Get out the wet noodle. And a peace offering. ANNND some big news!

I’m a bad, bad blogger! I don’t even know the date of my last post. I don’t want to know. It’s been much too long. All my online time has been spent keeping up with all the other AWESOME weight loss/health bloggers out there… seriously, I couldn’t do it without them. So many inspiring people… Roni (who has a FABulous new haircut!), Jen, Tony, Jack Sh*t, Mary, Steve, Brandi, Jenna, Rachel, Sheryl, Tricia, TJ… I KNOW I’m forgetting people… but seriously, I could not do this on my own. The health/weight loss blogosphere is so powerful and amazing. I feel bad that I can’t even keep my little sliver up!

(Oh, and can I tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jack Sh*t’s W.I.D.T.H. posts?? I promise I’ll send a card in soon!)

I’ll be honest, the last few weeks have been a serious battle. By the grace of whatever deity you believe in, I’ve managed to keep losing, but barely. I’ve been dealing with some chronic injuries, so my workouts haven’t been ideal, plus dealing with some other health stuff, project changes at work, tons of work around the house, and everyone I’ve ever met having a baby. I’ve been exhausted, which has all but killed my motivation, and I am literally fighting off the urge to binge every. single. day.

Excuses, excuses. I know! But, I’ve managed to cling to my program by the barest of threads, which unfortunately meant letting the blot posts go by the wayside for awhile. I hope you won’t hold it against me – I need your support now more than ever! As a peace offering, I’ve posted some Comparison Photos for your viewing… pleasure? I’ve also registered for another 5k on June 6. After the sprained ankle debacle, I figure I can’t do much worse… and I’ve made a super-short term goal of getting to 50 lbs lost by my cousin’s wedding on June 18. 6.7 lbs to go, in just under 4 weeks. Might be a stretch, but I’m hoping it’ll keep me on track.

ANNNNNND (this is the last AND, really) I registered for a 10k! In October! It’s the Marine Corps Marathon 10k… the route is partially along the marathon route. It’s a HUGE deal here in DC, the biggest local marathon, so there will be a ton of people cheering and swag and a gorgeous course and ME! RUNNING! A 10K! So… I really gotta figure out some of these aches and pains and get on the training. Calling the orthopedist tomorrow!

Having a Skinny Day!

I walked into the bathroom at work today and literally stopped in my tracks when I saw myself in the mirror. I looked SKINNY! There was a waist, or the beginnings of one. The rolls didn’t seem enormous. I had on a dress that I hadn’t worn in years – size 14. Yesterday I bought a new pair of jeans at Old Navy – also a size 14! AND on top of all that… it was a good hair day 🙂

I don’t remember the last time I had a “skinny” day. I have lots of “fat” days. And the rest are just kind of average. I know, I know, fat is not a feeling. But you know I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel it sometimes. After seeing my reflection, I noticed that I walked a little taller, spoke with a little more force, was overall more confident. It was great, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but think, shouldn’t I be able to be that confident ALL the time? Should my confidence be so affected by whether I FEEL skinny? I think that means I still have some work to do, emotionally.

But, not gonna lie. Skinny felt good. I took a quick photo with my phone in the mirror at the gym to commemorate. And then I went and swam for 45 minutes! (Don’t mind the wrap on the bum ankle…)

5k and weigh-in

I went to the doctor yesterday and she said that if my ankle felt okay to run on, I could do it… so I did my 5k this morning! I wasn’t able to run the full distance (about half), but I finished, and on a bum ankle, I’m satisfied.

At weigh-in this morning I lost 1.9 lbs… which puts me officially over 40 lbs lost! HALFWAY BABY!

Going to go ice my ankle and do some work in the yard. 5k photos will be up later – check back!

T-2 Weeks!

I’m running my first 5k in exactly TWO WEEKS from today! Ahhh! I’ve run the full distance about three times now, so I know I CAN do it, I just have no idea how the variables will affect me… what if it’s pouring rain or blisteringly hot? How well will I run in an enormous pack of people? What if I’m having an “off” running day? What if my allergies flare up? I guess I just have to trust that I can run the distance and try to let everything else sort itself out. A friend of mine who has been running for a few years now (she just ran the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler!) is going to run with me, so I think having the encouragement will be good. I’m hoping to get 2 or 3 more practice 5ks in before the big day. I really have to work on weaning myself from the treadmill, too!

