Working on Weight Loss and getting Lean!

[bunnyfoo]

Hi Leanies! Happy Friday!

Jackie - for DD! Sometimes it's like breaking up from a whole bunch of people and not just one person. I know how tough it is. If she ever needs anyone to chat with, I'm around And you must be so excited for MCM! I keep seeing your updates on FB with all the miles you're putting in! WTG!! You are going to rock that race!

Maria - I need a dream where I can see the winning numbers for a lottery ticket Actually I had a dream about that once but couldn't remember the numbers when I woke up. I had an uncle like your Aunt Carolyn - no one liked him because he was a little "slow". The thing was he was a genius when it came to math problems. He always helped me out with my homework so I never understood what the deal was. It would be nice if relatives could all just get along! Have you started your half training for January yet?

Debra - How was the pool? Give Mickey a big hug from all of us!

AFM - My PT was off sick yesterday so I decided to take the day off training as well I look at it like October is a new month so I'm definitely going to get things on track starting today. I have a charity bike ride this afternoon - well, it's really on a stationary bike. My manager was suppose to go but he skips out every year because he knows I'll ride in his place. I think he's allergic to exercise

I'm still resting my knee so I'm going to try running on Monday morning and see how that goes. Got an appointment tomorrow morning to colour my hair and then I'm headed downtown shopping. Anyone else have big plans for the weekend?

 

[rubato]

Good morning ladies! It's Friday!!!!!

Vicky: I miss coloring my hair (allergies). Have fun and enjoy shopping. Got any plans for something specific? Of course the relatives can't all get along? What would be the fun of family if you couldn't have silly disagreements once in awhile? And, everyone I know is allergic to exercise. I was just talking to hubby about that this morning. He said I was addicted to running and Disney. I said no, others just are addicted to sitting on their butts!!!!


Maria: We all have our Aunt Carolyns. It's good that you are using her as motivation! Yes, I will probably have to bite the FB bullet as well, but right now DS is not quite 11. He's been begging for a cell phone, and, I'm sure he'll want Twitter and FB and whatever else is out there in a few years.
Is your house 100 years old? I love old houses! We've lived in some really old ones, built one brand new one, and now live in the burbs in a subdivision (yuck). I like the character and charm of older homes, and I love doing remodeling projects. There's nothing to do in this house.

Jackie: It sounds like your daughter's going to be dealing with a loss much larger than a BF. I'm so sorry for her. And, it's too bad DW didn't work out for you guys. Wow, just 30 days!!! How are you feeling, preparation wise? Do you think you'll be ready? Have you done some decent long runs? How's the pain level?

Beth: Yikes! It's always that way with renovations, isn't it? It's awfully nice of you to feed your workmen. They may take longer to finish if you keep it up! Did you get that run in? How do you feel afterward?

AFM: Got my run in yesterday. I'm almost at the pace I want to be for the half. I was only 8 seconds per mile off. I think I can speed up those short runs a little bit. I'm going to start slowing down the long runs a little to make up for it. I'm still trying to figure out the best strategy for Goofy. I've read some reports that say you should take it easy in the half, so you have something left for the full. Others say that, if you want to run one fast race, it should be the half, because you're fresh. If I follow that advice, I'm going to have to hope that I have something left on Sunday. I just don't know

This weekend is completely crammed with baseball. We have a pitching lesson tonight, game tomorrow, and a double header on Sunday. But, then we only have 1 more game next week and the season will be over! Now, we're working on basketball. This is my least favorite sport of all the sports. But, I will suffer through, so my son can get some exercise over the winter.

I was going to order some tank tops from the Onemoremile shirts. Has anyone ever ordered one of these? I'm curious about the sizing and the quality. There are some really cute sayings on them, so I want to get a few. I'm also thinking about getting singlets for the races, because I sweat like a man, and cotton is bad for long runs. If it's 50s to 70s, I'll be fine running in tank tops. Of course, if I do, we'll get weather like they had this year.

Have a wonderful weekend ladies.
Tandy

 

[MouseDogMom]

Tandy - I'm a lot more ready than I thought I'd be when I first started back, but I'm nowhere near where I want to be. I was looking at my mileage yesterday, and I actually ran more miles in September than any other month this year. Go figure! I've done 2 10 mile runs, 1 13 mile, and 1 18 mile long run so far, and have 4 more weekends (including tomorrow's 10 miler) to go. I did 800 meter intervals on the track Tuesday night, and my speed is improving, but not close to where it was before the injury. The good news is that the hip isn't hurting at all right now. My plantar fascitiis, which had been gone for over a year, has returned, but I'm ignoring it.

As for Goofy strategy, everyone told me to take it easy during the half and save it for the full. So I went out and missed a PR during the half by only a few seconds, and that was after walking for a few miles with Debra! Then DH and I ran the first half of the full really strong, and I hit the midpoint at a PR pace. And then came mile 16... And mile 17. And mile 18... If you do choose to try for a good half, at least take it very easy during the full. If you want a good full, go VERY SLOW during the half! I do have a friend who PR'd both races, but she trained like a machine.

Vicky - I don't know if DD will be able to break up with the entire family or not. She takes dance at his mother's studio, and I'm assuming she's not going to give that up, so she'll see most of the family at least once a week. I'm hoping she'll stay busy enough with other things to get through the first few days when she's weakest, but I'll let her know you're available if she needs a sympathetic ear! Mom isn't the best advisor, since I'm in favor of the breakup in general.

Maria - The biggest problem with MCM not being the race I originally planned for is that I'll probably want to run another full to get the time I'd wanted to run in this one! Remember my 2010 goals? Something about running a full in 5:30, I think. Since I missed it in January, this was going to be it, and then I was going to be through with the 26.2 distance. Unless a miracle happens on the 31st, I'll have to try again to get the monkey off my back!

Headed to bed, so I can get up and meet the group for an easy 10 miles tomorrow. (Easy, she says. Ha!)

Jackie

 

[rubato]

Happy Saturday morning lovely ladies!

Jackie: That's some pretty decent mileage. Are you going to do a longer run before your taper? I have never had PF, but my friends that do say that it's very painful. I'm impressed that you are just ignoring it!
Thanks for the Goofy advice. I think I'm going to do the fast half, easy full strategy. I'm certainly not the machine your friend is! I'm just glad to hear that someone I know (well, kind of) has survived and lived to tell the tale!

AFM: Ran a 4 miler this morning. I was 2 days behind on my plan, so tomorrow, on my long run, I will have run 4 days straight. I don't do well with no days off! But, I'll be right back on track next week. I did my 4 really fast today, like sub 8s. Since my goal for the half consists of 8 minute miles exactly, I felt good about that. But, can I do it for 13?

Eating is so so. I can't seem to run big miles and diet. I guess I'm just stuck at this weight for now. You would think that burning 1000 calories in a day would just make you skinny as can be, but, no, I end up eating 2000 extra calories on those days. I'm just worried now that the silly shirt size for my Goofy shirt is going to be too small! I figured since they were unisex sizes that they were more like mens than womens sizes right? If not, I'm in trouble!

 

[rubato]

Happy Monday morning ladies!
I woke up to the lovely temperature of 37 degrees today. Brrrrr!

I hope everyone had a very productive weekend. I got to watch my son get beaned in the ribs with a baseball yesterday. He shook it off pretty good, but he's hurting now. Poor baby.

I did my 12 miler yesterday and felt great. I've been experimenting with different gels since I'll be really needing them for a marathon. I've figured out that I can run about 35 to 40 minutes before I start to feel that zonked feeling. Then, if I take a gel, I'm good for another 30 or so. I also feel a jolt of energy right after I take one and run faster. I don't know if it's all in my head or not, but I'll use it!

My weight loss is going pretty good. I'm down to 137, which is 3 pounds from my goal. But, every time I get close, I mess it up somehow. I just want to be lean for running, otherwise, I'd be thrilled with my weight now. I may have to tweak my goal at some point, but just want to see that number before I decide for sure. Eating is going okay. I'm eating a lot right now, but, just in my run yesterday, I burned 1350 calories. I'm at least making mostly smart choices.

My dad came to the first baseball game yesterday and was walking with a cane! He seemed pretty good. I'm just glad to see him out and about.

Have a wonderful day everyone!
Tandy

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hello leanies!

