Day 5

First, I just want to say thanks to my friend, Katie, who encouraged me back on Saturday to start over right then. I really needed that at that precise moment. Since then, I've pretty much stuck to the plan. I've been eating right. I've continued in my workouts. I feel great. And I have lost the 3 lbs that I wanted to lose by today. 

My next goal is to a) maintain this weight while visiting family this week and b) lose 2 more lbs by next Saturday (01/10). I can so do that. 

I also intend to continue with my workouts. I had a great workout this afternoon...strength training and HIIT. I am going to attempt to use my mom's treadmill tomorrow and Friday. Then I'll get back to my gym on Saturday or Sunday. 

Final blog entry for 2008

So at first glance, I could say that I am a little disappointed with my weight loss and fitness attempts this year. I am about 5 lbs heavier. I'm not as in shape.

That being said...there are many other areas of my life that are phenomenally better right now than they were 1 year ago. I am a better, smarter, stronger person who is truly blessed with the most wonderful people in my life. This is invaluable.

Overall, I would classify this year as a success for me.

I also know that I'm ready to take on 2009.

Day 3

I got home late from work today, so I didn't want to hit the gym. However, I asked my husband if he wanted to go to the gym, and he said, "sure." This is what I have been needing. No, I shouldn't have to rely on someone else to get me to the gym, but this really helps. If he had answered with "no", then I very well might have rationalized not going....I worked out yesterday, it's been a long day, etc...

Anyways, I just ran/jogged on the treadmill for 30 minutes....intervals of sorts. Tomorrow, I'll be back to strenght training and HIIT.

My eating was on par today as well. I'm anxious to start seeing the results. 

Day 2 (continued)

I did well with the rest of my eating today. I also went to the gym and got in a full body strength training workout, plus 20 minutes of HIIT. The plan is to go up there again tomorrow for a run. I need to take full advantage of my school break for the next 2 weeks to get back into a routine.

Day 2

Everything went well after my resolution yesterday. I stuck to the eating plan. Eat when I'm hungry and eat enough to satisfy...don't eat just because it's there. I

The workout didn't happen, but only because we didn't realize our gym closes at 7 on Saturdays. We drove up there, and it was dark :(  We will be going up there today though. 

I finally weighed myself this morning, and it's sad but not horrid. It gives me a starting point at least. My first goal is to lose 3 lbs by Wednesday (end the year at a reasonable weight). This should be pretty easy if I stick to the plan. I then plan on remaining at this weight while visiting family for a few days...so eating in moderation.  Finally, I'd like to lose 3 - 5 more lbs over the month of January. I know I can do this. 

Blah

Wednesday's run didn't happen. It really just was not that possible. Friday's workout didn't happen. We intended to go in the morning, but then we changed our plans to go at night. It was much much later when we realized we had forgotten to go. Ugh. 

Today is Saturday, and we could have already gone. We haven't though. My husband says that we will go tonight. We need to. If by chance we don't, though, I am definitely going tomorrow morning. 

However, my new eating plan starts right this second. It's nothing drastic...or maybe it is. I plan on eating much less items that hold little or no nutritional value. I am cutting back dramatically on my bad carb intake. I will allow myself one type of bread/carb at every meal. Portions sizes will also be smaller from here on out. No more eating because I'm bored. 

Finally, I'm drinking more water as of now. 

I rarely ask for this, but I'd like some help with accountability. Please. I'm not doing well right now, and any encouragement would be appreciated.  

Tuesday Workout

I couldn't workout last night, because we had a Christmas party to attend. I knew this in advance though, so I knew that I had to get up to the gym tonight. My "schedule" for this week is Sunday, Tuesday, Friday for strength training & HIIT...then running on Wednesday and Saturday.

So tonight is Tuesday, and the last thing I really wanted to do tonight was workout. It took me 2 hours to get home from work, and I just wanted to veg. However, knowing that this is a holiday week, and my workout schedule is already thrown off, I decided to just go up there for a quick 20 minute workout. Of course, the 20 minute workout for me doesn't really exist. Once I'm up there, I usually end up putting in the time. 

I did strength training tonight...full body, with more of a lower body focus. I skipped the HIIT, because it was just getting too late. I still plan on going up there tomorrow morning for my run. 

So...so far so good. I'm really just trying to stick to the plan. I know that if I start skipping days this early, I'll have trouble getting back into the routine.

So, that's my advice for the day. If you don't feel like going to the gym or don't have much time, just go for 15 or 20 minutes. Either you'll get in a very efficient workout, or you'll find the energy to stay longer. 

3 Days Down

I went to the gym this morning. I did strength training, starting with upper body then lower body. Then I did 20 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill. 

I read through some of my more "recent" posts last night, and it was very encouraging to see how quickly progress is made. I could see some huge improvements in just a few weeks. This should be enough to keep up the momentum. 

Also, it's funny how fit you can feel after just a workout or two. I felt gross on Thursday night, but today I feel awesome. 

Get back to the gym. You'll be glad you did.

A little sore today

I woke up this morning with that wonderful feeling of being sore from a good workout. Seriously, doesn't that feel good? Anyways, I spent most of the day studying and then I took my final econ exam. That's the last one. That feels extra good. I'm done for about 3 weeks now. 

Once I got done with all that, I didn't really feel like going to the gym, but I did...because I know I have to. In fact, I really have to do this for about 5 straight days regardless of how I feel. It ended up being a decent run (3 miles), and I feel better for going. 

I'll be going again tomorrow for strength training, along with some HIIT.

Dust Yourself Off...

Ok. My blogs, along with most of yours, have been pretty much non-existent for quite a while now. I really am not going to promise to blog everyday or even every week or month for that matter, but I do desire to blog more often. I also desire to get my act together. 

There really is so much to say, but I just don't have time so I'll just do the quick blog thing tonight. 

I was doing really well for a while there, but I just let the chaos weigh me down. I'm a wife, mother of 4, have a full-time job with a 1 hour commute each way, and I go to school pretty much full-time. My husband has worked evenings for as far back as I can really remember, but he lost his job in October (we're fine). I thought that once he was home in the evenings, either we'd start going to the gym together or it would be easier for me to just go by myself and not have to worry about the kids. That hasn't happened at all. First of all, this getting dark at 5:00 thing really sucks. I just don't seem to want to leave the house after I get home anymore. Second, my husband and I both seem busier than ever now, and it never seems like a good time to go to the gym. Finally, I obviously just don't want to go. I try to get back at it about every other week, but it just never "takes".

Well, the truth is that I've put on some weight - not a significant amount. This week, though, I've started to get that feeling that I'm about to start expanding rapidly if I don't do something about it. Honestly though, it's not really the weight that bothers me as much as the not feeling fit. I used to think it was all about being thin, but as I started working out over the past couple of years, I realized that it's that feeling of accomplishment and the firmer body that I love...regardless of the size. Sure I'd love to be a firm 6, but I would be almost just as satisfied as a firm 8. I loved when I didn't feel flabby. 

I have one more final left this semester, and then I have a few weeks off from school. Instead of enjoying the break, I'm going to focus my energy into getting back into the routine of going to the gym. I don't know what's going to happen next semester since I'll be taking 4 classes. It's going to be very busy, but I know that I can still find the time to workout periodically...even a few days a week. 

I went to the gym tonight and focused on strength training, along with 20 minutes of HIIT. Tomorrow I'd like to just run at a moderate pace for about 30 minutes. Then I'd like to alternate these two things. I plan on aiming for everyday, because it usually results in about 5 days per week, which is respectable.

I'm not going to even try to tackle my eating habits quite yet. The fact is that I don't need to lose much weight if any. I just want to firm up. That's all. Maybe I'll try to shed a few pounds or so in the Spring.

Ok. After reading some of your blogs today, I think some of the rest of you are starting to feel that itch to get back to this too. Let's do it. We've done it before. We can certainly do it again. That's what it's all about anyways. Most of us are going to struggle with this for life, and there's a high probability that we're going to fall off the wagon periodically. However, every day is a new day. Oh wait. I just read something like this in a book I just got. It states, "You are a success when you clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person - that yesterday ended last night, and today is a brand-new day." I love that. 

