Sooooooooo....it's been an interesting few weeks to say the least. I've been swamped at work and swamped at the gym so I haven't had a chance to post much at all. I guess what I have discovered in the past few weeks is that the dynamics of this competition are very much like the dynamics of other areas of life. There are those that push and push as hard as they can, every second of every workout. Then there are those that are afraid to push, so they rest on whatever excuses they have tendered for themselves. I understand both perspectives as I have been both places. I was the one for years who relied on the excuse that my knees couldn't handle working out but so hard. Man was I wrong. I've also been a competitive athlete, pushing myself to greater extents every single practice. So I get it. I know this program is hard. I have mornings when I am in extreme pain and I can't fathom getting up to go and workout, but I do it. I'm done with the excuses. I'm done with my own personal whining and inner complaining that has prevented me from accomplishing my goals for so many years. I turned over a new leaf in the past couple of days, and things are about to get very interesting.
The other issue that I am finding I have to deal with as this competition goes on is my suspicion of others. I was made fun of for years in school. When you spend that long with people whispering behind your back, it is hard to believe that it won't happen again. Until the start of this competition, I hadn't really opened up to many people since college. I do that on purpose because I don't want to get hurt. So I opened up to my team members seven weeks ago. I have had inclinations in the past few days that it may not have been the best idea to do so. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am perceiving things incorrectly. But I can't help but to feel the whispers behind my back. I've been examining that recently and I can't help but to wonder why.
I am a leader. I have always been and I will always be. I also expect a lot of people. I'm a perfectionist. I am also a bit of a control freak. I can be aggressive, but I am also a very, very loyal friend and I think I give pretty darn good advice. Once I trust you, and I know I can trust you, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. However, once that trust is broken, it is damn near impossible to repair.
Perhaps my expecting so much of people is a detriment to me in this competition. I don't know. I worry about others. I worry about my friends, and as such I've worried about my team members. While I know that I can't change that personality trait of mine overnight, and I will continue to worry, I have to let go a bit as well. Not every one in this competition is going to be able to make the life changes they need to make to accomplish their goals in the next four months. I know they all have it in them, but as much as this is a weight loss journey it is also a journey of self-discovery. It is that second journey that is the most difficult for some, and the one that will take much longer to accomplish. Without accomplishing it however, the first journey will at some point hit a brick wall. I've had it happen before. It makes me sad that some may not accomplish what they want to accomplish over the next few weeks. I can't linger on that. I have to continue with my journey and just hope that they all come along.
So I'm amping up the workouts again for myself. I'll be at the gym twice a day, every day except for Saturdays (when I'll just be going in the morning for a good 3 hours) from now until the end of July. I'm down quite a bit of weight thus far, but I want things to pick up for a while. If you're interested in my schedule, I am going to try to figure out a way to post a calendar to this blog. So we'll see what I can get figured out here soon. In the meantime, I will be doing the Komen Race for the Cure on May 8th, and I will also be going to the Dominion River Rock Festival the weekend of the 15th. Can't wait for both of those.
We have our cooking lesson and our field day coming up so hopefully I will have more pictures from those. I will post pictures from the 10K this coming weekend!
Have a wonderful and fit week, ALL of you.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Myths of Weight Loss
I came across these when I got to work this morning and I felt like they warranted sharing. So here they are!
Myth #1: Carbs are the Enemy
Maybe we can blame Dr. Atkins and other proponents of the low-carb diet craze for this one. Experts suggest that carbohydrates play a star role in keep you energized and your organs functioning properly. The carb bad rap should rest squarely on the shoulders of "white carbs" like white bread, white rice, and sugar. These refined carbs, dietitians suggest, are more likely to pack on the pounds. Stick with whole grains like whole wheat pasta and brown rice for a healthier diet.
Myth #2: Never Eat After 8PM
The habit of under-eating all day only to overdo it at dinner time is likely where this myth came from. Eating excess calories at any hour of the day will lead to weight gain. Just remember: It's not when you eat, it's what you eat.
Myth #3: It's Not a Workout Unless You Sweat
A cardio workout that gets you huffing and puffing is vital for a healthy ticker, but that's only half the picture. Low-impact workouts, like weight-lifting and yoga, might not leave you drenched in sweat, but they're equally important to keeping your muscles strong and your body burning calories all day long. Work cardio and resistance training into your exercise regimen and you'll be seeing the full picture of health.
Myth #4: Weight-Lifting Bulks You Up
Most women don't have the necessary testosterone levels to transform them into the spitting image of Conan the Barbarian-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. But if you integrate weight-lifting into your workouts and find you're getting a little too cut, switch to lighter weights and more reps.
Myth #5: Muscle Weighs More than Fat
Here's the deal: a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same amount. A pound! The difference between muscle and fat is an issue of density and volume. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space in your body which can give you a leaner look overall.
Myth #1: Carbs are the Enemy
Maybe we can blame Dr. Atkins and other proponents of the low-carb diet craze for this one. Experts suggest that carbohydrates play a star role in keep you energized and your organs functioning properly. The carb bad rap should rest squarely on the shoulders of "white carbs" like white bread, white rice, and sugar. These refined carbs, dietitians suggest, are more likely to pack on the pounds. Stick with whole grains like whole wheat pasta and brown rice for a healthier diet.
Myth #2: Never Eat After 8PM
The habit of under-eating all day only to overdo it at dinner time is likely where this myth came from. Eating excess calories at any hour of the day will lead to weight gain. Just remember: It's not when you eat, it's what you eat.
Myth #3: It's Not a Workout Unless You Sweat
A cardio workout that gets you huffing and puffing is vital for a healthy ticker, but that's only half the picture. Low-impact workouts, like weight-lifting and yoga, might not leave you drenched in sweat, but they're equally important to keeping your muscles strong and your body burning calories all day long. Work cardio and resistance training into your exercise regimen and you'll be seeing the full picture of health.
Myth #4: Weight-Lifting Bulks You Up
Most women don't have the necessary testosterone levels to transform them into the spitting image of Conan the Barbarian-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. But if you integrate weight-lifting into your workouts and find you're getting a little too cut, switch to lighter weights and more reps.
Myth #5: Muscle Weighs More than Fat
Here's the deal: a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same amount. A pound! The difference between muscle and fat is an issue of density and volume. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space in your body which can give you a leaner look overall.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 4 Details
Well week 4 is done. I'm still feeling very strong, but have had a couple of small issues with my knees this week, and my feet. I did have a few victories as well. On Thursday I put on the pair of jeans that I bought over a year ago that I haven't been able to wear since I bought them. They're longs, of course, so I had to put on heels to wear them. First time I've worn heels since knee surgery. Well that didn't go so well. I ended up with very swollen feet, but I ignored it and went to cycle class that night. Ended up trying to compensate with my knee, and that of course was a bad idea. So I spent Friday icing and recovering and got back to it this morning by doing pilates. I did a little cardio later in the day, and burned quite a few calories washing the dogs. I'm definitely in a much better place today and ready to get back at it.
There are a few things still bothering me. First is that I feel like I'm abandoning my friends in some way. Almost like when a girlfriend starts a new relationship and they disappear off of the map for a while. I did that with my ex-husband and I don't want to do it again to my friends for any reason. However, at the same time, this competition and my ultimate goal of losing the weight for good, are very important to me, and I would hope that my friends understand why I can't go out very much, and why I am occupied so much during the week. I know that there is probably a balance out there, but until I lose this weight and get to my goal, I'm not sure that there is a "balance." For me it's almost all or nothing right now when it comes to working out and putting all of my effort into this.
