The last couple weeks have been hectic but in a good way. We’re finally wrapping up the latest project at work so I have actually been able to be in the office and I am starting to get caught up on everything. That feels SO good. We’ve been staying busy on the weekend taking fun little mini-vacations to places around the state. Most people don’t know this but Oklahoma has some real treasures within our borders.Last weekend, the three of us  loaded up in the car and went to a town called Sulphur where they have natural springs and beautiful trails all through the woods. We explored and sucked Honeysuckle (I was so happy to be able to pass this down to my son…he’d never heard of such a thing and thought I had lost my mind at first.) and had a great time together. Those are the moments life is all about.

I’ve been faithfully going to WW for a full 8 weeks now…yesterday was the start of my 9th week and so far, I am down 10.8 lbs. YAY ME! I feel great, I am starting to feel the difference, and it is keeping me motivated. I am 2.2 pounds from my first goal of 5% weight loss so I am pushing myself to make it this week. So far, so good. (Even though it’s only been a day.)

At this time I would like to give props (is it still acceptable to say “give props”? Gaw, I am getting old!) to my wonderful husband. He has his own issues with weight but he has taken some major steps in the right direction lately and I am SO, SOOO proud of him. He is not doing the WW program with me, but he has nearly cut all fast food out of his diet. He is making healthier choices, and by doing so is making it easier for me to stay on track as well. He is eating breakfast at home now and taking his lunch to work. He has also been going to the park with me and the chud to play basketball pretty much every evening, which is a HUGE deal. For a long time, it was all I could do to get him to walk to the car to go get some ice cream. Now he says he even looks forward to it! He is making small changes, and little by little they are adding up. In the last two months, he has lost 8 lbs. That’s not drastic, but it is something and I couldn’t be more proud to see him taking steps in the right direction. The healthier he is, the longer he’ll be around for me to nag and pick on.

So that’s about it. Work. Sleep. Eat. A little fun. Repeat. Good stuff.

I bet you thought I’d given up…

But by golly, I have NOT! I am still here, still battling, still making progress. I just got a little derailed, that’s all.

For those of you who aren’t obsessed with my every status update on the Facebook, (and let’s be honest, there really are just a few who AREN’T) I tore my calf muscle a couplfew weeks ago while playing basketball with my son and my man stallion. As you might imagine, that has put the running on hold for the time being. I am finally getting around without screaming “Ow, oww, owww, OWWWW!” in my head every time I take a step so that is progress, but I’m still not 100% and my leg lets me know it. To be quite honest though, I had sort of given up a little before that happened.

See, I have always been one where athletic things have come very naturally to me. Take me snow skiing? I’ll be running blacks before the trip is over. Challenge me to a game of tennis? I will give you a good run for your money. Take me swimming? I will lap you. Take me to the basketball court? I WILL CRUSH YOU (and as it turns out, very likely tear a calf muscle in the process). I am competitive and I like to win. I’m not even sure if win is the right word here…I like to DOMINATE. And until I decided to take up running, I nearly always have done just that.

When I first decided to take on the C25K I thought to myself, “How hard could it REALLY be? One foot in front of the other…just like walking, but a little more movement and some extra jiggling involved. No biggie. I can totally do this.” But I was WRONG. There is that whole mind over matter thing and that’s where I got hung up. I started off really strong (like I do with most things) but when it didn’t become easy right away I could not convince myself, despite all sorts of attempts at bargaining and rewards and positive self talk, that I could do it and that’s where I still am today. I could not push myself to take that extra step and make progress.

I know all the cliches…can’t never could…nothing worth doing is ever easy…you know the ones I am talking about here. None of that helps me. I have got to get my head back in the game and think of it more like a personal challenge than a personal defeat. I have not given up and if anything, my resolve has actually been strengthened since I basically gave up. Correction: Paused to Reflect. (Yes, I like that much better.) I know what I need to do, I know how I need to do it, and so once I heal completely, I WILL do it, even if it takes me a year to be able to run a mile.

