a total 33) when my feet seemed to go tingly. I'm not quite sure why that happened. I just kept on going and pushed through it. It wasn't that big of a distraction in hindsight. I probably wasn't saying that while it was happening though ;-)
I also got back on track in the food department and stayed under my caloric limit today. I feel a lot better (less weighed down with crap) tonight than I did last night, that's for sure. My face is still breaking out though. Sigh. Lots of acne cream in my future, lol.
This week's training schedule will be:
Monday: stretch and strength
Tuesday: 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 35 minute cross
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength
Friday: 40 minute cross (water fitness)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 3.5 mile run
Well, have a wonderful remaining portion of your weekend! I hope y'all have a wonderful week!
Today was another "step up" day in distance for me. I did my entire 3 miles!!! I only ran into a slight problem around laps 22-26 (of a total 33) when my feet seemed to go tingly. I'm not quite sure why that happened. I just kept on going and pushed through it. It wasn't that big of a distraction in hindsight. I probably wasn't saying that while it was happening though ;-)
I also got back on track in the food department and stayed under my caloric limit today. I feel a lot better (less weighed down with crap) tonight than I did last night, that's for sure. My face is still breaking out though. Sigh. Lots of acne cream in my future, lol.
This week's training schedule will be:
Monday: stretch and strength
Tuesday: 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 35 minute cross
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength
Friday: 40 minute cross (water fitness)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 3.5 mile run
Well, have a wonderful remaining portion of your weekend! I hope y'all have a wonderful week!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Trainwreck
That is what my eating has been the last two days.
We have some family up by our house visiting and we've eaten out twice. And I've stuffed my face entirely too much. It has tasted so damn good though. I struggle with how much I enjoy eating out and eating my favorite foods. I find it much easier to skip going places versus limiting portions or ordering something not as bad from the menu if I go somewhere.
Why the hell would I want to not order potato skins or fettuccine alfredo?? I sure as hell don't want to *not* order those items. I want to eat every single bite of that "3x what a normal portion size should be" plate of food. And then I want to scoop up every single crumb that is still left on the plate. And maybe drink the glaze in the ramekin.
Can you tell I'm struggling right now?
I know this struggle was bound to happen.
The constraints of being good at all times are bound to be tested. Indulgences are made. Trainwrecks happen. Getting the train back on the track is the key though. I'm aware of this and I know I will do it.
Not that it's an excuse but I am 95% sure I'm in extreme PMS mode. As in I want to eat everything in the house and am craving sweets and I'm also breaking out. The crazy thing is - and I don't always go into a ton of detail over on this blog about it versus my other blog - if I do in fact get AF this week, that will make for a random "normal" cycle for me. I have PCOS, am anovulatory, and have a serious lack of regular (if any) periods. So while it's great that maybe I'm on schedule for once, I want to just lock all food out of this house before I eat it all. I know I'm really bloaty right now too. Knowing that, I really need to concentrate on cleaning up the wreckage so that when this is over, I can get back to losing weight instead of retaining it. Lord help me if I have to re-lose more than 5 pounds.
Side note - up until today, I've noticed a remarkable clearing of my acne trouble spots. I'm sure the water and cleaner eating is the only reason for the change and love seeing those positive results. But dammit if I didn't wake up yesterday to a giant honker on my chin/mouth area.
The positive thing that I can report from today is that our lunch today was down at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, and I took a picture with my buddy Mickey Mouse and posted it on Facebook. I received quite a few very nice comments about how I am looking. :-) I don't mean to sound flippant or vain but it really does help to hear the kind words and the praise. I'm still struggling with seeing a difference right now. I also feel afraid to continue to say that last sentence because I don't want to be seen as someone just fishing for compliments. That is not my intention. I really and truly struggle to feel like I've lost 30 pounds. I just wish my brain and eyes would see it.
I think the theme of this blog post can be that mentally I am struggling. I'm in this for the long haul and I keep reminding myself that these phases are normal. I just have to keep on going and find a new groove to propel me into the next 30 pound loss.
