So weigh day didn't go so great for the two of us. Ryan's still stuck at 244. I am still at 195.
I refuse to let this be a bad thing though because we still weigh less than we did when we started & it will go down more, eventually. Plus, we feel better than when we first started. I'm not going to say it's not a bit frustrating though. I guess it would be even more frustrating if we had been working out regularly during that "break time" we took & not having splurge night at the Mexican place. So it could be worse, we could've gained.
Have to keep telling myself, and Ryan, to look at the bright side. Otherwise those darn tacos that keep calling my name just may win a trip down my throat.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
"No Excuses, No Limits"
It's been 11 days since my last post & here's a quick rundown on what's been going on:
1. Last weigh day, May 11th, I was at 195. That was from just watching my food since Ryan & I didn't workout from May 2nd till May 13th. Not only didn't I gain, I got to stay in ONE-derland! My fear was that I would gain & be back in the 2's due to lack of movement, but I actually lost another 2 lbs. I was super excited!
Ryan wasn't as lucky since he gained 2 lbs & was at 244. He was just as careful about his food but something somewhere added a little. I'm really hoping he'll see a smaller number on the 18th. I'm hoping that for me too!
2. We got started back at the gym. It was amazing how much I actually missed it! We went on the 15th & I did some treadmill, ab work & arm work. It was good to get back & be moving again. My sinus issues acted up a bit, a little residue left over from being sick, but I felt really great just for having gone & made it through more of a workout than I thought I'd be able to do. I learned a couple of things from this past few weeks:
A. Don't let fear of a previous injury stop you from trying to continue forward, within reason of course.
And 2. Just because you "take a break" from working out doesn't mean you have to give it up altogether for good & it doesn't mean you're going to automatically be back in the pitiful shape you were before you started the process.
The injury part was that I had done something to both my legs & kept getting severe pain & knots in my back upper thighs right above my knees with pain running down my calves & into my ankles. After talking more with Audrey I think it could have been pulled hamstrings. I was really afraid of working out, especially walking. I guess though that the break I took helped them repair because though I've had some residual pain this past three days during & after a workout, it doesn't hang around nor does it hurt anything near what it did. So I'm taking it slow so I don't overwork them too much until they can be completely healed.
The other reason for the break was due to getting sick & hectic work schedules for both Ryan & I. I wanted to go back three nights before we actually did but things kept getting in the way. Finally I told Ryan that all this time we've made it a priority & due to this "break" it has gone down on the list & we needed to get it back up near the top. It is a choice to go after all & a choice that only we can make.
I know for me fear was part of what stopped me. I was worried about hurting, which makes it miserable to workout, & I was worried that I had gone back in the same shape I was in when I first started this process. I quickly learned that wasn't true. In fact, I think that I'm in better shape & the break just made my body & brain want to go more. I almost over did it tonight as the matter of fact. Too much incline on the treadmill & I could feel that pain starting. So I stopped. Wanted 2 miles but only got 1.7. That's okay though, at least I got that. Plus, I did some arm work. I was pretty happy with that. It was less than I wanted but in someways more than I thought I could do.
3. The next to last thing that happened was actually a couple of things. First, Ryan & I had a "splurge" night. We went to the Mexican place I've been craving since starting this ordeal. I really wanted it & so did Ryan. What happened was amazing. I told Ryan that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. That I'd probably feel guilty & miserable afterwards but I was going to enjoy it. But I didn't...feel guilty & miserable. I made up my mind to enjoy every second & every stinkin' bite of that food & I did. You know what happened? I walked out of that place feeling satisfied, craving gone & knowing that tomorrow I'd get right back on the "healthy lifestyle wagon". And I did. I learned that a splurge can happen & not be the blackhole of death to whatever plan you're on. For Ryan, it didn't taste as good for him. So his lesson learned was that even though you may crave it & it may look & sound amazing, the reality is that it may not live up to the expectations you have.
Even though we both got something different out of the experience they were both good lessons for us to learn & to learn from what the other experienced. I know now that even though I may decide it's okay to splurge it may not live up to my expectations. He knows he can splurge & not have it be healthy lifestyle death.
4. Of course I'd go for 4 because anyone who truly knows me knows I HATE odd numbers! The last part of all this came from one of the stories I read the other day in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book I mentioned in an earlier post. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind & I think it's quite appropriate for where Ryan & I are & anywhere we go from here as well. It was written by a wife whose husband had been working out with his friend. She wanted to see what got her husband so wrapped up in the workouts & drove him so hard & made him want to keep going. So she went along to workout & to meet the friend. Turns out he had lost a leg & listening to him & his story of overcoming & seeing what he could do with one leg, which was more than a lot of people do with two, she got just as inspired as her husband.