One more thing... remember that every pound you don't put on over the holidays is one less pound you'll want to take off after. Think of that when you want to have more than 1 or 2 Christmas cookies or the chips and dip. Since I am prone to binging, this thought does help me keep myself in check most of the time. 

Happy holidays, everyone!

Quick Update

This week's eating was much better than it's been. Not pristine, but ok.

I am still working out with my friend on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We're just doing upper body strength training, although I suggested that we start integrating some lower body into our routine very soon. I am totally starting to see the tone returning back to my arms now. This is very exciting to me, because we've probably only been doing this for about 3 weeks now. Also, we both noticed this week that we were much stronger in what we could lift.

I was feeling very encouraged with my progress that I went up to the gym today for another strength training session. I had actually planned on running too, but I only put in 1 mile on the treadmill at the end of my workout.

I upped my runs to 3.5 miles this week. I plan on sticking with this for another week and then increasing to 4 miles. My plan is to alternate running days with strength training days. (MWF - running, TThSu - strength training w/short run).

That's all. School and work are both going very well. Everything else is great too. Hope everyone else is doing well.

Time to get serious

There is now a very strong possibility that I will be participating in the Detroit Free Press 5-person Marathon Relay. Evidently, one of the relay members is now preggers. Now I'm getting really excited about doing it. It's 1 month away (October 19).

I know that the 7.1 mile portion and the 3 mile portion are taken, so it looks like I'll have to do one of the following: 4.6, 5.6, or 5.9 miles. I honestly think I could do any one of them, although I'm not saying that I would be able to run the entire way. Maybe though...

Btw...there is possibly going to be another spot open...if anyone is interested. It'll probably be one of the 5 mile stretches. Please let me know asap if you're interested, because the deadline to change members is October 6.

Ooooh...this is going to be so fun. I was looking at the marathon map, and I just love the idea of running through streets of the City.

Btw...the Turkey Trot's first deadline is also quickly approaching. September 30. Who's in?

Short One

Ok. Yesterday I ran 3 miles in 28:51, even with a terrible side-stitch that began at about minute #4. This might have been due to not eating before my run. I usually try to eat about 1 hour prior, but yesterday it kinda slipped my mind. I thought I'd just go 2 miles, but after 2 miles, I knew I could push myself 1 more.

Tonight, I began working out with a co-worker/friend. We're going to be strength training together. We did upper body tonight. I feel a little irritated with myself, because I know I could have pushed myself harder. I was just trying to acclimate to working out with a partner though. Next time I'll do better. Btw...she is the co-worker that inspired me to start running (to get the runner's body). She is doing the Detroit Free Press marathon relay in October. Evidently, there are a couple of members that might not really be up for it, so there is a possibility that I could fill in for one of them. I know 2 of the other members (we all work for "the Bank"), so it should be fun/exhilarating/etc...

My eating today was pretty sad, although I've done worse.

I watched The Biggest Loser tonight. I always cry like a baby during the first episode. I like that it seems a little more even this year. I also like that Bob and Jillian chose their teams prior to the show starting. I did not like having to watch the numbers turn for their "internal ages." It was redundant and unnecessary. I got the point after the first one. The producer should be fired for that. :) I really like the father/daughter team. They just seem like good people. I hope the Detroit team does well. Of course, I'd like for all of them to do well.

That's about it. My plan for tomorrow is to eat in moderation and to run 3 miles in 28:45.

Right on Track

Well, today was probably my best run ever. I finished 3 miles in 29 minutes flat, and 3.1 miles (5k) in 29:45...and this included my 5 minute warmup. My method is this: warmup: 5.5 mph. Then 4 sets of 1 minute each of 6.0, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8. Then a final set of 6.0, 6.2, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5.

Even after that, I wouldn't say that I was beat. I'm trying to stay moderate. I know I could push myself harder, but I don't want to hurt myself. I still have 2 months to go until the Turkey Trot, so I'll just keep steadily pushing forward.

I realized something today though. I don't think I go to the gym for weight control anymore. I honestly think my main focus is the sense of achievement and the desire to be fit/healthy/strong/etc... My thought is that it's probably a lot easier to push yourself to go when you don't tie your successes to how much weight you've lost or gained.

On another note, I was getting ready for work yesterday, and I thought that I was looking rather young for some reason. Most people would never guess that I'm nearly 34. In fact, I generally hear that I look around 25 or even younger. Everyone always seems shocked to hear that I have 4 kids. Anyways, I was thinking that I was looking younger, and then my 10 yr old son said...you know, you're almost looking like a teenager again. I wonder what it is. I think I've been getting more sleep. I've been working out again. I've been eating more fruits and veges, drinking more water, and taking my vitamins. I don't know what it is, but I'll take it.

A rambling blog about running.

I'm very excited to report that I'm running 3 miles in under 30 minutes now (on the treadmill). I don't know how much I talked about this, but I took a break from the gym...and the break was way longer than I had planned it to be. It ended up being about 3 - 4 months. I would not recommend this, because as you all know, it can be so hard to get back into it.

That being said, I've been going to the gym fairly consistently since the end of July now. Unfortunately I'm not doing anything like boot camp; however, I'm doing something. Sometimes that's all we can do really. It's way better than nothing.

I don't know what it is about running that makes me love it. I don't love it like real runners do, but I still enjoy the challenge of it. For some reason it's so easy to set goals with it and to play little mind games. I've been careful to gradually increase my exertion as to avoid injury, but I'm still making progress.

I remember my first day back to running...even 5.0 mph was a struggle. Now I am warming up at 5.5 mph. My first day back I went about 2.25 (including warmup and cooldown); now I've added about a mile onto that in less time.

My initial goal is to be ready for the Turkey Trot. My time last year was 30:13 (with no real training for it). I hope to blow that number out of the water this year, but I think I'll be pleased with anything under 30. All I know is that I must beat my time from last year.

Another thing I like about running is how it makes me feel solid. I feel that my curves are all in the right places. My butt and thighs feel strong. My posture is better. I honestly have no clue as to how much I weigh. I probably haven't weighed myself in a month. I'd say it might be 134 if I had to guess. I'm totally fine with this right now. The truth is that I was down to about 120 for a while and in size 6's. I now know that this is totally attainable for me, but it was honestly a lot of work...probably way too much work to maintain for the rest of my life. Where I'm at right now is something that I can live with forever. I can still eat a little bit of this and that. I can work out moderately without killing myself. This is a good place. I think 8's are still respectable. It would be nice to tighten everything up though. I think running will help with all that.

I was going to say more, but I'm literally falling asleep as I'm writing this. Maybe I'll write more tomorrow.

All is Well

I made my last big deadline at work today, and everything feels wonderful again.

My eating is ok. I'm still running (3+ miles every other day-ish).

My husband is a much better photographer than I am, so here is an updated pic of the pup. Evidently, I'm going to be one of those pet owners (I know...not politically correct to say that I own him). Anyways...come on. It's a cute pic. Ollie is the name for now. My husband and I want to change it, but we can't really think of anything. Please feel free to offer suggestions. Nothing too cliche. Btw...it's a Lahso Apso / Bichon Frise hybrid. (A little puff-ball.)

Hi All

Just a quick update:

1. I'd probably describe my eating as of late as "moderate." I would say that the content has not been great, but that my portion sizes have been acceptable. This will not help me lose the bit of weight I've gained, but I think I've stopped it.


2. My fitness level has been good. I've been running around 3 miles several times a week or more. I've also started integrated some upper body strength training back into my workout. I know that I should have a whole strength training regimen, but I need to do this in baby steps. Overall, I'm happy that I've been back to working out for at least 6 weeks now. I think I needed that little break. Now it's time to buckle down for the 5k training. The race is just over 2 months away now.


3. School is going well still. I started 3 courses this week: Microeconomics, Fundamentals of Management, and Accounting...all very interesting stuff.


