Be Empowered

4 flights of stairs.  So one thing I set out to do at the beginning of all this, one small change I made was taking the stairs at work.  I've always hated stairs.  After 2 flights, I could barely breathe.  And I rarely ever took stairs WITH anyone because I didn't want them to hear the labored breathing and fire drills were the worst.  We'd all be walking back upstairs and I'd be practically holding my breath when we got to the top so people wouldn't think I was dying.  Truth be told, even now, it's usually just one flight.  And sometimes I skip doing it if I'm with people that don't take the stairs.  This morning, a friend drove me to work.  I walked up 4 flights in the parking garage and I wasn't even winded.  That's a heck of an NSV!

Sometimes it's really easy for me to forget how far I've come in the last few years but I have come far.  After feeling like crap after my last spin class, thinking that somehow my muscles just weren't getting it done, this made me feel better.  This leads me to the long overdue post inspired by another Bodyworks instructor.

Be Empowered

It's been several weeks now so I can't remember the context of how she said it or what we were trying to do when she said it.  My guess is we were doing something people were struggling with but she said "Be empowered to push yourself!"

Yes!  So of course I spent the rest of my class thinking of all these things we must be empowered to do.

Be empowered to commit to a healthier lifestyle.
Be empowered to make a difference in your own life.
Be empowered to put yourself first.
Be empowered to try new things, new foods, new experiences.
Be empowered to train harder.
Be empowered to love yourself no matter your size or short comings.
Be empowered to accept others for who they are and not expect them to be something they aren't.
Be empowered to do whatever it takes to be the best version of you that's possible.

We can do all this.  The power resides in each one of us to take hold of a dream, whether it be a weight loss goal, being healthy, a new career, being a better parent...anything...take hold of that dream and empower ourselves to make it a reality.

100!!!

No...not pounds.

PUSH UPS!!

So I could come up with all kinds of qualifiers for this...they're just "girl" pushups or whatever but not going to do it.  I did 100 freakin' girl push ups last night!!

So that's one goal I can check off my list.

I came back to work yesterday to gifts.

My first "professional gift" from a vendor.  

A friend from work was in a baking mood this weekend so he gave me a pumpkin loaf and roll.  Proud to say I only had one tiny slice of the roll.

So things are pretty crazy this week but proud of myself for getting back to the gym last night and even prouder to be able to check one of my goals off for the year.  I still need to find another 5k...starting see more of them pop up around here so hopefully this won't be a problem.  I'm doing spin class tonight...it's been awhile..hopefully it doesn't kill me.  :)

Crazy week here at work so I'm reading...maybe not commenting much...but I'm reading.... 

TTT on Friday

So I started Ten Thing Thursday yesterday but didn't get it finished up...so here we go.  The part is blue is what I've added today.

1.  I worked out TWICE yesterday (Wednesday).  I did the cardio kickboxing class and a Zumba class.  I had a protein smoothie in between.  I felt so good about this.

2.  I realized last night that Zumba just isn't enough anymore.  When I first started back at the gym at 230 lbs, I tried Zumba and loved it and it kicked my butt.  I still like it, I think it's tons of fun and is a decent work out.  But it's not the BEST workout for me anymore.  It's not enough.  I need to add weights or something to do before or after in order to really challenge myself.

3.  I also realized how HUGE that is!

4.  A friend of mine has been trying to get back to the gym so she's been hitting a few classes with me.  Again, thin does not equal fit.  She struggles through the classes and is sore the next day and all those terrible things that come with working out at first.  When I told her I had done the kickboxing class before Zumba, she was somewhat astounded and then asked, "Could you do that when you first started?"  The question cracked me up.  Of course I couldn't!  I remember starting out with my BFF who had just lost a bunch of weight and how I felt very uncoordinated, clumsy, slow and out of shape next to her.  Now I'M that friend.  Crazy switcheroo in my mind!

5.  I'm going to Bodyworks tonight.  I'm hoping Yolanda takes it a bit easy as I'm a little tired.  She didn't.  :)

6.  5 Days to Disney!!!  Wahoo!  I think we're telling the girls tonight.  So excited!  All kinds of drama with this last night but over it now and all is well.  :)

7.  They moved my desk at work and my new location sucks big fat donkey balls.  *SIGH*

8.  I took notice of my recovery time last night.  I thought I'd struggle with Yolanda's class because of the two workouts the night before but I was good.  It used to take me days to recover from workouts like that.  Now I wake up a little sore and stiff but by mid morning, I'm not sore at all...leaving me fine for my next work out.

9.  In my search for a hobby, I realized that I don't really have time for one so I'm taking a cop out.  I'm claiming working out as my new hobby.  I enjoy it, it takes up at least an hour of my day a few times a week and I'm enjoying the benefits.  It distracts me from day to day stress.  Hobby - Check.

10.  NSV - So I had an NSV I had never thought of before yesterday.  Now, no matter how close to my car the douche canoe next to me parks, I can squeeze out of it.  I don't have to crawl across the front seat to get out on the passenger's side.  Now I may still bang the car door into that other car to teach them a lesson but overcoming urges to do things like that requires additional personal growth.  

11.  Friday Funny:

New PR

2 of them actually.  So I decided to do some cardio before Bodyworks class.  The class is more for strength training so I figured I could get a run in before then and be fine.  I decided to run the first mile as fast as I could without stopping.  This is where I ended up.

Yep...That's a full 38 seconds off my previous fastest time for a mile.  I'll take it.  I still had time to kill after that so I did another mile...just walking...

Then came the Bodyworks class.  She changed it up a bit with walking lunges and squats and push ups and almost a full 20 minutes on abs.  Pretty early on, I was wishing I hadn't did the cardio before hand but I survived and even saw a new PR...88 girl pushups.  VERY close to my goal of 100!

So good workouts yesterday...makes me feel good!  :)  I've got spin tonight...bring it on!

