Today I RAN my first 5K. YAY!! My first goal was to finish...check! My second goal was to RUN the whole thing and not stop or walk...check! My third goal was to finish in 45 minutes...close. I saw the clock hit the 45 minute mark but I wasn't quite there. I'm pretty sure I finished before 46 minutes though. I will have to check the website tomorrow to be sure exactly.
My SIL was AMAZING! She is a runner and could've made it in half the time, but she was with me every step of the way. My nephew took off at the start and finished in 27 minutes. He is 10 yo and is SO AWESOME!
It was so discouraging at the beginning because it felt that the whole crowd flew past us and I felt like my chest was about to burst open. The first mile seemed hard for me but I figured out at the first mile marker that we did it in 12:54...considering I usually run a 14 minute mile, no wonder I was tired!!
The second mile started with a hill that was about 1/3 mile long. It was when I really wanted to walk. I kept thinking that I could walk faster than I was running. In fact, some walkers passed me at times. HA! But Gretchen kept encouraging me and even at one point jogged ahead and came back to report on where the hill ended. Once I got up that, I KNEW I HAD to finish the race running. The 2nd mile (with the hill and the fast first mile) was REALLY slow, but I made it. The 3rd mile is a blur. I only remember seeing each hill and saying "Oh my God, Gretchen" every single time. And every single time she would say "You can do it!" or "You are doing awesome!" or "You have a good pace, keep it up!" In fact, she carried water for me and would uncap it and give it to me whenever I wanted something.
I honestly keep getting tears in my eyes thinking about it. When we hit somewhere mid 3rd mile, I hit a brick wall. We were passing over a bridge and I remember thinking that I could die. My chest felt like it was going to explode, but I was SOOO close. When we saw the finish line I heard a girl's voice yell "Go Beth!" Later I realized that my SIL's sister was there. Then my brother was at the finish line to cheer me in and take my picture. I have NEVER in my life loved my brother more than in that moment.
When I crossed the finish line, I burst into tears. This was MY marathon. Four months ago, I couldn't run a mile. I am so blessed that all those who love me didn't tell me I couldn't do it. They just supported me along the way.
I did it!! And now I just want to do it again and better! Well...as soon as I can feel my legs again. :confused: You all are also part of my inspiration network and I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!
I'm finishing this day by taking my soon to be 7 yo niece to get a manicure, then to the mall and dinner. Can't think of a better way to spend the day!!
Another month gone by! In some ways, it is hard to believe that it has been over 7 months since my surgery. In other ways, it just seems like it could've been a few weeks ago!
I was only slightly dissappointed when I realized that my loss for the month was 4.8 pounds. I mean pre-surgery, that would have been a really big deal! It is 60% of my monthly average. So the irritating portion of my brain says that isn't enough, but the other portion (the one that I CHOOSE to listen to) says that I should be proud of myself. I hit a plateau this month and instead of quitting in discouragement, I hit it head on. I learned a lot about myself and my body and I got myself back on track. THAT is the difference between me NOW and me BEFORE. I like it!!
That little lady is on the move! :tt2:
Today, I took my monthly measurements which I take in 13 places (neck, upper arms, wrists, bust, waist, belly, hips, thighs, calves). I am absolutely thrilled that I lost 11.25" this month. I have been tracking weight loss/measurements for eight months to include my preop diet. In those eight months, this is the 3rd most inches lost, but the LOWEST pounds lost. That just goes to show how important it is to measure!! It sent me from "not being disappointed" to being "absolutely thrilled." :thumbup: YAY!
I have to go sit through some boring CPE webinar. Boo! Talk to you all later!!
Weekends sure do seem to fly by, don't they? Friday was such a great day. Work was busy until around 3:00, then we all took out our new iPads and played. We showed each other which apps we had purchased and "ichatted". Ha! We are spoiled.
After work, I went home and freshened up, then Cori & I went to Ft. Worth. She had a gift card to PF Changs from her birthday. We did the meal for two which was a ridiculous amount of food for the two of us. I ate about 1/2 my hot and sour soup cup, 1 chicken lettuce wrap, then about 7 small pieces of chicken/shrimp from the two entrees. I did manage to have a few bites of dessert too. :scared2: Then we headed to the Bowling for Soup concert which was super fun. I LOVE them!!