Second, I know that a large chunk of this struggle is mental. I was working on TT stuff today and had the TV on in the background and Celebrity Fit Club was on. I haven't watched TV in a while, but this episode they were discussing anger, and having to let that anger go before real change can be accomplished in someone's life. I couldn't agree more. I think that all of us in this competition harbor anger, resentment, disappointment, rage, whatever...some emotion that is holding us back from accomplishing our true goals. I am trying to get my head around what those emotions are within myself. It isn't an easy process, but I feel it is necessary to success in this program.
Finally, I have begun to really take a look at the outside stressors and situations in my life that absolutely need to be changed in order for me to succeed at this. There are a few that I can change quickly, and then there are others that will take true effort to change. The question then becomes, "when am I going to have time to change these things?" I feel like the weekends go by far too qiuickly, and that I don't have enough time to accomplish the things that I need to get done. With the whole spring forward in time this evening, I'm even more wary that I'll be losing an hour.
I have no idea why I am having a stressful day. I think that the best route is to just go to sleep and to begin a new day tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a new day. I don't feel "off track" so to speak, but I guess with other things in my life that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I would usually turn to food at points like this in my life, and I am fighting that urge every minute right now. I need my friends, I need my family, I don't want to lose anything...except the weight.
There are a few things still bothering me. First is that I feel like I'm abandoning my friends in some way. Almost like when a girlfriend starts a new relationship and they disappear off of the map for a while. I did that with my ex-husband and I don't want to do it again to my friends for any reason. However, at the same time, this competition and my ultimate goal of losing the weight for good, are very important to me, and I would hope that my friends understand why I can't go out very much, and why I am occupied so much during the week. I know that there is probably a balance out there, but until I lose this weight and get to my goal, I'm not sure that there is a "balance." For me it's almost all or nothing right now when it comes to working out and putting all of my effort into this.
Second, I know that a large chunk of this struggle is mental. I was working on TT stuff today and had the TV on in the background and Celebrity Fit Club was on. I haven't watched TV in a while, but this episode they were discussing anger, and having to let that anger go before real change can be accomplished in someone's life. I couldn't agree more. I think that all of us in this competition harbor anger, resentment, disappointment, rage, whatever...some emotion that is holding us back from accomplishing our true goals. I am trying to get my head around what those emotions are within myself. It isn't an easy process, but I feel it is necessary to success in this program.
Finally, I have begun to really take a look at the outside stressors and situations in my life that absolutely need to be changed in order for me to succeed at this. There are a few that I can change quickly, and then there are others that will take true effort to change. The question then becomes, "when am I going to have time to change these things?" I feel like the weekends go by far too qiuickly, and that I don't have enough time to accomplish the things that I need to get done. With the whole spring forward in time this evening, I'm even more wary that I'll be losing an hour.
I have no idea why I am having a stressful day. I think that the best route is to just go to sleep and to begin a new day tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a new day. I don't feel "off track" so to speak, but I guess with other things in my life that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I would usually turn to food at points like this in my life, and I am fighting that urge every minute right now. I need my friends, I need my family, I don't want to lose anything...except the weight.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Be a Loser First Team Event Photos - 3 Lakes Park 5K
I don't have a ton of time to write this evening as I've booked three TT parties in the past two days and I have to get the hostess packets for them done tonight so that I can get them mailed out tomorrow. So instead I wanted to go ahead and post the pictures from the 5K event this past weekend. I didn't have time to take but so many since I was much more focused on getting myself through the event. I will try to take more at our next event in April at Byrd Park. Enjoy and have a great night! Biggest Loser comes on in a few minutes!
Getting RID of the belly bulge!!
This is another one from Jillian Michaels. This is specifically for a few people out there I know who have asked about how to really get RID of that pesky fat that tends to settle in our midsections. Read it and live it guys! We can do this!
It is possible to carry extra water weight in your tummy. To get rid of this: try cutting your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day and increasing your water intake. This will help you reduce water retention and reduce the spongy appearance of belly fat just a bit!
But really, it comes down to healthy eating and consistent cardio workouts. Stick with it, kid — it’ll come off. Just keep at it and be patient with yourself.
How to get RID of the belly bulge!!
Contrary to what you might think, getting rid of the belly bulge is all about diet and cardio, rather than strength-training exercises that target the abdominals. This is because belly bulge results from excess body fat, not lack of muscle. The best way to reduce the bulge is therefore to reduce your body fat, and we all know what that requires — diet and exercise, baby!
It is possible to carry extra water weight in your tummy. To get rid of this: try cutting your sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day and increasing your water intake. This will help you reduce water retention and reduce the spongy appearance of belly fat just a bit!
But really, it comes down to healthy eating and consistent cardio workouts. Stick with it, kid — it’ll come off. Just keep at it and be patient with yourself.
How Insulin Plays a Critical Role
Taken from Jillian Michaels' daily newsletter. I thought this information was interesting and useful to all that are taking part in this program and those of you out there interested in changing the way you eat!
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
How Insulin Plays A Critical Role
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oh the things our bodies can do!
So I was talking to a friend on the phone today, someone I miss terribly and who I don't see near enough, and we were talking about a time before my surgery when we went to the gym together. She was doing these weird things on the stability ball, walking out with her hands, pulling the ball up with her legs, and then walking back. I told her she was crazy. She tried to tell me that I could do it too, and I didn't believe her. I didn't even try. How about the first team work out of this competition we did the walk-it-out as I'm calling it now. I've even gotten to the point of starting to pull the ball up towards me with my legs. I actually taught another friend to do it tonight.
It's amazing what our bodies are capable of when we don't quit and when we never say "never." I may still have some residual fear of certain activities since my surgery, but I will never again doubt what my body can and can't do. :)
It's amazing what our bodies are capable of when we don't quit and when we never say "never." I may still have some residual fear of certain activities since my surgery, but I will never again doubt what my body can and can't do. :)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Keep Challenging your Body!
From one of my idols and mentors even though she doesn't know it, Jillian Michaels. I thought this article was appropriate at this point in the competition.
It may have been just a few weeks ago that you were an exercise newbie. Those first workouts were rough — you didn't think you'd ever survive! But now look at you — you're working out on a regular basis and improving your diet. Good for you!
Know what? It's time to bring the hammer down again. How do I know? Because your body is getting just a little too accustomed to the workload that originally taxed it to the max. Remember — to see continual results, you have to keep challenging your body.
Once you've been exercising for several weeks, it's safe to increase your intensity, and I recommend working out at about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To monitor your intensity, first calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 if you're a woman, or 226 if you're a man.
Once you've calculated your 85 percent rate, you can keep yourself at the right intensity by taking your own pulse throughout your workout. The quickest way is to count the beats for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10. You should check your pulse every 10 minutes or so.
Sometimes during weight training your heart rate will jump above that 85 percent mark, which is fine. If you're using weights, just make sure that your heart rate doesn't drop below 75 percent of your max for the duration of the workout.
It may have been just a few weeks ago that you were an exercise newbie. Those first workouts were rough — you didn't think you'd ever survive! But now look at you — you're working out on a regular basis and improving your diet. Good for you!
Know what? It's time to bring the hammer down again. How do I know? Because your body is getting just a little too accustomed to the workload that originally taxed it to the max. Remember — to see continual results, you have to keep challenging your body.
Once you've been exercising for several weeks, it's safe to increase your intensity, and I recommend working out at about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To monitor your intensity, first calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 if you're a woman, or 226 if you're a man.
Once you've calculated your 85 percent rate, you can keep yourself at the right intensity by taking your own pulse throughout your workout. The quickest way is to count the beats for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10. You should check your pulse every 10 minutes or so.
Sometimes during weight training your heart rate will jump above that 85 percent mark, which is fine. If you're using weights, just make sure that your heart rate doesn't drop below 75 percent of your max for the duration of the workout.
Eating Out while still being a Loser!
I got an email from a team member yesterday that she was going to go out to eat. So the following was my response to that. I think they're good tips for every one to try to follow as much as possible when eating out to make sure that you have a healthy dining experience!
Remember that when you eat out, entrees and salads are usually two or more servings each. So if you order the chicken marsala and you eat all of it, you will actually end up eating almost a thousand calories! So when you eat out, try to think about these tips and see if you can put some into practice!
1. Tell the waiter or waitress to only bring you HALF of what you order to the table. Then have them box up the other half of your food and you can take it home and eat it at LEAST 24 hours later. That way you really only have one serving.
2. Request that ALL sauces and/or dressings be put on the side. This means sauce for your entree as well. Then just dip your fork into the sauce or dressing before you take a bite of your food. You will still get the flavor but you won't eat much of the calorie laden sauces or dressings ever again!
3. When you have a choice, order BBG. Broiled, baked or grilled meats. Also ask for no oil or butter in the cooking. Believe me, I worked in food service for a long time, and every kitchen can do this!
4. Make 50% of your plate vegetables. Literally. Order an extra portion of STEAMED veggies. You'll still feel like you have lots of food and you won't have the calories of the carbs or meat! Just make sure they are steamed and not sautéd! That translates to oil!
5. Last but not least, stay away from refined carbs. This means no white pasta, bread, or rice. Don't even let the waiter bring bread to the table. Stick with water and squeeze some lemon into it! Get whole grain pasta, rice, and bread if you have to have it. If the place you are eating doesn't offer them, order more veggies!
These are just some tricks that I am now using when I go out to make sure that I still continue to stay within my food program as part of Be a Loser! I hope they are helpful to you guys!
Remember that when you eat out, entrees and salads are usually two or more servings each. So if you order the chicken marsala and you eat all of it, you will actually end up eating almost a thousand calories! So when you eat out, try to think about these tips and see if you can put some into practice!
1. Tell the waiter or waitress to only bring you HALF of what you order to the table. Then have them box up the other half of your food and you can take it home and eat it at LEAST 24 hours later. That way you really only have one serving.
2. Request that ALL sauces and/or dressings be put on the side. This means sauce for your entree as well. Then just dip your fork into the sauce or dressing before you take a bite of your food. You will still get the flavor but you won't eat much of the calorie laden sauces or dressings ever again!
3. When you have a choice, order BBG. Broiled, baked or grilled meats. Also ask for no oil or butter in the cooking. Believe me, I worked in food service for a long time, and every kitchen can do this!
4. Make 50% of your plate vegetables. Literally. Order an extra portion of STEAMED veggies. You'll still feel like you have lots of food and you won't have the calories of the carbs or meat! Just make sure they are steamed and not sautéd! That translates to oil!
5. Last but not least, stay away from refined carbs. This means no white pasta, bread, or rice. Don't even let the waiter bring bread to the table. Stick with water and squeeze some lemon into it! Get whole grain pasta, rice, and bread if you have to have it. If the place you are eating doesn't offer them, order more veggies!
These are just some tricks that I am now using when I go out to make sure that I still continue to stay within my food program as part of Be a Loser! I hope they are helpful to you guys!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
First 5K DONE! On to week four!
So we are another week into this competition. I've lost almost 16 pounds so far which is awesome, and today I accomplished something new. I finished my first 5K. Granted I wasn't able to run it, I saw the doctor Friday and she doesn't want me running just yet as it would put far too much stress on my shin bone where the screws are located, but I finished it. I actually finished a 5K and under the time that I wanted to accomplish. That is HUGE for me. I have never, ever done anything like that before. I hated running in gym class when I was a kid. But you know, the feeling that came with actually finishing that race today was one that I haven't felt in a long time. It was a good feeling. The feeling that you actually conquered a goal that you set out for yourself. It makes me want to keep going. It makes me want to race again. Now I can't wait for the Dog Jog and the Monument Avenue 10K. I honestly may have to do more races between now and the end of the program, even if I can't run.