Eating was just so/so but it wasn't TERRIBLE so I'll take that as well.

NSV and B.O.

Don't worry...not my B.O.

First the NSV:  I ran a "quick" mile before my Bodyworks class last nights and finished in 11:50.  New PR for yours truly.

Next the B.O.  Seriously...I get people are sweaty and they're working out but some guys just absolutely reek at my gym.  I think I mentioned the guy from spin class last week who smelled so bad that I found it hard to breathe and we all agreed that breathing is a very important part of spin.  Well, last night, I'm about halfway through my run when an older guy gets on the treadmill next to me...same stinky problem!  I mean...truly almost knocked me out.  But on top of that...the guy on the OTHER side of me kept snotting into his HAND!!!  WTF?!?!  Seriously?  How gross are these two individuals?  AND the guy didn't even have a towel so he's snotting into his hand and rubbing it in and touching the treadmill and...gagging here....just so gross.  I would've moved but I was already over half a mile in and didn't want to break my stride.  Eeeewwww...still icked out by it.  After my one mile, I went to Bodyworks class.  Our regular instructor was there and it was a great workout!  Then I went home and had a slider (Hubby and I have ventured into the world of pre-prepped/marinated meat at Sprouts and he can just throw it on the grill.  So yummy) and some raw veggies with dip.  Pretty good stuff.

So I think I've decided not to do the Ragnar Relay.  It sounds like an amazing experience but I just don't think I'm a strong enough runner for it to be ready by February....I'm still looking into it but right now I'm leaning towards no.

I've got spin tonight so that'll be fun!  Otherwise, we're just moseying along here.  Pretty jealous of everybody who gets to go to Chicago this weekend.  I know you'll all have a fantastic time and I can wait to see all the pictures.  For those not going, don't worry...I'll still be here, blogging away to keep us entertained.

My Body Really Doesn't Like It

That's probably the best way to describe how I feel right now.  So I finished Friday off strong.  Then everything went downhill for the weekend.  My eating was terrible...too much fried stuff, too much booze (oops!) and too many carbs.  And I'm paying for it.  Last night, I was miserable.  My stomach was making terrible noises of protest, I felt bloated and well...just plain blah.  My stomach just cannot handle days of eating crap anymore, apparently.  This is a good thing.  I'm actually looking forward to eating cleaner today.  I will say this...I definitely think this fill did some good as while the food choices weren't good, the portions were spot on.

So the weekend was good...Saturday we hit up a couple Halloween stores around town checking out all the spooky stuff.  My girls have decided to dress up as Dorothy (ala Wizard of Oz) and one of the Monster High dolls.  That night, Hubby and I had a date night.  We went to a local place called Monsterland Bar & Grill.  Very interesting place.  It's a former haunted house that they've turned into a bar so there are these animatronic monsters everywhere...very dark...they really stick with the theme.  Then we went to our favorite little local dive bar to finish out the evening.  We picked up the girls and went home...always nice to have a little kid free time.  Sunday, we didn't do much of anything.  We were supposed to go to one of my oldest friend's daughter's baptism but the girls weren't feeling well so instead we hung around the house, did our grocery shopping, hit the library and that was about it.  Now it's Monday and I'm back at work (ugh) and back on plan.

Hubby and me at Monsterland - really tough to get a good pic because it was so dark!

Thank you all for voting for my warrior tshirt... I'm leaving the poll up (top right of the blog) for a couple more days to see if there's any drastic change but right now, Wonder Woman has a hefty lead.

I signed up for my first 5k of 2013 already.  The event sold out last year so I wanted to make sure we made it in this year.... for the second year in a row, we're doing the Color Run!  This time, the whole family is doing it so it should be a blast.  Some of our friends are doing it again this year and even some AZ Bandsters are looking into it.  I still have one 5k to work in this year to hit my 5 in a year goal...just gotta find one that speaks to me.

Today, it's Body Works (hopefully the regular instructor or a different sub this week).  Only 33 days until the Warrior Dash and I'm not messing around.  I feel myself getting stronger and readier each time I work out.  The part I'm probably most worried about is the wall climb...smooth wall and a rope...Not sure I can lift my butt over it.  I've gotta find somewhere to practice something like that.  ***NSV*** New PR on the push ups front.  I did 55 girl push ups in my last Bodyworks Class!  More than halfway to my goal of 100!***

I lost a follower over the weekend.  It happens...guess my blog just didn't speak to her...and that's alright.  I want to touch on this for a minute...I know we all love followers and super LURV comments but ultimately it's about support and accountability, right?  So if you lose a follower here or there or have a hater that comments on your blog, you can't take it too personally.  Unless you have one of those ubersuccessful blogs that gets 18 billion hits a day, your blog is pretty anonymous.  These people don't know you, don't know your personality and it's really easy to be mean to other people when you're anonymous.  You can't let people like this get you down...it's really not worth it.  :)

So in honor of everybody and their brother having a blog and getting a little wrapped up in it (raising hand...) a little Monday DEMotivation...yes?

You Get to Decide

What I'm wearing for the Warrior Dash!  The Warrior Dash is a crazy thing but there's one thing crazier...the people who do it.  People come up with costumes and stuff for this thing.  Now, I'm not going in costume.  I'm going to have a hard enough time getting through without dealing with a costume and I'm still a little too insecure to go around looking for attention but I thought it would be cute to add a little zing to what I wear so I'm wearing crazy rainbow knee high socks and super hero tshirt.  You get to vote on which shirt I wear!  I've added a poll to the right side of my blog (at least I think I did...let me know if it's not there).  Please tell me what you think!



