158.5...

Yup. I finally saw something other than 159 lbs on the blasted scale this morning. Actually, the first 26 times I stood on it I saw 157.5. I must have swollen with pride because when I went back a few minutes later to re-verify the amazing new number the scale wouldn't budge off of 158.5. What the... So, I am going to count the 158.5 lbs as my official new weight, and send lots of tributes to the scale gods in hopes that the lower number will return very soon. In the meantime, here is the car for your viewing pleasure:

Today is the last day of the month ("No, kidding?" you say.) and one of the two times a month that I do measurements for the body fat percentage. According to the fat gods, I have gained a pound of lean mass and lost two pounds of fat in the last two weeks. Thus the stall out on the scale. My body fat is down to about 27% which puts me about 5% above my goal. So, even though the scale is being a bit (okay, very) stubborn, I am seeing progress elsewhere.

Oh, and since this supposed to be a fitness blog (you know, including such things as working out) I should tell you that workouts 66/200 and 67/200 are in the bag. 66 consisted of a very long (4 hour) walk. 67 was completed via an hour of lap swimming. Still no joy on my elliptical buddy, but I am holding out hope that I won't have to replace my hip before I can use it, again.

Stay Busy While I Wander About...

Just in case you find yourself with loads of free time because I am not being the good daily blogger, here is something to keep you busy. It is likely the most addictive and challenging puzzle I have attacked in my life. Oh, and in case you don't have that kind of free time, you can do simpler Sudoku here.

Don't say I didn't warn you. (Yes, I am still stuck at 159. I don't want to talk about it.)

Hey! Look! Over there...

I was hoping to distract you from the fact that I have stalled out for an entire week in the weight loss thing. I still feel very good about where I am, but when you get into the swing of losing a couple of pounds a week, going this long without a drop feels like an eternity. From what I understand, it isn't an official plateau unless it stretches for 2-3 weeks. I am hoping I won't have to report on that phenomenon.

I did get my butt to the gym for workout 65/200 today. I was completely unmotivated to get out the door, but once I got there it was better. I made it 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer before I headed over to the bike to finish up my 36 minutes of cardio. I know I need to get back to lifting, I just don't feel like it! Since when has that been a viable excuse? It isn't.

Stuck...

Several things seem to be glued in place around here. My eyes are glued to the weather. My weight is glued to 159 lbs. I could keep going, but suffice it to say that I would like whatever it is that is helping create hurricanes to find something else to do, and I would like my body to let go of the fat. I doubt that the two things have anything in common. Well, other than the fact that the more I sit in front of the TV the less I move.

I have noticed that I do tend to hold on to weight for a week or so and then drop it all at once. Maybe it is time for another one of those flurries of weight loss. I haven't noticed any brilliant patterns regarding the hurricanes. But, heck, if they want to call it a season, I am all for it.

Oh, yeah. I did go to the gym today. No elliptical due to the hip thing, so I begrudgingly spent 36 minutes peddling the bike. Workout 64/200 is in the books.

Better Than a Workout...

I am not going to the gym today. I did workout 63/200 yesterday. It hurt. It still hurts. I am disgusted but determined to stay positive.

So, I did one better - I got my hair done! It is fall, and I am ready for new. New routines. New clothes. New hair. Maybe it is the years of going to school with all new things that set this pattern up for me, but I can't help it. When September rolls around I get the urge to revamp my planet. So, since I am waiting until the last 10 pounds are gone to buy my new school clothes, I went for new hair.

I feel fabulous! I look fabulous! Well, so says my hairdresser. And that's a key to a good hairdresser: they never let you leave without first making sure that you believe you are the most gorgeous thing to ever sit in that chair.

So, yeah, I am worried about the folks in Texas as Rita barrels across the Gulf. I am still all emotionally involved in the aftermath of Katrina. I am watching the continuing sit-in in Nashville over TennCare with amazement and disbelief that our government can kill people with a straight face. But you know what? Life is pretty good here. I have so much to be thankful for; fabulous new fall hair for starters.

Blogger Test for Allan...

Allan is the most regular blogger I have ever encountered. So when I opened up his site this morning and found yesterday's post staring at me, I ran to the window to check the sun. Yes, it came up, but I am certain things are out of order.

Allan has a theory that there is something amiss in Bloggerland that is preventing updates, so I am attempting to post this in an effort to either prove or dispel that theory. Here goes...

Update: Allan has moved his blog to: http://almostgastricbypass.blogspot.com/ I have changed the link on my sidebar as well as in in this post. Whew! Life goes on!