So I'm still enjoying the program. The fact that I'm down that many pounds of course helps with the motivation. Only a few short months to go and I am confident at this point that if I stay at this pace that I will reach my goal weight. Wow. I still can't believe that I can say that right now. Some days it seems so unattainable. Then other days I wake up and I am ready to rock and roll. I have to admit that this past week was a little more difficult when it came to getting up. My schedule got thrown off by Muse, but that was worth it. I had a few moments this week when I considered making an excuse for not going to work out or not going to team training. The thing that is different this time though is that the level of accountability is so high. I never want to disappoint my teammates or my trainer. So I keep going. I get up. I get to the gym. I do the team training, I do the cardio, and I'm seeing results. Real, true results...and it is so motivational.
The only thing that is suffering at this point is the "social" aspect of my life. I would have loved to have stayed in northern Virginia overnight Monday to spend time with some friends up there, and another friend of mine was in town this past week and he wanted to see me and I just couldn't go out with him because of the extra time I have to spend in the gym. He understood, of course, but doing 2 to 4 hours a day of gym time isn't the most conducive to what was my party lifestyle. The fact that the partying has diminished however is a good thing. I like not being tired all the time, and I sure as hell don't miss the after effects of party nights. That doesn't mean that I'll never do it again. There are too many holidays that I adore to miss out on all of the parties. It just means that I have a higher respect for what I'm doing to myself, and I don't want to wear myself down anymore. This year for me is about building myself up. This competition is a big step in that direction.
I got to talking to a teammate today during the walk, telling her a bit of my life story. You guys know, the part where I got stuck in Colorado and had to deal first hand with a violent case of PTSD. It just amazes me how much, sometimes, we allow things in life to get us down, and to negatively impact not only our mood, but our bodies. I weighed right at 180 pounds when I got married. I don't think I weighed much more than that before I moved to Colorado. I have learned in the past few weeks through self-examination that I will never, ever allow the needs of a significant other to determine the manner in which I conduct my life again. I did that for too many years, and it led me to a very unhealthy and destructive place. It isn't worth it. Of course you can love someone, and want to compromise with them on many life decisions. But it is never worth your physical or emotional health. Never. Now I'm not saying that I'll never end up in a relationship again, I wouldn't mind that. However, I will always, ALWAYS come first.
Enough emotional babbling. I was very proud of my team today. Our one guy, Mr. Josh, came in SECOND place in the entire 5K and he was the first guy to finish. WAY TO GO JOSH!! We all finished the race, finished strong, and it was inspiring to see how much it effected my teammates to accomplish this goal. People are amazing, in a good way, and all nine of them inspire me in their own ways and I know that I couldn't get through this competition without them. I love the purple team!! <3
I will post the few pictures of the 5K that I have at some point in the near future. Oh and FYI the cutie cameraman had to run to catch up with me and interviewed me during the race. Heh heh. I'll stop before I get started on that one. LOL! I'm telling you all, the world is in trouble when I get to my goal. I'll be a terrible, but fun influence. To my girls, we are seriously having an all out shopping extravaganza in July/August. I say we go to the outlets in Delaware...no sales tax, and J and Sarah you guys could meet us down there, then we could all just go to the Jersey Shore for the weekend and fist pump our ways to bliss! HA!
So I'm still enjoying the program. The fact that I'm down that many pounds of course helps with the motivation. Only a few short months to go and I am confident at this point that if I stay at this pace that I will reach my goal weight. Wow. I still can't believe that I can say that right now. Some days it seems so unattainable. Then other days I wake up and I am ready to rock and roll. I have to admit that this past week was a little more difficult when it came to getting up. My schedule got thrown off by Muse, but that was worth it. I had a few moments this week when I considered making an excuse for not going to work out or not going to team training. The thing that is different this time though is that the level of accountability is so high. I never want to disappoint my teammates or my trainer. So I keep going. I get up. I get to the gym. I do the team training, I do the cardio, and I'm seeing results. Real, true results...and it is so motivational.
