I can honestly say that this is the first week since September that I feel like my new 'old self.' This is the first week in months that I have been spot on with my eating and had the motivation to get all five of my scheduled workouts in. Well, maybe not motivation so much as discipline. It actually feels really good to be back on track. It's amazing how easy it is to get lulled back into the habits of poor eating and laziness. Fortunately I never completely digressed and paired my less than perfect eating with just enough exercise to maintain my current weight but if I hadn't taken the hiatus I could be well over 100 pounds lost. Oh well, it's all part of the process!
I think part of my motivation this week was a very revealing conversation that I had with one of my new coworkers. She is the mother of a toddler and an infant and is hoping to get back to her pre-baby weight (she has maybe 30 pounds to lose). She started using Lose It! but isn't hardly eating because she doesn't think it will work. She kept coming back to the fact that I lost so much weight in a short amount of time. When I told her the reason that I lost that much weight was because I started at 350 pounds she flat out told me she didn't believe me. So, I pulled out my before pictures and showed her. She didn't even believe that they were me. It's really weird for me to look at my before pictures because when I look in the mirror I feel like I haven't really changed that much, but man, when I see those pictures from the summer of 2010 I can see just how far I've come. I tend to keep those pictures hidden but I think I might print a few because I think it's not only good to keep an eye on the goal line but it's also really important to remember where I'm coming from.
In other news I almost ran 4 miles on Friday morning! I would have too if I literally hadn't run out of time. As it was I didn't even have time for a cool down. My goal is to get up early enough next Friday so that I can get a full 4 miles and a cool down in!
I haven't done much reading lately but I did get out to see a movie this weekend. I finally managed to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and while I liked it I feel like I want more details. It's based on an English spy novel and I followed the plot but there were some serious undertones and implications touched on throughout the movie and I assume the book would cover them in a more satisfactory manner. I've read a lot of really good and really bad reviews about the movie and I can see where people could fall on either side of the fence. There isn't a lot of action or special effects which we as an audience have become accustomed to in EVERYTHING we see but the cast was amazing and did such a wonderful job. Then again I'm pretty much in love with half of the cast from previous works so I might be slightly biased.
OK, I need a shower and breakfast. Enjoy your Sunday!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
I a old gama...
OK, I know that the above is not proper English or even real words but I have to say I'm taking my inspiration from a 4 year old. Tasha and Cody are moving to Denver this weekend, well technically Readlyn, and while Tasha was packing the other day Jackson was getting bored. In order to entertain himself, Jackson took apart a curtain rod and used the pieces as canes and walked around saying in a raspy, old man voice 'I an old gampa.' I thought he was adorable, then again I'm terribly biased but I have to say, I really feel old lately.
Friday nights are especially bad. After a long week at work paired with getting out of bed ridiculously early I am lucky to make it to 9:00 and the only reason I usually last that long is because Jessica calls me on her drive from Owatonna to Decorah and we spend two hours on the phone keeping each other awake. However, last night Jessica did not drive to Decorah because of the weather therefore we didn't talk on the phone as long. I was passed out on the couch before I knew it. I woke up around 10:15 and moved to the bedroom and didn't wake up again until this morning. However, it was at 5:50!! BOOO.
As much as I hate getting up that early on a Saturday I also like that time. It's nice to just get up, have some coffee, catch up on blogging and watch the sun rise...and yes, after the snow we're having a lovely sunrise. I can't really complain because I feel quite rested, I just wish I had better hours for a 29 year old. I hate feeling like I'm 60!
OK, I just wanted wanted to share that with you. I'm now going to catch up on things I should have done this week. Have a lovely weekend ladies!
p.s. peanut butter multigain Cheerios are AMAZING!!
Friday nights are especially bad. After a long week at work paired with getting out of bed ridiculously early I am lucky to make it to 9:00 and the only reason I usually last that long is because Jessica calls me on her drive from Owatonna to Decorah and we spend two hours on the phone keeping each other awake. However, last night Jessica did not drive to Decorah because of the weather therefore we didn't talk on the phone as long. I was passed out on the couch before I knew it. I woke up around 10:15 and moved to the bedroom and didn't wake up again until this morning. However, it was at 5:50!! BOOO.
As much as I hate getting up that early on a Saturday I also like that time. It's nice to just get up, have some coffee, catch up on blogging and watch the sun rise...and yes, after the snow we're having a lovely sunrise. I can't really complain because I feel quite rested, I just wish I had better hours for a 29 year old. I hate feeling like I'm 60!
OK, I just wanted wanted to share that with you. I'm now going to catch up on things I should have done this week. Have a lovely weekend ladies!
p.s. peanut butter multigain Cheerios are AMAZING!!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Back in the Game!
Happy snowy Saturday. This is the first snowy Saturday that I think we've had all winter and it's perfect: beautiful, light, fluffy snow! I'm really thankful for it, in all honesty, because it was so nice last weekend that I neglected many of my domestic duties to engage in some outdoor activities and today is the perfect day to stay inside and catch up on blogging and clean!
I want to start my blog with a confession. I have been a slacker. In September I stepped on the scale and weighed in around 255 pounds. Today I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 255 pounds. In three months I should have lost about 20 pounds and if I hadn't been a horrid slacker I would have. I think this qualifies as being momentarily derailed (if you can call three months momentarily). I didn't backtrack, I just stalled. However, I am officially back in the game.
The first step for me was getting a fitness goal in mind. The 5K in March is that goal. I've been running a 5K at least once per week since I decided to do Shamrocks and Shenanigans and the other days I'm working on speed. My 5K right now is at 4.5 mph which is really slow, but sustainable for me. I'm not racing anybody but myself and if people think I'm too slow they can bite me. My other workouts consist of speed training. I'm up to two miles at 5 mph and would like to be able to do a 5K at 5 mph by the end of the month. My ultimate goal is to be able to do the 5K without walking in March. I don't know if that will happen or not but I'm going to work hard to get as close to that goal as possible.
My second goal is going to be harder. I need to get my eating back on track. I need to get back to not eating out with rare exception. I fell back into my old habits last month when I was working crazy hours and was stressed. Instead of coming home and making dinner I'd just grab something. Basically I let the stress win. Now, I'm having a hard time breaking that habit. Even if I stay in my calorie budget I don't lose when I eat out. I assume it's the buttload of salt found in all restaurant food. However, I don't want to have to deal with that. So, I have decided to end eating out completely until I get my diet back in order. Right now I have decided that the next time I will eat out will be Super Bowl Sunday. I figure that's three weeks away and should be a good length of time for me to reset my brain.
I also need to stop mindless snacking on the weekends. I don't know why it's so different during the week but I don't really have a problem sticking with my meal plans Monday-Friday. In all honesty, I sometimes think that if I worked 7 days per week I'd have a lot fewer problems trying to lose weight. No matter how well I do during the week it seems like as soon as Saturday hits I'm a mindless eating machine hellbent on self sabotage. I then spend the whole week trying to make up for the damage I did in two days. I've decided to adopt a 'NO' campaign. I put 'NO' signs up on the fridge and cupboard. I figure they'll help keep me in line.
Anyway, that's where I am...struggling to get back on the path I was on. I know I'll get there, it's just frustrating to me that I got so far away. But alas, it's all part of the process. Wish me luck!
I want to start my blog with a confession. I have been a slacker. In September I stepped on the scale and weighed in around 255 pounds. Today I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 255 pounds. In three months I should have lost about 20 pounds and if I hadn't been a horrid slacker I would have. I think this qualifies as being momentarily derailed (if you can call three months momentarily). I didn't backtrack, I just stalled. However, I am officially back in the game.
The first step for me was getting a fitness goal in mind. The 5K in March is that goal. I've been running a 5K at least once per week since I decided to do Shamrocks and Shenanigans and the other days I'm working on speed. My 5K right now is at 4.5 mph which is really slow, but sustainable for me. I'm not racing anybody but myself and if people think I'm too slow they can bite me. My other workouts consist of speed training. I'm up to two miles at 5 mph and would like to be able to do a 5K at 5 mph by the end of the month. My ultimate goal is to be able to do the 5K without walking in March. I don't know if that will happen or not but I'm going to work hard to get as close to that goal as possible.
My second goal is going to be harder. I need to get my eating back on track. I need to get back to not eating out with rare exception. I fell back into my old habits last month when I was working crazy hours and was stressed. Instead of coming home and making dinner I'd just grab something. Basically I let the stress win. Now, I'm having a hard time breaking that habit. Even if I stay in my calorie budget I don't lose when I eat out. I assume it's the buttload of salt found in all restaurant food. However, I don't want to have to deal with that. So, I have decided to end eating out completely until I get my diet back in order. Right now I have decided that the next time I will eat out will be Super Bowl Sunday. I figure that's three weeks away and should be a good length of time for me to reset my brain.
I also need to stop mindless snacking on the weekends. I don't know why it's so different during the week but I don't really have a problem sticking with my meal plans Monday-Friday. In all honesty, I sometimes think that if I worked 7 days per week I'd have a lot fewer problems trying to lose weight. No matter how well I do during the week it seems like as soon as Saturday hits I'm a mindless eating machine hellbent on self sabotage. I then spend the whole week trying to make up for the damage I did in two days. I've decided to adopt a 'NO' campaign. I put 'NO' signs up on the fridge and cupboard. I figure they'll help keep me in line.
Anyway, that's where I am...struggling to get back on the path I was on. I know I'll get there, it's just frustrating to me that I got so far away. But alas, it's all part of the process. Wish me luck!
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Hunger Games
During December I didn't really have any time to read. I was ridiculously busy during the week with work and I had so much to do on the weekends that just sitting down with a book was not going to happen. However, in November I had mentioned to my friend that I really wanted to read the first book in the The Hunger Games series before the movie came out in March. She had never heard of the book or the movie before but apparently I sold it well enough and she got the first book on CD to listen to while she was commuting to work. Because she is a thoughtful girl, she offered the discs to me once she was done. I hesitated, not thinking I'd be able to find the time to listen to it, but took her up on the offer in the end. Boy am I glad that I did!
First of all, listening to an audiobook is a really great thing when doing holiday baking. It just keeps rolling on in the background and I could listen, bake, frost and fill all at the same time. It's also a really great form of entertainment when working on crochet projects. My hands were busy with my work and my ears were being entertained...SCORE! In the end I not only finished listening to the first book, The Hunger Games, but I also managed to listen to the second and third books in the series: Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
I really, really liked this series. I don't want to give away too much but here is a brief synopsis of the first book:
In the future, after North America has destroyed itself, a country called Panem rises from the rubble. The survivors end up in a state with a ruling government living in the Capital which is surrounded by 13 districts. It's a dystopian society where the citizens of the capital have everything they could want for and the districts are filled with poor and struggling men, women and children who have to work like dogs to survive. Because of this imbalance an uprising occurs where the districts try to over throw the Capital. Ultimately the uprising is quashed by the Capital; District 13 is completely decimated; the remaining districts are even worse off than they were before; and in order to ensure that nothing like this happens again, the Capital creates The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an annual event where 2 children, one boy and one girl (ages 12-18) are selected from each district to participate in a fight to the death for Capital entertainment. The first book of the series starts at the beginning of the 74th annual Hunger Games and follows the 'tributes' from District 12.
The premise is dark but it is so well written. The character development is excellent, not only from the start of the book to the end, but also from book to book. I also loved the fact that it's not just about children being forced into doing something awful. There is hope and love in the story as well. It has something for everyone.
Anyway, as I sit anxiously awaiting the arrival of the movie I just wanted to share this series with you. I figure if you're ever looking for something new these books are at least worth considering!
First of all, listening to an audiobook is a really great thing when doing holiday baking. It just keeps rolling on in the background and I could listen, bake, frost and fill all at the same time. It's also a really great form of entertainment when working on crochet projects. My hands were busy with my work and my ears were being entertained...SCORE! In the end I not only finished listening to the first book, The Hunger Games, but I also managed to listen to the second and third books in the series: Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
I really, really liked this series. I don't want to give away too much but here is a brief synopsis of the first book:
In the future, after North America has destroyed itself, a country called Panem rises from the rubble. The survivors end up in a state with a ruling government living in the Capital which is surrounded by 13 districts. It's a dystopian society where the citizens of the capital have everything they could want for and the districts are filled with poor and struggling men, women and children who have to work like dogs to survive. Because of this imbalance an uprising occurs where the districts try to over throw the Capital. Ultimately the uprising is quashed by the Capital; District 13 is completely decimated; the remaining districts are even worse off than they were before; and in order to ensure that nothing like this happens again, the Capital creates The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an annual event where 2 children, one boy and one girl (ages 12-18) are selected from each district to participate in a fight to the death for Capital entertainment. The first book of the series starts at the beginning of the 74th annual Hunger Games and follows the 'tributes' from District 12.
The premise is dark but it is so well written. The character development is excellent, not only from the start of the book to the end, but also from book to book. I also loved the fact that it's not just about children being forced into doing something awful. There is hope and love in the story as well. It has something for everyone.
Anyway, as I sit anxiously awaiting the arrival of the movie I just wanted to share this series with you. I figure if you're ever looking for something new these books are at least worth considering!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Resolutions and Stuff...
Happy New Year! I'm going to join the masses and claim that I can't believe it's already 2012. It seems like 2011 just got started and it's already finished. I will freely admit that 2011 was a much better year than 2010 and I think 2012 is going to be even better!
I was watching Dick Clark's Rocking New Years Eve last night and one of the little factoids that I found interesting was the list of most frequently made new year resolutions. Nothing on the list was surprising (see list below) however, I find it intriguing because my resolution for the new year pretty much fall in line with all of them, except number three. I figure I'll get in a relationship when the time is right.
5. spend more time with friends and family
4. exercise more
3. get in a relationship
2. lose weight
1. save money
I tried to think long and hard about my resolutions for 2012. After all, 2011 was the first year that I actually succeeded in maintaining my resolutions: not using my dishwasher and trying more new recipes. I'm not sure if I tried one new recipe every week but I know tried at least 52 new recipes over the course of the year! After going over in my head what I most wanted to accomplish in 2012 I came up with my resolutions:
1. I will run 3, 5K races in 2012 and hopefully improve my time with each race I run. Right now I'm starting with the Shamrocks and Shenanigans race in March and will end in October with the Big House Big Heart run, both of which are big fundraisers for the Save A Heart foundation. I figure I'll run a middle race sometime in June or July...the summer months are lousy with 5Ks!
2. While I can't always spend more time with friends and family easily, I have decided that there are certainly people who I can make a better attempt to keep in contact with. I'm hoping to call relatives more and make sure that I send more cards, letters and e-mails.
3. I really need to work on saving money. It just seems so hard when finances are tight. I think I just need to be more conscientious of how I spend money. This will probably be the hardest of the three.
I feel like I've set pretty realistic resolutions for 2012 and hope to keep my tradition of success 2 years in a row! Anyway, I need to get some new year cleaning done so I should go. Have a great holiday weekend and a marvelous 2012!!
I was watching Dick Clark's Rocking New Years Eve last night and one of the little factoids that I found interesting was the list of most frequently made new year resolutions. Nothing on the list was surprising (see list below) however, I find it intriguing because my resolution for the new year pretty much fall in line with all of them, except number three. I figure I'll get in a relationship when the time is right.
5. spend more time with friends and family
4. exercise more
3. get in a relationship
2. lose weight
1. save money
I tried to think long and hard about my resolutions for 2012. After all, 2011 was the first year that I actually succeeded in maintaining my resolutions: not using my dishwasher and trying more new recipes. I'm not sure if I tried one new recipe every week but I know tried at least 52 new recipes over the course of the year! After going over in my head what I most wanted to accomplish in 2012 I came up with my resolutions:
1. I will run 3, 5K races in 2012 and hopefully improve my time with each race I run. Right now I'm starting with the Shamrocks and Shenanigans race in March and will end in October with the Big House Big Heart run, both of which are big fundraisers for the Save A Heart foundation. I figure I'll run a middle race sometime in June or July...the summer months are lousy with 5Ks!
2. While I can't always spend more time with friends and family easily, I have decided that there are certainly people who I can make a better attempt to keep in contact with. I'm hoping to call relatives more and make sure that I send more cards, letters and e-mails.
3. I really need to work on saving money. It just seems so hard when finances are tight. I think I just need to be more conscientious of how I spend money. This will probably be the hardest of the three.
I feel like I've set pretty realistic resolutions for 2012 and hope to keep my tradition of success 2 years in a row! Anyway, I need to get some new year cleaning done so I should go. Have a great holiday weekend and a marvelous 2012!!
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