Cheesecake has a lot of calories.

Happy Wednesday everyone!  It is all down hill from here.  :)

I'm really proud of my food choices yesterday.  While everyone at my table enjoyed fried pickles and other Cajun deliciousness, I had grilled fish and green beans.  I didn't even steal one pickle!!  :)  In the afternoon, we had a birthday celebration with some cheesecake.  I figured that since I ate so well and lunch, I could spring for a small slice of cheesecake.  They weren't very big and they were cut into 12 small slices.  I'm super glad that I snuck a peak at the nutritional information because they were 470 calories each!!  WOW!  How is that even possible?  I chose instead to have 1/4c of pumpkin spice ice cream and 2 chocolate puffs for a total of 208 calories. 

That served as my afternoon snack, so I ate my scheduled dinner when I got home.  I had allowed for a serving of peppermint ice cream after dinner, but I decided that I didn't even need it.  I like when things are rolling along like this.  A time will come along where I won't want to make good choices, so I really have to take advantage now! 

Did I tell you all I'm trying to learn to like oatmeal?  I don't like it, but I'm going to work at it.  Today, I'm going to try the Cinnamon & Spice kind for breakfast.  Next week I will get some things to add to it like peanut butter or fruit.  Do you have any ideas how to flavor up instant oatmeal?

I earned 30 points yesterday!!  That's a record for me.  YAY!  I was hoping to be under that 190 mark this morning, but I was 190 exactly.  I will take it.  Maybe tomorrow!

I got up for CrossFit this morning.  I am very sore!  We did Cleans today which is lifting the barbell from the floor to your shoulders in rack position.  Basically, you had five rounds of one minute of doing as many as you can and then 3 minutes of rest.  I really pushed myself and I think I did a good job.  I was bummed when I realized that I'm not going to be able to CrossFit on Friday because I have to be in Dallas by 8am Friday.  Bummer!

My goals for today are to walk at lunch, keep my calories in my target range and to do something productive after work.  I had thought about going to CF tomorrow morning since I can't go Friday, but I Jazzercise tomorrow night and I just think that is too much. 

Here is today's new outfit:

I like the picture so much I'm going to make it my November blog picture.  The sweater is a tad tight, but I think it looks okay.  I got it at Charming Charlie.  The layer shirt and earrings are new too.  Plus, I love my boots.  :)

Hugs!

Need to stay focused!

I'm feeling awfully fired up this morning! 

I made it up for CrossFit!!  That is a win no matter what.  Today wasn't my most stellar of days, but I still feel great.  It was 38 degrees when I got there this morning.  Brrrrrrr!  We did a 400m run warm up (I mentioned that the the running is outside, right?)  We spent some time stretching and then we went into the WOD.

15:00 AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

• 5 Hand Stand Push Ups
• 10 Pistols
• 15 Pull Ups

So, we all know I can't do a HSPU.  So I tried doing a negative which is where you kick up into a handstand then lower yourself down slowly.  The last time I did this, I was wearing a hair clip and walked away with a two day migraine!  I was a little nervous, but I knew I had to get past it.  I kicked up and lowered about halfway before I fell down.  Not bad!  But I needed to modify the move even more.  So instead of 5 HSPUs each round, I would do 3 walk ups.  That is where you walk your feet up the wall and walk your hands in so you end up in a handstand. 

Pistols are one legged squats.  To be honest, these hurt my knees and I just did the best I could.  Last week we decided that I should graduate to the blue band for pull ups.  I did them but they were kind of pathetic.  But the important part was that for 15 minutes, my heart rate sky rocketed AND I was having fun.  After the WOD, we ran another 400m.  I'm getting better at that distance, but I'm still WAY behind the class.  No worries.  Baby steps.

I earned 27 points yesterday in my What's the Point challenge.  I was extra good with my calories yesterday, so yay!!

NSV alert:  I bought a pendant in Italy several years ago and it is on a delicate little gold chain.  I hardly ever wore it because it was really too short and it felt like it was choking me.  Also, it was so delicate that I felt like I would break it pulling it away from my neck.  Today, I thought I would try it again.  Not only did it fit, I'm wearing it around a turtleneck!!  I guess that's what losing 3.5" off your neck will do!!

Here is my new outfit of the day:

I cheated a little bit because the jeans aren't new and the jacket I got at the very end of last winter.  The turtleneck, boots, & earrings are new.  :)  I'm happy because the jacket was quite tight when I bought it, but now it is really loose.  Sweet!

Today we are going out to lunch for my boss's birthday and we are going to Razzoo's.  I LOVE that place!  My old meal would have been a full order of onion rings followed by the jambalaya pasta.  I would always be so proud of taking half of the pasta home for dinner.  After a giant plate of greasy onion rings!  I feel quite sure that even with 1/2 the pasta is was a 2000+ calorie lunch.  Yikes! 

