Another day down on this 60 day challenge. I decided to drop the weeks and just go according to the number of days total in the time frame.
I'm feeling great here on Day 3. Got myself out of bed this morning and created some serious sweat doing one of my Biggest Loser videos, a short but great workout. It felt great and I had a great day. It will be raining in the morning, so I will be forgoing my run for another indoor workout. Not sure which one yet but whatever it is, I'll be keeping it kicked into high gear!
Yep, I know its only day 3 but I'm still excited and guess what? I'll be staying excited. Because its that kind of feeling, which I make the conscious decision to have, that keeps me motivated to push on toward my goal. Am I going to have 57 more great days? I am sure not. But I plan to have at least 50 great days and so I'll be ok with 10 so-so days. All in all, I'm choosing to look at the positive and how much potential this next two months holds. A ton of my success here is going to depend on my outlook. Can you effect yours?
So here are my stats for Day 3:
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1562 (yes, that is 12 calories over...calm down)
Carbs: 202
Fat: 54
Protein: 70
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Calories Burnt: 385
Biggest Loser Cardio Max Video - 22 minutes
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Day 2, Week 1 Checkin
Dude, I have got it going on like donkey kong...I have no idea why but I have this solid resolve...and I really hope it sticks with me. Not a "I'm not eating any fat grams which makes me a miserable human being that no one wants to be around" kind of resolve...more like a "I'm in high gear and determined to do this, and DOING this" kind of resolve. I feel energetic, determined and ready to burn some fat over the next 8 weeks...and it won't stop there, that is just the beginning of a new cycle of success for me. On my Facebook page I've been tracking the word "SUCCESSFUL" going backwards, giving myself one letter for every 10 pounds I lose. So far it says CESSFUL. Hopefully at the end of this it will say at least CCESSFUL if not getting the U too! I feel that determined!
I'm below my max calories for the day - within where I should be but below the max, which is strange for a running day...what's interesting is I'm not sure if I really need a snack or not. So I may forgo it...we'll see.
Here's my Input/Output for Day 2:
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1364
Carbs: 172
Fat: 55
Protein: 55
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Calories Burnt: 448
Mileage: 2.19 running @ 11:57/mile pace
warm up/cool down 10 mins @ 17/mile pace
Looking forward to a successful Day 3! Thanks, my blog, for the accountability...
~Clara
I'm below my max calories for the day - within where I should be but below the max, which is strange for a running day...what's interesting is I'm not sure if I really need a snack or not. So I may forgo it...we'll see.
Here's my Input/Output for Day 2:
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1364
Carbs: 172
Fat: 55
Protein: 55
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Calories Burnt: 448
Mileage: 2.19 running @ 11:57/mile pace
warm up/cool down 10 mins @ 17/mile pace
Looking forward to a successful Day 3! Thanks, my blog, for the accountability...
~Clara
Monday, November 1, 2010
Day 1, Week 1 Checkin
Here we go! It's my Day 1, Week 1 Check in. I have to say I was super jazzed last night about this whole thing; its like I inspired myself with my own blog - what a nerd! :)
Anyway, I'm super stoked about this and kicking this week off especially as it is one I usually lose during.
Here's my Input/Output for Day 1:
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1535
Carbs: 197
Fat: 58
Protein: 59
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Rest Day!
Looking forward to another 400+ calorie burn in the morning with my run. Here's to finishing Day 1 well!
~Clara
Anyway, I'm super stoked about this and kicking this week off especially as it is one I usually lose during.
Here's my Input/Output for Day 1:
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1535
Carbs: 197
Fat: 58
Protein: 59
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Rest Day!
Looking forward to another 400+ calorie burn in the morning with my run. Here's to finishing Day 1 well!
~Clara
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Finish Well...I WILL!
Hello world...its been a few wild and crazy weeks for me and a great deal of thinking amidst the crazy. I've had alot to process in regards to my health. I now officially have 8 weeks until the end of the year and the place where I wanted to be 100 pounds down. I've come to the realization that without some wacky surgical intervention that isn't going to happen. I'm down 70 now and losing 15 pounds a month for the next 2 months isn't very likely (or healthy) and you know I'm not all about a medical intervention.