Anyway, I will share that photo here as well just to further my attention whoring. The jeans I'm wearing are still the same damn size as always for me - however - the Mickey zip up hoodie (can you tell it's Mickey in the pink now that I've pointed it out?) is one of the few clothing items that I feel the difference in the fit. It used to be super tight. It was on the roomy side
We have some family up by our house visiting and we've eaten out twice. And I've stuffed my face entirely too much. It has tasted so damn good though. I struggle with how much I enjoy eating out and eating my favorite foods. I find it much easier to skip going places versus limiting portions or ordering something not as bad from the menu if I go somewhere.
Why the hell would I want to not order potato skins or fettuccine alfredo?? I sure as hell don't want to *not* order those items. I want to eat every single bite of that "3x what a normal portion size should be" plate of food. And then I want to scoop up every single crumb that is still left on the plate. And maybe drink the glaze in the ramekin.
Can you tell I'm struggling right now?
I know this struggle was bound to happen.
The constraints of being good at all times are bound to be tested. Indulgences are made. Trainwrecks happen. Getting the train back on the track is the key though. I'm aware of this and I know I will do it.
Not that it's an excuse but I am 95% sure I'm in extreme PMS mode. As in I want to eat everything in the house and am craving sweets and I'm also breaking out. The crazy thing is - and I don't always go into a ton of detail over on this blog about it versus my other blog - if I do in fact get AF this week, that will make for a random "normal" cycle for me. I have PCOS, am anovulatory, and have a serious lack of regular (if any) periods. So while it's great that maybe I'm on schedule for once, I want to just lock all food out of this house before I eat it all. I know I'm really bloaty right now too. Knowing that, I really need to concentrate on cleaning up the wreckage so that when this is over, I can get back to losing weight instead of retaining it. Lord help me if I have to re-lose more than 5 pounds.
Side note - up until today, I've noticed a remarkable clearing of my acne trouble spots. I'm sure the water and cleaner eating is the only reason for the change and love seeing those positive results. But dammit if I didn't wake up yesterday to a giant honker on my chin/mouth area.
The positive thing that I can report from today is that our lunch today was down at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, and I took a picture with my buddy Mickey Mouse and posted it on Facebook. I received quite a few very nice comments about how I am looking. :-) I don't mean to sound flippant or vain but it really does help to hear the kind words and the praise. I'm still struggling with seeing a difference right now. I also feel afraid to continue to say that last sentence because I don't want to be seen as someone just fishing for compliments. That is not my intention. I really and truly struggle to feel like I've lost 30 pounds. I just wish my brain and eyes would see it.
I think the theme of this blog post can be that mentally I am struggling. I'm in this for the long haul and I keep reminding myself that these phases are normal. I just have to keep on going and find a new groove to propel me into the next 30 pound loss.
Anyway, I will share that photo here as well just to further my attention whoring. The jeans I'm wearing are still the same damn size as always for me - however - the Mickey zip up hoodie (can you tell it's Mickey in the pink now that I've pointed it out?) is one of the few clothing items that I feel the difference in the fit. It used to be super tight. It was on the roomy side
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Damn Bagels
Ahhh, today's little post shall be quite fun to write. Let it be a lesson to others to double check your calorie database carefully.
Monday-Thursday I work in one town about 30 miles away. On Fridays I work in the area that I live in. On those days I treat myself to my Friday morning breakfast indulgence of a cheddar bacon bagel.Now, I fully know that it's not the most healthy combination. But it's delicious. And I adjust my calories for the rest of the day accordingly. I always put it into MFP too. I wasn't able to find the cheddar bacon exactly but I chose the asiago cheese one and then figured out the additional bacon calories and created my own "recipe" for it. Today I happened to be working out of the in-town location so I decided that I would have my splurge today since tomorrow is Valentine's Day and my in-laws are coming up and I'm sure we'll be going out to dinner.
