Man the Lifeboats...

Call me crazy, but it seems somewhat self-centered to be focused on weight loss while folks are drowning in their own homes. With the knowledge that many of the folks in the most dire circumstances didn't have the financial means to get out of dodge, it brings up thoughts of the Titanic. Here we are nearly a hundred years later repeating history. If you can afford to go first class (ie hire a limo for $3700 to drive you to Chicago) you get out. If you can't, you drown.

I admit that I am a bit of idealist, but if we can get busses to transfer 25,000 people to Houston after the hurricane, couldn't we have gotten busses to transfer them out of town before the hurricane? I have lived in a hurricane zone. I know what it takes to prepare for a storm. I know what it takes to evacuate an area. It isn't like we don't know ahead of time that these things will crop up from time to time (say between June and September every year). Why aren't we better prepared to get out of the way of them?

Someone really needs to make sure that we learn our lessons from these very scary/sad/tragic events. We need more lifeboats.

Quarter Of The Way...

With yesterday's workout (50/200), I reached the 25% mark in the MegaChallenge. I got past the quarter mark today with workout 51/200, though I was totally unmotivated to hit the gym. I piddled around all afternoon and finally laced up the shoes just in time to make a 45 minute run to nowhere before the place shut down.

I am sure there is more to tell, but I am busy watching hurricane updates and working Sudoku. My brother-in-law is one of those brave/crazy folks who flies into these storms on purpose. I sort of sit vigil when I know he is out there - and this particular storm is so scary. I just keep praying for it to lose strength over night.

That "Life" Thang, Again...

I am really excited about completing 25% of the MegaChallenge - which I was scheduled to do, yesterday. I was dressed for the gym and changing the batteries in my Rio, when my son winged a toy at my daughter. He managed to hit her in the face, and drew blood. Of course she needed stitiches. Poor baby. So my gym trip was replaced with a heart-rate increasing hospital trip.

For the record, this child is the bravest kid I have ever met. At four years old she accepted all the stuff they had to do to her - including a major shot into her eyebrow - without flinching. She took it so much better than I did! Her only request was that we go get "sparkeldy" nail polish when we left the hospital. Done! (And a princess nighty, flavored lip gloss, and popcicles.)

As I mentioned, this lovely gash is on her face. So, if everyone would send no-scar-healing vibes her way, I would appreciate it.

One More Funky Statistic...

I have already confessed that I am a numbers girl. Love them. So, it should not come as a shock that noticing patterns is something that I sort of do naturally. With that said, I think I have spotted a trend. I lose about a half a pound every time I work out. I have worked out 48/200 times since June 6. In that same time period, I have lost 23.5 pounds. I noticed this phenomenon a couple of weeks ago. It may not be scientific, but damn if it isn't motivating! I gotta get to the gym!

Oh, and for those keeping track, the car has moved, again.

Now, don't anyone tell my son that my going to the gym moves the car. He'd be all over it.

Mom, Is It Time To Move The Car???

Well, yes it is, son!

"Moving the car" has taken on a whole new meaning around here. Luckily I dropped another pound so that I can keep up with the demand for advancing the car.

I wonder if anyone ever developed an eating disorder because their kid wanted their ticker to move faster.

You know, pleasing other people is probably what got me into this mess. (Sure, Gramma, I'll take thirds. No, really, it is delicious.) I'd like to think that I am working toward a better/healthier way of interacting with the other life forms on this planet. I still feel guilty when my daughter brings me food and I turn her down. (Mommy's full! Her tummy doesn't need crackers right now.)

One thing I have learned is that that pleasing thing is genetic. I mean, my tiny daughter already does it. When I am sad or frustrated she does back flips to cheer me up. Part of my inspiration to be healthier (physically and emotionally) comes from her. When I gave birth to my daughter, it became crystal clear to me just how blighted my inheritance was, and I didn't want to pass that stuff along to her. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but we manage to do things to one another that are less than graceful. I doubt that I am wise enough to end all the weirdness, but I am trying to be mindful of what I am teaching my children.

First lesson: Self Care is important! It is not "selfish" (in the sense of being a person who wrongfully denies someone else their due) to take really good care of your own needs. Eating well, sleeping plenty, getting exercise, taking time to relax/read/reconnect, and pursuing passions are all things that a healthy life is built on. I learned that those are all things that come secondary to making sure everyone else's needs are met, and - you know - being responsible. My inheritance was that martyrdom is respected: the more work/pain you experience, the more you are worth. Blech. Hedonism isn't the way, either. It is about - all together, now - balance. But isn't everything?

Keeping My Son Happy...

My son is very interested in the tickers at the top of folks' health blogs. Obviously, he has been exposed to plenty of them as I catch up with what y'all are up to. Anyway, he was concerned that I didn't have one, so he designed this for me.

He wants to make sure that lots of people get to see it. Mainly because it involves a car. He really likes cars.

So, there ya go.

To Go Boxes...

I did something I have never done before. I requested the nutrition information from the waitress at the restaurant this evening. She sort of cocked her head to one side, golden retriever style, but she went and found it. They had a binder with a page for each menu item, and I flipped through it to see what would be decent choices. I didn't choose the healthiest thing in there, but I didn't end up with a 2,000 calorie meal, either. (Their honey mustard dressing alone has over 300 calories per serving! OUCH!)

I did something else that was somewhat new. I ate less than half the food on my plate and asked for a to go box for the rest and gave it to my mom. She's happy to have lunch for tomorrow. I am happy to have eaten a yummy meal and estatic that I avoided ruining it by stopping when I had eaten what I needed. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I have taken to go boxes before - but only when I have eaten way more "extras" like a basket of bread, appetizers, and likely a dessert, too. This time I stuck to eating my dinner without all the other, and still had lots of leftovers. I was pleasantly full, and actually recognized the feeling and - gasp - honored it.

Of course, all of this novel behavior is motivated by my continued fitness success. Having 46/200 workouts completed feels really good. Seeing 167 lbs on the scale feels really good. Wearing size 12 jeans feels really good. I like what I see in the mirror. I like how I feel. I like how well I am sleeping.

I love that I have gotten to the point in the game when my efforts are starting to show. Sure, I still have 18 pounds to lose, and 154 workouts to complete to reach my goals, but I have no intention of waiting until I get there to enjoy living.

Different Rules for Different Days...

Nikki asks: "Do you often take a break from healthy living on the weekends? If so, why do you think that is? If not, how do you manage to make being healthy part of your life 24/7?"

The quick answer would be that my weekends are just as "healthy" as the rest of the week. But when I really look at my life, I have to admit that I don't do the 5-days-on-2-days-off bit in any area of my life. I am a college-attending, homeschooling, mother of 2. I don't do a 9-to-5 M-F schedule that makes the weekends seem like mini-vacations. (What is the deal with all of the hyphens?? --) So, with that said, I can honestly reiterate that I don't take a break on weekends.

I do, however, behave differently depending upon my circumstances. i.e. I eat out after class, which can be tricky if I am not careful. I also take class days off from working out because I (1) need a day off, and (2) already have too much to do on Tuesdays. So, in a way, Tuesday could be considered my "weekend."

So, I suppose I should answer how I manage to make being healthy part of my life on Tuesdays. Well, it came from the realization that going out to eat after class didn't mean that I had to consume a week's worth of calories at one sitting. I don't have to avoid activities that are different from my daily routine. I just have to look ahead and make sure that I don't undo my hard work because I am unprepared.

Case in point: I won't go into a whole rant here, but I am not a fan of McDon@ld's. Regardless, we ended up going there yesterday. I was dreading it until I went on their website and found a salad and a dressing that would total 300 calories if I left the croutons and crackers off. The sodium content was higher than I would like, but overall it was a decent choice. Without the information from the website, I could have easily picked nearly 1,000 calories worth of food - ie a double cheeseburger (460 cal) and fries (520 cal) - based on price ($1 each) and gone backwards.

So, part of it is vigilance in being aware of my options. Part of it is finding that balance (yes, there is that word, again) that allows me to continue losing weight without dreading life.

Banner Day...

For the past week or so I have been walking around hiking up my jeans every 4 steps. It finally occurred to me that I probably ought to pull out a smaller size. When I started the MegaChallenge, I was stressing the outer limits of a generous size 16 (so probably should have been wearing 18s or even 20s). So, even though I have been losing weight, I really didn't need to go down in size.

Until now.

Well, folks, I am officially a size 12!! And not a lie-on-the-bed-and-suck-it-in-to-zip size 12. I can actually zip a size 10 - but it makes that unpretty bulge above the waistline - and I haven't lost 20 pounds to wear pants that make me look like I have gained it. So size 12 it is! Happy dance.

I also met 167.5 on the scale earlier this week, and it has held in spite of my adding food back into my day. Today's workout (44/200 - the first since swimming on Monday) consisted of a 35 minute walk at our local park. I am feeling a little bit better, but I don't want to push it until I am sure I have licked this virus. The MegaChallenge requires 200 workouts, not 200 marathons. I have to keep reminding myself of that as my all-or-nothing brain attempts to take over.

All-in-all I am pleased with my progress. It isn't in a straight line, but what in life really is? Unlike past efforts, which focused on getting rid of pounds ASAP and then going back to "normal" life, I am trying to make this new way of life stick. In order to have that happen, it has to be realistic. I am going to get sick/eat out/miss workouts from time to time, and I am going to have to learn to adjust my stride and keep moving. Though only 44 workouts into my "new" life, it seems to be a good fit.

As are my jeans!! Yay me!!

It Was Heaven...

Well, actually it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But it was my first solid food in two days. And it tasted really good.

I hate being sick. I hate that sweaty, half-awake, groggy, nauseous, head-achy feeling. I am an incredibly whiney person when I am sick. I am really ready to be all better. Now.

Unfortunately, whatever virus has invaded my body isn't ready to leave. So, I will keep this post short and spare y'all from the endless complaining.

You're welcome.

New Craze Diet...

Because there aren't already enough wacky diets to try, I am helping to spread another one. It is the LexySmash Diet. It is so simple. You catch some horrendous virus and are reduced to a ball of dehydrated mess. It is hell on your schedule, so plan the diet for a week when you can pack the kids off to a camp somewhere.

Unfortunately, I didn't do the advanced planning for my trip through sickdom. Does anyone want to move in for a couple of days and play mommy? No? Damn.

Eating Is Not Cheating...

I plan to eat for the rest of my life. That means that I need to balance good, healthy choices every day with a few of those not-such-great-choice splurges once in a while. I will not go the rest of my life without pizza, cheesecake, martinis, and pasta.

Some folks may have read my posts the other day and tried to put them together: I reached the halfway point and "rewarded" myself with pizza. Not so. I reached the milestone and ate pizza on the same day, but they were in no way related.

I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about what I am going to eat, but everyone once in a while I get a hankering for something. I can live without it, but if an opportunity to eat that something comes up, I am going to go for it. The paradigm shift came with the realization that I cannot eat pasta in cream sauce 3 nights a week and maintain my health - but I don't have to deny myself all access to it, either.

It's that balance thing, again. Is it really neccessary *for me* to be absolutely perfect in my eating and working out? Um. Nope. As a matter of fact, perfectionism is an illness that I am trying to overcome. I am able to moderate what I eat and do and have managed to lose nearly 20 pounds without losing my mind in the process. Whether it takes me 2 months or 2 years to lose the next 20, I am heading in the right direction, and at some point I am going to want to maintain my weight. When that day comes, I do not want to have to re-learn how to live. Because, like I said, I plan to eat for the rest of my life, I figure the best time to learn how is now.

My approach to fitness is not for everyone. Heck, it probably isn't for anyone but me! I am all about choice and self-determination. If you have determined that you cannot go off plan at all, you know yourself best, so stick with it. Either way, here's to long, healthy lives. Oh, and pass the pasta. Thanks!

Swimming Seems Like Cheating...

I made it to the pool for workout 43/200 today. Spending time in the (heated, indoor) pool felt great. I really babied my hip - which basically left me with arm strokes - so I don't feel like I got that much of a workout. I didn't work up a sweat, and I didn't have a heart rate monitor and a stride counter flashing in front of me, so it is hard for me to judge my effort. However, I am not going to obsess over it. I miss my elliptical pal. Sniff. But, I will forge ahead, undaunted by lack of electronic feedback. I am going to celebrate my ability to be flexible and to keep moving and motivated in spite of the weirdness going on with my hip.

(Music swells and dies.)

Why We Keep Track...

On this fitness adventure we like to mark progress and milestones. By we, I mean I. Anyway, I am very resistant to writing everything down for fear of turning into my IronMan brother-in-law who is famous for his shoe mileage charts. However, every once in a while, I manage to jot something down that turns out to be very inspiring. Case in point: when I got home from my first elliptical run to nowhere, I wrote this on my calendar:

Elliptical Trainer: 7 min. 700 Strides.

That is 7 minutes at 100 strides per minute. That statistic is meaningless unless you compare it to my last workout. I didn't write it down, so this is an estimate, but it is fairly accurate.

Elliptical Trainer: 57 min. 7000 Strides.

That's almost an hour at 122 strides per minute - and keep in mind that I was hurting the entire time. I can recall hitting nearly 9000 strides in previous weeks. That's an hour at 150 strides per minute. Just over two months ago it was all I could do to move for 7 minutes at a walk. Now, some 40 trips to the gym later, I literally run for an hour straight and then go on to do weights and have energy left over to function for the rest of the day.

Our bodies are amazing.

Because It Ain't Gonna Be Easy...

I had to go and botch up my hip. Either that, or I am having a serious flare of arthritis. Either way I can barely walk. It was a little tender this morning, but I tend to have aches and pains, so I ignored it. Once on the elliptical, it didn't loosen up. I should have quit about 10 minutes in, but I did all but the last couple of minutes of my hour run to nowhere (42/200). My pace was off quite a bit, but I still should have stopped. Bah!!

The good news is that the other branch of my gym has a pool. So, in spite of the fact that I don't feel even close to ready to show off my body in a suit, I am going to venture into that forum tomorrow. My one saving grace is that school is back in session, so there shouldn't be any 85 pound teenagers running around.

Oh, and at the risk of sending Allan into fits, I have to share what I ate for dinner. Pizza. Loaded. I thought about it all day, and decided that I really wanted pizza for dinner. I ate two slices and was full. But there was a whole lot of pie left, and I took the third piece without even wanting it. That was where I went wrong. I am sooooooo full.

The pizza made me think of the Discover Card adds that showed the couple digging into lobster and saying something about a splurge being an occasional thing. That's what is different. Over the past couple of years tonight's dinner had become routine. Now, it is a treat. Once in a month instead of several nights a week. And when I do "splurge" I actually get to look forward to it and enjoy it. How cool is that?

MegaMilestones...

Mark this day on your calendars, because history has been made, today. Yes, folks, I have officially hit two MegaMilestones in the fitness quest.

Drum roll, please.

I have officially entered the Normal BMI category. Barely. My BMI is 24.9, but it is green for the first time in recent memory. Okay, the last time I was here was in 2000. But, I am back! And I am staying. So, goodbye Obese and Overweight! Welcome home, Normal!!

In order to reach milestone number one, I had to reach milestone number two.

Another drumroll, if you would.

I am halfway to goal weight! No, really!! I weight 168.5 lbs (76.4 kg). That means I have lost 19.5 pounds and have 19.5 pounds left to lose. Woot!!!

In case you need a visual:

And, no, I am not celebrating with ice cream. I didn't really set up rewards for reaching various milestones, so I dunno know what I will do to mark the occasion. Dancing around (a la Rocky atop the Philadelphia Art Museum Steps) might be a start, though. Hang on while I get my Rio cued to Gonna Fly Now.

Hooray!! She did it...

I actually made it to the gym to complete workout 41/200. I was seriously getting wigged out from lack of exercise opportunities. I never thought I would say that. But it is addicting. The run to nowhere was actually pleasant.

The eating is going okay. I probably need to eat - gasp - more food. I just have no appetite right now - and this is salt and chocolate week. What's up with that?? I'm not complaining, mind you. Just noting how weird my world has gotten.

I Might Actually Make It...

To the gym, that is. I used all of my childcare favors while I was helping my sister out, and subsequently have not been able to carve out the hour to go workout. I could use the childcare at the gym except that my kids aren't potty trained (please don't send me links to sites/books on teaching kids with autism how to potty - I have read them all) and I end up getting interrupted like 4 times in order to change them. By the time we go through all of that, the childcare closes and I am no closer to getting a good sweat in. I decided that the increase in blood pressure out of sheer frustration was worse for me than missing the gym when I can't get coverage at home.