So there...I said it out loud. I feel better. I've said before, I'm not one of those goal driven people who is all about winning or losing and really I'm not sinking into a depression because of this. I see every pound lost as a win, and so far my score is 70. That is nothing to be ashamed of, cry over or shake a stick at, really. It's amazing and has literally changed my life!
When I reached 220 back in 2006 I was doing Weight Watchers and maintained between 220 and 220.6 for a staggering 6 weeks. The WW leader said to me "Man, you've definitely got maintenance down." HA! It was funny at the time, albeit frustrating...really, it should have been a wake up call. How did I know I would then top 285 just a few short years later? Wow for hindsight...
To continue to forge ahead, I need to literally move forward and not spend too much time looking back for the purpose of self-defeat. I believe it is important to reflect and understand where I am and how I got there. I instead need to look ahead at where I can be, what I can accomplish and what is a realistic and SMART goal for myself.
Here is where I've been going off track...and my solutions:
1) My eating plan hasn't been tight enough. I haven't tracked food in awhile, and while you all know I don't believe one can do that forever, when you have a specific goal in mind its a good idea. Solution: I plugged my new goal of being down to 198 by 12/31/10 into Sparkpeople and they adjusted my calories as such. I need to stay within 1200 - 1550 calories/day (um, I'll just say now that I plan on 1550 being my target). I will faithfully use the food tracker until I've reached my goal. Once I reach this goal, I will set a new one, probably another 33 pounds down by April 30. My ultimate goal is 165 - maybe a bit more, maybe less. It will all depend on my % of bodyfat, which I am aiming for under 24.9 or less (in the "normal" range). Shoot, to be under 30 (and no longer "obese") is a great goal too!
2) I'm not exercising enough. You may read that and say, "huh? but you run!" Yes, that I do. Three or four times a week. But I need more - I need to do something, anything on those off days from running in addition to that. Solution: Nothing huge, earth shattering or crazy, but something. I'm going to incorporate one or two biggest loser workouts a week (any more than that and I'm too sore to run!) and potentially another walk. Overall, SparkPeople says I need to burn 1900 calories a week combined with my calories above to lose 2 pounds a week, which would get me to 198 by the end of the year. I am averaging about a 400 calorie burn with each run and the BL workouts are about the same so if I run at least 3 times and then do the workouts on alternating days I should be at 2000 calories burnt/week. I've struggled with running lately as I need to change my work schedule in order to do my morning runs (its too dark now and only going to get darker!). I'm also going to start this neat Push Up Challenge http://hundredpushups.com/ with my husband. It looks like fun and it might take me 6 months to get to 100 but by gosh I'll get there! :)
3) I'm not blogging enough! I know that sounds really crazy, but this blog has been incredibly therapeutic for me and so helpful along this journey. Getting a chance to explore my journey and get inside my own head in the hopes of sharing it with others and helping someone else - its been so rewarding. Solution: I'll be blogging a little bit every day - with one or two longer posts a week, but at the end of each evening I'll report my intake and output (um calories in and burned, that sounded gross so I felt an explanation was in order).
Losing weight is all about math. Less input, more output. Why is it so hard? There are so many environmental factors...but the key is to make good choices most of the time, and hold yourself accountable for what you eat, drink and how you exercise. So, I will do just that, hold myself accountable once again and this time armed with a plan, and this blog for accountability.
Thanks for those of you who have stuck with me since I started documenting this in February. I'm so excited about what the next 8 weeks holds, and I have a fresh perspective on it all. Next huge goal - under 200! That will be SO great for me!
I'll finish with a post of a picture of my new haircut - was going to wait until 75 pounds, but I'm just as pleased with myself about 70, so decided to go ahead and do it (and I really needed it!).
See you back here tomorrow. :)
~Clara
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1481
Carbs: 215
Fat: 45
Protein: 54
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Calories Burnt: 499
Mileage: 2.59 running @ 12:32/mile pace
warm up/cool down 10 mins @ 15/mile pace
So there...I said it out loud. I feel better. I've said before, I'm not one of those goal driven people who is all about winning or losing and really I'm not sinking into a depression because of this. I see every pound lost as a win, and so far my score is 70. That is nothing to be ashamed of, cry over or shake a stick at, really. It's amazing and has literally changed my life!
When I reached 220 back in 2006 I was doing Weight Watchers and maintained between 220 and 220.6 for a staggering 6 weeks. The WW leader said to me "Man, you've definitely got maintenance down." HA! It was funny at the time, albeit frustrating...really, it should have been a wake up call. How did I know I would then top 285 just a few short years later? Wow for hindsight...
To continue to forge ahead, I need to literally move forward and not spend too much time looking back for the purpose of self-defeat. I believe it is important to reflect and understand where I am and how I got there. I instead need to look ahead at where I can be, what I can accomplish and what is a realistic and SMART goal for myself.
Here is where I've been going off track...and my solutions:
1) My eating plan hasn't been tight enough. I haven't tracked food in awhile, and while you all know I don't believe one can do that forever, when you have a specific goal in mind its a good idea. Solution: I plugged my new goal of being down to 198 by 12/31/10 into Sparkpeople and they adjusted my calories as such. I need to stay within 1200 - 1550 calories/day (um, I'll just say now that I plan on 1550 being my target). I will faithfully use the food tracker until I've reached my goal. Once I reach this goal, I will set a new one, probably another 33 pounds down by April 30. My ultimate goal is 165 - maybe a bit more, maybe less. It will all depend on my % of bodyfat, which I am aiming for under 24.9 or less (in the "normal" range). Shoot, to be under 30 (and no longer "obese") is a great goal too!
2) I'm not exercising enough. You may read that and say, "huh? but you run!" Yes, that I do. Three or four times a week. But I need more - I need to do something, anything on those off days from running in addition to that. Solution: Nothing huge, earth shattering or crazy, but something. I'm going to incorporate one or two biggest loser workouts a week (any more than that and I'm too sore to run!) and potentially another walk. Overall, SparkPeople says I need to burn 1900 calories a week combined with my calories above to lose 2 pounds a week, which would get me to 198 by the end of the year. I am averaging about a 400 calorie burn with each run and the BL workouts are about the same so if I run at least 3 times and then do the workouts on alternating days I should be at 2000 calories burnt/week. I've struggled with running lately as I need to change my work schedule in order to do my morning runs (its too dark now and only going to get darker!). I'm also going to start this neat Push Up Challenge http://hundredpushups.com/ with my husband. It looks like fun and it might take me 6 months to get to 100 but by gosh I'll get there! :)
3) I'm not blogging enough! I know that sounds really crazy, but this blog has been incredibly therapeutic for me and so helpful along this journey. Getting a chance to explore my journey and get inside my own head in the hopes of sharing it with others and helping someone else - its been so rewarding. Solution: I'll be blogging a little bit every day - with one or two longer posts a week, but at the end of each evening I'll report my intake and output (um calories in and burned, that sounded gross so I felt an explanation was in order).
Losing weight is all about math. Less input, more output. Why is it so hard? There are so many environmental factors...but the key is to make good choices most of the time, and hold yourself accountable for what you eat, drink and how you exercise. So, I will do just that, hold myself accountable once again and this time armed with a plan, and this blog for accountability.
Thanks for those of you who have stuck with me since I started documenting this in February. I'm so excited about what the next 8 weeks holds, and I have a fresh perspective on it all. Next huge goal - under 200! That will be SO great for me!
I'll finish with a post of a picture of my new haircut - was going to wait until 75 pounds, but I'm just as pleased with myself about 70, so decided to go ahead and do it (and I really needed it!).
See you back here tomorrow. :)
~Clara
INPUT (FOOD) STATS:
Calories: 1481
Carbs: 215
Fat: 45
Protein: 54
OUTPUT (EXERCISE) STATS:
Calories Burnt: 499
Mileage: 2.59 running @ 12:32/mile pace
warm up/cool down 10 mins @ 15/mile pace
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I'm baaaack!
