HAPPY DANCE!

Yay!  I made my goal for the first week of the challenge!  I am down to 237.6!!  It was up and down for me this week with the house-sitting.  Very hard to stick to an eating plan when you don't have access to your carefully stocked fridge and pantry!  Even on the days I tripped (think evil gingersnaps) I did not go WAY over my calories.  My goal for next weeks weigh in is 235 its another 2.5 lbs so I will have to push it just as hard if not harder to make it.  I hope I can do it!  That will get me 1/3 of the way to my goal for this challenge and considering that its a 6 week challenge I would be right on track.  I am going to be switching more towards the sugar busters eating plan next week.  Not hugely different from what I'm doing now just a bit more substance.  I need to start working on a meal plan to support that goal!

I ran last night.  Hit a record time of 41 minutes.   Part of me grumbles that its only 2 minutes down from where I started but another part of me is just thrilled to see any forward movement at all.  35 minutes seems years away but I will just keep doing what I can.  I really need to find another day to run.  I would like to do it on the weekend but my weekends have been so crazy busy lately that I don't even know where I would put a run!

Tonight I ride!  The weather is finally starting to clear up even though there have been some threats of rain.  I am really looking forward to some serious riding.  Now that its drier and the footing is improve.  Its hard to get serious about cantering on a wet and muddy arena (at least for me).  I need to give Romeo a really good bath as he is shedding like crazy right now.  I come home covered in horse hair.  Though I am looking forward to him getting his shiny summer coat back.  Next winter I may try to invest in a blanket for him to prevent the huge winter coat.  Will have to see how that goes time and unforeseen occurrence and all.

Non Scale Victories

I have been thinking about non scale victories aka NSV’s the changes during your weight loss journey.  These things are the whole reason you choose to lose weight in the first thing.  The 100 annoyances that come from being too big. 

One of my favorite NSV is the regained ability to cross my legs when sitting.  I spend quite a bit of time in dresses and skirts this is huge for me.  This was such a big deal to me that I used to daydream about an invention that would hook a heavy persons knees together when sitting.   I still can’t cross “prettily” but I can do it comfortably.  Every time I cross my legs I get a little thrill of excitement.  Finally months after I reclaimed this ability I have begun to restrain myself from excitedly pointing it out to my husband.  Huzby was very forbearing even managing to muster some excitement for me the first hundred times I pointed excitedly at my crossed legs.  Now I can tell he is starting to suppress rolled eyes.

 Another NSV is the ability to sit in and get out of chairs that have arms without them becoming a permanent part of me.  It is so nice to actually be able to use the arm chairs for my arms instead of them becoming embedded in my hips inches below my elbows.  

 I have almost gotten over my fear of other people backseats.  That traitorous chime that compels the driver to survey if everyone has their seatbelt buckled. With me struggling once again to stretch the seatbelt around my bulk.  Sometimes managing it panting red faced but victorious for its much worse when I have to acknowledge that it does not fit me.  Weakly letting them know that its not law for the backseat passenger and assuring them that if there is a ticket I would be the one to get it.    

Additionally for the most part I can find clothes that fit me almost anywhere instead of shopping specialty stores or departments.   

Then there is my absolute favorite NSV the ability to ride horses again!  I missed riding so much and it has given me untold joy to be back in the saddle!!

So today I meditate on my victories as my weekly weigh in postponed until tomorrow morning looms on the distance.  I have hope!  I was able to Zumba yesterday and will be running tonight.  We shall see.

It's oh so quiet

  I feel very quiet today.  A pessimist would call it blank an optimist would call it peaceful.  I'm going to go with quiet.  I feel mildly sleepy.  Not from lack of sleep for once!  Its from sitting in my quiet office during a mildly grey day cuddled in my wrap sipping my water methodically plowing through a never ending stack of paperwork.  

  Last night was the last night of pet/house sitting.  I am looking forward to getting back to my home.  Usually I love house sitting its like a mini vacation but this time it was so sudden and it was during an extremely busy weekend.  Its thrown my eating plan off.  I just wasn't up for lugging food from my fridge over to the house every day so we ended up eating out a lot.  The good news is every time we ate out I stretched each meal to 2-3 so I wasn't the bad news is I'm pretty sure due to the Chinese I am retaining massive amounts of water and I'm deeply concerned about tomorrows weigh in for the  Spring Challenge I am trying not to obsess panic stress think about it to much though.  