I figure I'm practically a super hero anyway.  So pick which one's your favorite and that's what I'll wear on Warrior Dash Day.  Yes, it's going to get muddy and probably ruined but I'm OK with it...I think I may have it framed...mud and all.  :)  Also, if you're a dork like me...you'll enjoy thinkgeek.com.  It's awesome sauce.  I may not actually buy the shirts here if I can find them cheaper elsewhere but I want one of those two looks.  If I do Batgirl...I'll probably look for bumble bee striped socks and for Wonder Woman...Well...Red, White and Blue of course.  :)

Checking in for yesterday.
List of NO's:
No fast food. Check
No carbonation. Check
No Starbucks.  Check
No pasta, rice or bread. Check
No chocolate, candy or sweets.  Check
No juice, milk or sugary drinks.  Check

List of WILL's:
I will work out at least 4 times this week.  3/4
I will limit the amount of processed foods I eat.  Check
I will go to sleep at a decent hour.  Check
I will be kind to myself.  Check 
I WILL stay on plan.  You betcha.

Good stuff.  I went to Yolanda's Bodyworks class... I SO love her!  It's seriously like having a personal trainer once a week.  I'm bit sore today which feels great!  ***NSV*** When we were doing the heavy weights last night, I could SEE my bicep.  I could SEE the muscle as I was doing it in the mirror...I could also see the giant batwing (maybe Batgirl IS the right choice! LOL) underneath it but my muscles are getting bigger and I like that!

I had a disturbing convo with the crappy boss yesterday.  Basically, HER boss has taken on a mentoring role with me.  We'll call him S...and we'll call crappy boss TDL (The Dark Lord).  Yesterday, TDL implied that S has been filling her in our sessions and kept putting "mentoring sessions" in quotes as if that's not what they really are.  Then she implied that he was only doing it to get a feel for what's going on in our group.  This immediately made me paranoid wondering if that was true.  I hadn't said anything that TDL couldn't know about but my latest assignment may not be complimentary to her.  S has always struck me as very sincere and straight forward so I would think if he wanted to know something, he would just ask as opposed to allotting time for it every month.  It seems too sneaky for his tastes.  He is, however, VERY business savvy judging by his history with my company so maybe I'm reading him wrong.  It's more likely that TDL is just trying to get in my head and derail my efforts because she sucks like that.  Ugh.  So glad it's Friday.

Not much planned for the weekend.  It'll be nice and quiet.  Hope y'all have a great weekend and how about a super hero Friday Funny to keep with the theme??

2 Year Bandiversary

So it's been two years since I've had this little plastic ring placed around my stomach.  How have I fared?  Well, I don't have many deep or heart wrenching thoughts about my second year bandiversary so we'll start with the numbers...

   

I've lost a total of 74 lbs and 14 points from my BMI.  I've lost a total of 44 inches all over my body.  You'll notice only ten of those lbs and 5 of those inches were lost this year.  Am I disappointed with my second year?  Yes.  But I want to be very clear about what I'm disappointed about.  Am I disappointed with my band?  No.  This was all me.  I got lazy and I got complacent.  The band took me as far as it could go and it was up to me to get me the rest of the way.  I didn't get it done.  But I'm still so happy with how far I've come in 2 years and I didn't gain...that's the most important thing.  Am I giving up hope?  Never!  This year saw some great NSV's....

• I've run 4 5k's this year!
• 2 5k's in one day!
• I've broken out of my shell a little bit and engage in social behaviors!
• I'm taking impromptu fitness classes!
• I'm looking for active things to do - groupons to rock climbing (which I still need to actually spend), taking the stairs, etc.
• I'm not associating food with the movies anymore...once in awhile I won't get popcorn if I'm not hungry.
• I did 43 floors on a stairmaster!
• I'm able to do so much more without being sore or achy or just worn out for the day - cleaning the garage for 4 hours...like it's nothing.  I can walk for HOURS!
• I can fit into my high school graduation dress.
• My high school class ring fits!
• I can walk sexy in a skirt - my hips (and yes, you can now tell I have some) actually swivel!
• I can wear an apron that ties all the way around to the FRONT.
• "One Size Fits All" fits me!
• Seat belts on planes are no problem but more than that...my thighs don't even touch the sides of the armrest AND I can cross my legs on the plane!
• 11 mile hike - not so bad!
• I wore a work out tank top in PUBLIC!
• My Inner Demon isn't as loud as he used to be and I think even HE'S starting to enjoy this new body..instead of telling me not to work out at all, he tells me to make it a short one
• No more granny panties!
• I did a turkey trot with my daughter...we ran...in public...in front of others...and built a lasting memory and maybe a new tradition.
• I wore a shirt tucked in for the first time in years.
• I can bake stuff without sampling now.
• I haven't had a soda or beer in MONTHS.
• I'M MORE HAPPY WITH ME!!!

So there you go.  That's a year worth celebrating regardless of what the scale or measurements say.  Is Year 3 too late to reach goal?  Absolutely not!  Writing this post has truly reinvigorated my resolve and motivation.  Maybe that's all that's been lacking this year.  So...without further ado...the progress pic...

Tuesday Check In

I just wanted an accountability post, so checking in:

There's my list of No's:
NO Starbucks - Check
NO carbonation (easy one but I still list it because it will always be a temptation) - Check
NO fast food - Check
NO eating lunch out during the workweek. - Check

The my list of DO's:
DO work out at least 4 times this week. - 1 down/3 to go
DO drink at least 64 oz's of water every day - Check
DO go to bed at a decent hour - Check
DO resist urges for sweet treats - Mostly Check

So yesterday, I picked up the girls from school, went home, did some 2nd grade homework and then Hubby got home and I headed to the gym.  He got home a little closer to 5:30 than he usually does so I got the gym just as the Body Works with Abs class was starting.  Now usually I research the classes a bit...what's the general fitness level, do I need my own mat, that kind of thing.  But I felt like it was kismet so I headed in.  I walked up to a complete stranger and asked her, "Excuse me.  What class is in here right now?"  
Stranger: "Body Works Plus Abs."
Me (looking around as the last class was leaving and new people started filing in):  "What do I need for it?"
Stranger: "A step, mat and 2 sets of weights."
Me: "Got it.  Thanks!"
And I walked over, got my equipment...which included a light set of weights and a heavier set.  I set up a spot near the back and waited for the class to start.  It wasn't bad.  It was mostly strength building using the weights.  I don't feel like my abs got much of a workout.  Honestly, I didn't feel like I had gotten that much of a workout at all so I did a quick quarter mile sprint after the class just to feel like I DID something.  I was thinking it was a waste of time...until I woke up this morning.  My arms and legs are sore, sore, sore!  Holy cow!  I'm not sure that it'll become part of my regular routine but it definitely worked some muscles that I hadn't been working.

