6 months postpartum

And I am oh so close to having lost 60 lbs in this weight loss goal! Well, technically I've gained and lost 28 pregnancy pounds but that's a technicality :-)

I finally got myself under 200 lbs as well!! When I saw that 1 in front of the number I was elated. I cried. 

Finally. I never want to see that 2 again. Nope, nope, nope. 


I'm holding steady right now at 195-197 most days. It does feel as though my body has reset itself after being pregnant and that also feels amazing. 

Right now I really have to watch myself with sweets. I have been overly indulgent with cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc. And they've been delicious. But alas, they need to be cut. After tomorrow's charity bake sale that is ;-) 

I also need to make sure to get some more longer walks in. I was doing fabulous with that in the month of June but so far in July I haven't. I do wear a pedometer most days and I aim for the recommended 10,000 steps. It's funny that it seems like we walk way more than we actually do. 

Well, the baby is napping and I have some chores to get done but I will leave you with a few pictures to document on here. 

Weigh In Wednesday

I'm holding steady which is slightly miraculous seeing as though I feel I've been eating like a 900 lb. trucker. I'm constantly hungry. I have a feeling it is because of the birth control pills I just finished up in preparation for IVF.

And yeah - cat's out of the bag. I'm currently doing IVF and that is why I can't run the Shamrock Shuffle this week. I'm still going to finish it though, even if I feel like a fraud just walking it.

But the good news is that I am back to 214 lbs and my 40 lb loss! That is something I am very proud of. I just hope that in a month I will be gaining some pregnancy weight.Keep your fingers crossed for me. If this fails (please no) then my plans for running the Disney Half are still in play. If it works and I am able to carry to term, well then...screw the race ;-) I've been trying to beat infertility for over 6 years now. I need this to work.

Weigh-in Wednesday

I like my sick weight from last week better than today's, lol. 

Last Thursday I hit a low of 214.2 - which brought me to 40 lbs lost. But between then and now, I am at 216.4. That still gets me to 38 lbs lost. 

I'm just at a holding point right now. Per doctor's orders my training is to be toned down and I will not be allowed to run the Shamrock Shuffle - only walk it :-( I know it's for the greater good so I'm trying to stay positive. Being on meds right now that normally cause weight gain is making it harder to lose plus you add in a week of being sick and you just get a case of the "blahs."

Enough of the whining though. I am still down a pound! Woo hoo!

Stay well y'all - I have heard of people in many other states battling the virus I had. it is not a fun time!

Weigh In Wednesday...errr Thursday

So I'm a day late. Meh. ;-) 

I've been off my game this week. I was so drained on Monday I skipped the gym. Then I had to go to the doctor's office on Tuesday and they took a ton of blood (like, 10 vials) and I had a migraine by 4 pm. I went to bed early. 

Even after a stressful day and some shitty kids being disrespectful at the Y, I got an "ok" workout in yesterday. However, I got my 2 mile run in today and some weights so I'm happy. I also forgot to weigh in yesterday so I did that this morning too. 

The scale showed 217.2 this morning! That now makes 37.4 pounds lost in total. I hope to get to that 40 lb mark shortly! We shall see. I have some other things going on right now so I'm not sure that I'll be able to continue my pace but I will do my darnedest!

Happy almost weekend!!

Motivation Monday

This one is pretty self explanatory. I know I am guilty of this a lot around these parts. Each step and little marker that I take or make it to is a major accomplishment. 

It's so hard to be looking at the overall big picture and still see the goal barely on the horizon.  The problem is that you have to be able to see all the smaller details that you are passing along the way. How will you ever know how many miles you have to go if you neglect to look at the mile markers on the side of the road?? 

My grandma called me tonight and she was telling me how she was creeping on my pictures on fb (she fully admits she writes nothing on fb but uses it to only look at people's posts and pics, LOL) and she mentioned that she saw my picture from a couple weeks ago at Miller Park and how wonderful I was looking. Yesterday I got to see my other grandma and she also mentioned that she can tell I lost even more weight. I am so close to my grandmas and it made my day(s) that they noticed and gave me compliments on it. I am working hard at this. It isn't easy but I'm doing it. 

Along the way, make sure to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Take in the scenery. Check out the new sights and sounds. You owe it to yourself to completely experience this journey.

Weigh In Wednesday

Guess what guess what guess what????

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!

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.

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!

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!!

Weigh In Wednesday

I am so guilty as charged with doing this. I also refuse to step on the scale without having gone to the washroom and pretty much in the nude. Hey - I'm not into finding out how heavy my clothes are! ;-)

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. 

Weigh In Wednesday

Woo hoo - the bitch is on her way out so I'm seeing some movement on the scale! Yee haw!!!

Today I weighed in at 227.2! That's 27 pounds lost so far!

I'm really hoping that I will be at 220 lbs in two weeks. That is my super short term goal.I can do this!

Motivation Monday

Mondays can be such a drag. I usually have no motivation for anything. And you know that Mondays are when all hell breaks loose and then you want to come home and just stuff your face and crash on the couch, binge watching dramas you saved on your dvr.

While my desk seems to continue to get buried under tasks that I can't seem to make any headway on, it was a fun day because we had our monthly all building meeting and they always recognize some employees and do some giveaways. I walked away with both being recognized and winning the meeting attendance giveaway! I got a couple gift cards to our favorite grocery store and that made my day.

Since I was riding the happy train, I made sure to get us over to the Y for a workout. I busted out a nice 30 minute run and felt good about it. I am aiming to try out the deep water water fitness class tomorrow. I can be very extroverted in life but yet I am always shy when trying out classes of any kind. I just have to jump into the deep end. Bad pun intended. 

Anyway, I know this particular day of the week can be a drag but if you're having a case of the Mondays, keep trudging on!

For this week's dose of motivation I will leave you with these pins.

 

And my favorite one from my workout shirt tonight:

Run Hard

Run Fast

Run Happy

Just Run 

Weigh in Wednesday

Man, I was so damn close to seeing the second digit of my scale say something new today. Something I haven't seen in probably a good two to three years. 

I was at 230.0. 

On the friggin dot.

Bastard. 

But - it is still progress! I will take it. I did in fact get 30 minutes of shoveling heavy, blowing snow in last night for my exercise. Some of our drifts were up over two feet...even if our actual snowfall was only 7 inches. Gotta love blowing and drifting in WI, huh? At least it got my workout in for the day. 

I need a good kick in the ass to get my true workout in. I have to promise myself that tomorrow I will do it. An hour's workout won't kill me. Especially since after work on Friday I am meeting up with some girlfriends from my last job and we're going to our favorite Mexican restaurant. Giant margaritas and chips and salsa will be had. I need to earn those calories ahead of time! ;-) 

 

Happy New Year!

Hello 2014!!!

I am happy to report that even though I indulged a bit (ok, I was plowed) last night, I am not hungover and looking forward to a fabulous year ahead. 

Naturally this is my weight related resolutions post. You wouldn't expect anything less today now would you? Please help keep me accountable! I want to be looking back at this post in 364 days and thinking, "Damn, you did good."

I am setting the bar high this year for all my resolutions - not just the health related ones. I am dubbing 2014 "The Year of Personal Health, Happiness, and Commitment."

1) Be 50 lbs lighter. That is a tad over double my loss for 2013. It's less than a pound a week. It is a big number to shoot for. I'm nervous but I know it needs to happen.

2) Run at least 3 races: at least one 5k, one 8k, and one 10k.

3) Fit into a size 14 in time for wedding season. My SIL's wedding is in mid-May and my step-sister's in mid-June. I am in both weddings: co-Matron of Honor for SIL and reader for stepsis. I want to look half decent in pictures.

4) Continue to eat and drink sensibly. Keep up on the great job I've been doing of staying hydrated with plenty of water. I need to continue working on portion control. Consumption of carbs and sweets needs to be lessened.

5) Lower my BMI. It has to be under a specific number in order to do IVF at my clinic instead of a hospital. Each clinic is different and some don't have restrictions but I would like to be at a BMI of 34 by the time we do IVF. That still leaves me in the obese category but it would be a major improvement from where I sit at 40.1.

6) Lower my WHR (Waist-to-Hip Ratio). This is important to me because of the strongly linked fertility implications. The optimal ratio is 0.7 for females. Right now I am at .99. Not good at all. Any improvement is good. I don't think I want to set a goal number for this year but just say that getting to .7 is the end goal. For more about this see: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist%E2%80%93hip_ratio" target="_blank">Wikipedia's WHR page.</a>

7) Be good to this blog. I don't want this to become a neglected blog. I want to continue to be honest about where I am  - good or bad progress. I hope that there is someone out there that can find themselves relating to where I am, or have been, or where I am going and wants to continue reading my shenanigans. I will continue to strive for total transparency. It's hard. Very, very, very hard to show all the "bad" in an open forum like this. Nobody wants to share their embarrassing facts and "ugly" pictures. But if I can do this, maybe I can help not only myself but someone else.

Well, that's of them. Can you believe those are only my health related ones??? Well, here we go 2014!

Race Plans 2014-15

Cross posted from my main blog There's No Crying in Baseball

I've spent the last few weeks picking out the races I want to run next year. I for sure will do The Color Run again. This is their 2014 Kaleidoscope Tour. I am not sure when/where I will run it though. I might have to shoot for Milwaukee or Green Bay because the Chicago date is 6/8/14 and Amarillo is 6/7/14. The following weekend is my sister's wedding on the 13th so that might be tough.

On top of that, the other June race I want to run is the Run for Their Lives PAWS for Chicago 8krun/4k walk. PAWS is the city's largest No Kill humane organization. I really love their organization and their mission. I would love to be able to do some great fundraising for this one. Last year it was the 9th of June and I'm guessing it will be the same weekend. I think I'd rather do PAWS and move my Color Run to a different city and date.

In early 2014 I think I will aim to do the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. I believe it will be held on March 31st. Somehow with a Wisconsin winter I will have to figure this one out. We rejoined the Y and they have an indoor track so I think that's what I'm going to end up using.

I will probably run the Ugly Sweater again since K said he'd do it if I want to again. My SIL said that she wants to do it for real next time and not bail again. So we will see on that one.

I feel like I need another run in there somewhere. After the Ugly Sweater I could throw in a Turkey Trot or a holiday run but come January 10th-ish 2015...I will have the Disney Half Marathon!!! I can't believe I am going to do it. But I am going to try my best to make this a reality.
I better start both saving and running even more. And investing in paper bags to breathe into. I foresee a ton of hyperventilating in the next year.