This really struck me & made me think about how often I complain & grumble & grouse when I'm doing regular old daily things, let alone when I'm working out. It made me realize how much worse off things could be & makes me more thankful & grateful to God for where I am & what I have.
His motto was, "No excuses, no limits". I've decided to use that as well. I don't think he'd mind.
1. Last weigh day, May 11th, I was at 195. That was from just watching my food since Ryan & I didn't workout from May 2nd till May 13th. Not only didn't I gain, I got to stay in ONE-derland! My fear was that I would gain & be back in the 2's due to lack of movement, but I actually lost another 2 lbs. I was super excited!
Ryan wasn't as lucky since he gained 2 lbs & was at 244. He was just as careful about his food but something somewhere added a little. I'm really hoping he'll see a smaller number on the 18th. I'm hoping that for me too!
2. We got started back at the gym. It was amazing how much I actually missed it! We went on the 15th & I did some treadmill, ab work & arm work. It was good to get back & be moving again. My sinus issues acted up a bit, a little residue left over from being sick, but I felt really great just for having gone & made it through more of a workout than I thought I'd be able to do. I learned a couple of things from this past few weeks:
A. Don't let fear of a previous injury stop you from trying to continue forward, within reason of course.
And 2. Just because you "take a break" from working out doesn't mean you have to give it up altogether for good & it doesn't mean you're going to automatically be back in the pitiful shape you were before you started the process.
The injury part was that I had done something to both my legs & kept getting severe pain & knots in my back upper thighs right above my knees with pain running down my calves & into my ankles. After talking more with Audrey I think it could have been pulled hamstrings. I was really afraid of working out, especially walking. I guess though that the break I took helped them repair because though I've had some residual pain this past three days during & after a workout, it doesn't hang around nor does it hurt anything near what it did. So I'm taking it slow so I don't overwork them too much until they can be completely healed.
The other reason for the break was due to getting sick & hectic work schedules for both Ryan & I. I wanted to go back three nights before we actually did but things kept getting in the way. Finally I told Ryan that all this time we've made it a priority & due to this "break" it has gone down on the list & we needed to get it back up near the top. It is a choice to go after all & a choice that only we can make.
I know for me fear was part of what stopped me. I was worried about hurting, which makes it miserable to workout, & I was worried that I had gone back in the same shape I was in when I first started this process. I quickly learned that wasn't true. In fact, I think that I'm in better shape & the break just made my body & brain want to go more. I almost over did it tonight as the matter of fact. Too much incline on the treadmill & I could feel that pain starting. So I stopped. Wanted 2 miles but only got 1.7. That's okay though, at least I got that. Plus, I did some arm work. I was pretty happy with that. It was less than I wanted but in someways more than I thought I could do.
3. The next to last thing that happened was actually a couple of things. First, Ryan & I had a "splurge" night. We went to the Mexican place I've been craving since starting this ordeal. I really wanted it & so did Ryan. What happened was amazing. I told Ryan that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. That I'd probably feel guilty & miserable afterwards but I was going to enjoy it. But I didn't...feel guilty & miserable. I made up my mind to enjoy every second & every stinkin' bite of that food & I did. You know what happened? I walked out of that place feeling satisfied, craving gone & knowing that tomorrow I'd get right back on the "healthy lifestyle wagon". And I did. I learned that a splurge can happen & not be the blackhole of death to whatever plan you're on. For Ryan, it didn't taste as good for him. So his lesson learned was that even though you may crave it & it may look & sound amazing, the reality is that it may not live up to the expectations you have.
Even though we both got something different out of the experience they were both good lessons for us to learn & to learn from what the other experienced. I know now that even though I may decide it's okay to splurge it may not live up to my expectations. He knows he can splurge & not have it be healthy lifestyle death.
4. Of course I'd go for 4 because anyone who truly knows me knows I HATE odd numbers! The last part of all this came from one of the stories I read the other day in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book I mentioned in an earlier post. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind & I think it's quite appropriate for where Ryan & I are & anywhere we go from here as well. It was written by a wife whose husband had been working out with his friend. She wanted to see what got her husband so wrapped up in the workouts & drove him so hard & made him want to keep going. So she went along to workout & to meet the friend. Turns out he had lost a leg & listening to him & his story of overcoming & seeing what he could do with one leg, which was more than a lot of people do with two, she got just as inspired as her husband.
This really struck me & made me think about how often I complain & grumble & grouse when I'm doing regular old daily things, let alone when I'm working out. It made me realize how much worse off things could be & makes me more thankful & grateful to God for where I am & what I have.
His motto was, "No excuses, no limits". I've decided to use that as well. I don't think he'd mind.
Friday, May 6, 2011
C.R.A.P.
I'm sick. Much more ill than I thought. I now have either full blown head cold or serious sinus infection going on. Needless to say, but I will anyway, I did not make it to the gym tonight. This sucks & now who knows when I'll get back. I just hope I can get more sleep tonight than last night but not counting on that either.
No voice, fever, stuffy head, runny nose, cough, sore throat, watery eyes & completely exhausted. What a lovely combo to deal with. I just hope it goes about it's business soon. Fortunately, I have a round of antibiotics that the doctor gave me last time I didn't feel good. So if it's not gone soon you best believe those bad boys will find their way into my system ASAP.
Later ya'll.
No voice, fever, stuffy head, runny nose, cough, sore throat, watery eyes & completely exhausted. What a lovely combo to deal with. I just hope it goes about it's business soon. Fortunately, I have a round of antibiotics that the doctor gave me last time I didn't feel good. So if it's not gone soon you best believe those bad boys will find their way into my system ASAP.
Later ya'll.
First The Good News...
Yes, it has been a bit since my last post. No, it doesn't mean anything bad has happened. It's only due to my being, as my grandma used to say, "busier than a one legged man in a butt kickin' contest". Work has been long days for both of us & stressful days for me this past several weeks since we were going through an "accepting applications & taking all the phone calls that are a result of that, doing interviews, second interviews & ultimately hiring a new person to replace an employee that's leaving us in June" phase. All of that craziness is on top of the normal everyday craziness. Couple that with not feeling so swift several times for different reasons & it boils down to not really wanting to be on the computer or do, well, much of anything. So that's about what I've done, not much of anything.
Our weigh & measure day on April 27th had both of us celebrating! Ryan had lost two more pounds. I had lost three. Ryan was glad he finally broke the plateau he'd been on & I, well I, FINALLY, got under 200. I was in, to quote another blogger I follow,
ONE-derland!! 197. It just sounds better than 2something. Measurements were a bit lower but nothing to go insane over. The celebration was short lived.
This past weigh day (no measuring) on May 4th, it went in the toilet. Ryan had gained back his previously lost two pounds & I had reacquired my three. Not so great. Audrey says there are possibly several reasons this happened but I'm thinking it was mainly not always doing what we should be doing. We have both had late work nights. His have been much later than mine. These late nights have killed a few workouts. Plus, he had several nights where he just didn't feel good. Bad stomachache, headache & such. I just wasn't feeling the few workouts we did go do. I started having a bad pain in the back of my lower thigh right above my knee a while back. First it happened in the right leg. It hurt so bad I thought I'd pulled something but, since I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, like pretending to be a Rockette, I knew I couldn't have pulled it. Then a few days later the left one started up. Audrey has told me what it is & how to try to help it. I did just some of what she said & it seemed to help, no more pain. Until I got back on the treadmill after a couple days off. There it was just glaring at me & gloating. So I worked through it that day but the next day it just wasn't happening. I did a workout that consisted of several different exercises & even using some weights & all was good. Then I got on the treadmill where all I had to do was walk 35 minutes. Sounds easy right? No, it was not. After about 12 minutes my legs hurt so bad it was all I could do to stand. So what does my smart self do?? I get on the Cybex machine. For those who may not know, the Cybex is very similar to an elliptical. You look like you're doing a funny walk but your feet are on large pedals & moving similar to an elliptical. I did 5 minutes & almost could not step off of the stupid thing. I've done 20-25 minutes on it before so I KNOW I can do more than 5! I was so angry & disappointed in myself. I went slinking over to the mat, did my stretches (almost in tears because of pain AND embarrassment) & then waited for Ryan to finish his workout which he not only finished but did extra. Overachiever! I'm really proud of him so I'm only kidding about the "overachiever" comment. Kinda.
He was irritated with me because I was being so down on myself for not doing well & since I was "injured" I shouldn't be, but it's hard to not be disappointed when you know you can do so much better. After that it was all downhill. My eating this past 6 days, due to work, stress & just plain ol' bad choices, was either very low calorie (not good), or more than I should have & not always the best food choices (also not good). We haven't worked out almost all this past week. We were going to try to go to the gym tonight, technically last night (Thursday) since it's after 2:00a.m. on Friday now, but that didn't happen. Hopefully tonight (Friday) it will. Ryan told me that he's actually glad for the break we've had because he was feeling kind of burnt out. Maybe I was too. We didn't take a total break though, have TRIED to keep the food somewhat in check.
