The cycle

Im not doing so well on either the exercise or diet department. I "know" what I should do but somehow what I do "do" isnt the right thing. So I feel like crap because Im not eating right, exercising and sleeping enough -- then I eat some more to combat that feel like crap feeling. See -- the cycle is endless. Im hoping to get off this ride very soon. The ups and downs of the weight battle are very discouraging. Ive very tired of regaining the same 2 or 3 lbs every week. I know its typical for weight to flucuate within 5 lbs -- its just that 5 lb radius is not where i want it to be. Its on the high end and I just dont feel very good, when I am there. I am trying to remember this is a marathon not a sprint but I want to be there already. i want to be done trying to figure this out. And I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight --- ha! There I said it, thats really the crux of the problem. I want to eat and eat and eat and not have to do the work to keep the weight off. So what do I do ? I dont find cutting things out completely to be helpful but I do know what types of snacks and foods are. So Im going to start by going to the grocery store and remedying that. 2nd -- Im in the process of reevaluating my exercise time. I find more often than not, if I wait til after supper, the pull of sitting and relaxing is stronger. I dont very often manage to get out and exercise at that time of the night. It was working well for me at least to go after school. The problem is it doesnt work so well for the rest of my family -- sigh. Im trying to gather up the motivation to get up early and do it then. It really is a great start to the day, I find myself more productive that way. And I cant then say, oh im going to eat this cause im exercising later and then not exercise. The calorie burn is already done. See above issues though with not enough sleep. Its just really hard to convince myself that 5 am is a good wake up time. Let alone that -- convincing myself to go out and run or bike is even harder. As summer approaches, i wont want to work out in the heat of the day anyway, its probably a good move at this point. 3rd -- Im going to search for some sort of running plan. I do better if I have a plan Im following. Whether its a goal to improve my speed, distance or whatever, I need a prescribed plan to keep me motivated. Making my own goals and plans hasnt worked well this year. I really need to step up the running. 4th -- Im going to acknowledge that Im more than a number on the scale. Its so easy to get caught up in what it says that I forget to remember God made me beautiful just as I am. Im remembering to be proud for what i have accomplished. I went from hating running and exercising to doing so on a regular basis. Thats huge folks! I lost over 30 lbs and that my friends is no small feat. So what if the last 10 lbs are plagueing me -- I am beautiful! Im really hoping I can find the balance again for eating and exercsing. :) Megamom

Weigh-in

Another successful weigh-in this morning - down 1.8, which puts me back to where I was two weeks ago, before I got sick and took two weeks off.  I had wanted to run last night, but went to a baseball game instead.  I managed not to eat any ballpark food - did have some soda and later hot chocolate because it was so cold.  I got home late and had a couple hot dogs, which I thought might skew today's results, but if they have I am still happy with the number.  Plus, it's a nice sunny day and might hit 65 degrees!  Maybe I'll get an outside run in.

Weigh in 4/22/2011

Total lbs lost since last weigh in day -- .7 Total lbs lost since high point of the week -- 2.0 Culmulative lbs lost : 28.5 Pounds left to go til goal weight - 14.3 Comments : This week was a mixed bag on workouts. The weather definitely wasnt favorable. I got in two runs and two bike rides and two rest days. Overall I did okay. Hopefully as the weather improves -- I can be more consistent.

A New Plan

While I wouldn't go so far as to say "running is comfortable," even after a year, it is certainly more enjoyable than it was a year ago.  I have a pace that is comfortable; it hovers around the 11'04" mark.  I've run faster on several occassions, but this is probably my average now.  I would really like to bring that down a bit, maybe around the 10'30" mark.  I'm kinda lost on how to do it.  I did try that one trick of running faster during the chorus of songs, and that helped.  But I haven't been in the mood to do it since.  So my new idea is to re-do the couch to 5k program, but only when I have to workout on the treadmill at the gym (rainy days, which are in abundance here in Seattle), using a higher speed than I am used to on the running sections of the program.  I cannot for the life of me run much faster for any length of time than a 4.5 on the treadmill...even though the pace for tht is much slower than what I run outside!  So, I think I will bump it up to a 5.5 or 6.0 during the running sections and see what happens.  I am hoping that it improves my pace, although if that's the pace that I tend to run outside...maybe it won't.  But it's worth a try!

I'm on pager this week, so no swimming for me.  :(

Does the gloom equal doom?

Its amazing to me, how much harder it is to get out and exercise when the weather is all gloomy. Here in Minnesota, spring has lost its way and they are predicting snow for tonight. Its not even sunny out and my mood is reflecting the gloom. It just feels harder to get out and exercise when its cold, and gloomy and snow is on the way. It was a mixed weekend -- not so good on the eating front. I overate Friday night and Sunday night but had one good day on Saturday. I was able to get out and bike on Saturday and run on Sunday. Saturdays bike ride really was hard. It was 35 degrees out and 20+ mile an hour winds. It took me longer to ride 8.9 miles than it normally does for me to bike 12. Sigh .... at least I was out moving! It really wasnt surprising to be up after this weekend. Yesterdays bike ride was far more satisfying :) I made a new pace record, 4:04 average for 12 miles. That translates into 14.8 miles per hour-- wicked! The weather wasnt really fun to walk in today, so I skipped that. I hope I can do at least some wii fit later. Today, technically is one of my rest days -- so light exercise is fine. Its the getting back on track with eating thats the more challenging thing of the day. Megamom

Back on Board

Well, considering that last week was just as abysmal as the previous week, I still managed to lose 1.3 pounds.  I am still up 1.8 from two weeks ago, but I'll take  what I can get.  The loss (along with cleaning my kitchen and fridge) has helped motivate me to get back up, dust myself off, and "be good" again.  I picked out two Hungry Girl recipes and went grocery shopping last night.  This morning I had my usual cereal with a banana for breakfast.  The usual Sushi Thursday turned into Sushi Monday since I didn't have time to cook what I want to bring for lunch this week.  Yesterday I even went for a run.  I already feel much better.

It turns out, when I am not working out and eating well, I start to feel bad.  Like there is sludge in me.  Things that bother me REALLY start to bother me.  I sleep a lot.  It's good to know that I can manage the bad feelings better with a healthy lifestyle.  Even if weight loss isn't a goal, I have mood as a reminder to stay on course.  However, it does put a little pressure on.  Everyone has periods when it just doesn't happen, for whatever reason.

It's just never easy.

On the upside, I discovered that cheesy hot dogs are only 4 points a piece...and that seems worth it.  :)

Weigh in 4/15/2011

Total lbs lost since last weigh in day: 2.4 Total lbs lost from high point:2.4 Culumative lbs lost : 27.8 Lbs left to go til goal weight: 15 I was very pleased with this week. I worked out 6 days in a row counting my walking day. The scale really reflected how hard I worked. It was easier to stay on track, food wise, when I saw the scale going down. :) Megamom

I might just be crazy or maybe its just dedication

I knew that my schedule today really wouldnt lend itself to running this evening. So I planned a short two mile run over hubby's lunch hour. I knew that would really be my only time to get in some exercise today and I wanted to keep my workout streak going. So as my husband arrived home -- the rain/sleet mix started. It wasnt enough to have 38 degree temps(esp after hitting 70 earlier this week). It wasnt enough to have grey, gloomy overcast sky. Nooo ... it has to sleet!!! I suited up, grabbed my gloves that havent been used in a month now and headed out. This is when I thought I might just be crazy or dedicated. Im not sure which :) My husband is leaning toward crazy. He thought that, last november, when I tried to get to a race in a snowstorm. Oh well ... crazy just makes life more fun! I made great time, 2 miles in 21:12, 10:36 pace. Some of that might have been the sleet pelting on my cheek. I also knew that I only planned to go two miles , so I could push it a bit as well. My heartrate averaged 151 as well. So a great run! It was well worth enduring the cold sleety rain to get out there! Thats all for now folks Megamom

So Easy

No, I don't mean that dieting/being healthy is so easy.  I mean that it's so easy to get off track.  I spent four weeks doing really well and then I got sick last week.  So I "took the week off" and promptly gained nearly three pounds!  This week has been erratic and busyish and it's making it hard to get back on track again.  It really sucks.

I can tell the difference, too, in my attitude, energy, lethargy, and of course the scale.  I would feel better if I would just get the endorphins going.

The weather also has not been cooperative, which makes running difficult.  Excuses excuses.

Things I need to do: clean the kitchen and buy groceries so I can actually prepare lunches for the week and dinners, go to the gym, blah blah.  Everything I know I need to do sometimes feels really hard.

Wednesday

Blogger hasnt been cooperating with my post layouts -- I put line breaks in when I type it but when I post it crams it altogether. I'm still trying to figure which setting got switched on me. So in the meantime -- I guess you get to read all crammed together. This week has been great -- eating wise. My husband was out of town for two days and brought me home a small blizzard when he got back last night. I didnt eat it!!!! Earlier in the night, I probably had enough calories left that I could have had some. I had already eaten my snacks for the night and knew that more food at that point wouldnt be good. Im so proud of myself that I made that victory. Turning down a blizzard is no small feat! Yesterday, between three different times of walking -- I netted 4.5 miles of walking. Not too shabby for a rest day. Im pleased I was able to stay active and do a less intense exercise! That makes 4 days of workouts in a row. Im loving the scale these days! My 10 yr old has been struggling with after school time, so for the time being, I need to shift my exercise time. It worked well generally after school, so then I was home later in the evening when hubster was home. So now I will have to shift to early morning(blech) or later evening, after supper. Since summer supposedly(we have snow predicted for the weekend, sigh) is coming, I need to shift to morning workouts anyway. Its generally too hot in the afternoons to do intense runs. It seems as if we have lost Knitter ... I know she is out there somewhere. So everyone -- shout a call out to Knitter and tell her to check in! Megamom

Consistency

I have been able to work out really consistently this week and the scale is starting to show results! Woohoo! Counting today, I have worked out 4 days in a row. Saturday was a 3 mile run, Sunday 7.75 bike ride, Monday 5 mile run and today - 2.6 mile walk. I thought I would take today as a rest day and just do activities like walking or taking the kids to the park to keep my activity leval up. It worked out well to walk while my one son was in therapy and I could push the 2 yr old in the stroller. As long as the weather is nice, Im going to try to do that on a regular basis on Tuesdays. My evening schedule on Tuesdays is a bit tighter anyway and it takes the pressure off from trying to squeeze in a workout. I ran 20.9 miles in Feb, 15.4 in March and so far 15.3 in April. The weather definitely should help those totals :) I ran around 400 miles last year and didnt make my goal of running 500. Id love to hit that this year but with a slow start, Im not sure if its possible. Time will tell on that front. I biked 42.7 miles in March and so far in April, 39.5. Im still trying to figure out what a good biking goal would be. I thought bout 700 miles but that might just be pushing it out of the realm of reality :) Eating went well yesterday -- of course a good calorie burn from a long run helps! Weekdays are certainely easier than weekends for sure. Thats all for now folks Megamom

Weekend recap

I had company from out of town this weekend, so I was unsure how it would go. Typically, its eat more than I should and not really be able to get in some exercise. It was a mixed result. The good news is I got a run in on Saturday and a bike ride in on Sunday. The bad news is I did overeat on Saturday and Sunday. This morning though brought a maintaining result. I was thankful for that! I was able to make some good choices at mealtimes to not have seconds but it was particularly difficult not to eat that 2nd grilled burger~!

Im still pondering my exercise routine. I know for sure I want to work out 5 days out of the week. I think one rest day is in order -- perhaps depending on how my muscles handle it -- maybe two. I like the flexibility of two, with a large family, my schedule has to be somewhat fluid. So even if I do two rest days, they arent likely to be on the same timeframe each week.

My run on Saturday averaged out to a 10:53 pace. I love having spring here finally -- its soo much easier to run in nicer weather. My bike ride on Sunday was going along splendidly; the first segment averaged 3:45 pace~! I was very excited and thought I might make a new record. Then I turned the corner .... into full frontal wind. Im not sure how fast it was but with the open Minnesota fields it was strong!I ended up averaging 4:57 for nearly 8 miles.

Today I plan to run 3 miles. I might cut it to two if my legs protest too much. Sometimes its easy to get caught up in the idea of wanting more and more miles. Too far, too fast is the way most runners get injured. So I have to take it slowly as I increase. Thats all for now folks Megamom

Checking in

Its been a busy stressful week -- sometimes life just simply takes over. Its been a mixed bag on the eating front. A good day here and a bad day there. My downfall this week happened to be rice krispie treats -- yummy! On a good note, my workouts have been fairly consistent. I ran 3 miles on Sunday, 7.75 mile bike monday, 4 mile run on Wed and 12 mile bike ride today. I feel pretty good about that. Thats the most consistent workout routine that Ive done in awhile. The 4 mile run felt fabulous. I havent run that far in a couple of months and I wasnt sure what the result would be. I really wasnt sore at all! So im encouraged that I can get back into a longer distance routine soon. My weight really isnt going anywhere. Im a bit discouarged by the plateau. Although I havent been consistent either, so thats likely it. Megamom

Bad Week

I'm not feeling the greatest this week and it has weakened my usual resolve to "be good."  I've been drinking Mountain Dew like crazy and eating fast food.  On Sunday I ate lunch at Taco Bell and dinner at McDonalds.  Yesterday I ate Taco Bell again.  Today I got Pizza Hut.  Sigh.  Fast food is such a slippery slope.  As I ate it I knew I shouldn't be.  But, I didn't feel like cooking anything.

I also haven't been working out.  I walked the 5k hilly route on Saturday and that's it.  I'm hoping by tomorrow I will feel well enough to go to the gym.

Tomorrow's a new day.

End of a Roll

Weigh in today was disappointing; the Wii said I was up .2 pounds.  Now I know that in the grand scheme of things, that's not really a lot.  It's more like I maintained than anything.  But I thought I did really well this week.  I ate well.  I worked out, although I didn't run at all.  I did two days of swimming 2000 yards, one day of belly dancing from a DVRd show called Shimmy, and one day of walking random hills on the treadmill.  Hopefully this week the weather will improve and I can get some running in.

I did accomplish both of my goals for the week, at least.  When my boyfriend and I went out he suggested either Mexican or sushi and I opted for sushi, which is by far fewer calories and fat.  And when we left, I felt satiated but not stuffed.  Later that night when he brought out the Girl Scout cookies, I only indulged in one!  And I logged it, too. 

Well, it's a new week and I'm going to try and not get down on myself about this.  I felt skinnier this week, so I think maybe this was a week I lost inches and just not pounds.  I'm going to focus on that.

Blah, Blah, weigh in day and the slippery slope

My weigh in wasnt good this week. I overate on two of the weekend days and overate on my husbands birthday wednesday -- so I half expected it. I was up .9 from last Friday -- all in all not bad. Its just not where I wanted to be. The later half of the week has been harder to get workouts in and my mood is reflecting that. Thus the blah, blah, blah. Its been rainy and gloomy and more basement woes as well. I started out eating okay today. Even though i didnt feel like eating the right snacks or meals. Then I had a hot dog for lunch, still not bad as I only had one. Then the slide started, next was a nap instead of a workout. Then a strawberry shortcake swirl instead of a yogurt. Then supper was leftovers. I chose shepards pie with extra cheese -- anyone else think Im trying to uplift my mood with food???? Sigh. I just feel sorta stuck at this weight. Stuck with workouts and bad habits that are hard to beat back. Im trying to remember tommorrow is a new day with new chances to make the right choices. Thats all for now Megamom

Good Girl!

I behaved myself quite outstandingly at the happy hour last night.  I had my French martini, which I don't know how it's possible, but the WW calculator adds up to 0 Points.  But I only had that one and drank water.  For snacks, I ate off the hummus plate and had half a piece of deep fried fish.  No french fries!  They were tempting, but I knew that if I started eating it would be hard to stop at just a couple.  When I went home, I didn't eat anything more.  I even had Points left over, which is nice since I am not sure if I am eating out tonight with my boyfriend, so it gives me some wiggle room if we do.  When I weighed in this morning on the Wii, I was back down to Saturday's weight, so that was encouraging!

I didn't work out last night, although I tried to rationalize it with the fact on Sunday I swam double what I generally do so it was kinda like two workouts.  Tonight I have off.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get something in.  I probably should run, but the weather has been crappy and I don't enjoy running on the treadmill.  Walking random inclines isn't so bad, but less satisfying than completing a run.  Maybe the ellipical then.  Hmm.  Decisions, decisions!

On a roll and its not even buttered

I just came back from a 11.25 mile bike ride at 4:35 pace. That is 13.1 miles per hour~~! That was a great workout and its the 3rd day in a row now that I have gotten in a workout. Im loving it -- so much that I have to make a rule that I have to do a house chore before I can workout~! You know the list of things you know you have to do but really dont want to -- yeah that list. I didnt do so well on the eating front last night. I stayed up late with some of my boys and its much harder to resist snacking. The thing though that Im trying to take from this -- is that each day is new and a chance to start over. It doesnt have to propel into days of eating crap. The weight is inching off this week -- slow but steady. Im remembering the turtle as I get anxious that its not coming off faster. My husband has a birthday this week and my son next week. So that will be the challenge of finding ways to celebrate without eating myself out of house and home :) Thats all for now folks Megamom

Happy Hour?