The only thing that is suffering at this point is the "social" aspect of my life. I would have loved to have stayed in northern Virginia overnight Monday to spend time with some friends up there, and another friend of mine was in town this past week and he wanted to see me and I just couldn't go out with him because of the extra time I have to spend in the gym. He understood, of course, but doing 2 to 4 hours a day of gym time isn't the most conducive to what was my party lifestyle. The fact that the partying has diminished however is a good thing. I like not being tired all the time, and I sure as hell don't miss the after effects of party nights. That doesn't mean that I'll never do it again. There are too many holidays that I adore to miss out on all of the parties. It just means that I have a higher respect for what I'm doing to myself, and I don't want to wear myself down anymore. This year for me is about building myself up. This competition is a big step in that direction.
I got to talking to a teammate today during the walk, telling her a bit of my life story. You guys know, the part where I got stuck in Colorado and had to deal first hand with a violent case of PTSD. It just amazes me how much, sometimes, we allow things in life to get us down, and to negatively impact not only our mood, but our bodies. I weighed right at 180 pounds when I got married. I don't think I weighed much more than that before I moved to Colorado. I have learned in the past few weeks through self-examination that I will never, ever allow the needs of a significant other to determine the manner in which I conduct my life again. I did that for too many years, and it led me to a very unhealthy and destructive place. It isn't worth it. Of course you can love someone, and want to compromise with them on many life decisions. But it is never worth your physical or emotional health. Never. Now I'm not saying that I'll never end up in a relationship again, I wouldn't mind that. However, I will always, ALWAYS come first.
Enough emotional babbling. I was very proud of my team today. Our one guy, Mr. Josh, came in SECOND place in the entire 5K and he was the first guy to finish. WAY TO GO JOSH!! We all finished the race, finished strong, and it was inspiring to see how much it effected my teammates to accomplish this goal. People are amazing, in a good way, and all nine of them inspire me in their own ways and I know that I couldn't get through this competition without them. I love the purple team!! <3
I will post the few pictures of the 5K that I have at some point in the near future. Oh and FYI the cutie cameraman had to run to catch up with me and interviewed me during the race. Heh heh. I'll stop before I get started on that one. LOL! I'm telling you all, the world is in trouble when I get to my goal. I'll be a terrible, but fun influence. To my girls, we are seriously having an all out shopping extravaganza in July/August. I say we go to the outlets in Delaware...no sales tax, and J and Sarah you guys could meet us down there, then we could all just go to the Jersey Shore for the weekend and fist pump our ways to bliss! HA!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Difficulties of Convenience Shopping and Muse
I love Matt Bellamy for going full on rockstar with the leather pants and the shiny silver glitter shoes! <3
The third encore was the best!
Talking about food, I just want to say how difficult it is to buy ANYTHING healthy at a convenience store. I mean it borders on ridiculous. Here you stop to stretch your legs after being in the car, and you want to get a snack, so you walk into this sensory overload oasis on the side of the road and what do you find? Nothing but JUNK. We stopped at a Wawa somewhere in Spotsylvania County I believe, and while they made an attempt at some healthy foods such as a pita bread and hummus combo, or a "protein" pack that included a mini wheat bagel, peanut butter cup (Heinz peanut butter), grapes and a hard boiled egg, there was NOTHING in the store that was organic, whole, real food. Thankfully I had one of my delicious home-made granola bars and a baggie of organic almonds and dried cranberries with me. The best to "good" for me that I could get was an Odwalla Superfood Green Machine drink. (If you haven't had one, the thing is delicious, it is green, but it has spinach, broccoli, wheat grass, barley grass, and then all sorts of fruit in it. A great drink with actual nutritional value in it if you have to have something!) The overall experience was nothing short of disappointing.
I'll get off of my soapbox today and get back to recovering from the show last night. I was going to hit up Southside for Zumba tonight, but I may keep it closer to home and go to Swift Creek depending on how long food shopping and cooking takes today! Hope every one has a wonderful day!
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