Tandy - I got hair dye all over my towel yesterday morning! I wasn't really thinking about things and used a white towel to dry my hair. It was the first time I'd washed it since I got everything done on Saturday. Needless to say the towel looked like I dried off a muddy dog It's just a towel from Target so I'll probably pick up some more this trip. Did I mention I love shopping at Target and even Wal-Mart? We don't have Target in Canada and the Wal-Marts here don't have the same selection. No experience with Goofy strategies - I think Cindy or Debra might know something. I have looked at the times from the Goofy races before and it seems there are people who go equally hard for both races. I've seen people with half times well under 2:00 and then a full time under 4:00. One thing I will say having run the half course twice, there are several places it bottlenecks and it's hard to pass people. Main Street in Magic Kingdom, the road that runs along the GF and Poly and a little bit approaching the end at Epcot. But … I run further back (over 2:00) so the crowds might be different when you're faster.

Race shirts you get for the Disney races are pretty big. I think they're men's sizing but I noticed this year there was a choice for XS so maybe they've got women's and men's shirts this year. Sometimes the volunteers are nice and will let you do an exchange on the spot, sometimes they make you come back.

Jackie - How was your easy 10 miler? Everything holding up?

AFM - I did my training session yesterday and I'm back on low/no sugar more or less. I did sneak a little bit of rice pudding yesterday but I figured it was okay because I had worked out for an hour yesterday. Not the greatest week to be going on low sugar but I figure it will keep me in check. Did some core work at the gym yesterday along with some weights. I was training with one of the female trainers there since my new PT has a different schedule now. She had one killer exercise where you use these slip discs (?) underneath your feet to do a set of 20 mountain climbers. Then using your hands, you drag yourself across the length of the gym floor in a plank position to the end, do another set of 20 mountain climbers and back again and another set of mountain climbers.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hi Leanies!

I keep waiting to have time to do a long post, and it's just not going to happen, so I'm just going to post as much as I can before I have to get back to work...

Vicky -- No Targets in Canada?! I have one 5 minutes from my house and I'm totally spoiled. My electric blanket quite working last night (plugged it in to see if it will work this winter, it won't), so we're going to swing by Target tonight and pick up a new one. That "slip disc" exercise sounds like a killer, I bet you did great!

Tandy -- I hope Harrison is feeling better after his "beaning". Poor kid! I don't pretend to be a fast runner or know what I'm doing. My dh and I have a gel or blocs (in my case) before we start a race, then every few miles. It seems to work out well for us. I also always make sure I save some for the end, because I know I'm going to need a boost! There is plenty to do in my house, anytime you're looking for a project... My house is just about 100 years old, it's a 2-story brick colonial, but the previous owners did do some decent upgrades -- turned the basement into an in-law apartment, adding a half-bath off the kitchen, custom cabinets in the main kitchen and a built-in china cabinet in the dining room, made a huge master bedroom by extending it over the garage and adding a balcony on the back, etc. So, it has some nice features, but I am also stuck with some things it would be prohibitively expensive to upgrade. The wooden cabinets in my kitchen are a lovely oak, but I prefer dark wood. I have to live with it, and really, since I don't spend that much time there...

Jackie -- I love that you meet your group for an "easy" 10M! That is awesome! You are a machine, I tell ya!

Debra -- I hope you had a fabulous weekend at W&D! We can't wait to hear some of the details.

Beth -- How is your back? Have you won the remodel yet or are you still wrestling? I have faith in you!

Cindy -- How are you doing? Have you been getting out in this endless rain?

Ok, back to the grind. Oh! I have to mention -- remember when I was working on that application for veterans housing? I am extremely pleased to report we received the only award from the VA for that source in MA! It's good to have my boss think I'm useful!

Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

Hi Ladies! I am still in renovation hell....I haven't been able to shower in my bathroom for a week and 1/2....not pretty.

The tile is up today, and it looks really nice. And what can I say about the jacuzzi tub???? It's awesome, and I don't know how I lived without it!

Maria: Congrats on the award....we already know how wonderful you are! I am glad that you got recognized!

Tandy: I hope ds is feeling better. Boys look tough when they have to, but you know how much that hurts! Poor thing. Did it live a nice bruise?

Vicky: I prefer Target over Wal-mart, but Wal-mart is definitely cheaper! I go there alot, have you seen me on the 'people of wal-mart' yet?

I haven't been able to exercise in the morning since I can't shower, and I can't find my treadmill under the massive amount of crap I have stored in my exercise room. I have going to the gym pretty much every day, to work out and shower. That's one good thing to come out of this....getting my butt back to the gym!

Beth

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hello,

For those wanting a "WISH racing team" Headsweats brand Visor and/or Hat by the January Marathon Weekend, please hurry and place your order over on the thread. I need to get the minimums before the end of the month so the order can be placed and I can get them mailed out to people.

Find the link below in my signature for the Hat/Visor order (not the special order Visor)

Thanks!!

 

[rubato]

Hey ladies. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday so far!

Beth: Congrats on the tub and tile! Bummer on the shower. At least you have the positive side effect of going to the gym! I have looked at that people of walmart website! SCARY!!!!

Maria: Congratulations on your award! Isn't it nice to be recognized for hard work? And, I would be happy to come work on your house, if I'm ever in your area, that is!

Vicky: These PTs you get are killers! But, that's why you're paying them, right? I'm glad to hear the shirts have been men's sizes in the past. I ordered a small and then wondered what planet I was from? I've never been a small on top in my life. As far as Goofy, I just don't think I'm going to be prepared enough to go full out for both. I've gotten 12 in so far and felt great, but I'll see how I feel after 18, 20 and 22!

AFM: I've been keeping on track with the runs. Did 6 miles yesterday and I'm going to do 8 today. I kept my pace at half marathon pace for the whole 6 and that was easy, so today I'm going to slow it down a bit. My calves are super sore for some reason. Plus, waking up with them being sore, I then put heels on today! Just makes it so much worse.

Harrison isn't hurting at all anymore. He's got a bruise that actually shows the seams of the ball! He's a tough little guy.

Tandy

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning Leanistas!

Tandy -- I think I need to clarify -- I didn't get an award personally, the agency I work for has received funding from the VA to support housing for homeless veterans. This was very competitive, so I'm glad it helps my boss see I'm valuable -- I guess maybe that's my award! I hope your calves are feeling better.

Beth -- Um, glad you can shower at the gym, that's just a scary thought! And so glad it's got you back there, you sound happy to be working out at the gym, very "mom on the go"!

Vicky -- Are you getting antsy for the big shopping spree? I would would be going "squee" with excitement! It is awesome to need new, smaller clothes!

to Debra, Cindy, Jackie!

Hey, did Jeanne get the 3rd one married off yet?

I am so pleased to report I got up and ran 4M this morning! It felt great, I could have kept going if I didn't have that pesky work...

I'm also doing very well with my diet this week. Last week was a disaster, this week I'm in control. But, and it's a big but (ok, in more ways than 1 ), I scaled back my exercise goals to be more manageable. I'm not going to try to for 6M on a weekday anymore. I don't do it (I actually do nothing since I know I can't/won't do 6M), and then I feel worse -- it's much better for me to schedule lower miles and achieve it. I'm also on track for my weight loss, so I can get there by eating right and running some, just not so much. I have been doing a big yo-yo thing where I'm "on" one week and "off" the next, and I think it's because I'm trying to do too much and I just burn out. I can't do those big distances and still have enough energy to live my life, at least not at this weight. But, it's a goal for a smaller me!

Ok, back to the grindstone...

Maria

 

[rubato]

Good morning ladies. I've been up since 3 thanks to my wonderful dog!

Maria: Well, it's still an award that you have earned!
I'm glad that you have tweaked your plan to work better for you. I know that it's hard to fit everything in when you're a working mother.

AFM: I went for my run on Wednesday and, after 4 miles, I had to quit. My stomach has been bothering me again. I'm just feeling sick every day. It's been happening this time for about a month straight. Then, on top of that, my calves hurt so bad I can barely walk. I'm going out super early in the dark this morning and trying to run 4. We'll see how it goes. My TM is messed up again, so I don't have a choice. I am spending the entire day at my son's school today for their lapathon. It's my favorite fundraiser because it makes all the kids run! My son is hoping for 40 laps which is the equivalent of 4 miles. I'm pledging a dollar a lap, so he'd better work for it!

Have a wonderful day ladies.
Tandy

 

[rubato]

Good morning ladies. I hope everyone is doing well. Miss you guys!

I took my scheduled 2 days off from running and can't wait to get back out there today. I'm only doing 4 today and 4 tomorrow, so it should be nice and easy. My calves are still sore! What's going on? I'm trying to stretch them regularly, but they just feel so tender.

Eating is bad. We've had some dinner, lunch or event to go to everyday for the past 5, and I haven't made one good choice. I ate tons! I'm going to the grocery store today and back on track. I've also decided to go with no alcohol til New Years. It's just empty calories, even if they do taste great!

Harrison had his first basketball practice last night. He worked up a good sweat and tried really hard, so I was happy. He is not a basketball player, that's for sure! But, this team is just about fun and winter exercise.

Well, time to get Harrison to school and get out there. Have a wonderful day ladies!
Tandy

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning Ladies!

Life is so busy right now, I have to appoligize for not posting!

Baseball is still going on......tournaments are next weekend with both boys with 3 games on Sat and Sun. If either of them advance (likely Adam's team will), it will go on till the next weekend. It's been fairly nice weather, but boy it's been alot of BASEBALL!

Tandy: How'd your run go yesterday? I hope the calves feel better soon!

AFM: I had quite the layover with eating during the bathroom re-do issues, and they are not done yet! I can now shower, but the bathroom is completely torn up.....can't wait until it's done!

I am eating fairly good this week.....and I hope that continues. I am just finding it hard to say no to the treats.....why is it so hard?

I am running consistently.....about 30 miles or so a week. I consider that decent right now, but mostly are early morning miles which make me tired!

Check in folks!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning, Lovely Lean Ones!

I meant to post yesterday, but of course things were crazy out of hand from the holiday...so here I am now!

Beth -- I think it is fabulous you are getting 30M a week! And good eating, too?! Awesometastic! I'm glad baseball is winding down for you -- it seems to be almost a year-round sport!

Tandy -- I'm sorry to hear about your calves I, too, am loving the 4M! I did 10M Sat., 4M Monday and today, and yoga yesterday. I plan to do another 4M tomorrow and Friday. I'm taking Saturday off since ds is having a sleepover, then I'll do my 10M Sunday morning before the Pats game.

This is a busy week and weekend for us. DH had a Board meeting last night, luckily it didn't last long and he was home by 7:30. He has to present projects to the planning Board for Boston, so it's televised and there are always controversial projects. Not usually his, but he always goes last so sometimes it takes awhile if there are alot of unhappy people.

Tomorrow my colleague and I are taking my boss out to lunch for Boss's Day a bit early. I have to go to the grocery store to pick up a Land's End gift card. Thank goodness they have so many different kinds there! Then tomorrow afternoon there's a farewell party for another co-worker [they seem to be leaving our Development (private funding) department in droves -- they have a nasty boss, thank goodness I'm not in that department!]

Friday I'm staying at work all day so I can also take the leaving co-worker out with a group. I don't go out with people from work very often, well, ever -- so this will be nice. DH is taking ds and a couple of friends to an amusement park with Halloween attractions Friday night and then the boys are sleeping over. Hence, it's not a good idea to try to get on the TM Saturday morning. The kids never leave until the following afternoon. DH is going to see Alice Cooper with a group of friends Saturday night. DS and I are going to watch the new Scooby Doo movie and probably some Sci Fi. It seems like a lot of activity, but it will all be fun.

This past weekend we went to see "Rock of Ages", with Constantine Maroulis (from American Idol). It was a really fun show. I haven't been to the theater in forever, so it was nice to get out.

Ok, that's about all I know...

Maria

 

[rubato]

Good evening ladies. I can't sleep since my child is sick. So, thought I'd post! Let's all hope it's not strep.

Maria: It sounds like you have lots going on. I like to keep myself busy too. Less time to eat that way! I think it would do those boys good to have to wake up early to the TM! I just saw the preview for the Scooby Doo movie. I didn't realize they were still making new ones. We'll probably watch it too! The calves are still a little tight believe it or not, but they are slightly better. I can't even begin to imagine why this is happening now. Oh well.