So quick recap of the NSV's here:

1. I walked up to a complete stranger and talked to her.
2. I attended a FITNESS class that I knew nothing about ahead of time.
3. I felt that the class didn't give me quite the workout I needed so I went for a super quick RUN right after it.
4. I had tweaked my knee earlier in the day going up the stairs in the parking garage, decided it didn't hurt bad enough to thwart my work out efforts, so I wrapped it up and went anyway.
5. I had a conversation with overweight coworker who walked down to my car with me and asked why I don't park on the 4th floor since I get in so early and I responded with "This way, I can take the stairs."  I didn't say "This way, I have to take the stairs" or "This way, I force myself to take the stairs."  

5 NSV's in just one day.  It's easy this far in my journey to take these little things for granted and not congratulate myself for them on a regular basis.  I think to myself, "These are things you do every day now.  Of course you should be doing this by now.  You've been on this road for 2 years now!"  But let us not forget how far we've come and what a different mindset this is from just 2 short years ago.  

How many NSV's did you have yesterday?  

Paleo Day 2

Day 1 went pretty well.  I AM surprised at how difficult it is to stay  under 1200 calories though.  I DO think it estimates my coffee calorie intake a bit  high but whatever.  I came in 92 calories under the calorie goal and got 91 g of protein in.  Of course,  mfp says  that's way too much and also thinks I take in too much fat but I'll just have to live with mfp's opinion on that.  Paleo is similar to low carb in that it doesn't think fat by itself is a bad thing.  So I'm not going to worry to much about it.  I even managed to stick to my food plan despite having to leave work midday to pick up my youngest as she was running a temperature of a 103.  Hubby is actually who picked  her up from school but since he's  not permanent yet, I didn't want him having to take the rest of the day off.  So  we looked like quite the corporate pair yesterday.  Hubby picked her up and got her to the doctor and then I met them there to take her home.  He was in his  business attire and for  whatever reason, I was wearing a skirt and nice blouse yesterday.  Talk about sharing the load and new gender roles.  It just struck me as funny.  This IS the modern family.  But despite the shake up of schedule, I stuck to my food plan.

Today I'm home with my daughter.  Being able to work from home is such a blessing in times  like this...I don't get behind on anything and I don't have to use sick time.  Awesome.  I have a plan for the day.  Just wrapping up breakfast which is the same as yesterday.

Meal Plan:
Breakfast:  Frittata and coffee
Lunch:  Tuna with tomato slices
Snack:  Nuts or an apple
Dinner:  Paleo Shepherd's Pie

We'll see how I do.  Forgot to mention my NSV over the weekend!  So Hubby and I went to see Avengers and we were deciding if we wanted popcorn AND nachos or just nachos and  we realized that we weren't hungry so we didn't get anything.  Not even a drink.  This one was tough because it felt like we SHOULD get a snack because that's what we do when we go to the movies.  But we didn't.  Very proud of us.

One thing I am struggling with is the "no soda" rule.  To recap, I gave up soda at the beginning of my banded journey and slowly went back to having maybe 1 every once in awhile...like every couple weeks. I finally figured out that my horrible shoulder pain was caused by the carbonation.  So I gave up all carbonation again...no soda, no beer, no sparkling wine...  It's been several months  now and no pain.  Great!  For some reason, the last couple weeks I have wanted a coke or a beer so bad!  I think it's the hotter weather and nothing tastes better than a nice cold soda on a hot day.  So far I have withstood the temptation because it's not just about being healthy or the sugar or the empty calories, it's about the pain.  The pain that actually had me unable to get out of bed one day.  So I'm not going to do it.  But I miss it.  Isn't that jacked up?  Anywhoo...hope you're all doing well.  Thanks to Angie for checking in on me today!   She's doing great with tracking and is motivating me to stick with it.

In other news, I think there's some big announcement coming at work.  The signs are there...unannounced meeting at 8:30 this morning,  our quarterly business meeting  at 10 and then an uppity up scheduled a follow up call immediately following.  Generally, this doesn't bode  well.  We shall see.  I'm bummed I'm not there...but I've got some eyes and ears keeping me posted.  

Happy Tuesday all!

2 5k's - Check

Well, I did it.  2 5k's in one day...and I'm feeling it.  Here we go in pictures and then lessons learned at the bottom.  

Bright and early at Girls on the Run - little one was a little clingy.

She got over it.  She's center pink and her sister's to the far left.  They did the 100 yard Kid Dash during the 5k.

After - almost as pink as my shirt.  It was hot.

Getting ready for the next run...

Whole family for the Glow Run - the girls did the 1 mile with Hubby...I did the 5k.

Just me...Size medium shirt and my new armband for my new phone so I could have tunes.

She's READY!

Hubby rarin' to go.

Let's get the show on the road.

So there ya go.  The "after" pic of the second run is too awful to post so I won't.  So how'd I do?  I finished the first 5k in 42:32, placing 109th overall out of 157.  Not great but pretty good considering I didn't train AT ALL for this.  It was also a little rough as I've been fighting this cold so I felt like I couldn't breathe through most of it.  Also, the build up of mucous and the band made it really tough to get the water to go down at the water stations so I was dehydrated.  It was also first thing in the morning so I hadn't eaten anything.  So lessons learned here...Get up early enough to prehydrate and eat a little something.  I think I would've done better.