Shouldn't call it that, since that many calories available to me doesn't make me happy.  We're having a happy hour tongiht for work, this time at an actual bar.  Now, I now I have option.  I could just not go.  Well, that's not fun.  I could go and drink diet soda.  Again, not fun.  I could go and indulge with wild abandon.  Fun, but not great for the scale.  So moderation will be the key tonight.  I am not worried about the alcohol - having to drive myself home and just a general lack of enjoying being intoxicated will deter me from overdrinking.  But let's look at the food choices availabe at this establishment, shall we?

HUMMUS:A delectable blend of garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon and parsley. Served with tomato, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives and warm pita wedges.

DUBLIN BRIE:  Brie cheese, beer-battered and fried ‘till crisp and melted. Served with fruit and brown bread.

SMOKED SALMON PLATTER: Alder smoked Salmon, arranged with cucumbers, cream cheese, red onions, capers, and our Irish Brown Bread for your enjoyment. 

CHICKEN STRIPS:Tender breaded fried chicken strips, served with ranch dressing.

PEASANT BREAD AND CHEESE PLATTER:A selection of assorted fine cheeses and artesian bread, served with balsamic vinaigrette for dipping.

HAND CUT FRENCH FRIES: Double-fried until crisp yet tender. Mildly seasoned and served with tartar.

The hummus plate actually might not be too bad.  Nor the salmon platter.  The bread and cheese platter is questionable.  The other two - probably not good at all.  And these are just the appetizers.  Who knows what kind of happy hour foods they have that aren't on this list! 

I would like to work out tonight...but I don't know if it will work out.  Wish me luck!

Spring break begins

I look forward and dread Spring break at the same time. We usually dont go anywhere but its a chance to unwind and be a little less busy. Its nice to not have to get up as early in the morning, a little bit more relaxed morning of chores and some time to hang out with my kids. On the opposite hand is everyone is home! So its crazy, loud and chaotic. So and so is heading off to this friends house, the other one needs a ride to practice or work and the list goes on. One nice thing with my bigger kids home, its easier to get out and do a run or bike ride. With how crazy its been here today -- I was more than happy to burn off some stress on a run! I havent managed a run in almost two weeks -- so I purposed to take it a bit slower. I ended up with an 11:25 average pace for 3 miles. Its was 40 and sunny - a welcome change. Last week it was cold, snowy and icy. So two workouts in for the week -- woot. I did okay on the eating front yesterday til the taco monster got me. Even still, I was down a little over half a pound this morning. Thats all for now folks Megamom

Back on Track

My husband and I got a mini getaway (27 hrs , not that I was counting or anything) and I got a full nights sleep!!! That was soo heavenly. Its been very stressful around here lately with sick kids, water in the basement and normal day to day activities. So a getaway was very much needed. I decided ahead of time that I wasnt going to count calories -- I really needed the break. So I just enjoyed myself including a yummy strawberry daiquri. We ate at a lovely cafe up North in Minnesota that was absolutely delicious. I knew this decision would mean that I would have to work out harder this coming week. I was okay with that. I think these very occasional pit stops are what keeps me going . It allows me to not fall into weeks of overeating. It was a deliberate break for me. I really needed the chance to decompress with my husband. It was a delightful trip even if 10-12 hrs of it was driving! So Im up 1.1 lbs today -- less than I expected. I was somewhat surprised that I was able to fall back into my normal eating patterns without much trouble. So Im back on track, calorie wise today. And I managed to get an 8.15 mile bike ride in as well, so Im back on track exercise wise too!!!! Its spring break this week, that should allow me some freedom in getting a workout in. I will likely need it with all 10 children home. :) Megamom

Phew!

I wasn't sure how the weigh in was going to go today.  I've felt thinner this week, but I don't know that my clothes have fit any differently.  I ate well and worked out a lot, but yesterday was another work event and I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade and some tostada chips and artichoke dip.  But, there were several days when I didn't eat all my daily points, let alone my extra weekly points, or my activity points.  Sometimes not eating enough can cause just as much trouble on the scale.  But, I was happy to see another 2.2 pound loss!

I accomplished my weekly goals: I swam on Monday night and then last night I swam again, but twice the distance that I've been swimming.  I swam 22 laps (50 yards/lap), took a 15 minute hot tub break, and then swam the next 18 laps for a total of 2000 yards!  And I didn't have a night time snack every night this week, but when I did, I had fruit.  The interesting thing is, a couple times I got to that 9 or 10 pm time when I start to think about a snack and I would remember I needed to have fruit and I wouldn't really want fruit so I would skip the snack altogether, which I think is telling.  I obviously wasn't all that hungry so why consume calories?  However, I those were nights that I didn't eat all my points then, which then I worry about not eating enough. 

Weigh in

Total lbs lost/gain since last weigh in day: +1.3 Total lbs lost/gain since high point of the week: -.9 Culmulative lbs lost from the beginning:26.3 Pounds to lose still : 16.5 Comments: Its been a tough week with lots of stress and no workouts. That really isnt helpful, although i did mostly okay on the eating front -- my body is holding onto weight some. The high point was actually yesterday morning, so maybe its turning around :) Megamom

Sushi Day

I find that it's effective to have things to look forward to.  On Thursdays, I get sushi for lunch instead of bringing lunch.  It's an easy way to get in fish for the week.  It has a bit of carb to it, with the rice.  It's an 8 piece roll, which is plenty filling and low in Points for the day.  And, it feels decadent, which feels a bit like cheating, which is fun.  So, on Wednesday, when my zest for the lunch I made on Sunday for the week begins to diminish, I think about Thursday and that surely I can make it through another day of soup because sushi is coming.  I also have designated Fridays as Caprese sandwich day.  Because I'm obsessed with that sandwich.  So far it hasn't negatively impacted my weight loss so I will stick with it either until it doesn't work anymore....or until I am sick of mozarella.  Whichever comes first.  :)

Tonight is my night off from working out.  Swimming tomorrow.  My running pace was a little slow last night at Greenlake but I blame it on the strong wind, having to run like it's a slalom course due to the park being packed with people on one of the first nice days we've had, and taking a very brief walking respite.  But, I ran 2.8 miles instead of the 2.5 I've been running, so that's an improvement.  It still feels a bit like cheating since last year I consistently ran 5k, but after this many months off from running I guess I need to ease back into it.

Even though I've only lost about 5 pounds, this week I've actually felt thinner.  That's a great feeling.

thursday

Im feeling a bit discouraged today . Even though I ate well on the calorie front yesterday, my weight was up this morning. I havent been able to get a workout in all week and today looks no more promising. Cranky sick kids are starting to wear on my nerves. Its harder to still be compassionate on day 3 of illness. Im just plugging away at the housework. So that seems to be under control. I find if I stay busy(less sitting around), the better I am able to manage my eating. Although, Im pretty tired today, a nap was very tempting. The research people just came out with a study proving what I already knew. You eat more when you are tired. Really! They say that you eat on average 300 more calories a day. I can tell you for a fact, that when Im tired and not eating well, its far more than that! The research people though did not tell me how to combat this problem. Getting more sleep when you are a mother of young children -- well its very often out of my control. MegaMom

The shop vac workout

I have been missing in action this week due to a water deluge in our basement-- our finished basement. Sigh. So a lot of time has been dealing with trying to get the water sucked up with the shop vac and the floor dried with big fans. Its tough to workout when the room in which your treadmill and wii are is sopping wet. Lets just say the weather in Minnesota has not been kind this week( 8+ inches and ice underneath), so workout outside hasnt been happening. So , in reality, the only workout I have been getting has been the shop vac workout. That thing is heavy to move when its full of water, so Im sore as well! Add to that 3 sick kids with fever, cough and congestion and its really been quite a week. Here is where I remind myself -- its okay. I will have days or weeks like this where the workouts are just not happening. It doesnt mean that I should reach for the cookie or cake. I actually have been doing well in the eating departmen -- too busy to eat a ton anyway lol. So Im pleased that I have not responded to the stress by eating my life away. I miss my workouts though and really could use a run. This too shall pass. Its also a good reminder that you can still lose weight just by eating right. The workouts with the eating right is a much better route but not the only way. Megamom

What Day is It?

