September 1, 2010

WiW: Week 23

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5

The last week has been both awesome and horrible.

On Friday, I ran 4.5 miles in 45 minutes. That's the longest I've run, the farthest I've run, and one of my better paces. I give credit to cooler weather and the sprinklers. LOVE the sprinklers.

Saturday night, my throat started hurting. By Monday, my throat was improving, but the congestion was moving in. I did a short run, and it actually wasn't too bad.

Until Tuesday morning, when the congestion really set in. Today, I decided not to push it. I feel like ass, I'm stuffed to high heaven, and the coughing is just beginning. It's not worth making myself so miserable, but I hate missing a run, especially on a nice cool, wet night.

I'm really hoping I'm better enough by Friday to go out, both because it's supposed to be cool, and because I don't want to lose all the awesome I achieved last week.

I still can't believe it. Four-point-five miles, and I felt decent at the end. It's mind boggling.

Posted by me at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2010

WiW: Week 22

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5

I finally got back up to a 40 minute run! By the end of last week, when I had failed miserably once to make my 40, I was starting to wonder if I'd ever be able to pull it off. Making my goal on Friday mattered way more for me mentally than physically.

Of course, now I have no more excuses.

For the first time in I can't even remember how long, the temperature was under 100 today. And not just a little under, 20 degrees under. I had grand dreams of how easy that was going to make tonight's run, and how much farther I might be able to go, just because of the cool.

Ouch.

I wouldn't say tonight's run was any harder, but I'm not sure it was much easier, either. I was less hot, and I'm not still sweating my hiney off and hour after I got home, but I didn't feel like I could run forever, either.

How do people run forever?

Posted by me at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2010

WiW: Week 21

Weight: 147.6

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 37.5
Thigh: 23.5

It's still hot. I got back up to 35 minutes last week, and told myself that I could ease off for a run if I felt like it, and then do my first 40 minute run since the vacation on Wednesday. I went ahead and did a short run on Monday (with my best pace since I recalibrated!), since I didn't get back from a PTA meeting until 10pm, and figured I'd be all rested and refreshed to do the full 40 Wednesday (today).

Two problems.

One, we aren't going to be home tonight, since we're taking the kids to Great Wolf Lodge for a last hurrah.

Two, I solved problem one by running this morning. But I was dragging. I mean DRAGGING. By the time I got to 20 minutes, I was starting to wheeze and my legs were numb like I was finishing a marathon. Or at least, a much longer run, since I don't know what a marathon feels like. I went ahead and cut short, which was a shame because now I'm going to feel guilty about it, and because it was nice and overcast and who knows when that will happen again. And naturally, the temperature has dropped since I got home, and it's even rained a little.

The plan is to do that 40 minute run on Friday. My plan is also to have a great time with my kids, and enjoy our last days of freedom.

I'm determined to achieve both.

Posted by me at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2010

WiW: Week 20

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5

I'm not even sure what to say anymore. I put on a pair of pants that fit beautifully last October, and my thighs looked like overstuffed sausages topped off by a portobello sized mushroom cap.

I was (sort of) ok with not having lost any weight, because I could see that I was a little more toned and my one pair of go-to shorts got the tiniest bit looser. In my (highly deluded, apparently) mind, I was 10 pounds heavier but basically the same size as last fall.

That's nearly as disappointing as when I calibrated my Nike+ and realized how far off my distances really were.

In happier news, I'm picking up distance pretty quickly after my vacations. By next week, I'll be back up to where I was when I took off. The temperatures have been in the low to mid-90's, which I think has been the hardest part of getting back into running. I've started carrying an ice pack to try to keep cool, and I've come to the conclusion that a run without sprinklers probably isn't worth running.

Posted by me at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)

August 5, 2010

WiW: Week 19

Weight: 149.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

So the workout thing hasn't been going so well.

Life, on the other hand, has been going along quite well.

I got one workout in two weeks ago, between returning from Maryland an leaving for St. Lucia. I also managed a Scentsy party, a girls night and a ton of errands that included a successful clothes shopping trip.

Then I spent a booze and food filled week of fun and relaxation in St. Lucia. There was sitting without interruption, sleeping in, doing nothing, ziplining and golf. And when I got home, I was no heavier than I was when I left. Sure I was crazy bloated when I left, but I still consider it a success.

The real problem has been since I got home. It's hot here. And I don't mean a little hot, I mean well over 100 during the day, and still in the mid 90's at 10pm, which is sort of my cut off for how late I'll run. I did one daytime run, and I've sworn that I'll run tomorrow, no matter how hot it is. I have GOT to get back on track.

(Yes I could run in the morning and it would be cooler. No, I still don't see any way to convince myself to get out of bed a minute earlier than the kids make me.)

Have I mentioned I finally signed up for a race? A 5K, in late September. I was totally ready for a race three weeks ago, but now I feel like I may almost have to start from scratch.

Also, I'm still kicking around the idea of a half marathon in early December. I'd need to start training for that uh, now, but the first run are 4, 4 and 6 miles, so I need to get back to where I was before I can think about that kind of schedule.

Posted by me at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)

July 21, 2010

WiW: Week 17

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Not much new to report. I didn't do any workouts since last week. My eating hasn't improved. Between a dinner at Carrabba's (did you know that Maryland law requires that restaurants put the calorie counts on the menu? I'll never be able to order Pasta Weesie again!) a meal with a friend at home with dessert, and dinner at my mom's, I figured I'd have at least a few extra pounds to lose when I got home.

I fully intended to run when I got home, but it was hot and I was sleepy and I didn't want to wake myself up with a run.

I know, excuses.