The second one was even more pitiful.  I finished in 47:30, placing 195 overall out of 267.  Not terrible considering I had already done one earlier in the day.

Am I proud of how I did?  Yes and No.  One the one hand, I'm extremely proud that I did 2 5k's in one day.  Two years ago, that certainly never would've entered my mind.  I'm also proud that when I did my first 5k last year, I trained for over 3 months and finished in 40:35.  Only 2 minutes longer and no training at all.

What I'm not happy about.  These events were supposed to be a motivator to exercise, work out and train.  It obviously did not work.  Second, I finished 2 minutes SLOWER than when I was significantly heavier.  Third, I am HURTING today.  I was miserable yesterday and still ridiculously sore today.  I may have overextended my knee a bit as well which is making this a little extra miserable to walk around.

As far as Ron and the girls, they finished their mile in about 25 minutes which for little 4 year old legs is pretty awesome.  They were really excited to get to participate and Hubby was great about keeping them happy, occupied and motivated.

This is my last event for Spring.  The weather's getting too hot to continue for this part of the year.  The bright side is I've completed 4 out 5 of my goal of 5 5k's this year!  So I'll only HAVE to do 1 in the Fall and of course, the Warrior Dash.  Thinking of getting a personal trainer for the warrior dash training...try to get me into some kind of work out groove.  If this weekend showed me anything, it's I have a LONG way to go.  NSV: Both race shirts were a size Medium.

How about some Monday DEMotivation?

Weekend & NSV's

This weekend saw a few NSV's that I'm especially happy about.  They're listed throughout.  Can you find them all?  Hehe...manipulative ploy to get you to read the entire blog.  Kinda like a "Where's Waldo?"

I made it to the gym again on Friday and it felt awesome.  I did 15 minutes on the crosstrainer and made it 1.3 miles, burning 150 calories (per the machine).  Then I did 15 minutes on the evil stairmaster (I think that's what it's called?  The escalator thing?).  Anyway, this machine always kicks my ass and I'm scared I'm going to fall off of it.  I chose an interval type workout on it where it speeds up and slows down throughout the workout.  I wanted to quit after 9 minutes but saw that the slower pace was the next interval so told myself I'd work through at least that and then it was 9 1/2 minutes and I said "I can get to 10."  And so on and so on until I had my 15 minutes.  Workout summary:  43 Floors!!!  Any idea how many "real" floors that would be?  Like...is that true?  So then I went on to do my assisted pull up, chin up and dips, chest press, leg presses, sit ups, etc.  So this was me 43 floors and weight training later:

NSV #1:  43 floors and I didn't die.  Progress!

So then I picked up my girls and we went to get our hair cut.  My oldest went super short but it's really cute.  My youngest and I just got a trim and our bangs cut.  We're cute too.  :)  Then we went to my parents' house to say hi.  My daughters had been asking to go since Wednesday.  My mom had started going through the spare bedroom's closet and she found my high school graduation dress.  For kicks, I tried it on.  NSV #2:  IT FIT!!!  Yes, ladies and gents...a dress I owned at age 17, not only zipped up but I could breathe and didn't look half bad.  Spanx preferred?  Yes.  Needed?  No.  I forgot to have Hubby take a picture but I took the dress home and will have him snap one tonight.  I can't tell you how it felt to get in that dress.  NSV #3:  That I actually tried it on.  I know 70 lbs ago, I never would've even attempted that and seeing that dress would've just made me feel completely depressed.  I'm embracing things like this now.

Saturday, we got up, went to breakfast where Hubby and I split a skillet thing.  We split everything these days.  Then we tackled that garage.  We worked steadily for 4 hours but got it done.  I wish I had a before and after shot but alas...I forgot to take one.  Seriously though...it looks awesome.  NSV #4: I never took a break.  I walked, carried, hauled, cleaned, and rearranged for 4 hours without stopping.  And when I was all done, I didn't feel completely wiped out.  I could've gone all day if I had to.  70 lbs ago, this would've taken all day with the breaks I would've needed.  I felt especially good about that.

Sunday was spent kinda lazing around.  NSV #5:  After the workout Friday and cleaning out the garage Saturday, I was expecting to wake up really SORE.  But surprisingly, I was OK.  I woke up a little stiff but it quickly wore off as I got up and moving.  Previously, I would've been barely able to move following two days like that.  We took the girls to get their pictures taken.  They are too cute!  Once I pick them up, I'll scan some and get them on here...as soon as I figure out how to use our scanner.  Hmmm....  Then we went and bought NEW PHONES!!!  I have been needing and wanting a new phone for ages but just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it.  Well, this weekend...we sucked it up and bought new iphones.  I'm so flippin' excited!  Then we went to Target and bought new lunch boxes as I made the mistake of leaving mine in the work fridge on the last weekend of the month when they clean it out.  Oops!  I'll take a picture of that too as it's super cute!

So that was the weekend.  This week is going to be pretty busy.  I've got a conference at work today, tomorrow and Wednesday.  Tonight, we have an early kindergarten information session for my youngest.  Public schools recommend your child be 5 by August 31st for kindergarten.  But they have "early kindergarten" for kids turning 5 between September 1st and December 31st.  Lori's birthday falls in that timeline.  So they'll have to assess her and all that to see if she's ready.  If she's not, she's not but we're looking into it anyway.  Tomorrow, that conference has a dinner/reception thing which is great for networking so I won't be home until late.  Thursday, I have an ultrasound.  Before I can get the ablation in May, they have to do an ultrasound and biopsy just to make sure everything is A-OK.  So ultrasound on Thursday and biopsy on May 2nd.  So busy stuff this week.

