Week 35: Day 6

Good morning!!

Okay, I'm back.  Seriously back.  I need the accountability of this blog.  I need YOU to be there for me and get my fat butt BACK ON TRACK.  This is just crazy!!  Yesterday I was on my way out the door and I took a nap instead of going for a run!  What on earth is that?!?!  I just kept thinking - who will care if I don't run?  Nobody cares.  Then this came to my mind - If Shaun wakes me up and asks when I'm running, I will get up and run.  That's a pretty "safe" thought for me...Shaun could care less if I go running.  He could care less if I lose any more weight.  He likely wouldn't mind if I put some weight back on!  It's ridiculous.  He was super supportive in the beginning, but I think I have now hit that place where he sees other people noticing the big improvement and it appears to be making him nervous? 

Anyway, that really doesn't matter.  Not to say what my husband thinks doesn't matter, but he is happy with my looks and truthfully always has been.  If I was doing this for him, I would have stopped after 20 pounds.  I certainly wouldn't have started this blog.  I have ZERO intention of ever leaving him.  I love my husband, and I know we will be together forever.  Not to mention the four kids we share!  Haha.  In all seriousness, this isn't about him.  It's about me.  It's about the goal I set forth to meet and the fact that I am down to 5 full weeks left!!  I owe it to YOU, loyal readers, to, at the very least try.

So, try I will!!  You will be reading daily food and exercise logs, you will receive a weigh in report on Mondays (and Wednesdays until Shrinkvivor is done), and I promise you I will show you that 40 weeks isn't too short to completely change your life.  Completely.

I'll probably go back to "outline form" since my thoughts are so rambly these days!!  Starting today...

FOOD:  Well.  Hmmm.  This morning I woke up and had an apple and coffee!  Then I had some dinner rolls with butter and honey.  Seriously, Audrey?  Hahahaha.  Yes, seriously.  Then - in the interest of full disclosure - I totally ate a hot dog.  I wanted some protein before I head out to run and it was the fastest thing I could find in the fridge!  The rest of today, I will be concentrating on small meals frequently.  The "Eat All Day Diet" does not look like enough of a "diet" for me to take seriously.  That sounds crazy, but I gotta KNOW I'm dieting.  Otherwise, I will justify every little hot dog bite that goes in my mouth.  Ridiculous, yes, but I'm just being honest here! 

I want some feedback, please!  I know Atkins SUCKED for me when I tried it in the beginnings, but who thinks maybe I should give it another shot?  I hesitate to even say "Atkins".  Basically, what do you think about low/no carb for a week with fruits in the mornings?  Proteins and veggies the rest of the day?

EXERCISE: For Shrinkvivor, we are counting fitness minutes again.  My team has been racking up some pretty great minute totals, and I totally feel like I'm bringing them down with my "low" numbers!!  This week I will commit to at least 60 minutes per day (really, there's only 4 days left in the week, but I do have some minutes already logged)...I will be very intentional about getting out with the kids for a walk or a little jog around the backyard.  In addition to my 60 minutes.  Right now I'm heading out the door for a 40 minute run with a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down.  I'm still following my 15K training, but I've decided to not go for distance, just go for time.  I know I'm consistently faster than a 10 minute mile, so I will multiple all of the mileage by 10 and run for that amount of time.  I'm even going to run in places where I won't be able to log distance.  I will just go ahead and let you know this will likely kill me.  I love knowing how far I've gone in X amount of time.  However, I really feel this is not the important part...I am taking my training seriously and I am trusting my body to let me know it's limits.  I hope this makes sense to someone other than me...

REAL LIFE:  Why not add this category.  I feel like you all care, right?  :)  I have started hostessing on Friday nights at my parents' restaurant.  Our move is completely finished and now we just need to get in the swing and routine of life here in Virginia!  While Shaun looks for work, I plan to do as much as I can at the restaurant and FOR the restaurant.  Also, I will be searching for "school" for at least the twins because they are definitely missing that structure and socialization in their lives!  They drive Conner crazy in the evenings when he gets home with "What did you do at school?  Did you have fun at school?  Did you get a happy face today?  Did you bring home some work?"  Sweet boys.  :)

Okay, off to run!  I promise!!!  And I will totally NOT let that damn comfy chair distract me again!!

xoxo 

Week 31: Day 6

Gooooooood morning!!!

Sorry I haven't been around.  No excuses will be shared.  Trust me, I have lots, though.  I just woke up and don't have my thoughts about me enough to have a great posting, but here are some bullet points I would like to share...

*  I officially signed up and paid my fee for Zombie Buffet 5K!  I signed up as a runner and chose wave 2 as my first choice or wave 3 as my second choice.  Basically, they are going to "release" the runners in 4 different waves and each of those waves will determine how many zombies you are likely to encounter during your run.  It's all very technical.  Hahaha!  I cannot wait.  I have thinking about a costume...not completely sure exactly what just yet, but cheerleader seems like an okay costume to run in, wouldn't you agree?

*  A few of the girls from my Mayor's Challenge 5K team have started training with the various offerings already!!  If you are interested, check out their website here for a list of all the groups that are meeting and when.  After the half marathon, I plan to meet at the McCabe Community Center for their 9 am runs on Saturdays.  Also, the Green Hills YMCA is offering trainings during the week on Tuesday and Thursdays at 11:30 (and Fridays).  You do not have to be a member if you are working towards the Mayor's Run! 

*  I have signed up for Shrinkvivor 2011!!  It is a 7 week Challenge offered up here.  Looks like a lot of fun and a good way for me to get back on track and have someone else tell me what to do!  Plus, you all know this girl likes a little competition.  ;)  I encourage you all to join up!!  There is even a non-weight loss group for those who want to participate in the " weekly physical challenges, check-ins, immunity idols, tribal councils" without losing any weight.  The registration lasts until Wednesday, September 21st, which is when they will randomly place you on a team of 7 and the challenge will begin on the following Wednesday, September 28th.

That's all my points for today, I think.  I am heading out in about an hour for my 10-miler, and then next weekend is the HALF!!  I am very excited.  I got a new shirt last night (yes, I will be wearing it for my run today to "test it out") and I am now looking for a white runner's skirt.  The black one would work fine, but I think a white one would be "prettier" with the socks I have chosen.  I'm such a girl, right?  This week I will only be doing 9 miles total throughout the week and I am definitely using Thursday as a FULL rest day.  Friday will be a "cross training with the kids" day...no plans yet, but I will try to at least be a little bit active with them to get my "jitters" out! 

Diet-wise, I don't know what to say.  I wish I could say I've been all good and on point...but I haven't.  I have been allowing myself bites here and nibbles there and a full slice of pizza last night.  It's just been hard!  For several reasons.  It seems that on days when I don't run (which suppresses my appetite for a good 2-3 hours), I am starving, like, alllllll day long!  I will eat the same breakfast as on any other day, but it will just do nothing but seem to fuel my hunger.  Very frustrating!  I should be using my Sensa, but I keep forgetting to sprinkle it on my foods!  Also, when I have a whey protein shake, or I'm eating a piece of fruit (like an apple or peach), I can't use it.  It's hard to form a habit with this, for some reason.  I have never been a big "seasoner" once my food is ready to be eaten, so that may be one problem.

Know what?  Basically...dieting is HARD.  It has become harder now that I've lost a lot of weight.  Hovering between 50 and 55 pounds lost is awesome, but I keep thinking about a time in my life when I weighed what I weigh now and I wanted to lose weight!  I want to have the stamina for that girl!  I will not, will not, will NOT give up.  I plan to kick ass at the Shrinkvivor Challenge and finish up these 40 weeks with a BANG!  I may be behind schedule, but that is NO reason to think I should stop here.  I can totally do this.

I found these pictures online...look how skinny my leg looks!
And, no, I am not wearing shin guards.  Haha.

Yeeeehaw!!  Have a great day,
xoxo

Week 29: Day 2

I promised to post every day, and I have 8 minutes before I need to go pick up the kids, so here goes! 

As I was running today I was thinking about some things.  Well, a lot of things.  During my run - which was mapped out by me yesterday and supposed to be 4 miles, also the first time I have run that distance (or more) with no intention of doing any intervals (meaning no walk "breaks"), AND was happening at 10:00 am which is significantly later (and sunnier!) than my usual runs...well, a lot was going on in my mind.  I kept wanting to quit, or cut out one little portion, but what kept me going was thinking about posting my run distance and time on dailymile.  Which, subsequently, automatically posts it here.  So, my drive to continue a tough run (only minorly tough, but there were a lot of hills and I was following my written down instructions, so I really didn't know what was next or where I was), was just the accountability of posting it here.  However, I do not seem to have that same "fear" when cramming my mouth with the damn peanut butter and jelly sandwich crusts I cut off the kids' sandwiches!!  Apparently, at some point, I stopped being completely honest here and feeling like all anyone cares about is how fast I can run a few miles.

That stops now.  I know you all are rooting for me.  I know for a fact you all are just as anxious about the end of my 40 weeks and seeing if I can actually get to that 80 pounds lost mark, as I am!!!  RIGHT?!?!?  Something I sort of lost sight of was the fact I only started running...STARTED running, like, 3 and a half months ago!  Does anyone reading expect me to win this 10K on Saturday?  Does anyone expect me to have a time of under 2 hours for the half-marathon on the 24th? 

Does anyone expect me to lose the full 80 pounds in 40 weeks?!?

I am going to imagine you answered "no. no. YES!"  Right? 

Let's refocus.  I am into this running thing, yes.  I enjoy the way I feel (mostly afterwards), and I really, really like training and having something structured to follow.  I will NOT stop running.  However, want to know what I plan to START doing?  (again)  Ha, ha, ha.

You are gonna be my food journal.  SparkPeople-SchmarkPeople.  You are my people.  You have been watching from the beginning (or whatever), and you have been encouraging me and inspiring me and following this blog.  I love it.  You deserve to see me ROCK IT until the end.  Yes!

First thing this morning I had an apple with my yummy new Caramal Apple Pie coffee.  Some of you may cringe, but dude...it was freakin' gooooood.  I think made a Whey Protein shake with water, ice, a banana, and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.  Also, very good.  :)  After my run I went to lunch with my big boy kindergartner and ate a bag of air-popped popcorn (80 calories) and his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  (eek!)  I didn't pack anything and the veggie choices of corn or spinach just weren't doing it for me.  LOL  At home I had a bowl of low-fat cottage cheese topped with almonds and a plum.  Mmmmm. 

I am planning out our week of meals and heading to the grocery store this evening, so I will have a small dinner that is heavy on the vegetables.  I haven't completely decided what meal plan I would like to follow, but I am considering Jackie Warner's plan.  If you recall, I only did her 2 week Jump Start, and I'm thinking I need to give her a few weeks try...the back of the book contains sample menus for me to follow.  I like it easy. 

Time's up!  I'll write more tomorrow!

xoxo