4. We got a puppy. This is strange considering I don't normally care for animals. I like this kind, even though it's like having a fifth kid. I think we'll be just fine though. Here's a pic of the baby.

One less stress - for now.

I just completed my final exam for my Macroeconomics course. I decided to not complete the course project, and I still ended up with a 3.8 GPA for the class. If I had done the paper, I'd have gotten a 4.0. I figure that the grade doesn't transfer to my 4-year anyways, and I'll have plenty of papers to write soon.

That course was a little hard though. Pretty intense stuff to digest in just 7 weeks. Phew. Glad it's done. Now I have one week off before I start 3 courses in the fall. At least those are all 15 week courses.

Ok. Yesterday we did a grueling hike through the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was only 1.4 miles, but it was through sand under the blazing sun...with 4 miserable kids. I did do the Dune Climb, but not the one that I really wanted to. After the hike, we decided to just go hit the beach instead. We were all ready for a break.

I thought we might do another hike today through the Beech-Maple forest part, but I'm not sure if it's going to happen. It's our last night here, so maybe we'll just chillax.

Hope everyone's doing well.

Vacation...

We're still on vacation. I just wanted to say that we've been eating ok; although I feel insatiably hungry. I've been snacking a lot, but I'm trying to eat health(ier) snacks. We are renting a cabin this year, so we've cooked every meal thus far...no eating out. We could be doing better, but we could also be doing WAY worse.

Activity is good. Hiking, swimming, and kayaking so far. Tomorrow, we'll hit the Sleeping Bear Dunes, hoping to climb the big one this year.

Ok. I'll write more and post pics when we return. Hope everyone is doing well...

Momentum

I feel the momentum building again in FAT, and it's great. I certainly don't mean to leave anyone out of this, but my observation is that this happens whenever Billy gets back in. So, Billy, please stay involved...for the rest of us.

I'm also very excited that Beck and Kevin seem to be back in too. You can do it, guys.

Ripx, you've always seemed to stay involved, but it took a little while for you to really find your groove. I'm so glad to see you thriving now. I remember how you used to get so frustrated with yourself. It's obviously paying off now. Congrats on the guns btw.

The rest of you all seem to be thriving as well. Rob, I think you're doing well, even though we don't hear from you as much lately. I realize that you're busy.

Will just reached his 100 lbs lost mark. Jason is almost to his goal, and is looking great. Susie just recently started out, but I just know she'll be successful. Brandon seems dedicated and is already starting to see big results. Geoff seems to be doing quite well, although we don't hear from him as much anymore.

Ok. I know that I probably missed a bunch of people, and maybe some have fallen off here and there, but...our success rate is pretty high here.

Btw...if you don't see your name on my blogroll, please let me know. I don't have time to read everyone's comments on everyone's blogs, and that's generally how we see new members. I apologize if I've overlooked anyone.

If you're still reading, but not doing, please get back in. It's a good time to get refocused.

I honestly didn't intend on saying any of that, but whatever. What I was actually going to say was: I've been using a different running method this week. I don't want to stress my body out too much, considering I had some ankle trouble for a while there, so here's what seems to be working really well for me this week: I start out at 5.5 mph on the treadmill and increase it by .1 mph every minute. I go until I really need a rest. Today I made it to 6.8 and then I rested for 1 minute at 3.5 mph. Then I started over at 5.5, only this time increasing by .2 mph. I ended up at 6.7 mph. I ended up with 3 miles, including warm-up and cool-down.

I also do other types of "games" like that on other days for variety. Sometimes I do more of a walk/jog, mixing up the incline between 6 - 15%. Other times I do more of a real HIIT thing. However, I find that the method in the above paragraph gives me a little bit of both endurance and HIIT, with less risk of injury.

My goal right now is to get ready for the Turkey Trot in November. I plan on finishing that in under 29 minutes. Beck, I'm just doing the 5k, since I want a year over year comparison...yeah, that's the reason. You're welcome to tackle the 10k though :)

I'm on Vacation - Woo Hoo!!!

I need this vacation more than anything right now. Although, I did get most everything off my to-do list at work, so I don't know what I'm escaping from now. hmmm...

Everything seems to be falling into place perfectly right now. Career is better than I ever thought possible. School is going well. I've been back to running for a month now, and I feel great with that. My eating has been really good this week. My personal life is great. I can't really think of one negative thing right now.

Oh, back to the running thing. I went to the gym 4 times this week so far, and I plan on going the next two days. I am actually looking forward to it. I hope my vacation doesn't screw up my momentum.

I know I didn't really say much in this post, but I'm hoping to write a little more frequently than I have been in the past couple of months.

A few things.

Ripx, thanks for checking up on me. I was actually going to blog today anyways :)

First the update: I'm doing well. I didn't want to say anything prematurely, but...I've been back to the gym for over 3 weeks now. It's amazing how quickly the body can get back into it. We joined a different gym, and we love it. It's way cheaper. Less frills, but it certainly has everything we need. In fact, it makes it much simpler to just go and work out.

School and work are also going well. I haven't missed a deadline yet, and I'm going to be caught up for my much needed vacation next week.

Now, a rant: We went to Cedar Point on Saturday, and I was in shock over the state of our youth. They aren't just fat. Their shapes are literally not natural. The girls did not have figures. Big guts and fatty backs w/narrow hips. The only answer I can come up with is that it must be due to processed food and lack of activity. When I was growing up, there were fat kids, but the fat kids were just bigger than us. Same shapes for the most part...just bigger. This is no longer the case. I don't know how else to describe what I'm talking about. They might even weigh the same as I do, but I'm proportionate. They so aren't. Anyways... one interesting thing was that many of the moms actually looked pretty great. I felt that the average 30 something looked much better than the average 17 yr old.

As disgusting as that scenario was, it has prompted me to refocus on my diet...and my family's diet. I went to the fruit market yesterday and bought a grocery cart full of fruits and vegetables. The kids are LOVING it. Good stuff.

Rant #2: Has anyone seen the commercial with the athletes promoting chicken for breakfast? McDonalds fried chicken sandwiches on a fattening biscuits. Appalling commercial. I can't get over it.

Not quite a comeback...yet...

I really feel that I reached my breaking point yesterday. It wasn't an earth shattering moment or anything. I just kind of woke up and yearned for that feeling of control. I am not happy when I feel that I cannot control what I'm putting into my mouth. I honestly derive no joy from stuffing my face and waking up feeling full. It's an awful, disgusting feeling.

I do, however, love the feeling of not eating the full serving because I'm no longer hungry. I enjoy feeling that I'm in charge of me. Back to moderation.

School is going well, and I'm finding my rhythm. I will do well in this for sure.

I'm pretty sure that work will die down just a little after this week. I'm finally realizing that it's ok to recognize my limitations in this area. There is only so much time in a week. I will meet all my deadlines, but only if I say no to people sometimes...or give them the choice of what they'd rather have done. Do you want your proposal written or do you want me to create that unnecessary flowchart....your choice :) Yeah...that's what I thought.

I am fairly confident that I will return to the gym next weekend. Maybe before. I just know that I can't take on that commitment until after the end of this week. Too many deadlines looming.

Someone thought that I sounded a little down in my last blog. I'm not really. I'm just drifting to that place in my mind that shields me from life's pressures. It's a happy place. A place of denial. No big deal.

It's good to see a lot of you guys doing really well. Good to see some of the others coming back around. We can do this. We never thought we could do it in the first place, but we did. We can do it again. I don't want to have to do it all over again though. That's why we're stopping it now, right? We must take control.

Here's the Deal

I can't even really begin to talk about weight loss right now. I'll be honest. I haven't lost any weight, and I'm positive that I've gained some. How much? Not a clue. I do know that I'm still within my acceptable range. This is just not top priority to me at this minute.

Just an update...I started school last week, and I'm really busy. I'm still swamped with my work too. Tons of deadlines approaching. It's a good thing I work better under pressure...in a way. I produce better stuff when I'm completely swamped, but I do let the pressure get to me some. I don't know if it's good or bad that I let it consume me. I'm incredibly focused...but I feel bad for all of the other things that I put on the backburner. It would be nice to find some kind of balance.