In other news, I decided to start Weight Watchers again for the millionth time. Today is the end of my 6th week and I am down a full and exact 10 lbs from when I started which puts me in the 240’s (barely, but it counts dammit). I really can’t remember the last time I have been in the 40’s and I am so excited about it.

This is about the point where I would have started to lose interest in the program, quit tracking, and eventually quit altogether, but I haven’t! In fact, I am finding the opposite to be true this time around. I didn’t overwhelm myself with all the new rules all at once. I don’t know how many of you have been to WW before, but it is incredibly intimidating and overwhelming at first. When I started back this time I was determined to stick with it and go to every single meeting whether that meant a gain on my record or not. This time I started off slow, added little things here and there, cut back on things and weeded other stuff out completely. I have stayed for the meetings and listened to other members’ problems and feedback and accomplishments. What a surprise…it’s working now and I am getting more out of it than I ever have before!I am in it to win it and I WILL DOMINATE IT.

So anyway, that’s what’s new with me. I’m still here, still working, still struggling, still making progress.

 

 

 

Well, shit.

The title pretty much sums it up. I blew it this week in a big way. Not only did I eat ridiculously “bad” all week, but I also didn’t get a single workout in. It’s amazing how gross I feel now after not doing anything all week. I guess that’s a sign that my body isn’t rejecting the exercise anymore but is actually expecting it now.

I can sit here and make excuses and say that work was too busy and we had guests in town for a couple nights and I just couldn’t find the time, but the truth is I could have. I just didn’t. I feel a like a loser. I was doing so good and had stuck with it for a whole month and then BAM! Nothing.

OK, enough beating myself up. I will hit it super hard this week. Tomorrow I am going to the Y to run for a bit and then I’m going to hit the pool for a nice swim. I seriously heart swimming. In fact, when we finally get to the point where we can build our underground house we want so bad, we’ll be having an enclosed pool built in with it (even if that means postponing the build a couple years). I would swim every.single.day. if we had that, especially if all I had to do was throw on my suit and walk across the house. OMG, that would be so flippin’ sweet!! I might never leave the house. Like, EVER.

Uh, sorry. Got a little sidetracked there. I almost forgot to tell you that I registered Des and I for our first run today! It’s a mile run on March 27th, but I figure that is a totally doable goal considering that we’re just now to Week 1 on the official program despite doing this for a full 4 weeks. March 27th. Just about 2 months from today. We can do that, right? So yeah, back to it tomorrow and I will feel so much better this week and I shall update again soon.

Day of Reckoning: Part 1

So today is our 4 week weight/measure. We both approached the scale with trepedation, but I think we both did really well. Current weight/measurements are:

Jana                                                                                       Des

Weight                                    253.3                             239.2

Neck                                       15 1/2                              15 1/4

Upper Chest                        45 1/2                              41 1/2

Boobs                                     47 1/2                              46

Right Upper Arm              14 1/4                               14 1/2

Waist                                       48 1/4                              45

Hips                                         51 3/4                              49 3/4

Right Upper Thigh            26 1/2                               25 1/2

Right Mid Calf                     16 3/4                               18

Total Loss:                           7.75 inches                    7.25 inches

Total Pounds:                      6.7 lbs                              13.5 lbs

All I have to say is we are rockin’ this motherheifer!! That’s not too shabby for 4 whole weeks.

I’d post more but we are going to celebrate with sushi. 🙂

Ice, ice, baby.

We got some freezing rain and a little snow yesterday so everything was icy. I got to stay home from work which was awesome. Man Stallion and I hung out and played games and drank wine and had a fantastic time. But since it was icy, I didn’t get to run. It was too cold/slick to do it outside and running in place is just stupid. (Although I realize running on a treadmill is basically the same thing as running in place, at least it FEELS like you’re going somewhere.) So I brought my workout stuff with me today with the intention of hitting the fitness room here at the office before I leave for the weekend to make up for missing yesterday.