I have been staying on track lately the best I have since the first 9 months after surgery.  I'm on par to lose over 6 pounds this month which I haven't done since March!!  So, I just have to be good today.  That means I have to be good at lunch.  My plan is to order grilled fish & veggies and ask that they do not cook them in butter.  I do love fish, so I should be content with that.  I can't imagine that they wouldn't do it!  If I get hungry later, I have some hummus back at the office.

That is all I need to do today to make the day entirely successful.  I have already worked out.  I already have almost 75 ounces of water in, so 100+ won't be a problem.  I just have to focus on the calories.  This is my Achilles heel people so send me some good mojo!

HUGS!

Thanksgiving Recap

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  I know I did.

Wednesday I made it to CrossFit bright and early and had a fantastic workout!  Then I worked through the morning and even though it was a horrible workday, I left it all behind when we closed the office at noon.

I picked up my mom and we went to lunch.  I introduced her to Taco Diner nachos which are just delish!  Then we did some really good shopping and I was excited to see that sales were already going.  We went to J. Crew and I bought a SIZE 8 skirt.  Yes, a SIZE 8.  Now I realize that it was in the sale section and probably mismarked, but I don't really care.  It was a SIZE 8.

I don't usually shop at Chico's, but my mom does so I went in with her.  I ended up finding two dresses, a jacket, & a bracelet for about $100.  Then I got to spend a gift card at NY&Co that my staff had gotten me several years ago when I was too fat.  :)  It's funny because I used to love that store, but now that I fit in it, I wasn't finding much.  I did end up with a button up shirt, vest & skirt as well as some earrings.

Thursday was a SUPER lazy day and I loved it!  We watched the parade, the dog show, football...so much TV.  Other than fixing the mashed potatoes to go with our turkey and noodles, I pretty much did nothing all day.

Friday, it was time for more shopping, but I wanted to avoid the malls and discount stores.  I bought a buttload of clothes (classy, huh?) from Cato.  They don't have really quality clothes, but they are inexpensive and you can get some trendy items on the cheap.  We went a few more places, and the only line was at Ulta.  But I got a checkout girl that didn't know what she was doing and she basically gave me my entire order 1/2 off.  Merry Christmas to me!!

Friday evening, we met Debi downtown Fort Worth to watch the Parade of Lights.  Can I just tell you that the seats were super tiny, but we fit perfectly!  I would have been miserable in years past. 

I love my cute little hat that I got at DSW last weekend!  We went to Mi Cocina for dinner, which like Taco Diner has the BEST nachos.  We all three split a large order of nachos, queso and guac and didn't even come close to finishing them. 

Saturday it was time for even more shopping.  I'm really excited that even though I hadn't purchased one Christmas present before my mom came, I'm now almost DONE.  Woohoo!  I also bought a super skinny Christmas tree that fits better in my apartment. 

Sunday, it was time for mom to go home.  We had a wonderful time together and I'm looking forward when she & Dad will be able to come early next year.  I really enjoy the time I get to spend with my parents.

After she left, I got busy.  I winterized my closet, put away all my new things, cleaned up the kitchen and started decorating my tree.  I'm not done with my tree yet, so I will post pics of that later.  Ever year from the time I was born until I was 18, my grandparents gave me (and all the grandkids) Christmas ornaments.  They are all different.  I remember my brother & I putting them on the tree every year and it was so fun.  My senior year, I was the head of a local organization and the theme of  my year was Puppy Love.  That happened to be the first year that Hallmark started their Puppy Love Christmas ornament series.  My mom got me one that year and has gotten me the new one every year since.

I'm not sure why I can't get the picture turned correctly, but you get the idea. 

This morning, I had a hard time getting out of bed.  Time to get back into the routine though!  I decided to wear a new outfit everyday this week.  Let's see if I can do it!  Here is today's outfit:

I think one of the things that made this weekend SO enjoyable was being able to shop more normally.  I didn't have to scope out the Lane Bryants or Avenues.  I didn't have to worry if there was a Women's section.  I could look in all the stores and boutiques and really find what I wanted and what looked good.  Mostly I seem to wear Larges, but sometimes I needed XL or sometimes I could use a M.  At Kohls, I bought a size S jacket in the Croft & Borrow brand.  It is just such an amazing feeling.  Sometimes (a lot of times actually), I still think my clothes are tents.  But then I compare to what I used to wear and I remind myself pretty quick that I have come a long way.

My What's The Point goal was to lose weight over Thanksgiving.  Although I was up slightly this week (8 tenths), over the course of the holiday time (i.e. while my mom was here), I lost THREE pounds.  That is so great for me!  So that means my current points total is 522.  Only 778 more to go until I get my necklace!

