Saturday, April 23, 2011
The photo
The photo I put up was Ryan & I in Las Vegas in April of '09. I will try & post a recent one of us soon.
Continuing On
It's been a bit over a week since my last post. I should be more on top of things I suppose but sometimes life overwhelms me with everything I need to do, should do or others think I'm supposed to do. Do I sound stressed? Yes, I think so. Makes the workouts nice though, not thinking about any of the stuff I stress about but just focusing on what I'm doing, if I'm doing it right & how long I do it for. I could get to like this! Plus, when I'm done I feel less stressed so that's an added bonus.
Our weigh in on the 20th was ok. Ryan lost two lbs. I didn't lose any. Stuck at 200 for me. That's ok though, I was just thrilled I hadn't gained! The reason I was so thrilled about not gaining was because I've had a slightly off week.
Last weekend my lovely youngest daughter, Shelby, decided to do something so horrible & mean that honestly I'm surprised she's still living in this house & not in the driveway! She made double batches of Monster Cookies & Sugared Popcorn! I love Monster Cookies!! They are HUGE, chewy, oatmealy, chocolate chippy, M&M-y goodness. Needless to say, they are NOT what I'm supposed to be eating. Oh yeah, the popcorn was good too. I can honestly say I've only had a little bit of the popcorn, not enough to even worry about, but the cookies... oh the cookies! I've had 8 of them. (Audrey, I know last count was 7 & I swore NO MORE, but that last one was taunting me & I had to take it down! They're gone now, so there will not be a 9th one! And no, I didn't eat them all, they're "hidden".) I know this failure sounds terrible & it is, especially since I was so proud of how well I was doing with the food part of my program but, everyone has bumps in their road & this was one of my "bumps". Ryan's had 3 cookies. He really irritates me sometimes! Definitely has more self control than I. To make matters worse I had to skip a workout night before last because I worked late & by the time I got home we were starving & decided that dinner sounded more important. It's all good though because I'm working out on my next off day to make up for it. There was a reason for my cookie obsession.
WARNING: This may be TMI (too much info) for some, especially men, but it's important that other women know that this can happen to them too!
I was going through my "monthly issue". Ick. Apparently I crave sweets during that time way more than I thought I did because usually I can take sweets or leave them but this last week I was a cookie obsessed crazy woman! Luckily I take a pill that makes it optional for me to have that "issue" so it only happens a few times a year. Now that I know what it does to me I can be better prepared for the next time! So women, be aware! If you are watching what you eat in whatever manner you have chosen you can be seriously derailed if you aren't careful! Not sure about men, Ryan doesn't say much. Although he has been craving a couple of things we used to eat lately. That makes me feel much better since until recently it was only me that was struggling.
Ending on a high note though, last night I walked on the treadmill. I walked two miles in 34:15 and got my speed up to 3.8 which is my high speed to this point. I only did that speed for somewhere between 5-10 minutes but I still did it. I was a sweaty beast when I was done with my walk! After I finished my cool down I had walked 38 minutes and I felt great.
I still feel guilty about the cookies but I'll just keep working them off & hopefully on the 27th the scale won't show too much damage done. Even if I'm sitting at 200 for a third week!
Our weigh in on the 20th was ok. Ryan lost two lbs. I didn't lose any. Stuck at 200 for me. That's ok though, I was just thrilled I hadn't gained! The reason I was so thrilled about not gaining was because I've had a slightly off week.
