Perfect Timing

Miss Kate has perfect timing. I've been thinking seriously about how my body's doing, how I want it to be doing, and where my current habits will take me -- and I'm not liking the end of that path so much. I need a new one.

I also like the idea of small changes. Baby Steps. I realized just the other day that my littlest "little" one is now too big to be the culprit in my weight issues, and that this is on me. Pretty sure there's some underlying hormonal issues -- and I'm also pretty sure that I like to eat more than I should. And that's where I'm starting.

Several months back, I got the stomach bug, and I was sick. I got so incredibly thirsty, but if I drank more than the tiniest sip, my stomach rebelled and badness ensued. It took incredible self-control to limit myself to the little sips - teaspoons at first - that my body could tolerate, and I was soooo thirsty. Since then, I've been pondering that experience, and the phrase "bridle your passions." For several months I've been resisting the lesson, as it applies to my weight. I like to eat. Dessert is nice!

For me, part of my problem is a habit of indulgence. I know that I have a will strong enough to control my body - even strong urges, like to drink when I'm extremely thirsty. I have not been using much self-mastery in this area; indulging is pleasant. And the scale's slow ticking upward is the effect.

I really like the idea of small changes. So. Here's my plan:

1. No more than one piece of bread or one sandwich at a meal.
2. If I have dessert, it will be only one helping in a day.
3. Drink 2 quarts of water - every day.
4. Daily supplements. I've got a couple. I'm not being consistent -- and they help my overall health.
5. Weekly bike rides, at least for the summer.

So. I know that regular check-ins help me. Monday is going to be my check-in day. This week is the start of some new habits for me, too.

New Bathroom Scales

We bought a new bathroom scale, and I was pleased with what it said Sunday morning. Of course, Sunday afternoon I went to my first Superbowl party, and there was some good food. MMMMMM. Especially that chocolate thing... yeah, I indulged. But it's not an everyday thing, so it shouldn't be a huge setback. And, now I have the means to keep an eye on things!

Also, I set up my ticker again. I forgot my pin, so I had to make an entirely new one.

Small Change, Big Help

So I finally got tired of eating the nasty school foods!! So Mom and I decided to buy some lunch meat and have me bring cold lunches to school. I started bringing my own lunches on Monday, and so far, I've already lost 3.5 pounds!! Yay!!! All because I'm no longer eating the nasty, greasy school "food." I'm so excited. Now I have to find a good workout to add to it, and then stick with it, and I'll be all set. I'm so excited!!! ^.^ I've also been snaking less after school, and the lunches I bring stay with me longer so I'm not as hungry at the end of the day. I eat less at dinner, but it doesn't feel like it because I'm eating healthier foods. :)

Feelin' Good

So, lately I've been trying to back into the habit of doing healthy things; better eating, better exercise.. you know, all those things that are supposed to make one healthy, wealthy and wise. Ok, I still have questions about the last two, but I am feeling good.

Then, earlier this week, I took it to the next level. I decided that, in order to get my tummy-crunching-leg-lifts and push-ups in, I would have to get up about 15mins earlier than I have been. This naturally led to my stretching a little before I tried to get my just-out-of-bed body to actually do anything besides sit in a dazed stupor.
It's only been since Monday, but I've really noticed a change in my mornings! If this week is any indicator, I may actually graduate from being a Reluctant Morning Person to actually not minding mornings. Crazy!

I Get It!!

I finally understand why people run! Why it is that runners get so strange about missing a run, why they spend so much money on that expensive gear, why they go out in the rain and snow and whatever. Why they run.

It feels good!

Whoa. It was super cool this evening. I ran more than I have ever before. I discovered a stride - one that uses my whole foot, kind of a rolling motion - that just works. It was completely amazing. I got totally nasty sweaty, but instead of feeling nasty it felt like an accomplishment, in a strange sort of way. And I could breathe. Most of the time. Except that since I was doing so well I pushed it, so then I couldn't breathe. But as soon as that passed, I'd run until it happened again. And I was running more than before too; instead of running 1 walking 2 and not even that, I was running 1 walking 1 a good bit of the time. It was so cool!