My goal for this week is just to get back into the routine:

1. Over 100 ounces of water per day.  Pre-holiday, I was doing well with this, but over the holiday I started to fade. 
2. Keep my calories in check.  I started to treat myself a little more here and there, so that has to stop.  I plan my food for the day in the morning and I must stick to that.  I also need to take time later in the week to plan what I'm going to eat over the weekend so I don't go off track.
3. Work out.  I haven't worked out since Wednesday!  I used the excuse that I didn't want to leave Mom home by herself, but just like anything, that was an excuse.  My goal is 5 workouts and my stretch goal is 7 workouts.  It actually shouldn't be any problem at all to hit the 7, but I have to not be lazy.  :)

We basically have four weeks until Christmas.  I would very much like to have hit 100 pounds lost by then.  It's aggressive, but I'm going to give it my best shot!

HUGS!

Happy List

It is a good day.

1. I woke up this morning at 189.6.  This is only the fifth time I have weighed under 190 since I started this journey and the first four times were back in APRIL when I was sick and dehydrated.  It feels so good to be losing again.  I think I have figured out that I have been fooling myself when it comes to what I eat every night.  I'm going to keep an eye on that.
2. I love my new Keurig!  I fixed some decaf coffee last night and I'm hoping that maybe I can replace my nightly treat with a cup of coffee instead of chocolate or cookies.  Man, that sounds pathetic.  But I do seem to always want something sweet after dinner.  I just have to get back into good portion habits.
3. It is nice to have my mom here.  We have been having a really nice time.
4. I went to the doctor this morning for my annual exam which is never fun.  But she was so complimentary on how I look, so that felt good.  AND my little paper shirt and blanket actually covered me up for once.  This is the least uncomfortable I have EVER felt getting this type of exam. 
5. My blood pressure was 108/64 which is just amazing to me.  At one point pre-band, I was on blood pressure medication!  Love it. Now I'm just hoping that my sugars and cholesterol are lower, then I'm golden!
6. I'm getting a massage at lunch.  Woohoo!
7. After today, only one more day of work and then I have 4 days off.  Nice!

I am thankful for all these things and more.  I continue to hope that my thankful ass will get out of bed tomorrow morning for CF.  Although, I already promised Laura Belle I will, so I guess it is a done deal.  :)

Hugs!

Weekend recap

It was a wonderful weekend!  Let's start with Friday afternoon...  I headed to the doctor for my varicose vein zapping.  I'm not going to lie.  It hurt like a son of a biscuit maker.  I thought it would be more like getting a tattoo, but no, in my opinion it was much worse!  However, it is done and the vein that has been bright on my leg since fourth grade is faded to almost nothing.  And the best part of it is, my doctor chose not to charge me.  This is a self-pay procedure, so it was particularly awesome!  I do love my doc.

I picked up my mom from the airport and we went to Chili's for dinner.  Not very exciting, but we could eat decently and tastily.  Saturday, we got up and got some breakfast.  This wasn't very healthy, but I knew we probably wouldn't eat much the rest of the day so I wasn't too worried.  After getting my hair done, we did some grocery shopping.  Can I tell you that I don't think my refrigerator has ever been so full?!  Typically when my mom comes to visit we mostly eat out and snack at home.  But this time, I wanted us to do better.  And that takes groceries!!

After that, we went shoe shopping.  I bought FIVE new pairs of shoes.  I have such issues.  But I LOVE DSW!  Then we moseyed over to the Rack and I bought a sweater and two new dresses.  Fun!  After that we went home to chill.  For dinner, BFF came over and I fixed Chicken Sausage, Potatoes & Peppers (from SkinnyTaste)  So delicious!!  Mom asked for the recipe and BFF had seconds.  Good signs!

Oh, I forgot to mention that in a moment of impulse, I bought a Keurig.  Unfortunately, I drank a cup of coffee around 9pm Saturday night and I don't think I got to sleep until after 2:30.  Oops!  Need some decaf cups.  :)

Sunday morning, mom & I got ready then picked up BFF for some lunch at Rise.  It is so delicious and souffles are surprisingly calorie conscious as far as awesome restaurant food goes.  Then we went to see To Kill A Mockingbird at the Wyly Theater.  It was fantastic!  I love the story and the performance was just excellent.

After the show, we went home and I cooked again.  This time I made apple smoked pork loin with cheesy potatoes and stir fry vegetables. The cheesy potatoes were a little decadent, but certainly delicious! 

I woke up this morning and I'm thrilled to say that I lost 4.3 pounds this week and even if you consider my gain from last week, I'm down 2 pounds over the course of two weeks.  I'm 7.8 pounds down since I started my challenge which is the best I have done in a LONG time.  (Shout out to my Leapsters for helping me keep track and Laura Belle for guilting my ass out of bed!!)  Now, I just have to keep focused!

For my What's the Point Challenge, I'm trying to lose weight over the holiday.  The more I lose, the more points I get!  :)  I'm currently at 345 and I need 1300 for my necklace. 

Hope you all have a lovely week!

HUGS!

I love it when things turnaround!

I spent the entire day yesterday in my office with the door shut.  I was uber productive and I talked to no one.  Not only did it make my head feel better, I finished a project that I had been working on for a while.  YAY!  By the end of the day, I decided to go to Jazzercise.  Mostly, it just hurt to smile or furrow my brow...anything that would move my forehead.  I told BFF that I was happy and wanted to smile, but it hurt.  She kept looking at me and finally said that it is hard to believe I'm not upset because I looked so sad.  Thank goodness I can smile again because I can't imagine life without smiling!

Anyway, class was good, but it did hurt my head.  It was both the best AND worst I felt all day, if that makes sense.  But the pain faded after a bit and the good feeling stayed with me, so it was all worth it.

Then I went home and tried to decide if I was going to get up for CrossFit this morning.  On one hand, I was still not feeling great and it was practically vacation time, right?
  On the other hand, I can't work out for three days after my procedure this afternoon...  But it's so early.  But I feel so good when it is done.  Just pack your bag in case and you can decide later.  I packed my bag. 

I don't HAVE to get up early.  I mean no one is making me.  But I'm an adult and I keep saying that I want to do this.  Sigh.  Fine.  I set my alarm to get up early and went to bed.  I woke up at 3:15 and my head hurt but not too horrible, but I decided that I just didn't want to get up at 5:30, so I switched my alarm to the later time.  I tried to fall back asleep but I felt guilty.  Sooo...I switched the alarm back.  I fell asleep.  I woke up feeling like it had been a while and the clock said 5:12 which is when the alarm is supposed to go off, but it didn't.  That made me decide that fate said I shouldn't go.  Ha!

So, I switched to the later time.  Then I immediately reset the alarm for 5:30.  If it goes off, I will get up.  5:30 comes and the alarm goes off.  I turn on the TV.  It is 44 degrees outside.  I turn off the TV and decide to go back to bed.  NO.  Then I turned the TV back on.  The bridge I take to get to CF is closed down until 6am.  Seriously?  Sigh.  I turn the TV back off.  One minute passes.  I hear my phone ding telling me I had a FB message.  I knew it was Laura Belle telling me she got up to run.  Damn it.  And I finally got up for good. 

Can I tell you how glad I am that I did?  First, I got to class and even though it is chilly outside, once I warm up, I get really hot, so it's all good.  There were only five of us today.  We rowed for our warm up and it is SO awesome to not be last in the warm up.  That never happens when we run.  But I can row!! 

After more warm up, we worked on weighted pull ups.  I can't do those, so I worked on negatives (jumping up above the bar and slowly letting myself down.)  When I first tried them a while back, I pretty much would jump up and fall right back down.  This time, I offered a little resistance and it was great to see the progress I'm making.  Then I would get into a dead hang and Bach would hold my feet.  I would use her as leverage to do pull ups.  They were hard but I got them done.

WOD:  3 rounds

• 400m run
• 10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
• 15 True Push ups

SDHP's are when you stand in Sumo position (you know, legs spread out like sumo wrestlers) and you pull the barbell up from the floor to your chin...kind of like an upright row.  The prescribed weight for women was 65#.  I have NEVER done anything at the prescribed weight in a WOD before, but that didn't seem out of the question.  I tried it and it seemed possible...  True push ups are when you go all the way to the floor, release your hands off the floor and go again.

I'm not going to lie, folks.  I was WAY behind the pack.  In fact, a couple of guys lapped me which is kind of sad when there is only 3 rounds.  Ha!  But I finally did a WOD as prescribed.  For 13 minutes, I worked as hard as my body would allow.  I honestly don't care that it took me so long.  I really don't.  I worked HARD and I did it!

I feel so good sitting here this morning and I couldn't be more glad to have gotten up and taken care of bidness.  Thanks for the extra little push, Laura Belle!

I only have a 1/2 day at work today because I'm getting a vein zapped on my leg.  Shouldn't be any worse than getting a tattoo, right?  Then my mamasita gets in later this afternoon for the week.  Fun!

HUGS!

Shhhhh

I'm actually talking to myself when I say shhhhhh.  I still have a headache today, but only when I talk.  :)  I think that I just have a bruise and when I talk, it aggravates it.  But now that I'm in my office with the door shut and only communicating via email, I'm feeling MUCH better!

I will check back once I'm back to normal.  :)

Hugs!

Not as hard headed as I thought...

Today for the very first time ever, I bailed on a CrossFit workout.  Yesterday, I had a great workout, but my hair was bugging the crap out of me.  So today, I remembered to pull it back.  Went to CF this morning (3rd day in a row, thank you very much!) and it started off fine.  800m warm up run, lost of good warm up activities, then it was time to work on handstands.

I was actually excited about that because I'm getting decent at doing them against the wall, even being able to balance myself away from the wall some.  So I kicked myself up to the wall and immediately, my arms buckled.  No big deal, I would just plop down to my head then come down.  As I plopped on my head...searing pain.  What the?  Then I remembered that I had pulled my hair back with a mini-clip.  That little devil was embedding itself into my head. 

Once I realized what was happening, I threw away the demolished clip and got a drink of water.  Never one to just roll over, I did a few more handstands, but I started not feeling so great, so I just waited the few minutes until the start of the WOD.  It was 7 rounds: 35 double unders (or lateral hops) & 1 power clean at 85#.  I did the first 35 lateral hops and as I started to do the power clean, everything went black.  Oopsie!  So, I waited a little and tried the jumps again, but every single time, things would fade to gray.  So, I gave up.  I know that it was the right thing to do.  It has been over 2 hours and I still feel a bit woozey, but I HATE quitting.  I will just have to get back on the horse Friday.

I only earned 15 points yesterday which was a little disappointing, but I will keep at it!

HUGS!

Terrific Tuesday

I earned 25 points yesterday in my What's The Point? Challenge.  If I wouldn't have had a pudding cup when I got home last night, I would have earned another 5 points, but my tummy was growling and I didn't think I would be able to fall asleep.  It's all good.

Support Group was great last night as usual.  I got to see fellow bloggers, Debi and Andrea which is always awesome.  There were new folks and veterans and it amazes me how I get something from it every single time. 

I was especially happy when the scale took back all my bloat from yesterday.  I guess it was just a warning shot, thank goodness!  But I heard my body loud and clear and I'm planning to do better this weekend.  Speaking of that...all you people out there that cook for your families, what are your favorite go-to meals that are easy, delicious and healthy?  I need a plan and if things are too complicated, I know I won't do it. 

CrossFit was good this morning, as always.  We started with an 800m warm up run.  Y'all know I loved that.  Bach wasn't there today and TD was our trainer.  He likes the warm up so we did a lot of back and forths: butt kicks, high knees, inch worms, bear crawls, lunging trunk twists...I swear I was drenched before we even started the "workout"! 

Today we worked on Muscle Ups again.  I told you about those last week where you pull yourself up and over the bar.  I used to be able to do that in kindergarten, but not these days.  I have to use a big giant rubber band to even do a pull up, but at least those are starting to look passable! 

The WOD:  1000m row, 50 overhead squats with bar, 30 pull ups.  Four of us started on the row and only the guy beat me.  1000m is longer than you might think!  :)  I like to set the tension heavier so it is harder to pull, but you get more distance with each pull.  But then I got to the overhead squats and tried to use a normal girl's bar (35#) and just couldn't keep it up there.  I switched to a 16# bar and I was able to keep my form for the rest of the squats.  I did ALL 30 pull ups!  I used the big green rubber band and I did them in rounds of 5, but I did them all!  That is improvement for sure.  It was nice because I was trying to get my foot into the rubber band and I couldn't reach, so a guy stopped his pull ups and came over to help me.  That is a perfect example of why I love CrossFit!

Anyway, not sure if I will be able to use my arms this afternoon, but I'm feeling good!!

Hugs!

What's the Point?

Hi everybody!  I have earned 213 points to date on my Points challenge.  I need around 1,320 in order to get my necklace.  I'm a little behind schedule, but I'm fired up (yet again!)

Let's start with the bad, shall we?  I made several bad food choices this weekend.  Pair that with my lack of exercise and I'm just disappointed in myself.  To give you an idea, I earned 105 points Monday-Thursday and I earned 13 points Friday-Sunday.  That is just silly.  I have gotten REALLY good about making good choices during the week, but I have got to get better on the weekends. 

I think, for me, that is all because of planning.  I plan every meal (almost every bite) for the week (Mon-Thurs) on Sunday evening.  This week, for breakfast every day, I'm having a Low Carb Slim Fast shake (and a piece of cheese if I need it.)  For lunch (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) I'm having Lettuce Wrap Tacos.  They are delcious!!

I mixed up some extra lean ground beef with fat free refried beans and salsa yesterday and split it into individual containers.  For lunch today, I took one container, added some Laughing Cow cheese and nuked it.  I filled the lettuce leaves with the concoction and added a bit of shredded reduced fat cheese.  Becky gave me the idea!  Most of the time, lunch is my biggest meal of the day.  This one is so yummy AND very good for me!

For dinner every night (except tonight because tonight is Group and I will get a Smoothie on the way) I'm having some pasta I made this weekend.  Since I know exactly what I'm eating for each meal, I don't stray and end up doing very well every day!

Fast forward to Friday.  I stop planning.  And this weekend it will be even more important because my mom is coming to visit and it is very easy for it to start feeling like vacation and then eating like I'm on vacation.  Mom will go with the flow.  If I plan healthy for us, she will follow.  If I plan to visit splurge city, she will follow.  So I need to take some time to plan between now and Friday to come up with a week long menu for us.  I don't want boring, but I need this in order to be successful.

I'm going to add another Bonus Plan to my Points System.  (Which I think I just named What's the Point?  Hence the post title!)  If I maintain from Friday, Nov. 18th, to Monday, November 28th, I will receive no points nor lose points.  Originally, I was going to give myself 5 points, but this is too long of a time for me to not plan to lose.  For every tenth of a point I lose, I get 2 points and for every tenth of a point I gain, I lose 3 points.  For every pound I lose, I get a bonus 10 points and for every pound I gain, I lose a bonus 10 points. 

Examples:  Lose 8 tenths - +16.  Gain 7 tenths - -21.  Lose 1.3 pounds - +36 points.  Gain 1.2 pounds - -46 points.  So, as you can see, this Bonus program could be quite punitive.  But I think it is important and if I lose, it could be a windfall! 

I went to CrossFit this morning and it felt good!  We started with a 400m warm up, then did some other warm up activities (inch worms, lunges, handstands).  Then for 10 minutes, we worked on Turkish Getups.  Those things are not as easy as they look.

My weight was smaller, of course.

Then we did Deadlifts and were supposed to do 75% of our max weight.  We did three rounds of 5 reps and then one round of max reps.  I lifted 135# and did 10 reps on my max.  Dessert was a 400m time trial.

You all know how much I hate to run and I hate racing CrossFit people even more because I'm always so far behind everyone.  But you just do it, you know?  I run around an 11 minute mile, so I thought if I could do the 400m in 2:30, that would be really good.  When we took off, I felt really strong, but the first part is downhill.  All my peeps left me in their dust.  As I was coming back up the (very small) hill, I was pushing as hard as I could and Bach was yelling for me.  One of my newest CF friends (Athena) ran out to help me run in the last few meters.  I thought that was incredibly sweet!  I was SHOCKED when Back told me I finished in 2:04.  Go me!

I'm planning to CF tomorrow & Wednesday and Jazzercise on Thursday.  I'm hoping I can get myself to CF on Friday as well.  I'm getting some veins zapped on my leg on Friday afternoon and won't be able to workout for three days.  Have any of you all done that?  I'm hoping it won't hurt too much.  :)

One last note, BFF made kale chips this weekend.  I was so excited because I kept hearing such good things.  I couldn't even get one in my mouth.  Nasty.  Times 100.  Guess I'm a "no" on the kale chips.

Hugs!

Rocky doesn't do bad days!

Dinner was lovely last night!  Here we are.  :)

Rie rie, BFF, KK, Cowgirl, & Beth Ann

I cannot tell you how glad I was that I had looked at the menu before going and decided on blackened trout with rice & veggies.  Because when I saw the shrimp & andouille sausage macaroni and cheese, I almost caved.  But I had a few calories left in my range yesterday, so I had a skinny mojito and stuck with the trout.  I will have to say that the fish was DELICIOUS!  I wasn't a big fan of the white rice, but not eating it was not a bad thing.

I had stopped weighing myself everyday, but now that I'm in "super try hard" mode, I find myself doing it again. Oh well.  Anyway, this morning when I stepped on the scale, I was rewarded for my good behavior.  The last time I weighed less than I do this morning, was back in May when I was getting over being sick.  I got down about 2 pounds less then this in the height of my sickness and dehydration, but it wasn't "real".  It is nice to know I'm getting there the right way this time.

We had a cold front come through last night and it was only 44 degrees this morning.  I got up at 5:30 and wanted to crawl right back in bed.  But I didn't.  I drove myself to CrossFit.  We warmed up with an 800m run which I hate.  :)  But I did it.  (Y'all know how much I hate running and it is just worse at CF because I'm SO much slower than everyone.  I was about 200m behind everyone and they closed the big garage door before I finished.  That was a bit discouraging, but you know, sometimes, you just have to fight through some sh*t.)  After we finished warming up, we worked on "bar muscle overs".  Yeah, I can't do those.  Basically you are supposed to pull up on the bar like you are going to do a push up, but you power over and end up holding yourself above the bar.  I still can't even really do pull ups.  I'm really strong, but I still weigh almost 200 pounds.  It is frustrating to watch the other girls do things I just can't do yet.  Obviously I had a very frustrating and discouraging beginning this morning.  But I did it, and next time, I will do everything just a little bit better. 

The WOD was brutal. 

• 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Power Snatch (this is where you lift the barbell from the floor over your head in one motion) (45#)
• 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Burpees (in between the Snatch rounds)

It is quite possible that I skipped a round or two.  I'm pretty sure my heart rate was over 200 for the 15 minutes and 42 seconds I worked at this.  I was trying to count and keep track, but mostly I had to focus on continuing to breath.  Holy hell.  I honestly think that is what my hell would be.  Burpees for eternity.  Motivation to be a good person!!  And then just because all that wasn't enough, we had to do 50 abs of choice.  I busted out 50 sit ups and went on my way.  It has been over 2 hours since I finished my workout and my lungs are still hating me.  Plus, it must be a bad allergy day because my nose is running like crazy and I can't stop sneezing.  Crazy Texas weather!!

It would be very easy to be in a bad mood today, but you know what, I'm not.  Like my title says...Rocky doesn't do bad days!! 

I earned 25 points yesterday.  YAY!  Off to go drink water to make sure I max out my water points for the day.  :)

Hugs!

You can call me Rocky from now on...

It's Tuesday and I'm still fired up so that is a good sign!  Yesterday I earned 22 points for myself.  Not bad!  I'm not going to sugar coat it, watching my calories is hard.  In order to lose weight at this point, I have to diet.  There are a lot of times that I feel hungry and I have to sacrifice.  But what I keep reminding myself is that pre-Band, I had to do that just to maintain.  113 Days left in my challenge, then I can go back into maintenance mode for a while.  :)

Yesterday I was talking to one of my coworkers about fashion.  I forget exactly what we were talking about but at one point she said that I could wear a style she couldn't because my thighs are smaller.  Wha?  I've always thought of myself as someone with a small waist, but big hips and thighs.  It is interesting that someone looking at me might think differently.  Whatever, I will take it!!

I went to CrossFit this morning.  We did 3 rounds of 5 reps of Push Presses (65#) and Front Squats (85#).  I feel like I did okay in that.  My knee was giving me a little trouble on the squats, but it was manageable until the very end.  Then we closed with 5 minutes of double unders.  I can't do double unders.  You do one by passing the jump rope twice on one jump and I have never been able to do even one.  Well, today was different.  With a few pointers from Butch, I did my first one EVER!  Then they started coming a little quicker.  I never did more than two at a time, but I did 13 over the course of those five minutes.  I was so psyched!!  I just need to go to Philadelphia and climb some stairs!!

Tonight is my monthly dinner with the girls.  I'm happy that we are going to a seafood restaurant and I already checked the menu.  I will be having grilled trout tonight which sounds delicious!  It is hard for me to choose the healthy options when there is gumbo, fried seafood and yummy stuff like that on the menu.  But for now, I need to sacrifice if I'm going to be successful. 

I just found out that my dad won't be coming for Thanksgiving.  :(  Both of my parents were going to drive out for the week, but my dad has the opportunity to work that week.  He loves his part time gig and when he gets the chance, he has to take it so they don't find someone else.  These weeks of work give them extra money to do fun things, so I love that they called him.  But I'm a little sad that I won't get to see him.  But I will see him at Christmas!

I will make good choices today!

HUGS!

Sometimes the little things are actually the big things!

I did it!  I weighed exactly the same this morning as I did Thursday morning.  (Side note:  right before I stepped on the scale, I had a panic moment that I didn't give myself any leeway.  I thought I should have at least given myself a tenth or two on both sides.  But I didn't and I just took a deep breath and stepped on the thing.  I was SO relieved!!!)  That is such a big deal for me because I don't think I have EVER maintained my weight race weekend.  When I spend the weekend at TMS, I tend to eat nachos everyday, have a funnel cake here and there, and in general, just not make good eating choices.

This time was different.  I packed my little cooler on Friday and had lunchmeat rollups and hummus for dinner.  On Saturday, I allowed myself my one order of nachos.  On Sunday, it was back to the cooler where I had packed several healthy options!  I didn't even eat them all!!

It feels so good to be starting back to my weekly routine without an obstacle to get through before I start losing again.  So many times (even NOT on special occasions), I will do so well during the week, but then sabotage myself on the weekends.  So then I have to spend the next 2-3 days getting rid of the weekend gain before I start moving again.  This week, I don't have to do that. 

When I started this challenge, my goal was to lose 1.6 pounds every week through February 2012.  I'm 6 tenths behind that goal.  So, I'm hoping to make a run this week and catch up!!  That means I need to lose 2.2 pounds this week.  Think I can do it?  I'm going to try!!

After 7 days of my points challenge, I have earned 95 points!  That is quite a few points less than my goal, so I need to get on it.  At this rate, it will take me almost twice as long to earn my necklace as I had hoped.  Let's see if I can get it up to at least 125 points this week!

My favorite snacks meals of the week:

• lunchmeat rollups - 2 slices turkey/ham wrapped around 1/2 slice of colby cheese and avocado
• hummus with wheat thin sticks
• artichoke & jalapeno dip with cucumbers
• boiled egg with a Babybel
• tortilla chips dipped in cottage cheese & refried beans with hot sauce

This week, I want to try some new things so I don't get tired of what I'm eating.  Any suggestions on quick and easy (& delicious!) ideas I can try? 

I'm fired up this Monday morning.  Are you??

Hugs!!

Day 1 in the books...

Yesterday was my first day using my new points system.  Any ideas for a name for it?  My creativity capped out coming up with it, apparently.

Yesterday, I earned 25 points out of possible 35ish.  It is possible to get more than 35 points in a day if I worked out mulitiple times or something, but 35 is kind of the best day scenario.  On a day I don't work out, I wouldn't expect to get more than 10-15.  So 25 is very solid for my first day.

This is NASCAR weekend in Texas and I will be at the speedway most of the weekend.  I won't technically work out Friday-Sunday, but we usually do a lot of walking.  While that won't give me points, it helps in the grand scheme of things.  I don't think I have ever maintained (much less lost) during a race weekend, but my goal this time is to maintain.  Whatever weight I am when I wake up tomorrow is the weight I want to be on Monday morning.  If I make that goal...I'm giving myself 5 bonus points.  If I lose...I'm giving myself 10 bonus points!  If I gain...I'm taking away 10 points.  Yikes!  I might have been a little hard on myself there, but accountability, right??  Let's do this!

MaDoo update:  I think I mentioned that she had to be intubated yesterday which totally stinks.  But I think maybe it was really helping her because she did recognize her daughter when she got there yesterday.  Good news!  I hope the good news keeps on coming, but things are still tough.  Thanks for all of your kind words and prayers!!

Hugs!

Starting my new Points System TODAY!

It was back to CrossFit for me this morning.  It had been THREE weeks!  Yikes!  My lungs felt like they were going to explode during the 400m WARM UP!  Oh Lordy.  The WOD was 15:00 AMRAP (as many rounds as possible):

• 3 Hand Stand Push Ups (I can't do these, so I did them off a box.  I can get up into the handstand against the wall super easy now though.  I remember when just getting up there was a victory!
• 6 Deadlifts (135# which was probably a bit aggressive for my first day back, but I did it!)
• 10 Pull ups (I used the strongest band to assist me and I still struggled.  I need to lose weight!)
• 24 Double Unders (We all know I can't do double unders, so I did lateral jumps over the barbel.  These really took my breath away.  Lots of cardio!)

I made it through 4 rounds and 3 push ups.  I think I should have been able to at least 5 rounds if my lungs were functioning at 100%.  Today's workout was good but it was a bunch of stuff that I had to modify which is never fun.  But I think of how different I am today than I was even a year ago.  Then I get over my little annoyances.  :)

My Points System starts today.  I don't really have a name for it.  To remind you, I'm giving myself points for good behavior and taking away points for bad behavior (in three categories - water, nutrition, & fitness.)  Each point is basically worth a quarter and the hope is in a couple of months, I will have enough points to earn myself a necklace from Tiffany that I have my eye on.

Today, I have already drank over 50 ounces of water, so my goal of 100 ounces will happen no sweat.  I got a fill yesterday and I'm on liquids and mushies, so I should be able to keep my calories well in my goal range.  And I went to CrossFit today, so points already earned there.  Of course it is the first day, so I'm doing everything right.  The interesting part will be a week, a month, two months from now.  Christmastime should be just spectacular.  Ha!

My shoulder is really bothering me today.  The area is really quite swollen.  The tattoo area doesn't look bad or anything, I just have very sensitive skin, so I suspect it will take a while to heal.  I'm following all my aftercare directions!

Finally, I wanted to give an update on my SIL's mom, MaDoo.  She had to be intubated this morning which is never a good sign.  But I continue to keep in mind that she is a strong woman and the rock of her family.  I'm scared, but I know that if anyone can fight hard, it is MaDoo.

Hugs!