Beth: I'm sorry this project is still going on! My goodness. At least you can shower! 30 miles a week is wonderful! You seem to have no problem with the miles when you are motivated. Eating right is so hard!!!! Ugh!

AFM: I just changed my resort to POFQ for January. I've never stayed there, but thought it would be nice to stay in a smaller quiet resort. I also like that there's just one bus stop and requested the building next to the bus stop. I'm thinking I may have trouble walking.

I am running 4 tomorrow and then, 14 on Saturday. I'm actually nervous. I've never run that far, so it's big for me. Next Saturday is 18. That just seems insane. And, it's still no where near as far as that full!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. And, good luck Vicky. I'm sure you'll do great in your race this weekend!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Tandy - We've stayed at POFQ for the past 3 marathon weekends. It's our favorite "marathon" resort. We like the small size, the food court, and the one bus stop. Pretty much any of the buildings are convenient, and the path between POFQ and POR is really nice for a recovery walk the next day!

Maria - Thanks for the reminder about Boss's Day. We tend to forget, and then have to hear it for the next few months until Administrative Professional's Day rolls around and we give him grief for forgetting us.

Beth - You have me firmly convinced to stay away from bathroom renovations! Next project for us is an oven replacement. Ugh.

16 days till Marine Corps. I was reading the online program yesterday and got all teary eyed reading about the opening ceremonies and all the events along the route, and especially the finish up the final hill. I actually am beginning to feel like I'm almost ready for this.

Jackie

 

[rubato]

Jackie: You must be getting really excited. I have heard wonderful things about MCM, so I can imagine it will be very moving. I'm so happy to hear that you are feeling prepared. That's most of the battle! Thanks for the info on POFQ. In doing more and more research, I'm so happy we're picking this as our resort. If my boys need a bigger pool or slide or whatever, we'll just take a little walk over to POR. I'm mostly excited about the size of the resort and the boat to DTD. I switched my request to building 5 so we'll just be really close to everything!

AFM: I DID IT!!!!! I just ran 14 miles. The last 2 were a little crummy, but I did it in the time I'm hoping to finish my half in. I don't count my water break time, so I'm a little slower than my race time, but I'll be faster on race day, right?

I've been a little bummed. Since we switched to the moderate, we got the free dining with TS. Our last vacation, I was so disappointed in the TS because of the reservations situation, so I was very happy that we were going to get the QSplan with our value resort. Now, I have to make all these silly reservations and hope that we might actually be hungry at those times. I think I'll just be ready to cancel as needed and not worry so much about it this time. Harrison is still so excited about the character meals, that it'll be worth it just for those. I'm just glad I can use those TS credits for a CS meal if I want to.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Tandy - Congratulations on the 14! You will absolutely be faster on race day, with adrenaline and all kicking in.

We managed to do a good deal of eating last year during Goofy. I had reservations for Thursday night (Portobello - don't recommend it), Sunday night (Artist Point - highly recommend it, at least for an adult celebratory dinner), and Monday lunch (Kona). We ate Friday and Saturday nights at the food courts at POFQ and POR, since both had plenty of pasta available, and it was actually really good, at least in my opinion, and a much better value for the money than any of the Italian restaurants on property. But after both races, both DH and I wanted burgers, and badly. We ended up in the MK on Saturday, and we think maybe at the food court on Sunday. I'd just plan on the bigger, nicer meals after you're done with both races!

Jackie

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good morning, Lovely Lean Ones!

I feel like I've been put through an emotional wringer (I totally did it to myself) this weekend, and so I'm just going to do a little report in this post...

Last night:
I just had a weekend like I was so out of everything, except sea salt and vinegar chips, chicken fingers, pizza, and cheetos. I clearly seemed to be big into all of those. I saw some pictures of myself from that "spontaneous" 5K I did and it made me cry. I just look so much bigger than I am in my mind, and it's hard to see or even think that I will ever manage to get myself to a point where I don't look like this (Cue the violins for my pity party). I seem to have the will power and determination of a gnat, and now I'm feeling sorry for myself and I don't want to leave my bed, let alone do anything to lose weight (not to mention go to work).

