Cam's New Lease on Life Journal (comments welcome!)

[keenercam]

B: coffee w/skim milk; apple
L: green salad w/cucumber, olive oil, fat free italian dressing; can of solid white tuna in water
S: banana
D: canadian bacon; egg beaters; fat free cheese; baked potato w/veggies & FF cheddar
dessert: WW 1 point bar

HEG/Core requirements:
non-fat dairy (2):
healthy oils (2):
water (64 oz): 80 oz by 9:00 pm
fruits/vegetables (5):
multi-vitamin:

Sparkpeople guidelines:
Today's sparkpeople recommendations/actual
calories -- 1200-1550/1263
carbs -- 135-252/180
fat 27-60/18
protein 30-136/111
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you, WISH buddies!
Laurie -- I was hoping to get out again this week, but I just leave for work too early and leave to go home too late to chance it in the dark. I used to go to the fountain walk at our shopping center, but the fountain/lake is frozen and even if it isn't really cold, the wind blowing over the ice is just unbearable. So, it looks like TM for me until the 5K on Saturday.

Julie -- Thank you for stoppping by! I am hoping my relative diligence over the past week will show up on the WW WI tonight. Wish me luck!

Carole -- That pork tenderloin recipe was awesome. I found it on sparkpeople and adapted it. I think it could be done with any kind of roast-type meat, as long as it is really lean.

Hi, Tracy! Thanks for the good wishes. I think my mood has been negatively impacted by the lack of sunshine time over the past few weeks. I am really looking forward to doing most of the rest of my Minnie training in the sun. I hope you get out soon, too!

Upcoming motivators:
WW weigh in tonight.
5Ks scheduled for this Saturday, 3/17, and 3/25. This weekend's was to have been my attempt to break my PR by jogging a lot of the course, but a friend of mine who has a bad knee has signed up for the 5K and we will walk it together. I will try to break the PR on 3/17 which is the same course where I did 43:33 last year. It would be so amazing to be down around 40 minutes and my ultimate goal for this spring is to be sub-40:00. I'll work on it at the gym tonight.

 

[traceycooper]

Hi Cam
Hope the WI went well

 

[goldcupmom]

Lots of on the way for WI! Hope it went VERY VERY WELL!!!

 

[keenercam]

Thank you for the and good wishes, Tracey and Julie! They worked! Down 2 pounds today to the lowest I have been since before I was 14 and now it is on the WW scale and not just my home scale. I have NEVER seen this number in my entire adult life! 67.6 pounds total in just over 2 years and 2 months! The most remarkable thing to me is that there has been no major backsliding. Lots of plateaus and yo-yoing within a 4-6 pound range, but I never totally lost control and had to re-lose a lot. I am alternately overwhelmed by the enormity of what I've done and underwhelmed for considering how far I still have to go. I think I will do the positive self-talk thing and stay on track.
I attribute this week's significant loss (yes, 2## is a LOT for me in one week) to journaling on sparkpeople.com and really trying to stick to weight watchers core foods. Fuel for my body, not too many empty calories.
I would LOVE to lose 2.4 this next week and get my next 5 pound star and start working toward my 75 pound magnet. That would just be amazing for me and would give me a lot of positive feedback for my effort.
I know I could not do this without my WISH friends. Thank you, buddies!

Today's sparkpeople recommendations/actual
calories -- 1200-1550/1263
carbs -- 135-252/180
fat 27-60/18
protein 30-136/111

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Couldn't get near a TM tonight, so I had to settle for the elliptical and even when it became less crowded, I decided to stick it out and do a 5K (3.1 miles) on the elliptical.
My "splits"
mile 1: 10:43
mile 2: 10:34
mile 3: 10:19
.1 mile: 0:57 (wicked fast ending -- sub-10:00 mile)

 

[traceycooper]

Fantastic news Cam
Well done
All your hard work is paying off, keep doing what your doing girl

 

[keenercam]

Thank you, Tracey! Aren't you sweet?
I really appreciate your support! I have to say my endeavor to lose 2.4 this week (though I know that is not feasible) is keeping me very much in line.