I've also decided I'm going to join that gym I've been trying out.  My old gym is nice but just not what I'm looking for right now and since this gym has no contract, if I do want to go back to my old one, I can just cancel.  The other 2 places I checked out were just way too pricey for how often I'd be using it.  And here's where I should clarify.  I am NOT looking to work out at a gym 5 days a week right now.  That's unrealistic for my schedule.  So paying $40 or $50 per month just isn't worth it for only 2 days a week.  So anyway...going to swing by the gym at some point this week (maybe Thursday) and get signed up.  Speaking of exercise...let's check in with the tracker (I'm sorry this post is so long).

OK...So only 4 times so far this month but that's 4 times more than LAST month so I'm takin' it!  And since this is going to be a very busy week...we need a DEMotivator...

So did you find all the NSV's?  Here's hoping to a great week folks!

Best Laid Plans

I swear someday I'm going to work out.  It WILL happen.  Some day I'm going to go home and just do it like I'm supposed to do it and like I've planned to do it.  Yesterday was not that day.  My mom finally made it back to town.  She's been up north for about a month, dealing with my grandmother's health, then the funeral, then getting things in order for my grandpa.  So I took the girls over there to see her because they've missed her so much.  I'm sure she's happy to be home and to see them too.  Then I had dinner with the BFF.  I knew I was going out to dinner so it was within my plan.  No worries.  We went to Starbucks after dinner because it was "Kids Eat Free" night at the restaurant and we'd had about enough of that and Starbucks was right next door.  So I did have coffee house coffee that was not really in plan but that's alright too.  Got home around 9 which is about a half hour before my bedtime.  Was not working out at that point.  Don't know what my deal is...just can't seem to make it happen.  But in an attempt to be kinder to myself (See 2012 goals to the right), I'm going to list what I did well yesterday and how I'm feeling this morning.

1. I stuck to my breakfast, lunch and little handful of nuts.
2. I said no to the tagalongs at my mom's house and remain chocolate free.
3. I have been carbonation free for a couple months now (at times it's been difficult to say no to the Coke or beer but I'm doing it) and I've had NONE of that shoulder pain I was experiencing before.
4. I brought my lunch today and am not going to be persuaded to go anywhere.
5. I can walk sexy again.  I don't recall ever walking sexy before but I'm sure I did at one point.  I'm wearing an outfit today that makes me feel really good about me and makes me feel thin and attractive and something about the way the skirt clings in some places makes me swivel my hips when I walk.  That's right...I said "swivel."
6. While I haven't started working out, I feel really good about how I'm eating this week.  Feels good to be somewhat "on plan."
7. I've had quite a bit thrown at me at work this week and feel that I'm handling it all pretty well and that maybe my boss doesn't think I'm completely incompetent.  That'd be a good thing.

So over all things are pretty good.  Hubby is liking this job he's got.  Hopefully it turns into a permanent position.  If it does, we're thinking of taking the girls to Disneyland this summer.  I'm doing some research in preparation just in case and I'm an analyst (well, I used to be...guess I need to change my profile) and researching is in my wheelhouse. Not sure if the finances will work out, but if they do, I'm all about it. 

So that's my Wednesday so far.  Feeling good.  I have meetings starting at 9 up until I leave.  Going to be a long day.  So how about a Hump Day Happy Thought to keep up the good vibes?

Darn!

I didn't work out yesterday.  There.  I fessed up.  Get off my case about it!  Just kidding.  So my motivation held throughout the day.  My eating was right on target.  I did have a very small handful (It was more like fingersful...like 10) of nuts that I had brought to work just in case.  But I made meatballs and a salad last night for dinner...and didn't even have a snack after that in the evening.  We got home, I did homework with my oldest, folded all the laundry and then made dinner.  My intention was to work out after dinner.  Well, that didn't happen.  The girls ran into a neighbor and her kids outside so I visited with her for awhile and had a cup of coffee chatting.  Then once they had left, I ran into my next door neighbor and stood and chatted with her for awhile.  By the time I made it back inside, it was time to put the kids to bed.  Needless to say, it wasn't happening after that.  I know this sounds like excuses and I guess in a way it is but it just didn't happen.

I am proud of myself for a couple of other things though.  1)  I stuck to my meal plan for the day.  2) I woke up late this morning, forgetting that I wanted to take a shower in the morning (I usually do it at night) and get gas before work.  But I still made my lunch to take to work today instead of chalking it up to having no time.  I was 6 minutes late to work but worth it.  3) I had another NSV last night.  I have an apron.  No...I'm not Martha Stewart but I found myself slopping all over my work clothes when I make dinner so my mom bought me an apron.  I could barely tie it around my back when I got it.  Last night...not only did it tie but it wrapped around to where I could tie it in the FRONT.  Like so...

Not me or my apron, just an example

Today's work out is supposed to be 30 minutes of cardio.  I'm thinking the treadmill at home.  I have a salad and deviled eggs with me for lunch and am meeting my BFF for dinner tonight.  So obviously going out for dinner but that makes me even happier that I brought my lunch.

Hope y'all are having a good Tuesday.  :)

One Size Fit All

Everyone has tried something on that said "One Size Fits All."  And most of us here in this weight loss blogosphere has been more than disappointed when we found that we were not part of the elite "all."  They've even had to change this moniker to "One Size Fits MOST" since it was clear that "all" wasn't true.  I'm sure we've all tried those on too, only to find much to our dismay that we aren't part of the "most" club either.  I think the biggest offender is Halloween costumes, but also shawls and ponchos, certain sweaters and undergarments as well.  Well, ladies and gents.  I happened to check the size of an item I'm wearing this morning to see if it was a Medium or Large and it's neither.  The tag says "One Size."  I made it!  I'm in the "all" and the "most" club!  I did a little happy dance this morning.