Yeah, I need to get back on track. I will. I know I will.

Not exactly weight loss related...

I haven't weighed myself all week. I usually wait for a few good clean days, and those just haven't happened this week. It hasn't been all out bad, but it's approached that a couple of times. I'll be back to it next week.

I think I'm just soooooo incredibly stressed out with my work right now. It's actually kind of a mixed bag. I love my job. I really do. I was made for this job. I've been in this position for over a year, and I've done an excellent job during most of it; however, I'm really finding my groove right now...my creative groove. You know how you just sometimes have those breakthroughs...

Well, I feel that I had another breakthrough about a month ago. Of course, with those breakthroughs comes more self-accountability. I have never been one to be able to submit less than stellar work, but now my work just seems perfected. Of course, I'll probably look back in a year from now and scoff at the stuff I'm putting together now.

Anyways, the best part of all this is that my company is restructuring, and for once, it's actually creating more opportunities for me. Very recently some of my work was noticed by some important decision makers, so things are looking really good right now. In fact, my former (& future) senior management guy had his admin schedule a meeting with me earlier this week to "discuss career stuff". Pretty awesome conversation about where I've been and where I'm going. I told him I was going back to school soon, so it looks like I'll actually have to follow through now. I think I'll go back officially in January. In the meantime, I plan on studying for my Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) exam, that I'll take in December.

So many things are changing right now. My husband's job will be sent offshore to India by the end of the year, so he's focusing on his home inspection business, which is just taking off so rapidly now. He's been doing this as a second job for over 4 years. He's professionally trained, but he's really focusing on the marketing part of it now. It's kind of funny how this is all working out...recently, he was at the right place at the right time...and he was able to form a relationship with a seriously awesome referral source.

He was planning on leaving the bank next spring, but now he gets to be done before year-end...and he'll get about 5 months of severance pay. So, now we're just saving up for a life of self-employment.

Ok. Back to me and my job. I have so many deadlines looming right now - everything is due around the same time...and I know there are more things in the pipeline that I haven't even seen yet. Oh, the stress is killing me...but I guess I love it at the same time. I'm just tired of working till all hours of the night. I just don't see how I can get it all done any other way though.

That's all. Thank God it's the weekend. I plan on doing no work...or very little work.

2 lbs

I can't believe how well my method seems to be working for me. It's the same every week: I eat pretty much whatever I want on the weekends, although I do try to somewhat control the portion sizes. Throughout the week, I control my eating. I weigh myself on Wednesday, and I am usually at the weight I was the prior Saturday. On Thursday, I'm down 1 - 2 lbs. Friday and Saturday solidify the loss to 2 - 3 lbs. Repeat.

Ok, maybe these aren't exact figures, but they are pretty close. Today I weighed 121 before work and 120 after. I am pretty sure I'll be a solid 120 by Saturday. I don't plan on screwing it up at all tomorrow.

2 lbs a week at my height is very respectable. 2 lbs a week is about 8 - 10 lbs a month. 10 lbs is about 1 dress size for me.

So far I'm down 5 lbs from last Wednesday. I was somewhat coming off of a bad eating phase, but I'd been good for at least 2 - 3 days when I weighed the 125. So I think I should be able to count all 5 lbs toward the challenge. 6 lbs to go.

I'm going back to the gym when I hit 115. At that weight, I should be able to see some rapid changes in my body composition...not as much fat for the muscle to hide under :)

So many things...random things...

Weight
I felt pretty good this morning, so I decided to weigh myself: 122 lbs... and I still weighed 122 after work today. It would be pretty sweet to see 121 by this weekend.

Eating/Binging
It seems like I've been taking 3 steps forward, 1 step back for the past few months. This is actually working well for me. It's good to mix things up sometimes. Ok...I'm not going to suggest that binge eating is good at all, but I've noticed that after I've had a bad week, I seem to be able to get back to business and push myself to the next level. That few pound gain isn't so bad compared to the amount that I end up losing after.

I think I'm trying to say that it's possible that I'm learning how to deal with overeating. In the past, I'd overeat, and then binge for the next couple weeks or months. Now I know that I've worked WAY too hard to go back to where I was. I'm very aware of my limits now. It's as if I have something in my head that says that it's time to stop and get back to business.

Ok, now I'm wondering where that something was before or why was I too weak to listen to it. There was a time when I felt so hopeless about so many things. My obesity was just one of them. It's interesting to me that all of that started changing around the same time. It's possible that I was only able to lose the weight once I started taking control of my life. Of course, maybe the weight loss gave me the confidence to fix the other things. My opinion is that the weight gain was a symptom of the other problems.

Layla really got me thinking about this yesterday. She said something like...if binging is more mental than physical, then maybe restricting calories isn't treating the problem at all. Ok...here's exactly what she said: "Maybe its because i've identified the wrong ailment and i've been applying the wrong method. the condition of being overweight is a product of 'binge behaviour'. If dieting exacerbates 'binge behaviour' than it cannot be the solution to the problem. I don't have an answer just yet but Im keen to seek it out. I believe that's the key to free me from my own prison."

What a thought provoking blog, Layla. I can't get it out of my head.

Realizations
I have come to think that 133 lbs is the high amount that I ever want to be, 123 lbs is the high end of thin for me, and I'm expecting to find out that 113 lbs is my ideal weight. Of course, these numbers could change as I put on more muscle.

Another thought that came to me yesterday was that I've never really mentally claimed the 120's yet. I was in the 130's for so long that it's been hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually in the 120's - and the low 120's at that. I keep expecting to pop back into the 130's, but I've been here for a couple of months now, so that's it. I'm 120 something.

Size update
I've only bought 2 pairs of size 6 pants so far, so I've still been wearing my 8's a lot. The 8's I had on today were looking kinda sloppy, so it looks like I'll have to retire them soon. I also have a size 10 pair that I've been wearing occassionally. I put them on a couple of weeks ago and had to take them right off. They looked terrible. I plan on buying more 6's this week.

Comment
Today, a thin coworker told me I was teeny. It's funny...sometimes I look in the mirror and see the same thing, but other times I see a big blob.

New FAT Member
Again...don't forget to go wish Susie luck if you haven't already done so.

Update

So basically, things haven't changed too much since my last post. I've averaged 123 for a few weeks now; however, I did have a bad week where I was eating eating eating, which brought me up to who knows what. I finally weighed myself last Thursday, after I'd been back on track for a few days. The damage wasn't horrible. 125. I had braced myself for 133.

Last week, Billy challenged all of us to lose 11 lbs in 11 weeks. I'm in. I don't know if I'll get to 11 lbs, but it's something to aim for. I'll pretty much be ecstatic if I get under 120. I normally only weigh myself Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and I was down to 123 on Saturday. Hopefully I'll see 122 or 121 sometime this week.

Please go say hi to this newbie and wish her luck. This is so exciting...I feel like FAT is making a comeback!

Measurements

I don't even know if I measure all of these right or if it's what the parts are actually called, but I know I do it the same every time. The first number is from October. The second number is from today.

Weight: 138, 124
Neck: 12.5, 12
Chest: 31, 30.5
Bicep: 10.5, 10.5
Waist: 28, 26.5
Hips: 37.5, 36
Abdomen: 38.5, 37.5
Thigh: 22.5, 21
Calf: 14, 13.5

Hey

I just wanted to say that I've been at 126 for 2 days now. Plus, it's TTOM, so maybe I'll have a drop in a few days. Funny how thrilled I am with 1-2 lbs lost per week. There was a time (before all this) where I wouldn't have even been satisfied with 5 lbs in a week. It really does add up over time. Think about it...6 months of 2 lbs per week is 52 lbs....12 months, 104 lbs. I know this isn't news, but it just demonstrates the importance of consistency. Eat somewhat clean for a year instead of 100% clean for 1 week. Just speaking for myself here, but...when I do 100% clean, there is always a crash and burn after about a week. I think it just depends on your personality though.

I have friends that thrive with an all or nothing attitude. That just doesn't seem to work for me. One thing that I've been doing is really watching my diet during the week. It's easy for me to stick to the routine. On weekends, I relax a little...not going all out, but enjoying a burger, potato salad, doritos, or whatever...still moderate portions though. I get back to it on Monday (breakfast bar, lean cuisine, snacks, regular dinner, lots of water). Then I start weighing myself again on Thursday. By this time, the water weight is pretty much gone, and I usually see a drop from the prior week...and it continues to drop until Saturday. Then I start it all over. The key is to not go super crazy over the weekend and gain 5 - 10 lbs. I still avoid Chinese and Mexican food if I can help it. While I love both of them, I just have a hard time getting back on track after indulging in them.

Another thing that's been working for me...when I feel like snacking out of boredom, I try to drink coffee or maybe even make myself a martini. While drinking alcohol might not seem to be the best solution, it's not too bad for me, because I almost always stop after 1 drink...way less calories than the chips and salsa or the cheese and crackers.

The bottom line is this is what has been working for me. It might not work for you. Over the past 2 years, I've changed up my strategy many times. It's helped keep me going through all this. Sometimes I'm more fitness focused. Right now, I'm almost purely diet focused, and I'm seeeing huge results. I haven't been at this weight since I was probably 19 or 20. Even then, I weighed more like 130 on average. I think I averaged between 125 in high school. Once I dropped to 118...for about a month or so when I was 20, which was my perfect weight in my opinion. I'd love to see it again. In fact, I just might do it.

Finally, last demf I weighed 137. Not only have I kept the weight off, but I've been able to take off another 10+ lbs. I fully expect to be 125 by next weekend...probably 123, which was my original ultimate goal for demf 2008.

Ok. I know this blog was ALL over the place, but I suddenly felt talkative. Have a great weekend.

Weekend Update

So, last week I saw 129, then the weekend hit. I was kind of eating poorly (pizza & just junk in general). On Saturday, I started to eat a coney dog that didn't even taste that good. This was after having a huge breakfast sandwich. I pretty much stopped after 2 bites to ask myself why I was doing this. I know that it wasn't out of hunger. It wasn't because it tasted good. It was just to satisfy some psychological need. Stupid. Luckily, I was able to stop eating then. The weekend eating got a little better after that. Just moderate.

During this week, I buckled down again, and I've seen 127 on the scale 2 days in a row now. I think I'll be fine with my eating this weekend. I'm feeling determined. I will bump up the calories a little probably, but that's ok.

I do think that I'll hit 125 by demf. 2 lbs in 2 weeks. I can do that.

Blog Blog Blog

Ok. So there's really not that much to report, so I thought I'd talk about my latest shopping experience. There's a new stand-alone JCP down the street from me, and JCP is a fan of the shawtie, so I'm super excited. I decided to pay them my first visit last Thursday, and I must say that it was a great success. Of course I wanted to test out their 6 Petites. My exciting news is that the 6P's pretty much fit. They actually looked better than the 8P's. Yay. I ended up buying 2 skirts, 2 tops, and 1 pair of pants. The Petite Mediums didn't look quite right, so I tried on Petite Smalls. Much better.

I haven't been that good with my eating, but I kinda think that I'm being hard on myself. This is good. It helps me stay on track. I'm not sure if I'll make 125 by demf, but I will honestly be happy if I'm still in the 120 range period. I haven't really been at this weight since before I got married almost 13 years ago.

It's progress.

Update

I know I haven't blogged much lately, but things are going well still. I actually thought that I'd probably gained a few pounds over the past week or so since my eating has not been very good. However, I was about to order pizza last night when I decided to weigh myself. I was shocked to see 129. I ended up not ordering pizza, and it was nice to see 129 again this morning.

This makes me happy and I still have hopes of seeing 125 by demf. 29 days left. I can so do this.

All is well...

I've been steadily losing the weight that I gained during my bad month, and I'm down in the low 130's again. This puts me right on track to the 123 that I wanted to be by demf, which happens to be just over 5 weeks away now...eeeeck.

Last night was assessment time for bootcamp. I lost 7 pounds from the last assessment about 4 weeks ago. Not bad, not bad. This next month is the one that counts though. As I've said before...the person that makes the most progress gets a free month of bootcamp. There are a lot of participants this time around, so I'm not sure if I'll have a shot. I can only do my best though.

I saw someone at the doctor's office tonight that I used to do TEAM Weight Loss with (about a year and a half ago). She didn't even recognize me at first, since I'm down about 50 pounds since she last saw me.

As far as the rest of my life goes, everything is quite nice right now.

Beautiful Day

Today was by far the nicest day we've had so far this year - in the mid 70's. It's exactly what I've needed - everything just seems right.

I had a lot of company this weekend, but I think I did quite well with my eating and drinking overall. My strategy right now is to stay low on the calories during the week, and bump it up over the weekend (in a controlled fashion). We'll see if this works.

I went to every session of bootcamp last week (and tonight), and I also ran on the treadmill Friday morning.

We get assessed on Monday, and we're doing something cool for the next month. The person that sees the most change by the next assessment gets a free month of bootcamp - this class is so not cheap, so that's an excellent reward. It's not just based on weight and body fat percentage. We also assess pushups, crunches, running, and overall cardiovascular health. I am going to try my best to win.

46 days until demf...

This is where I belong

Ok. I've been meticulous with my eating, drinking a ton of water, and working out, and VOILA!....I'm under 135 again (on my scale). My clothes feel right again. I feel great. This is definitely the high end of what I should be. Still looking to lose 10 - 15 lbs before demf.

53 Days

Yes, there are only 53 days left until demf. This give me just over 7 weeks to lose the 15 pounds that I want to lose. I believe there is a strong possibility of this happening if I can just focus. This morning's weight was 138 (136 after work). I would honestly be happy if I got down to 130 for demf, but 123 would be oh so fabulous.

Last week went quite nicely on the diet front. I seem to have gotten back to the whole weekday routine...breakfast bar, Lean Cuisine, a couple of snacks, and a decent dinner. I've also greatly increased my water intake.

Unfortunately, I missed the whole last week at the gym. Some days were unavoidable. Other days I looked for reasons to get out of it. However, Saturday was sunny, so I decided to go out for a run. This was the first outdoor run for me so far this year. I decided to just take it easy and enjoy the run rather than timing my miles and everything. I ended up doing 4 miles in about 45 - 50 minutes. Not bad considering I ended up walking for about the last half mile. My foot started to get a little cramp, and I didn't want to risk an injury.

Tonight, I went back to bootcamp. Bootcamp is bootcamp. Not much to say there.

Basically, things are looking up.

Training Days

So, I was a little hesitant when Melissa brought up the possibility of some Michigan FATers participating in the Detroit Free Press Marathon 5 person relay in October...but after a couple of minutes, I started to get pretty excited about it. Now I'm all in. I'm looking at taking a 5+ mile portion of the route.

I'm still being cautious of over-training, since my ankle was giving me trouble for a few months. It's not acted up in a while, so tonight I decided to do 3 miles. I did it in 33 minutes including the warm-up. This is a really good start anyways. I plan on doing this kind of run once or twice a week, but maybe adding in an extra quarter mile every week.

I'll continue to do HIIT and bootcamp on other days of the week. Or something like that. We'll see. It just feels good to have some real fitness goals again.

Oh, and I absolutely can't wait to run outside when it's just a little warmer.

Perceptions

About a month ago, I wore one of my regular outfits to work, and I noticed how tight the top was. I didn't think it was a big deal at first, but then I weighed myself. Ouch. Up about 7 lbs.

So, it's been a month, and I haven't really lost too much weight, but I decided to try the top on again last night (especially since I'd been sick all weekend). I thought that maybe it would be acceptable to wear again. It was sooooo tight still. Then it hit me that maybe, just maybe, the shirt had actually shrunk. I couldn't have grown THAT much bigger from just 5 or so lbs. I have an identical top in another color, and voila...it fit perfectly. I think that it accidentally got thrown in the dryer once.

I am soooo relieved, and I feel confident again. I feel like this is going to be a very controlled week in terms of eating and exercise.

Isn't it crazy how something like that can totally throw you off. It seriously put me in a funk when that happened. I haven't even attempted to wear anything size 8 to work since that day. My wardrobe just got much larger (in a good way).

So, I had planned on going to the gym this weekend, but I got the weirdest sickness on Saturday. My husband, daughter, and I all had very similar symptoms - flu like stuff (maybe food poisoning?). I basically ended up sleeping from about noon on Saturday until 10 the next morning. I was still pretty weak all day yesterday, so I thought it was best to just rest. I'll be back to bootcamp tonight though.

Seriously

Look at these numbers.

I know that we sometimes get caught up in the visual aspect of weight loss, but this is a great reminder that it's not all about the size of clothes we wear. I seriously want to give myself the best possible odds of having a long, healthy life.

Quickie Post

I went to bootcamp last night and tonight. I'm tired and a little sore, so I'm taking a scheduled day away from the gym tomorrow. I'll go back on Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.

How's everyone else doing? Seems to be a very slow blog day...

HIIT again

Just a quickie post tonight. I did some HIIT tonight at the gym... one minute intervals of 7.5 mph, 3.0 mph for about 20 - 25 minutes. Went a total of 2.55 miles in 30 minutes, including warm-up and cooldown.

I have bootcamp the next 2 nights.

Eating was fairly sucky today. No good excuses come to mind.

So bad, so bad...

I had my first bootcamp assessment tonight since I've been back. I knew my weight would be up, but I guess I thought my bf% wouldn't have gone up as badly as I feared. I can't even type how stupid it is.

On a more positive note, my fitness assessment stuff went a little better than expected. The most notable item was my pushup counts. In one minute, I did 50 real pushups. I don't go down super far, but still...the last time I was assessed, I did 31 real + 19 modified in the same fashion. So, I must have gained strength.

For the 12 minute run, I went 6.0 mph for 11 minutes, then kicked it up to 7.0 for the last minute. I didn't feel like I was going to die, so I know that I'm making nice improvements in that area as well. I'm excited about going in tomorrow night for HIIT. I'll definitely have to do at least 7.5 or 8.0 mph for my intervals. I was talking to a new bootcamp lady tonight, and she said she'll join me tomorrow, so I guess I'm a bit obligated to go in now.

I have really got to get my eating under control this month. I'm still not eating horribly, but I'm not doing myself any favors either. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

74 more days until demf...7 lbs to go...

Weekend Stuff

The weekend has gone nicely thus far. We almost ordered pizza last night, but then we decided to hit the grocery store instead. I'm not sure what the difference in calories was, but we ended up eating hummus, chicken, macaroni & chz (not great, i know), and sweet potatoes. That's gotta be at least a little healthier than pizza. Today, we made breakfast sandwiches instead of going out for omelettes and extras.

I didn't make it to the gym yesterday, but honestly, I think my muscles appreciated the rest time. I did go up there for some HIIT today. I'm happy to report that I'm definitely ready to bump up the intensity some. No pain still. Plus, 7.0 just isn't pushing me hard enough anymore. Next time, I'll do 1 minute intervals of 7.5, 3.0 mph. I also increased the distance and time I ran today. I've been sticking to 2 miles or less, but today I went a little over 2.5 miles.

Now I'm getting excited.

Sore

I am just really sore. In fact, I think I become more sore by the minute. This is totally good of course, but I need to go to bed early tonight to rest my weary bones.

I went to bootcamp tonight, and Keith mixed it up a little more. It was pretty high tempo...alternating between cardio and resistance training. Nothing too new.

My eating was ok today. Still not stellar, but ok. I don't think I'll be doing any late night snacking.

Goals for the weekend: Run a couple of miles on Friday. Strength training + HIIT on Saturday. Dancing Saturday night. Rest on Sunday. Eating in moderation all days.

Shiiiiiitttt!

Wow. Keith the Trainer called in sick tonight for bootcamp. So, Roger took over. Evidently, Keith had told him that we were tough. Whatevah. Roger totally kicked our asses all over the place. It wasn't so much about suicides and all that, but he didn't want us stopping for anything. Once, I got done with my supersets way faster than the others, so he had me stay in a plank until they were done....like for 5 minutes...with a 10 lb dumbbell on my back. The truth is that I took a couple of breaks, but he was telling me to get back up when I stopped. He reminded me of Jillian...except he wasn't really yelling.

We did have to modify a couple of the exercises, but I was surprised to see that we are a little tougher than we thought. It's cool to work with someone new once in a while to mix it up a little. This reminded me of when Keith would only do one night a week, and I thought that was super tough. The question now is whether to have Keith push us harder.

The final exercise was to get in a pushup position (not sure what that's called...kind of like a plank with the arms fully extended). Anyways...we all had to stay in that position while one of us was doing 30 real pushups. I haven't done 30 consecutive pushups in several months, so I was really nervous about my turn. I ended up doing them fine actually. I didn't put my nose to the ground or anything, but they were real ones. Looks like all the things we've been doing so far prepared me for tonight.

Today I started noticing some more firmness back in my thighs and buttocks. All the running and bootcamp sessions are certainly paying off. My husband also mentioned that my face is starting to look a little thinner again...not that it was fat before.

My eating was a little better today, although there was certainly some room for improvement.

OK. Now I'm feelin' good...if you can't tell.

Hi again

Just wanted to give a quick update. I'm still going strong on the workouts. This feels really great. I'm still staying conservative with my speed on the treadmill, even though I can feel it coming back. Tonight I did intervals: 7.0, 3.5 mph (1 minute each). 7.0 actually felt almost like a jog, but my pants were falling down, so I wasn't able to really enjoy it. There's always another day though. I have bootcamp the next two days, and then I plan on heading up on Friday for more HIIT on the treadmill. I think I'll probably head up again one weekend day to workout with my husband. I'm really aiming to go every day, and I'm succeeding most days. My goal is to get back into it mentally, and it's working.

My diet has been a bit of a struggle, but it's getting somewhat better. I think I'll eventually get sick of working hard in the gym only to not see any results due to my eating.

In other news, I saw a glimpse of Spring yesterday. That really got me salivating for an outside run. Of course, we're in the midst of yet another snowstorm again, so that run will have to wait.

OK...lata...

Gaining Momentum

So, I've had a rough run of it for the past couple of months, but I am starting to get back on track now. I went to the gym again tonight to run for a couple of miles. This felt really nice, and I experienced no ankle pain again. I actually did 7.0, 3.0 mph intervals for about 25 minutes. It was difficult but bearable. I want to do this once a week for a couple weeks before upping the speed any more.

I've kinda been having thoughts lately about what I'm eating in relation to the amount of exercise I'm doing. It sucks to think that I'm not getting anywhere because of my food choices. Today I watched it a lot more, and I felt better. I might have even consumed less calories than I used.

One thing that's been killing me is the late night eating. I need to get to bed earlier, because I get hungry again if I stay up too late. I know...I know...this is a neverending struggle for me. I'm so tired all the time, but I can't seem to make myself go to bed at an early hour. I think it's because of all the kids. Everyone's in bed, and this is my "me" time.

Sooo...that being said...I'm going to bed now.

12 Weeks

Yeah...it's that time of year again. Just about 12 weeks left until DEMF. Time to get serious. I am pretty sure that I weigh just about the same now as when demf came last year. It sounds kind of depressing that I haven't really lost any weight, but I think that my body is completely different now. I guess I'm not really in much smaller clothes, but I look a ton better in them. I did have a while where I dipped down in weight a little, but I honestly think that I didn't look great - and I know I didn't feel great (mentally). It's hard to explain, and I don't feel like going into it tonight anyways. The bottom line is that I am coming to terms with the fact that I just don't really need to lose much more weight - if any at all. I think I still look pretty good even if I don't lose another pound. The problem is my middle section when I'm not eating right.