Posted by me at 9:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2010

WiW: Week 16

This is going to be a pretty pathetic update. I left Tuesday for Maryland, with grand plans to run either on my dad's treadmill (broken!) or at the beach (hot, no sleep, didn't want to hold the rest of the world up with my tummy issues) and to do my measurements on Wednesday. I knew weights were out, and I figured my runs would be fairly quick, but I was going to maintain as much normalcy to my workout routine as possible.

I completely forgot to do measurements. My shoes were wet when I packed them, and by the time I got them out of their bag, they stunk to high heaven. Half of my suitcase was filled with workout related gear, none of which I've touched. My schedule has been crazy packed, and by the time it eases up, I think I'm going to call project Vacation with Exercise a bust.

Bummer.

I plan to return (to Texas, to running, to metrics) on Wednesday. Until then, I'm going to eat as much lettuce as possible and enjoy my family and friends.

Posted by me at 2:15 PM | Comments (0)

July 7, 2010

WiW: Week 15

Weight: 148.4

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I'm still generally pooped, more than a little attached to the couch, and not losing weight, but I'm still somehow improving my runs. On Monday, I ran for 40 minutes. Straight. I never would have thought I could do something like that 4 months ago. I ran 3.83 miles, with a total workout distance of 4.55 miles.

I've run about 150 miles in the last 15 weeks.

I guess for now, that will have to be enough.

Posted by me at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

June 30, 2010

WiW: Week 14

Weight: 148.2

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 37.5
Thigh: 24

I don't know what's up, but for the last couple weeks I've had repeated nasty headaches and felt just physically worn out. I had about gotten used to the morning hot flashes that seem to have become the new normal, but now I'm starting to get them randomly throughout the day. I haven't been sore, exactly, other than last week's speed intervals, but my legs tire out just going upstairs. I'm pretty positive I'm taking in enough calories (HA!) and I'm not exactly melting away here. I thought maybe my thyroid was off in the other direction, but the only trouble I'm having sleeping is when my pesky kids wake me up. I'm not going to admit to my thyroid running hot until I make my goal weight, in any case.

I thought exercise was supposed to make you feel all healthy and shit.

Whatever. The cool weather has been doing wonders for my pace, regardless of how I feel. If it stays cool, I'm going to ramp up my time again. I still can't decide if I'm going to go for a half marathon in December, but I still have a couple months before I have to start the training program. I really need to get a 5K race under my belt, so if I decide to go a different direction with my exercise routine I still get to cross "Finish a race" off my list

Posted by me at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2010

WiW: Week 13

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

The heat is really getting to me. Somewhere inside me, I decided that 87 was the maximum temp that I'd go out and run, and yet tonight it's 90 and I'm still planning to run. A shorter run, sure, but still. I shudder to think what July and August will be like.

On Monday, I thought I'd try to mix things up a bit and do some speed intervals. I decided to cut it down to 20 minutes to make up for the extra effort, and do 60 second of running alternated with 90 seconds of jogging (I picked those times because that's what the C25K app has, and it's easier to let that ol' bitch keep track of the timing.) After my first run interval, I downgraded to running/walking. I wasn't managing to recover in the 90 seconds of walking, either, and by the end of the 20 minutes, I felt like I had started the C25K all over again. WAY harder than I thought it was going to be!

By this morning, the tops of my thighs were pretty sore. I really didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. Especially since all the metrics (pace, calories, distance) are so far below my usual long run, which doesn't hurt at all once I cool off.

I guess that's a sign I need to keep doing it.

Posted by me at 8:10 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2010

WiW: Week 12

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

So I finally managed to get back on schedule after last weekend, and then my wonderful Monday night girl's night knocked me back off again. It was totally worth it, and I'd throw my physical fitness over for an emotional workout like that any day.

Anyhoo. Tuesday morning was cooler than usual, and a lovely shade of gray, so I took Owen to a track at a local school to finally calibrate my Nike+. Only I forgot to google track length before I went, so instead of basing my calibration on a 400m lap, I based it on the ever-so-much longer quarter mile lap. In any case, my walking was almost spot on without calibration (based on my erroneous distance), and the running wasn't far off, but I calibrated it. I'll have to go back and do it again correctly, so for the moment my numbers don't really relate to my past mileage OR real mileage. Brilliant!

I also did less total distance, and more walking, but at least I did something. I plan to run tonight and be back on schedule again.

[Insert angry rant about my weight here. Even I'm getting tired of hearing about it.]

Here's hoping the heat doesn't kill me.

Posted by me at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)

June 9, 2010

WiW: Week 11

Weight: 150.6

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24.5

This week was MESSED UP. I got my period, we were traveling through two runs, I managed to get on a treadmill and learned that my Nike+ calibration is probably off a whole lot in the wrong direction, and I was dehydrated and not doin' right that night so I cut it short. In spite of not eating poorly (I thought) on the trip, I was up a cow and a half when we got home.

Some of those are fixable. I'm hoping some of the weight is water and bloating and will drop off quickly. If I run Thursday and Saturday, I won't technically be down any runs, although I'll still have a hard time making my Nike goal for the month, which is as much due to losing the data for that one run as anything. I managed a full 30 minute run last night, and even though it was on the slow side, I felt pretty good through parts of it.

The biggest bummer that I can't overcome is the calibration issue. I always knew that the "out of the box" calibration was probably off, but I figured it would be close, and that what was most important was being able to compare each run to the others. I figured if I was really lucky, it might even be off in my favor.

My first clue that there was a real discrepancy was on the treadmill Sunday. My Nike ped said 1.74 miles, the treadmill said it was only 1.5. That's a big difference on a short distance. I checked last night's run on mapmyrun. The site said 3.37 miles, my ped said 4 miles even. Yikes!