Cleaning Out The Closet...

I have been putting it off for weeks, but I finally spent a couple of hours trying on the clothes in my closet. It is amazing how little of it fits me. Now comes the hard part: getting rid of it. I am such a pack rat. What if I gain the weight back? I don't want to have to go out and re-purchase clothes at every size. But another part of me keeps saying, "If you don't have those clothes you might be more likely to avoid needing the larger sizes."

With hurricane came the real imputus to purge my closet. I got an email requesting larger-sized clothing. Evidently people are not donating clothing in bigger sizes, and those folks are doing without. I don't need them. Someone esle does. They need to go.

Cleaning out the closet really makes me feel better. I have space for the things I actually wear. I don't have to dig through 20 blouses to find the 3 that fit. Having some margin really is nice. I am sure there are other things that I need to let go. Perhaps that is one of the steps of the Mental Health MegaChallenge.

Oh, and in Fitness MegaChallenge, I did a 36 minute ride to nowhere this afternoon that takes care of workout 62/200. My Rio battery died at the 30 minute mark, so those last 6 minutes were some of the longest of my life. I may make a new MP3 player my goal weight prize. The upside would be the ability to carry more than 30 tunes and play it for more than an hour. The downside would be that I would be so overwhelmed with music choices that I never actually get around to working out. Hmmmm.

And So It Goes...

And goes, and goes! Another half of a pound vanished overnight to put the scale solidly on 159 this morning. So, yes, race fans, it is time to move the car!

As I get closer to my goal weight, I am working hard to ignore the failure voices that keep trying to pop into my head. They say things like, "The last 10 pounds are always the hardest." They threaten me with, "You will never keep it off. No one does." And then there is the always-encouraging, "Just because you have lost 30/40/50 pounds doesn't mean you will ever be happy." These thoughts are the real hurdles to my health. Sure, I keep track of every calorie, work out regularly, and continue to make progress, but the true MegaChallenge is improving my mental health. Unless I work toward being my genuine self, find my bliss, discover balance, or ________ (enter your mental health mantra here), no amount of weight loss is going to make me a happier person. My happiness should not ride on whether I am able to run 26.2 miles or fit into a size 10.

The MegaChallenge started with a rather flippant comment, but it highlighted a reality: that my dreams are achievable if I set goals and work toward them. I have wanted to be fit for years and just kept putting it off. When I was whining that my clothes woudln't fit and that it would take 200 workouts to get into them I didn't really expect to do those 200 workouts, and here I am with 61 of them behind me. Having someone take me seriously and say, "Do them!" is what finally got me off my ass.

Taking a hard look at the reality of what it will take to get me where I want to be and then setting out to get there is something I am getting better at doing. I returned to finish my degree in a similar fashion. Not finishing college had been hanging over my head for more than a decade, but I kept only half-planning to do something about it. I mentioned it a bunch but it wasn't until I said it to someone who took me seriously that I was able to actually put a plan into action. I am scheduled to finish classes next June. I am 9 months away from completing something that I beat myself up over for 10 years!

I am certain that there are other dreams that I need to turn into goals. Thank goodness I am finally healthy enough to seek out positive, supportive people. They tend to be the same people who give me those nudges to seek my bliss. It may seem like a small thing, but it is a huge change from my history of seeking out folks who live to put me down. Like eating sleeves of Oreos, it was a "comfortable" way of living for years, but not a healthy one.

So, now I am faced with a deeper MegaChallenge and I have to wonder if there is anything I can do 200 times in order to achieve mental health. Nudges happily accepted.

Hip to be Square...

I am still babying this hip. Yesterday I tried to get some shopping done, and had plans for a late afternoon workout. Unfortunately, the pain in the hip overruled my desire to check off workout number 60. I thought about going to the pool, but just didn't get it in gear. I refuse to let this get me down.

About a year ago I was training for a half marathon (with hopes of turning it into a full 26.2 at some point) when I developed a heinous case of tendonitis in my ankle. If I stood up the thing swelled to twice its typical size. I ended up doing loads of physical therapy, taking loads of meds, and severely curtailing the training. There were obvious physical implications, but the most damaging effect of the injury was the emotional toll. I had this plan, you see, and it got botched up and I didn't know how to replace it. I mean, there really isn't much out there to replace running a marathon.

The hip thing is lots like the ankle thing in that it threatens my ability to reach my goal unless I can come up with an alternate plan. I cannot spend hours on the elliptical trainer if I am not going to be able to walk afterward. I still intend to complete the MegaChallenge. So, I have to come up with an idea of how I can pull it off. Again, I refuse to let this get me down. Much.