Having said all of that, I think I might actually get to go workout, today. I really miss my hour runs to nowhere. Truly! Which is sick, I know. But I feel better after I work out - and I sleep better, too. So, say prayers to the gym gods that I can still find all of my gear and get to the gym before I completely forget where it is located.

Oh, and that weight (170) in the stats area is correct! I can almost taste the 160's. I am incredibly close to a green BMI, too! At that point I can officially claim to be "normal" - and how often do I get to assert that??

Still Hanging Around...

Though I havent been posting much, I have been updating my stats this week. One really cool item is that the scale finally fell a little more (171 - it is the lowest reading to date and comes just before my TOM) and now when I step on the scale fully clothed after eating all day it reads 173. Kinda cool to not see 175 pop up anymore.

I have been pitching in at my sister's all week, so the gym trip didn't make it into the schedule today. I did go Sunday (39/200) and Monday (40/200), so I am not completely falling apart! 20% of the MegaChallenge is behind me. It is so cool to hit these milestones. I suppose I am still a sucker for a gold star - though elementary school is a foggy memory.

In other news, my eldest munchkin turned 7 this weekend. He seems all grown up to me. Of course, put him in a room full of 15 year olds and he reverts to his true stature. I never stop being amazed by my children. A girlfriend once said to me, "Get where they are and just enjoy the moments as they whiz by." She's right. Sure, I gotta think ahead a little. Of course, I get misty when I see baby pictures. But right now is the only moment that really matters.

Gotta go smooch my babies.

So Tired, So Very Tired...

Being at the hospital wastes me. I don't know if it is the stress (yes!), the lack of the normal routine (yes! yes!), or the chairs (most definitely yes!) but I can barely function from exhaustion today. Bleck.

In MegaChallenge news, I actually relocated the gym today! It was right where I left it, though after a 5 day break, my muscles weren't. I slogged through 50 minutes on the elliptical carousel and limped home happy to have the very elusive workout 38/200 in the books.

I also found a 171.5 waiting for me on the scale this morning. It took me a month to lose one half a pound and a day to lose the next. Funky strange body. I am not arguing, though. Being over 40% to goal weight is nice. Very nice.

I have lots of rants that I would love to stick onto soap boxes, but my arms are telling me that typing is out of the question. Maybe later. :)

That Whole "Life" Thing...

I seem to recall a post about a month ago that expressed the hope that Life would calm down so that I could keep my gym commitment. Well, hmmm, it seems that I may not have control over that. Ahem.

My sister is in the hospital with complications from her C-section which birthed my niece (also the subject of a previous blog.) I am not counting the all-day lugging of a carseat filled with nearly 12 pounds of baby, and all of her requisite accessories as an official "workout" but I am feeling my efforts today!

In scale news: I am down to 172. It is an all-time low, even if it did take about a month to lose that 1/2 of a pound. I'll take it! (And more, please!)

Um, Yeah, The Gym...

Being as this is Tuesday (okay very early on Wednesday) no one who is familiar with my routine will be shocked that I missed the gym today. However, Sunday and Monday both ended up gymless, as well. What (gasp) could keep me from the gym 3 days in a row? Well, hmmmm, shopping for my not-so-baby boy's birthday present covers Sunday. (Really, I only get a couple of hours of childcare a day, so I had to choose - gym or presents and presents won.)

Monday we spent hours touring our downtown area via the free trolleys. We caught a Wurlitzer organ concert, grabbed lunch at that restaurant that all kids somehow recognize at birth, and played on the playground - all with trolley rides in between. We had a blast, but I missed the workout window.

And you wanna know what? I am cool with it. See, it is about balance. And I typically don't have balance. I am such an all or nothing kinda gal. It would be so typical of me to get "workout" stuck in my brain and not be able to see around it to schedule anything else, but not this time. I am still on track to make my 200-in-a-year goal, so I refuse to beat myself up.

In other news, I am still treading the 173 pound mark. If it continues much longer, I am going to take the scale apart and look for a hidden camera.