Last weekend my lovely youngest daughter, Shelby, decided to do something so horrible & mean that honestly I'm surprised she's still living in this house & not in the driveway! She made double batches of Monster Cookies & Sugared Popcorn! I love Monster Cookies!! They are HUGE, chewy, oatmealy, chocolate chippy, M&M-y goodness. Needless to say, they are NOT what I'm supposed to be eating. Oh yeah, the popcorn was good too. I can honestly say I've only had a little bit of the popcorn, not enough to even worry about, but the cookies... oh the cookies! I've had 8 of them. (Audrey, I know last count was 7 & I swore NO MORE, but that last one was taunting me & I had to take it down! They're gone now, so there will not be a 9th one! And no, I didn't eat them all, they're "hidden".) I know this failure sounds terrible & it is, especially since I was so proud of how well I was doing with the food part of my program but, everyone has bumps in their road & this was one of my "bumps". Ryan's had 3 cookies. He really irritates me sometimes! Definitely has more self control than I. To make matters worse I had to skip a workout night before last because I worked late & by the time I got home we were starving & decided that dinner sounded more important. It's all good though because I'm working out on my next off day to make up for it. There was a reason for my cookie obsession.
WARNING: This may be TMI (too much info) for some, especially men, but it's important that other women know that this can happen to them too!
I was going through my "monthly issue". Ick. Apparently I crave sweets during that time way more than I thought I did because usually I can take sweets or leave them but this last week I was a cookie obsessed crazy woman! Luckily I take a pill that makes it optional for me to have that "issue" so it only happens a few times a year. Now that I know what it does to me I can be better prepared for the next time! So women, be aware! If you are watching what you eat in whatever manner you have chosen you can be seriously derailed if you aren't careful! Not sure about men, Ryan doesn't say much. Although he has been craving a couple of things we used to eat lately. That makes me feel much better since until recently it was only me that was struggling.
Ending on a high note though, last night I walked on the treadmill. I walked two miles in 34:15 and got my speed up to 3.8 which is my high speed to this point. I only did that speed for somewhere between 5-10 minutes but I still did it. I was a sweaty beast when I was done with my walk! After I finished my cool down I had walked 38 minutes and I felt great.
I still feel guilty about the cookies but I'll just keep working them off & hopefully on the 27th the scale won't show too much damage done. Even if I'm sitting at 200 for a third week!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Scale Was NOT My Friend, But The Tape Was!
So, Wednesday's weigh in was not as great as we would've liked. I stayed at 200 & Ryan went to 244, a 2 lb gain. Needless to say, we were both frustrated with that. Ryan was more frustrated than I was because my measurements were pretty good. Some of his were lower but not as much as he'd have liked. We always measure first & since some of my numbers were down significantly from two weeks ago (we only measure every two weeks, weigh once a week) Ryan assumed that meant I'd lost quite a bit this last week. I told him that "inches do not equal pounds" and I was right. Inches were lost but no pounds. 200 is proving to be a difficult number to crack. It will crack. In fact I will shatter that bastard if it's the last thing I do! (please forgive the language)
After all was said & done I texted Audrey & she said that Ryan may not have really "gained" but it could be water retention or since he's been lifting more weight lately it could be muscle gain but he's still frustrated. Part of Ryan's frustration is that he has a goal to be at a certain weight by a certain date & all this gain & plateau business is not going in the right direction, which I understand. This is where we differ, he's all hardcore goal oriented & for me I figure that where I am by that same date is where I'll be & it's going to be better than where I was in January. I've come to terms with the fact that I didn't put on 132 lbs over night & they aren't going to come off that way either. I am down 49 lbs from my high weight which was 249 so that's a good thing & I'm pretty happy with. It took me a year to lose 25 but I wasn't working at it, in fact didn't realize I had lost it until I went to one of my doctors last October. So if it takes me a year or more to lose the rest of it then I'll be okay with that. I wish it would go faster but I'm at the point now that anywhere I go is better than where I've been. Hopefully Ryan will start to feel that way too & not get so down when he doesn't get the results he's looking for every time we weigh/measure.