We didn't get home until almost 2am, so I slept in instead of going to Jazzercise. In fact, except for a Tupperware party at 2pm and church at 6pm, I lazed around most of the day.
Sunday was a different story. While I didn't get up until 9:30, I was busy after that. I met some friends for breakfast. I LOVE EGGS! I went to the grocery store then came home and attacked both my laundry and the spare bedroom. I worked for about 4 hours around the house and really burned some calories! I completely finished my laundry and the spare room is about 90% ready for visitors.
I spent the evening catching up on the last season of WEEDS. That is such a crazy, but awesome show. Next thing I knew, it was time for bed and a new week!
Tomorrow is the end of the month and time for my monthly weigh in. Stay tuned. :sleep:
I'm sitting here blogging and watching Colts preseason football. My life is SWEET! The only thing that would make it better would be a regular season game. :scared2: I LOVE football!!
Speaking of the Colts, I bought our plane tickets to Indy today. They went down almost $100 so I jumped on it. I also reserved the hotel so we are ready to go! It is hard to believe that I have a trip to Louisville, a visit from the parents, & a trip to New Orleans before that. Plus I trip to North Carolina to see my godson a couple weeks after that. Whew! Exhausting...but again, how awesome!?
Jazzercise was a good workout tonight. I used 8 pound weights tonight instead of 10. They felt pretty light which is a good sign. I had a little twinge in my back today and I wanted to baby it. But I still felt that I got in great strength training.
Tomorrow night we are going to a Bowling for Soup concert. They are my favorite band and I LOVE seeing them. I'm excited!
Have a great Friday everyone! I will be rocking out! :sleep:
Hi everyone! What a wonderful Wednesday.
I told you about the roller coaster that was yesterday. Whew! Glad that was over. Today was much more calm.
Today at lunch, I actually ran outside...where people can see me! I made it about 2.2 miles which is good. I hope I can make it the full 5k Labor Day weekend! I'm sure I can.
I was down 2 pounds this morning. That was AWESOME! I'm starting to be more "regular" so I think that is a big part of it. The Miralax/Activia combo seems to be working.
Tonight I had dinner with an old friend that I used to work with. It was quite delightful and I realize that I miss her. We are going to have to do it more often!
I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to need a tonsillectomy. It sucks, but that is just part of life. I'm looking at having it in December so that is something to look forward to. :wub: Silver lining is that my parents are going to come take care of me. I'm so blessed!
Hope your Wednesday was wonderful too!
It has been a very roller coaster day! I was still a little bummed this morning because of my quitting staffer. Then I had some more fun news that another coworker (whom I adore working with) might be leaving. Too much change! Bad!
I guess that stressed me out a bit because my Band was tight as all get out at lunch. It immediately got stuck and had some yogurt instead. Bad.
Right after lunch I was gifted with a brand new iPad. Our bosses gave them to all of us and some of us will even get a monthly 3G bill paid. How cool is that? Good!
As I was wrapping up my workday (I left at 2:30 for my ENT appointment), I received a phone call. I didn't recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. When I checked it, it was Sister Barbara Lynn from Sister of St. Benedict telling my that I had won their raffle and wanted to confirm my address. It sounds like a scam except for the fact that I totally entered a raffle and vaguely remembered that they were doing the drawing at the end of August. I was unable to get back to her, so I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think it is possible that I won 6 Suite tickets to an Indianapolis Colts game in October. Holy sh*t!! I never win things like that!! Hopefully I will figure it all out soon. :wub: Super good!
My ENT appointment was a bummer. I have chronic tonsilitis and the only cure is a tonsillectomy. I know I didn't spell this all right, but you know what I mean. :thumbup: Both a friend and my mom have had their tonsils out as adults and assure me that it is the worst thing ever. Sigh. Two weeks of hell. I don't think there is going to be any way around it though. Super bad.
All in all, I know I'm blessed and I have a wonderful life. Some bad news this week, but it will all work out. It always does!
Hi all! So, I've started my new "night blogging". I think I can see why I did it in the morning. By the time you get to the end of the day, you are just ready to wind down!! One thing I do have to figure out is how I can have time to write, but also to read. I LOVE reading and responding to your blogs, so I will work on how I can do both.
First, constipation. Holy moly, do I have it. I have been taking Benefiber twice a day, but it just isn't working for me. I bought Miralax today and I'm trying that tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to invest in some Activia. I will keep you posted. Ha!