Yeah, so I haven't blogged in forever - a slacker I KNOW! It's been a nutty time around our house, selling Stephen's car, buying a truck with in a 1 week time frame - not so easy when you are paying cash and looking for something specific. Kinda like shopping period - when you don't need anything you find everything but when you want something in particular its nowhere to be found! Alas, all is well and we are settling in with his new (to him) truck. :)
But things are good. And I have good news.
Today, I ran my 4th 5k race. It was a great experience. One year ago my little girl and I did the race, but walked it (jogged just a little bit but not really, in fact I carried her part of the way). We finished it in 58 minutes.
Today I ran it, the entire thing, in 40:04...which is 4 mins and 23 seconds quicker than my race on June 26th. Pretty happy with that! Not loving the race picture, as I was really tearing it up that last stretch and the picture reminded me that I've come a LONG way but still have a long way to go. My butt fat is dragging behind the rest of me - I'm serious. When I'm standing still my butt doesn't look like that - I promise you I am not making this up, I'll post the picture below so you can see what I mean. If we got CSI to measure the picture based on the way the pic looks my butt be about 3 inches bigger due to gravity. :) THAT is more reason to keep on going!
By the way the course was very hilly. I knew this in advance...but I swear it was uphill most of the way! It killed me, but I kept looking at the ground ahead of me and reminding me that my quads are my biggest and strongest muscle and they could get me up those hills! The race was really really rough. My playlist was very strategically put together too - several of my favs are Boom Boom Pow by BEP...and when I was heading up one hill, Melissa Ethridge's song "I Run for Hope" came on and the emotional adrenaline kicked in as this was a run benefiting cancer research. Maino's "All the Above" ran me in that final stretch. Another saving grace was that the weather was gorgeous and around mile 2.4 I made a friend who conversed with me the rest of the running way. She really kept me motivated and we raced at the finish which made it fun. Wish I had gotten her name or email. She was a guardian angel for me! Maybe we'll meet again.
More good news. I got on the scale when I got home and...drum roll please...I'm down 70 pounds today! That feels great. I've got 2 weeks to lose 5 more to meet my 75 down by 10/30 (when my haircut appointment is). Will I lose 5 in two weeks? Well, I could if I really worked hard....hmmm...I have a decision to make don't I?
Because its all about a series of decisions (yes, here I go again). Every decision you make regarding food, your health, etc., is one that will affect you for the long term. Every fried chicken sandwich I ever ate is why my butt literally dragged behind me in that picture today. :) I'm being serious here. It is taking a long time to undo what did me in.
So do I push it to get that next 5 off? I just might. I've been losing pretty slowly these last 20 pounds...so maybe I'll jump start myself again. And when I start feeling deprived or diety I'll go back to 80/20. I'll need something to really jump start me if I'm going to be down 100 by December 31...
{insert movie announcer voice} Stay tuned to see what Clara decides to do over the next two weeks....
Peace out yo,
Clara
But things are good. And I have good news.
Today, I ran my 4th 5k race. It was a great experience. One year ago my little girl and I did the race, but walked it (jogged just a little bit but not really, in fact I carried her part of the way). We finished it in 58 minutes.
Today I ran it, the entire thing, in 40:04...which is 4 mins and 23 seconds quicker than my race on June 26th. Pretty happy with that! Not loving the race picture, as I was really tearing it up that last stretch and the picture reminded me that I've come a LONG way but still have a long way to go. My butt fat is dragging behind the rest of me - I'm serious. When I'm standing still my butt doesn't look like that - I promise you I am not making this up, I'll post the picture below so you can see what I mean. If we got CSI to measure the picture based on the way the pic looks my butt be about 3 inches bigger due to gravity. :) THAT is more reason to keep on going!
By the way the course was very hilly. I knew this in advance...but I swear it was uphill most of the way! It killed me, but I kept looking at the ground ahead of me and reminding me that my quads are my biggest and strongest muscle and they could get me up those hills! The race was really really rough. My playlist was very strategically put together too - several of my favs are Boom Boom Pow by BEP...and when I was heading up one hill, Melissa Ethridge's song "I Run for Hope" came on and the emotional adrenaline kicked in as this was a run benefiting cancer research. Maino's "All the Above" ran me in that final stretch. Another saving grace was that the weather was gorgeous and around mile 2.4 I made a friend who conversed with me the rest of the running way. She really kept me motivated and we raced at the finish which made it fun. Wish I had gotten her name or email. She was a guardian angel for me! Maybe we'll meet again.