Hopefully this next week will bring better news for us both but if not for me then at least for him. If not you may not hear from me for a while because I may be hiding out. =)
After all was said & done I texted Audrey & she said that Ryan may not have really "gained" but it could be water retention or since he's been lifting more weight lately it could be muscle gain but he's still frustrated. Part of Ryan's frustration is that he has a goal to be at a certain weight by a certain date & all this gain & plateau business is not going in the right direction, which I understand. This is where we differ, he's all hardcore goal oriented & for me I figure that where I am by that same date is where I'll be & it's going to be better than where I was in January. I've come to terms with the fact that I didn't put on 132 lbs over night & they aren't going to come off that way either. I am down 49 lbs from my high weight which was 249 so that's a good thing & I'm pretty happy with. It took me a year to lose 25 but I wasn't working at it, in fact didn't realize I had lost it until I went to one of my doctors last October. So if it takes me a year or more to lose the rest of it then I'll be okay with that. I wish it would go faster but I'm at the point now that anywhere I go is better than where I've been. Hopefully Ryan will start to feel that way too & not get so down when he doesn't get the results he's looking for every time we weigh/measure.
Hopefully this next week will bring better news for us both but if not for me then at least for him. If not you may not hear from me for a while because I may be hiding out. =)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Gotta...Lose...Weight....or Not.
Tomorrow is "Doom Day". We have to weigh AND measure this week. It's going to be a really good day after it's done or I may be more miserable than I have been thus far & that's saying a lot. Last week I weighed 200 which means I've lost 23 lbs. Tomorrow morning I'll either be UNDER 200, which is what I'm really hoping for, or I'll be stuck at 200. My only other option is to gain & Lord help that scale if that has happened! (I mentioned earlier that I wanted to murder it & tomorrow could be that day.)
Today we worked out with Audrey. Not our normal Friday morning & after not sleeping well last night & working all the day, trust me when I say I'm feeling it! Let's just say, in the nicest way possible of course, she kicked my ass! I actually did a seemingly innocent & easy looking workout. It lied. It was not innocent OR easy. In fact it was one of the hardest ones I've done yet which means one of two things: 1. It was made to look easy but sneak in & kick the crap out of you. or 2. I'm severely & grossly out of shape! (I'm bettin' on #2...)
I was seriously feeling light headed & a tad nauseas when I finished it. I recovered with a mile on the treadmill. I'm proud of myself for finishing but honestly it just showed me how far I still have to go. It also proved to me how far I've come. In January I couldn't have even gotten through one round of that torture if my life depended on it. Probably would've dropped dead trying. So the fact that I finished 3 sets of "stations" that consisted of 3 or 4 different exercises was just pretty cool. I'm super thankful to Audrey for getting me here, or helping me get here since it's not her skinny lil' self doing all the work! I pay her to tell me what to do & how to eat. What a scheme she has going on! Just kiddin' Audrey, you're super & we're truly blessed to have you helping us!
I hope all that crap pays off on that stupid scale tomorrow. If not, I know where a hammer is and I'm so not afraid to use it! (but then I'll just have to go buy another one. The stupid thing will tell me the same things that I'll either like or not. "Don't shoot the messenger"...) I guess my other alternative is trudge on till next Wednesday & pray for the best. Doesn't sound like as much fun but it's probably the better idea in the long run. Scale saved by clear thinking! Well, as clear a thinking such is possible with generic Ambien CR running through my veins. Off to bed. Results tomorrow.
Today we worked out with Audrey. Not our normal Friday morning & after not sleeping well last night & working all the day, trust me when I say I'm feeling it! Let's just say, in the nicest way possible of course, she kicked my ass! I actually did a seemingly innocent & easy looking workout. It lied. It was not innocent OR easy. In fact it was one of the hardest ones I've done yet which means one of two things: 1. It was made to look easy but sneak in & kick the crap out of you. or 2. I'm severely & grossly out of shape! (I'm bettin' on #2...)
I was seriously feeling light headed & a tad nauseas when I finished it. I recovered with a mile on the treadmill. I'm proud of myself for finishing but honestly it just showed me how far I still have to go. It also proved to me how far I've come. In January I couldn't have even gotten through one round of that torture if my life depended on it. Probably would've dropped dead trying. So the fact that I finished 3 sets of "stations" that consisted of 3 or 4 different exercises was just pretty cool. I'm super thankful to Audrey for getting me here, or helping me get here since it's not her skinny lil' self doing all the work! I pay her to tell me what to do & how to eat. What a scheme she has going on! Just kiddin' Audrey, you're super & we're truly blessed to have you helping us!