I'm not holding my breath on making it back to the gym tonight though. As I sit here, awake at 2:41a.m., I have a very scratchy sore throat, no voice at all & what feels to be a fever. I've been voiceless for two days (Wednesday & Thursday) with tomorrow not looking good as well. I'm over it. I want to get back on the track I was on.
I know that a 20 year habit of sitting on your ass & eating an unhealthy diet is hard to break but I will break it. I also need to get my sleep in check. I guess that means earlier bed times & Ambien CR more often! This will not beat me, I will win.
On the upside, one of my small victories that I'm celebrating is that I did eat right yesterday (Thursday). Audrey says to celebrate the invisible victories so, YAY! Go me!!
Our weigh & measure day on April 27th had both of us celebrating! Ryan had lost two more pounds. I had lost three. Ryan was glad he finally broke the plateau he'd been on & I, well I, FINALLY, got under 200. I was in, to quote another blogger I follow,
ONE-derland!! 197. It just sounds better than 2something. Measurements were a bit lower but nothing to go insane over. The celebration was short lived.
This past weigh day (no measuring) on May 4th, it went in the toilet. Ryan had gained back his previously lost two pounds & I had reacquired my three. Not so great. Audrey says there are possibly several reasons this happened but I'm thinking it was mainly not always doing what we should be doing. We have both had late work nights. His have been much later than mine. These late nights have killed a few workouts. Plus, he had several nights where he just didn't feel good. Bad stomachache, headache & such. I just wasn't feeling the few workouts we did go do. I started having a bad pain in the back of my lower thigh right above my knee a while back. First it happened in the right leg. It hurt so bad I thought I'd pulled something but, since I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, like pretending to be a Rockette, I knew I couldn't have pulled it. Then a few days later the left one started up. Audrey has told me what it is & how to try to help it. I did just some of what she said & it seemed to help, no more pain. Until I got back on the treadmill after a couple days off. There it was just glaring at me & gloating. So I worked through it that day but the next day it just wasn't happening. I did a workout that consisted of several different exercises & even using some weights & all was good. Then I got on the treadmill where all I had to do was walk 35 minutes. Sounds easy right? No, it was not. After about 12 minutes my legs hurt so bad it was all I could do to stand. So what does my smart self do?? I get on the Cybex machine. For those who may not know, the Cybex is very similar to an elliptical. You look like you're doing a funny walk but your feet are on large pedals & moving similar to an elliptical. I did 5 minutes & almost could not step off of the stupid thing. I've done 20-25 minutes on it before so I KNOW I can do more than 5! I was so angry & disappointed in myself. I went slinking over to the mat, did my stretches (almost in tears because of pain AND embarrassment) & then waited for Ryan to finish his workout which he not only finished but did extra. Overachiever! I'm really proud of him so I'm only kidding about the "overachiever" comment. Kinda.
He was irritated with me because I was being so down on myself for not doing well & since I was "injured" I shouldn't be, but it's hard to not be disappointed when you know you can do so much better. After that it was all downhill. My eating this past 6 days, due to work, stress & just plain ol' bad choices, was either very low calorie (not good), or more than I should have & not always the best food choices (also not good). We haven't worked out almost all this past week. We were going to try to go to the gym tonight, technically last night (Thursday) since it's after 2:00a.m. on Friday now, but that didn't happen. Hopefully tonight (Friday) it will. Ryan told me that he's actually glad for the break we've had because he was feeling kind of burnt out. Maybe I was too. We didn't take a total break though, have TRIED to keep the food somewhat in check.
I'm not holding my breath on making it back to the gym tonight though. As I sit here, awake at 2:41a.m., I have a very scratchy sore throat, no voice at all & what feels to be a fever. I've been voiceless for two days (Wednesday & Thursday) with tomorrow not looking good as well. I'm over it. I want to get back on the track I was on.
I know that a 20 year habit of sitting on your ass & eating an unhealthy diet is hard to break but I will break it. I also need to get my sleep in check. I guess that means earlier bed times & Ambien CR more often! This will not beat me, I will win.
On the upside, one of my small victories that I'm celebrating is that I did eat right yesterday (Thursday). Audrey says to celebrate the invisible victories so, YAY! Go me!!
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