Also, I weighed myself and got out the old measuring tape this morning. Good news there too: I'm down 3 pounds. One more and I get a new badge. I'm hopeful that I'll have it before the week is out. Most of my measurements are also improved over last week.

Oh, and I need a shower. Man, am I stinky. Andy says the sweat smells worse at first, and once your body cleans itself out with the heavy sweating it gets better. I sure hope so!

Trying to build momentum (again)

So, I went to the doctor yesterday (nothing serious.. mostly just a check-up) and, of course, they weigh you with their very accurate and unflinching scale (as opposed to mine at home which i KNOW is 10lbs light, but it's still nicer to see that number even knowing what it really means).

Ugh. I don't know how I can feel like I look better and see muscle definition in multiple places and still be gaining weight. Part of me argues that muscle weighs more than fat.. and I AM building muscle... However, I'm pretty sure that my tendency toward sugary snacks is not blameless either.

I actually received a terrible surprised earlier this week when I looked at the nutrition info on the yogurt covered raisins (the only way i like raisins) that have become a regular snack for me at work, and realized that there really isn't much nutritional value to them at all! No fiber, protein or calcium. Just carbohydrates. Now I have to find a new, healthier snack. Boo!

So, I was praying about getting some help to aid in my lack of willpower when it comes to food last night and I've decided to go back to Sparkpeople. I can get myself up every morning and do my workout (admittedly, sometimes more energetically than others) but I really struggle with the amount of food that I take in. I think that if I can revisit the idea of being aware of my caloric intake that I'd be less likely to indulge as frequently as I have been.

Back on the wagon with me.

Lovin' the Measuring Tape

Yes, indeed I am! The scale isn't nearly as encouraging as I wanted it to be. But I started taking measurements, and that requires records. I am reminded why it is that we liked records so much when I worked at IDTC: they make little progress real, keep away discouragement, and keep the goal on track! They make progress visible.

So, here is my progress:

Weight: down 3 pounds
Waist: down 1/2 inch
Hips: down 1 3/4 inches!!!
Thigh: down 1 inch.

I'm so excited about these numbers! They are 2 weeks worth of time, and I was feeling rather blah about the weight, as I'm not into new numbers yet, nor am I below 200, and I had hoped to be. However, I AM about 10% of the way to my first goal. And when I make it to that goal I'll have my doctor call in some fertility drugs! Wooooot!! Talk about your non-food rewards!!

Oi Oi!

Alrighty. So, I know it's not Thursday, but today is the day I'm getting back on the wagon. The last few months I've been being better about working out.. however, I've NOT been better about watching what I eat. So, my weight hasn't ballooned, but it's still not anywhere that I'd like it to be nor is it going in the direction that it should. For a while, my measurements were going down (so i didn't mind the scale too much) but now I don't even have that and I know it's time for some changes.

Back last Fall, I was doing pretty well by working out 4 or 5 times a week (for me, it is clear, 2 or 3 times is not going to get me the results I want). So, now I'm going to get back to that sort of routine. Gotta stop with the slacking and get on with the determination!

Sparkpeople here I come!!

New motivation

Well, I AM still alive. So there's a Freshman Formal dance coming up at school, on the 28th of February I think. I convinced mom to buy me a dress, but I need to do sit ups ir something so I can get my belly to not bulge as much in the time I have. mom said that if I do between 10 and 25 sit ups every day, maybe twice a day, that I could get my stomach to noy bugle so much. :) YAY!! I'm trying that to see how well it going to work, so I'm going to go in my room and see how many sit ups I can do. A while ago, I went to my dear oldest sister's house, and she and her husband were trying to help get me a routine for excersising, and he said that I'm not really breathing when I excersise. I suppose that's not very good. He told me that I should count" 1,2" for every breath in, and every breath out. So far it's been working wonderfully. You should tell your husband thanks for me, dear oldest sister. :) I was also thinking that in addition to my sit ups, I would walk on that treadmill that's downstairs once a day, for about 20 - 30 minutes, and see how much I can do, and try to take less time getting that far so I can go farther in the same amount of time. :) WHEE! I haven't been doing very well with my dieting and whatnot, but someone at church today commented that I was looking skinnier! That made me feel SO good! That meant that the little things that I was doing were working! YES! I love all of you sisters and mother of mine!