In OTHER news, today is weigh in day and I was down… 4.6 lbs! That’s my biggest loss since my first week on plan! I think most of it has to do with the fact that I was sick all week (two days I didn’t eat all my points) but I’ll take it! Hopefully it’ll stick. It ALSO means that I am just shy of 10 lbs from not being obese anymore! 9.9 to be exact… And even better, only 5lbs to go to weigh less than my hubby 😉

Off to have some breakfast and then go for a run! Hope everyone else is having a good Sunday. I’ll try to be better about posting this week

Question to other fit/health bloggers…

WHEN do you all find time to blog?! By the time I work all day, go to the gym, come home make dinner and lunch for the next day… I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open! I try spend a little QT with the husband and then pretty much fall into bed. I can’t fathom how those of you with kids do it, let alone keep up with a blog. I am super-impressed. I clearly need lessons in time management. Maybe there’s a chapter on that in Mary’s new e-book!

In other news, I would like to share what I saw on Tuesday morning when I stepped on the scale. Ahem. ::clearing throat::

(are you paying attention??)

I saw… THIS:

Can I get a WHAT WHAAAAT?! SEE THAT FIRST NUMBER? That’s a one. 1. o-n-e. That’s right my friends, I am officially in ONEderland! For the first time in… at least two years! And this time… I’m sticking around. Additionally, this puts me squarely within 10 lbs of my darling husband. Muah hah hah. 190, I’m COMING FOR YOU!

ALSO. On Saturday, DH and I went for a run on the track at the high school near our house. I’m using the track to wean myself off the treadmill and on to road running. It was a gorgeous morning! Slightly overcast, about 65 degrees. I decided to test out my new Nike+ (due to some technological difficulties… I do not have a graph to show you. Sad, I know. I hope to have this remedied ASAP) so I ran a lap to calibrate, and then took off, wearing my fabulous new running shoes (Asics):

Snazzy, eh? I went to Potomac River Running, recited my litany of foot/ankle issues, they watched me run on the treadmill, had me try on five or so pairs of shoes, and I walked out with these lovelies!

Anyway. Saturday. My run.

My goal was to run two miles (that was the farthest I’d run consecutively on the treadmill). Well, I got to two miles… and felt great! So I kept going! I ended up running… get this… 3.5 MILES! That is literally the farthest I have ever consecutively run, ever. In my entire life. All 28 years. It. Was. AWESOME! I was on top of the world when I finished. Granted, it wasn’t FAST. (39 minutes) But I ran the WHOLE THING! So, I am now much less concerned about finishing my 5k on May 2. And I might be contemplating a 10k in the fall. Maybe. Shhh.

This is no April Fools joke…

I did 90 minutes of cardio today! I participated in Mary’s A Merry Workout Pledge. A few days ago, Mary posted on her blog that she would do 30 seconds of cardio for every comment that the post got. As Mary is a fabulous blogger and thus hugely popular… she got 180 comments! Then a bunch of people, myself included, said that we’d join her in her cardio quest.

SO, after work today I hit the gym, got on the treadmill, and ran/walked for the full 90 minutes, nonstop! The treadmills in my gym are apparently set to TURN OFF after 62 minutes (an hour + 2 minute cool down)… so I just turned mine right back on and did another 28 minutes! Thus explaining why I have two photos of the workout results…

For a grand total of… 5.41 miles! And 518 calories! I ran out of water about halfway through, which was probably the hardest thing to deal with. I listened to two This American Life podcasts, they always keep me distracted and entertained. For the first 45 minutes I alternated five minutes of running with two minutes of walking. After that I didn’t follow a strict regimen, but I was definitely walking more. The last 15 minutes I was really dragging… but I finished! Annnnd then I booked it to the water fountain.

Once I rehydrated, I did my strength training as well. My leg sets weren’t as good as usual, because my legs were so wobbly from all the cardio. But I did all my arm/back/chest/abs work.

Congrats to all of the other Merry Workout Pledge participants! Thinking about you guys definitely kept me moving on that treadmill!

P.S. Follow everyone’s workouts on Twitter: #amerryworkoutpledge

Weekly round up and weigh in!

First off, a big WELCOME to all my visitors from Prior Fat Girl! Jen is such a huge inspiration for me and I’m so excited that my photo made it on her blog! I hope you’ll stick around and join me on my journey to better health.

I realize I have been absolutely abysmal at my posting this week. It was a tough week for me physically and mentally, which I will elaborate on in another post soon. However, despite my struggles, I still managed to see a -1.3 lb loss on the scale this week! That puts me at a total of 29.1 lbs down since Christmas. I’m dying to get past 30 lbs loss and into the 100s. Hopefully that motivation will keep me going this week.

Our menu this week was a big hit. On Monday we made Lentil Goat Cheese Burgers. I had mine with some garlic hummus and baby spinach on a light hamburger bun. I also made kale chips for the first time as a side! They were delish.

Later in the week we made Mexican Slow Cooked Carnitas. I absolutely LOVE carnitas, and this version was no exception. Unfortunately I failed to take a photo 😦 but you’ll have to trust me on this one, they were fabulous. I left Jason in charge of putting the pork in the slow cooker, and he ended up adding a littttle more spice than the recipe calls for, so ours were a little hot for my taste… but he loved them! Next time I plan to follow the recipe a little more closely! I also made Southwestern Black Bean Salad. Oh. My. Gosh. Next time I’m making a double batch. This stuff was heavenly. The mix of tastes and textures was perfect, and it tasted so fresh and healthy. This is definitely going to be our go-to recipe this summer for when we need to bring something to picnics or BBQs!

Now I’m off to plan our menu for this week and run some errands. I need to go to Target or TJMaxx – all my work pants are falling off me! Woohoo! But, I’m not about to spend mucho $$ on a new wardrobe, since I don’t plan on being at this weight for long! How do you handle changes in size as you go down in weight? Do you pin your oversized pants on yourself (which is what I have been doing!) Shop at consignment stores? Let me know your tricks!

Nothing in particular

Nothing in particular of note going on this week. I had a great OP week and was down 2.2 at my WI this morning! That was with going out to eat two nights, as well. I’m happy that I’m able to work the plan so that I can go out and enjoy myself and still see a loss. That is very heartening.

I made overnight oats for the first time this week! They were quite yummy, but a little thin for my taste (I like my oats thick and chewy!) I used 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, and 1/2 cup plain ff yogurt. In the morning I added 1/2 a banana, 1 tbsp of honey, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter. It was extremely filling. I ate it at 9ish, went for a run, ran errands and got my hair cut, and came home at 2 pm and still wasn’t hungry!

I also tried to make a smoothie this morning before yoga. That was a bit more difficult than I expected. I used frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries, frozen blueberries and frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tbsp of honey, and one tbsp of chia seeds. I don’t know if we just have a crappy blender or what, but getting those frozen berries chopped up smoothly too FOREVER. I kept having to open the blender and push the chunks down towards the blades. It’s a Cuisinart, which usually makes good appliances, so I don’t know. Maybe it’s supposed to be that hard to make a smoothie?!

And YES! You did see me mention Chia seeds up there! I ordered them from Amazon and they came on Friday. Jason asked me what the “chia pet seeds” were for. Hah! I couldn’t really taste them in the smoothie, but I think that’s the point. I’m going to add them to my oats tomorrow morning.

Tonight we’re making Gina’s Spinach Lasagna Rolls. Yum! I’m so happy to have found Gina’s site. Sometimes I feel like I’ve looked through all the recipes on the WW site 1000 times already. But Gina’s recipes are all OP and consistently yummy!

Jason’s birthday is Tuesday, so his family is bringing cake over after dinner and we’re all going to watch a movie. His mom is an awesome baker, so I’ve been counting my points verrrry carefully today to be sure I can have some cake!! Next Saturday J and I are going to Baltimore for the day to check out some restaurants he’s heard about up there. By “heard about” I mean “saw on the Food Network”. Either on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives or The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Clearly it will not be the easiest day to stay OP… but the hubs only has a birthday once a year… plus he’s been an angel about eating all my WW recipes!  Between our food stops, we’re going to check out the American Visionary Art Museum, which got rave reviews from my friend Leah.