Second, my PCP referred me to an ENT for my throat issue. I feel sure that I have mentioned the disgusting issue I have with food getting stuck in the back of my throat. Well, I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow. When I talked to them on the phone, they said that it sounded like I have craters. Ha! How hysterical is that? Craters. Heh. I can't wait to hear more about that. Hopefully they can fix it though. I'm starting to get an ear ache from it!
Today, one of my best employees resigned. Sigh. She is excellent and has so much potential. She is the person I had planned to groom to lead the group. I'm sad because we are losing someone special. But I wish nothing but the best for her. It is going to mean some craziness for us. I feel sure that I'm not going to get to replace her so things should get super fun!! Wish me luck!!
Hope you all had a good Monday!
In order to focus more on work, well at work and to have time to some other things, I'm going to attempt blogging in the evenings. It's usually the first thing I do in the morning so we will see how it goes.
I ended up leaving work on Friday because I felt so bad. That tetanus shot really kicked my butt. I got the shot on Wednesday and today, Sunday, my arm still hurts. How crazy is that?
In order to focus more on work, well at work and to have time to some other things, I'm going to attempt blogging in the evenings. It's usually the first thing I do in the morning so we will see how it goes.
I ended up leaving work on Friday because I felt so bad. That tetanus shot really kicked my butt. I got the shot on Wednesday and today, Sunday, my arm still hurts. How crazy is that?
I have a busy week coming up. Work will be busy because I have taken on some new responsibilities and I will have to spend some time learning new things. Should be interesting though! Tomorrow I'm meeting a Lap Band Support Group friend for lunch and am Jazzercising in the evening. It is the Jazzercise One Day Sale, so it should be busy.
It is 8:00pm on a Sunday and I'm considering going to bed. Ha! I think maybe I will try and convince myself to do some yoga...just 20 minutes. :biggrin: I will let you know tomorrow night if I was successful.
Have a good evening!
Sandradee (among others) has asked me a couple of times whether I think Jax (my Body Bugg) has been worth it. The cost of the device plus the display device was around $300.
I will say up front that I am extremely blessed. I have a wonderful job and since I'm single with no kids and relatively no responsibilities, I'm able to spend my money however I see fit without worrying about anyone else. So spending $300 for me is not the same as say my friend who is a married stay at home mother of three or another friend who is a single working mother of two.
That being said, I'm very glad that I got it. I have NEVER been one to log my food. I would try to commit myself to it, but I would lose interest in a day or two. Something about having your calories burned to offset calories consumed has helped to motivate me. I have been going strong for 3 weeks and I don't have the mindset that it is a chore. I actually enjoy logging in each night after dinner to make my updates.
One thing that I have noticed is that I think more before I just eat something. For instance, on Monday after lunch, my work group stopped and got a cookie from the Nestle Toll House Cookie Store. I LOVE Nestle Toll House cookies. I bought one and brought it back to the office with me. I looked up the nutritional information and I plugged it in my online food journal. Since I was working out that day, I determined that I could eat the cookie if I had a lighter dinner than I originally planned. I enjoyed the heck out of that cookie and savored EVERY bite. Later that night, I chose the lower calorie dinner and all was well.
I will say that I think that most of the benefit comes from logging my food. So, if you are already very good at that, I don't know if it would be worth it or not. To me, it has changed how I operate entirely!
Also, I am very conservative with my food counts. Meaning, I always try to pad my estimates. For instance, if I have a couple bites of mashed potatoes, I would probably log 1/4 cup as opposed to 2 T. I have read that we tend to underestimate what we eat by 20-40(!)% Wow! I figure that no matter how hard I try, I will not remember (or know) everything that is in what I'm eating (especially when I eat out) so if I pad a little, hopefully I will have enough counted to cover anything I miss. Interestingly, even with that padding, Jax tells me that I only lose 1/2 of what I calculate that I should lose. And I definitely don't lose it when I'm "supposed" to. But that's okay, as I collect data about myself, I learn more and more and it helps me to be less frustrated.
So for me, for my needs, for my circumstances, Jax is worth it! I committed to logging food for 4 weeks and wearing Jax for 8 weeks. I realize now that I need to do both and will now commit to doing both. I feel sure though that I will continue long past 8 weeks. I feel that way now...I will get back to you in about 5 weeks! :thumbup:
Just wanted to give you a couple of quick updates:
Eating steak: I did okay with the steak. I had to cut it into the smallest of pieces and I was only able to eat about an ounce. Last night at home, I had the leftovers and ate bigger bites, but would spit out the fat (tendons that wouldn't chew down) instead of swallowing it. Sounds kind of gross, but it worked. I don't think I like steak enough to work that hard. HA!
Jazzercise: our friends came to class with us last night. They had a lot of fun supporting my BFF by it really isn't their cup of tea. One is a runner, but the other doesn't work out much and I hope that she finds some sort of activity that she enjoys. My arm ached a little from the tetanus shot (it still does!) but I'm glad I got in the extra work out. Something funny...as I was cleaning up after class, I picked up some 5 pound weights that someone had forgotten to put away. They felt so light to me that I almost threw them in the air. It made me feel like The Hulk!! :wink2:
Have a super day everyone! Tomorrow is Friday!
I went to my PCP today for a routine check up. I have not seen him since my surgery and realized that he didn't even know about it. Oops! He was happy for me though and enthusiastic with my success.
Turns out that it was time for a tetanus booster. That should feel good tomorrow! Also, we discussed an issue I have been having with my throat. **gross alert** I get things stuck in the recesses of my throat and I have to dig them out with a Qtip. This is something that started about 2 years ago and it is getting worse. It feels like my throat is irritated all the time even though I'm not sick at all. He is sending me to an ENT doc and thinks they should be able to fix it easily. YAY!
He is also referring me to another sleep doctor so I can update my sleep study. It is probably time to make a change to my CPAP. Maybe by next year, I won't need it!!
My blood pressure is super! He also took my labs so I will be eager to see how my cholesterol and other numbers look. Hopefully they are look great and I can continue to be medication free! He even made a joke about how he wasn't giving me any medication and didn't know what to do. I love it!
Tonight I'm going to Jazzercise. Big shock, huh?! :thumbup: But it is extra fun tonight because a few friends are coming to class to support my BFF Cori who is a new instructor. Well, she has been instructing for about 3 months or so, I think. And she is already one of the best. She really was made for this and it makes for an excellent class! It will be a lot of fun! Plus, I don't usually go on Wednesdays so it is getting me an extra work out for the week. Jax will LOVE that!!
Thanks for all the super sweet comments on the pictures I included in my blog post yesterday. Sometimes I get discouraged that I'm still way into the 200s, but when I concentrate on how I look, it makes me feel better. I'm really hoping to break into the teens this week though which would be a BIG STINKING DEAL!! Just another few tenths to go...
Happy Hump Day, y'all!
You know it is going to be good day when someone tells you that you look good. It's even better really because my BFF Cori (who is not one to sugar coat or to give false praise) told me that my outfit makes me look skinny and another friend (who is a little quicker to compliment) told me that I look great. Woohoo!
I am a big fan of long shirts/short dresses with leggings. Today, I'm wearing a navy blue Simply Vera dress with a black ribbon belt. It's very simple, but I think it is pretty. I've paired it with black leggings and silver encrusted black sandals. I went ahead and took pics. I also added a pic from 7.12.10 in a similar outfit. I think it is fair to say that today's outfit is a little more body skimming than the last one, but I also think there is a difference in the body it is skimming. Ha! (FYI, we took several pictures today but the lighting kept making my boobs look deformed. This one kind of looks like I'm about to fall down, but my boobs looked normal so I went with it. :mad:) It's funny how eager I am to take pictures these days...
Jazzercise was great last night. I can really feel my body doing things I was just not able to do before. My lunges are lower for sure and using the 10 pound weights is getting a little easier. NOT EASY, mind you, but easier. I feel strong!
Today is a lunch work out. I'm going to try and run two miles. I'm slow...I will stick to 4mph which will take 30 minutes, but hopefully I can do that!
Tonight is my monthly girls' night Interesting Dinner. It is restaurant week, so we are going fancy! We are headed to a chop house, so I'm going to try steak for the first time post op. I like my steak medium rare, so if I take very small bites and chew, chew, chew, I should be okay. Wish me luck!