Well, today for the first time I decided I going to finally change it up and make it into an egg sandwich. I've never had it before. It was fabulous. So I went back to MFP to add it to my food diary. I found the sandwich on there but with a plain bagel. So I thought, "Hmm, ok I'll use that sandwich, look up the plain bagel stats on the company website, and then add the difference in the calories manually to my breakfast section." Except something wasn't working out in my head and I went back to the company's website to double check myself. When my eyes hit upon the smoking gun, my stomach dropped.
Their serving size was for half of the bagel. Half. MFP had the base for my bagel listed as a whole bagel for the serving size. I've been eating this for months. And now that means that every Friday my counts have been way off. My bagle-wich was half of my daily allotted calories. I'm not even joking. I wish I was.
So I rethought my entire meal plan, cutting out a bunch of my snacks I packed, in hopes of not completely blowing the day.
I ended up being over by slightly more than 300 calories before my workout. Knowing I had to bust my ass tonight I did my 2 mile run and then lifted weights for another 45 minutes. My burn was about 642 calories so I did end up with a deficit today...not without sacrifice though. I'm still hungry ;-)
Needless to say, I will NOT be going to get my bagels every Friday. Maybe once every two months as a true "treat."
I'm still dumbfounded.
Portion sizes are a bitch sometimes. Damn them.
Monday-Thursday I work in one town about 30 miles away. On Fridays I work in the area that I live in. On those days I treat myself to my Friday morning breakfast indulgence of a cheddar bacon bagel.Now, I fully know that it's not the most healthy combination. But it's delicious. And I adjust my calories for the rest of the day accordingly. I always put it into MFP too. I wasn't able to find the cheddar bacon exactly but I chose the asiago cheese one and then figured out the additional bacon calories and created my own "recipe" for it. Today I happened to be working out of the in-town location so I decided that I would have my splurge today since tomorrow is Valentine's Day and my in-laws are coming up and I'm sure we'll be going out to dinner.
Well, today for the first time I decided I going to finally change it up and make it into an egg sandwich. I've never had it before. It was fabulous. So I went back to MFP to add it to my food diary. I found the sandwich on there but with a plain bagel. So I thought, "Hmm, ok I'll use that sandwich, look up the plain bagel stats on the company website, and then add the difference in the calories manually to my breakfast section." Except something wasn't working out in my head and I went back to the company's website to double check myself. When my eyes hit upon the smoking gun, my stomach dropped.
Their serving size was for half of the bagel. Half. MFP had the base for my bagel listed as a whole bagel for the serving size. I've been eating this for months. And now that means that every Friday my counts have been way off. My bagle-wich was half of my daily allotted calories. I'm not even joking. I wish I was.
So I rethought my entire meal plan, cutting out a bunch of my snacks I packed, in hopes of not completely blowing the day.
I ended up being over by slightly more than 300 calories before my workout. Knowing I had to bust my ass tonight I did my 2 mile run and then lifted weights for another 45 minutes. My burn was about 642 calories so I did end up with a deficit today...not without sacrifice though. I'm still hungry ;-)
Needless to say, I will NOT be going to get my bagels every Friday. Maybe once every two months as a true "treat."
I'm still dumbfounded.
Portion sizes are a bitch sometimes. Damn them.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Weigh In Wednesday
I have good and bad news to share regarding today's weigh-in.
I'll start with the bad first.
Even though I was quite sure I didn't go too terrible with the eating in Chicago this past weekend, I still somehow managed to put 4+ lbs back on. I'm guessing the combination of being a tad stopped up and not drinking enough water is the main culprit for the gain. I had tracked my calories in MFP and even though I was over on Friday and Saturday, it wasn't an all out binge fest.
But the good news is that I dropped it all plus 1 pound for today's scale stepping.
My weight was at 221.8. That brings my total weight loss to 32.8 lbs!
To be under 220 is for sure my goal by this time next week.