I also let something someone said (which was actually meant to be complimentary), really mess me up. It went deep to my issues of feeling worthy and "normal" from my childhood, and I still can't quite process it.

I found out there is a new Jean M. Auel book coming out next Spring which will complete the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I decided it's been so long since I read them (I started when I was 13 or so), I'd get them from the library and start again. I have the first one, and for some reason it's not as big as I remember...but anyway, right now I feel like I want to crawl in bed with all the books and not see daylight until I read them, just to not have to think or deal with being me. I realize how ridiculously self-indulgent that is, particularly since every area of my life other than my weight is actually quite good...let's just say getting anywhere near a scale is completely beyond my capacity right now. And I don't think I have a trip to the TM in me, either. With any luck I'll go in and get some office laps going tomorrow and start to feel good about eating the healthy lunch and breakfast I've packed. We're also having turkey chili for dinner, so no reason I can't get back to eating right today. I think I'm having a "fake it 'til you make it" moment.

So, now I've thoroughly brought the thread down....

Today:

You know, I told my dh I was giving up last night. And I meant it, sort of. But then I thought some more, and I realized I just couldn't. I lost 20 lbs last year, and part of me really thinks that should be enough -- but I have a long way to go. Speaking of still being in the game, that's one of the things that inspired me. My beloved Patriots were down 20-10 yesterday, and they could have easily given up. They didn't give up and phone it in, they didn't panic, they just followed their game plan calmly and in the end they won.

It's a new day, and I feel much more like doing and less like "faking". I have my healthy breakfast and lunch, and my dh has promised to actually make the vegetables to go with dinner (he often just skips them, even when I ask), so I won't be so hungry and hit the snacks. I also have a better "just home from work plan", that I'm determined to follow. This is embarrassing, but I often come home, put on my pjs, and don't move from the bed until morning. I know this is not helping anyone. I'm going to commit to staying up and eating dinner in the dining room as a family, and then I will start the relaxing part of the evening.

I know I distort my body image, but it was really hard because I think of myself as an athlete, and I just don't look like one...and I not only still look big, I am still big, so that's another tough one. I just have to keep putting it in perspective. My dh told me I would be twice as big as I am now if I hadn't been losing for the last 2 years, and he's right.

Today is a new day! I told dh this morning that it seemed to me (and I'm sorry if I have this wrong, it's just my perception) that all the people who have really lost a lot are able to manipulate their schedules so they work -- they get enough sleep, they find time to exercise, they eat right 90% of the time. I do not get enough sleep, and getting up to work out at 4:30 is not working for me -- then I'm too tired or hungry late in the day, and I don't eat right. I have created a situation in which I have a very hard time succeeding. So, he suggested I aim to get on the TM by 6:30 (much more feasible), and we will leave for work later (we've been getting in much earlier than we need to, because he really likes to be at work for the extra hours -- but it's making me miserable).

So, my new schedule is:

Up at 6 and on the TM by 6:30
Leave for work by 8:30
Breakfast of Vitamuffin and yogurt at work
AM snack of apple slices and 2 tbsp. raw cashews
Lunch of LC, raw veggies and sugar-free jello
PM snack of wasa crisps and laughing cow
Get home and do Flylady chores (it's been a long time since I did these, and I'm excited to get ready to FLY through the holidays!)
Dinner of salmon, rice and steamed veggies, w/WW ice cream treat for dessert
TV/down time
Bed by 10 pm

I missed the workout this morning, but I can follow it other than that.

For anyone who's wondering -- FLY through the holidays means there's a Holiday Journal (I start cleaning in Oct., but the planning can start anytime), you can download from FlyLady's website which will help you get ready for the holidays. I love using it, it has all space to keep track of meal plans, recipes, gift plans -- what you want to buy, budget, and marking off when you have it and have wrapped it, sizes, holiday travel plans, holiday cards, everything you can think of! This is a great time to get me enthused about doing a better job of taking care of my home and getting ready for all the fun of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas -- I enjoy it all so much more when I know I've done everything I want to and I can relax and enjoy the time with my family! if you google "FlyLady Holiday Control Journal" it should come up, I encourage everyone to just give it a look and see if there are parts that will be useful for you. It seems we have twice the responsibilities around the holidays, and being really organized can be a lifesaver!

Maria