  I did my second day of the first week of the 100 Push up Challenge I found it more difficult than the first one.  Perhaps because I was still a bit sore from the first go.  I am planning on doing it every other day through this week so by Monday of next week I will be on the third week.  I started a bit late and I hate feeling behind.  

  Tonight before my meeting I plan on going to Zumba.  I need to work out harder this week.  That is my update for today.  Oh the gingersnaps are gone.  Huzby ate a good bit of what was left and I polished them off last night.  I am proud however that there has been a box of Samoa's floating around since Saturday and I have only eaten 4 of them.  For me that is progress of sorts lol.

EDIT:  I just found out I need to spend another night house  sitting.  Sigh.  Since we already packed up and all I prob will run by the house tonight grab clothes for work tomorrow and stay over on my own.  That hopefully will give me the chance to get my food for tomorrow in order.  I sure hope I'm not up when I weigh in.  Its gonna have to wait til Thursday morning though. 

Upside and Downside

Ok so I worked today and started the day off real well.  I resisted boxes and boxes of girl scout cookies floating around the office (THERE WERE SAMOAS Not eating them should be negative calories!!) and stuck with my eating plan even saving up so I could eat slightly more for dinner to eat out with Huzby.  I ordered a half dish at the local diner and then only ate half of it.  Yay another success!!  So I was feeling pretty good when I finished supper well within today's goal.  Then a couple hours later Huzby surprised me with Ginger snaps!  Sigh so sweet but I apparently was low on self control and ate waaaaay to many of them.  Pushing me well outside my daily goal.

On the upside I did my first push up work out and at the end I was able to do 10 for the 5th set!  It will be interesting to see how sore I am tomorrow. 

I am hoping to make it out to the ranch tomorrow after checking out the horse show.  It will all depend on how late I get back to town. 

Spring into Action

I stumbled across an online challenge called Spring Into Action and I have decided to join it.  As I have stated my current goal is to be at 220 by May.  This Challenge is for 6 weeks and we all set our own goals.  So my goals for this Challenge which ends April 13 are:

• Be down to 225 lbs
• Complete the 100 push up Challenge
• Train for my 5k and be able to run it straight through.
• Consistently drink 1 Gallon of water a day
• Sleep 8 hours a Night

On that note I am happy to report I am down another pound!  For the first time in over a decade I am in the 230's.  I am really hoping that by the end of this challenge I will be fitting in a 16 easily!  

I went riding last night had a wonderful ride and was thrilled to discover that Fitday doesnt JUST allow me to log riding as an activity it has the option to select trotting, walking and grooming so I am able to log all my activities on the ranch.  I am planning on going again this evening if I can walk.  After pushing so hard running Weds and Trotting A LOT last night I'm a bit sore.  Its still a good thing!

Just because this amount of cuteness MUST be shared

I open this post with an official SQUEE!

  How can anyone not giggle and coo at the above cuteness!  I have a serious love of animals.  I think my wires got crossed and any actual maternal instinct got  have got sent to my love of furred friends.  Don't get me wrong I like children and babies but for me to really get excited it takes a furry friend.  I will drop everything and run to a cute critter emitting noise reminiscent of a boiling teakettle ready to pet and cuddle the cuteness.  I struggle to resist that urge as A) I look a tad insane and B) I would terrify the object of my affection.  Something akin to Elmyra from the tiny toons. See illustration!

Ok back on track.  I am down 1.4 lbs.  Been working it hard this week.  I am logging my food on Fitday and I went for a run yesterday.  I bought a bunch of celery for a healthy snack and a bit of hummus which in small doses is also healthy.  As  a treat I am allowing myself 1 Tablespoon of PB on Celery.  Something that is filling and tasty!

I have been doing much better with my water intake and been taking massive quantities of vitamins to try to get my immune system back up.  I'm still on the mega dose of Vitamin D and today is the first time I woke up before my alarm and while I did lay in bed I actually felt good.. still feeling decent.  Hope this is a new trend!  Tonight I go riding! 