More good news. I got on the scale when I got home and...drum roll please...I'm down 70 pounds today! That feels great. I've got 2 weeks to lose 5 more to meet my 75 down by 10/30 (when my haircut appointment is). Will I lose 5 in two weeks? Well, I could if I really worked hard....hmmm...I have a decision to make don't I?
Because its all about a series of decisions (yes, here I go again). Every decision you make regarding food, your health, etc., is one that will affect you for the long term. Every fried chicken sandwich I ever ate is why my butt literally dragged behind me in that picture today. :) I'm being serious here. It is taking a long time to undo what did me in.
So do I push it to get that next 5 off? I just might. I've been losing pretty slowly these last 20 pounds...so maybe I'll jump start myself again. And when I start feeling deprived or diety I'll go back to 80/20. I'll need something to really jump start me if I'm going to be down 100 by December 31...
{insert movie announcer voice} Stay tuned to see what Clara decides to do over the next two weeks....
Peace out yo,
Clara
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tightening Up!
So I've been doing some thinking. Crap, that means another rant. That's right! If you did not sign up for a rant, please navigate away from this page.
:) OK, everyone else with me?
Weight loss is a tricky thing, when you aren't on a "diet." Tricky in that it is an ever moving and fluid thing. I don't lose the perfect 2 pounds a week, when I'm eating well, I lose about 1 per week and then one week a month I lose 2-3. So on average I lose around 5-6 pounds a month.
Some people wouldn't be very happy with that kind of slow progress. Sometimes I'm "over" it meaning I want to be at my goal weight already! But I haven't plateaued in awhile so I'm feeling pretty good about being down almost 70 pounds. I decided to do a few things to motivate myself and get me over the over it feeling.
1) I'm going to schedule my hair appointment to get my hair cut. What does that have to do with weight loss? Well, its a reward, getting my hair cut somewhere - I don't do it often (maybe once every 4 months) and thankfully my hair is healthy enough not to need it (even with the dye). But I'm definitely ready for a change of sorts, nothing too drastic, I don't think, but the anticipation of coming out a "new woman" always makes it a fun outing. I always look forward to a hair cut and it is my reward for reaching 75 pounds down. I have 7 pounds to go to reach that so I'm making the appointment for exactly 1 month from now. This will motivate me by kicking my tater into gear knowing I need to be down 7 pounds by the time haircut time arrives!
2) I'm going back to 90/10. I tend to eat well about 80 percent of the time and 20 percent of the time indulge in things that aren't necessarily bad for me but aren't...necessary (like dark chocolate every day). I'm going to limit my dark chocolate intake, will still have some daily, but not what I've been consuming. And I'm going to tighten up on my eating to make sure I'm not consuming unnecessary foods or extra portions of something just because I like the way it tastes. So I'll be a little more conscious - notice I did NOT say strict, I said conscious, of what I'm eating. Awareness is what it is all about. So when I ate an ice cream bar last week I was fully aware that I was eating it. And fully aware that it was probably a wasted 200 calories and there was probably green dye in it (mint ice cream). But it was good and I have no regrets. Just awareness.
Sound like a diet? It's not at all. It is simply a heightening of my awareness of the healthful content of the food I am ingesting. So there. Still not counting. Still not relying on pre-packaged fake diet food. But I will limit the sweet potato fries. :)
Can you see the difference I'm describing between a diet and the way I eat? The way I eat keeps getting tweaked and changed, but the constant in this equation is this - I have been steadily losing weight for 13 months - even spending a month inactive due to my ankle injury. Obviously I'm doing something right. Just saying.
Another reason to kick it into a higher gear before the holidays get here is the challenge that time of year presents. I plan on indulging in crustless pumpkin pie (who likes the crust anyway?) and whatever other goodies come my way on Thanksgiving - in moderation of course. I was not at all miserable last Thanksgiving and I had only lost 18 pounds at that point. But I lost weight that week - it helped that I walked 5 miles on Thanksgiving day...
That's the key - keep on moving when you plan to eat more unnecessary foods than normal. It is almost a social norm to gain weight during the holidays. I plan to continue steering away from the norms that helped me get fat in the first place and continue to lose! How else will I reach 100 pounds down by 12/31? Seriously.
Part of my motivation is also thinking about my running. I wonder how much faster I will be another 40 pounds down. How much easier running will be on my lungs, heart, legs, and tater!
I'm doing a 5k race in October, the Champions of Hope race in Dothan that raises money for cancer research. I walked (with some jogging) this same course last year with Elizabeth, only 2 months into my healthier lifestyle, in 58 minutes. It's a rough course with a few key miserable hills. I'm of course going to run it this year...and can't wait to do a comparison between how fast I completed it last year and this year. Of course I should knock 5-10 mins off just due to having a fussy 5 year old that I had to carry part of the way - ha! This year its just me and the road - and my parents and little girl there cheering me on. That will be cool.
I went shopping at Kohl's this weekend, yeah, I know I already shopped at Ross last week but my Kohl's shopping trips never have any aim except to see how much I can get for very little. I never spend more than $20-$30 there and I get a ton of good deals.
This time I picked up a pair of capri jeans made by Daisy Fuentes for $8.99. I looked them over and realized they were a size 14 (remember I just got into a 16), but they looked big. I told myself it wouldn't hurt to just try them on, and I could be disappointed or I could score a new "goal" outfit. Imagine my shock and excitement when they easily slid on and buttoned! And looked good! I was ecstatic. I also scored a denim jacket for $9 and a few other odds and ends. I felt amazing wearing my size 14 capris the other night. I wanted to tell everyone! Props to Daisy Fuentes for giving a little "give" to your clothing line...you made a thick chick very happy. Even though that is probably why they were on clearance - it also means they made some size 14 girls feel happy when they were too big and they had to put them back! A good thing for society overall. Give the woman a nobel peace prize!
So that's enough ranting for now. All good stuff, all the download of my brain as I continue on this journey to saving my own physical life. I'm excited about each chapter and this one, "tightening up" is no different. I know I will see successes as I have along the way as I still have aLOT to lose!
It's been BROUGHT!
Clara
:) OK, everyone else with me?
Weight loss is a tricky thing, when you aren't on a "diet." Tricky in that it is an ever moving and fluid thing. I don't lose the perfect 2 pounds a week, when I'm eating well, I lose about 1 per week and then one week a month I lose 2-3. So on average I lose around 5-6 pounds a month.
Some people wouldn't be very happy with that kind of slow progress. Sometimes I'm "over" it meaning I want to be at my goal weight already! But I haven't plateaued in awhile so I'm feeling pretty good about being down almost 70 pounds. I decided to do a few things to motivate myself and get me over the over it feeling.
1) I'm going to schedule my hair appointment to get my hair cut. What does that have to do with weight loss? Well, its a reward, getting my hair cut somewhere - I don't do it often (maybe once every 4 months) and thankfully my hair is healthy enough not to need it (even with the dye). But I'm definitely ready for a change of sorts, nothing too drastic, I don't think, but the anticipation of coming out a "new woman" always makes it a fun outing. I always look forward to a hair cut and it is my reward for reaching 75 pounds down. I have 7 pounds to go to reach that so I'm making the appointment for exactly 1 month from now. This will motivate me by kicking my tater into gear knowing I need to be down 7 pounds by the time haircut time arrives!
2) I'm going back to 90/10. I tend to eat well about 80 percent of the time and 20 percent of the time indulge in things that aren't necessarily bad for me but aren't...necessary (like dark chocolate every day). I'm going to limit my dark chocolate intake, will still have some daily, but not what I've been consuming. And I'm going to tighten up on my eating to make sure I'm not consuming unnecessary foods or extra portions of something just because I like the way it tastes. So I'll be a little more conscious - notice I did NOT say strict, I said conscious, of what I'm eating. Awareness is what it is all about. So when I ate an ice cream bar last week I was fully aware that I was eating it. And fully aware that it was probably a wasted 200 calories and there was probably green dye in it (mint ice cream). But it was good and I have no regrets. Just awareness.
