COUNTDOWN

We are at the end of March and day #31 is nearly complete.  I have plenty of calories left to use today, so even with a half slice of cheesecake, I'm well under my count.  Great news is that we are now more than half way through the couch to 5k program.  We enjoyed beautiful weather today so the run was particularly pleasant.  We had two 8-minute intervals with walking before, between, and after the intervals.  The 8 minutes seemed like a long time, but I really didn't have any problems completing the intervals.  Friday is our 20-minute jog.  Unbelievable!

Work was very busy today.  The last few mornings I've had slow starts to the point that I've had to grab a Trader Joe's fig cereal bar for breakfast at the office.  Tomorrow is the last day of the week for me and since it's another busy day, I'm sure it will go fast. Pilates/yoga is at 4:30, and that is something I look forward to.

I hope this week's weigh-in goes well. It's been a good week, but so was last week.  I hope I'm over the hurdle.  Another successful day.

31 Down, 69 To Go!

Is it really day #30?  That's not an error?  Where did the time go?  I just finished my early lunch and recorded my exercise for the day - 50 minutes of pilates this afternoon.  Even though I'm not feeling the best today, and I'm tired, I'm sure I can make it to pilates.  I've been really tired the last few days.  I wonder if part of this is because it is my weekly break from the progesterone cream.  I'll limit the break to five days and start again tomorrow.  It seems to help me with more than just night sweats and hot flashes.

Well, I may need to go home to take a short nap now, and finish my proposal work a little later.  I am really exhausted.

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It's later, following an afternoon nap and pilates class.  We just enjoyed a very nice dinner and I'll finish the night off with Trader Joe's light popcorn.  The exercise is the only thing that keeps me within the calorie count each day. 

I'm still tired, so I'll be doing some reading this evening and then call it an early night.  I need to catch up on my sleep. 

Despite the fatigue, it was a successful day.

30 Down, 70 To Go!

Winning the battle of the bulge is about sticking to your game plan, even when you don't want to.  That describes tonight.  I was so tired on this rainy day that I needed to crawl into bed for about an hour when I got home.  I sure didn't feel like running.  I had planned to go the Y later this evening, but the rains let up enough for us to run outside. So I pushed myself out and managed to jog, even though it was at a pretty slow pace.  The important thing is that I did it.  This is the start of week 5 of the program and we have a flawless record thus far.  We'll keep cranking away at it; April 30 is the last day.  That's just one month away.  Wow! 

It was a good day on the food program as well.  I have my lunches prepared for the week so I should be fine on that end.  I don't have plans to eat out at all this week so it should be easy to stay within my calorie count.  I hope the effort shows on the scale on Friday, but I'm a little worried about having that needle stuck for yet another week. I know I've done well this month, but I sure could have used that 2 pound loss to bring my total to 10.  Now I'll  hope to reach that goal this week. I just have to keep plugging away.

29 Down, 71 to Go!

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm hoping for a nap.  It was a rather disruptive day. I took Alex to Busch Gardens  I asked her if she had taken care of her teeth/braces before we left, to which I got the usual, "Yes, mom." There we were standing in line for the first ride when I noticed that her braces were all full of the ramen noodles that she had for breakfast.  I was so pissed with her.  She just never learns.  You would think that she would be embarrassed by the fact that the dental hygienists always have to call me back to show me how poorly she is taking care of her teeth and braces.  It was just last week when this happened, yet again.  She promises to do better, but changes nothing.  Well, this was the last straw.  I told her that from now on, if I find that she hasn't taken care of her teeth, we will simply leave, regardless of the event. That includes Busch Gardens.  We left the park.  She wasn't happy, but she has to get the message that this is important and I am dead serious.  She sat in the back seat on the way home and we didn't speak.

I also told her that as long as she doesn't take care of her teeth, then I own her.  I will tell her what to do and she will do it.  Sorry, but if you can't be responsible for taking care of your teeth, then you aren't responsible enough to make decisions.  After she cleaned out her braces, I told her to put on some exercise clothes and pack herself a sandwich for lunch.  Her punishment? A beautiful 10-mile bicycle ride, including a 3.5 mile loop on a bike/walk path through the woods.  We stopped to eat our sandwiches, at which time she was talking to me again.  But she is so incredibly slow.  I had to stop and wait for her periodically.  She gives up on the hills and walks her bike, even though this was her first trek out on her new 21-speed mountain bike.  She seems afraid to push her muscles.  It's like that with the walk/jog program as well. I just don't get it.  Anyhow, it was a good ride and I'm glad I got out for a long ride.  Hopefully, some of this will soak in and she'll start being more responsible.  She's just going to have to play by my rules until she can demonstrate responsibility.

While I have a lot left of today, I'm calling it a success.  I have cheeseburgers on the grill planned for dinner, and should end the day with plenty of calories left, thanks to the bicycle ride.  We were out for two hours, though too much of the time was spent waiting on Alex.  Still that's a good calorie burn.

28 Down, 72 To Go!

It's a chilly Saturday morning - frost on the ground.  The William & Mary van arrived, so Alex is off celebrating World Culture day at the campus.  I have the house to myself.  Yippee!!!  I had planned on going to the Y this morning, but I worked out really hard yesterday on the treadmill. My calf muscle is a little tight and I could probably use the rest.  I have to admit that while last night's cheeseburger was fantastic, I felt uncomfortably full all night long.  My body has gotten used to eating smaller meals. 

I'm going to pick up some Easter treats for Alex this morning.  I have plans to meet Jit for lunch today at Panera bread.  I already picked out a half sandwich and soup for my meal, a total of just 350 calories.  I find that the biggest calorie saver is water.  Switching from a soda to water really cuts down on the calories; plus the soda has nothing but sugar and junk in it anyhow.  I still have a Pepsi now and then, but it's no longer a necessity.  Cutting down on the beer intake also helps tremendously.

Tomorrow I had hoped we could go to Busch Gardens, but the forecast doesn't look very favorable.  We will probably wait until next weekend.  Friday will be my day off and Alex has the day off from school, plus the temperatures are supposed to head back into the 70s, so that will be the day to go.

Well, well, I have a visiting orange cat on the back deck.  It will just be a matter of minutes before my cats see him.  He's been here before.  My cats are all finished with their outside adventure and it's sleepy time for them, so they'll be fine.

Looks like it will be a leisurely day.  I needed one of those. 

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I did not keep within my calorie goal today.  No big splurges.  I was just starving.  I had to have a slice of bread with cheese or I would have gone to bed starving.  I had about 1500 calories today, and not enough exercise to make up for the excess.  But that's okay.  Most days I'm not so hungry. Today was unusual.

I stopped at Sports Authority this afternoon before meeting Jit.  I found a pair of Columbia quick-dry shorts on the claearance rack so purchased them. Only problem is that I won't fit into them for another 10 pounds.  So they are now my "goal shorts."  It was too good of a deal to pass up. I then went to Marshalls across the street and picked up some very nice atheletic/running shirts at a good price.  So I spent some money, but it was all geared to the fitness side of things.

I haven't decided what to do tomorrow yet.  Sleep would be nice.  I did all my cooking and shopping today, so tomorrow is a free day.  I'm pretty tired, so that's first on my mind.  Tomorrow I will have to crank up the exercise so that I don't exceed the calorie limit.

27 Down, 73 To Go!

I was excited to weigh myself this morning, only to find that my weight hadn't changed.  I hadn't even lost an ounce.  I had an absolutely perfect week, but some weeks are just like this.  I am somewhere in between weeks 3 and 4, and if I remember from watching 'The Biggest Loser,' that is generally a tough weight loss week.  Perhaps the body is adjusting and is trying to find some equilibrium before the weight loss pattern continues.  I've reached hurdle #1 of the program, and I will simply leap over it and continue down the course. 

The nice thing about charting my weight off and on for the better of the last three years is that I know how my body responds.  Every three to four weeks, even with things going perfectly, I can expect a weight gain or no change.  I looked back through my charts and saw that my lowest weight in probably the last 5 years was 155.2 pounds - June 20, 2008.  I won't make that weight by the end of my 100 day program, and I will have to start a new program when this one is finished.  Yet I hope to see 155 pounds again in August, before we take our trip to Wisconsin.  That's how I blew the diet last time.  It won't happen again.

Today is a run day.  The temperaturs are actually dropping and it is a cold rainy day.  I will go home, change, pick up Alex, and run on the Y treadmill this afternoon.  It's a short day today so we shouldn't be faced with too many people in the gym.  Until later....

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Alex and I completed our workouts on the treadmill.  It went really well.  We followed that up by eating all of the calories we had just burned.  I've been starving for a New York Deli cheeseburger and onion rings, so we stopped by our favorite restaurant.  The meal was excellent, especially topped off with a Sam Adams.  It put me over my calorie limit for the day, but not by much.  I haven't been over my calorie count in weeks, so I'm totally fine with my decision.  Tomorrow I will go to the Y in the morning and work out, which should compensate for some of tonight's meal.  While the days are going fast, the weight loss seems too slow.  But I've done well in hindsight; 8 pounds in one month is nothing to sneeze about.

26 Down, 74 To Go!

As of tonight, I am 25% through the program.  Yeah me!!!  Tonight I had a bit of a challenge--eating out.  I haven't gone out to eat much this month, and with tomorrow's weigh-in, I wanted to be extra cautious.  We went to a Thai restaurant to meet up with my friend Tracy and her young son Asher.  Ended up with take-out, a sometimes-necessity with a toddler in tow.  I had tom yum soup and a bit of Alex's chicken fried rice.  I'm well within the calorie zone for today.  It was good to see Tracy again, though difficult to have a conversation.  I'm glad Alex is older and I have more of my independence back. 

We came home to four grinning cats, or at least they appeared to be grinning.  Tracy has to put her cat, Sphinx, down tomorrow, so we appreciate them all that much more.  These four cats have supplied us with much pleasure and are all so different in personality.  We have been very fortunate that they have all been so healthy.  I hope they all have long lives.  We let them outside to play on the weekends during the day when the weather is nice.  It's their opportunity to find new homes or return to the wild, but they come inside when it's time to use the litter box or sleep on the bed.  They enjoy their lives here and we certainly enjoy their company (most of the time).

Pilates-yoga class was wonderful this afternoon.  My muscles felt really relaxed after the class.  Now it's getting late and I'm headed to bed shortly.  Another successful day!  Tomorrow is weigh-in day.  Wish me luck.

25 Down, 75 To Go!

It's time for an afternoon break.  The day has been productive, but I'm not sure that I'm up to tackling the next task, which requires concisely writing the central piece of a proposal.  I'm much further along on my thought process than I was this morning, so it's all good.

I have about an hour before I head home, though I may leave earlier today.  We are having such a beautiful day that I extended my 20 minute noon time walk into a 40 minute walk.  I still have to run when I get home, but I don't think it will be a problem at all.  It goes quite fast.

Last night, for the first time in a long time, I was feeling hungry when I went to bed.  Today I've had some periods of hunger as well.  With the extra exercise, I have plenty of calories to eat tonight.  I'll have a little snack shortly, and then tonight I have Trader Joe's chicken tacos planned for dinner.  For once I have lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa in the house so it will be a real Mexican meal.  I even turn the DISH channel to the Mexican music channel when we have this meal. It helps us enjoy it more, and we are forced to sit down at the table together.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be day #25 already.  I'll be one-fourth of the way through the program.  It has gone fast.  I've done very well on the weight loss effort, though I have a long ways to go.  If I can knock off 2 pounds this week, I'll have lost 10 pounds in 25 days.  I'd like to be able to lose another 10 pounds in the next 25 days, which would put me in the mid-160s.  It's possible, as I'm still terribly overweight.   I expect things to slow down considerably in the latter half of the program, as weight loss slows down as you get closer to your goal weight. 

Break is over.  I'll check back in tonight.

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The run went pretty well.  I felt a little faster on Monday, but I really didn't have any problems with the 5-minute jogging intervals.  After I ran I worked on our bicycles--putting on our new cushiony seats and bike bags.  Dinner was wonderful and filling.  I have almost 500 calories left for the day, but I'm through eating for the day. The exercise really isn't making me hungrier, which is interesting.  Pilates/yoga tomorrow.  Another succcessful day.

24 Down, 76 to Go!

I'm taking a tea break and a mid-afternoon snack break (banana and prunes).  I will leave for pilates in an hour and a half, so this is a good time to take a little break during the work day.  I accomplished a lot this morning and I'm beginning to fade now.  The big news of the day, thus far, is that I am now registered to run in the Chick-Fil-A 5K Run on May 29.  It will be held in Newport News at Mariner's Museum, so it's very close and convenient.  I should be through with my couch to 5k nine-week program by the end of April, so I will hae an additional month of preparing for the race.  On May 29 I will be on day #90 of my 100-day program--almost to the finish line.  The race will inspire me to finish the last 10 days in fashion.  Besides, I hope to be about 15 pounds lighter by race day.  That will make a huge difference in my speed and endurance.

I took a short walk over the lunch hour and ended up at the bookstore.  I picked up a Runner's World magainze and found a foldout of the Rock 'n Roll Marathon/Half Marathon series.  One of the Half Marathons is in Virginia Beach in September.  A few years ago I was going to get in shape enough to walk it, but never did.  It's hugely popular.  Now I'm thinking that maybe that will be the next goal after the 5K.  Could I run a half marathon?  I'll take one step at a time, but there it is, swimming around in the back of my brain.

I have my dinner planned and entered into myfitnesspal--tomato soup and a cheese sandwich.  It just feels like that kind of day, as it is chilly and overcast.  I have enough calories left for another glass of wine, but I'm not sure that the wine was really worth the calories.  It really makes you think twice when you plan to splurge and then the splurge is really rather disappointing. 

I'm tired out, but I should finish the day strong.  I'm eager to get to Pilates class.  Just three more sleeps until weigh-in day.  Come on pounds, melt away!

23 Down, 77 To Go!

I'm caught between post-lunch break and a meeting, so I may as well use this time to start the day #22 blog.  Spring has arrived in Virginia.  The trees are blossoming and the Zyrtec is flying off the shelves.  I am into my second month of allergy relief medicine and it has made a huge difference.  I haven't had any down time since I started using Zyrtec.

I had a healthy lunch, though a little later than usual.  I have a meeting at 2:00 and will then race out of here to take my daughter to the orthodontist.  I have a banana for the drive.  I've already decided on dinner - turkey meatball sandwich with chips and a pickle.  That just puts me at 900 calories for the day.  Without exercise, I can have 300 more calories.  With exercise, I can have 580 more calories, but I don't expect I'll be hungry after dinner.  I guess I can have a slice of cheesecake after my workout if I like.  It seems odd to have such an extravagance on a Monday.

The difference between previous weeks and today is slight--instead of rice with my turkey meatloaf, I am having Valley Fresh Steamers - potatoes with green beans - and I'm having chicken breast that I made in the crockpot with tequila lime sauce, limes, and oranges.  The potatoes come in at a much lower calorie level than the rice.  I'm definitely not hungry, so I'm not sure how it is I have so many calories left for the day.  I really credit the lack of hunger to the eating every 4 hours rule.  It takes the bite out of hunger.

I'm looking forward to the run tonight.  A new week and a new challenge.  I'll report back post-run and post-dinner.  All is well.

*****

WOW!!!!  I had a fabulous run.  The velcro knee bands arrived today, so I was able to try them out.  They go right below the kneecap and for the first time since I started this program, the knee pain was really minimal.  Between that and the glucosamine, I may just turn into a runner yet.  My run speed was good today--probably enhanced by yet another poor report on Alex's dental hygiene.  Even though it was expected, I am still pissed with her.  I should not have to be called in every time to discuss this girl's brushing habits, especially since she has a Sonicare.  Well, I chewed her out and then chewed out the miles on my exercise program.  I'm really pleased with the way it went.  I ended up doing the loop in the subdivision twice and on my second loop, I didn't see Alex anywhere in sight.  She returned at least 10 minutes behind me, claiming that she jogged.  I'll just let her go at her own pace.  Perhaps she will eventually speed up.  She is certainly not competitive.  I can't imagine letting my mother outrun me.  I would have been appalled!  Especially an overweight mom.  Oh well, my focus is ME, not my daughter!  I am doing this for myself, and you know what, I am enjoying this program and feel stronger every week.  It's time to sign up for a 5K run!

I also found a few things to add to my diet for the day--some leftover Bush's baked beans from the party, and also a new discovery - some white zinfandel that someone left from the party.  With those additions, I am just at 1200 calories and certainly don't feel hungry.  This is very strange, but I'll stick with it.  I certainly don't feel like I'm making any sacrifices on the food front.

A great day!  22 Down, 78 To Go!