It's Monday! Jax and I are starting to live in harmony again. Last week was a real eye opener as I discussed in my Friday post. I typically gain weight over the weekend, so I'm proud that I was able to lose a little bit this weekend. Maybe I'm actually learning!
I have a lot of fun things coming up! I'm visiting my brother and his family Labor Day weekend, my parents are coming to visit in mid-September, I'm going to New Orleans the first weekend in October, I'm going to visit a friend in NC mid-October, I'm going to the NASCAR race the first weekend in November, then next thing I know the holidays will be here!! That doesn't take into account all the local things I have going on.
Speaking of visiting my brother...my SIL emailed me yesterday and asked if I wanted to enter a 5k that weekend with her and my nephew. I had mentioned when I visited them in May that I wanted to do it and made it my goal. I have been slacking off on the running though because of my aching feet. I said yes, so I better get on the stick! I've never gone more than 1.85 miles at once. I still think I will be able to do it though. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment!! :mad:
In preperation, I'm not going to do a ton of running because I don't want to mess up my feet. So, I'm going to do A LOT of cardio. I plan to do Jazzercise 4 times this week. I also plan to run twice. We will see how that goes then make a plan for next week.
I feel detoxed and ready to go!! Happy Monday, my friends!
It's been quite a week! I'm glad it is the last day of my self-imposed exercise hiatus. I do think it has been productive though. I learned (as I suspected) that I was using exercise as an excuse to make bad food choices. I think that now I have my head wrapped around the idea that I can make good choices without feeling like I'm sacrificing greatly.
A couple of my thin friends say that is why you exercise...so you can eat what you want. I tried to explain to them that is a faulty argument for me two reasons. First, they are thin and just working to maintain. I am trying to lose over 100 pounds. In a year, when I plan to be at or very near my goal weight, I can live on a very small calorie deficit or even breakeven. But if I do that now, I will never get to where I want to be.
Secondly, and probably most importantly, I am a food addict or at the very least, I have an unhealthy relationship to food. Eating "whatever you want" most likely means a very different thing to me than it does to my thin friends. I can never have the attitude that I can eat "whatever I want". Even at goal, I will have to modify that.
I would like to think that I will lose this weight and gradually learn better food habits. I would like to think that when this weight is gone, I can eat like a "normal" person without the assistance of the band. While I don't think that is 100% out of the question someday, I do think that I will probably need the help for at least a long while. And I'm really starting to be okay with that.
Right now, I AM dieting, whether I want to admit to it or not. Now, it is also life changing and I'm not dieting in an unhealthy way. However, I'm eating in a way that I do not plan to continue forever. I don't think you should have a 1,000 calorie deficit forever because at some point you need to even out. But that IS normal.
This week while not exercising, but focusing on food, I have lost 1.6 pounds in 5 days. I hope to increase that over the weekend. My plan next week is to keep the same plan with my food, but add a 150-200 calorie snack on days that I work out. That should increase my calorie deficit on those days by 350-450 calories.
Starting tomorrow, the schedule is to work out 5 1/2 hours in the next 8 days. After 0 hours in 6 days, that should be interesting!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!
I'm not sure why I haven't blogged much this week. I don't feel bad or down, just not motivated to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard.)
Jax & I have reconciled, so that's good. I have taken a one week hiatus from exercise (which might be a very good reason I'm so blah right now.) I've decided to completely focus on food intake this week. I have done great! My goal is to keep it up next week when I layer in exercise, but to add a 150-200 calorie snack on big work out days (like Jazzercise.) I don't think I need additional calories for my small 20-30 minute lunch work outs.
Next week I will hit it hard, I actually start on Saturday with an hour of Jazzercise. I have more Jazz on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & the following Saturday. That alone would be great! But I will also layer in at least one lunch work out on Tuesday and go from there.
Saturday I'm also getting my hair cut. I think I'm going to continue with the length. However, I'm thinking I might go shorter and sassier next time. But for right now, I like how my long hair is framing my thinning face. Plus, I wear it up most days because it is SO DARN HOT!!
I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday. This week has flown by! I hope you are all having a fabulous one!
Today is a new day, huh? I think I have finally gotten over my "I feel fat" phase. I feel very sure that another one will come eventually, but no worries now.
I had Group last night. I LOVE getting together with such a wonderful group of people. There are veterans, people at my level, and newbies. We share, share, share and it is FANTASTIC! I hope you all can find a support group near you. They honestly do have a tremendous effect!