I've been playfully complaining to K that even with all the pounds lost I haven't been able to move down a size yet. It's slightly frustrating. I know there is a difference because people comment on it. I'm just having a hard time *really* feeling it. It's just another layer of the weird view of my body that I have many days.
Want to know the one place that I have noticed the difference?
When I'm in the shower and I'm washing my face.
I am one that faces into the water and when I put the soap on my hands to lather my face and wash it off, I can feel that my face is smaller. Isn't that weird??? I think it is. But I like it. I hated my fat face.
Anyway...here's to hopefully seeing the changes happening a little more clearly soon!
I'll start with the bad first.
Even though I was quite sure I didn't go too terrible with the eating in Chicago this past weekend, I still somehow managed to put 4+ lbs back on. I'm guessing the combination of being a tad stopped up and not drinking enough water is the main culprit for the gain. I had tracked my calories in MFP and even though I was over on Friday and Saturday, it wasn't an all out binge fest.
But the good news is that I dropped it all plus 1 pound for today's scale stepping.
My weight was at 221.8. That brings my total weight loss to 32.8 lbs!
To be under 220 is for sure my goal by this time next week.
I've been playfully complaining to K that even with all the pounds lost I haven't been able to move down a size yet. It's slightly frustrating. I know there is a difference because people comment on it. I'm just having a hard time *really* feeling it. It's just another layer of the weird view of my body that I have many days.
Want to know the one place that I have noticed the difference?
When I'm in the shower and I'm washing my face.
I am one that faces into the water and when I put the soap on my hands to lather my face and wash it off, I can feel that my face is smaller. Isn't that weird??? I think it is. But I like it. I hated my fat face.
Anyway...here's to hopefully seeing the changes happening a little more clearly soon!
Monday, February 10, 2014
Motivation Monday
Ah Monday. Good old Monday.
I stayed up way too late last night watching Olympics coverage. I am so thankful tonight is only a stretch and strength day. There's no way I'd be able to get through a strenuous workout this evening. Tonight I am going to focus on upper body and abs using free weights, machines, and the fitness ball.
After that we'll go do some grocery shopping and then head home. Where I am going to have to manage to not turn on the Olympics again... ;-)
Have a great Monday all! For today's dose of motivation I will leave you with:
I stayed up way too late last night watching Olympics coverage. I am so thankful tonight is only a stretch and strength day. There's no way I'd be able to get through a strenuous workout this evening. Tonight I am going to focus on upper body and abs using free weights, machines, and the fitness ball.
After that we'll go do some grocery shopping and then head home. Where I am going to have to manage to not turn on the Olympics again... ;-)
Have a great Monday all! For today's dose of motivation I will leave you with:
Sunday, February 9, 2014
7 weeks out from the SS 8k
Well I have to say that I am quite pleased with myself tonight.
We were at home in Chicago this weekend and this morning I got up and headed to church with my grandma. I got to spend the rest of the morning into the early afternoon with her and it was wonderful. I am so lucky to have a chance to spend time with her. I miss being at home and being able to pop in whenever I feel like.
The only negative to this was that it cost me some travel time back to Wisconsin. The Y here in town is only open until 6 pm on Sundays. From my in-laws house, it is a 3 hour drive. We ate some lunch from our favorite local Mexican fast food hole in the wall (Taco Burrito King or TBK if you're curious) and then hurried to pack up the car.
We left at about 2:45 and I really thought that there was no way I was going to make it up here in time to get in a run. It was my "move up" day in training and it was really important to me. Today was the day that I needed to move up to a 2.5 mile run. I was really, really bummed out.
The traffic gods must have taken pity on me because somehow we managed to make awesome time. Well, truth be told I'm pretty sure that K was driving more along the guidelines that I use when driving. Ha!