This got me thinking about the phrase "one size fits all" and it seems that doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers and the general population seem to think that all of us that need to lose weight can use a "one size fits all" solution to do it.  I think if these blogs are a testament to anything, it's that this just isn't true.  I suppose in the most general of terms, we can go with "eat less and exercise more and you'll lose weight."  But how much less?  How much exercise?  Cardio vs Strength Training.  Low Carb vs Low Fat vs Low Cal.  Paleo diet vs "diet" food sold in stores.  Running good for cardiovascular health but bad for knees?  WLS vs The "Natural" Way.  There are so many different ways to lose weight.  We all need to find what works for us and go with it.  I love reading about other people's methods, experiences and advice but I can't get too upset if those methods don't work for me.  My lifestyle isn't conducive to working out at 4 a.m.  It just isn't.  And if this is going to be a long term, true lifestyle change then I need to come up with a system that works for me alone.

Also, I did not mention this but I did have a NSV on the plane.  Seat belt fit just fine with room to spare, my thighs did not even touch the sides of the seat and I was between my dad and another kinda big guy and wasn't completely squished in like sardines.  I could even cross my legs during the flight.  Good stuff.

Not sure if I had mentioned previously (was trying not to jinx it) but Hubby has a 3 month contract with a big company here in Phoenix.  He started Monday and aside from adjusting to a corporate culture and still not having a computer at his desk, he likes it.  He's learning a lot and it's good experience.  We're hoping it turns into a more permanent position but for right now, we're happy for this opportunity.

No big plans this weekend.  Taking the kiddos out to breakfast and letting them try out roller skates tomorrow morning and that's the extent of the planned activities.  This is, of course, dependent on me getting my house clean today.  I started cleaning on Wednesday and am still working on it.  I came home from my trip and it looked like a tornado had rolled through my living room.  I've managed to get the downstairs pretty good but the upstairs is still a wreck.

And a Friday Funny:

I'm Back

So I made it back.  The funeral went well.  Very good turnout. My grandmother was very well liked and related to just about everyone within 3 towns of where she lived.  I must've met at least 20 8th cousins twice removed kind of people that I never knew.  I got in Thursday night.  Funeral was Friday morning.  Then we had the required lunch for everyone after the funeral.  Being a catholic funeral on a Friday during Lent meant the church required we serve fish.  I've never had fish at a funeral but we got some of that for the catholics and some lunch meat and cheese for the noncatholics.  The church ladies provided everything else which meant TONS of desserts and salads and casseroles...all of which were absolutely delicious.  One such dessert was a ho-ho cake.  That's right...a ho-ho cake.  This looked fantastic but I'm proud to say I didn't even try 1 bite and stuck to my no chocolate rule.  It was tough...seriously.  I stayed with my parents and grandfather so for the last 5 days I've eaten nothing but fish and sandwiches and cake (there was carrot cake and white cake there too) and cookies and banana bread.  Monday was spent going through my grandmother's clothes and jewelry with my mom and her sister.  Not fun.  We tried to pick out pieces we thought the women of the family would like to have and then they're having the rest of the jewelry appraised and sold or whatever.  I picked what I liked out of the bunch for my sister and I but I have no idea if I got the "valuable" stuff.  I don't really care.  It's nice to have something that was hers.  I did pick out two rosaries that I'll give to my daughters for their confirmations.  Thought that would be nice.  I realized while I was up there that my cousins have very different memories of my grandmother than I do.  My brother and sister too, I suppose.  We moved from up north when I was 5 weeks old so my grandmother was always a long distance grandma, seen once or twice a year and cards and gifts on holidays.  The rest of the grandkids remember Grandma's cookie jar always having a little treat in it and this little plastic kid cups in the shape of cowboy boots.  Those memories are empty to me.  I felt a bit cheated while I was up there in that I missed out knowing my grandmother the way they did...the way my girls know my mother...cookies and all.  To be fair, I didn't go out of my way as an adult to get to know her much better.  I visited every few years if I could.  I need to make more of an effort to visit my grandfather more often. I was supposed to leave Monday night but the flight got cancelled so I didn't get in until 3 pm Tuesday afternoon.  Check another day off of work for that.  I came back to work yesterday, absolutely exhausted and deflated.  I'm starting to feel human again today.

In other news, I weighed myself this morning.  155.  That's 2.5 lbs down from the last time and a new low!  I'm shocked given how I ate over the weekend but I'll take it.  I did get out on Saturday and Sunday for long walks so that must've helped.  I also had an NSV just before I left.  I was trying to decide what to wear to this thing and I have the perfect dress hanging in my closet.  I don't remember when I bought it but I recall it didn't fit for long.  I looked at the size...size 9.  Yeah right.  I tried it on and I could zip it all the way up.  It looked way too tight and I won't be wearing it in public yet but it zipped.  And I didn't even need to call Hubby in to do it.  I zipped it up myself...all the way up.  A size 9 people!  I'm getting there.  I can't wait to be in single digits.  I honestly can't remember the last time I was.  I think I was 18 or 19...maybe.

My pain was gone by about Friday.  At least that's when I stopped taking the pain meds.  I finished my antibiotic on Sunday.  I have been pain free since.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers this last week.  I'm feeling better now and am looking forward to things getting back to normal.

At some point, I'll post pics of the Renaissance Festival.  I completely forgot to do that.  Also, I have no prayer of catching up on all the blogs so if something exciting happened while I was gone - a milestone, death, marriage, engagement, childbirth, surgery, etc - please leave me a quick comment so I can check it out.  Otherwise, I'll just be starting over with the current stuff.

Happy Thursday everybody!

Followers, Hike and Weekend

First...I logged in this morning to find 200 followers!!! When I started this little blog, it was to find some support in this whole banding thing.  I never thought I'd have so many people playing along in the world of Candyland.  Truly...I feel so lucky to have found this little (though quickly growing) niche in the blogosphere. Thank you all for the support and inspiration.  Now on to weekend.