I hope all that crap pays off on that stupid scale tomorrow. If not, I know where a hammer is and I'm so not afraid to use it! (but then I'll just have to go buy another one. The stupid thing will tell me the same things that I'll either like or not. "Don't shoot the messenger"...) I guess my other alternative is trudge on till next Wednesday & pray for the best. Doesn't sound like as much fun but it's probably the better idea in the long run. Scale saved by clear thinking! Well, as clear a thinking such is possible with generic Ambien CR running through my veins. Off to bed. Results tomorrow.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Workin' the Journey
Day 75. Since it's 1:43 a.m. on Sunday it officially marks 75 days for Ryan & I starting this journey of getting healthy. Doesn't seem like it's been that long already. We have reached the point where it's strange for us to not workout, even if it's a normal day off that Audrey has scheduled for us. In 75 days we have only missed 2 workouts. That's not bad considering that missing one before Audrey came along was grounds for quitting altogether.
I have learned the joy, said sarcastically, of working out while sickly. I have a gland on the right side of my neck that's very swollen & very painful. I've had this before but usually it will swell for a day or two then go away. This time it's lasted over 7 days. Had to get a blood draw to check my thyroid "just in case", which I needed to do anyway for my thyroid medication but as anyone who knows me will tell you an appointment with a needle involved is not a good day for me. Almost passed out this time. Haven't had that for a while but it just proved to me that my fear & mental illness regarding needles hasn't gone anywhere.
I haven't been sick at all since spring of '09. This last few weeks I've been struggling with some minor sinus stuff and I just chalked it up to allergies & doing a lot of dusting in my house. Apparently, it's actually something trying to catch hold so my doctor put me on an antibiotic. I've only been on it since Friday and since it's early Sunday morning I've only had 3 doses. I hope it kicks in soon & I feel better.
Anyway, Thursday I skipped the workout. I just felt too terrible & couldn't suck it up to get it done. Friday I was considering skipping again but I felt like I'd feel worse if I did so I sucked it up & went. I'm glad I did but it wasn't easy. I only walked 1.23 miles on the treadmill but I stayed between 3.0 & 3.4 for speed & kept it at an incline of 2 for most of it. Then I got off & did some ab work & a bit of weight work. I decided since I didn't really go far on the treadmill I may as well put in a bit of effort some other way. I don't regret doing it & actually felt better when I was done, if not physically I felt it mentally. It wasn't easy because turning my head certain ways aggravated my neck & really hurt. Heck, even breathing heavy hurt. What happened though is that I proved to myself that I'm stronger than I thought I was & I can do this even when I don't really feel so great. Another excuse shot down. (sarcastically) Thanks Audrey... Of course I wouldn't push it if I was seriously ill or injured & I wiped everything I used or touched down with the antibacterial wipes they provide like we always do, but I did do a workout. I know it's just a small thing but I was proud just the same.
For those keeping track with us weigh day was, well, great for Ryan & "UGH" for me. Ryan broke his plateau & weighed in at 245. That's 6 lbs lost for him. I was stuck at 204 for the second week. I think he set down the plateau & I picked it up. Crap. Oh well, there's always next Wednesday! If, by chance, that day doesn't come for me I'll be the short fat girl partying it up in Heaven with Mexican food, pizza, wings & chocolate cake, along with my fruits & veggies of course.
I have learned the joy, said sarcastically, of working out while sickly. I have a gland on the right side of my neck that's very swollen & very painful. I've had this before but usually it will swell for a day or two then go away. This time it's lasted over 7 days. Had to get a blood draw to check my thyroid "just in case", which I needed to do anyway for my thyroid medication but as anyone who knows me will tell you an appointment with a needle involved is not a good day for me. Almost passed out this time. Haven't had that for a while but it just proved to me that my fear & mental illness regarding needles hasn't gone anywhere.
I haven't been sick at all since spring of '09. This last few weeks I've been struggling with some minor sinus stuff and I just chalked it up to allergies & doing a lot of dusting in my house. Apparently, it's actually something trying to catch hold so my doctor put me on an antibiotic. I've only been on it since Friday and since it's early Sunday morning I've only had 3 doses. I hope it kicks in soon & I feel better.
Anyway, Thursday I skipped the workout. I just felt too terrible & couldn't suck it up to get it done. Friday I was considering skipping again but I felt like I'd feel worse if I did so I sucked it up & went. I'm glad I did but it wasn't easy. I only walked 1.23 miles on the treadmill but I stayed between 3.0 & 3.4 for speed & kept it at an incline of 2 for most of it. Then I got off & did some ab work & a bit of weight work. I decided since I didn't really go far on the treadmill I may as well put in a bit of effort some other way. I don't regret doing it & actually felt better when I was done, if not physically I felt it mentally. It wasn't easy because turning my head certain ways aggravated my neck & really hurt. Heck, even breathing heavy hurt. What happened though is that I proved to myself that I'm stronger than I thought I was & I can do this even when I don't really feel so great. Another excuse shot down. (sarcastically) Thanks Audrey... Of course I wouldn't push it if I was seriously ill or injured & I wiped everything I used or touched down with the antibacterial wipes they provide like we always do, but I did do a workout. I know it's just a small thing but I was proud just the same.
For those keeping track with us weigh day was, well, great for Ryan & "UGH" for me. Ryan broke his plateau & weighed in at 245. That's 6 lbs lost for him. I was stuck at 204 for the second week. I think he set down the plateau & I picked it up. Crap. Oh well, there's always next Wednesday! If, by chance, that day doesn't come for me I'll be the short fat girl partying it up in Heaven with Mexican food, pizza, wings & chocolate cake, along with my fruits & veggies of course.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Milestones
Dear Wednesday,
You used to be my friend. You were the halfway point to the weekend. You were an 'easy' day. Now I stress about you, almost to the point of fear sometimes. You see, on a Wednesday in the not so distant past you became "Doom Day" aka Weigh (& Measure) Day for Ryan & I. So now I awaken on Wednesday mornings & really don't know what to expect from you. Will things be good? Bad? The same?? Oh, if only I knew ahead of time! I so hope that at some point, very soon, all my Wednesdays will return to being good days. Please conspire with my brain to continue to make good choices & with my scale to show lower numbers. For now I will continue to stress, worry & at times fear you. I do want to thank you for being kind today & taking a bit of pity on us. Please continue to do so. I know that at some point you'll return to being one of the better days in our week!
Sincerely,
Me
Today I found out I lost 3 more pounds. I'm now down to 204. 5 more pounds & I'll be under 200 for the first time in YEARS. I was stuck at 245 for so long & never moved. Then when I finally did a year & a half ago it was to move UP to 249. Now being this close to being out of the 200's is such a strange feeling. Ryan lost a pound, down to 250. Not sure if it's the end of the plateau for him or not but a pound lost is still a loss. He feels like he's not doing well but pointed out his belt to me tonight. When he first bought it he had to use the 2nd set of holes. Now he's using like the 9th set. Tell me that's not progress! I can see it in him even if he can't & no matter what the scale says or the tape shows, I can see changes in his body. He says he can see them in me too, I unfortunately cannot. No matter what, we both have milestones that are coming within our grasp. Getting under 200 for me, breaking out of the plateau he's been in for over 3 weeks for him. Hopefully both will happen soon & we can look forward to our next set of milestones, whatever they may be.
Another milestone I hit this past week was that I WALKED 3 MILES! Took me 57 minutes to do it but I did it AND, I walked all of mile 2 at 3.5, which is my fastest speed to date. The rest was walked at 3.4. I was so excited & proud! 3 miles is something I honestly never thought I could do. I know to some people this may sound lame & they're like "Really? Is she really that stoked about 3 miles??", but YES, I am! I was the type of person who used to sit in my recliner & think that people who walked, jogged or ran 1 or 2 miles a day were nuts & that I could never do that. The idea of 1 mile exhausted me, let alone the idea of 2 or more! Now I'm doing 2 every day I walk & pushing to 3! Huge acomplishment for me!
I'm not competing with anyone but me at this point. In the end I'm the only one I'm really ever going to be competing against since there will always be someone out there that can out do me. As long as I'm doing my best & improving my times, distances & being able to increase my intensity & survive, then I'm successful & consider myself a winner!
"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have."
--Norman Vincent Peale
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second."--William James
You used to be my friend. You were the halfway point to the weekend. You were an 'easy' day. Now I stress about you, almost to the point of fear sometimes. You see, on a Wednesday in the not so distant past you became "Doom Day" aka Weigh (& Measure) Day for Ryan & I. So now I awaken on Wednesday mornings & really don't know what to expect from you. Will things be good? Bad? The same?? Oh, if only I knew ahead of time! I so hope that at some point, very soon, all my Wednesdays will return to being good days. Please conspire with my brain to continue to make good choices & with my scale to show lower numbers. For now I will continue to stress, worry & at times fear you. I do want to thank you for being kind today & taking a bit of pity on us. Please continue to do so. I know that at some point you'll return to being one of the better days in our week!
Sincerely,
Me
Today I found out I lost 3 more pounds. I'm now down to 204. 5 more pounds & I'll be under 200 for the first time in YEARS. I was stuck at 245 for so long & never moved. Then when I finally did a year & a half ago it was to move UP to 249. Now being this close to being out of the 200's is such a strange feeling. Ryan lost a pound, down to 250. Not sure if it's the end of the plateau for him or not but a pound lost is still a loss. He feels like he's not doing well but pointed out his belt to me tonight. When he first bought it he had to use the 2nd set of holes. Now he's using like the 9th set. Tell me that's not progress! I can see it in him even if he can't & no matter what the scale says or the tape shows, I can see changes in his body. He says he can see them in me too, I unfortunately cannot. No matter what, we both have milestones that are coming within our grasp. Getting under 200 for me, breaking out of the plateau he's been in for over 3 weeks for him. Hopefully both will happen soon & we can look forward to our next set of milestones, whatever they may be.
Another milestone I hit this past week was that I WALKED 3 MILES! Took me 57 minutes to do it but I did it AND, I walked all of mile 2 at 3.5, which is my fastest speed to date. The rest was walked at 3.4. I was so excited & proud! 3 miles is something I honestly never thought I could do. I know to some people this may sound lame & they're like "Really? Is she really that stoked about 3 miles??", but YES, I am! I was the type of person who used to sit in my recliner & think that people who walked, jogged or ran 1 or 2 miles a day were nuts & that I could never do that. The idea of 1 mile exhausted me, let alone the idea of 2 or more! Now I'm doing 2 every day I walk & pushing to 3! Huge acomplishment for me!
I'm not competing with anyone but me at this point. In the end I'm the only one I'm really ever going to be competing against since there will always be someone out there that can out do me. As long as I'm doing my best & improving my times, distances & being able to increase my intensity & survive, then I'm successful & consider myself a winner!
"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have."
--Norman Vincent Peale
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second."--William James
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Determination
Aggravated. Frustrated. Irritated. Mad. Sad. Bummed. Those are a few words that have been in our minds the last several days. We had "Doom Day" aka Weigh Day on Wednesday. I gained one pound, 207. Ryan was at 251 for the 3rd week in a row. It sucks feeling like you're doing everything right for no pay off. Honestly, it makes me want to give up. According to Audrey there's several reasons this could be happening for Ryan & for my gaining a pound. All I know is I wanted to murder that damn scale! I wanted to beat it into oblivion with a hammer! I know that destroying it won't change what it said to me. I know that the only thing that will change what it says is me are the choices I make. I know that I'll keep trying to make good choices & doing what's needed to get the results I want to see. You see, it has now become a war. A war I refuse to lose. I will battle my weight & I will win. It's been winning for far too long now & it's time it was put in it's place, far away from me.