Sorry for the boring post and dearth of pictures (I’m trying to be better about taking pictures, really!) Hopefully I’ll have something more exciting to report on later in the week!

P.S. Please check out my post on little Jackson and donate if you have the ability!! On Thursday his parents/doctors decided that the best course of action is another round of chemo and then on to radiation. He is such a trooper!

A Sunday kind of love…

Sooooo weigh in this morning. -0.5. Not quite as exciting as LAST weekend… but a loss is a loss, right?  I feel like I am being taunted by the 25 lb mark.. Ohhhh hooo here, have 24.2… now, 24.8! Gah! Once I’m past 25 lbs lost for two consecutive weeks I’m treating myself to a massage – I can’t wait!

I did W7D1 outside yesterday morning – my first outdoor run! Gotta say, for all the whining runners do about how running inside is… running outside is not what it’s cracked up to be.  First of all, it’s warmed up considerably from a few weeks ago, but it was still about 45* when I went out. My lungs were NOT pleased with the huffing and the puffing of the cold air – that hurts! I have no idea how the people who run through the winter do it.  Second, hello hard pavement! Yeow, do my shins hurt this morning after that. I’m taking an extra day before my next run to let them heal. The last thing I need is chronic shin splints! I got all 25 minutes of running in, though not consecutively, I admit. I hope it gets a little warmer soon. I might try the track up at the high school next time, I figure it’ll be easier on my shins. But I have to get used to road running sometime soon – my 5k in May is ALL on roads. Any pointers on how to ease myself in??

After my run I went to lunch with my dear friend and former roommate, Leah. She and her hubby are expecting baby #1 in July! It’s a boy! I am so excited for them. She looks great and is really loving being pregnant. Leah is one of my WW role models. Back in college/right after, she lost over 70 lbs, and has kept it all off! I meant to take a cute photo of her with her baby bump, but I totally forgot. 😦

This morning I woke up bright and early (ok, more like 9:00) to hydrate and eat in time for an 11:00 Bikram class! The heat was definitely more tolerable this time. I enjoyed it so much, that I took the dive and bought a 15 class pass! So you may be hearing a lot more about my Bikram activities. I’ll try to get a photo sometime of how crazy sweaty I am when I come out of there.

I’m going to go pick up some Chinese take-out in a bit for DH and I to enjoy while we watch the Oscars tonight. I’d like to see “The Hurt Locker” or “Inglourious Basterds” win Best Picture… but really as long as it’s NOT Avatar, I’ll be happy!

Have a good Monday everyone!

In a good routine

This week has been going pretty well. On Monday I swam for 40 minutes and yesterday I did W6D2 of my C25K training, plus the nautilus weight machines.  Yesterday’s run was MUC better than Sunday’s. There were two ten minute runs and I was able to increase my speed on both of them and felt great. Taking today off, and doing W6D3 run tomorrow – I can’t wait! It’s a full 25 minute run straight through, so I’m a little nervous, but mostly excited. I think that’s the most I’ve EVER run. Ever.

We had a ton of leftovers so not doing a ton of cooking this week. DH did try a turkey sausage and sauerkraut recipe yesterday, but it was kind of gross, unfortunately! I DID try a new veggie this week – brussel sprouts!

I sauteed them with some EVOO and then splashed balsamic vinegar on them at the end and let it caramelize a little. It smelled amazing!

Looked pretty yummy, too! The flavor with the balsamic vinegar was great, unfortunately, the insides of the sprouts were pretty tasteless. Like plain raw cabbage, kind of. Not terrible but not great. DH wasn’t terribly impressed, either. The outside layers of them were really yummy, though!

At my gym I participate in something called FitLinxx. It’s a computer program that is hooked up to all of the weight machines and tracks what/how much you lift. You also manually enter all cardio workouts you do. You get points based on your workouts (I don’t know the exact formula.) The gym has a bulletin board where they post monthly results by age group… and GUESS who was NUMBER ONE for 20-29 year olds in February!

Yep, that’s yours truly on the top of the list! Full first name and all. And my sister in law is number five! She’s working on getting in shape for her wedding in September.

Now, of course, I just need to make sure I STAY there in March!