I still want to check the ped against a measured track, but let's face it, the thing is off and off bad. It's unlikely I've actually run 5K, and my pace is way slower than what I've been counting on.

In my race against myself, I'm doing great. But my race in reality isn't getting too far.

Posted by me at 9:12 PM | Comments (1)

June 2, 2010

WiW: Week 10

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Yay! I finished the C25K program!

Now what?

As much as I don't really like running, I do feel like I need to do it now, if only to keep up the level of fitness I've achieved. And while I don't like the actual run, I do like the feeling of accomplishment and strength. Without the C25K app, I feel like I'm losing some of that accomplishment, since I'm not checking off workouts to a goal anymore. Nike+ gives me some of that, but I need all I can get! And while I could up my goal to a 10k and find an app for that, I'm not sure I want to spend that much time every week doing something I don't love.

Plus, the heat is getting to me, and I'm already running late enough as it is.

So far, I've come up with running some of the less flat areas of the neighborhood, since up until now I've felt every inch of elevation like they were steep hills. At some point I want to throw in some sprint intervals. I also need to add in some upper body work. We have a Bowflex, I just haven't managed to go upstairs and use it. Stupid, I know. I do better when I have someone (or something!) telling me specifically what to do.

Which is why I'm trying to decide between a treadmill (have I mentioned the heat? And it's not going to get any cooler.) and maybe a gym membership.

But not right now. Right now, I'm going to bed.

Posted by me at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2010

WiW: Week 9

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

It's late, so I'll make this quick.

I cannot BELIEVE that I started working out 9 weeks ago, and that on Friday I'll run the last of my C25K program. It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but the state of my lungs and the length of time I can run begs to differ. So do the temperatures! It's getting hot, and even by 9pm it's still hot enough to make running hard.

I've started running late to try to avoid the heat. It's not ideal, getting back at 10 and trying to cool down and fall asleep (or write about exercising!)

I'm starting to see a pattern on my runs, too. I'm not sure if it's because it's Wednesday, and my legs haven't had enough rest, or because it's Day 2 of each week and my legs haven't adjusted to the new distance, or if it's something entirely coincidental and/or unrelated, but mid-week I have a really hard time finishing my run. My legs feel like lead, I'm working hard to breathe, and my side cramp comes back. I don't look forward to mid-week so much anymore.

Posted by me at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2010

WiW: Week 8

Weight: 148.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Not much exciting happened in the last week, except that I ran my FIRST 5K! I'm up to a 28 minute run, so I guess that means I even had a fairly good pace. Go me!

I threw in a little sprint at the end of week 7's run. I think I'm going to try to add in more speed rounds whenever I feel like I have any extra energy.

My weight is still disturbingly high, but at least moved in the right direction this week. More importantly, I'm finally starting to feel like my body might be tightening up.

Posted by me at 9:42 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2010

WiW: Week 7

Weight: 149.8

Waist: 32
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I've already covered how my first 25 minute run went. I'm happy to say that my second attempt went much better. I pushed it to Saturday morning because of a dinner of Mexican and the girls' TKD belt tests (WAY TO GO, GIRLS!). Saturday was crazy, with cake baking, shopping and prep for Katie's birthday party, the actual party, and then the after party. I fit the run in somewhere between baking the cake and lunch and groceries at Sam's. I'm not a big fan of people seeing my look of painful desperation while I run, so I prefer not to run during the day, but Saturday was cool and beautiful. First time I felt like I should have brought sunglasses, though.

Monday was CRAZY windy and I wasn't feeling so hot, so I downgraded to a long walk to check the distance on a new route.

And now to whine. What the hell is up with my weight? I expected a little fluctuation because of my weekend eating, although I wasn't nearly bad as I could have been, given the circumstances. And I did get my period (way early), but still. I'm 7 weeks into this, and I weigh more than when I started, and none of my measurements have decreased. I'm not making a big deal about watching what I eat, but I've definitely cut back since I started. It's hard not to get discouraged. I'll finish out this program, but I'm not really sure what else I can do if I don't start losing in the next couple weeks.

Posted by me at 9:54 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2010

Well, crap

This is one of those things I can't believe I'm going to tell the world, but it's too funny to keep to myself.

Tonight's run was supposed to be 25 minutes with no walking intervals. I was...concerned, but eager to get started and get it done. I felt great when I left the house, but about 5 minutes in, I started to wonder if my gut was going to take over this run. By 10 minutes in, I was debating stopping and getting my business done with while I still had some control over the where. I decided to try to tough it out, which seemed like a mistake immediately after I passed my last good stopping point.

About 18 minutes in, I tried pushing the button on my iPod to see how long I had left. Between there and the end of my run, I mispushed something several times. Both apps seemed to continue in spite of my mistakes, so I didn't really worry about it.

With maybe 5 minutes left, the stomach issues became desperate. The upside is that I was in a section of neighborhood that is only developed on one side of the street. The downside is that I went behind a thigh high barrier and copped a squat up against a low rock, from which I had an awesome view of all 4 houses in the cul de sac across the street. Luckily, no one walked by, drove past, or took their trash dow to the curb while I was, uh, busy.

Crisis past, I pulled up my shorts and got back to my run. (Note to self: fanny pack with tp worth the fashion faux pas.) I finished the run, started my cool down and pulled out the iPod to check my distance. That's when I noticed that the distance had stopped on the Nike+ app, even though the time was still running, and the C25K app seemed to be a bit off as well. The hell I'm not counting this as a complete run, though. I figure the minute I stopped was totally offset by the 15 minutes of clenching to that point.