I don't have much time today, so I will just update my spandex pics. So lovely. Ha! But I can tell the difference. I have attached one month ago and today. Plus I couldn't resist attaching one from the very beginning.
Have a super day!!
I took my montly "casual" pics today. It is the first month that I don't really see a difference. But then again, I only lost 4 pounds since the last picture. At least it is the right direction!!
I will take my super fun spandex pictures tonight at Group. We will see how that goes.
I wrote a nice little blog this morning, then my computer ate it. So, I'm going to have to bail this morning.
Have a great day and I will talk to you tomorrow!
Hi everyone!
It is amazing how much you can learn about yourself when you are willing to accept it. One thing I have noticed during this "journey" is that people have no hesitation in giving out advice and indicating that they know better than I do. I have had that with diet, exercise, you name it.
But then I started to realize that I do it too! And I started to wonder how I am making people feel when I do that. I'm trying to make a consicous effort to only give advice when it has been requested (except of course when it comes to my parents...they get it automatically. :tt2:) It is a fine line between giving (or getting) information and giving (or getting) unsolicited advice. In my opinion, I LOVE information and want as much of it as I can get. But I can do without advice and the judgement that sometimes comes with it.
For instance, with my decision to start walking down the stairs at work...I appreciated getting the information that walking DOWN stairs can be hard on your knees and isn't typically a recommended form of exercise. With that information, I can pay close attention to my knees and any pain that might creep up. However, I didn't appreciate the advice that I should be walking UP the stairs and how I should go about doing that and then the judgement that followed when I decided to stick with my plan for the time being.
[Deep breath.] I just get frustrated, you know? Anyway, I hope it goes without saying that my blog is an unofficial solicitation for feedback, so advice out here NEVER goes unappreciated!! :smile: Maybe I'm being hypocritical, but I think it is different.
Speaking of Project Stairs, I have finished Day 4. My calves are still burning, but at least I was able to get out of bed this morning without feeling like I was going to collapse! They hurt, but now feel more like I had a crazy hard work out...not that someone beat my legs with a bat. Ha! One more day then they will get a two day break.
My friend bailed on water aerobics with me last night. She is a working mom of three, so I can hardly get upset with her! I went to Jazzercise instead. I will go again tonight. I love it, so it is always good!
Have a great day!
Thank you all for helping me celebrate Fat Day yesterday!! Thankfully that is past and I feel much better today. :cool:
On Monday, the elevators broke in my office building. Since the service elevator takes so long, I took the stairs. I work on the 18th floor so that is a lot of stairs. I was very sore (especially my calves!) yesterday so I decided to walk down the stairs every day until they don't hurt anymore. I'm not sure if that is genius or nuts!
I did it Monday right before leaving work and going to Jazzercise which I don't think was the best plan. Last night I did it after work too which was fine since I didn't do much in the evening. Although this morning I could hardly get out of bed!! Tonight I'm planning to work out so I thought it would be better to do the stairs in the morning. It only takes 5 minutes which is crazy since it can cause SO MUCH PAIN. Ha! So, I did it and it's done for the day.
During Fat Day, I decided that I needed to vary up my exercising. I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness but only go for my (very sporadic) personal training sessions. One of my good friends is also a member so I challenged her to go to some classes. We are supposed to be doing the aqua aerobic class this evening, so that should be fun!
Have a great day everybody!!
I realize that even after losing over 60 pounds in 7 months, I'm not going to feel "skinny." I have at least another 60 pounds to go and I also realize that even skinny chicks have their fat days. So, I'm just going to wallow a bit in my fat day.
Yesterday my feet were killing me. I have had MUCH less trouble with my feet as I have lost weight. At the height of my weight gain, I could barely get through a normal day of work in crocs or tennis shoes. Now, I am careful with the shoes I wear, but I can wear "normal" shoes to work and I work out regularly. My feet ache some, but I think that is normal. However, yesterday, it was like I was back up to 285. :cool:
They hurt throughout the day. At the end of the workday, we received an email that the elevators were not functioning. We were told that we could use the service elevator, but there is only one. The service elevator is the slowest form of transportation on the planet under normal circumstances. For it to service all 22 floors, it would take me an hour to get to the lobby from the 18th floor! I had to get to Jazzercise, so I took the stairs. I have to say that it wasn't as bad as in the past when we have had to do fire drills, so that's a plus. But my legs were a little jello-ish at Jazzercise.