Young Sister in Wisconsin :)

Battling the Bulge

Ooooh.. Vacations are dangerous things! We did walk, and walk, and walk, aaaaand walk every day that we were there, but we also ate more than we would normally. I actually didn't do too bad (i weighed myself after getting back) and I only gained 3 or 4 pounds. But I definitely need to get back into the drinking water thing and visiting the gym thing. I'm doing pretty ok with the water drinking, however I am struggling to get to the gym.

There are definitely some drawbacks to working out over my lunch hour. Not only does it complicate getting errands run, but also, it requires that I remember to pack all the necessary bits of clothing (every morning) that are needed to actually utilize the gym. Today I had grand plans for getting back on the wagon. I was going to hit the elliptical machine and go to work on my tummy and hinney. Alas, today I forgot the necessary bits of clothing. Sigh.

Pressing On

Now that the wedding is done, it's time to get rolling again! Been awfully quiet around here, I'm wondering what you girls are up to these days? I'm still trucking along in the push-up challenge. We're into week 3 now, and it's going well. I did 47 pushups, divided into 5 sets, the other day. I still need to do my pushups this evening before I go to bed. Working out has been more difficult, as has drinking water. I always do better when both Andy and myself are at home. There's been a lot of one or both of us out and about lately. Hopefully that will ease up here shortly and I'll be able to rebuild my routine. I was doing so well this summer, but I've really been struggling to re-create that this fall.

I went shopping this evening and picked up a lot of fruit and some veggies to chop up. I've been realizing that my food is a significant part of the problem. I need to eat more fresh chopped veggies, more plain fruit. I need it as snacks, at meals, all the time. It's better for me. It's less calorie-filled, so it will help me reach my goals.

Today I bought pears and apples. I also picked up some bananas and peppers. They are yummy. They are things that I like to eat. Pears and apples are even more or less in season still, so they fit nicely in the Word of Wisdom:

And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

I've got a long way to go, but I'm working on it! One of these days I'm going to start reaching some goals!

Chuggin' Along

Did my pushups and my run this morning. I finished day 1 of the running program. Feeling pretty good. On the way to doing well with my water too: almost finished with the first water bottle of the day!

Interestingly, I'm not nearly as hungry when I work out a lot. Andy says that it's completely normal, and happens because the blood moves to the extremities and away from the stomach. So I get to be less hungry. It's a great arrangement: I'm less hungry so I eat less, then I get to weigh less after a while!

Week 1 Day 3: 25 pushups.
Day 1: Run 1 Walk 2, x10.

8 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I admit that I've let the crazy stress of my life distract me slightly from the working out business. (though, not completely.. so I'll still fit in my dress) :) However, in looking at my calendar this week and realizing that tomorrow is my very last Thursday as a single woman, I've gotten a healthy dose of renewed diligence. So, Monday I went back to the gym for the first time in a little while and this morning I went back to my morning breakfast shake routine (which is ever so much healthier than a bagel lathered in cream cheese or peanut butter cap'n crunch) and I've been focusing on having healthier snacks.

However, for whatever reason, today I am STARVING!!! I generally have two snacks throughout the day and that's perfect, but it's an hour and a half until lunch I'm already on my second! First is almonds and craisons.. YUM! For the second, I snagged an apple and sliced it up and at work they've got this little personal portions of peanut butter that is perfect for dipping without going overboard. MMMMmmmm.. peanut butter.

Anyway, but today I'm hitting the gym again. Seriously, this wedding is an amazing motivator! I'll just have to be sure to not let myself stop once it is past and life calms down and the holidays set in. We'll have to be sure to keep cheering each other on!!!