 

[keenercam]

Food today:
B: coffee w/skim milk; apple; small piece of diet coke chicken (was packing it for lunch and decided I needed a bit of protein for breakfast, too)
L: diet coke chicken; steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots
S: banana
D: LC panini; piece of diet coke chicken; veggies
dessert: couple tastes movie popcorn; 1.5 bags 94% FF popcorn; WW 1 point bar

HEG/Core requirements:
non-fat dairy (2):
healthy oils (2):
water (64 oz): 80 oz by bed
fruits/vegetables (5):
multi-vitamin:

Sparkpeople guidelines:
Today's sparkpeople recommendations/actual
calories -- 1200-1550/1259
carbs -- 135-252/156
fat 27-60/22
protein 30-136/116

Realized I forgot my mp3 player so I'll skip the gym tonight and do a couple of very necessary errands, including buying some new short sleeved workout shirts and returning a blouse that I bought 3 weeks ago. Then, I'll go home and do a balance ball workout.

 

[CaroleD]

Awesome 2 pounds is a huge loss in a week!

BTW Cam I saw your pics over in disneyrunning.com. Very good. You didn't even look tired at the finish.

Keep up the good work.

 

[hockeygirl]

WTG on the WI!!!!!!! I am so inspired by you Cam! Keep up the good work.

Good Luck with your 5K this weekend. I am doing a local 5K on the 18th, it will be my first 5k so I am very excited about that. You are going to do awesome this weekend! I can't wait to hear how it goes! Hopefully the weather will be nice for you.

 

[CACruisin']

Congrats on the 2lb loss That is awesome!! I know your dr was not super supportive about your overall loss, but really, +67 lbs is very immpressive. As you said, you have lost the weight and NOT put it back on. That is huge and something you should be very proud of. You will get your next 5 lb star, if not this week, then next. And you will get your 75 lb marker too! You can do it! You WILL do it!

 

[toystoryduo]

Way to go on weigh-in! I am so proud of you for all that you have accomplished.

Have a great day today!

 

[keenercam]

Last night turned out very differently than planned. I decided that since DH has a huge project coming up that will take him out of commission for the next 10 days or so, that he needed a night to relax. I talked him into a 9:30 showing of "Music and Lyrics" and we had the best time just laughing our way through the movie. Lots of fun!

Today's food:
B: coffee w/skim milk; fat free plain yogurt w/melon cup
L: green salad w/ olive oil & canned chicken breast
S: 94% FF popcorn
D: 2 servings whole wheat, fat free lasagna; 4 oz tilapia fillet topped with salsa

HEG/Core requirements:
non-fat dairy (2):
healthy oils (2):
water (64 oz): 80 oz by 9:00 pm
fruits/vegetables (5):
multi-vitamin:

Sparkpeople guidelines:
Today's sparkpeople recommendations/actual
calories -- 1200-1550/1081
carbs -- 135-252/152
fat 27-60/14
protein 30-136/93

I went to the gym tonight at did a 5K on the TM and wiped out my PR! First time I ever did 3.1 in less than 40 minutes -- 39:44!!! And I jogged for 16 minutes straight. I think I jogged for all but 10 minutes of my total time on the TM. Overall pace is somewhere around 12:49. Still seems slow when you write it down, but it felt fast and strenuous. I burned about 450 calories, too!

 

[hockeygirl]

Cam---I know I posted on the Weekly thread but i wanted to say:

WAY TO GO ON YOUR 5K RUN TODAY!!!

Please don't feel like it is slow--you are doing great and your times are improving all the time!

I am still bummed that I can't make the Kenny Chesney concert in June. If you hear of another date announced, please let me know. You and Judy are going to have a blast there!!!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Cam,

I'm glad you and your DH has a great time at the movies tonight. I bet that laughter will help him get through the next few days of his project at work.

You did a great job on the TM tonight! You jogged for 16 minutes straight and you did a 5K in under 40 minutes... That is wonderful, Cam! Add all of that to your awesome, super wonderful weigh-in and this has been a most successful week for you, WISH sis! I am so proud of you!

Have a great weekend and be sure to celebrate your successes!

 

[CaroleD]

Thats an awesome time! You should be very proud of your accomplishments.

I noticed tonight that its my one year anniversary of my surgery. One year ago I could no longer do my job or walk even a block. And I lived on pain pills. What a difference. No pills, no pain and boy can I walk!!! I think DH and I need to do some celebrating this weekend! I want to dance. Unfortunetely I have to work nights first, boy I didn't plan that well. But after that I'll be dancing.

Hope you have a great weekend.

 

[traceycooper]

Wow Cam, 16 mins straight jogging!! I struggle doing 3 mins!!
You are an inspiration & i hope one day i can do as well
The movie sounds good!
Have a great relaxing weekend

 

[keenercam]

Thank you so much, WISH friends! Carole -- your post brought me to tears. I am so happy for you that your life has changed so drastically. Now it is yours to do with as you wish, perhaps constrained by the wisdom of not overdoing it, but not prevented from trying to do as much as you can!

Tracy and Tracey -- Thank you so much for your support here. It means so much to me. It was a hellish week at work and I didn't get to visit journals much, but I am hoping to catch up this weekend. Thanks for the encouragement and cheerfulness you share!

Laurie -- you are such a sweetheart! Thank you for the cheers here and on the weekly training thread. It is so amazing to me how generous everyone is to take the time to encourage me.

This morning's 5k was wonderful, even though my friend couldn't make it. I just took it at my pace and enjoyed being out in 40 degree sunshine. I had done a mile or so at home when I woke up, just to take my new shoes for a test-run around my block. It felt good and I was psyched to be on the race course. I heard some young guys lamenting that the first mile and a half is all uphill, so I didn't feel too badly about it seeming a bit of an effort.

2 years ago, I did my first 5K walk at this very race, on this course.
My finish time was 54:52 with a pace of 17:42.
Today's finish time was 40:06 with a pace of 12:54
My goal was to beat my PR of 43:33, so finishing with a 40:06 clock time and knowing it took several seconds to cross the start -- I am pleased with how it went.

 

[keenercam]

Wow! I just went back and read my journal entry from two years ago today. I remember so vividly feeling the things I wrote, and I want to remind myself of how far I've come.

Well, here I am 8 weeks post-surgery. Hard to believe 8 weeks ago, I was barely conscious at this time and definitely did NOT believe the doctor as he told me I was cured. I can't even believe now the person I was then. Sure, I am still fat. But my outlook has changed. I can do something about it and I am. I have hope again. It's been about 10 years since I felt hopeful. There were more times than I can count including through the three previous surgeries, when I really wondered whether I would live to see my daughter graduate high school. I couldn't even imagine living long enough to see my son graduate-- I was diagnosed and rushed to a hospital when he was just 19 months old. I hadn't realized until recently that I wasn't taking very good care of the body that I am in partly because I didn't really expect to need it too long. Besides all of that, I am really lazy, and my "illness" was good enough reason to not exert myself. After all, if the doctors were concerned about me exerting myself, I definitely shouldn't do it, right? And the food? Heck, life is short! Eat dessert first and often. After all, it's not as if anything I could have done would have changed the very serious flaw in my heart. Why not feel sorry for myself and indulge myself?
So, there is where I was.
Here is where I am. Taking a day at a time, sure, but always now with my eye on a long-term and somewhat ambitious goal. Once in a while, I take a real good look at this body and know it has such a long, long way to go. But, tonight, I have no doubt at all it will be here for the "long run." Who knows, maybe someday I will "wog" the half! After all, Mickey is there! What more motivation could this girl ask for?

 

[goldcupmom]

Wow, Cam! A new LOW weight, a new PR on the 5K!

I'm amazed & proud of how much you have accomplished!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

You truly have come SO FAR!!!! God is GOOD!!!

 

[CaroleD]

Amazing isn't it. Keep holding onto that glittering dream. With both hands. Its precious.