My feet hurt so bad at class, I feel like I was at 50-60%. I don't think walking the stairs was the cause since they hurt throughout the day, but I'm sure it didn't help. I was SO internally cranky during that class. I was picking fights with people in my head to the point I had to physically shake it. [sidebar: Do you all do that? I often times find myself picking fights or having arguments in my head. For instance, if I know that I'm going to tell my boss something he isn't going to like, I have the worst case scenario conversation in my head. It drives me crazy! I'm getting better about not doing that, but I certainly did it last night!]
I went home and did all the things with my feet that I am supposed to do. They feel a lot better today and I tried to pick out a pair of comfortable shoes. No Jazzercise today, but I'm planning to workout at lunch. I think I will choose the ellypical or the bike so I can limit impact on my feet. Then, because I am a glutton for punishment, I plan to walk down the stairs at the end of the workday. That is my punishment for wallowing in my fatness. :laugh:
Oh well, tomorrow is another day!!
What a productive weekend!! So far, Jax (my new Body Bugg) is having quite an effect on my life. I can tell that I'm making better choices, especially regarding activity to make sure I reach my target numbers. Color me surprised!
Friday I chose to go to Jazzercise which is something I don't usually do. Especially when I get up and go on Saturday morning, which I also did! YAY me! :closedeyes: After class on Saturday, I ran some errands. I had a quck lunch then got started working around home. I had gone through all of the clothes in my closet last week, so this weekend I decided to tackle my drawers. Dresser and chest of drawers...well, other kinds of drawers too, I guess.
I got rid of two bathing suits, a ton of pajamas and some work out pants. The happiest thing I found is that there are only 3 items left in my "too small" drawer...one pair of Old Navy jeans and two tank tops. I feel sure they will fit next month!
I kept myself busy most of the day and only sat down for a little while in the late afternoon. Then I got ready and went to my BFFs birthday party. It was at a pizza place and I'm entirely to tight to eat pizza. Luckily they has some delicious lasagna which I was able to eat. It was a LOVELY evening with friends. And I don't think I thought about being fat all night!
Sunday I went to church then continued my productivity around the house. I wanted to burn more calories!
This morning I got up and did yoga. I HATE mornings and honestly can't believe I did it. I'm a sucker for a challenge though. I'm a part of a Facebook group that has a bunch of friends from high school where we encourage each other to exercise. One of the guys (which honestly I feel sure I never spoke to in high school) has become quite inspiring to me. He battles weight too and works very hard. He threw down a challenge that if I got up to do yoga, he would do sit ups. Well...okay then. I did my 22 minutes of easy going yoga. It is mostly stretching, but I notice that when I do it, I have more energy throughout the day.
We are having a celebration today at work and there will be cupcakes. I may eat one, but I will also log it so Jax can tell me what I need to do to work it off. Tonight is Jazzercise and I'm up to 10 pound hand weights! The only move that gives me trouble is an over the head tricep dip. Everything else I can do well. I don't think I will ever go over 10 pounds though...it seems like a good weight.
Not to bury the lead, but I lost 8.4 pounds & 8.75 inches this month. Most excitingly, 2 inches off my hips! I would love to lose 10 more pounds before my trip to Louisville. If I listen to Jax, I just might!!
Jax is providing me with TONS of information. First and foremost, I burned 3060 calories yesterday. Wow! I cringe to think about how many calories I was consuming per day to gain the 20-30 pounds in the last 6 months of 2009. Yikes!
But the good news is that now I know. I have set up my online program to shoot for a goal of a 900 calorie deficit each day. I'm actually trying to reach closer to 1200 per day to allow for the apparent 20-40% (!) error rate that people have when counting calories consumed. I try to be conservative when counting what I eat, but I want to make sure that I'm allowing some cushion.
So, yesterday I burned 3060 calories and consumed 1625 for a calorie deficit of 1435. Technically, that should lose me .4 pounds. Actually, I weighed exactly the same this morning that I did yesterday morning. That's okay though. I feel quite sure that it will all catch up.
Tomorrow is my best friend's birthday. Today for lunch we are going to Babe's Chicken and tomorrow night we are going to Campania's Pizza. I have to say that knowing Jax is paying a whole lot of attention will help me make good choices.