We were rolling into town at about 5:15 so I made a comment about how he should just drop me off at the Y since we would have to pass it to get home and wait for me in the car with the animals. He said, "Well, if you want me to drop you off, I will. I'll just go drive the animals home, unload the car, and come back for you." Knowing that the only choice I had was just sucking it up and running in my thicker yoga pants and a heavy t-shirt on the track and getting in my actual run or having to fake it and do it on the elliptical at home, I chose to be dropped off.
I was pretty nervous to get this distance accomplished, especially since I wasn't really "prepped" to go and was literally just getting out of the car after a 180 mile road trip. But I freaking did it. I felt pretty good during it as well. A couple times my legs threatened to go to jello but I pushed through. I did not have a repeat of the breathing issues from Thursday, thank goodness. I guess the only explanation for that bad run is simply being off on my breathing. Oh well. I obviously sucked it up and moved past it. It's the only thing that you can do if you're going to continue to transform yourself.
The rest of my week looks like this for training:
Monday - stretch and strength
Tuesday - 2.5 mile run
Wednesday - 35 minute cross train
Thursday - 2.0 mile run + strength
Friday - likely rest day - I have a noon conference call that conflicts with my water fitness class
Saturday - 40 minute cross train
Sunday - 3 mile run (holy shit)
Well, I am exhausted and I should have gone to bed an hour ago. Have a wonderful week!
We were at home in Chicago this weekend and this morning I got up and headed to church with my grandma. I got to spend the rest of the morning into the early afternoon with her and it was wonderful. I am so lucky to have a chance to spend time with her. I miss being at home and being able to pop in whenever I feel like.
The only negative to this was that it cost me some travel time back to Wisconsin. The Y here in town is only open until 6 pm on Sundays. From my in-laws house, it is a 3 hour drive. We ate some lunch from our favorite local Mexican fast food hole in the wall (Taco Burrito King or TBK if you're curious) and then hurried to pack up the car.
We left at about 2:45 and I really thought that there was no way I was going to make it up here in time to get in a run. It was my "move up" day in training and it was really important to me. Today was the day that I needed to move up to a 2.5 mile run. I was really, really bummed out.
The traffic gods must have taken pity on me because somehow we managed to make awesome time. Well, truth be told I'm pretty sure that K was driving more along the guidelines that I use when driving. Ha!
We were rolling into town at about 5:15 so I made a comment about how he should just drop me off at the Y since we would have to pass it to get home and wait for me in the car with the animals. He said, "Well, if you want me to drop you off, I will. I'll just go drive the animals home, unload the car, and come back for you." Knowing that the only choice I had was just sucking it up and running in my thicker yoga pants and a heavy t-shirt on the track and getting in my actual run or having to fake it and do it on the elliptical at home, I chose to be dropped off.
I was pretty nervous to get this distance accomplished, especially since I wasn't really "prepped" to go and was literally just getting out of the car after a 180 mile road trip. But I freaking did it. I felt pretty good during it as well. A couple times my legs threatened to go to jello but I pushed through. I did not have a repeat of the breathing issues from Thursday, thank goodness. I guess the only explanation for that bad run is simply being off on my breathing. Oh well. I obviously sucked it up and moved past it. It's the only thing that you can do if you're going to continue to transform yourself.
The rest of my week looks like this for training:
Monday - stretch and strength
Tuesday - 2.5 mile run
Wednesday - 35 minute cross train
Thursday - 2.0 mile run + strength
Friday - likely rest day - I have a noon conference call that conflicts with my water fitness class
Saturday - 40 minute cross train
Sunday - 3 mile run (holy shit)
Well, I am exhausted and I should have gone to bed an hour ago. Have a wonderful week!
Friday, February 7, 2014
The 3-0 club
Nope - not my 30th birthday. That's not until August ;-)
But I hit the other type of Big 3-0 this week and that is 30 lbs. lost!
Actually, as of this morning I weighed in at 222.8! With my technical starting weight at 254.6, that is a total weight loss of 31.8 lbs. I am very happy right now!
You know what also finally happened? I had a bad run last night. I know it was bound to happen and it finally did. I've never had a run like this - even when I was starting out last year after having no exercise under my belt.