Last night I realized I still need to swim once this week and I would like to run one day, with a day in between as an off night.  My first instinct was to swim today, thinking my legs might enjoy another day off from running, and run on Friday night since I always feel I shed more calories with running rather than swimming.  So, I consulted my weather app.  Rain was predicted for Friday and sun for today.  It's supposed to get to 60 degrees today even.  So, I guess it's a running day afterall!  Greenlake it is!

The Wii says I was up .2 from yesterday, which is odd since I underate yesterday and ate well.  I'm not overly worked up over it - it's not like it counts until Saturday morning 11 am.  But still I want the number to be down EVERY day!

Every Wednesday at work, we get bagels.  I've decided not to feel guilty about this caloric splurge since it's just once a week and I have the Points for it.

Day Off

Well, it's Tuesday.  Since I have my piano lesson on Tuesdays, I declare it my day off from working out.  Since I've worked out three days in a row, I think it's reasonable.  Last night I really wanted to get in one of my goal swims for the week, but I had a half hour to kill before the lap lanes opened, so I walked on the treadmill, random inclines, for 25 minutes.  Then I swam for 30 minutes.  I was definitely ready for bed last night.  I got home later than usual, so dinner was a warmed up lean burger and some salad and cottage cheese.  I also had strawberries for snack later, as my weekly eating goal dictates.  Safeway had a good sale on strawberries, so it's easy.  :)

I'm forcing myself to drink more water this week, too.  I start out by drinking a bottle of water on my way to work.  That also helps to curb the temptation to stop and get soda.  That temptation is much less now.  I still look forward to it on the weekend, but I notice now that I plan a bit better.  Like, I'll stop and think, "Do I want it now, when it's 1 pm?  Or would I rather wait and save it for while I watch a movie tonight?"  It was also satisfying on Sunday when I realized that the soda from Taco Bell was actually less soda than the bottle that I usually get.  I had that moment of, Hey I could get a can to make up the difference and then later it settled into, Hey, this amount was fine.  Small victories!

Yummy Lunch

I am at a loss for what to blog about today, but Megamom is putting the pressure on to produce.  So here I am.  :)

I made some beef stew last night for lunches this week and it was delicious.  Beef, yams, carrots, mushrooms, beef broth.  I got a lot of soup, too.  Usually a serving is about a cup, but this soup was double that.  I was looking forward to it, today, too, which helps with any temptation to go out and get something bad.

Tonight I am hoping to get a swim in.

Perception

Its very easy to make the judgement that someone is too skinny, too fat or this or that. Some people simply carry their weight better. Sometimes its the fact they are taller or shorter that impacts how it looks. I started my weight loss journey in August of 2009. Why then? Several factors influenced it including being done with having babies, being tired of feeling "fat" and simply Gods little nudge. I couldnt have done any of this without God! I was heavy and I really really didnt like myself. For many, many years, the kids and husband just came first. Never mind the fact I really liked to eat as well! It just was time to start and I was very blessed that my husband started this journey with me. It really helped having him working on losing weight and doing the same running program (Couch to 5k). I set an intial goal weight of 150 and reached that in August of 2010. I worked very very hard to get there. I gained and I lost and i relost again. It wasnt a painless year. I had set a 2nd goal of 140. Those last ten lbs became the stone around my neck. I, soon, found myself learning how to be okay right where I was. After all, I looked damn good! I still wanted to have those last ten gone ... partially as insurance room. I wanted to be on the lower end of my spectrum. I think the lowest I got was 147.9. It was far harder to lose the last ten, than it was to lose the first 33. I didnt have the fudge room, I did when I was heavier. I really had to be focused every day. Over the next 4 months, I fluctuated back and forth, up and down. Never quite settling anywhere. After Christmas, I began gaining on a regular basis. It was cold, very snowy and I just wasnt as motivated as I had the previous winter. It was far too easy to put off a run for another day. It was the days I chose a nap over a workout. Soon enough, I found myself up almost 10 lbs. Frankly, I worked too hard to be satisfied with that. I still look damn good ... but I know that Im not where I want to be. And I know how easily that 2, 4 or 10 easily becomes 15 or 20. I realize my problem is a small one -- I dont have a large amount to lose. It doesnt mean that its any easier to eat right and make good choices. I still have to fight those habits of copiously eating snack after snack. I still have to fight the wanting to answer stress with a cookie. Here is where the perception comes into play -- people can look and say oh you look good. And I do, but that doesnt mean that I dont have to battle the same demons that I battled in the beginning that put me up those 33 lbs. Its also knowing whats under those clothes and knowing that it isnt as pretty unpacked. I dont think Ill ever have a bikini body, nor am I sure I want to. I have had 10 children after all. The stretch marks alone probably wouldnt make that a pretty sight. And Ive never even, when I was younger, had a flat stomach. Is it realistic to expect that? Probably not. I appreciate Anounymous comment and reminder that its all in the perspective. Im thankful to be where I am. Although this is part of what this blog is about -- how do we maintain our habits, our eating and managing our lives and keep the weight off. I know, that I dont want to go back. As the last 3 months proved -- its easier said than done to put back on that weight. So Im still in search of the right balance for my life. Megamom

Moderation

As I sat in church today, I began to think about what to have for lunch.  Taco Bell sounded really good.  Usually when I go there, I order the meal deal #5: two chicken supreme gorditos, a beef crunchy taco, and an unusually large Mountain Dew.  I knew that that would be way too many Points and it would be too much food anyway.  I tried to talk myself into just eating at home, but I haven't had fast food in several weeks and really wanted some.  So, I decided to compromise.  Instead of ordering a meal deal, I ordered two of the gorditos and a medium Mountain Dew.  I wasn't sure how many ounces of soda that was, so when I got home I weighed it and it is actually fewer than if I bought a bottle of soda.  The order satiated my desire for fast food and while it was still a lot of Points (21 out of my allotted 29 for the day), I hadn't had breakfast and it was late enough in the day that I am pretty sure that so long as I keep myself busy and distracted, I won't be hungry until dinner time.

I bought an herb garden kit at Target yesterday.  I've always wanted to grow the common herbs like parsley and cilantro and experiment with cooking with them.  It's kind of expensive to buy some of them fresh in the grocery store and I never seem to use all of it before it goes bad.  I don't know how long it will take to grow enough to use....

Good and Bad

I was good on Friday. I had a little candy in the evening, although with some popcorn but I had calories left for it. So I was pleased to end the day on a good note. Today, hasnt been so good. I did make a good choice at breakfast. Hubby made egg bake -- oh how I love egg bake! I knew I was having pizza later in the day, so I elected to have my standard bowl of oatmeal and a little sliver of egg bake for my protien portion. I did 10 minutes of rhythm boxing in the morning. Unfortunely, I didnt have time for a more expansive workout. Why oh Why is pizza so delicious? And Why cant I be satisfied with a taste??? I had a girl scout event, in which we went bowling and had pizza. I had 4 tasty pieces!! I wonder how many calories bowling burns anyway. I came home and had my yoguart snack. Then off to another bowling event - my sons 13th birthday party. More pizza and cheese curds were involved. This is not going to be my good eating day for sure! Bowling was fun though and my son and his friends had fun. I also beat hubster 138 to 137 -woot! Now its up to me to redeem the evening. I figure I have two choices at this point:continue eating whatever I want or do a workout and try to eat sensibly. I have no idea on calorie counts right now. Im reasonably sure I am not under. Im also pretty sure that I will not be able to eat nothing from 6 pm til bedtime. I'd like to try to get a bike ride or run in. Then maybe have something light, like a yoplait light or popcorn. Ill let you know how it all goes. Megamom P.S. Way to go on the knitters weight loss!!!

Knitter Weigh-in

I am down 2 pounds for the week, for a grand total of 4.2!  That's a great feeling! 

I nearly hit my eating goal this last week; I didn't eat vegetables in the afternoon last Saturday or yesterday (unless I can count beer as a vegetable?).  Five out of seven days isn't so bad.  I did hit my workout goal and hope to try that again, although not as an official goal.  I did drink diet soda more this week, about one a day, but it's better than drinking Mountain Dew every day, several times a day! I stuck to just drinking it on the weekend, and just once a day.  I think that's a more manageable and realistic expectation of myself, for now at least.

It's sunny today, so I might try for a run. 

New Shoes

Last night I bought new running shoes.  I'd had my old shoes for about a year, so while they look fine and don't feel all that bad, I figure a year of fairly consistent running probably had worn them down.  I had hoped to run at Greenlake tonight, but alas, it was raining.  I don't enjoy running in the rain in general, and carting the pager Iphone for work around with me complicates running on even a good weather night.  So, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ease the shoes in a bit at the gym anyway. 