In other news, I have been eating SO good this week! I had one “cheat” meal but I don’t feel at all guilty for it. I have to change my way of thinking a little…this is something that I am doing FOR LIFE, not just until I get to whatever goal I set for myself. If I deprive myself, I know I’ll end up right back where I started. There are going to be times when I want to have massive amounts of chips and salsa and enchiladas and pizza and I have to be able to indulge a little from time to time in order to stay focused on the other days. So when I want something and CANNOT resist it, I am going to have it and I will just focus on controlling the portion size of what I have. There is no way I’ll EVER stop eating things like cheese and bacon and fettucine alfredo. It’s NOT going to happen and I think it’s unrealistic of me to ever even THINK that, but I CAN control how much of those things I eat. That is the recipe for long term success. Anyway, I am pumped for tonight and I am pumped to see the hard work paying off on Sunday when we meet for the one month weigh/measure.

And now I’m hungry.

Week 4: Part 1

Des and I skipped meeting up on Sunday because she wasn’t feeling well so we met up yesterday instead. She came up to my office and we used the treadmills here. Now I’m gonna take a minute to toot our own horns. We totally kicked that workout’s ass last night! For the first time, we made it through all 8 rounds of 45 second runs with a minute and a half in between and spent a full 30 minutes on the treadmills. I know this might not seem like much but if you had seen us the first day, you would understand what a giant accomplishment this is.

Also, those insoles have made my feet and shins SO happy! My legs got a little crampy at the beginning but I think it is because we skipped stretching. I won’t be doing that again! I am sore today where I haven’t been before, but I think it’s because I finally pushed myself to do the whole thing.

I feel invigorated and accomplished. I have my motivation back again and I am so excited about the next couple workouts. I think we’ll easily be doing the full 60/90 workouts next week which will basically mean we’ve hit week 1 of the program. Gah, when I think about it like that, it feels a little like I’ve been forced to take a remedial math course because I couldn’t keep up with the rest of the class.  But I am making progress and progress is what it’s all about.

And now a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that was introduced to me by my friend, Michelle, that has been running through my head since I read it:

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

HEAVY

I watched the premiere of the new A&E series “HEAVY” last night and to say the least, it was an eye opener. I REALLY do not want to end up like that. I felt very sad for them because I understand how easy it is to give up when something is such a struggle. I’m guilty of doing it myself in a few different areas of my life. But I was also kind of pissed off at them, like, how could you let it get past 300 lbs, let alone 600?? You know?

Anyway, it has given me the motivation I’ve been lacking the last week or so. I’m going to spend at the very least a 30 full minutes on the treadmill tonight and I’m going to run for as long as I can as many times as I can BECAUSE I can. I am grateful that I am still able to move, and sit, and tie my shoes comfortably, and I need to start showing my body that appreciation.

BTW, that show is totally going on my DVR list so I can watch it when I feel tired or want to give up.

Week 3: Part 2

There really isn’t much to say about the rest of week 3 because I didn’t do anything. I am not proud of this. In fact, I am furious and disappointed in myself because it was getting easier. I just let other factors stop me. Work was crazy…I worked late every night last week and even came in on Saturday. Then Des was sick on Sunday so I cooked meals for the week instead. Even though I knew I would feel better if I went and ran, I could not muster the motivation to put on my shoes and go. I let my laziness get the best of me.

I did, however, do really well with the diet portion of the program. I brought my lunch every day and only indulged on a couple of meals, and even those were not nearly as bad as it could have been (well, ok, maybe the pizza was a bad idea). That 4 week weigh/measure is staring me down and I’m not going to let it get the best of me this time!

With all that said, I feel much better this week and I’m ready to get back at it. I even brought my workout clothes with me today so I can take advantage of the fitness room at my office. My goal for this week is to get in 5 workouts at least 30 minutes long.  I can pretty much guarantee that they won’t all be runs but it is 2 times more than what I’ve been doing so it will help. I know I can eat right all week long but unless I bump up the cardio, nothing’s really going to happen. (See above about the 4 week weigh/measure.)