It was horrible. On the track I run on, it takes 22 laps for a 2 mile run. I was laboring in my breathing early on and when I hit lap 18, my side was cramping horribly. As I approached my water, I had my salad dressing kind of come back up and I had to stop to get a couple sips of water. I walked a half a lap and then pushed through the remaining laps I needed to do. It was hard. I felt disappointed. Really disappointed. I guess I am hitting a little mental road block that I should be able to do more than 2 miles right now. I know it will take time so I will just have to be patient and shake it off. One bad run won't stop me. And it will happen again. That much is for sure.
But....enough with the bad! I'm 31.8 pounds lighter!!!! Hell yeah!!! Woo Hoo!!
But I hit the other type of Big 3-0 this week and that is 30 lbs. lost!
Actually, as of this morning I weighed in at 222.8! With my technical starting weight at 254.6, that is a total weight loss of 31.8 lbs. I am very happy right now!
You know what also finally happened? I had a bad run last night. I know it was bound to happen and it finally did. I've never had a run like this - even when I was starting out last year after having no exercise under my belt.
It was horrible. On the track I run on, it takes 22 laps for a 2 mile run. I was laboring in my breathing early on and when I hit lap 18, my side was cramping horribly. As I approached my water, I had my salad dressing kind of come back up and I had to stop to get a couple sips of water. I walked a half a lap and then pushed through the remaining laps I needed to do. It was hard. I felt disappointed. Really disappointed. I guess I am hitting a little mental road block that I should be able to do more than 2 miles right now. I know it will take time so I will just have to be patient and shake it off. One bad run won't stop me. And it will happen again. That much is for sure.
But....enough with the bad! I'm 31.8 pounds lighter!!!! Hell yeah!!! Woo Hoo!!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Weigh In Wednesday
I had another good week and my weight in this morning showed me my reward of 225.2 pounds! I am so close to hitting 30 lbs lost now!
The one thing that has me a little worried is that we have now made plans to go home to Chicago this weekend so that will mean lots and lots of foods from my favorite places. Not good. I also have to figure out how I am going to get my long run in on Sunday. And how to not gain about 5 lbs this weekend. This is going to be extremely hard.
If there is one thing I love most in this food world - it's my hometown grub. Say a food spell for me that I lose my appetite.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Motivation Monday
Happy Monday y'all!
What a day, what a day. I'm struggling with some things in the workplace right now and I'm really trying to keep my head up about things. The good thing is that a workout is a great way to focus my energy around something more positive and better for my well being.
So this week I am going to try to remove all that needless stress as best I can. Obviously it's easier said than done. I think that keeping my head wrapped around the things that I can control are what are most important for me to focus on this week.
What a day, what a day. I'm struggling with some things in the workplace right now and I'm really trying to keep my head up about things. The good thing is that a workout is a great way to focus my energy around something more positive and better for my well being.
So this week I am going to try to remove all that needless stress as best I can. Obviously it's easier said than done. I think that keeping my head wrapped around the things that I can control are what are most important for me to focus on this week.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Super Sunday
I think non-healthy foods go hand in hand with the Super Bowl. At least they do in my my house! This year we decided to go pretty low key for the game and only have one friend over and not make a huge spread. Which is a good compromise for my waistline.
Except the mini spread we have is taco dip, beer dip, and pizza. I don't even care because they tasted phenomenal. ;-)
The good news is that we got to the Y at 10:30 this morning to do our workout. We promptly found out 3 things.
1) They don't open the actual workout spaces until 11 am.
2) Sunday mornings are way too crowded on their track.
3) People on the track can act like big time assholes.