I got home, stripped down to jump in the shower, and found this:

I'm either totally badass for finishing the run with a rock in my panties, or really pathetic for having to stop in the first place.

Mostly, I'm pissed that my Nike+ stats are off, and I smudged THREE TOES of my brand new pedicure.

Posted by me at 11:00 PM | Comments (1)

May 5, 2010

WiW: Week 6

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Wednesday's run was shitty and amazing, all at the same time. Amazing because I completed 20 consecutive minutes. Shitty because, well, I was running. I had headwinds at the beginning and end. One minute in, I wasn't sure I was going to make it to three minutes, much less finish 20. I felt like my pace was slow from the beginning, and by the end I was positively crawling. I was setting goals for myself all the way through (I can make it to the end of the street, I can make 10 minutes, the end of this song) until by the end I was running because the sunset was so pretty and I couldn't let it down. If you had dangled a Tic Tac in front of me, I would have run for it. I would have run for THE LOVE of the Tic Tac.

I think I was losing it.

It didn't help that I had downloaded a 20 minute podcast for the run, and a 5 minute song for the warm up/cool down, and I ended up listening to the same s l o w song SIX times in a row. I was hoping to concentrate on the words of the podcast, and instead I was trying to tune out this sad song about suicide.

The other two runs were intervals, which no longer have the power to scare me. Running 10 minutes is still hard, but it's so much easier than 20 it feels like cheating. Sadly, starting tonight I don't have any more interval runs left, just solid jogs for 25, then 28, then 30 minutes. *skeered*

I also seem to be on a downward weight trend. I hope it keeps up, even if it's slow, because it's much more motivating to go down instead of up. I'm actually slightly under my day-before-my-official-weigh-in weight. And in just 6 weeks!

Posted by me at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

May 3, 2010

Better, but still not good

I think for the first time since this running thing started, I can see some improvement in how I feel when I run.

Don't get me wrong. I still find it...unpleasant. But where before it was a tie which pain was going to take me down first, my lungs or my legs, now the two alternate. In those very brief moments when I can overcome those pains, that stinkin' stitch that I thought I was done with comes back.

There are times, though, when I can forget that I'm huffing like a steam engine pushing through the Rockies. Times when my legs are tired but not feeling like marble columns, heavy as lead but way less flexible. Times when my aches recede and I can bring myself to just relax and enjoy the freedom, the peace, the solitude.

Except I don't. I don't feel free, I'd rather have some good adult conversation, and I'm bored with my own company. All I can think during those times is that I would rather be just about anywhere but here. I could be reading, sitting, comfortable. It's not like I'm seeing any actual results (read: weight loss. I'm still shallow enough not to care about the rest of the health benefits.)

And just how long am I going to do this, anyway? Once I hit my goal, do I get to stop? If I stop, I'm wasting all the pain and suffering I've put myself through the last 5 weeks. But if I keep going, I'm just continuing the discomfort cycle. If I were hitting my thumb with a hammer, I'd be stupid not to stop, right?

Right now, I'm just going to console myself knowing that things are getting better.

Posted by me at 9:11 PM | Comments (2)

April 28, 2010

WiW: Week 5

Weight: 150.2

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Oh. My. Hell. Up another pound? Really? We went to Conroe last weekend for a party, and I did drink, but I didn't think I ate all that much. When I got on the scale Monday morning, I thought there might even be a slim chance of breaking even, and instead I was up over TWO POUNDS. Worse, it wasn't water weight or anything, because it hasn't dropped away. I know I've been no angel on the food front, but I'm doing better now than I did in the beginning, and I just keep getting heavier.

Running seems to be causing me some intestinal issues, too. At first I thought it was the result of too many M&M's, but I've been off them for over a week, and nothing is getting better. In fact, I'm all crampy after I run, and sometimes it lasts into the next day or two. I now have two things to be happy about at the end of a run: I'm done, and I haven't crapped my pants.

I'm really looking for some sort of breakthrough, here, in size, in weight, and in desire to run.

Posted by me at 9:58 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2010

WiW: Week 4

Weight: 149.2

Waist: 32
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I ended up skipping Friday's run to go to the school's fundraiser Luau. I was exhausted from set up/attending/tear down, and I think I got a decent workout anyway. I don't remember being up and moving around wearing me out so bad before: either I'm more out of shape than I thought, my thyroid is really trying to kill me, or I'm getting old.

I made up the run on Saturday, even though it was RAINING. Week 4 had seemed so daunting, and I couldn't believe that I ran every bit of the run portions. I actually felt halfway decent when I got back in the house, maybe because it was so cool. Running in the rain turned out to not be so bad after all!

I'm totally counting mowing the lawn as exercise, since I haven't added anything else in yet. I'm still afraid that the shred might derail my running, but I'm not denying that I probably need to add some strength training or something in. Also, I need to eat less.

Bah, I'm hungry.

Posted by me at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2010

Normal, dammit

Well, shit. I got all my bloodwork back from my physical, and everything is normal, including my thyroid. It's not borderline normal, it's not at the low end of normal, it's dead center of normal.

Which means my tired fat ass? Is tired and fat because I'm freaking OLD.

And the 10 pounds I've gained in the last 4 months? I'm not getting any help getting rid of it.

I was really counting on having a little medical help getting rid of this weight. More energy. More zing. More zest.

I'm glad I'm healthy and all that, but I'm really not sure how I'm going to get this weight thing under control if this is the new, normal me.

Posted by me at 9:19 PM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2010

Go me!

I can't believe it! I ran all of the C25K Week 4 Day 1 run! I thought the program was crazy, going from running 9 minutes total last week to 16 minutes this week, with way less recovery time between runs. Sure, my pace dropped off badly during the running portions, but for once it was my legs that were dying instead of my lungs, at least for the first two or three running sections. And I even did it in the rain!

I still don't like running, but I'm feeling pretty damn proud of myself right now!

Posted by me at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2010

WiW: Week 3

Weight: 148.8

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I wasn't sure I was ready to start week 3 on Wednesday. Then it was CRAZY windy outside, even crazier windy than usual. As much as I wanted to attempt week 3, I didn't want to get knocked out by a giant headwind, so I figured I'd go on a hard walk. I ended up doing some running, including one two minute stretch. My other option was to skip Wednesday, do week 3 on Thursday, run Saturday and I'd be back on schedule, but there's no way I could have skipped two days and done week 3, so I'd have been back a day anyway.

By the time I actually started Week 3, I had totally psyched myself out. I was totally shocked that I managed to run 3 continuous minutes! Sure, I was making squeaky wheezing noises, but I did it! The whole workout seems to go a lot faster, even though those two 3 minutes runs feel like they last FOREVER. The workout is also two *real* minutes shorter, which is probably why it goes by so fast.

I had my doctor's appointment today, and at this point I'm pretty much praying that my thyroid is low. Nothing else really explains my desperate NEED to stay on the couch. My doc even did an EKG while I was in the office, donating blood and urine and scheduling a MAMMOGRAM. When the hell did I get old enough for one of THOSE??

Aside from the tired, everything looks good. I'm already talking myself up onto a roof in preparation for Week 4. Frankly, I think I'd rather jump.

Posted by me at 8:57 PM | Comments (0)

April 7, 2010

WiW: Week 2

Weight: 147.2

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I finished week 2, but I have to say, the third day was harder than the second. I don't know if it was because I had two days off over the weekend, or it was because it was windy. I have serious doubts over being ready to start week 3.

I'm still disappointed in the lack of weight loss. And I was horrified at what was looking back at me in the mirror when I was trying on clothes. Then I took a shower in the upstairs bathroom, a room that has lower mirrors than my bathroom, and I saw an awful lot of cheese that wasn't there before. And two giant dimples, one in each cheek.

Now THAT'S what I call motivation.

I'm doing a little better with the food, but not much. I went ahead and made an appointment for a physical next week. I'm hopeful that I need my thyroid meds upped, because that would help explain the tiredness and the inability to lose weight. (Yeah, I know it's only been two weeks, but this isn't the first time I've tried.)

Posted by me at 9:53 PM | Comments (0)

March 31, 2010

WiW: Week 1

Weight: 147.4

Waist: 32
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24.5

I don't even know where to start.

First, YAY! I finished week 1! And I didn't die! I've run ever other day since Thursday. I was sore on Friday, worse Saturday, by Sunday I was feeling a bit better, and by Monday I felt basically normal. And run 3 might have actually been a teensy bit better than run 2.

I had planned to shred on my off running days, but after that first fun, I thought I better wait until I have a couple days to recover from that first shred. I'm glad I waited, because I'm not sure I would have made it through that second run if I had been any more sore.

I'm a little annoyed that I don't have distances for my first two runs. I'm using the Nike+ along with a C25K app on the Touch. I finally got that bug worked out on run 3, my total including warmup and cool down was 2.66 miles. Hmm, I need to put that on the calendar, I guess.

I'm peeved that I've gained a bit of weight, but I haven't exactly been and angel with the eating. Sunday we went to a birthday party and had (yummy) fried dinner and cake, so I guess I can't really act too surprised. I really need to do better with my diet in general, but I'm just craving crap all. the. time. Worse, I think all this wonderful extra exercise is making me hungry. And tired. I thought exercise was supposed to give you more energy?

Anyway, I'm going to keep up with the running, try to eat less (HA!), and I might try working a shred in on Saturday, since I'll have Sunday off to recover from it. I'm also looking at a situps app. I'm totally doing this because the technology is fun.

Whatever works!

Posted by me at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

March 24, 2010

WiW: Week 0

Starting weight: 146.8

Waist: 32
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

I lost 10% of my goal, just by thinking about it! I wonder if I could keep that up...

Sadly, my first run has been taken down by a thunder storm. If it had just been lightly raining, I might have given it a go anyway. Almost wish we still had that treadmill. I'm still trying to decide how to adjust my schedule; I'm thinking I'll shred tonight, run Thursday and Saturday, and go back to the MWF running schedule next week. I'm a wee bit worried about trying to recover from the shred the first few days, but that's going to be a problem no matter how this plays out.

Posted by me at 8:00 PM | Comments (1)

March 23, 2010

Weighty matters

About a month ago, I started writing about my weight, and how I was 10 pounds up from the lightest weight I've been since Owen was born. Then I saw something shiny and never finished writing about how enough is enough, it's time to lose my "winter fat."

Since then, I've lost a pound and gained three. For those of you playing the home game, that means I'm up to 148 pounds.

Then on top of my need to take control back of my muscles, my eating, and my jiggle, Rex started talking about going somewhere warm and beachy this summer while the kids are at my dad's. Somewhere that inspires bikini wearing.

So I've come up with a plan, a goal and a timeframe. I'm going to post updates on Weigh-in Wednesdays to keep me honest and (hopefully) shame me into sticking to the plan.

The goal: 12 or more pounds (136 or less).
The date: July 1, 2010.
The plan: Do the Couch to 5K program three days a week, ideally MWF after the kids are put to bed. Shred TR while Owen is napping. Saturday and Sunday will serve are make-up and rest days.
The metrics: Post weekly weight on WiW, along with waist, hip and thigh measurements. Show calendar with actual workouts.

I will admit that I'm skeptical about this working, after my last foray into diet and exercise. Also, I love the feel of control of having goals and a plan and all, but sadly, I'm less keen on the hard work it takes to make it happen. Having to write down my results for (potentially) all the world to see really helps to keep me moving, though, so I'm confident that I can keep this up.

I think.

Posted by me at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2010

Coincidence

This isn't a resolution. I don't do resolutions. But now that the guests have gone and the leftovers are finished and (almost) all the chocolate has been consumed, it's time to start my silly Wii running again. And when I'm in some version of Wii shape, I'm going to get my ass out of the house and try real running.

In my mind, I'm already ready to run a short race. In my mind, I do pretty darn well. In my mind, I'm harder, faster, leaner and I'm not breathing all that hard.

Hopefully what they say about envisioning the future you want really does help make it happen, because I'm going to need all the help I can get.

Posted by me at 10:58 PM | Comments (1)

November 3, 2009

4.3: The return of diet and exercise

I'm not sure how I managed it, but I didn't gain any weight while we were in San Francisco. We did do a fair amount of walking, but we also weren't skipping any meals.

Since we got back, though, well, let's just say I've been hungry. Really, really hungry. And tired and crazy busy and sedentary. I've also had a lot of Mexican food, which is always a fat button for me. I just CANNOT resist those chips, and let's face it, even a salad at most Mexican places isn't what one would call low cal. And while I was really proud of myself for (Wii) running the day after we got back, I didn't run again for a week.

So it's time to crack down again. To step away from the Halloween candy and get off the couch. I waited til the last possible minute, but I did run last night. And I didn't eat as much as I wanted to yesterday, which has to count for something.

Now that I've fulfilled my NaBloPoMo obligation for the day, it's time to get back to it.

Posted by me at 8:51 PM | Comments (1)

October 24, 2009

Wednesday weigh-in: Week 7 wrap up

This was written on Wednesday, but I couldn't find a single free wireless connection from our hotel no matter how I held the laptop.

---

I've been up by a pound or more since last week's weigh-in. I did some crazy exercise (after which I woke up a pound heavier), but I haven't been great about what I stuff in my pie hole. Not horrible, but not all salads and shredded wheat, either. Add to that it being Wednesday, the day the scale like to fuck with me most of all, and I was totally shocked this morning to find myself down two pounds from yesterday, and right around my starting weight, also known at The New Goal.

We're in San Francisco now, so why I'm going to try to be conscious of what I put in my mouth, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of accidental exercise sightseeing, I'm not going to stifle my vacation by trying to find a gym, or skipping any meal that I get to eat without serving someone else while simultaneously catching flying sippy cups and trying to coax Owen to eat something besides french fries without screaming his head off.

I fully plan to take up some form of exercise when I get home. I'm not sure if I'll be as hard core, but I still want to try running on the road instead of in place, and I think the shred really does have something to offer. I might not try to do them both in the same day, though! I really do think I'm more fit, and that some parts of me jiggle a bit lessened I suppose that's more important than a number on a scale.

The end:

1. The last time I Wii ran, I managed 4 miles in 20 minutes. I was hauling ass, and I'm not sure I can do it every time, but it sure felt good to do it once. I'll probably try alternating with the shred.
2. I'm going to try to keep the eating under control, but not quite as strictly as I was. I think that kind of deprivation leads to backlash in the form of eating entire pies and such.
3. Owen is weaned! Goal accomplished!
4. I didn't lose 5 pounds. I didn't even lose 1. I managed to get back to my starting weight, though, so yay! on that.

Final stats:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8
• 9/23 140.4
• 9/30 139.8
• 10/7 140.2
• 10/14 140.4
• 10/21 139.4

Posted by me at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2009

Wednesday's curse

I've started to fear Wednesday's. No matter how low my weight has been over the last week, on Wednesday, it's right back up there.

At the end of last week, I was actually starting to think this whole diet and exercise gig was producing some results, finally. The low weight actually stuck around for three days, before I ate one little meal out and it jumped. And then jumped again. And then after a really good day with some heavy workouts, it stayed up there.

We leave for San Francisco in a week.

Last week:

1. The shred is turning into more of an every other day workout. Between life and sore muscles, every day just wasn't working. I am, however, running most days, including the days I shred. Granted, it's Wii running, but I'm up to almost 3.5 Wii miles in 20 minutes.
2. I've backed off the ice cream again, but I think I'm eating a little more real food. Not a ton more, but enough that I think ice cream would be overkill. And it seems like the scale agrees.
3. Owen still asks for boobie, but I'm slowly trying to convince him that the word he needs to use is "hungry." He gets the concept now, but hungry still isn't his go-to word.
4. At this point, I'd settle for hitting my starting weight before we leave. So, one pound, one week.

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8
• 9/23 140.4
• 9/30 139.8
• 10/7 140.2
• 10/14 140.4

Posted by me at 8:47 PM | Comments (0)

October 7, 2009

Wednesday weigh-in

This diet and exercise thing is killing me.

On Saturday, I woke up the lightest I've been in probably months: 138.0. I figured it was an anomaly, and that my weight would go up at least slightly the next day, but it would still be real, honest-to-goodness weight loss. Also, seeing a nice, low number on the scale is good motivation to eat better, and I haven't had that in a while.

Sunday I woke up, saw the expected flux, and decided that today would be a good day to start the 30 Day Shred. I had no idea what to expect, but thought it shouldn't be too bad, since I'd been doing some form of exercise for the last month.

Ouch.

I made it through Level 1, barely. I only had to stop to catch my breath or ease my muscles a couple times, and the ab work felt almost good. Rex did it with me, and with the exception of the push-ups, I think I might have done a slightly harder workout than him. I saw this only because he works out at TKD 3 times a week, and so I expect him to be in fairly decent shape.

Holy hell was I sore on Monday. I powered through, and did the Shred again, although I had to rest more and skip more movements. I had some honest doubts about my bodies ability to support me a few times.

Yesterday, I could barely move. My chest hurt so bad from the flies and push-ups that I wanted to scream every time Owen poked me. And the fronts of my thighs were so sore, I almost screamed when he bonked his head on my leg. I can still barely make it up the stairs, and I don't sit on the toilet, I fall upon it.

I took last night off, figuring if I hurt this bad, I needed some recovery time. I'm still crazy sore today, but I think it's abated enough to try again tonight.

Oh, and in spite of the salad I had for dinner last night (I passed on McDonald's fries! And a fountain Coke! My favorite things!) I managed to gain a pound overnight.

To sum up:

1. I'm feeling guilty giving up the running, but I just can't handle it right now with the Shred. And since the Shred is about killing me, I figure it must be a good workout, so I'm going to try to do it daily until we leave. Unless I die first.
2. I may have been going a little heavy on the nightly ice cream this week. Time to dial it back a bit. Otherwise, I've done fairly well resisting temptation (fries!)
3. Owen is still poking me in the boob regularly, but I'm holding strong. Here, have a cracker!
4. Lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks, without amputation. Ha!

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8
• 9/23 140.4
• 9/30 139.8
• 10/7 140.2

On the upside, I noticed this weekend that I'm starting to look tighter, which is really the whole point of this torture, right? I just wish my pants didn't feel tighter, too!

Posted by me at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

October 1, 2009

Not losing (motivation)

Well, look at me! I'm only a half a pound heavier than when I started this whole thing, 4 weeks ago.

As for the goals:

1. I'm up to 20 minutes of running in place, and I don't feel like I want to die anymore. I bought a Nike+, sewed a shoe pouch for it myself, and got an armband for the touch, but I haven't actually had a chance to leave the house to try real running. I'm doing a total of 30 minutes of aerobic activity every other day, and still doing the ab stuff the other days, but usually no more.
2. I had a few bad eating days this past week. One of them seemed to have no effect on the scale, but two in a row killed me. I'm still trying to recover.
3. Owen is totally boob free. He hasn't stopped asking for it yet, but he doesn't flip out as often when he's told no.
4. Lose 5 pounds in 3 weeks. Possible, but really, look at my track record.

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8
• 9/23 140.4
• 9/30 139.8

Posted by me at 9:09 PM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2009

Full update tommorrow

A quick weight update, because I haven't worked out yet, and I must GET. OFF. MY. ASS.

This morning's weigh in was 139.8, which is still up from my starting weight, but down from last week. It's not my lowest weight of the week, either, but I think eating at Chili's two nights in a row really got me.

Posted by me at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2009

Fight the fat!

Well, I haven't technically lost any weight since I started this, but at least I weigh less this week than last. By a smidge. Nothing feels looser yet, but then it's been a while since I've worn my shorts, what with the cooler weather we've had this week.

On a more positive note, while I still don't like running, after 10 minutes of Wii running (in place), I don't feel like I'm going to die at the end anymore. In fact, the last time I ran, I was barely winded! I'm incredibly impressed by that, since I've never been much of a runner or fan of aerobic activity.

As for the goals:

1. I've turned to doing mostly aerobic exercises on my Wii nights. I try to add a little something heart raising to my ab workouts, but I'm not being strict about it.
2. I've loosened up a bit on the eating by adding a bit of ice cream every night. The down side is I've lost a bit of my control during the day, but I think the extra food (at least part of it) may actually be helping. At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.
3. Owen is down to one feeding a day, and with the way he's been treating me and constantly asking for boobie, I'm actually looking forward to cutting him off (And also, it makes me want to cry a little bit.) My current hope is that he'll stop abusing me when there's no chance of a boob, period. I'm not betting any money on that theory, though.
4. Lose 5 pounds in 5 4 weeks. Yikes!

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8
• 9/23 140.4

Posted by me at 9:14 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2009

Weighty matters

I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but this whole weight/exercise thing is really starting to bring me down. After another week of doing some form of exercise every day, and carefully watching what I eat (and resisting, oh, the resisting!) I've managed to gain another .2 pounds. The hell?!?

I know everyone (including me!) says that muscle weighs more than fat, yada yada yada, and your clothes are fitting better, right?

NO!

If anything, my shorts are more snug, and I appear no smaller, tighter or toner in the mirror than I did two weeks ago. The only benefit I've seen so far is that I don't want to cry so much after I do the plank or those sit-up things where you keep your legs off the ground the whole time. I know that should be some sort of victory, but dammit, I WANT RESULTS.

Here's where I stand on the goals:

1. I think I'm going to have to add to the exercise. Maybe add more to the ab toning workout I do every other day.
2. I can't eat much less. As it is, I'm wondering if I'm not eating enough, and between that and the nursing, my body is trying to hold on to some fat. Stupid body LISTEN TO WHAT THE MOUTH IS SAYING. I could eat better, more fruits and veggies. For some reason, I'm totally off healthy food right now, and while I'm fairly sure it's a phase, I need to grow out of it.
3. I've cut the boy down to two feedings a day. He's not happy about the lack of boobie, but at least he isn't asking for it in the morning. I'll try to drop another one in the next week or so, although it's going to be tough since we're having some sleeping issues right now.
4. Lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks. It's possible, but that sure is cutting it close.

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6
• 9/16 140.8

Posted by me at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

September 9, 2009

Motivation

Last week, Beth posted her weight on the internet, as motivation to get back in shape for the second time this summer.

I was struck by the similarities of our desires. I, too, had worked out and tried to eat less to prepare for a summer beach trip (much less successfully, but I tried, dammit!) I, too, had gone on vacation and said to hell with my diet, I'm on vacation! As of last week, I weighed 139.4 (my scale is accurate to .2 pounds). And as of Wednesday of last week, I had 7 weeks until Rex and I leave on a trip away from the kids, the first since Owen was born.

I had thought about posting a picture of my scale, and just never got around to it (also, my toes are not as pretty), but I did start up with the exercise again last Thursday. So far, in spite of a weekend away from home, I've managed to...gain a pound.

I swear, I thought I was eating well, given my circumstances. But I'm not giving up!

So here are my goals:

1. Step up the exercise. I'd rather be firmer and tighter than weigh less.
2. Eat less. And better. This is hard, because I'm weaning Owen, and experience tells me that I'm still hungry as if I'm eating for two long after the second person drops off.
3. Wean the boy. He's getting cut off 6 weeks from today, in spite of both of us fighting it. I'd prefer to do this slowly and smoothly as opposed to cold turkey, so I'd better get crackin'.
4. Lose 5-10 pounds. Realistically, I doubt I'll be able to take off more than 5 in the next 6 weeks. My ultimate goal is 10, with an option for another 5 depending mostly on my thighs.

And here are my stats so far:

• 9/3 139.4
• 9/9 140.6

Posted by me at 12:59 PM | Comments (3)

September 30, 2008

Let's check your stability during Flip the Bird

There are a lot of things I like about the Wii Fit. I like that it works me. I like that I can choose which exercises I feel up to on any given day. I like (when I'm winning) the competition between Rex and I and against myself in the rankings. I like that I can learn Yoga poses (or some facsimile) and screw up the rhythm boxing in my own living room, because working out badly in my own home is still better than not working out at all because you don't want other people to see how inept you are.

No, I have no issues.

There are a few things I think could be done better, like having to listen to the trainer go on and on after every pose, and having to wait between ski jumps. I don't really need the Wii's conversation when I start it up, either, asking me if the weather is getting cooler and whatnot.

I think my biggest peeve, though, is one I experienced tonight. For the past three nights, my weight has increased slightly. Just a tiny bit each time, so little that the Wii's only comments referred to normal fluctuations and it didn't even ask me about my poor eating habits. Tonight, though, was good. I lost the last three days combined weight plus a little, and what did the damn thing say? "You aren't going to be able to make your goal in the time you've chosen."

WHAT?

No good job, no way to go, nothing positive. So my peeve? I want the option to tell the Wii to SUCK IT.

Posted by me at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2008

Touch me and I'll kill you

Owen has been doing this thing lately where he cries/moans/makes this noise that makes me want to rip off my leg and beat myself with it pretty much every. single. time. I set him down. And I wouldn't normally mind holding him all the damn time (too much) if he weren't constantly pinching me and yanking on my shirt and shoving it into his mouth and then barfing.

Makes you want to be me, huh?

The combination of these two behaviors is making me nuts. I'm starting to act unfriendly toward him, which makes me feel horrible, because he's my sweet little boy. Also, he doesn't seem to be getting it, so what's the point? It drives me nuts that my two choices ALL DAY LONG were to be relentlessly touched/pinched/mouthed or listen to the hounds of hell. I'm not even able to bask in the glory of the sleep I got last night, since he only got up once (well, twice if you count when Rex got up with him at 5, but since I got to stay asleep in bed, I don't).

I'm going to try to work off some of my angst on the Wii. Last night, I ran farther than I have in years. It's possible that I went a whole quarter mile. Well, in place, that is. I wonder if it's significant that I've Fitted for two days, and had two days of Owen hell? If so, that's backasswards, since I thought exercise was supposed to reduce stress.

Posted by me at 8:34 PM | Comments (1)

September 16, 2008

Wii unfit

Back in July, Rex and I bought the Wii we had been talking about getting for months. I think we called it our anniversary gift to each other, but that's a little weird since we don't usually get each other much of anything. Whatever, we bought the damn thing.

While the girls were in Maryland, we religiously did the fitness test. Rex is naturally pretty good at both athletics and video games, so he easily scores younger than he really is.

I started in my 70's. No shit.

I thought after a few days, I'd get the hang of Wii'ing, but I think my best age to date is 39. I scored that tonight.

I really wanted to get the Fit, but I haven't managed to hit a store that had any in stock. I'm not willing to wait in line for hours, or get up any earlier than I already do, but I do wander through the video game aisle at any and every place that might carry them. Today, my persistence paid off. While hauling Owen's hiney around Target. I should get a few years off just for that! Anyway, Target had piles of the things, and even some consoles.

After the kids went to bed, I synced the thing up and got weighed and measured. I'm pretty sure my Mii gave me the finger after she saw my weight, but I'm in the healthy BMI range so SCREW YOU, MII.

Ahem.

The Fit said I was 42. Not bad, considering what the Sports Fitness test has been saying about me! Then Rex did his initial test, and damn if he wasn't in his 20's. His BMI is pixels away from obese, but he has the balance of an infant.

On the upside, I'm kicking his ass at the Yoga poses, and I retested and I'm already 4 years younger.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch tv and each my cheese puffs on the couch.

Posted by me at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)