In other news, those insoles have basically saved my life. I haven’t ran (run?) in them yet but I wore them around the house all day yesterday and my feet didn’t hurt AT ALL. That is marked improvement from before when my feet would make me want to eat a gun after a few minutes of standing. Stupid plantar fasciitis. I’m also hoping that they help with this weird wart/corn/bunion thing I have on the inside of my little toe. It’s tiny but it freakin’ HURTS and also? I’m not 80! I’m not supposed to have corns at this age!!

So, yeah. I am ready to kick this week’s ass and make it like it. We’ll see if I’m able to follow through this time.

Week 3: Part 1

Ok, so like I said before, we weren’t able to run on Sunday because of the weather. Well, the weather just got worse. Currently, it is a blistering 18 degrees outside and that doesn’t even take into account the wind. I opted to go ahead and do the workout though and decided to do it on the treadmill at my office. Yes, my office has a treadmill in it. Well, not MY office, but the building my office is in. There is a whole little fitness center in there actually that is free and at my disposal anytime I want to use it. Why I haven’t taken advantage of it before now, I don’t know but whatever. I did tonight!

Now, I am TERRIFIED of treadmills. They make me dizzy and I have this irrational fear of tripping, breaking the fall with my face, getting my clothes sucked into the stupid thing and dying a miserable death while the people around me point and laugh but there’s no time like the present to conquer fears, right? I climbed on and took off.

To my surprise, it wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. In fact, it was easier for me to run on that thing than it is for me to run on the trails outside. I was able to go longer, and faster, than I had been outside because my shins weren’t cramping up. I think it might be because the treadmill is a little cushion-y whereas the trails are solid concrete. I think I’m going to stick with that for the time being, at least until I get my insoles broken in properly and can start using them outside. I did the full 8 runs in 45/90 intervals and I didn’t even feel like I was going to die which was pretty flippin’ awesome.

 

 

Week 2: Part 2

I didn’t realize it had been almost a week since I posted anything here but what can I say? I got busy living life and didn’t have free time to do it! I have, however, been sticking with the workouts so go me!

So last Thursday Des and I decided to meet up since we weren’t able to do that on Sunday due to her being sick. She’d gotten some bad news from the Dr. earlier that day so we were both feeling motivated to get off our asses and get to it. (I’ll let her fill you in on the details of the Dr. visit.) We picked a spot between our offices to meet; the new trails along the Oklahoma River. Those of you locally know the area and I guess the excitement went to our brains and clouded our judgement. The area where we met was on the westend where they haven’t installed lights yet. It was OK when we first got there but by the end of our workout it was pretty scary. I’m not gonna lie, I brought my giant maglite flashlight with me and my paranoia meter was off the charts. I think it will be a nice place to go in the spring/summer when the sun is out but I’m gonna stay away from there after dark because it was just too creepy.

The workout went great, by the way. We made it 6 rounds which is 2 more than she had done before. Then we ended it with a yummy thai dinner downtown with Man Stallion. Yeah, I know, kind of defeats the purpose but we worked extra hard and deserved it, dammit!

It was frigid and snowing/sleeting Sunday when we were supposed to meet but we got together and weighed anyway and did some Zumba on the Wii instead of running. It was every bit as embarrassing to do it with someone else as I had imagined it would be, maybe even a little more. Oh, you wanna know about the weigh-ins? OK, fine. Des lost an incredible 8.8 lbs and I GAINED 2. WTF.

I know why that happened though…even though I had been really good about food all week, I didn’t really monitor it over the weekend. Add that to the fact that we went to a buffet Saturday night before our Elvis impersonator concert, where I managed to practically eat my weight in prime rib, it’s really no wonder. I was bloated and puffy and totally paying for it. The good news is while it was hard to see on the scale, I didn’t let it defeat me like I have in the past. It caused me to be even more focused and this week has been great so far.