Anyways...it was just about a year ago that I decided to get back to the gym (beginning of April 2007). How cool is that - I've been steadily working out for almost a year. Plus, I had worked out for half a year the year before. Never in my life had I stuck with exercise for more than a month or so. This is different. I don't always love working out, but it is a part of my life now. I haven't gone as much as I'd have liked for the past couple of months, but I've been doing much better lately...and I think it's only going to get better with Spring around the corner.

My eating keeps getting better, but I've been drinking a little more lately...just on weekends. I should cut back though. It's not really worth all the calories.

I've been going to the gym regularly for the past week. Bootcamp on Thursday and tonight. HIIT on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I actually did some running on Friday and Sunday - with no pain. I've been using the treadmill that seems to have a little more cushioning. Plus, I've been trying to stay 6.5 mph or less. I think I strike down too hard when I go higher than that. This is usually fine, but I don't want to damage the ankle again. I'm going to keep slowly increasing my mileage to get back into it. The good news is that I haven't suffered too much cardiovascularly. It should only take a few weeks to get back to where I was. 5k time.

My strategy right now is to go to the gym almost daily - even if it's just to do 20 minutes of HIIT. Bootcamp days are 1 hour (MWTh). I am getting a bike, and I will be using it when it gets a little nicer around here. I will also be doing some outdoor running very soon. How exciting...I can't wait.

Ah-ha!

Ok. maybe not so ah-ha, but I figured out why I've gained weight. duh. I've been eating a lot more lately, which isn't so much of a problem in itself. However, when you stop working out as much, and you don't decrease your calorie intake...hmmm...pretty much a recipe for weight gain.

I missed bootcamp Monday and Wednesday this week. I went Thursday, and I felt guilty that I was only going once this week. Then today I realized that there are several days left that I could get in some gym time. I don't know why I'm thinking so slowly lately. Anyways, I went tonight and did some intervals on the treadmill and bike. I was reading Alwyn Cosgrove's blog the other day about the 2 groups of people that were doing cardio - one steady state and the other intervals. It encouraged me to get up to the gym for 20 minutes to do some hard intervals.

I need to get back to going to the gym almost every day. This is when I felt best. I know that hurting my ankle is a big part of why I haven't been as faithful. I used to love to go and just run, and it really wasn't an option anymore. I still have to be careful, but I haven't had any pain recently. Of course, I haven't been doing much to inflict pain, so that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I really need to go see my doctor.

Anyways, it just felt so good to go tonight and just do cardio. I would like to do that again both days this weekend, but I might not be able to get up there tomorrow due to some sucky family obligations.

As far as eating goes, I've been a bit better these past couple of days - since my scary weigh-in. The truth is that I'd rather continue eating as I am now and reincorporate the exercise. I honestly don't really care if I lose much weight. I just can't gain any more. Plus, I'd like to get back to the lower part of my size 8's.

I'll be so glad when it's sunny and warm out.

Life is Good

Ok. I'm on an upswing again. This feels nice :) I'm not necessarily back where I was, but I'm moving forward, which could be better than that anyways. My eating has been ok, but controlled for the most part. I'm still not really trying to limit myself too much. I went to the gym on Sunday, and it was a nice workout...intervals on the bike and then a lot of upper body stuff with dumbbells.

I missed bootcamp on Monday, because my boss was in town and he wanted to take us to eat. I try to never miss a nice meal on the company dollar, and I must say the fillet was spectacular. Unfortunately, I ate too much of everything, but at least I jumped back on the next morning.

I had bootcamp tonight, and it was a great session. I really love this class. Last week I was feeling a little weak on the squats and planks and everything, but I felt much stronger tonight. It really doesn't seem to take long to regain strength. I have bootcamp again tomorrow night, and then we're off to Chicago for the weekend. I'm super excited about this trip. I think it's going to be the perfect mix of everything.

Bootcamp Day 3

We had a substitute instructor for bootcamp last night, but it was still a very good workout (not Keith good, but still good). I'm feeling better physically today...starting to feel a bit firmer. I'm sure it's a little psychological, but whatever. My eating isn't exactly stellar, but it's still better than it was.

I obviously don't have much to say today, but I'm trying to get in the habit of blogging a little more regularly. I still haven't weighed myself. Maybe tomorrow. It's not really that important. I just want to be healthy and fit for now...I know I'm fickle with this.

My goals for the weekend are to try to eat well enough and to make it to the gym at least one day for cardio.

Bootcamp - Day 2

My second bootcamp session was last night, and it went quite well. I hung in there like I normally do.

Keith makes us do a lot of different things, but I am going to try to remember everything that we did (in no particular order - and multiple sets of each here and there):

High-knees, side shuffles, push-ups, squats on the bosu, wall sits, reverse crunches, six inches, inch worms, some kind of jumping on and off the bosu thing, planks, suicides, walking lunges.

There is some kind of circuit going on, usually including suicides in between each exercise. I think the goal is to keep the heart rate high...and it does stay high since there's only about 10 seconds rest time ever. And just when you think you're almost done, there's a grand finale...with no rest times.

Ok. Other than that, eating has not been great, but it's been worse. Baby steps...

Personally, I'm feeling really good. I'm sure that regular exercise plays a part in this. I was starting to feel a little lumpy, and that makes me unhappy.

Greatest Decision Evah

I almost didn't make it, but I pulled it off at the last second. Back to bootcamp tonight. I feel fantastic again. All of a sudden, I want to eat healthy and get back on track with the working out. I'm back. It's true :)

Keith is in charge of all bootcamp sessions now, so it's only a matter of time before I see that 16% bf. Assessment time is Monday, so I think I'm going to be pretty focused this week. I might not see that 17.8% bf like I did the last time, but as long as I'm still in the 18% range, I'll be ok.

I'm also changing my diet strategy. I am going to be feeding my workouts. No more restrictions. Just fueling my body. This view helps to keep things in perspective. Obviously, there will be some restrictions, but I don't plan on looking at it that way. I'm just going to be evaluating whether or not something is going to be something my body would be able to use. This is what helped me lose weight in the first place...keeping empty calories to a minimum.

In more personal news, I finally feel that my dark cloud has lifted. I started to feel it on Saturday, but Sunday was even that much better. I think I just needed to cry it out.

Ok. I'll be writing more soon. Going to bed early tonight. Yeah right...I always say that and it never happens. This time I might actually do it though.

Rock Bottom

Things have continued to deteriorate for me this week. I've just not been in a good place emotionally basically. This morning was really bad, but I think that I finally got it all out. There will probably be some bad days ahead, but I kind of feel that I'm snapping out of it at least.

I have been a little better with my eating though. No more drive-thru breakfasts or mexican feasts. I did order pizza last night, but I stopped after 1 piece (granted, it was one of those mega-sized pizzas. still...). Back to the good ole SB breakfast bar and lean cuisine routine. This works for me.

I went to the gym once this week, and I did a short workout at home with dumbbells. I will most likely go to the gym tomorrow for cardio. I've pretty much decided to go back to bootcamp on Monday. Keith the Trainer is now in charge of all 3 weekly sessions, so I'm sure I'll be back to the old me very soon (or should I say...the new me).

I haven't weighed myself in a long time, and I probably won't for another week. I'm still in my 8's, but I noticed that my size PS top was a little snug yesterday. I wouldn't have worn it with the jacket unbuttoned. If I had to guess, I'd say I'm still under 137.

200th Post

Yes, I know I already wrote a blog today, but I had to get my 200th out there to fall in line with Brian and Billy. It's kind of an OCD-type thing. Couldn't have a 100 & a 300 without the 200.

Ok. Now I feel better.

See below for my real post...not that there's much there. I'll try to get back into this very soon.

Hello

Ok. I don't really want to get into where I've been. I'll just say it's not been a very good place. I wish I could say that I'm really back, but I don't know if I'd be telling the truth.

One fact is that I did go to the gym last night to run on the treadmill. Everything was fine, until that ankle pain started up again...this time at 1.73 miles. Not good. I decided today that I'll be visiting my doctor within the next week or so. No more running until then. Of course, this doesn't mean that I can't go do other things at the gym.

I did have some positive news today. I'm getting my bonus next Tuesday, and it's larger than I was expecting. I will be using some of this money to get back to bootcamp. I might also be looking to get some home fitness things...like maybe some more dumbbells or something equally exciting.

New Low - kinda

I got assessed at the gym tonight. I was hoping to earlier this week, but it never quite worked out. I'm very excited to say that I am at 17.8% body fat. My last assessment was in November, and it was 18.5% back then. It sure feels great to know that I came through the holidays pretty much unscathed.

Here's the quote from the printout:

"Kristen, your body fat percentage is in the Excellent range. This range is recommended for athletes.....By following the nutrition and exercise plan, you will reach your goal body fat of 15% and goal body weight of 134 in 5 weeks." I forgot to mention that the gym scale had me at 139 (5 lbs lower than my last weigh-in there).

There is also a little bar that has: Low, Optimal, Moderate, High, and Very High. I am at the very end of Low (<19.1)

I'm so geeked about the new eating and exercise plans now - targeting the last bit of fat that I want to lose. You'd think 5 lbs of fat loss would be pretty easy. We shall see...we shall see...

Tonight I completed Workout A again. OMG, was that tough to do 3 sets of 15 reps. Killer. Glad it's back to 5x5 on Thursday.

I am still eating according to plan. I've experienced essentially no cravings as of yet (except for the weekend). Today was day 6. I only have 8 more days left before I can start mixing in some carbs every couple of days. I'm very dedicated right now. I don't see that being too much of a problem. However, I don't see myself quite making my goal of being solidly in the 120's by Saturday. I've been averaging 132 on my scale every morning. That would require a pretty solid drop. Oh well, I'm still 17.8% BF.

Renewed vigor.

Not much to say today

My eating was spot on. In fact, I barely felt hungry all day. The routine of the workweek makes it much easier to stay on track. I pretty much have my set eating times, and before you know it, it's time for bed.

I didn't make it to the gym tonight. No biggie. I will be there tomorrow night for Workout A.

I still need to drink a bunch of water tonight. I also need to be in bed in about a half hour. One of my new years goals should have been to get 8 hrs of sleep a night. Last night I got about 10 hrs and it was heavenly.

I got an interesting comment about my weight today at work. This lady that works upstairs came down for a meeting, and she mentioned that I look different every time she sees me. My male co-worker that works directly with me looked at her questioningly...and then she looked at him like...You haven't noticed??? Then she started to say how "twiggy" I look (scroll down 2 posts). I think you'd all agree that I'm nowhere near twiggy. She is on the larger side, so I forgive her for her error. It's just funny once again how I really haven't lost that much weight, yet people keep noticing.

Fitness is key.

Workout B

Vince and I went to the gym tonight to take our first crack at Workout B. I'd say it went very well, but I wasn't able to complete 2c, because I am unable to do chin-ups without assistance. Other than that, it was a very good workout.

I've still been very good with my eating plan. I may have strayed a couple of times, but I don't think they are anything to worry about. I got cream in my coffee yesterday, and I had a sliver of fresh coconut tonight.

I did have a problem with cravings today, but that was all my fault. I didn't eat breakfast right away, and then I was hungry and I felt like I was playing catch-up all day. That won't be happening again. My breakfast and lunch for tomorrow are waiting for me in the refrigerator right now, and there is a lot of ready to prepare food in there too.

Now I have a question. I plan on going to the gym for cardio tomorrow night, but I don't want to crash and burn due to the low-carb thing. Would it be better for me to do steady-state cardio or should I continue with the HIIT?

In other shopping news. I know I mentioned this in my last post, but it was a late edit. I went to the mall yesterday and was able to put on 6's with little trouble. They aren't necessarily wearable yet, but I ended up buying a few things. I've also graduated to Small's on my shirts...this actually happened a few weeks ago, but I don't recall if I've mentioned it before now. The bottoms are a little tougher. I'm sure you've noticed, but I carry most of my weight downstairs (luckily my husband loves my ghetto booty).

Hmmm...what else? I've been drinking lots of water. It's amazing how it helps with the cravings.

Ya know...I felt like I had a lot to say today, but the words elude me. Good night.

NEW LOW!!!

Ok. So the eating plan works for sure. I soooo didn't expect to see such quick results though. I've only been doing this thing for 2 days now, and I'm already down to 130 lbs as of this morning. I was shocked when I weighed myself yesterday morning when I saw 134 even. That meant I'd actually lost weight (or maintained) during the holidays...even when I thought I'd been so bad. This is why muscle mass is so important. Up your muscle mass, burn more calories (duh, I know).

So - goal time. I have two things coming up in the near future that I'd like to attach goals to. Next weekend, my sister is coming down to visit us, and I'd like to be solidly in the 120's by then. In 2 weekends, another one of my sisters is coming to town, and I'd like to see 125 on the scale by then.

Of course, the real problem will be maintaining that after I stop the low carb thing. My plan is to reintroduce carbs slowly and go back to a lower carb lifestyle. I've veered from that lately. This is the jumpstart that I needed to get me back to appreciating the right kinds of carbs and avoiding the bad ones.

This might be exactly what I've needed to catapult me toward my final goal of 120 and size 6. hmmm....

*****Edit*****

I'm posting my Before pic below. I will follow up with this in 2 weeks with an After pic. Btw...the jeans in the pic are some 6's that I bought today. I went to the mall and had success with zipping up and buttoning 6's without too much muffin. I decided to buy some for goal clothes. I fully expect to be able to wear these out next weekend...even though they are a bit snug through the hips and thighs at the moment.

Continued Resolve

I don't really see much sense in me making any resolutions this time of year. I've just really been trying to do that consistently over the past year and a half. I will, however, regain focus right now. My eating has been pretty bad during the holidays, even though I've been good with my workouts.

Bad eating makes me feel ick. I don't like it one bit, and it's so not worth it. Today was the beginning of my 2 week eating plan that Marcol blogged about a while back. I followed through with it today - even said no to a super delicious looking peanut butter pie...and turtles...and other assorted goodies that everyone else is trying to rid themselves of at work. So, Day 1: not much of a problem. I can do this for a while I think...it's mostly about preparation. I also think that I'm better at saying NO than I am at moderation. It was actually a pretty easy day for eating.

I haven't done much with the workout plan we were doing earlier this week...only because we were out of town longer than expected. Vince and I are starting it over tomorrow. No biggie. I'm dedicated to it...just didn't quite work out the first time around...AND just because we didn't do our scheduled workout doesn't mean that we didn't workout at all. On Tuesday night, we ended up doing a bodyweight workout that was actually pretty exhausting. I was proud of what I put together :) Certain family members made fun of us, but whatevah...I felt much better for doing it. I do know that I wouldn't have done anything had Vince not suggested it though. This is definitely a good thing.

I hit the gym for cardio tonight. My ankle hurt a little last Thursday after my run, so I used the elliptical tonight. OMG, that kicked my butt. I think that the "no carb" thing today zapped my energy. Maybe I shouldn't have pushed myself so hard? I do know that after 30 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical, I could barely go 6.0 mph for 3 minutes on the treadmill. I felt like I was going to die. I dropped down to 3.0 for a minute, then bumped it back up to 6.0 for 3 more minutes. Too much. Wow. I haven't had trouble with 6.0 hardly at all for quite a while. It must have something to do with my diet today? Anyways, I did a couple minutes at 3.0 then finished off the last tenth of the mile at 7.0.

So, even though there are no new resolutions per se, I look forward to pushing myself harder than ever this year. I am definitely going to participate in some 5k's and maybe even a 10k. I'd like to get below 17% bf (preferably 14%). Size 6 sounds good to me (still). I want a sculpted upper body. I want to lose that belly fat that is still lingering. I'd like firm thighs that look nice in a swimsuit. Hmmm...what else? Ok...if I achieve all of these things this year, then next year I'd like to get a boob job.