The Slacker Takes a Break

I am a slacker.

I can’t even blog on time, and this is actually something that I enjoy because it gives me peace.

Last week’s results, etc? My weight stayed flat, and I exercised a couple of times…in a nutshell.


I get so frustrated with myself sometimes. I wish I had more discipline. I get so preoccupied/busy/obsessive/crazed with/by my personal life, that it is hard for me to stay on task the way that I really want to. I remember going to a golf tournament once, and being about arms length away from Tiger Woods when he was walking between holes. The concentration and focus on this dude’s face was insane. It was almost as if none of the applauding fans were there, like he was by himself on a deep, contemplative walk. Man, I want that kind of single-minded focus on this fitness thing. Personal life ADD is really kicking my ass.

…maybe there’s a book on “Focusing for Dummies” on itunes that I can download. I need HELP!

It’s been really tough since the bike broke. I was trying to wait until I hit 20 lbs off to buy a new one, but I think that I need to bite the bullet and do it now before it gets too cold for me to ride outside. I suppose that gives me the opportunity to reward myself with something else when I hit 20, right?

I do need to give myself some credit--all this time that I have been slacking, at least the better eating habits have been staying with me.  I try not to put too much pressure on myself to get this weight lost, but dude, 3 months have already gone by, meaning that I have 9 months to lose all the weight I need to lose.  Before too long, the months and days are going to feel like they are just flying by...OH, and the holidays are coming!

I'll get there.  If I don't have faith in anything else, I know that at least I will make THIS goal.  I've got to.

Week 10: Excuses & Results

Excuses:  Life!

I exercised 3 times this week:
(2) Walk/Runs for a total of 5.26 miles and 80 minutes
(1) 15 minute self-propelled stress-relieving yoga session

Results: I lost 1 lb this week, down 12 lbs in 10 weeks. I am currently 157 lbs, and have 18 to go.

The weight is slowly coming off, but at least it's not coming back.

I'm going to get off of the subject of fitness for this post, I think...freestylin'...bear with me.

Work has been nuts...lots of movement and restructuring.  I had a manager one day, and came into work the next to find out that I am now reporting to someone new, and my manager and half of my current team are all in another division.  I am an advocate for change, and feel that much good could come out of the changes that are going on with my job, but surprisingly, it's taken me a minute to wrap my mind around this one.  In this environment, I am ecstatic to have a job, and positive that this means good things in the future, so I am trying not to stress too much over this one.

My daughter was riding around on a scooter last week, and fell and sprained her arm.  I have never had a broken arm or a sprain--how long does it take for a sprain to heal?  She's still in a bunch of pain, but at least it isn't a break.  When I found out that she fell and hurt her arm, I was imagining that she was going to end up in a cast all the way up her arm, like what her brother had two years ago after an accident at football practice.  I am thankful that she is okay.

I had the sweetest conversation with my son today.  He is 11 days from turning 14 years old, and as you know, having a teenager in the house is not exactly synonymous with "fun."  Somehow we got on the subject of girls, and he let me inside enough to know that there is a girl that he likes, and he would "ask her out" if he knew for sure that she liked him "in that way."  I gave him my advice (I'll let you guys guess what I said), and he thanked me and said that it was cool that he could talk to his mom about such things.  After months of fighting with this kid, this was major for me, and so profound.  This guy who I love more than any other guy may have feelings "in that way" for the first time for a girl, and it was sweet.  AND he shared it with me.

That's the end of tonight's freestyle blogging session.  What's the plan for Week 11?  I'm going to not sweat so many things, and I will just live.

...and now for this Week's Inspirational Video...two

It's been a minute since I posted  a video.  I like to get a little old school, too.  My 10 year old daughter was singing this song to herself the other day, which is funny for many reasons, but especially because it came out 2 years before she was born.

It inspires and motivates me.  Look at the abs on these girls, and who can deny the message? 

Happy Friday.

Week 9 Excuses & Results

Hey guys, I don't have much to write this time around.  It's been a trying week personally and professionally, and I just have a lot on my mind, but I wanted to post results.  I worked out twice this week, and maintained...no lbs lost, no lbs gained.  I am holding at 158.

I'm sure that I will have things to add before my week 10 wrap-up. 

Hope that everyone has a good week.

Week 8: Excuses & Results

Sorry this is so late.  Time really got away from me this week!  However, I did manage to remember to exercise and weigh in last week.

Excuses:

• My bike broke. :(  That didn't keep me from working out, although it made me very sad.

I moved a lot this week:

• (5) Walk/Runs, mostly walking for a total of 9.42 miles and 159 minutes (2:39)
• (1) Hour-long Yoga class

Results: I lost 1 lb this week, down 11 lbs in 8 weeks. I am currently 158 lbs, and have 19 to go.

So, I am really irritated that the tire on my bike won't act right.  My gift to myself for 20 lbs lost is a new bike, but I feel like it will take me longer to get there without my being able to do the exercise that I have been enjoying the most!  Maybe it will be more motivation for me to get to 20 lbs off faster, so that I can start riding again.

In the meantime, I need to refocus on the free or cheap resources already available to me.  I have new running shoes, check.  I have a cheap gym membership at work, check.  I have rollerblades that I am still afraid of, check.  I have two very active kids, check, check.  I have to hustle these resources until I can't do it anymore.

Without giving too much away right now, I feel that there are other changes afoot in my life (good ones, maybe?), so any consistency and regularity that I can create where my fitness is concerned will be beneficial should any good, major change occur.  More in a future blog post on that.

I saw the picture that I took of myself the day that I started this project.  I was surprised at just how much difference 11 lbs lost makes.  My intention originally was to post the picture in my first blog post, but honestly, I was/am too embarrassed by what I saw.  I am promising myself and both of my readers that when I meet the critical midway point of 15 lbs lost, that I will post my before and after photo here for all to see.  I think I have plenty of time between now and then to talk myself into thinking that this is a good idea!

My plans for Week 9?  Keep up the slow and steady weight-loss pace.  I am telling myself that this is how to do it if I really want the weight to stay off.  It might now be peeling off as quickly as I would like, but I only have 19 more pounds to lose in just over 10 months.  This should be gravy, right?  Not very thick, low fat gravy, of course...

Here we go, Week 9!

She's Flashy

I picked up my new shoes yesterday.

I found the same (read: "older") version of the Saucony ProGrid Ride shoes that I loved and ran all of my 5Ks in back in the day.  They are just like this:

Flashy, I know.
Hopefully they make me run fast.

Week 7: Excuses & Results

Excuses....just one:  SICK!

Results: I lost 2 lbs this week, a total of 10 lbs in 7 weeks. I am now 159 lbs, and have 20 to go.  I have reached my first benchmark goal of 10 lbs lost, which means that I get my new running shoes!  I'm undecided...I've had the older versions of each of these shoes before, and they are both great.





Saucony Progrid 3



Brooks Ghost 4

                  ...or...

 

 



 

 

 



I managed to work out once this week:

• (1) 20 minute bike ride, 3.8 miles.



So, yes, I was horribly sick this week.  My mom was in town, too.  I was happy that she was here, because I feel like I would probably still be vomiting my life away if she wasn't here, but sad, too, because it obviously wasn't my intention for her to be here only to be stuck in the house for a few days because I was too sick to get off of my couch.  Mom and I had a great visit, and I hope she comes again soon when I have more vacation time, and when I am not hugging, sitting on, or lying by the toilet for a 72-hour period of time.



I'm feeling a little guilty about my results, like I need to put an asterisk by them.  I know that my weight-loss was 100% due to the fact that I only recently started eating solid foods again.  However, I am at 10 lbs lost, and will purchase the much-needed new shoes, so that I can get my running jumpstarted again.



We are having a community yard sale this weekend, and I am hoping that I can sell enough items that I can fund my new shoes from my yard sale proceeds.

 

There's one other fun thing coming up this weekend...I signed myself up for a yoga class and oxygen bar that is happening at a winery nearby.  Oh yes, it's a wine tasting, too.  I hope to start finding more off-the-beaten path, fun ways to get to my destination of 30 lbs lost by the end of next July.

 

My hopes for Week 8?  No illness...and I'd just like to get back into a groove or on some type of schedule.

 

Here we go!