Wednesday, April 27, 2011

T-Minus 5 days and counting...

The Flying Pig 10k is looming.  My goal is to finish it in 1:30, and I really think that's an attainable goal.  Lately, my average pace has been right around 14 minutes, and that's with some jogging thrown in.  I'm hopeful that the adrenaline and excitement of the race atmosphere combined with my sister pushing me along will make me prosper.  I'm really excited, and yet my stomach has a pit just thinking about it.  I tend to psyche myself out about this stuff for some reason (a little OCD perhaps?)  I don't know why it is such a big deal to me mentally...it isn't going to be the first time that I go 6.2 miles.  I guess the whole goal part is what has me freaked out.  So...we shall see.  I walked 3 miles last night and Thursday night I'm supposed to walk 1 mile. 

So many things have transpired since my last post.  Easter came and went.  The rain has washed away many parts of Dayton.  Oh, and I've lost another 2.6 pounds, pushing me into a new decade in this journey.  I couldn't have been more shocked when I stepped on the scale a few days ago.  I don't know if it is the new eating habits or the new exercise or what?  But, I'll take it.  One question remains, "When am I going to physically feel the change?"  I still feel heavier.  Even though people have given me compliments and even though one of my best friends told me, "Wow, you totally have saggy butt!"  (Um...thanks?)  I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I have done this, I have won the good fight, and I am almost to my first mini goal of a 20 pound weight loss.  Even my husband gave me a very back-handed compliment last night.  (Again...um...thanks?)

Here is a side-by side comparison of me at Christmas 2010 and me on Easter Sunday (no, I didn't slim myself down for the sake of the photo):

 




And, of course, there's this guy (YUM!):



At any rate, I am looking forward to the weekend.  Looking forward to the race and looking forward to the race being over!  I know that after the race, I want to go back and revisit the C25K program and I also plan to take up some Zumba classes at my church.  It's free, so why not?

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Another one bites the dust!

Another weekend that is...

My weekend was kind of hectic, but I did manage to get my walk in on Saturday morning.  But two adventures happened while I was out.  At about 2 miles in, I came to an intersection on the bike trail and look to my right to see about a dozen police officers in swat uniforms with big guns and shields, heading into the woods.  I say, "Self?  Am I going to be shot...or better yet, murdered?"  Turns out it was a police training exercise, but still.  It was creepy scary.  Once I got over that, I headed onward for what I thought would be another 4 miles.  I was shooting for 6 miles (no pun intended).  But of course, another hassle had to interrupt me.  At around mile 4, the rain began to come down.  And it POURED!  Of course before I left, I asked my husband if we had a waterproof jacket I could wear just in case it started to rain, and he gave me one, assuring me it was indeed waterproof.  He could not have been more wrong!  I got soaked from head to toe and my shoes were then rubbing my feet.  So...I gave up at 5 miles.  I was cold, drenched, and mad.  I guess the good news is that I was more mad about not finishing than I was about the downpour!

Sunday lent itself to more adventure when my husband ended up having to go to work.  So, no walk.  BOO!

I hope to get it together this week and get back on track.  Less than two weeks until the Flying Pig 10k!  My original hope was to be able to jog, but at this point, I just don't think it is going to happen.  I can walk very fast, but honestly my jogging capabilities are slower than my fastest walk.  And when I say jogging, I mean hopping really because I am certainly not a very good runner. 

After the Pig is over, I am going back to the basics.  I plan to use the Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan so that I can get it together by September.  I am hoping to be able to run the entire Air Force 5k by that time.  I have a few friends who are registering for that one and I REFUSE to let these smaller girls take me down!

Friday, April 15, 2011

TGIF!

Ah, it's Friday, and I have the Spring itchies like no other!  I feel like I need to take a day off work and clean my house from top to bottom.  I have been so thrilled that I have been able to open my windows in the evening and let the breeze freshen up my house.  What a wonderful feeling!

I'm kind of bummed because tomorrow is my 6 mile day and it is supposed to rain.  Honestly, I'll be really irritated if I can't go.  I suppose I could just suck it up and exercise in the rain, but that doesn't really sound like my idea of a good time...

Other than that, things have been going along relatively smoothly.  Work is steady and the kiddo is doing wonderful after his surgery.  He has been such a trooper.  He had his follow-up appointment with the ENT yesterday and the ENT told me that everything looked clear.  And pretty much, that's all he said.  (It's pretty obvious that those folks don't attend any kind of bedside manner classes in med school.)

I decided to weigh myself yesterday and I am down another 1.2 pounds.  And while that sounds great, it really isn't that good to me because that is only a .6 pound loss per week.  I've really had some struggles over the past few weeks with all  of the Easter candy laying around and just a general need to snack due to stress.  You see, it never stops.  I don't think I will ever have a point in my life where the temptation goes away.  I suppose it is an addiction like any other addiction.  I understand, to a very small degree, why people continuously "fall off the wagon" when it comes to drugs and alcohol.  And for that matter, I have suffered a different addiction in my own personal life that I also continue to struggle with everyday.  Vices and habits are VERY hard to break!

So, I think it's time for me to really kick it up a notch.  I still have yet to sit down and really think about what my goals are.  Both in the short-term and the long-term.  I think it's a good time to start dealing with this since I feel pretty comfortable in my workout and weight-loss routine.  I just don't want to be unrealistic with my new journey.

I do want to share one of the new little products that I found that really helps me with my water consumption.  Why someone didn't think of this before, I'll never know.  MiO liquid water enhancer has been one of the greatest little creations I have seen lately.  This stuff is mega concentrated so it really one takes a squirt or two to make your beverage a delightful fruity concoction!  I love it! 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Fantastic Article!

One of my favorite blogs is Foodtrainers.  Throughout this journey, I have learned to be very careful of what kind of advice or tips that I consider "valid", and this particular blog is absolutely fantastic for providing valid and real advice.  Advice about healthy living, weight loss, being a mommy who is trying to do it all, and many other items of interest.  When I looked at the most recent blog post I was really stunned at how it was a picture perfect replica of my life.  Not just prior to this new journey, but even now.

Over the past few weeks, and in particular since my son had his surgery, I have found myself being a lot more lenient in regards to grazing and having a bite of this or that each day.  And what I have come to realize is this:  "You are still in the beginning stages of this new lifestyle, and you simply cannot cheat."  I am not at the point where "Don't be so hard on yourself" is applicable.  This might sound really harsh and it might seem like I am setting myself up for a disaster in the long-term, but I don't really think so.  I NEED to be harder on myself when it comes to snacking on the wrong things because I have not reached my goal.  And I am not going to attain that goal if I live in such a way that allows me to backslide into old habits.  Those are the very habits that got me to where I was in the first place.  Now, I'm not saying that you can't indulge.  In fact, I wrote a previous blog post about this very thing.  But what I am saying is that those 10 M&M's that I am eating every single day in the blink of an eye are going to add up! 

However, I absolutely love the end of the blog that talks about your Victory List.  I'm not really into all of the Psycho-Babble that goes on in today's culture, but I do believe that rewarding yourself in a positive manner creates significant strides in your self-confidence and allows you to move that tiny small step ahead towards your personal goals.  I am also a person who loves a challenge, so I think it would be helpful for me to set a small goal for each day, and then celebrate at the end of the day with a much needed pat on the back!

Having said that, my husband should be thrilled when our closet space begins to slowly disappear due to my new DSW shopping habit.  I deserve it, right?  :-)     

Friday, April 1, 2011

Surgery was a success and a WooHoo Weigh-In!

I want to first tell you that my son's surgery went very well!  It was not without issue, however, because he had some ill effects from the anesthesia.  It made him really sick!  But his recovery has been fast and he bounced back very quickly.  Now, to work on my own recovery...

I haven't exercised since last Sunday, which makes me feel really bad.  It really couldn't be helped considering we were preparing for his surgery and watching over him during recovery.  But, nonetheless, I feel weak and tired.  I need to get back to this very soon!  My eating habits have also slacked over the past week.  I haven't been horrible, but I found myself slipping back into choosing bad things to eat, and I want to get over that.  It is SO easy to pick horrible food because it is too convenient and I was also stress eating...A LOT.

Having said that, I finally weighed myself this morning on a total whim.  I actually wasn't going to, but it was killing me.  I am happy to report that over the last few weeks, I have lost another 3.2 pounds.  Most of that was because I continued to make good food choices as well as pound out some serious foot movement on the pavement.  Part of me can't help but think I've also lost some muscle mass because I didn't work out for several days.  Who knows?  Regardless, it's time to get busy and back on track to my overall weight loss goals!

What kinds of things do you do to get back on track after falling off the weight loss wagon?