Goodbye 160s...

You heard it right! I am outta the 160s and onto the final leg of the weight loss portion of the MegaChallenge. 159.5 pounds feels so close to goal. Perhaps it is because it is only a little over 10 pounds away. Perhaps it is because I am okay with the weight I am carrying right now, so losing the last ten doesn't seem as urgent as losing that first 30.

(I know I have 188 as my upper weight so if you are a math whiz you may be thinking, "But, Gina, you have only lost 28.5 pounds!"- but that was as of the beginning of the MC - 6/6/5 - and not the beginning of my working out. I was in the low 190s somewhere, but didn't get a scale and get serious until I started the MegaChallenge. Further, the idea of needing to lose 39 pounds seemed infinitely more doable than 40. Heck, I may even aim for 145 - which would be around a 50 pound loss. But not until I get to 149. So there! End of parenthetical tangent...)

Whatever the reason for my current state of contentment, I am thrilled to be here. I am not thrilled, however, with the continued pain in my hip. I pushed myself yesterday and extended the run to nowhere (59/200) to 50 minutes. Not smart. My heart and lungs and brain felt great. My hip didn't say a whole lot until I got off of the elliptical machine. Yeouch! This has been going on for weeks and I am just about tired of it. I have rested, backed off, switched routines, and it still hurts. Gah!!

Ick. Enough pity partying. It is time to move the car! And since I know that is the reason you keep dropping by, here ya go...

Kristopher Donnenhoffer...

If that's your name, get outta my head! I had a dream just before I woke up that included a guy with that very long name. How do I know that was his name?? He wrote it down for me. He must have noticed that I am officially down to 160 lbs and ready to be noticed by Ginger's honest-to-god hotties. Well, at least in my dreams.

Oprah was in my dream, too. I was in a shoe store full of people and she walked right up to me and we started chatting like old friends. We discussed diamonds and how a "Bay Window" cut was such a waste of stone, but so lovely that it was worth it. At least my dream self has some serious self-confidence. Gotta work on that in my real life.

In case you missed the reference in the dream recall portion of the MegaChallenge, it is time to move the car. Yes, again!! I know! I know! I keep waiting for the morning that I step on the scale and it laughs and says, "April Fools! You actually gained 2 stone!!"

Yesterday's workout (58/200) went pretty well. I managed a 36 minute run to nowhere. My hip is still a little creaky, so going an hour isn't happening without some serious pain.

Correction...

Make that 160.5! I am so close to the 150s that I can feel it. Can you see the smoke coming out of the back of the car?

I am heading out for workout 58/200 in a couple of hours. I wonder how I will do after being away for a week.

Keepin' On Keepin' On...

The scale goddesses were smiling this morning. I am down a half a pound from my pre-trip weight to 161 lbs. So, the TOM/trip bloat theory was accurate. Huey, show the nice people where the car is, now.

Workout 57/200 consisted of 4 hours of walking all over the fair on Monday. I need to relocate the gym, today. Wish me luck. Send a map!

Travel Success...

I made it the whole weekend without attacking the free desserts (I did have 75% of a chocolate chip cookie on Saturday, but I passed up the cheese cakes, pies, and ice cream) and snacks. I ate a bit more than I would at home - but left at least half of what I was served on my plate. It felt wasteful, but I overcame my "clean plate club" mentality and did the right thing for my health.

The scale was pretty kind this morning. It read 163. Considering it is my TOM and I tend to suffer from travel bloat (being away from home and sitting in meetings all day is hell on my system) anyway, I fully expect that pound to vanish without much fanfare.

One area that was completely neglected during the trip was exercise. I did walk some, but I never made it to the fitness center. Gotta get back in the groove now that I am home.

Oh, and Ginger is right about the 160 mark being when guys start noticing me, again. Not that I am trolling for men, but whether it is a boost in my own self-confidence or something else, I got lots of attention this week that I didn't get in May when I did a very similar trip. It is so good to be back.

It's Off to Work I Go...

I am travelling for the next several days, so no news will be - well - no news. Before I go, I do want to catch y'all up on the latest MegaChallenge stats. I made it to the gym for workout 56/200 today and met 161.5 on the scale for the first time in a long time. Let's move the car, please.

Okay, now that that's done, my goal for the trip is to maintain my weight. I won't have a lot of choice about when and what I eat - only how much of it - so, keeping tabs on calories will be a little more difficult. I do plan to locate the fitness room at the hotel and become acquainted with some form of stationary motion. Maintaining my weight on a business trip will be a huge victory for me. Historically, I have taken baggier clothes to wear toward the end of long trips. Not this time.

Wish me luck!

Nothing to See Here. Move along...

Okay, so the gym was closed for Labor Day and I don't do Tuesdays, so no gym progress to report. I still weight 162 lbs, so nothing new to note there. I am keeping track of food on FitDay, and it looks just like last week's intake, so that isn't news.

Yeah, I am fresh out of information.

I did get a papercut, yesterday. Yow! But, funny, that doesn't seem blog-worthy.

So, on your way. Read something else. Nothing to see here.

Progress...

Well, there finally seems to be some progress toward helping those folks who have been affected by Katrina. I really want to help. I know money is important, but that doesn't seem to be enough to fill the chasm of need. Our local Red Cross is setting up several shelters in town and a local church is hosting a volunteer training tonight. I am planning to attend the training so that I can get connected to the network and be of some use.

Volunteering with the Red Cross is a good use of my skills. If you live in the US and are not one of the folks who can go help at the site of the disaster, there is probably some local activity you can join, too. If you own a business, perhaps you can employ a couple of evacuees. If you can teach, perhaps you help set up a literacy initiative or job training. It looks like we are in for a long haul. The least we can do is to pitch in and make life as comfortable as possible for the folks whose lives will never be the same.

There is progress in the fitness area, too. I completed workout 55/200 yesterday. I also met 162 lbs on the scale this morning. So, I have lost 2/3rds of the weight I set out to lose! That sends me to 23.9 on the BMI chart, which is solidly in the "healthy" range!! I also broke the 30% fat plateau - and am finally down to 29% body fat.

And, yes, it is time to move the car.

Today's Car Progress...

I am still sitting in front of the TV, but I ran over here to update y'all on the fitness thang. I did go the gym yesterday (They have cable on the TVs in front of the elliptical trainers, so I was able to keep my eye on the news networks.) and completed workout 54/200.

I'll be seeing my friends who got me into this whole MegaChallenge deal next weekend. It is the first time they will see me since the beginning of the summer. I am pretty excited that I am going back short some 25.5 pounds. (Here's the car, son!)

When I started this it really was about the workouts - and I knew that workouts would cause me to lose some weight. But getting the eating in line made a bigger difference than I anticipated. (Here's where you say, "Eureka! She gets it!") I was counting on losing about a pound a week, so doing double that really makes the overall effect seem radical. I was squeezing into baggy size 16s in June, and I am struggling to keep my body-hugging 12s on, now.

Part of my motivation for keeping track of my eating was Renee's Beaker Babe Challenge. It pulled me off of my 173.5 plateau and I lost 11 pounds over the course of that 6-week period.

Anyone up for another challenge now that the Beaker Babe challenge is officially over?? Huh, huh, please??

It seems inconceivable that in 3 months I could be so close to my goal weight. The nice part of where I am is that I feel fine at the weight I am, now. I am happy with the way clothes fit. I have tons more energy. I can only imagine how I will feel in another 13.5 pounds.

The Car Has Moved, Again...

Speaking of kids with autism. My son needs some normalcy to his routine. He keeps asking me about the car, and in my concern for the folks south of here, I nearly lost track of his needs. So, here ya go, sweetie!

It actually should have moved twice this week, but here is where it sits for today!

I gotta work on keeping life "normal" for him when things are so out-of-whack that I can barely function. There has to be a middle ground between the planet stopping to take notice of a disaster and maintaining our lives. Damn, there is that balance thing, again.

Glued to the News...

There are plenty of things I should be doing. I should be doing my Econ homework. I should be doing laundry. I should be going to the gym. I should be living my life. But I am stuck in front of the TV and Internet watching endless updates on the happenings on the Gulf Coast. Each story is heartbreaking, and I gather them to me and try to figure out what I can do to help.

I think about the folks with disabilities who are stuck, scared, hurting, confused, or dead. I try to imagine what it is like for someone with autism to be completely out of their routine and around strange people and with no hope of things getting back to normal any time soon - if ever. I wonder how folks with physical disabilities are faring. They would have had a very hard time evacuating and can't climb into attics or onto rooftops. I worry and worry and worry.

There are some things that can be done. Donations. Information sharing. (The Arc of the US has a site set up specifically to help put folks with disabilities in contact with resources.) I can and will do that, but I am a mom. I mother. My urge is to get my hands on people and make everything okay. Of course, that is not within my power or ability. And since I can't seem to do the one thing I want to do, perhaps I should turn back to the things I should be doing. Right after I check the news.