Big Hike.  5.6 miles up... and 5.6 miles DOWN.  So I wound up hiking with my BFF and some of her friends from work.  2 of these friends are real hikers and one is just a skinny little thing who is too funny.  Anyway, I held my own on the way up.  Slowed them down a little but not too bad.  We made it to the top. Yay me!  Then they all said that instead of taking the bus down, they were gonna walk it.  Mmmmmkay.  I was set on the bus but I didn't want to be the only wuss who took it.  So I walked down.  That's right ladies and gentlemen...that makes over 11 miles walked on Saturday...half of them UPhill.  I did not die.  I tell you what though...I could barely MOVE Sunday.  Still sore today but getting better.  Here are some pics.

My walking group...Me, BFF, Skinny Thing, Jeff & his dog Guiness

Darn glare!  But yes...I made it to the top

I wrote this on the "Why I Climb Wall" - for my brother in law

Very excited about making it to the top

So some NSV's yes?

• A year and a half ago, I was training for the 3 Day.  BFF and I did a 4 mile training walk through hilly terrain.  I was slow, I was sweating, and I almost didn't make it to the end.  I did 5.6 miles UPhill and felt OK.  I did 11 and didn't feel as bad as I did after that 4 miles.  Amazing!
• I couldn't pick up my tshirt until the morning of the event.  I didn't want to carry one around so instead I went in search of a tank top I could wear under the shirt as not to be too hot.  I found one at Target...size MEDIUM.
• I tried on the size large and the size medium 3 times each before deciding that medium was the best way to go.  It clings more to the tummy than the large but provides the girls with more support.  I got on the park and ride bus in that tank top and, for the first time ever, wasn't self conscious that people thought "What is that fat girl doing in a tank top?"
• 11 miles.  That's a half marathon.  That's right.  I walked a half marathon.

After the hike, I went home, showered, and then off we went to a friend's 4 year old's birthday party.  It was fun..more like the kids just running around while parents hung out kind of thing than an actual party.  Sunday was spent being sore and at the mall.  The kiddos play on this little play area thing at the mall and love it.  We popped into the Disney Store to reserve a copy of the Muppet Movie and let the kids color a picture there.  We bought them a pair of shoes and then hung out at home.  

My grandmother is not doing well.  She is able to speak at this point and feed herself but still cannot move.  She's also experiencing heart failure and has liquid on her one lung.  It's really just a matter of time.  My mother seems to be holding up OK but I am debating flying up there to be with her.  We'll see.  

So it's Monday... work has been really stressful the last few days and today doesn't look as though it's going to be any better.  But I feel good about how I spent my weekend and I'm on the healthy train.  I was going to start up the 30 Day Shred but the muscles just aren't going to do it today.  Thinking of breaking out an old yoga video instead.  I have my breakfast and lunch packed along with a healthy snack if needed.  Some goals for the week:

1. No cookies
2. No chocolate
3. No fast food (Mon-Fri)
4. No coffee house coffee (Mon-Fri)
5. No eating out (Mon-Fri)
6. Get all my water in
7. Work out at least 3 days
8. Minimal snacking

Sounds like a lot but really it's just breaking stuff down into pieces.  Hope y'all had a great weekend.  For a little Monday DEMotivation:

Nothing Much

Nothing much new to report here.  This week has mostly been about work.  This new position (Is it still new after 2 months?)  requires more hours but not more work which is fascinating.  Here's an interesting aspect of the corporate world.  In my old position, I felt like I worked hard and was making a difference for my company but got virtually no respect (or money) for my efforts.  In this new job, I do MUCH less work, don't feel like it really makes a difference at all and get way more respect and money for less effort.  WTF?!?!?!  This is why I'm not cut out for corporate America.  So I've had to work late 2 days this week but that's alright...with Hubby out on his own, this position couldn't have come at a better time because he can pick up the kiddos and I can bring home the bacon, so to speak.

I came home yesterday to find a big ol' bag of stuff from Victoria Secret.  Dear, sweet Hubby loaded me up with 3 new bras and a gaggle of panties.  NSV:  The panties are size MEDIUM and the bras are 38C.  They are all fairly functional (although some are obvious a man picked out. LOL) and they're all in pretty colors and designs.  I admit...under garments are one of those things I have put off buying...I guess I'm just more concerned with what everyone sees on the outside.  They don't know if my panties are baggy, ya know?  But I guess Hubby knew and now I've got all new stuff that fits and looks sexy.  How awesome is he?

We went to a salad bar yesterday - Swe.e.t T.oma.toes.  Now I know some people love this place.  I've never liked it but we had a coupon and my favorite salad bar closed down.  So we go...first, WAY overpriced for what you get.  Premium toppings (aka PROTEIN) cost extra and it's set up so that you don't feel comfortable getting more salad if you want more.  Then they have 8 different kinds of soup, a couple hot pasta dishes, fresh fruit (this was whole apples and pineapples folks...oh yeah and jello...since when is jello a fresh fruit?) and ice cream.  The soup was ick, I avoided the hot pasta dishes, jello isn't fruit and mac and cheese is not a suitable option.  So I basically had a small salad, a chocolate chip cookie, 2 bites of nasty chili and finished my youngest' ice cream cone.  So will not be going back.  What made me laugh though is that this band can work two ways.  Since I can't eat very much, I want WHAT I eat to be very yummy and satisfying.  However, in cases like last night where everything is just so-so, it's OK too because I don't have to eat that much of it to not be hungry anymore.  It's a win-win.

After dinner, I reached in my purse to find a tip for the server when I realized my lip gloss had leaked all over EVERYTHING.  Time to find a new purse.  I went to JC Penney and found one I like for $8.  Can't beat that.

No plans for the weekend.  Hubby is going to a soccer game Saturday night so it'll just be me and the girls.  Otherwise, pretty boring. I might post a BYOC later if Draz gets around to putting one out there, but for now I leave you with a Friday Funny: