Another flat line

Seriously... no movement on the scale this week. Again. Zero. Still stick on -22.3 lbs.

I just don't really get it, but, as with last week, I made enough bad choices mixed in with good ones that the fact that they cancel each other out isn't so terrible, I guess...

I've got a week ahead of me! My folks are in town briefly (they come in today, and leave Wednesday). Tonight, we'll go out to dinner somewhere, tomorrow, we'll spend the afternoon visiting friends and then we have dinner reservations at our favorite place. Then, by midnight Wednesday, I need to finish a paper and spend a bunch of time in the discussion groups online for my classes.

On Saturday, I'm going to go check out the launch of the new BodyPump classes they're starting at my gym! I'm excited, but nervous, as I hear it can be exhausting. But I'm giving it a shot.

On Sunday, I have a 3 hour timed midterm to take (already!) so I have to plan around that.

And somewhere in all there, I'd like to find time to run at least once, if not twice!

I don't know if it will all get done, but those are my goals for the next week.

Hope you all meet your own goals for the week!

Thanks for reading!

Whoa. My birthday is a month from tomorrow. That's real.

Finally, an update! Whoo hoo! I'm watching the calendar tear by me, and see the end in sight... and what do I have to report?

The bad news: I haven't lost any more weight.

The good news: I haven't gained any more weight.

I'm still at a total loss of 22.3 lbs and holding... and holding...

I have about 4 and half weeks left (i've decided that I'm going to do my final weigh in on the morning of my 40th birthday, Friday, October 8th). And, I really would like to see that 22.3 be 25. But I'm not so sure that will happen. Not going to dwell on it right now. Let's catch you up!

1) I started an online program at Boston University. This is sucking up as much time as they said it would (about 15 - 20 hours a week). This is impacting my ability to work out, and my ability to blog (you are the unfortunate victim in this scenario, and for that, I apologize). But, I did get to run twice this weekend, and I'm still doing my best to work out in some fashion at least 3 times a week.

2) I kind of hurt myself last week. I pulled something in the pelvic region (whichI don't recommend, if you're looking to pull something) in my pilates class, and it really took several days for me to get past pain when walking. I took it easy for several days, and reminded myself that I'm very lucky I haven't had more significant injuries on this journey

3) I am still determined to finish Couch to 5k by my birthday. I am on week 7, which is basically all running, no walking. It's gross. But I'll get there. By the end of "week" 9, the run is for 45 minutes or something like that. I can't even imagine you crazy people out there that enjoy that sort of thing (yes, husband; I'm talking to you)

4) This part I like... I was asked to be a "Success Story" for my gym for promoting one year since they launched pilates reformer. They'll include me on a flyer for the promo, including my before and after pics. Now, that's kind of cool, don't you think?

5) I bought cute running shorts. The kinds that have a built-in liner. They didn't bother me at all, and I wasn't uncomfortable. They didn't make me fall in love with running, but that was probable expecting too much from one garment. And I just bought a hydration belt (a belt that holds small water bottles) so that I can run outside without wanting to gnaw on the side of a tree for moisture after running for a mile. That's the sort of thing that will get you humped by a moose in New Hampshire, I think. Which, to be clear, is not my goal...

Thanks for reading!

Lazy days of summer?

Well... My face is red. Has it really been 10 days since I posted? How embarrassing...

First of all, nothing to report, plus or minus, in the weight loss department. If has been pretty steady. I am not sure why. I haven't been eating excellently. I haven't been working out a lot (3 times in the past 10 days). My energy and mood has been all-around lower. I am grateful not to have lost ground, but I am not sure that is for any reason other than luck.

I think part of it is in already knowing I won't make 30 pounds, so there is a small aspect of just knowing already there is some failure there. But some of it, quite frankly, is just plain laziness. I am not proud of it, but it is true.

I am using C25k as a vehicle to get back on the wagon. Doing Week 6 over (before heading into Week 7, which is all running, no walking) to rebuild a bit more endurance back up, and moving forward with completing the program before this 60 weeks end (shouldn't be a big issue, given that I have about 6 weeks until my birthday.) But I know I need some discipline to get back on track and keep moving to the end goal.

Whoa... 6 weeks until my birthday? That's fast!!

Thanks for checking in again to see if I have updated, and thanks for reading!

Just a quick update.... more tonight...

Just so I can get a quick note in on my weigh in -- more about the weekend and my challenges when I've got time to post tonight.

This week's weigh in: -0.2 lbs.
Total weight loss: -22.3 lbs.

In case you're wondering, I'm very happy about this being a negative, even if only a smidge, after the weekend I just went through! The key was, even though I ate poorly, I didn't eat a lot of the bad things... bad food + portion control = not as much of a train wreck as it could have been!

More later, and thanks for reading!

Not too much to talk about... but challenges ahead

Kind of a boring week... nothing too interesting to talk about, I'm afraid.

This week's weigh in: -0.4 lbs.
Total weight loss: -22.1 lbs.

I've been very focused on getting my husband ready for his big 12 hour mountain bike this weekend.... My next personal challenge is getting through a weekend of camping and hanging at a big festival of mountain bikers surrounded by lots of crap food and lots of beer.... Hoping not to do too much damage, but I expect it will be very difficult to find healthy food and stay focused when in the middle of the woods for most of the weekend! There will be barbecue there for dinner for the event, and most of the rest of the time, eating will be whatever I packed for our campsite. It's been hard to find things that work, that are okay to be unrefrigerated or in a cooler, and don't need to be heated or cooked in any way. I'm still working on it.

Of course, me sticking to my diet is no way near as challenging as my husband riding in a 12 hour mountain bike solo! Yep, about 8 and a half mile loop, over and over again, for 12 hours, by himself. Pedal pedal pedal!!

A post of minimal value

Honestly, I have nothing very interesting to say... I've just decided that, when my blog gets clicked on, by you or by me, my "BEFORE" picture shouldn't be the first thing aaaaaanyone sees.

So, my aim is to provide a posting here that is long enough to bounce the picture a little further down the page.

Have you read "The Monster At the End Of the Book"? It's been a favorite of mine since I was about 3 or so.

It prepares the reader for the scary monster at the end of the book.

This post prepares you for the Monster on the next post.

(No... I don't think of myself as a monster... it's just a little startling when it's the first thing that shows up on the page!)

Thanks for reading!

Starting Me vs. Week 50 Me... the Pictures!