So we're going to change up a few things with our caloric intake & our exercise & see if that doesn't move things along. In a perfect world we would have a trained chef to take care of all our food needs & be able to exercise as often as we wanted but since that's just not in the cards, we'll keep doing what we can to make it better on our own.
One thing that has been helping me is seeing other people going through the same things. I watched "I Used To Be Fat" on Mtv. Man, the work those kids put in was crazy but the results they got out of it were amazing! Not sure if I'd have the strength to work out 4-6 hours a day like that. Good for them for doing it while they're young. I also read Weight Watchers magazine & Shape and it helps to read about others who've struggled but have managed to get to their goal & stay there. My favorite inspiration, besides the encouragement from Audrey, is a book I got when we were in Salt Lake City about a month ago. It's a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book called "Shaping the New You". The stories in it are inspirational, funny & at times informative. What I'm finding out is that there's no easy or perfect way to do this. It's about changing your food choices, exercising, finding what works for you & sticking it out. So, I've made the changes in food choices, I'm exercising & now it's just the sticking it out.
I'm still waiting for the "easier" part to start when it comes to not craving my favorite foods but the work outs have gotten much better. I walked 2 1/2 miles in 47 minutes the other night. Let me break this down for you: I've gone from barely being able to walk 20 minutes at a speed of 2.5 to walking over 45 minutes at a 3.2-3.4 & completing a mile in 18:45-19:00 since January, not to mention the other work outs we do in addition to the walking or elliptical. So, I know that's not a great time, but it was really good for me & part of it was going slower for my cool down time. When I hit that mile... pure elation! I love that I can do that now. Audrey is talking to us about a possible goal of walking (or running) a 10k at the end of July. I'm seriously thinking about it. On January 19th when we started I thought that was a pipe dream & something I'd probably never realistically think about doing. Now I feel that it might actually be attainable. I even get a little excited when I consider it. We'll see. Who knows, there may be an athletic spirit buried underneath all this padding after all....
"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."
--George Sheehan
So we're going to change up a few things with our caloric intake & our exercise & see if that doesn't move things along. In a perfect world we would have a trained chef to take care of all our food needs & be able to exercise as often as we wanted but since that's just not in the cards, we'll keep doing what we can to make it better on our own.
One thing that has been helping me is seeing other people going through the same things. I watched "I Used To Be Fat" on Mtv. Man, the work those kids put in was crazy but the results they got out of it were amazing! Not sure if I'd have the strength to work out 4-6 hours a day like that. Good for them for doing it while they're young. I also read Weight Watchers magazine & Shape and it helps to read about others who've struggled but have managed to get to their goal & stay there. My favorite inspiration, besides the encouragement from Audrey, is a book I got when we were in Salt Lake City about a month ago. It's a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book called "Shaping the New You". The stories in it are inspirational, funny & at times informative. What I'm finding out is that there's no easy or perfect way to do this. It's about changing your food choices, exercising, finding what works for you & sticking it out. So, I've made the changes in food choices, I'm exercising & now it's just the sticking it out.
I'm still waiting for the "easier" part to start when it comes to not craving my favorite foods but the work outs have gotten much better. I walked 2 1/2 miles in 47 minutes the other night. Let me break this down for you: I've gone from barely being able to walk 20 minutes at a speed of 2.5 to walking over 45 minutes at a 3.2-3.4 & completing a mile in 18:45-19:00 since January, not to mention the other work outs we do in addition to the walking or elliptical. So, I know that's not a great time, but it was really good for me & part of it was going slower for my cool down time. When I hit that mile... pure elation! I love that I can do that now. Audrey is talking to us about a possible goal of walking (or running) a 10k at the end of July. I'm seriously thinking about it. On January 19th when we started I thought that was a pipe dream & something I'd probably never realistically think about doing. Now I feel that it might actually be attainable. I even get a little excited when I consider it. We'll see. Who knows, there may be an athletic spirit buried underneath all this padding after all....
"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."
--George Sheehan
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