They felt pretty good.  There was no magical "ahhhh" feeling when I ran in them.  I had hoped that suddenly I would be able to run at a 9'00" pace for an hour at a time.  But maybe that will happen later.  :)  I am not crazy about the color; there's too much orange on it for my liking.  But they feel good, so that's what really matters.  I like my running shoes to fit really close; I don't want it to feel loose anywhere.  I tried on around six pairs before I settled on my Brookes Defyance4s.  Last year's shoes were also Brookes, coincidentally.  It hurts a bit, paying $100 for a pair of shoes, but it's worth it in the end.

I am happy to report that the beer bash was successful in that I didn't overeat: one beer, a bit of Irish soda bread, a tiny bit of brisket, and a cinnamon roll-like thing called a T-roll (or something).

Weigh in tomorrow!

Weigh In Day - Megamom

Total lbs lost since last weigh in day: 1.5 Total lbs lost from high point of the week : 2.7 Culmulative lbs lost from beginning: 27.6 Pounds to lose still: 15.2 Comments: Im very pleased with today's weigh in, now if I can get the weekend eating under control. I did very well at the potluck and even though I could have with my calorie burn for the day -- I didnt eat more! I took a 12.35 mile bike ride to be ready for the potluck. Today definitely will be rest day, exercise wise.

Faster, Faster!

To accomplish the week's goal of working on picking up my running pace, and being too lazy to look up any official plans, I decided last night that I would simply run faster during the song choruses than the verses and see how that looked.  Trust me, I could definitely tell that I was working harder.  I had side stitches on my right side, which reminded me of having to run the mile (four times around the block) in elementary school and I was breathing much harder.  Today, my thighs are a little sore from the run.  However, my overall pace went from 11'04" to 10'52", so I think it was worth it.  Of course I'll have to keep doing it and/or see what happens when I am not doing that.  Will my pace continue to improve anyway?

Today was sushi day.  Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like sushi!

Tomorrow is our beer bash at work....gotta limit myself since it's the day before weigh in!

Saying thanks but no thanks

One of the challenging aspects of trying to lose weight for me is the fact the rest of my family is not. My family isnt out deliberatly trying to sabatoge me but they arent out to be very helpful either. The kids love fruit so much they eat it faster than I can purchase it. Dont get me wrong, they also love little debbie snacks and junk just as much as I do. Thats not so helpful either. My current lunch that I have every day is a ciabatta roll, deli turkey, baby spinach and red peppers. Sometimes i cook up fresh mushrooms to eat on the side. I find it helpful to eat the same thing, every day. If im still enjoying it and its working calorie wise, why not? So while today I was tempted to eat leftover chili from last night, I went for my sandwich anyway. My husband for the past two days has been enjoying leftover enchiladas. They were yummy the first night albeit full of calories! He kept asking whether or not I was having enchiladas. He just couldnt understand why I wasnt eating such yumminess. Thats where Im learning to say thanks but no thanks. Other times, I dont do so well. This weekend, we were at Menards and he said grab a box of pot of gold chocolates. He didnt do that to throw off my weight loss, he did cause he knows I like them. Again , it's not really all that helpful. I bought them and ate them(did share them though lol). So baby steps, I guess, those habits will not change overnight. I dont want to give up chocolate or nerds or the other favorite junk I enjoy. I want to learn how to eat it in moderation, occasionally! See that word, occasionally, I think the definition escapes my mind most of the time. I want to learn how to eat sensibly at a Minnesota pot luck(Seriously, Im not sure its even possible). Tommorrow night(the very night before my weigh in morning) is my sons wrestling banquet. As typical, its a potluck. Its not like each dish has a nutrition label stating serving size and calorie counts. Its near impossible to take just a little bit of stuff, although Im sure gonna try. How do I handle these events? I cant skip them. I dont think its very wise to starve myself all day -- then Ill just overeat at the meal. My plan is to get some exercise in ahead of time -- a bike ride, wii fit or even another run. That way i have some extra calories that I can use to take up the slack. Next Im going to try and eyeball 1/2 cup portions. I dont really think its realistic, nor sanitary to take my measuring cup and serve out of that. But Im thinking of taking the cup in my purse and measuring it out at my table and giving the extra to my teenage son. I plan on allowing myself 1 dessert. And last but not least, Im in charge of bringing a salad. So at least I will know what the calorie count of my own dish is! Its beautiful here in Minnesota, 45 degrees, and I got a nice 3 mile run in! I did 3 miles in 33:12, 11:04 pace. I was pleased to be able to do some negative splits as well -- 1st mile 11:31, 2nd mile 10:53 and the last mile 10:46. Ill have you know those last two miles kicked my butt! Megamom

Not Much to Blog

I wonder when Megamom and I will get to the point where we don't really have anything to blog that's food struggle or exercise struggle related.  I mean, that's kinda the goal, right?  To get to the point where your weight is good and you have good eating and workout habits and it's so ingrained that you look at the blog and aren't thinking of the chocolate you secretly ate or the liter of Mountain Dew you'd like to drink (okay, maybe that one is just mine) or trying to put off working out because curling up on the couch for a week watching Biggest Loser while eating Taco Bell and Cheetos sounds like way more fun. 

Unfortunately, I don't think we're quite there yet.

I think I am going to get to run outside tonight, should the rain hold off.

I have Roma tomatoes and half an avocado planned for my vegi afternoon snack.  I know that both of those are technically fruit.  Get over it.  Today they're vegetables.

I have no idea what I will have for dinner.  I didn't prep anything this weekend for the week, for either lunch or dinner.  So far it's worked out okay.  I worry about Friday though.  That's always the day I want to eat out.  I think it stems from when I was a kid and it was Mom's payday and we were more apt to eat out on that day.  But since weigh in on Saturday, it's not really a good idea.  It's part of the reason I set it up like that.  It's one more day I can't give myself permission to go crazy. 

I've taken to putting Xs on my calendar at work on the days I worked out.  It's like getting a sticker.  I like stickers.

Finding the time

Over the past year and a half, Ive been on a journey. It was time for this journey, after years of putting myself 3rd, 4th or even 10th on the list of things to attend to. It was hard, I felt guilty, skipping the laundry or dishes in order to workout. I felt guilty, buying some specific foods just for me and not for the kids. I had to push those feelings aside and realize that I am worth it. I still have to repeat that phrase when the guilt comes up over things. Even knowing that Im worth the time, its still a balancing act. I am blessed to be a stay at home mom, so that gives me a little more leeway in my workout times. I can often use the treadmill or wii fit in the afternoons when my youngest is sleeping. Running outside is a bit more challanging but i have some awesome teenagers who are great with the littles. Its the little things, like planning out my day ahead of time that make it possible. For example, if I know I want to run after school, I need to prep or have supper made ahead of time. Last evening, neither of my two eldest children were home, so I wasnt able to run right after school. I acquisced and figured after supper I would use the treadmill. After running one of my daughters to her girl scout meeting, I was delighted to find it still very much light out. I quickly grabbed my layers and gear and got out the door! I managed to get three miles in and still get back in time to pick up my daughter. So while Im tired, I am loving the later light in the evenings. Today is full of busyness, so I think it will end up just being a rest day. I needed to prep supper and work on planning a girl scout meeting, so not alot of time for a workout. I could have put off laundry and dishes but there is only so many days of doing that. Im sure the kids wouldnt appreciate going to school naked! Eating yesterday was a bit tougher. I tend to overeat when Im tired and yesterday fell right into that category. Im thankful I had a run to even it out and ended up weight wise exactly the same this morning. Megamom

11 am

I've discovered over the years that I am at my lightest at 11 in the morning, assuming I don't eat something at 10:45.  I don't know how I could weigh less than when I first roll out of bed.  I suspect that there's some kind of "heavy" hormone that kicks in when you're asleep that explains why it's so hard to get out of bed; you can't because you're so heavy!  Today I did my daily Wii weigh in aafter I brushed my teeth and I was up .4.  Not a huge deal, but of course I want every day to be lower than the day previous.  I am working from home today and decided to do forgo breakfast for awhile and wait to weigh in again at 11.  Sure enough, I was down nearly a full pound from the morning number, which means really I am down around a half pound from yesterday.  I ate really well yesterday so seeing the numbers decrease is preferrable.  Actually, seeing the scale go down on bad eating days is even more preferrable albeit unreasonable.

I've been on an egg kick lately.  Mostly scrambled eggs.  You'd think that one egg would be sufficient, but sometimes two eggs doesn't feel like enough although now I make myself stop at two.  This morning I added a little bit of reduced fat cheese and two Morning Star Farms sausage links and a light English muffin with strawberry jam.  That was well worth waiting for.

Today is supposed to be my rest day from working out.  I walked random hills on the treadmill yesterday.  Still gotta figure out how to work on training to speed up my pace...

Week Two

So Week 1 was pretty successful.  It's a good way to start.  :)

I had one soda on each of the weekend days.  It was delicious.  Although, I think last night it kept me awake later than I'd have liked.  I had it kind of late and having the diminished amount throughout the week re-sensitized me to it.  I am thinking about having a diet soda this afternoon, although I am grappling with the idea.  More and more studies are coming out that diet soda is maybe worse for you than regular soda, just in different ways.  And, I like the idea of saving soda for the weekend or "special occassions."  I do have some Crystal Light at work now, so maybe I will make some of that.

I packed some cauliflower and dip for my daily goal of an afternoon vegetable snack.

Yesterday afternoon I was at a little soiree where there was a ton of delicious food (7 layer taco dip - a tempation of mine).  I managed to take quite a few vegetables although I suspect that the dip I took was in no way low fat.  I skipped the cake (only because it was German chocolate, which I don't like) but had two chocolate chip cookies.  And wine.  Four glasses of wine.  Wine is at least moderately better for you than soda.  It's so hard to be good at parties.  It's hard to be social at all when you're trying to control what you're eating.  No wonder why people claim to lose friends when they're dieting.

Weekends are hard

When I was heavier, I had more calories I could eat and still lose weight. So if I overate on the weekend, I often could redeem myself during the week and still be down when Friday rolled around. Now that my calorie count is much lower, I cant do that and still lose it during the week. Part of the problem is I havent completely fixed those overeating habits especially on the weekends. All my kids and husband are home and its just generally more relaxed. Im not doing as much cleaning and laundry and sitting around makes me want to eat more. Plus thats often when grocery shopping or other errands gets done, thus more opportunity to eat out. I simply didnt make good choices. I knew friday would be blown with the fish fry, so I wasnt worried too much bout that. Most of Saturday, I did really well. Then I had an opportunity to eat at my favorite mexican place -- game over! I chose water over a strawberry daiquiri and fresh raspberries after shopping instead of ice cream. Still ... its not easy. Add to the mix, that I have some serious stressors going on with one of my children, in addition to the special needs I already deal with. I didnt connect it as I was doing it, but im pretty sure I was just eating to combat the stress I was feeling. I just wanted to sit on Sunday and do my thing and forget everything else. Its a good thing though that monday morning rolls around every week. Its a fresh start and although I am exhausted(darn time change), I want to make good choices. When I weighed in this weekend, I was 1.2 up from Fridays weight. Not as bad, as I feared it might be. So Im going to use that little boost from not being as bad as I expected to jumpstart my week! I hope to run today but as always life dictates often what I get to do. I need to check in my with kiddos, find out whose coming home and whats planned. Then I can figure out if its a treadmill day or an outside day. Thats all for now folks, Megamom

Saturday

I was up some this morning -- thanks to the town fish fry and a mini blizzzard last evening :) I am determined to make the rest of the weekend count, calorie wise. My husband is out with two of our boys for the day, so Ive been doing some cleaning. That helps, in terms of keeping busy. I notice the more I sit around and be lazy, the more I eat. Ive been able to keep up with my weekday routine of eating. I had hoped to get a workout in today but Im pretty tired. Time will tell on that front. Weekend workouts are more challenging for me to fit in with everyone around clamoring for my attention. I cannot wait for warmer weather. Its blustery and cold here today. Megamom

The Knitter Weigh In Day

Today's weigh in is a happy one! I lost 2.2.  Wahoo!  Considering I ate so much on Thursday night and even splurged a bit and had a Caprese sandwich for lunch, and didn't get to work out towards the end of the week like I'd like, I am pretty pleased.  I can't help but chalk some of that to the lack of soda consumption.  I am not sure that I can or will keep that up, but it was a good way to clean the slate.

It's raining today, so I am going to have to workout inside...Generally I take Saturdays off from working out.  So, still undecided.

Eating Out

A couple friends and I went out for sushi last night.  It was happy hour sushi, so it was cheap.  We ordered...a lot.  Probably the majority of what I ate was healthy, although there was a little bit of tempura and I did have one alcoholic beverage.  I was up a little bit this morning when I weighed in, but since tomorrow is the official weigh in, I am hoping it will be gone and then some!

It's hard to eat out and "be good."  I am not satisfied eating salad or chicken breast when I am at a restaurant.  I want things that I wouldn't ordinarily make for myself.  I love mashed potatoes.  Alfredo sauce.  Sour cream.  Limitless tortilla chips and bread baskets.  I am not to the point yet where I can take one piece of bread from the basket and then feel satisfied with that.

This week wasn't too bad with the soda.  I've made it through without indulging, although there were times when I felt like caving.  I don't know that I want to become a soda tetotaler; this week I needed to detox a bit since I'd been drinking a lot of soda.

I did manager to squeeze in a weak 10 minute long strength routine.  Definitely need to improve that next week.

My new goals for the week

I kicked butt on my goals of last week. I was able to cut my coffee consumption to 3 cups easily and really didnt have too bad of cravings for that 4th cup. So I will continue to stick with the 3 cup max but Im taking it out of the immediate goal setting. I want to really work on tracking my calories every day especially on the weekends. Thats when it tends to go into the overeating realm. So I want to reign that in. So my goal will be to track daily and stay under that 1763 calories daily, not including my exercise burn. I did run 3 times last week -- woot! As the weather warms up here in Minnesota, that should be easier to make into a regular habit. Thus Im leaving that in there and adding in one crosstraining workout. It can be a bike ride, a brisk walk, the wii fit or wii biggest loser. Tell us what you are up to, whats working for you -- we love hearing what others are doing to keep themselves healthy and fit! Megamom

Weigh In Day

Total lbs lost since last Weigh In Day : 1.2 lbs Total lbs lost from the high weight of the week: 2.3 Culmulative lbs lost from the beginning:26.1 Pounds to lose still : 16.7 Comments: Its the fun time of the month, so Im very pleased with the weight loss. I wasnt sure how that would affect the overall losing. Other than the weekend of gluttony, I ate well this week and it paid off! Im still a bit undecided on my final goal weight. I guess I will see as I go along. Megamom

Choices

This afternoon I was craving something sweet.  And I wanted some Starbucks coffee.  I decided to "splurge" on Points there.  I got a tall, skinny caramel latte (2 Points) and then spied their tiny, delicious looking cupcakes.  It's tiny....and stll 5 Points!  But I think it will do just the trick with satisfying the sweetness I craved.  It reminds me that it's okay to splurge sometimes.  Eating fastfood 5 nights our of 7 isn't splurging!

So far, still haven't had any soda this week.  It hasn't been unbearable.  Today I kinda wanted one again, so that's why I went for coffee. 

I still need to fit in my strength training.  Maybe tomorrow between end of work and the next activity...or if it's slow, sneak out during work briefly.  Technically I reached my 3 cardio workouts on Monday...but I really want to burn off some of this stress with a run.  It's super windy today so  I don't know what that's going to mean for the pace.  I meant to do my strength training last night after dinner, and then I fell asleep.  Woops!

When I weighed in on the Wii today, I hadn't gained or lost.  Hmph!

Slip ups

One of the challenges that I find myself dealing with is combating failures in the diet realm. Im not dieting per se, but just trying to watch what i eat and how much. My caloric goal, in order to lose 1 lb a week, is 1763. Those calories almost seem to eat themselves up. When I orginally started counting calories, it was over 2000 that was alloted to me. This number has proved a bit more elusive to hit. Im finding sucess with the planned snacks and eating a bit more at each meal. Prior to this, I'd skip the bread of the sandwich, or have a lo cal soup. They would fill me up for the meal but Id find myself hungry all day long. It just wasnt sustainable fore me. Then once I know my calories are blown for the day, its free reign. It isnt a pretty sight. Yesterday I ate over my calories but it was different in that it didnt take me overboard. Yes, I ate more than I was supposed to but I didnt take it to the extreme. I had onion rings at dairy queen but I didnt order cheese curds to go with it. Its all in the small victories for me. I enjoyed a blizzard but I made it a mini one and that satisfied me. All in all, I was 172 over for the day -- not great but certainely not terrible. I like fast food -- there I admit it. I realize its terrible for me. Im not at the point that im ready to give that up. In the meantime -- I look at nuitrition menus and note the calorie count im eating ahead of time. Thats what helped me chose a fish sandwich yesterday over something else. Even with that last night, I was still down .7 this morning -- woot! That shows me Im on the right track even with a few hiccups along the way. My plan for exercise today is to run a mile as fast as i can on the treadmill and then do some rhythm boxing and strength training on the wii fit. I am trying to figure out how to get in a longer run tommorrow as its our town fish fry :) Thats all for now folks, Megamom

Stress and Soda

Today's the first day since I took my vow of soda celibacy (just for this week!) that I wouldn't mind having some soda.  It's been a hectic, stressful day for several reasons.  This is what lets me know that I am indeed a "stress eater."  When I am not stressed out, and I contemplate my eating habits, I think oh maybe I am just one of those people who genuinely loves the taste of certain terrible-for-you foods.  And I think that might be a smidge correct, but it doesn't explain the container of Oreos I bought and consumed a year ago when I got broken up with.  Or the amount of soda I drank at Christmas time.  Or how I bought steak after a four hour long commute home from work once, in the snow, that should have taken 30 minutes.  I am definitely a stress eater.  This week is stressful; a year ago my mom passed away.  That and other things have made this week complicated and right now a Mountain Dew in hand would be glorious.

For the 15 minutes it took to down it.  I'm sure.

So, instead of giving in, I have poured some coffee and dumped in sugar free hot chocolate mix.  Not at all the same thing as Mountain Dew.  But, it gives my hand something to hold.  Sure, I probably should be drinking water.  Baby steps, baby steps.

Yesterday was my day off from working out.  I was going to run again tonight but it's raining (hard, too, for Seattle) so I think I'll do the strength training that I vowed to do at least once this week.  Hopefully tomorrow the weather will improve and then I will take Friday of and weigh in on Saturday like usual.  If the Wii isn't lying, I am already over a pound down for the week.  Wahoo!

Hoping

I was down 1.1 pounds this morning, which Im hoping is that downward trend that Im seeking. This puts me back to the weight I was on weigh in day last friday. Woot -- the weekend of not eating well is officially undone! I have been sucessful at only drinking 3 cups of coffee a day. Sometimes I still crave that extra cup in the mornings but Im trying to fill that void with drinking more water. The other trick that has been helping is eating those planned snacks. Midmorning I usually have smokehouse almonds and in the afternoon a yoplait light yoguart. I have been trying the various flavors. I like banana cream pie and cherry cobbler but do not like lemon meringue or cinnamon roll. And then in the evening having popcorn or another yogart. The bike ride yesterday was fabulous. I went 5.25 miles at 5:35 pace. The back gravel roads were not quite as ready for bike riding as I thought. So I had to go slower there in order not to wipeout. I am absolutely loving my new bike and cant wait to try some longer trips. It was 38 degrees when I biked yesterday and with the wind, I was glad I thought ahead to grab a scarf. Layered up, I was actually pretty warm. The only part that was cold was my ears. The fleece hat, that I had on under the helmet rode up a bit. So I think next time, I'll add a fleece band in addition to the hat. The ride though does make me long for spring! As far as my other goal, to run 3 times a week -- I have hit 2 runs so far. Today will either be a run or some strength training on the wii fit. Im aiming for 3 miles for this run and then hopefully a longer 5 miler on the weekend. I realized as I was riding yesterday, that I have one more gadget :) I have a bike computer thats hooked up to the bike,t hat measure distance, pace and time. I just got it, so i havent had much time to figure out how it works. So yesterday I relied on my garmin, which has a biking feature as well. On the running ahead site that I use, it has a place where you can input your shoe as equipement you use. So when I got my new pair, I entered in the price and all the stats. It calculates how much the shoe costs per mile. Since I have run twice and biked once, the cost has gone down to 4.50 a mile. Its kinda neat to see that statistic. As i use them more, the cost will go down further. I believe the last pair of shoes, I got down to costing 16 cents per mile. I think I got my money's worth out of those! Megamom

My new bike

022 a photo by MJae1974 on Flickr.

This is what we have to do to bike in winter , here in Minnesota. Winter goes on forever ... we make do with what we got!

startpic

startpic a photo by nickoleen on Flickr.

This is a better start pic. Taken today. It's a little blurry since it was taken on my phone.

This Isn't So Bad

I went for a run at Greenlake last night. It was chilly, but doable. I'd been doing about two miles, so I increased it to two and a half. I was certainly ready to be done by the end, but I wasn't in pain. My pace was 11'04", which isn't so bad for me. I have short legs! I think my best time at the end of last summer was around 10'50", so I have a bit to go to catch up with that. I've also been working on not trying to hoard Points. In the past, I've prepared low Points breakfasts and lunches as a "just in case" for dinner. And then I would have a lot left for the evening and either not eat them all, or get carried away trying to eat them. So now I am trying to make each meal a little more equal, unless I know I'm eating out for dinner or something, and leave room for some snacks. It's a challenge. So far, I haven't had any soda! It hasn't even been too much of a temptation, so far. A little more at work, but not terrible. I've discovered that I really need to have something in my stomach if I drink tea, otherwise I feel nautious. It's weird. Annoying. A gallon of Mountain Dew isn't problematic, but a little mug of tea is just too much. Grr.

Before side shot

016 a photo by MJae1974 on Flickr.

I tend to carry my weight in my middle.

Before photo

011 a photo by MJae1974 on Flickr.

As you can see -- its always busy here ...note child in the background! I will post a 2nd side view in which you see more of where my weight resides.

Slightly less Gadget like

While the knitter is chock full of gadgets and apps -- I most certainely am not. I have a few beloved gadgets that I love but I didnt start running with them. When I started the Couch to 5k program, I didnt even own an mp3 player. I ran most of the program without one. My husband who was also doing the program with me, had an mp3 player and he would call out the instructions from the podcast. Somewhere along the line, hubster bought me an mp3 player. I was so ungadgetlike that I wasnt even sure I would like it. It turned out I did :). Mine is fairly simple sport rca model that has an arm band that works well for running. While I started without one, I find it much harder to run without one now, especially on the longer runs. Originally I did all my runs with a watch and mapped the route using the website, running ahead. That would give me mileage and a pace time. Running really only takes a good pair of running shoes. I started eying the garmin forerunners. I price checked all over the internet before I found the model I wanted. I ended up with the garmin forerunner 305. While the newer 405 at the time was sleeker and cool; the price point made the decision for me. I love my garmin! I use the heart rate strap with it frequently and try to keep within a good zone for some of my runs. I guess the other thing that I wouldnt do without are my asics shoes. After trying on a pair 2 yrs ago, I wont go back ... they are fantastic. So well .. .not really techy but again Im ungadgetlike one :) I use a couple of websites regularly to help with my tracking. Running ahead is a great one for tracking mileage both with running and biking. I also use My daily plate on livestrong to track my calories as I go thruout the day. Whats your favorite gadget that you cant live without? Megamom

Before picture

022 a photo by nickoleen on Flickr.

Although I lost a little more weight after this picture was taken in October, I gained in the new year, so I figure this is probably a pretty accurate picture. My hair is shorter now. That's about it. :)

Gadgets and Gizmos

It is completely possible to lose weight without any gadgets. You can track calories on paper or the dust on your bookshelves (maybe that's just in my house). You don't have to have an mp3 player. You don't need a blog with your best friend from high school to keep you accountable. You need good, healthy food and some way to burn some calories. But what fun is that? I realized recently that I have a lot of gadgets. And I like them.

• Wii: About a year ago I got an itch to purchase a Wii. I told myself for awhile that that was a silly purchase. Why do I need yet another thing to keep me planted on the couch, far from writing, and I couldn't even knit and play Wii at the same time. (Nor are there any Wii knitting games unfortunately). Then I found the Wii Fit Plus game and balance board...at exactly the time when they became impossible to find in this area. I stalked, no exaggeration, at least 10 Targets in this area and they all told me the same thing, that they would be out soon but right now there was a backlog. However, all my Wisconsin relatives boasted that they had one and their stores were overwhelmed with Wii Fits and were practically giving them away because there were so many. (ok, maybe that's an exaggeration). Sure enough, when I went a couple weeks later (not to buy a Wii Fit specifically) there they were. So I purchased one and shoved it in my suitcase. Since my deal with myself was that I wouldn't buy the Wii until I could buy the Wii Fit at the same time, I prompty returned to Kirkland and bought one. I love weighing myself on it. I like the Wii Fit games, although they don't really burn that many calories. But any movement is better than nothing. I also have tried a couple different exercise games, and so far like the EA Games one the best. Although...you wouldn't know it given that I've only done it twice....
• Ipod touch: A year ago I lost my ipod nano. I knew it was in the house someplace but unless my large cat ate it to teach me a lesson, I couldn't find it. And I needed it. I had just started running again and didn't want to lose momentum since I am not a silent runner; I need music. So I broke down and bought a new Ipod touch. Which, I love immensely because then I could get apps, which I'd coveted since I couldn't get an Iphone (darn T-mobile contract). I wish that some of the apps I like to use would be rolled out for my HTC phone, but alas, they haven't. I long for one device to rule the world!
• Nike+: This app is awesome. I did have to buy the shoe sensor (about $25) that the app "talks" to when I am running. But it captures all my running data and displays it all nice and pretty on the Nike+ website. You can set up goals on the site and it gives you lovely trophies when you hit the mark, which are oddly satisfying. Also, when you hit a new record in distance or speed, after the run, a sporty celebrity congratulates you, which is again, oddly satisfying.
• Garmin: Last summer I had suspicians that my Nike+ wasn't all that accurate. Megamom swears by her Garmin and talked me into it. Admittedly, I didn't explore all the facets it offers. And, since I must have music when I run, it was just another thing I had to drag out with me. And in the end, when I compared (by wearing both the Garmin and the Nike+) they weren't that far off. So it's gathering dust. But, I do like it for bike riding because the Nike+ only works for running.
• Weight Watchers: Sure, they have a lovely website where I can add in everything that I am tracking...but I feel odd having that window open at work. But guess what, they have a free app! And as long as you're at least an e-member, you can track on the app. You can track food and exercise and read articles. The only limitation that it has, for my purposes at least, is it doesn't have the recipe builder that the website has.
• SparkPeople: Another app....chock full of recipes. There's a website, too, but why use that when you have an app?
• Fitbit: This is the newest acquisition, purchased at the Microsoft store at the mall. I haven't gotten it functioning yet (my laptop won't recognize it) but if it would just work, I think it would be pretty nifty. it just clips onto your waisteband and tracking calories that you're burning, and steps taken, etc. And the cool part of it, you can wear it at night and tracks how deeply you're sleeping! It's a little pricy (about $100), but I think if I can get it to work it will be a cool thing.

I think that's it for the well used gadgets. Of course this doesn't include websites I frequently peruse. Are websites even techy any more?

Filled my liter water bottle and have been drinking from that instead. I did have some green tea, too.

Weekend recap

The weekend was busy, so I didnt have much time to write. This is the part of life that makes eating well and exercising more challenging. My husband and I spent much of the weekend looking for a reasonably priced used car -- not much luck. Errands, sick child, household duties took up much of the rest of the weekend. I did get a run in on Friday. I learned an important lesson -- if you intend to ease back into running full time, do not invite your cross country running son along. He ran slow and I was pushing hard just to stay with in a tenth of a mile of him. Hes a regular speed demon! The run itself was okay -- I was running I think too hard for the conditions. I hadnt run for a week, it was cold out and I started out too fast. That kept my heart rate pretty high. Plus I was running in new shoes -- probably not the smartest run I have ever done. I was successful over the weekend on cutting down my coffee consumption -- woot! So the real challenge there will be this week. I often use the coffee as a substitute when I want to eat. Probably not so helpful as I make mine more of a dessert coffee with lots of flavored creamer. Oh well ... baby steps! Eating on the other hand was not so good. Friday, I did great during the day. In the evenings, I allowed a box of tagalongs to sidetrack me. The good news on that front, is that I no longer have any flavors left that i want to eat. On to Saturday, I knew we would be out and about that day, so I took along some beef sticks for snack. I did okay at burger king -- I knew which meal I could get that would allow me some fast food taste but not overdo the calories. It was later in the day, that I allowed my desires to overtake common sense. We stopped for a snack at culvers. I know, first mistake. Then I allowed my husband to order fries, and cheese curds to share with my daughter and me. Mistake number two has just been committed. I love culvers fries and cheese curds(after all I was born in Wisconsin). If that wasnt bad enough, i ordered a turtle sundae to go. Can anyone say gluttony? Sigh ... it just all tastes so good. Somewhere along the line, my off switch must have broken. I did redeem the night with a relatively healthy sandwich. I had some deli turkey on a ciabetta roll with red peppers and baby spinach. That was tasty. I like vegetables and I like healthy food -- why is is so difficult at a restaurant to choose those options? Sunday -- I had hoped to run or try out my new bike but it started snowing. So that coupled with life busyness, I didnt get either down. Snacking while reading was the downfall of that day. I am starting to see the patterns and triggers. So now the next step will be figuring out how to undue those triggers. Megamom

Day Two

I'm sore from running yesterday. Maybe I am sore from being sodaless yesterday! I'm feeling quite lazy today. I really should do some kind of workout...I have a bunch of recorded Shimmy episodes, which are belly dancingesque workouts. I might have it in me to do one of those. Does that count as a strength training? Then I would have it out of the way for the week! I still need to make my lunch for the week. I plan on making an Indian vegetable stew from the Discovery Health National Body Challenge website. Several years ago I had really good success with them, mostly because they'd had a kickoff at a local mall and gave out food diaries and other freebies. Although with Weight Watchers I'd used food journals, too, I really preferred the Discovery one. Now, I use the Weight Watchers app on my ipod touch. I think tomorrow I am going to blog about all the techie gadgets I have for weight loss. It's pretty amazing, especially since it's not like I need them! PS: Went to the pool and swam laps for 30 minutes. Swam 20 laps, each lap being 50 yards, so a little over a half mile. A good place to start!

Day One

Well, it's 10 am. I need to weigh myself still on the Wii and I am putting it off. It's sunny, so maybe I can go for a run later today. I also want to scour my cookbooks and make a list of ingredients for things I want to cook for the week so I don't have any excuses for eating fast food. I'm used to drinking as much soda on the weekends as my bloodstream will possibly allow, so day one of no soda should be...interesting. I'd like to know, is it the caffeine? Is it the sugar? Is it just the habit of constantly drinking something? I'll check in later. At 12:30ish I went for a run since it's so lovely outside. I've even turned off the heat in the house and opend the patio door a bit! It felt nice to get outside, although I ran the hilly 5k course around my neighborhood and I don't think I am quite ready for those hills yet - had to walk them. I love the rush of endorphins after a workout. I am telling myself that it's better than caffeine... And here it is 11:30 pm. It was a good day. No soda. Ate well. Went for a run. Took a nap. Bought groceries and even cooked a dinner I can eat for the rest of the week (polenta lasagna!). I even weighed myself again at the end of the day and I was down a pound, so some of the weight must have been from eating pretty terribly last night. Hopefully tomorrow will be as successful.

The Knitter's Intro

Well, if she's Megamom, I guess that makes me The Knitter. I am not married or have any kids, although I have an adorable boyfriend and very large cat. I commute every day into Seattle and work in the online advertising world. I am surrounded by attractive, thin, younger women all day long and that's sometimes frustrating...I say, as I grab another soda.... A lot of my interests and hobbies aren't very athletic: knitting, writing, playing piano, reading and are difficult to merge with anything that burns calories. I started what I like to call Weightloss Reboot, last May and everything was going pretty well until December. Then it all fell apart with the holidays and vacations and general winter lethargy.I'd lost a little over 30 pounds and am now back up at least 10. I'm not too happy about it. My exercise of choice is generally running, although I do like step aerobics and walking. I struggle with resistance training...I had a Biggest Loser Wii game....and I used it so infrequently that I gave it to Megamom. Now I have an EA Sports Wii game that I like better. I just need to use it! I'd really like to be wearing the clothes I was wearing six years ago when I lost a bunch of weight, by this summer. That's about 20 pounds or so. That's the first goal.

My intro

Hi, I'm Megamom. As the description says, I have 10 kids and Im blessed to be a stay at home mom. Our life is never dull around here -- busyness abounds as well as the dreaded stress monster. I began my weight loss journey in August of 2008. I reached my original goal weight in August of 2009. I had lost 33 lbs! Mostly from counting calories and doing the couch to 5k program. It taught me to love running. Fast forward to today -- I haven't lost the additional 10 I had planned to lose and I have gained 10 lbs back. This is not the direction I wanted to be heading. I found myself becoming complacent after reaching my initial goal weight. Pretty soon the excuses were coming fast and furious. Its time to turn that weight train around! My exercise of choice is running and I hope to run a half marathon this fall. Im also hoping to do some biking and learn how to do some boxing as well. I love to encourage others as they journey on their own paths, so please check in and let us know what you are up to!