Sound like a diet? It's not at all. It is simply a heightening of my awareness of the healthful content of the food I am ingesting. So there. Still not counting. Still not relying on pre-packaged fake diet food. But I will limit the sweet potato fries. :)
Can you see the difference I'm describing between a diet and the way I eat? The way I eat keeps getting tweaked and changed, but the constant in this equation is this - I have been steadily losing weight for 13 months - even spending a month inactive due to my ankle injury. Obviously I'm doing something right. Just saying.
Another reason to kick it into a higher gear before the holidays get here is the challenge that time of year presents. I plan on indulging in crustless pumpkin pie (who likes the crust anyway?) and whatever other goodies come my way on Thanksgiving - in moderation of course. I was not at all miserable last Thanksgiving and I had only lost 18 pounds at that point. But I lost weight that week - it helped that I walked 5 miles on Thanksgiving day...
That's the key - keep on moving when you plan to eat more unnecessary foods than normal. It is almost a social norm to gain weight during the holidays. I plan to continue steering away from the norms that helped me get fat in the first place and continue to lose! How else will I reach 100 pounds down by 12/31? Seriously.
Part of my motivation is also thinking about my running. I wonder how much faster I will be another 40 pounds down. How much easier running will be on my lungs, heart, legs, and tater!
I'm doing a 5k race in October, the Champions of Hope race in Dothan that raises money for cancer research. I walked (with some jogging) this same course last year with Elizabeth, only 2 months into my healthier lifestyle, in 58 minutes. It's a rough course with a few key miserable hills. I'm of course going to run it this year...and can't wait to do a comparison between how fast I completed it last year and this year. Of course I should knock 5-10 mins off just due to having a fussy 5 year old that I had to carry part of the way - ha! This year its just me and the road - and my parents and little girl there cheering me on. That will be cool.
I went shopping at Kohl's this weekend, yeah, I know I already shopped at Ross last week but my Kohl's shopping trips never have any aim except to see how much I can get for very little. I never spend more than $20-$30 there and I get a ton of good deals.
This time I picked up a pair of capri jeans made by Daisy Fuentes for $8.99. I looked them over and realized they were a size 14 (remember I just got into a 16), but they looked big. I told myself it wouldn't hurt to just try them on, and I could be disappointed or I could score a new "goal" outfit. Imagine my shock and excitement when they easily slid on and buttoned! And looked good! I was ecstatic. I also scored a denim jacket for $9 and a few other odds and ends. I felt amazing wearing my size 14 capris the other night. I wanted to tell everyone! Props to Daisy Fuentes for giving a little "give" to your clothing line...you made a thick chick very happy. Even though that is probably why they were on clearance - it also means they made some size 14 girls feel happy when they were too big and they had to put them back! A good thing for society overall. Give the woman a nobel peace prize!
So that's enough ranting for now. All good stuff, all the download of my brain as I continue on this journey to saving my own physical life. I'm excited about each chapter and this one, "tightening up" is no different. I know I will see successes as I have along the way as I still have aLOT to lose!
It's been BROUGHT!
Clara
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Upside of Down
Hey all!
What a week this has been! Things are going swell...and I'm down another pound! New weight is 216.8 and I am down 68 pounds. I can't wait to reach 75 down, I'll be treating myself to a new hairdo I decided. And I'm getting so close to 100!
I can't imagine what that will feel like. Heck, I couldn't even imagine losing 20 at one point.
Funny health related things to happen this week...
1) Some friends at work went to a fast food restaurant for take out. I'm not judging, I did ask why they didn't ask me if I wanted anything. My friend responded, "well, I didn't think you would eat Red No. 5, so I didn't bother!" Hilarious! I will still eat a greasy cheeseburger every now and then friends, but I have to really be in the mood for it and it doesn't happen often. Its just funny that these new friends of mine only know me this way, not the girl with the eating problem that I once was.