My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.

Time for another push.  I am making a goal of another 20 lbs lost by May to bring me down to the lovely number 220.  That is close to weekly weight loss guidelines about 2lbs a week.  My plan is to cut down on portions further and make healthier choices.  I'm not going to count carbs but plan on making low carb choices.

I was fairly active this weekend I dared to Rollerblade (Still in one piece O.O) on Saturday and Riding on Sunday.  I am planning on riding  again this evening and possibly going to Zumba will have to see if I have time for both.  Riding is the priority I really want to see some progress in my ability.  I feel like I have gotten stuck not really getting any better.  Currently I am blaming it on the cold weather but that excuse is going to expire so I must get my bum in gear!
 

Exciting physical activity of the year is *drum rolllllllll* wait for it wait for it.....    
I have always wanted to give it a whirl before 2011 gasps its last breath I shall have have paddled around on some body of water or other hopefully with my head above the water not under... We all gots ta have goals right?. 

I wish I felt more energetic about this whole thing.  I do feel determined so forward ho.  Bit by bit to the final goal.  

On a completely unrelated note I got my hands on a toaster oven and plan to start doing some polymer sculpting.  If I like how things turn out I shall post pictures :) I have plans and schemes and goals.  If I can just keep paddling till I achieve some of them!

You're never going to keep me down

And here I am proving the name of this journal to be accurate.  Sigh.  Anywho spilled perfume and all…  I have not lost any more weight I’ve been stable around 240.  I go through great weeks of working out then I get sick.  I have been sick a lot the past few months.  Finally got a physical and my Vitamin D was extremely low.  Been reading up on that and it can cause moodiness (depression), tiredness and muscle aches all of which I’ve been dealing with.  Doctor gave me a mega dose to try to build back up will see if it helps. I’ve cut a few things out of my schedule to get a bit of a breather. 

On an up-note I did another 5K last month it was a lot of fun and a beautiful course.  I am planning another one in April.  Looking forward to it a lot!  Now that the days are longer Im thinking of starting to run in the mornings again with my Milla.  Will see how that goes.

Its been so wet I haven’t been able to ride as much as I’d like.  Went out on Sunday and trotted around the stables since the arena was  8 inches of slushy sand.  Loving my Romeo he is the sweetest horse.

Discovered a new blog I’m LOVING she describes my life cycles so well and the image below tells exactly where I am in my erratic cycles.  However I won't give into despair.  By Grabthar's hammer, I live to tell the tale or in the catchier words of Chumbawamba:

Hyperbole and a half

We'll be singing
When we're winning
We'll be singing
I get knocked down

But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down
I get knocked down

But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down

Yah I want to be like that!

December 10 – Wisdom What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? : I believe that would be my decision to start Regular Auxiliary Pioneering.  It has helped me find a calm center in a chaotic life.  It’s become a touchstone.  Whenever I have thoughts of worthlessness or despair I can say "no, I did good here!" this helps me find my equilibrium, providing an emotional step back up neutral.  

I feel a sense of accomplishment and peace I have been missing.  An underlying awareness that I am back on track.  Its also forcing me to face my scheduling “claustrophobia” work through it.  In keeping with embracing my erratically consistent nature if my schedule does not go as planned just like with diet and exercise I’m working on not wallowing in guilt and self hate doing my best to pick myself up, dust off and reroute and move forward… 

"As Water flows humbly to the lowest level. Nothing is weaker than water, Yet for overcoming what is hard & strong, Nothing surpasses it." 

 

As the year draws to a close

Finally I'm updating!  No I havent been

I have been working out been to a couple Zumba classes and a dance fusion class.  I also have been riding at least a couple times a week.  Last night I ran.  Not happy with how I felt or the time but at least I did it.  I have planned another 5K for January 29th.  I am really hoping to be strong enough to run the full 5K this time instead of wogging.

My eating has really not been great.  Portions are ok but I have been eating creamy high fat food and definitely not enough fruits and veggies.  I'm working on it!

I found this daily pondering the past year thing that I would like to do.  I’m behind so I did today and all the preceding days in one post.  Oh and I skipped one because it wasn’t at all pertinent.

Without further ado here are the first 8 Pensive Ponderings: