weightnolonger

Lost is my favorite TV show and the only one I watch, although admittedly it got a bit corny.  Still, I’ve invested too much to quit, lol.

So, tonight after work I’m heading straight to the gym for an hour of cardio before going home, having dinner, and watching Lost.  I’ll also do 100 crunches tonight.  Dinner will be roast with carrots and new potatoes and salad.  Kinda heavy, so I’m trying to be careful today.  But more that one person has suggested that maybe I’m not losing because I’m not eating enough, so I’m not going to worry too much about it.

Last night I went to Hydro and they apparently forgot to turn on the heater in the pool…. it was FREEZING!  Then out of nowhere, I started getting a cramp in BOTH my calves.  It has never happened before, so I am wondering if the cold water caused this?  I had to keep moving but not do the calf exercises for a bit.  After a while, they were fine again.  Weird.

I desperately want to see a loss this Saturday morning, it has been so long since the scale moved.  I wanna get to 245 at least, so that I know I’m well on my way to the 230’s…. and that much closer to the “under 200-lb” range.  Man, what a lovely day that will be!!!!  

Yesterday I was so drained, but I’m feeling a bit better today.   Some of the work stress tapered off, and I got to vote and caucus.   Although I had to hang out for hours to get through the caucus, it was worth it and I’m now a precinct delegate for Obama.  I will get to go to the county convention in a couple of weeks, and potentially to the capital in June.  Although I’m sure there are more important political-minded folks than me at the county convention so I doubt I’ll be making a trip to Austin, but that’s ok.  For now, I just like saying I’m a delegate, it sounds official don’t ya think?  :D  Am I the only nerd who cries at elections?  I’m a very emotional person and I am seriously moved to tears to see long lines of caring citizens waiting to exercise their right (duty!) to vote. 

So anyway, yesterday I had to leave work early and rush home ahead of traffic to have a quick bite to eat before heading to the polls.   We didn’t have a lot of options for quick meal preparation, and so we ordered pizza.  Not the best choice, I know, but it sure was convenient.  I don’t think it was TOO bad since I’d only had oatmeal, salad, and water for the rest of my meals.   We got cheese/veg pizza to at least cut out on any fatty meats. 

I didn’t make it to the gym last night since we barely got home at 9:30 pm!  By that time, we were exhausted and I’m glad we didn’t try to wait and actually cook dinner.  But tonight I will be back at Hydro Training and meals will be better.

I also got up early this morning and made a good hot breakfast for my son who is taking standardized tests today.  I’m wishing him the best of luck!

Not sure why, but I’m just worn out.  I think a lot of it has to do with the stress going on in my life right now - especially with regard to work.

I went to Hydro last night, but the workout was a little bit tough and I didn’t have the energy to hit the upstairs cardio room afterwards.  I headed home and had a baked potato for dinner.  It wasn’t so bad - spray butter (0 cal/fat) and some 2% cheese.  I also had a little bit of low fat ice cream - I needed a sweet treat.

I washed some clothes, made lunches, and crawled into bed at a reasonable hour, but I am still tired!  Today my eating was pretty good - oatmeal bar for breakfast and salad for lunch.  But I’m hungry and tired… feeling very drained.  I have to go vote and caucus tonight, and while I was hoping and planning to get to the gym, I foresee myself skipping it.  Caucus starts at 7:15, no idea how long that will last but it is important to me.  I don’t know that I’ll have the energy after that.  That’s ok though, I can swap my day off for Thursday night instead - I’ll just have to go straight to the gym after work and then rush home in time for Lost.

I’m anxious for Saturday morning weigh in.  Please oh PLEASE let me see a drop this week, I’ve worked hard for three weeks now and I’m losing my motivation when that stubborn scale won’t budge a bit.

Unfortunately my hubby has to work tomorrow, but as soon as he gets home we are going to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park to fake-camp (in their giant luxury RV, lol) for Saturday-Sunday.   We’ll be back for longer in a few weeks, but this is just a mini-trip.  They have a water park (hope it will be warm), putt-putt golf, outdoor movie theater, and … of course… Yogi Bear!

It is our annual tradition to get delicious fresh strawberries from the nearby farmer’s market …. yum!