Have a great weekend!!
I'm totally in love with Jax and we can't be apart!! As you all know, my new Body Bugg (aka Jax) was delivered yesterday. I got home last night and started setting it up. It said that it takes approximately 3 hours to charge fully and I first plugged it in at 7:30 PM. At 10:15 I was ready for bed, but Jax was still working So, I went and took a shower to busy myself. After that he was all pumped up and ready to go!
Apparently I burn 711 calories while I'm asleep. Go me! I slept for around 8 hours, so I burn around 2100 calories a day doing nothing. Just goes to show how many calories I was consuming!!
So far today (since midnight) I have burned 1,026 calories and I have taken 1,456 steps. It also says that my body has had 13 minutes of "activity" today. Considering I'm just walking around my office, that's interesting.
Oh...I'm at 1,028 calories burned now. Ha! I see that this is going to be quite an obsession. The question will be whether it is fleeting or if it will be a long term committment!
There is a "trip" button that I can reset at any time. So at Jazzercise tonight, I plan to set it to see how many steps I take and how many calories I burn during the class. That should be fun! I can't wait to see how much difference there is between workouts (not just between Jazzercise and jogging, but just between Jazzercise classes themselves.) I know that sometimes I'm giving a lot more than others.
The other big news of the day is that we bought tour tickets for So You Think You Can Dance. That will be here on 9/22. I remember how uncomfortable I was at the last tour, so it will be so nice to be more relaxed this time!! I love that show and the tour is always fun. It is still 8 weeks away, so I could be another 10-15 pounds down by then.
Postscript: I took a potty break just now and caught myself checking myself out in front of the full length mirror. We usually wear jeans to work, but today I'm in black dress pants and top which are quite slimming. YAY!! Feels so good.
Jax, my new Body Bugg, came today. YAY! I can't wait to get home tonight to get it all hooked up and ready to go. I have PROMISED myself that I will do a few productive things before I start. Ha!
I fully expect this thing to make me lose 30 pounds in the next 3 months! Just kidding! I know it won't do the work for me, but wouldn't it be nice?
Yesterday was my 2nd full day of logging calories consumed. I worked SO hard and what was my reward?? No movement on the scale. It must be broken. Surely if I'm doing something I don't want to be doing, the earth would shift, the heavens would shine down on me and I would get what I want, right? Apparently, the universe begs to differ.
Off to do some work. I will post some pictures of me and Jax tomorrow.
...or in this case a somewhat plump, (but soon to be svelte) and sassy liar. :thumbup: As I told you all yesterday, I have committed to 4 weeks of logging calories burned and calories consumed. My Body Bugg comes in the mail on Wednesday, but I didn't want to delay starting.
Yesterday was Day 1. About lunch time, it was quite clear to me that I was lying to myself about the calorie count for what I have been eating.
My current theory: it is my understanding that a pound equals 3500 calories, so to lose 2 pounds in a week, I would need to have a 7000 calorie deficit a week. That translates to 1000 calorie deficit per day. My metabolism test said that I burn 2200 calories per day and I'm estimating that I burn about 300 calories during my work outs. (I can't wait for Jax (my Body Bugg) to tell me for sure!) That means that I would need limit my calories (roughly speaking) to 1200 on non-work out days and 1500 on work out days.
Yesterday was a work out day, so I allowed myself 1500 calories. I planned it out at the beginning of the day because I have found that I'm not so good on the fly. You are SHOCKED, aren't you??
What I learned in one day (which I probably alreday knew but was subconsciously denying) was that I treat myself too much in the evening (especially when I have worked out) and I have too much of a tendency to pick high fat proteins over lean proteins. Since I am in a decent exercise routine, the next 4 weeks will be about making better food choices.
My goal is to lose 120 pounds. I feel that the first 60 pounds has been relatively easy since my hard work has been in exercise which I'm finding (gasp!) somewhat enjoyable. I say relatively easy, because it certainly wasn't EASY easy. But I haven't exactly been putting up every effort. Controlling my food intake (for me) is the hard part. I believe it is going to take a lot more of that to get through the next 60 pounds.
Thank goodness I have you all in my corner!! Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get myself up early to Yoga. It's only a 1/2 hour earlier than normal, but you would think it was the middle of the night! :smile2:
