Ladybug

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Focus on the good!

The good news.  Yesterday was another day (2 in a row!) of healthy eating.  The bad news (or maybe annoying news) is that the scale didn't move, but then again we know that isn't an automatic thing.  It is just fun when it does.

The best news is that at CrossFit this morning, one of the girls mentioned how much weight I had lost and that I am looking SO good.  I tried to graciously take the complement, but mentioned the scale hadn't moved much over the last few months, so I let her know that meant a lot to hear.  So, even though I'm up a little, I think I'm actually looking better.

You know how when you lose a whole bunch of weight, you get that nasty skin around your middle?  I try to be so thankful that I don't have that.  I mean I spent a good portion of my life beyond morbidly obese and while I will never sport a bikini, I do not have the skin issue around my middle.  However, my extremities were a whole different matter.  Even though I have permanent scars from armpit to elbow, I will never regret having the skin taken off my arms. 

Now the issue is my legs.  They aren't lean enough yet to even discuss surgery, which I'm not as keen to do anyway.  I have huge leg muscles but they are hard to see because of the fat that is left on my thighs (that junk would be the last to go) and the hangy grody skin.  I'm always self conscious in shorts and skirts.  I feel better when I'm tan, but because of my fair skin, that isn't easy to accomplish.  That is why I LOVE winter.  I can wear tights and leggings to hold at that hangy stuff in and wear shorter skirts without feeling self conscious.  It is totally worth the cold and gloomy weather, because some of my favorite outfits are my short dresses which make me feel sassy and cute.  YAY for winter!

I have tomorrow off and I plan to go down to Dealey Plaza for the JFK commemoration.  Hopefully the weather won't be too bad.  Next week I'm off to see the parents in Florida!!

Hugs!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Let's Do This

Hi.  My name is Beth Ann and I used to be a blogger.  When last we spoke, I was getting back on the wagon and working on my goal to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday.  I had a great September!! 

But then October came, I had a knee injury...IT Band Syndrome...which took me out of working out for about 2 weeks.  I had a trip to Vegas which kept me out for another week.  And during those three weeks, I gained over 7 pounds.  Yeah, I'm truly an overachiever.

We all know though that those extra pounds were mostly bloating and most of it went away after a week of hard work and I settled in at about +3.  I've been hanging there for a bit, completed unmotivated.  I couldn't seem to make it a day without doing something silly, well eating something silly anyway. 

Yesterday, I emailed some of my blogging besties and had them help me hold myself accountable for ONE day of good nutritional behavior.  With the help of a little accountability, I was able to actually have one good day.  I'm going for two in a row!!

I will say that although I'm frustrated with the extra pounds I put on last year (not just the 3 from last month, but the other 20 I found in 2012), I am starting to have confidence in myself.  Physically, I mean. I remind myself that I'm a "normal" size, even if I'm not a normal weight.  I think I look cute in my clothes and overall, I'm happy.

But the never-ending quest continues, and I know that I don't want to give up and just be content.  I knew when I started this blog, that this was a life long endeavor.  Even though I have taken a couple of steps back, I know that I can meet my goal.  I just have to quit being so mentally lazy. 

How is it that I can manage to push my body so much during a workout (yesterday I felt like my lungs were going to come out of my mouth!), but I have such a hard time eating grilled fish and veggies instead of enchiladas?

I'm not sure I can answer that question, but I will commit to making the right choices TODAY.  I will worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Hugs! 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Back on the hamster wheel...

Two weeks ago, I had a GREAT and healthy week.  I ate healthy the whole week even through the weekend and had nine workouts.  I lost 2.6 pounds for my efforts and that was great!  But I think I pushed myself too hard and I got sick. 

Last week, I had zero workouts, ate healthy for the beginning of the week and then just stopped.  I saw a gain of 1.4 pounds.  Annoying results, but I made the choices that got me there.  It is a new week with a new plan.

Food:  the key is the weekend.  I always do well M-Th and then lose it on the weekend.  So, my plan will be to organize my meals for the weekend during the week.  I think I will make some soup on Saturday and I thought I would grill on Sunday, or vice versa.  That will keep me from eating out or picking up junk.  This is the key.  No matter how hard I work out or no matter how perfectly I eat during the week, if I do not stay focused on the weekend, it will all be for naught. 

If you have any healthy but hearty soup recipes, let me know!  I especially like ones in the crock pot.

Fitness:  Eight workouts planned.  But if I start feeling bad again, I will not push myself.  I will listen to my body.  Two weeks ago, I did not do that and I regret it.  But after 10 days of antibiotics, I'm practical the Bionic Woman, so I should be all good.

Monday - lunch workout (I'm going to make a stab at running today.  I haven't decided how long and how fast, but I'm going to try again.)  & Jazzercise
Tuesday - CrossFit
Wedneday - Lunch workout & Jazzercise
Thursday - CrossFit & lunch workout
Friday - CrossFit

The past weekend was a fun one.  Friday, BFF & I went out to dinner and just hung out together.  Saturday, we went to the Red Bull Flugtag which was crazy and kind of awesome and then caught up on some TV.  Sunday, we met Debi for dinner and then went to the Maroon 5 concert.  It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to get the 2 miles to the concert venue.  We missed Kelly Clarkson and it was crazy crowded, but we ended up having fun.  I had packed for CrossFit thinking that I might be home by 10pm.  Ha!  It was more like midnight.  I got about 5 hours of sleep last night so it will be an early one tonight.  I'm definitely going back to CF tomorrow even though it is going to hurt.  :-)

Hugs!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Bad news and Good news and a Total Win

First the bad...  I have been "trying" to get sick for a while.  Allergies are horrible right now but I kept fighting it taking Claritin and netty potting every day.  But Monday morning, things were just beyond what I could handle.  I got up for CrossFit and was all ready to go when I realized that I felt absolutely horrible and I needed to go to the doctor.

The doctor said that I had an ear infection that she hoped would be fixed with antibiotics.  She also diagnosed an upper respiratory infection that she thought was probably viral.  Those things along with a terrible ragweed season, put me over the edge.  I won't even get into the sore muscle or pinched nerve in my neck. 

Today though, I feel better.  The antibiotics made quick work of the ear infection and I think they must be helping with the URI as well.  If it weren't for my sore neck, it wouldn't be too terribly bad today.  But at least I'm back at work and that takes my mind off of it for the most part.

Now for the good news!!  After trying really hard last week and being extra diligent over the weekend:

Weekly Weigh InLoss for the week:  2.6 (!)
Total Challenge Loss: 11
Total Left to Lose:  29

The real difference came from watching my food over the weekend.  I met my friend Debi at the movies on Saturday morning and instead of having the popcorn that I wanted, I brought a granola bar.  Then afterward we went to Zoe's Kitchen which was healthy and delicious.  Then that night, I had BFF over for dinner.  I grilled sausages and veggies and baked sweet potatoes.  Also healthy and delicious!!  Sunday I ate the chili I cooked for my leftover lunches for the week.  I did have some guacamole Saturday after noon and some chocolate throughout the weekend, but it was controlled and I was rewarded.

The total win came yesterday.  When I'm sick, I generally comfort myself with food.  However, instead of heading to Fuzzy's or Chipotle, I ate my leftover chili for lunch and sausage for dinner, just like I had planned before being sick.  (Debi even emailed me and told me that I wasn't allowed to go to Fuzzy's or Chipotle just because I was sick.  I'm so predictable.  Ha!)  I did end up having some popcorn when I was hungry, but again I was controlled.

Since I'm not working out these few days, I will have to be super diligent.  I want to lose 7 pounds this month and I'm right on target, so I need to continue to work hard!

Hugs!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Little Victories

Yesterday was a productive day.  I followed my food plan, worked out twice and had an all around great day.

I went to the Rangers game last night with my besties.  We had the sweetest seats on the first row at third base, right next to the visitors dugout.  As you can see, I stand out from my friends.  One of the Pirates went to my high school (albeit a "few" years later).  I couldn't get myself to wear Pirates gear, but I supported him this way.  The sad thing was that he didn't even play this game (he is usually a starter), so I didn't get to interact with him at all.  Oh well.
I really need a haircut.  :-)  In the end, we made a big rally which could have resulted in a walk off win, but we couldn't quite get it done.  Not even a little victory for my Rangers.  But I'm ever the optimist, so I believe that today will be different!  Go Rangers!

When I went to the game, I budgeted 2 regular hot dogs and that's it.  I could have zero calorie drinks, but no beer, no popcorn, no french fries, etc.  Hot dogs are not all that bad for you and quite filling, so I went for that.  I ate my two hot dogs (one before the game and one around the third or fourth inning) and that was IT.  They had free samples of beer and I passed it over.  There were all sorts of different food options and I ignored them.  I was so hungry on my way home from the game, but I managed to go straight home and go to bed.  No late snacks and no wasted calories.  I say it was a little victory, but it was actually a pretty big one.

I'm going to start documenting my calories in and out each day...just for a little while.  I need to see on paper how much the little things affect the big picture.  I am working on one month of good behavior...now through 10/10.  That is my focus.

Hugs!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

40 By 40 Update and Group

My little Fitbit didn't make it.  I had to put her down this morning.  However, because my BBF Debi is AMAZING, she gave me her old one and it is already sync'd up and ready to go.  It is a good thing because I need all the motivation I can get. 

Loss Goal: 40
August Loss:  1.4 GAIN
Total Loss:  8.4
Left to Lose: 31.6

I was really hoping to at least break even.  But I didn't.  So, I need to make September really count.  There is no reason it can't be my best month yet.  For extra incentive, if I lose 7 pounds by 10/10, I'm going to splurge and buy an awesome outfit for Vegas.  If I don't, then I will have to settle for what is in my closet.

On the positive side, I'm feeling well and strong.  I still believe that if I lose 10-15 pounds, my sleeping will get better.  I know that it isn't a race and my true challenge is for life, however, I think if I can just get it together and lose that 10-15, I will feel so much better as I chip away at the rest.

Last night I went to Support Group for the first time in a while.  It was nice to see some faces that I have missed.
Look at me all posing and getting my best side.  HA! After two workouts yesterday, my hair was pretty much done.  It happens.

Tonight I'm going to the Rangers game and I'm really looking forward to it because we have the sweet seats. 

Hugs!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Fit"Bit" the Dust and other Monday Musings

Friday

Friday night BFF & I went to see our friend's art show in Dallas.  It is at the library of Baylor hospital in Dallas.  It was cool because all of the artwork in the show was inspired by slides she bought at an estate sale.  The slides were from an ophthalmologist and showed all of these different eye diseases.  From them, she made beautiful art.  Here is one of my favorites.
 There were a few that actually looked like eyes, but most (like the one above) looked like something else entirely.  They are amazing, I think.

Saturday

I got up at 4:00am to get ready to head downtown to volunteer for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.  This event is held in many different cities for first responders to honor the lives of firefighters and policemen that were lost on 9/11 or subsequently from injuries incurred or diseases developed from the events of 9/11.  They cap the number of climbers at 343 firefighters and 70 police officers to represent those that have been lost to date.  Each one carries around their neck the name and picture of the person they are climbing for.  It is just a beautiful thing.

BFF & I ended up at the merchandise table outside which was the perfect place for us.  We were selling t-shirts, taking credit card orders and in a groove almost immediately.  They said that we were hired for next year.  Ha!  Unfortunately, the merchandise table was in the back of the building where the climbers end up, so we missed all of the opening ceremonies going on in the front of the building.  I wish I would have seen that.  But I do feel that we contributed, so that's good.  We were so tired...


Once the climb started, each climber had to go up to the top of the 55 story building, then take the elevator to the bottom and do it all over again.  I spoke with a few of the climbers who said that floors 2-5 on the second half of the climb were just brutal.  Yikes!  One guy told us a story of last year, when he was watching the climbers on the live feed (there are monitors all around where you can watch) and one guy was obviously struggling.  Did I mention that they climb in full gear?  Yeah.  So, anyway, this guy was struggling and he stopped and you just see his helmet as he put his head down.  He was looking at the face of the lost person he was climbing for.  He took a deep breath and kept moving.  He didn't stop climbing because those people on 9/11 didn't stop climbing.  It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.

During one of my restroom breaks, I was walking through the lobby where the climbers finished.  And witnessed one of the sweetest things...

What a special way for him to end the climb.  It was emotional for everyone around them.  Just lovely.

After the event was over, I went home and took a 3 hour nap.  No joke.  I was exhausted!!  I didn't even do the darn climb!

After I woke up, I found out that the Olympics...
...will be in Tokyo in 2020.  I was pulling for Istanbul, but I'm sure that Tokyo has a better infrastructure in place.  So, in 3 years I will be going to Brazil and 7 years Japan.  How exciting is that??  BFF & I went and had sushi.  It seemed appropriate.  :-)

Sunday

What was Sunday?  Oh yeah, the return of FOOTBALL and Red Zone!  I have a little crush on Scott Hanson.  I have to say, I was a little sad to see the glasses go.  But it was a super fun day of sitting directly in front of the TV for 7 hours watching play after play.  LOVE IT!

I went to church Saturday night so I could sleep in on Sunday, but I did mange to go to breakfast and get a little snuggle time with my godson.  I also watched the Rangers win.  Woohoo!

Also, I washed my Fitbit.  It is totally dead.  I put it in a bowl of rice like the website said, but hopefully it will revive when I get home tonight.  That little thing holds A LOT of inspiration for me.

Monday

This is like the longest post ever.  I went to CrossFit this morning and my favorite trainer totally called me out for not being consistent.  I should be very consistent for the next month though.  I'm committed to a super great Challenge month...more on that tomorrow.

We worked on pistols today.  Those are the one-legged squats.  I seem to be able to do them with one leg tucked behind the other, but I can't even come close with one leg straight out.  Lots of work to do.  My glutes are going to be hurting tomorrow!!

WOD was 5 rounds:
5 Power Cleans (supposed to body weight...yeah right.  I did 95#)
10 Jumping Lunges (I did regular lunges)
100m sprint (walk back)
2:00 rest

I was happy with my workout and I had the sweatiness to show for it!

Happy Monday and Hugs!!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Ten Things Thursday

1.  CROSSFIT!!  I'm back!  Thank goodness I'm free for a while because this one week on, two weeks off nonsense isn't working for me.  Things should be a little more routine for the next month or so.  I always feel so much better when I can go at least 3x per week. 

2.  Speaking of CrossFit, here was my ginormous class this morning.  I remember the days when we would average about 5 people!! 
3.  It was a brutal workout this morning so it was a great one to get me back in the groove!! 
12:00 AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
3 Power Snatches
3 Box Jumps
3 Toes to Bar (I basically hang from the bar and raise my knees to my chest.)
Add three reps each round, so round 2, do 6 of everything.  Round 3, do 9 of everything.

I got through the round of 12 (so 4 full rounds), plus all 15 power snatches and 2 box jumps.  I lifted 55# for the snatches which I felt was solid for 45 total reps.  My itty bitty baby box for the jumps was only 12", but I did jump the whole time and didn't end with step ups which I have done in the past.

4.  This morning activity has made me ridiculously hyper.  I'm jamming in my office and bouncing around everywhere. 

5.  NFL starts tonight!!  I have been so into baseball that I haven't paid attention to football yet.  I will have to balance both for a little while.  I absolutely can't wait until Sunday so I can watch like 7 hours of Red Zone.  Woohoo!!

6.  Friday night I'm going to a friend's art opening.  Fancy! 

7.  Saturday morning, BFF & I are volunteering at a 9/11 commemorative event.  It is our first time doing it and it seems like a neat thing.  We have to be there at 5:45am...yikes!  I'm looking forward to see what it is all about.

8.  Have you seen Drunk History?  I started watching it last night and I was cracking up.  It is seriously dumb, but altogether entertaining.  I'm going to have to go back and watch old episodes.

9.  I tried to catch up on blog reading last night.  Holy crap, I'm behind!  I need to see what is going on out there.

10.  I had planned for my parents to come here for Thanksgiving and I was going to go see them at Christmas.  But tickets to fly there around Christmas are wicked expensive.  I priced going there at Thanksgiving and they are almost $300 less!!  So mom & dad agreed to switch so now I'm going to Florida for Thanksgiving.  How fun with that be??  Then they will come here for Christmas and hopefully the weather will cooperate.  What is even more awesome is that my office is closed almost the whole week of Christmas, so we can go take a little roadtrip if we want.  Super fun!

Hugs!!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Cheesecake Factory is not the devil.

Yesterday ended up being a really decent day.  Our A/C was broken at work, so the office was 90 degrees all day.  That makes for some cranky employees!  (Meaning me!)  I did get my workout in though and knowing I was going to The Cheesecake Factory made it even more important.

I was happy to see that TCF had a Skinnylicious menu.  I did a little google research and found some options that people tried and liked.  Overall, I ended up with a calorie neutral day and that is fine with me. 

To give you a little review of TCF, they had some "skinny" cocktails under 150 calories each, but I'm fine with bourbon and diet coke.  Our table shared some chips & guacamole which wasn't on the skinny menu, but still a not-too-bad yet tasty appetizer.  I had the Factory Chopped Salad and I was worried about not having enough food.  That was not the case at all.  It was delicious and filling.  I would absolutely get it again.

They also had a full gluten free menu, so BFF was happy.  Since there are so many options for both of us, we felt like we should go back.  It was a place we both avoided before.  See, Cheesecake Factory...sometimes giving people information makes them WANT to come back!!

I went home and made the mistake of turning the Rangers game on.  Sigh.  So I was up entirely too late.  BUT...they won!  So that's good.  Plus, my favorite player is doing well right now and that is fun to watch.  Tonight I will have to make myself not even turn the game on at all.  I need to be in bed around the time it starts!  West Coast series are tough.

I woke up this morning and was glad to see that ALL my vacation bloat left in one day.  That made me very happy because I would be super sad to gain weight for my Challenge weigh in.  I have 2 pounds to go to reach my next mini-goal.  I don't know if I can do that by next Tuesday, but I should shoot for it!

I'm working out at lunch and Jazzercising today.  I have my food all planned out and it should be a good day!

Hugs!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Gettting back in the groove...

Hi all!  I haven't been blogging, so you know what that means.  :-)  Last week, I had some amazing dinners and so much business that there was no time to work out.  Then I went on vacation to see my brother's family and although I did get a workout in, it was vacation with all sorts of bad eating and lots of drinking.  So now I'm back and instead of just coasting through to the weekend and starting hard next week...I'm actually getting myself together and pledging to get the vacation bloat off before my Challenge weigh in next week.  I have seven days!

My plan for the week:

Today - I worked out at lunch.  Seeing as the A/C is struggling in my office today, this was a big one.  My super awesome BFF picked up some My Fit Foods at lunch today so instead of canned soup, I have flat iron steak tacos.  Woohoo!  Tonight we are meeting friends at the Cheesecake Factory (not my choice.)  I did see that they have a Skinnylicious menu.  Has anyone tried it?

Tomorrow - Lunch workout and Jazzercise.  Have MFF for lunch and some soup for dinner.

Thursday - Back to CrossFit!  (maybe.)  (probably.)  Lunch workout.  Jazzericse if I bail on CrossFit.  But I'm not going to.  (I hope.) 

Friday - CrossFit (for sure!!)

Now back to that vacation:

I flew into Indianapolis and spent about five hours shopping.  My two rules were:
  1. I couldn't buy anything that wasn't on sale.
  2. I couldn't buy anything that didn't look great!
I didn't buy this dress (it wasn't on sale!), but it did make me feel wicked skinny so I texted it to my mom.  :-)
 Then I met two of my long time besties for dinner.  I have known these girls most of my life and I love catching up with them.
Then I head to my brother's house.  It was so much fun hanging out with the family.  I love those kids.  I had lunch with my niece at her school on Friday and we all had family time for dinner.  Saturday, I went to my nephew's cross country meet and it was amazing.  For a milisecond, I almost wanted kids so I could go to that sort of stuff.  I got over it though. 

Saturday afternoon, I took my niece out for her birthday which is in a few weeks.  We had lunch at Genghis Grill (her pick), then had pedis and finished up with some ice cream.  It was fun girl time!  Her mouth is blue from the icee that started off the adventure.  Ha!
Saturday night, they hosted a back to school/end of summer party.  It was a really good time and I probably drank too much.  Go figure.  Sunday we spent the day out on their new boat.  I have burns and bruises all over myself, but it sure was fun!  Monday, we had a lazy day and ended my trip with their neighborhood Cardboard Boat Regatta.  My brother's boat won, of course.  But we didn't have any doubts!!

Me and my kiddos:

Hugs!!
 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Monday musings

First off...shout out to one of my blogging besties, Brandi (aka Justawallflower) who is blogging again.  Go say hello!  <3 you B!!

Also, I forgot to weigh this morning.  My first thought was that is awesome because I'm not obsessing, but then realized it was more likely because I didn't do well this week and I subconsciously didn't want to know.  I honest to God did forget, but I think if I would have had a stellar week, I woudn't have.

I'm going to visit my brother and his family this weekend.  I'm super excited.  I haven't seen them since Christmas, so the kids will have changed a lot.  There will be a lot going on as they are an active family so I don't expect to gain lbs while I'm there.  September should be a good month for me to focus back on fitness and nutrition and have another good month!

This weekend was quite productive.  Saturday I decided to really clean out my closet.
I tried on every piece of clothing in that closet and categorized it into the following:
  1. Fits and is season appropriate - back in the closet.
  2. Fits, but is more fall/winter - back in the closet but to the side.
  3. Slightly too tight (would fit within 5-10 pounds) - folded and stored in chest of drawers.
  4. Significantly too tight (would fit in 15+ pounds) - folded into baskets and put in the storage closet. 
  5. No longer want (for any reason) - bagged for Goodwill or trashed.
  6. Costumes or related - folded and boxed up for storage.
I wish I would have taken before and after pictures of my closet.  This took me about 4 hours on Saturday.  My closet was overflowing but now it is straightened up and everything that I can see fits, and is seasonally appropriate. 

The best part of the day was trying things on.  This is one of my favorite dresses and while it is too snug to wear, I'm SO CLOSE.  I have no doubt it will look fantastic for next summer.
There were quite a few things from two summers ago that I will need to lose at least 15 pounds to wear.  I fully believe that I will be back in them next summer. 

This is going to be a super busy week.  I will only get to work out once (and that is on the treadmill, so no CF or Jazzercise) before I leave to see my family.  Tomorrow night I get to see Book of Mormon!!  I can't wait!!

Hugs!

Friday, August 23, 2013

I got the eye of the tiger...

...a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you're going to hear me ROAR!

I can't tell you how much I am loving that song right now!! 

Yesterday, I was walking through the lobby and I tripped over my own feet.  When I looked down, this is what I saw...
Thank goodness for super glue!!

I tried on my Zulily dresses and they fit!!  So exciting.  Here is one of them (ignore the sports bra and other randomness)...
I have to stop buying stuff though.  My goal of saving money this year is only going about 1/2 as well as I would like.  And this is why.  Must do better!  At least I have gone to discount shopping and my days at Nordstrom and the like are pretty much over.

I went to CrossFit this morning for the fourth time this week.  I feel good about that.  We got our picture taken.  I don't feel so good about that.  Whatevs.
We worked on pistols today.  They are one legged squats.  I can't do them but today, I was able to do an assisted one.  You are supposed to squat on one leg with your other leg out in front of you.  Kind of like this (without the horse)...
 

For the first time, I was able to tuck one leg behind the other and squat down and come back up.  I have a long way to go, but it is definite progress. 

Our WOD:
30 Power Cleans (65#)
30 Overhead Kettlebell Lunges (26#-15 on each side)
30 Medicine Ball Sit ups (10#...all of the 14# were taken)
30 Kettlebell High Pulls (26#)

I finished in 8:00.  Not bad.  I thought I was going too low on my cleans, but 30 is A LOT!  It was probably right.  I should have used a 14# medicine ball though.  I stink at lunges, but they are getting an itsy bitsy bit better.

I will leave you with a pic my BFF sent me this yesterday.  It made me laugh because it is so true for me...
Happy weekend!

Hugs!



Thursday, August 22, 2013

TTT

1.  Listen to your Body.  I knew something was up, but I questioned myself.  Today, I just bit the bullet and told the doctor I wanted to come in.  It was worth it to me to pay the fee even if I ended up doing nothing.  The good news is that there is no damage or anything.  The bad news is that I was WAY too tight.  When I swallowed the barium, it just sat there.  She wasn't sure how anything was getting through and I think she didn't really believe that I had eaten anything.  I had and I'm sure it would go through eventually, but it was obviously so tight that no one should be living like that.

She took out .3 cc's which for me is a ton.  I'm sure I will be back in a couple of months to get more put in to help with the awful hunger pangs I will inevitably have, but that's okay.  Right now I just feel better.

2.  I have got to start drinking more water.  During this tight time, I stopped drinking much and I have got to do better.

3.  I'm less sore today!!  I mean I'm still sore, but I don't feel like I'm going to fall apart.  Tonight I will go to Jazzercise and hopefully that will work out even more of the soreness.  The kicker will be getting myself up to go to CF tomorrow, but I NEED to do it.  If I'm going to get to my goal, I MUST do things that I don't really want to do.  Call me on it tomorrow if it doesn't happen.  :-)

4.  Shout out to Laura Belle (originator of the TTT) and her beautiful new baby girl!!

5.  My baseball boyfriend got a home run last night.  <3 
There is no Rangers game tonight, so I'm not sure exactly how I will spend the hour and half I have between getting home from Jazzercise and having to go to bed in time to get enough sleep for CrossFit.  Maybe an episode of True Blood...I'm like 6 weeks behind!!

6.  I'm going to see Book of Mormon next week and I'm SO excited!!!

7.  My FitBit tells me that I'm sleeping a little better.  Instead of waking up 6-9 times for a total of 90 minutes, I'm only waking up 2-4 times for a total of 30-45 minutes.  Progress!

8.  My new Zulily dresses are supposed to be delivered today!  I really hope they fit.  They weren't super expensive, but I will be so super sad if they don't. 

9.  I started watching Orange is the New Black.  I like it.  It is an interesting show.  I'm only about 2 or 3 episodes in but I definitely want to continue watching.

10.  I'm reading Zealot.  It is amazing how controversial it is.  People get very riled up.  I have found it to be a very good and interesting read.

Happy almost Friday!!

Hugs!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

It's a different day.

Let's start where I left of yesterday.  I was frustrated.  I felt disgusting and was just unhappy.  I started feeling sorry for myself (which is not something I like to let happen).  I skipped my afternoon workout and went home to wallow in my patheticness.  Lovely, eh?

When I got home, I decided to try on some old jeans to figure out how much work I had ahead of myself in order to get in them.  Not my "skinny" jeans I wore when I was at my lowest, but my "regular" jeans.  GAP 14s, and bigger size 12s like Cato, Bandolino & Gloria Vanderbilt.  I was shocked.  SHOCKED, I say.  All of the 12s fit great!  The GAP 14s were snug, but doable. 

Because of my blog and my weight tracking log, I know that on November 4, 2010 I weighed 3 pounds less than I do now.  My blog was all about how I was just able to fit into Cato size 14s.  Now...my Cato 14s are my fat pants and I have been wearing them even as I have lost the last 10 pounds or so.  What that tells me is that my body at this weight with CrossFit is a little different from my body at this weight before I started muscle training.  It was a nice reminder that the scale isn't the end all be all.  I know that, but I don't always remember. 

Since I didn't work out last night, it was important for me to get up for CrossFit this morning and I'm glad I did.  I have really enjoyed the workouts this week!  Here is today:

Warm up - easy today.  400m run, 25 jumping jacks, some windmills and other similar stretches, lunges, 5 inch worms. 

A.  10:00 OTM (on the minute) 1 Clean - 1 Front Squat - 1 Jerk.  A clean is a lift of the barbell from the floor to shoulders while squatting.  Then once you are standing, you do another squat.  Then reset and push the barbell over your head with a little pop.  I used 85#.

B.  We did 5 sets of 8 of these rows that I can't remember what they are called.  You bend over so your knees are bent and your chest is parallel with the floor.  You lift the barbell from the floor to your chest and back down.  I used 65#.

C.  20-15-10 Deadlifts (85#) & Wall Balls (14#).  This is where things got super awesome for me.  I paired up with a really nice girl that I have seen before, but didn't know well.  She went first and finished in 4:58.  I went next and for something that sounded kind of easy (and started out easy), by the 15th wall ball, I realized that it was not going to end easy.  As I started the last round, I heard her yell "you are even going to beat me!"  Now, know that she wasn't being mean at all.  She was being supportive and was just kind of shocked.  I was too!  I finished in 4:38!!!  It made my day!

I am beyond sore.  I can't imagine how I will feel tomorrow.  I'm planning to go to Jazzercise tonight and I'm hoping that will help work out the kinks.  I plan to go to Jazzercise tomorrow night and then CrossFit on Friday morning.  With Jazzercise, that puts me at 8 workouts for the week.  Perfect!

Hugs!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Blah, blah, blah...dead horse.

Weekly Weigh In
Loss for the week:  1.8 gain
Total Challenge Loss:  8.8
Total Left to Lose:  31.2

I think I skipped posting yesterday because I didn't want to post that.  Last week, I only worked out 4 times.  In addition, I was not feeling well and so I didn't eat well.  I know that in order to lose weight I have to diligently watch what I eat (at LEAST M-F) and work out 6+ times per week.  So, it is no big shock that I had a gain, but it sure is frustrating.

I was talking to a friend at CF and we were sharing out frustration with how difficult it is for us to lose weight.  There we are, consistently at CF and maintaining a super focus on what we eat, and yet we just tread water when it comes to weight.  Blah, blah, blah...dead horse.  It's frustrating, but I have to deal with it or be fat. 

I have been having trouble with my stomach for about a week.  I got really sick after dinner last Tuesday and it seemed to do something with my band.  I spoke with my doctor's office and they told me to go on acid reflux medication and use strict band rules when eating and see what happens.  The hope being that it fixes itself and I wouldn't need an unfill.  So yesterday, I was the perfect little bandster and no acid reflux.

I only had some cheese and coffee for breakfast.  Small bites, chew, chew, chew.  Lunch, I had 1/2 of a large cup of tortilla soup.  Small bite, chew, chew, chew, swallow, spoon down, wait 30 seconds (ish), repeat.  I only got through 1/2 the cup but I was satisfied and my band wasn't yelling at me.  I did the same thing with the rest of the cup in the afternoon.  I had some soup and some mac and cheese (that I was annoyed with myself for eating, but whatever) and the day ended with me in a perfect calorie zone. 

It's obvious that I had 100% forgot how to eat like a person with a functioning lap band.  My hope is that I will continue this and be able to drop the medication (once the swelling subsides) and use this to aid my weightloss.  I will still have to work out like a crazy person because that's how things go.  But if I can actually get this done, I know it would make me very happy.  I have 3 weeks left in this month of my Challenge and while I'm currently up one pound, there is no reason why I can't turn that around for a successful loss.

I went to CrossFit yesterday for the first time in almost 2 weeks.  It went REALLY well, but I was so sore this morning.  I made myself go again today even though I had an eye doctor appointment and could have slept in.  YAY me!  It was another really good day.  I'm proving to myself that I am a highly muscled person under all this pesky fat.  :-)

Hugs!


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Ten Things Thursday

1.  I'm feeling SO much better today!  I really have no idea if I had a little food poisoning or if it was the mother of all stuck episodes, but whatever it is...it is over.  Thank goodness!! 

2.  Zulily is from the devil.  I don't look at the daily emails, but if I visit the site, inevitably I will buy something.  Must stop that. 

3.  I can tell I'm starting to feel better about my body because that's when I want to buy new clothes.  That's a good thing, but I need to knock it off.  Not the feeling good...the buying.

4.  Plane tickets are so ridiculously expensive right now.  It should NOT cost $550 to fly to visit my parents in Florida.  That is crazy.  I will probably have to fly a discount airline which is fine, but then it doesn't help me gather miles for my Olympic trip. 

5.  My Rangers won again last night.  They are doing well!  I hope they aren't peaking too early.

6.  Today is a holy day of obligation for the Catholic church.  I made a promise to myself that I would attend mass on the holy days this year, so I'm going at lunch.  I don't talk about it much, but I love going to church and I always feel better after I go. Mostly I only go on Sundays, but I do like these random weekdays sometimes.  It is some peace in the middle of chaos.

7.  That made me think about the actual holy day.  It is the Assumption of Mary.  We celebrate Mary's ascension into heaven upon her death.  Several years ago, I went to Ephesus and visited the house that is said to have been where Mary lived her last years.  I have a picture on my office wall that I took of a beautiful tree with pink flowers growing on it.  It was taken at that house and it brings back great memories of that trip.  I hope I get to return to Turkey someday.  It was one of my favorite places that I have visited.

8.  Now I'm thinking about travel.  Heh.  Why don't I have a billion dollars?

9.  I don't have a lot of plans this weekend, so that is nice.  I am planning to go see my friend Debi for lunch on Saturday which will be super fun! 

10.  I haven't been sleeping well for a while.  I'm afraid my sleep apnea is back.  That makes me just want to work that much harder.  I would really like to get back to peaceful sleeping.  It will happen.

Hugs!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

What day is it??

I love Wednesday simply because I love the camel commercial.  :-)

Last night was our August Interesting Dinner.  As many of you know, I get together with the girls once a month and we go somewhere for dinner.  It started in late 2004 (YES...almost 9 years ago) with a group of four.  People have come and gone, but the group still gets together and it is so much fun.  This month was ShareBear's time to pick.  It is restaurant week in Dallas, which is a charity event where restaurants offer up a special 3 course menu for $35 and a portion goes to charity.  We went to Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse.
The food was delicious and the company was stellar.  I will say that I must have gotten something bad or had an allergic reaction to something because I got quite sick on the way home.  I'm still feeling slightly puny, so I'm not sure what's up with that.  I'm feeling a little better though.

Today is my only workout twofer for the week.  I was going to get up early and come workout before work tomorrow, but I think I'm going to catch up on my sleep.  Vacation really wore me out!!  I will get back to the craziness next week.  I still plan to Jazzercise tomorrow and Saturday and workout in some capacity TBD on Friday.  Even with vacation, I ended up losing 1.6 pounds last week, so this week might just be all about maintaining. 

Hugs!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Vacation & 40 By 40 Update

Vacation was great!!  Mom is recovering from surgery, so she was struggling a bit and tired, but so glad to see us.  We ate well, we drank well and we lazed like nobody's business.  It was positively delightful!  My parents are awesome.
I enjoyed wearing halters!  I went shopping and was pleasantly surprised at the sizes that I was able to wear.  I even bought a size M jacket from Ann Taylor and a size XL dress that looks smokin! It is for Fall though so it will be a little while before I can wear it. It is still the middle of summer in Texas! It is frustrating how this process seems to take forever, but I did get some validation that it IS working.  

Loss Goal: 40
July Loss:  5.0
Total Loss:  9.8
Left to Lose: 30.2

If I can keep losing 5 pounds per month, I will be thrilled.  That 5 pound loss even includes this Florida trip will all of its eating, drinking and laziness.  I have a couple of weeks before my trip to Louisville to see my brother and his family.

It gets frustrating working out twice a day and eating like a little birdie most of the time.  But it makes it all worth it when I can enjoy a vacation with its splurges and STILL lose weight toward my goal. 

This week is going to be a challenge.  I have a work lunch and my monthly dinner today, so no workouts.  Tomorrow, I will be able to work out at lunch and after work.  Thursday, I have church at lunch, so I'm trying to convince myself to work out before work and then after work.  Not sure about Friday either.  Saturday I will Jazzercise in the morning.  Next week I can get back to CrossFit.

Hugs!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Burdens

Everyone has a burden, their own cross to bear, their specific demon, their Achilles heel.  However you say it, every person is dealing with something. 
 
Unfortunately, obesity is a totally visible fight.  You don't have to talk about it publicly or even acknowledge it, but there is no denying or hiding it. 
 
It is frustrating.  Someone can be a complete and utter asshole, or ridiculously lazy or even dumb and they do not get the public scorn that an obese person gets.  For example, an obese person's PERCEIVED laziness is often judged more harshly than a thin person's ACTUAL laziness.  "Why don't they just work out?"  "Why don't they just eat less?" 
 
Why don't you just not be a jackass?
Of all the burdens that come to mind: health issues, health issues of a loved one, poverty, drug or alcohol addiction...food issues/obesity, while hard to live with is preferable over all those things in my mind.  Additionally, I would rather struggle with food than have to struggle to be kind. 

The older I get, the more I realize that other people's opinions of me are less important than how I feel about myself.  If I am kind and my loved ones can rely on me, I can go to bed each night knowing that all is good in the world.  When I lash out and say something mean or I gossip or I hurt someone's feelings in anger, that's when I start getting anxious and insecure.  When I'm living right, the anxiety and insecurity melt away.

It took a while, but I believe that this burden has helped teach me humility and charity.  I may have some pretty ginormo thighs, but I would like to think that my pretty ginormo heart is what leaves the strongest impression.

Hugs!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

New 'do

I'm going to visit my parents this weekend.  They live in Florida and they have a pool.  It occurred to me on the way to work yesterday that I don't have a swimsuit.  Oops!  Off to Target I went last night after work to see what kind of sadness was left in the swimsuit section.

I wasn't sure what size I would wear.  I grabbed the 3 XL suits they had and then an assortment of the smaller plus sized suits.  The good news was that the XLs were a perfect fit.  The bad news is that brought my options down to the three.  I settled on a simple blue one piece.  You know, if my thighs weren't so freaking huge, I would be pretty okay with my body.  I mean I would still strive to make it better, but my thighs...they are just beyond.  Working on it...anyway.  The one piece looks fine.  I have a pair of shorts I can wear over it and I bought a simple black cover up.  It will do.

I got my hair done on Saturday.  I've been getting frustrated with my long hair and decided to get it cut.  You can see how it looked before in July picture on the right of my blog.  Here is what it looked like after:
It was okay, but it didn't really excite me much.  Plus it was a nightmare when I tried to work out yesterday at lunch.  It is too short for a ponytail and I didn't have the time to wash and redo it.  So I went back today and got it chopped.

It really is more "me" and it will be so much easier to deal with for working out.

I'm going out for sushi tonight with BFF.  It has been a while so I'm excited!  I don't seem to be very tight band-wise, so I shouldn't have a problem eating it and it will be oh so yummy.  Plus it is relatively healthy as far as going out to dinner goes. 

Hugs!!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Wake Up Call

Last night I had a bit of a wake up call.  Okay, now I have Adam Levine in my head, but that's a regular occurrence so moving on...

For the last several weeks, I have been super diligent about logging my food and activity during the week.  I have been shooting for 750-1000 calorie deficits per day and succeeding!  I did not log on Saturday or Sunday with the thought that I was roughly breaking even on those days.  After further review (and two weeks in a row of less than a pound weight loss), I discovered that is SO not the case.

I lie to myself.

I honest to God thought I had gotten past this.  I find comfort in the fact that I really don't think I was doing it on purpose.  Let's review the week, shall we?

Burned Eaten Deficit
Monday             2,590       1,329      1,261
Tuesday             2,521       1,120      1,401
Wednesday             2,217       2,361        (144)
Thursday             2,644       1,529      1,115
Friday             2,262       2,660        (398)
Saturday             2,552       2,843        (291)
Sunday             2,062       2,270        (208)
           16,848     14,112      2,736

Let's evaluate...  Obviously, Monday and Tuesday were great.  Both days I went to CrossFit and also worked out at lunch.  I also averaged about 1200 calories which is my goal.

Wednesday was BFF's birthday.  I only worked out in the morning AND I was significantly higher on calories.  I will say that I didn't have nutrition information for my meals out that day, but I did try to log conservatively.  In looking back at my food log, the one thing that stands out is that I had a cupcake and ice cream that afternoon for over 500 calories.  Even if I would have just cut out the ice cream, that would have made a difference and it would have put me at a calorie deficit for the day.

Thursday I worked out at lunch and went to Jazzercise, so the calories burned was great!  I was 300 higher on my calories than I would like, but honestly, most everything on the menu that day was good calories.  Happy there.

Friday.  Oh, Friday.  I did go to CrossFit, but honestly, CrossFit isn't great cardio and doesn't burn a lot of calories (however, it does build muscle to help you burn more calories throughout the day, so I'm not complaining!)  But obviously, my problem here was calories.  We had a catered lunch and looking at my food diary, the only thing that I probably should have changed was the bread.  I had given up bread for a while, but the dinner roll looked so good (and it was!) that I ate it.  If I would have cut that out, my lunch would have been fine.  But the big no-no was the piece of chocolate cake I had.  Don't get me wrong, it was delicious.  But I should have at least cut it in half. 

For dinner we went to Joe's Crab Shack.  I thought I was doing well getting a steampot, but that sucker had over 1000 calories!!  WOW!!  Okay, well, lesson learned there.  Looking back at my food diary, I wish I would have cut the roll and the cake in half.  That would have left me close to breakeven for the day.

Saturday I went to Jazzercise so my calories burned was good.  But in a week moment, I let myself buy Ritz chips at the store.  It had been a long time since I had gotten them.  But just like Nutella, I cannot ration Ritz chips.  I can tell myself I will.  But I won't.  I CAN'T BUT THESE ANYMORE.  Period.  Full Stop.  If I would have made a different choice, I feel confident I would have saved at least 500 calories for the day.  I can't ignore that.

Sunday is almost always my rest day.  My issue with food on this day is that I had the chips & guacamole at Chipotle.  If I would have cut the chips in half I would have been under breakeven.

This analysis helped me see that just a few tweaks (not starvation, not banning all treats) would have changed my calorie intake by over 1,500 which is close to 1/2 pound.  These are the choices I need to focus on.

I know that my detailed analysis of food intake is probably not fun reading, but this exercise was very helpful to me. 

Goals for the week:
8 work outs
750-1000 calorie deficits M-Th
Make good choices while on vacation F-M.

All in all, the scale is going in the right direction and I'm feeling so very good!  That is the most important thing.

Hugs!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

TTT

1.  I want to apologize to my readers for the word verification that I have apparently had up.  I hate those things!  Not sure why it was on, but it is now off.  :)

2.  The rest of BFF's birthday was awesome!  We went to the Ranger game.  The Rangers had two walk off wins in a row, so I was kind of worried that we might witness a loss.  But they came through and had a THIRD walk off in win in a row.  We were so stoked.

3.  I will also say that for as much as I disliked the FancyPants picture from yesterday, I did like the picture we took last night.  I'm not sure I love how my hair looks, but that's just being picky. 
I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm getting there. 

4.  I was proud of myself for passing on ice cream last night when I really wanted some. 

5.  Also, I had decided that since I told Godmother that I would work out with her at lunch today, that I would skip Jazzercise tonight.  But the when I logged onto Facebook this morning, someone had posted:  Don't complain about the results you didn't get from the things you didn't do.  Wow...that was appropriate.  I brought my Jazzercise stuff.

6.  I'm going to Florida next weekend to see my parents.  It will be a little harder to get in my workouts, but if I'm disciplined, I can get in eight and then enjoy my weekend.

7.  I can't believe it is already August.  Lots of fun things coming up.  The trip to Florida and another trip to Louisville at the end of the month to see my brother's family.  A couple of shows including the BOOK OF MORMON!!!!  And yes, I totally just screamed that.  I am so excited.

8. Saving money is hard.

9.  I think I like myself with shorter hair.  As I was sitting here writing this, I was looking at the picture above compared to some pictures from the Olympics that SIL put in this year's calendar which is hanging on my wall.  No, granted, I was about 10 pounds lighter at the Olympics, but I was softer because I hadn't worked out in two months.  So I would say kind of comparable.  I like the Olympic ones better.  But that length of hair is so difficult when you are working out because you can't put it up but it is too long to just wash and go.  I'm getting my hair done on Saturday and I'm going to keep it as-is, but the wheels are turning.  Here is a picture of what I'm talking about:
 
Also, those boys were adorable.  German hockey players.  :-)

10.  Tomorrow is Friday and that is worth a little Woohoo!! 


Hugs!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

BFF's Birthday!

Today is BFF's birthday!!  This time last year I was at the Olympics.  It was truly one of the best days of my entire life.  SIL made a birthday sign that I took around with me throughout the day.  I would hold it up along with random people from all over the world and at different venues across London.  My absolute favorite was this one:
This is the Mayor of London and he was quite the celebrity over there.  It was such an amazing day because even though I couldn't be with my best friend on her birthday, I felt like could share a little of my big adventure with her.  No exaggeration, it is one of my Top 10 days EVER.

In celebration of her birthday, many of us at the company decided to wear our FancyPants.  I'm not very thrilled with this picture of me, but I do feel sassy and cute today.
 

I have to say, looking at this picture, I don't feel very sassy and cute anymore.  Oh well.  Thank goodness I'm doing what I'm doing.  I will just keep doing it and I will be back to where I want to be eventually!!

NSV:  the shirt I'm wearing had gotten to tight to lay right.  It fits perfectly today.  YAY!

Hugs!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Eh...today is kind of boring.

I don't really have too much to say today, but I promised myself that I would stay accountable, so here I am!!

B:  coffee & greek yogurt
L:  chicken sausage, hummus, crackers & a laughing cow wedge
S:  boiled egg & babybel
D:  Leftover pork loin
S:  Pudding Cup

I almost didn't go to CrossFit this morning.  I had to modify almost every single thing and it felt like it was going to be a beating.  I realized that was ridiculous and I went.

A.  Warm up - we had a different type of warm up today.  15:00 of this however many rounds you can do up to 10 reps each (scale accordingly.)
  • :20 Samson stretch each leg (well, I could do that)
  • Pistols (basically a single leg squat with the other leg out forward.  I can't do this, so basically I would do one-legged sits and stands on a 19" box)
  • Good Mornings w/ barbell (I could do this.  You put the barbell behind you on your shoulders and bend over at the waist.)
  • Medicine ball sit ups (I could do this.  You just do a sit up but then add a medicine ball in your hands touching the ground sitting up in front of you and then behind your head.)
  • Handstand pushups.  (Whatever.  I knelt on a box, flipped myself over and simulated a push up.)
  • Scapula Pull Ups (Basically you hang from the bar and squeeze your shoulders together.  I could only get 2-3 good ones at a time, but I did them.)
  • 50 Double Unders. (Double whatever.  I did singles.)
B.  Weighted Pull ups 6x3.  I can't do pull ups, so basically I just worked on them using a big gigantic band for assistance.

C.  50 Burpee Pull ups.  It is what it sounds like.  You do a burpee and when you are jumping up to clap, you grab a bar instead and do a pull up.  We have already established that I can't do pull ups.  So I just did 50 burpees.  But I did do full on burpees so that was quite a work out.

So, I'm glad I went.  I was disillusioned with how much I had to modify, but whatever, right?  I did it.  Then I ellipticized for 35 minutes at lunch.

Tomorrow is BFF's birthday so it will be a super fun day!!  I'm planning to workout in the office gym before work and that's it.  Maybe I will do some calisthenics in addition to the elliptical. 

Hugs!

Monday, July 29, 2013

Weigh In and Weekend Wrap Up

Weigh In DayLoss for the Week:  .4 lbs
Total Challenge Loss: 8.4 lbs
Total to Lose: 31.6 lbs
I choose to not get frustrated that I worked out 9 times last week and only lost (less than) a half a pound.  I choose to not get frustrated that I logged my food and made good choices and did not see a great result on the scale.  This is how it works for me.  The only way I win is if I stick with it...eventually my body will catch up and it will pay off. 

Non-scale victories are coming every day.  Clothes are fitting that did not fit before.  My body is getting tighter.  I'm starting to get more energy.  This happens to me every time and most times, I give in.  Most times, I say "forget it" and give up.  Not this time, this time I'm sticking it out and I know in the end it will all work out.

Did you all have a fun weekend?  Friday night I went to dinner and drinks with my Jazzercise friends.  That's always fun!

Saturday was nuts.  I had Jazzercise at 9:30-10:30 and I needed to drop BFF off at her car afterward and then get to my massage appointment by 11:00.  I had enough gas and enough time that shouldn't have been a problem.  As you can probably guess, it was a problem.

Right when we got to Jazzercise, BFF realized that she forgot her mike.  Since she is the instructor, that is a big problem.  So I got back in the car, drove to her house, go the mike and went back.  I got back about midway through the 3rd song.  I didn't miss much as far as exercising goes, which was good, but I did eat up a fair amount of gas.

After class, I drove BFF to her car (we had carpooled the night before) and I headed back toward home and my massage appointment.  I had just enough time and gas to make it.  Until everything on the highway just stopped.  Not slowed.  Stopped.  Sigh.

I exited and tried to take an alternate route.  I'm sure I saved some time and I would have no doubt run out of gas sitting on the highway, but my alternate route did not have any gas stations. Not to mention, I was out of time.  When I could finally exit, my car read "0 miles to empty" but I just made it into the gas station.  It wasn't sputtering, but it sure did feel like I wasn't going to make it.  I felt like I wanted to just cry.

My massage therapist texted just then checking on me.  I was beyond flustered, but she was so kind.  She scheduled me for the next day and was super sweet about it.  Craziness!!  Crisis averted though.

BFF & I ended up going to a nice restaurant after church that had the BEST drinks!  The food was okay and overpriced, but I think I would go back for the bar.

Sunday was a good day to get things done.  I made an excellent pork loin in the crock pot and I look forward to my leftovers!!

The only thing on the schedule this week is BFF's birthday on Wednesday.  That will be a big day filled with fun stuff.  Stay tuned!

Hugs!!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Did someone say Friday??

I feel like a new person today!!  Yesterday's break must have been just what I needed.  At lunch I ran over to My Fit F00ds with a coworker which broke up my day a little bit.  I bought a meal for today too so I have a healthy lunch handy. 

After work, I met a friend for dinner and it was delightful!  She is a boot camp instructor in training, so she is also watching what she eats.  We shared some guacamole and then each had a bowl of tortilla soup.  It is possibly the best I have been at a Mexican restaurant in ages!  Darn chips.

Since there was no baseball on TV last night (Rangers played in the afternoon), I watched some mindless TV while playing My Vegas slots on the computer.  Thanks Steph!  Hopefully I can earn something fun before BFF & I go to Vegas in October.

I woke up this morning feeling the best I have in days.  That time off really helped, I think.  As I was getting ready (at 5:30am!), I spur of the moment decided to throw together some clothes so I can work out at lunch.  I'm staying in anyway.  I might as well get some extra cardio.  I will be glad I did when I go to happy hour tonight and want a drink!

Tonight I'm meeting my friends from Jazzercise for dinner and drinks.  These are some fun ladies, so I'm looking forward to it.  I love that we are all different ages, different backgrounds and all shapes and sizes.

I don't have a lot on the schedule this weekend (yet again!) so we will see what it ends up looking like.  One of the goals I have is to start reading again.  I love reading...it is not a chore.  But I haven't been making time for it.  I have 3 books that I really want to read and I have recently started one that I don't think I really want to read.  So, first things first, I'm starting a new book.  :-)  I will let you know how it goes.

Happy Friday, my peeps!

Hugs!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Beth Ann's Day Off

Tuesday & Wednesday were both so very busy and draining at work. I still got in my two-fer each day, but at the end of yesterday, I just hit a wall. My body was done.

I had a sudden realization that I had worked out 16 times in 10 days. But yet the thought of not working out today made me feel like a failure. That is ridiculous. I had to assure myself that it was okay to take the day off. So this morning, I slept in...meaning I got up in time to get ready and go to work. I stopped by Starbucks and got myself a skinny latte.  I didn't bring any clothes to work out at lunch and I'm meeting a friend for dinner.  I feel so rejuvenated and so much better.

I look forward to going to CrossFit tomorrow and then Jazzercise on Saturday.  With me, so often, it is all or nothing.  I have to remember that pacing myself and taking care of my body is part of being successful in the long run.  It is within my power to make this happen.
I'm headed to My Fit F00ds at lunch to pick up something for today and tomorrow lunches.  I usually go out to lunch on Fridays but since I didn't work out today, I want to be good.  I think over the weekend, I'm going to make some crock pot pork loin for Sunday dinner (and leftovers next week) which should be relatively lo-cal yet delicious.  What are your favorite healthy dinners that make good leftovers?

Quite a while ago, I went into Ross with BFF & my parents and I grabbed two dresses off the rack that I didn't try on.  I have been wearing one a lot since then but the other one was too snug.  I loved it though so I hung onto it even though it kept getting more snug...  Today is a successful day because not only am I wearing the dress, I feel pretty darn cute.  :-)
Hope you all are enjoying your day as much as I'm enjoying mine!! 

Hugs!


Monday, July 22, 2013

Weigh in, Weekend & Weightlifting

Weigh In Day
Loss for the Week:  3 lbs
Total Challenge Loss:  8 lbs
Total to Lose:  32 lbs

My hard work paid off and I lost 3 pounds last week.  Woohoo!  I try not to dwell on the fact that it took me working out 10 times last week and logging all my food (not even using my weekly allotment of points), but there you go. 

Instead, I will choose to look at it this way.  I worked out 10 times last week!  I'm a badass!  Good things are happening because I am working HARD to make them happen.

Weekend
It was another nice relaxing weekend.  It is not often that I don't plan the heck out of July, but really there isn't much on the schedule.  Friday night it was so awesome to go home and watch baseball.  I had an opportunity to go out with some friends, but I took a raincheck and just chilled.  It was awesome.  My baseball boyfriend is back from DL, so that's awesome.  Bad news is that the Rangers are on a losing streak.  No bueno!

Saturday I got up to go to Jazzercise even though they warned us that they a/c was broken at the rec center.  My reward for actually going was that the a/c was working!  It was a great workout.  After, I went and met one of my besties, Debi, for lunch and to catch up.  It had been a while since we got some good girl time together.  <3 her!

After I dropped Debi home after lunch, I ran some errands and went home and started some crockpot potato soup.  I did some other chores and then BFF & I went to dinner.  After... more baseball.

Sunday, I went to church and then did some chores around the house.  I have a little project I'm working on, but I can't show you yet.  Next week!  Sunday night, BFF came over for some Potato Soup and we caught up on some of our shows like the Newsroom (love it!!) and Veep (too funny!).

CrossFit (Weightlifting sounded good in the title, but we actually ran today, ha!)
This morning was yet another 1 mile TT (time trial.)  In my 3 year history of CrossFit, we have done 8 one mile runs for time, HALF of which have been since 6/20/2013.  Craziness.  Usually we have about 15-20 people at class.  This morning, there were 7.  CrossFitters are not necessarily big fans of running.  Heh.

I'm very happy and proud to say that I ran my mile in 12:03 which is 27 seconds faster than my fastest time post-surgery.  I did have a couple times faster pre-surgery, but I was also 20+ lighter.  I look forward to losing that weight and seeing if it shaves off more time.  One of the guys came back after he was done running to run me in.  He has done that before and I've had a few other people do that as well.  It is super nice and I do think it helps me kick that last 200m.  By far, my favorite thing about CrossFit is the people and the supportive atmosphere.  I simply couldn't be the last one in every single time if it wasn't for the awesome attitudes I meet when I get there.

After a bit of a rest, we worked on chinups.  Chinups are like Pullups, only you face your palms toward you.  I need a lot of assistance and usually have to use 2 green bands together to get myself up there.  This time, we did 6 sets of 2.  I started with two green bands twice, then a green band and a purple band twice, then a green band and a red band, and then just a green band!!  That is some major progress.

Wrap Up
I don't have a ton going on this week either so I can focus again on my food & fitness.  My plan is to work out 10 times this week.  Two times each M-Th, then once each on Friday and Saturday.

B-coffee, boiled egg, cheese
L-chicken meatballs, hummus, crackers
S-yogurt (and granola bar if I need it)
D-potato soup
S-pudding cup

Hugs!

Friday, July 19, 2013

TGIF

I'm so happy it is Friday, I don't even have the words!  It has been more of a rough week at work, but I plowed through and it will be over soon.  Plus, I'm only working out once today and that is over.  AND...my Rangers are back!  I haven't watched a baseball game since Sunday and it has been too weird.  Hopefully my baseball boyfriend will be back too which makes it even better!!

So, CrossFit this morning was workout #9 for the week:

A.  Back Squats - 20 reps.  20 is a lot of back squats to do unbroken, but I got through it at 110#.

B.  Press - 5x5.  75#.  This is a tough move because it is all arms and upper body.  Unlike with a Push Press, you don't get any momentum from your legs.  I did all but the very last rep on the last set.  So I feel pretty good about it!!

C. 50 Double Unders (DU) - 5 Burpees (B) - 40 DU - 10 B - 30 DU - 15 B - 20 DU - 20 B - 10 DU - 25 B.  If you can't do double unders, the scale was to be 3 single jumps for each DU.  So instead of 150 total double unders, you would substitute 450 single jump ropes.  I knew right away I was going to have to scale the hell out of this thing.  I decided to just do single singles and squat thrusts instead of burpees.  I accidently did 20 extra singles because I can't keep track, but in the end I did 150 single jumps and 75 squat thrusts in 10:36.  I hate when I have to scale, but I know I was at maximum heart rate the whole time, so today it was the best I can do.  That makes me feel good.

It shouldn't be a busy weekend which is nice.  My BFF's birthday is coming up at the end of the month and I need to work on her present.  I will post a picture when the time comes.  I don't think she reads the blog, but I'm not taking any chances!! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Just another Thursday

Three days, six workouts.  YES!

Not to mention that I have been logging my food like a champ!  I hate that.  Ha!  But I'm doing it.  Currently I'm using Weight W@tchers and I really like it.  It is easy, has a great mobile app and its database is quite inclusive.  The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't link up with my Fitbit.  My activity is logged in one place and nutrition in another.

I'm considering moving my food tracking back to My Fitness Pal because it does link up with the Fitbit.  I considered getting the WW activity tracking device, but it requires a $5 per month membership and that seems dumb when I have one that does the same thing for free.  Additionally, I have to pay to track on WW, but it is free on Fitbit and MFP.  So it seems obvious, right?

The problem is this.  Right now, I'm doing so well.  Why mess with what is working?  I don't want to stop when I'm on a roll.  Bleh.

Today's plan:
B:  Egg Beaters with mushrooms and salsa.  Coffee.
L:  Open Nature Chicken Meatballs (7)  Crackers (10) & Hummus (2T)
S:  Boiled egg and Babybel
D: Chicken Chili w/ dollop of sour cream
S:  Crackers (4) & Babybel
Workouts:  CrossFit & Elliptical

CrossFit this morning was tough.

A.  10:00 minutes, 5 KB snatches every :30 alternating arms each set. (26# KB)
B.  Helen:  3 rounds: 400m run, 21 KB swings, 12 pull ups

I checked and the last time I did this was last year (5/2012).  My results then were: 15:31, 26# KB, used green band for assisted pull ups.  This time:  15:07, 35# KB, substituted ring rows.  After all those KB maneuvers in the humidity (sweaty hands!) I just couldn't do pull ups.  One of my friends totally tore up her hands this morning.  She was a beast, but I can't say that I wish I would have pushed it.  My hands hurt enough as is and I still got myself a hell of a workout!

On a different note, yesterday BFF & I got tickets to Vegas for October!  That will continue my steak of a trip a month.  May-Canada, June-Tulsa, July-Louisiana, August-Florida, September-Louisville, October-Vegas.  I do love to travel!

Hugs!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Another day at it!

My day started wonderfully!  I reached a mini-goal this morning.  I'm the lowest I have been all year.  My next mini-goal will be my lowest post-Olympics.  Baby steps!!

Then I came to work and all hell broke loose.  I absolutely love my job, but like most people, some days are challenges.

Fitness:  I'm happy to say that I got my two-a-day in yesterday.  I went to CrossFit then ended the day on the elliptical.  Today I plan to ellipticize at lunch and go to Jazzercise after work. 

Nutrition: 

B - Cheese Egg Beaters with Salsa & Mushrooms w/ coffee
L - Leftover pork chop with some hummus and crackers
S - Boiled egg & Babybel
D - Chicken Chili w/ a dollop of sour cream
Dessert - Pudding cup

Chipping away!!

HUGS!