I will go to the gym Saturday morning, but probably won’t make it back until Hydro Monday night, so I’ll have to enjoy the great outdoors and get some “real” exercise in.  I’m looking forward to it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend full of good decisions! 

Crazy thing to look forward to, isn’t it?  I should be solidly in the 240’s this time though, and working my way to the 230’s.  :)  Come on Saturday - and please be good news!  I’d love to see 245. 

I’m doing pretty good with my eating still.  Fruits, salads, and lots of grilled chicken.  My recent addiction is Lite String Cheese by Disney Magic Selections.   Not just because it has The Incredibles on the packaging, lol.  It is SO YUMMY.  The truth is, I used to have a serious addiction to fried mozzarella cheese sticks.  Can it get any worse for you than that?  Deep fried cheese - egad!  I haven’t had any AT ALL since I started this plan in June of 2007, but after a full year I plan to celebrate by having them ONCE.  Anyway, so in the meantime, lite-string cheese is my consolation.  Only 60 calories and 2 g of fat, so not too bad.  And I need the calcium… that’s what I’m telling myself. 

I did Hydro last night, yay.  Tonight is supposed to be my off-day from the gym… but Tuesday night my in-laws called to say they were in town and wanted to go to dinner with us.  I did good with my meal, but by the time we had dinner and I did a little much-needed grocery shopping so I could make lunches, I was too tired to hit the gym.  So, tonight is make-up night.  I’m going straight to the gym after work and I’m going to bust my booty… hehe.  The one TV show I watch religiously is Lost, so I have to get home by 8 pm to tune in.  Considering commute times, that gives me about an hour at the gym - alone, in peace.  Yay!

Since my hubby is working this Saturday, I think I’ll hit the gym Friday night also.  And Saturday morning is Hydro, then I’ll go upstairs a bit, then I’ll come down and weigh in after it is all said and done.  *crossing fingers*

One thing I cannot seem to get back into is counting calories.  I read them and I am conscious of them throughout the day, but as far as summing up everything I’ve eaten daily… I have just gotten too lazy.  I’ve gotta try and get back into this habit because it really kept me on my toes.

That’s all for now… good luck to all my buddies! 

I’m so happy with myself.  I not only ate perfectly on target all day, but I also went to my 60-min Hydro and THEN I went upstairs - wet hair and all - and did another intense 35 minutes or so of cardio on the Arc Trainer and Cross ramp.  I burned an additional 400+ calories — and those with heart rate monitors always say they burn 500+ in Hydro… so I estimate that I burned 900-1000 calories today!!!  YIPPEE!

Sure, it was Monday and I hated crawling out of bed… and work was SO busy and miserable as always…  but I didn’t use that as an excuse to goof up.  I worked hard and it feels great! 

I didn’t weigh myself last weekend, and I’m thinking maybe every 2 weeks is better anyway.  I enjoy seeing a bigger drop, and I’m less likely to see NO drop.  I don’t keep a scale in the house, so I only weigh in when I can make it to the gym in the morning.  I’m hopeful for my weigh-in this Saturday morning…. I’m planning to work really hard this week!  Thursdays are my exception though, I have to take the evening off to watch Lost. 

With all the havoc that kept me from the gym, my endurance was down a little so I am rebuilding.  Before I hurt my back and all that, I could do 2 hours non-stop cardio bouncing from one machine to the next in 20min intervals.   When I returned 6 weeks later, 45 min was tough…. but last night I did an hour.  :)  I’m determined to get there again, and I’m really regaining it much more quickly than it came the first time… so that’s good.

I did 15 min on the bike on Kilimanjaro setting, level 4 or 5… I can’t remember.  Then I did 20 min on the Cross Ramp on Cross-Training, then 20 min on the Arc Trainer on hill intervals level 3.   Then, I did 25 crunches. 

I feel great!  I nearly skipped the gym because of the weather.  Hydro Training was out of the question due to lightening, but I still went and did my cardio… yay!  I’m hoping for a loss this week.  *crosses fingers* 

I only exercised on Mon and Wed for my 60-min Hydro classes.  I worked hard, but that’s still not very much.  It was a buys week.  Tues. I was just too tired, Thurs. I had to work late, Friday we had friends coming to stay the weekend and had to get up early Saturday for a big meeting.  After the meeting I got sick… I think it is due to extremely low iron.  I barely made it home and crashed hard for a long nap, then got up feeling better but weak and did some grocery shopping.  Sunday was the Superbowl and I was still feeling crummy.  Even today I still feel a bit weak and dizzy and generally light-headed… and SO tired! 

Warning TMI:  I’ve been sick a lot for the last few weeks with earaches, stomache bugs, colds, back problems you name it.  I got a flu shot, but still found myself feeling dizzy, nauseous, light-headed, and shaky over the weekend somehow.  I’ve always struggled with low iron, although I eat plenty of meat and green leafy vegetables.  I think this is my problem right now.  I’ve had a very uncomfortable and heavy menstrual cycle that didn’t end for the last 4 weeks or so, and I think it is just wearing on my body.  Why did this happen?  Is it because I had gotten irregular when I started losing weight and my body was playing catch-up?  I don’t know, but I think the low iron is wreaking havoc on me.  So I research it a little and find that low fat diets can add to the problem.   Good grief, there sure are no easy answers!  I *need* to eat low fat/low cal for now, so I’m going to start taking some iron supplements and hope that solves the problem.  My monthly visitor overstayed her welcome this time, but I think she’s now on the way out so that should help.

So anyway, I ate allright for the last week, but not great.  Breakfasts, lunches, and snacks were great but we went out to eat a couple times.  Then Sunday we had the Superbowl to contend with so throughout the day I had cookie dough, cheese dip, and a burger.  However, I also ate baked chips, 2% velveeta in the cheese dip, drank diet soda/water, reduced fat cookie dough, and made grilled chicken in buffalo sauce instead of fried buffalo wings.    So while it was not the ideal, it was still an improvement over the past!

I didn’t get to weigh in, but hope to do that soon. 

The back pain is gone and I feel 100% again, so these are good aches and pains for a change.  They are the result of working hard in my Hydro class last night.  :)  

I love it when I feel the tightness in my muscles all day.  Just a tad sore, not painful or uncomfortable, but enough to let me know I did some good, ya know? 

Saturday we had no instructor show up at all, and our class took it upon ourselves to do self-led Hydro anyway.  That was kinda fun for once and I’m glad we didn’t just walk out, but I missed having the music and the peppy instructor to keep me motivated.  Monday we had a substitute instructor who was very nice, but all too B.O.R.I.N.G.  I feel bad saying that, but class was too easy and just uninteresting.  Still, I did it.  Wednesday we had a different sub, and she was AWESOME.   I had a lot of fun with her!  Next time my regular instructor will be back and she’s a lot of fun too… yay!

I now have friends coming into town for the weekend, a little work on Saturday morning, and superbowl snacks to contend with.  I’m making plans to try and have some healthy FUN this weekend, without getting off track.  Target has coupons on their website for $1.50 off Jennie-O Ground turkey, $1 off broccoli/cauliflower/celery, and $1 off Dole bagged salads.  Check them out - it makes eating healthy a bargain.   (Some of the Dole salads are priced at 99-cents or $1.19, so that makes them free or nearly free!)

Happy Thursday everyone… Friday is almost upon us!

From my last weigh in 12/10 (yikes!) to Saturday’s weigh in 1/26, I lost 2 lbs.  Pretty pathetic, I know, but at least it did go DOWN.   I had to contend with holidays, a nasty cold, a minor back injury, a bigger back injury, work crises and major stress, gym closed for remodeling, … but at last I’m back!  I’m proud of me for not giving up… if ever there was a time to do so, that was it.  *pats self on back*

Over that time, I did not really get to do cardio or go to Hydro more than a couple of times.  I was on muscle relaxers for my back for a while.  But now, I’m back.  I’m going to Hydro, and I’m doing my cardio.  My endurance is not quite where it was, it is amazing how quickly it drops.  But I’m rebuilding it. 

My eating habits got a little off track with holiday parties and such too, but that is back in order as well.  It’s time to kick some serious butt now.  I’m hoping my body will start dropping lbs easily after being away from the proper exercise and meals for a while.  *crossing fingers for Saturday*