#3 is the main reason that as we were leaving we said, never again at this time. There is a clear sign by the stairs when you get up there that slower traffic should stay to the inside. This was only read by maybe 1/4 of the people up there. There was even a woman with a baby jogger up there walking slow on the outside and every time we got to her of course there was also a walker on the right. Bobbing and weaving takes so much energy for runners. It's so frustrating. I finally nicely asked her if she could move to the inside. She replied, "I'm fine, I'll stay on the outside." I turned back and said, "the sign says slower traffic on the INside. It's so the runners don't have to weave in and out." She mumbled something like "oh guess I didn't see that." Which is fine, I asked her nicely in the beginning. But don't give me attitude when you can't take the time to read the rules... She then commenced to bitch about K and me to her husband when he came back up to check in with them.
Like I care. Just let the fat kid get her run in, mmmkay?
In other news, today marks 8 weeks until my 8k! Eeek! I struggled a bit on my run today. It was due in some small part to all the lane traffic that messed with my pacing but I'm not sure that was the whole reason. I followed the Hal Higdon training schedule almost perfectly, only switching my rest day to Saturday instead of Friday. I think I ended up slightly short of running the entire 2 miles today. I know if I add in the walking laps I hit it but I was a bit disappointed that I didn't run it as I had done on Tuesday and Thursday. I was just not in good shape today and I can't really pinpoint why. I was wearing new socks that have the arch support band on them and my toes and feet did go slightly numb so I had to loosen my laces midway through. I'm still not sure that was enough to mess me up as much as I was. Oh well. I know everyone has off days. As the saying goes, "A bad run is better than no run." So I will just move on from it and do my best on Tuesday.
My training schedule for this week will look like this:
Monday: stretch and strength
Tuesday: 2 mile run
Wednesday: 30 Day Shred (level 1)
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength
Friday: water fitness (60 min)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 2.5 mile run
Well...that's all for me tonight! Have a great week y'all!
Except the mini spread we have is taco dip, beer dip, and pizza. I don't even care because they tasted phenomenal. ;-)
The good news is that we got to the Y at 10:30 this morning to do our workout. We promptly found out 3 things.
1) They don't open the actual workout spaces until 11 am.
2) Sunday mornings are way too crowded on their track.
3) People on the track can act like big time assholes.
#3 is the main reason that as we were leaving we said, never again at this time. There is a clear sign by the stairs when you get up there that slower traffic should stay to the inside. This was only read by maybe 1/4 of the people up there. There was even a woman with a baby jogger up there walking slow on the outside and every time we got to her of course there was also a walker on the right. Bobbing and weaving takes so much energy for runners. It's so frustrating. I finally nicely asked her if she could move to the inside. She replied, "I'm fine, I'll stay on the outside." I turned back and said, "the sign says slower traffic on the INside. It's so the runners don't have to weave in and out." She mumbled something like "oh guess I didn't see that." Which is fine, I asked her nicely in the beginning. But don't give me attitude when you can't take the time to read the rules... She then commenced to bitch about K and me to her husband when he came back up to check in with them.
Like I care. Just let the fat kid get her run in, mmmkay?
In other news, today marks 8 weeks until my 8k! Eeek! I struggled a bit on my run today. It was due in some small part to all the lane traffic that messed with my pacing but I'm not sure that was the whole reason. I followed the Hal Higdon training schedule almost perfectly, only switching my rest day to Saturday instead of Friday. I think I ended up slightly short of running the entire 2 miles today. I know if I add in the walking laps I hit it but I was a bit disappointed that I didn't run it as I had done on Tuesday and Thursday. I was just not in good shape today and I can't really pinpoint why. I was wearing new socks that have the arch support band on them and my toes and feet did go slightly numb so I had to loosen my laces midway through. I'm still not sure that was enough to mess me up as much as I was. Oh well. I know everyone has off days. As the saying goes, "A bad run is better than no run." So I will just move on from it and do my best on Tuesday.
My training schedule for this week will look like this:
Monday: stretch and strength
Tuesday: 2 mile run
Wednesday: 30 Day Shred (level 1)
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength
Friday: water fitness (60 min)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 2.5 mile run
Well...that's all for me tonight! Have a great week y'all!
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