Week One Weigh In

Week one and I'm down 4 pounds from last Monday. Of course I'm happy with the loss but part of me feels frustrated because I've been hovering around this weight for a while now. BUT that was before the blog and the ongoing accountability to the people who inspire me. This might sound silly, but I ordered a new scale because I'm not convinced this one is very accurate. It's a lightweight metal, it's several years old and it feels "wonky" everytime I step on it. I can get a weight variance of up to 5 pounds within 3 minutes....drives me crazy! Maybe that's normal but I'm gonna try a new one.

SO...for now this is my working weight 254.2 ...we'll see where I am next week! Maybe I'll weigh on both scales to see how they compare.

Day 6 and LOTS of calories burned

I did it! I ran the 5K and I have a new best time...43:22 is the unofficial time. It was so much fun to see all the families running with their kids and dogs. VERY COOL. I'll be looking forward to getting my fancy schmancy picture that was taken by the event photographer of my finish. I'm really proud of myself...I actually teared up at the finish line. Not sure what that was about but I think it had something to do with pride.

Here's my starting line photo to hold until the finish one is available! You'll see that my pretty princess Taylor was there to send me off on the race. She was wearing her TuTu and carrying her pink sparkly purse.

After the race, we headed to downtown Olympia for Sand in the City. Taylor had a great time playing in the sandbox. We had fun making a mini sandcastle and listened to the Crow Drummers (of which my Frister is a new member). We enjoyed the entertainment and getting sand in our pants didn't completely suck. Lunch at Sizzler for a yummy salad then headed home for......

TREE TRIMMING! My evergreens have been in desperate need of pruning and I decided today was the day to start the project. The first picture shows the work in progess. You can see that the branches were down to the ground which made mowing a real pain in the hiney. SO, I trimmed them all up to about shoulder high. You can see that I'm hidden in the trees trying to finish off the last few trees in this row. Keep in mind I didn't use a chain saw...muscles all the way! There are two more sections this size so definitely more to come!

There were LOTS of branches which is what this second picture shows! SO MANY branches.... they'll make for a nice bonfire in the Fall once the burn ban is off.

SO, there you have it. My day of having fun outside and burning lots of calories in the process. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to follow the blog and provide your input. Goodnight all!

Day 5 and True Inspiration

I started to blog lastnight and wasn't sure exactly what to say. I'm sure it will take some time to get used to the whole idea of blogging but today...I have a very clear reason to blog. I spent a good part of the day helping my daughters move their stuff and get the youngest set up with a bed in her new apartment. As my granddaughter and I start heading home to Rochester (she's staying with me for a week) she says to me..."Nammie, I want to ride my bike!" My heart skipped a beat because Little Miss Taylor (she's 3) is one of the most important reasons I'm on this journey of change and healthy living.

SO, we got home and we donned our helmet and walking shoes...off we went.

Granted, we weren't sprinting but we were Nammie and Taylor out for a walk/ride regardless of a few sprinkles. It's a reminder that I want to experience the joys of spending time with her trying new adventures, experiencing movement, enjoying fitness events together. I dream of her joining me in running someday. That she and I will register for 5K races together and enjoy the excitement of finishing a race.

Tomorrow, she and Mikki will go with me to the 5K in Olympia..."Run Like a Dog" - I registered for the race yesterday and I'll wear this fancy Tshirt with my lucky number 1236! Gonna do it!

When given a choice for dinner, Taylor picked roasted chicken and green beans! I just love that she really enjoys healthy food. Once again, she polished off the green beans first and had some of the chicken breast. My girl loves her veggies. For a "before bed snack" she asked for an apple. Gotta love it! I've said before...if she asks for books, fruits or veggies I doubt I'd ever say no!

Well, off to bed for a good night's sleep.

Day 2 and what my body thinks of caffeine and fat!

As I closed my post lastnight, I announced that I'd made a conscious decision to have beef stroganoff for dinner and CHOCOLATE CAKE in celebration of my birthday. What I neglected to mention is that I'd started my day with an iced mocha (with just a splash of half and half...hmmm - by whose measure?), had a clif chocolate brownie bar for a morning snack, followed by a tuna sub at Subway (one of the highest calorie subs on the menu and this one was premixed with way too much mayo!) and VERY LITTLE WATER.

Before I even went home I was experiencing some tummy trouble but I didn't let that stop me from eating the birthday dinner of choice. The "tummy trouble" led to me cancelling my training session with Chris. I've been sluggish, tired, headachy and overall "icky" today and I have to work until 11 pm. BLEH. I've probably had more diet coke in the last 4 days than I've had in the last 4 months...I can't imagine that's been helpful!

I'm trying to use this as a learning opportunity. It's so obvious that my body had become accustomed to the better choices I'd been making. Choices like at least 96 ounces of water a day, daily physical movement of some sort...a walk on my break time, an aerobics class...SOMETHING. 12 days between vists to the gym is a big NO NO for me.

Because I'm working late tonight (I won't get to bed before midnight), I'll be passing on the gym tomorrow but I'm meeting Tara for a walk after work. That will be my physical activity for the day. I'm hoping I can pull myself back together for the 5K in Olympia. It's the "Run Like a Dog" 5K Run/Walk to benefit the Thurston County Humane Society. I'm pretty much decided that I'll do it although I can't imagine that my time will be anything to write home (or blog) about! But I'll have my family there to route me on...Mikki and Taylor will be at the finish line so I can't leave them hanging for too long!

I'm anxious to get back to feeling great about my choices...is tomorrow when that will happen? NO, I'm determined that it happens NOW actually. I'm on my 3rd big bottle of water for the day. That's a good step right?

363 days to go...what will those days hold? LOTS OF POSITIVE CHANGES, accomplished goals, new challenges...I'm up for it.

Day 1 and Happy Birthday to me!

Well, it's official. I'm 44 years old and today is the beginning of my 45th year of life. It's been an interesting day so far with lots of love and birthday wishes from friends and family. Work was uneventful which is a good thing but it allowed for my mind to meander.

Several times during the day I found my mind wandering and wondering...what is in store for me over the course of the next year? I want to make it different, I want to accomplish things I've not been able to do in the past. Some things are small while others are pretty big.

One silly thing that popped in my mind today? I want to be able to cross my legs when I sit. I don't mean "criss cross applesauce"... I mean really cross my legs, like a lady! Now don't start with the OMG...like a LADY? I know I know...I'm not the most lady like person in the world. My frister calls me crass. I'm not sure why but I suspect it has something to do with bodily noises she finds offensive. Hey! My mom always said "It's better an empty house than a bad tenant!" I have to agree with her.

ANYWAY...This is how I typically sit because I can't actually cross one leg completely over the other. Apparently my panniculus gets in the way. That's the fancy word for my big belly. I learned that when I worked for a plastic surgeon at the impressionable age of 15!

As I mentioned in my first post, I have completed a 5K race, but my goal is to be able to RUN an entire 5K race without walking. It will happen. I'll make it happen and I know I can do it. Time dedicated to the physical work of exercise and training my body to have more endurance will make a difference. I have friends and family that will encourage me but ultimately it's up to me and taking responsibility for my actions. I can do it. This weekend I'll do my second official 5K race and I'm really looking forward to it!

My official weigh in this morning was a little bit of a surprise but it is what it is....my official starting weight...

YUP...that says 258.2 - it's OK, it's up from the 255 I thought it would be but that comes as the result of some self sabotage I did last week. I didn't exercise once. There were a couple of legitimate reasons...and a few no-good excuses. Regardless, the only exercise I had in the previous 7 days was 2.5 hours canoeing on Black River (which was a lot of fun by the way).

I think I should touch on one of the actual reasons...I had a biopsy done because of a slight scare. After the biopsy Monday, I was uncomfortable to put it mildly...that lasted a couple of days but by Wednesday it was just excuses. The good news is that the biopsy came back negative for cancer cells so big sigh of relief there.

I didn't go to the gym today...that was a conscious decision although I don't know why other than pure laziness. Today while walking to Subway for lunch, I realized that I got slightly winded just walking up the steps at work...that had subsided significantly since I'd started exercising a few months ago. It was a wake up call that after merely a week of moving LESS, my body was revolting. As I walked, I was reminded that I LIKE to move. I enjoy the exercise and the feeling my body has when my heart rate goes up and I'm getting fresh air. That's when I got excited about going back to the gym tomorrow. I work out twice a week with Chris. He's a really great trainer that knows when he can push a little harder. I like that about him. I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of changes will come from an increase in gym activities.

I recently started doing some classes at the gym instead of focusing only on the sessions with Chris and an hour or so on either the treadmill or elliptical. I've tried the step aerobics (it kicked my ASS), water aerobics (which I thought would be lame but WOW what a workout!), and I've done a body works class that is lots of sculpting and ab work. I can't completely keep up but that doesn't mean I'll give up!

Well, my sweet family is waiting for me to present me with one of my favorite dinners - Beef Stroganoff prepared by Mikki...she's so sweet! She made the favorite recipe which is FULL of calories from fat AND she created a low calorie version with ground turkey breast and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream! She loves me....

Just an FYI - dinner will be followed by a piece of decadent chocolate cake from Costco. Also a conscious decision that will be followed by putting the left overs in the trunk of my car to be taken to the savages that I work with. It's amazing how quickly food disappears at my work when you put it out to share. I know, maybe I shouldn't be exposing them to all those calories but better them than me! Let them use their willpower and determination!

A new start and an exciting 365 days ahead.

Tomorrow, August 23, 2010 is my 44th birthday. . . the first day of my 45th year on our lovely Mother Earth. My plan is to journal (or I guess when I do it here it's called blogging right?) through the next 365 days as I move forward in my life with determination.

The last several months, I've made numerous changes to the way I live my life. Exactly six months ago today, I weighed 277 pounds. Having been inspired by an amazing friend to move more and eat less, I've done just that. I've lost about 25 pounds but I'll have a more specific weight tomorrow morning when I start tracking my weekly weigh ins.

I've officially run/walked my first 5K race "Leaping For Literacy", joined a gym, and I'm working with a personal trainer. I've gone canoeing for the first time ever and yet I'm not seeing the changes I want. Stepping back I realize that there are things still happening in my life that are underlying, things people don't see because I hide them...and because of these things, the weight loss has not been as steady as it should be.

I've been a compulsive overeater for a lot of years. I eat from boredom, loneliness, habit.... I have to give myself credit for the positive changes that I have made (my food choices are much different today than they were 6 months ago) and at the same time, acknowledge the changes yet to be made. My hope is that by being accountable to my friends and family (If I'm brave enough to share this with some people) that I'll find the courage to share the good and the bad. I hope to open up about what struggles I face when I'm alone and the refrigerator is calling to me.
I know there is emotional work to be done. I know it in my heart and in my head. The next 365 days will be an adventure...a "life changing journey" as my fruitcup Tara calls it. My life changing journey began in the Spring, but today I decide to share my days so that I can see where change is happening and where it still needs to be.

One of my biggest fears has always been that I would let people down. My plan is to not let myself down...to move forward in this journey to a stronger, healthier, happier person with joy in my heart.

It's my intent that this blog allow me to share my adventures with weightloss, excercise and creativity. By moving more and eating less....I'll find myself working in my quilting studio more often than sitting in front of a TV. That is one of my biggest addictions and one that will be addressed as the days go by. Less TV more creaTVity! (I know, I know . . .it's not spelled right but I'm being creative! LOL)

Thanks for reading!