2) I put on a dress this morning to wear to work. I was excited to wear it, I remember when I wore it regularly it was really tight. Well, I waited too long to wear it (sigh). It is HUGE on me and looked ridiculous. I was disappointed, which I know sounds funny, but you know how it is when you get your heart set on wearing something and then you can't. I found myself in Dothan today and stopped off at Ross. Its been awhile since I've been there...scored 2 dresses for less than $30. Made up for the one I need to give away now! I need to look at my clothes and decide if I want to keep certain things to have them taken in or just get rid of it. Since I'm such a clearance shopper it might make sense to get rid of stuff and start over...hmmm...decisions decisions.
3) I ran three miles this morning. That isn't funny, its awesome. The funny part is this - I realized on my Garmin that I was about .15 short of 3 miles when I reached my house so I ran around my house a few times. The last lap around I looked up and my husband was watching me from the kitchen smiling. When I got inside he told me that I was thinking back to when we first got married (and I weighed 180) and how if he had told me then I would be a runner today I would have laughed. He is so right! I don't always love the alarm clock going off in the morning but I love love love the rush and sense of accomplishment I get from running! I'm so happy I get to do it.
So this week is National Rehab Professionals Week. I need to give a shout out to my physical therapist, Jess, who helped me get back on my feet, literally! Without her help there is no way I could be a runner today.
Along my journey I've had several different people who have been integral to my progress. They know who they are...be it from just encouraging me to holding me accountable to being excited along with me. My best friend from childhood is a dietician and now a PA and I always gush to her about how my healthy lifestyle is going and she is genuinely happy for me. I know all of you reading this are. That means a ton.
So the theme today is have fun with your journey...and find people in your life who can help you. There is an upside to going down! It's sometimes a bumpy road but will be SO worth all of the hard work!
Hasta,
Clara
What a week this has been! Things are going swell...and I'm down another pound! New weight is 216.8 and I am down 68 pounds. I can't wait to reach 75 down, I'll be treating myself to a new hairdo I decided. And I'm getting so close to 100!
I can't imagine what that will feel like. Heck, I couldn't even imagine losing 20 at one point.
Funny health related things to happen this week...
1) Some friends at work went to a fast food restaurant for take out. I'm not judging, I did ask why they didn't ask me if I wanted anything. My friend responded, "well, I didn't think you would eat Red No. 5, so I didn't bother!" Hilarious! I will still eat a greasy cheeseburger every now and then friends, but I have to really be in the mood for it and it doesn't happen often. Its just funny that these new friends of mine only know me this way, not the girl with the eating problem that I once was.
2) I put on a dress this morning to wear to work. I was excited to wear it, I remember when I wore it regularly it was really tight. Well, I waited too long to wear it (sigh). It is HUGE on me and looked ridiculous. I was disappointed, which I know sounds funny, but you know how it is when you get your heart set on wearing something and then you can't. I found myself in Dothan today and stopped off at Ross. Its been awhile since I've been there...scored 2 dresses for less than $30. Made up for the one I need to give away now! I need to look at my clothes and decide if I want to keep certain things to have them taken in or just get rid of it. Since I'm such a clearance shopper it might make sense to get rid of stuff and start over...hmmm...decisions decisions.
3) I ran three miles this morning. That isn't funny, its awesome. The funny part is this - I realized on my Garmin that I was about .15 short of 3 miles when I reached my house so I ran around my house a few times. The last lap around I looked up and my husband was watching me from the kitchen smiling. When I got inside he told me that I was thinking back to when we first got married (and I weighed 180) and how if he had told me then I would be a runner today I would have laughed. He is so right! I don't always love the alarm clock going off in the morning but I love love love the rush and sense of accomplishment I get from running! I'm so happy I get to do it.
So this week is National Rehab Professionals Week. I need to give a shout out to my physical therapist, Jess, who helped me get back on my feet, literally! Without her help there is no way I could be a runner today.
Along my journey I've had several different people who have been integral to my progress. They know who they are...be it from just encouraging me to holding me accountable to being excited along with me. My best friend from childhood is a dietician and now a PA and I always gush to her about how my healthy lifestyle is going and she is genuinely happy for me. I know all of you reading this are. That means a ton.
So the theme today is have fun with your journey...and find people in your life who can help you. There is an upside to going down! It's sometimes a bumpy road but will be SO worth all of the hard work!
Hasta,
Clara
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