I'm going to Disney, even if I have to run there!!

[lurkernj]

I'm BAAAaaaaak,

So I left off Friday heading to lunch with a girlfriend, I did have a tasty salad with fruit nuts and cheese. I also was concerned about my exercise dilemma, so I took one vacation hour so I could get some in. I went to the gym for a bit with my spare time. When I was leaving, I was approached by one of the managers offering a "free assessment" when I come in again. I thought "well, why not" so I made an appointment for Saturday. I knew the purpose was to try to get me to purchase personal training sessions, which I wasn't entirely opposed to. I'll get to that in a moment. The rest of Friday was great. I had some chicken and cauliflower soup then went to put makeup on the kids faces for the riverwalk. Then I set up the snack table and sold snacks, of which I didn't eat any. In fact, in anticipation, I brought a Kashi bar in case I was hungry to stave off the temptation. So, all in all, a pretty good day.

Saturday I went to the gym for my appointment. I apparently need to lose 47 lbs, and have 37% bodyfat. So we went along with the rest of the appointment and did some exercises and had some discussion about lifestyle etc. Then came the high pressure sell. Like I said, I was actually slightly interested in getting some sessions, but apparently it is $149 inital fee, plus $30 per 30 min session, and you have to sign at least a 3 month contract for a minimum of one session per week (but would need to work out 3x per week for it to work- so twice on my own). My brain quickly added this up to over $500 over the course of 3 months (he suggested I needed at least 6 months, but could start with 3). I said I thought that was pretty steep and that my husband would kill me. He suggested I call him right then and there (I did not). Long story short, I was finally released and given another appt time for today at 4p to give him a final decision. Honestly, if I wanted to do it, my husband wouldn't really care, but I felt that was a big committment of money and time. When I really thought about, it over the weekend, put the money part of it aside, it would be crazy of me to think that I could commit to going 3 times per week for 3 months. My time is not my own right now and while I am planning to get to the gym more, I can't gaurantee it is always going to be possible. Now I'm left with this awkward feeling that I don't want to go to the gym anymore. Currently I'm planning to go today to tell him no, but I'm sure it's not going to be easy. I might just chicken out and call him.

The rest of Saturday was pretty good. I made a pot of that weight watchers vegetable soup, I did add some white beans to it for protein. I had that for dinner with some chicken before I left to put makeup on the kids faces for the riverwalk. I got home at 10:30 Saturday night from the riverwalk. I was hungry and DH brought me takeout from the church roast pork dinner that he served at that night. So I made a small plate of pork, mashed pots, and some string beans. I don't really consider that bad, since I didn't really eat much dinner prior.

 

[lurkernj]

Sunday, I went for a walk with my BFFs in the morning, then ran/walked 3.1 miles on the treadmill while watching Castle. Foodwise I did pretty good. I continued to eat the veg soup with chicken since I knew bookclub was approaching. DH made his famous fried chicken and some homemade cookies (this only occurs 1 to 2 times per year, don't get the impression that he's some domestic goddess). I'm not a big fan of fried chicken, so I passed, which he knew I would. This is mostly for the kids, and two of my nephews came over to join in the chicken chomping. I did have half a cookie just to taste, and they were good.

I got changed for my bookclub, remember we had to wear costumes for a halloween party. I ended up just attaching a beard, making my eyebrows thick, and donning a suit and tophat, intending to be an amish man. They all thought I was a hacidic jew, so maybe I was. No offense was intended if anyone perceives it as such. We had a great time. There was some bad food and I ate some of it, but tried to controll portion. Dessert was caramel/chocolate covered apples (I split one), and white chocolate covered bananas (I only ate half). So all in all, it was a pretty good weekend.

Today I was planning on going to the gym, not sure about that now with the awkwardness. If I don't, I will go on the treadmill and maybe do some miscellaneous exercises at home. This week should be good as there is not much going on for a change.

So here we are on Monday and the results are in...

I went to the gym 3 x
I ran on the treadmill 4 x
I walked with BFFs 1 x
I had 7 out of 7 good food days

Today I got on the scale and was down 1 lb

Edited to add, just realized I was counting from last Thursday and not Monday, so it is actually 3 lbs this week. Much better.

So the total for 2 weeks is 5 lbs. Not bad.

I was certainly hoping for more since I felt that I had a pretty good week. I'm going to attribute that to the fact that I drank 5 water bottles yesterday, and ate a decent amount at book club last night. I think I'll check back around Wednesday/Thursday to see if it's different.

I will say that my pants fit better today. I could button them without sucking in. So if nothing else, that feels good.

 

[dragitoff]

I personally believe it's more about how you feel and how your clothes fit rather than what a scale tells you! Muscle weighs more than fat. You have to remember that as well.

 

[Desiree]

Despite only being down 1 pound you had a GREAT week from the looks of it. I still consider all that you did, a non-scale victory.

And I hate those high pressure salesmen. I'll stick with my YMCA and if I feel I want a change from that, I may look into an Anytime Fitness or something. The fact that you are doing well on your own is more than enough incentive to get you through right now. Now if later on you reach a plateau and want to change things up a bit, maybe then you should reconsider a trainer, but I think for now, you are in good shape.

 

[lurkernj]

Despite only being down 1 pound you had a GREAT week from the looks of it. I still consider all that you did, a non-scale victory.

And I hate those high pressure salesmen. I'll stick with my YMCA and if I feel I want a change from that, I may look into an Anytime Fitness or something. The fact that you are doing well on your own is more than enough incentive to get you through right now. Now if later on you reach a plateau and want to change things up a bit, maybe then you should reconsider a trainer, but I think for now, you are in good shape.

Thanks for the encouragement. I was just thinking it over and realized that I was only counting 1lb from last Thursday (when I snuck on the scale), not monday. So actually is was 3 lbs last week. I felt better after I realized that.

 

[lurkernj]

I personally believe it's more about how you feel and how your clothes fit rather than what a scale tells you! Muscle weighs more than fat. You have to remember that as well.

I always think about that "muscle weighs more than fat" thing, which of course is true, so I'd like a combo of the scale dropping and clothes fitting better. I realized after I posted that my loss for the week is actually 3 lbs, since I forgot to count the 2lbs from last Thursday. So total is 5 lbs in 2 weeks. I feel better now.

 

[lurkernj]

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. I never did make it to the gym. I got out of work 30 min late and also didn't feel like dealing with the uncomfortableness of him trying to get me to reverse my decision. I did call to let him know I wouldn't be coming in at my assigned time, he was with someone, so I didn't have to defend my decision yet. I think I'll attempt going for my regular workout again today. I went on the treadmill instead and did 2.25 miles. I was feeling really lazy yesterday, so even that felt like a big effort.

I also had a pretty good food day, lots of vegetables, although I ended the day with two small cookies and a small glass of milk.

Today should be a good day too. I have plenty of time to exercise today since nothing is going on tonight. So my plan is to go to the gym after work, then treadmill tonight.

 

[Desiree]

Sounds like a good plan! I did good on food yesterday too even though I didnt get to the gym either. But no excuses today! I will go today after work!

 

[dragitoff]

Keep it going! I know it's tough with a family, but try to not let anything get in your way of exercising! It's great that you're pushing to do something (whether it's the gym or treadmill or both) every day.

 

[lurkernj]

I was on my way home from work yesterday and thought it was such a beautiful day here in NJ, that maybe I'd take my show on the road. I decided to blow off the gym(I really need to get over that issue!), and try running on the street. First I drove around and checked out distances and came up with two scenarios. I could do 2.5 miles or add in a last loop around my own large block to make it right around 3 miles.

It was around 4pm by the time I got started, and there was a great breeze blowing. This was a first for me, I walk frequently, but never run on the road. I never noticed how much harder the ground is than the treadmill. I guess you get that little bit of give on the treadmill since it's "suspended" a little. I also had a hard time gauging my speed. I fastwalked for 3 minutes then thought I'd run for 3 minutes. Well, I only made it 2.5 minutes before I had to walk, since I believe I was going too fast. I think this was a trend for more than half of my trek.

I finally made it to the 2.5 mile mark and had to make a decision whether to continue or just cross the street to my house. By this time, I found my stride, so I decided to do the last half mile. I was pretty proud of myself, as my time was about the same as on the treadmill. I attribute this to running too fast in the beginning, as my walking did feel slower. I did walk more than I ran, but I'll work on that as time goes by.

Then, DS16 came home and started bugging me about going out for pizza and wing night at a local tavern (every Tuesday). This is a favorite among the men in my house. I checked with DH and he was in too, so we went out last night unexpectedly. I ordered chicken on a whole wheat wrap, with lettuce tomato and honey mustard. This was pretty tasty. Of course they got the wings and pizza. I'm not a huge fan of this, so I really didn't feel like I was missing out. I did have one wing, and two bites of pizza, and that was enough for me.

I also declared myself sick of the vegetable soup after eating it for lunch again yesterday. I'll freeze it and have it next week. I still have some cauliflower soup in the freezer from last week too. Today I'll just have a lean cuisine for lunch with some fruit.

All in all, a pretty good day. Today there is nothing immediately after work. I do need to go to Sams club at some point to get snacks for the riverwalk this weekend. I don't think I'll run again today, as I do feel it in my shins this morning, not much, but I would rather rest it. I think this is going to cause me to finally make an appearance at the gym.

 

[dragitoff]

As a recent convert from the treadmill, I will agree it is more difficult running on the road vs. a treadmill, but you can't beat the feeling of fresh air and the scenery constantly changing. It's a rush in itself. I despise the days I'm forced back onto the treadmill due to heavy rain or whatever other reason. Great job! Keep it all up. We're rooting you on!

 

[Desiree]

I was on my way home from work yesterday and thought it was such a beautiful day here in NJ, that maybe I'd take my show on the road. I decided to blow off the gym(I really need to get over that issue!), and try running on the street. First I drove around and checked out distances and came up with two scenarios. I could do 2.5 miles or add in a last loop around my own large block to make it right around 3 miles.

It was around 4pm by the time I got started, and there was a great breeze blowing. This was a first for me, I walk frequently, but never run on the road. I never noticed how much harder the ground is than the treadmill. I guess you get that little bit of give on the treadmill since it's "suspended" a little. I also had a hard time gauging my speed. I fastwalked for 3 minutes then thought I'd run for 3 minutes. Well, I only made it 2.5 minutes before I had to walk, since I believe I was going too fast. I think this was a trend for more than half of my trek.

I finally made it to the 2.5 mile mark and had to make a decision whether to continue or just cross the street to my house. By this time, I found my stride, so I decided to do the last half mile. I was pretty proud of myself, as my time was about the same as on the treadmill. I attribute this to running too fast in the beginning, as my walking did feel slower. I did walk more than I ran, but I'll work on that as time goes by.

Then, DS16 came home and started bugging me about going out for pizza and wing night at a local tavern (every Tuesday). This is a favorite among the men in my house. I checked with DH and he was in too, so we went out last night unexpectedly. I ordered chicken on a whole wheat wrap, with lettuce tomato and honey mustard. This was pretty tasty. Of course they got the wings and pizza. I'm not a huge fan of this, so I really didn't feel like I was missing out. I did have one wing, and two bites of pizza, and that was enough for me.

I also declared myself sick of the vegetable soup after eating it for lunch again yesterday. I'll freeze it and have it next week. I still have some cauliflower soup in the freezer from last week too. Today I'll just have a lean cuisine for lunch with some fruit.

All in all, a pretty good day. Today there is nothing immediately after work. I do need to go to Sams club at some point to get snacks for the riverwalk this weekend. I don't think I'll run again today, as I do feel it in my shins this morning, not much, but I would rather rest it. I think this is going to cause me to finally make an appearance at the gym.

It is quite a difference running outside! I do enjoy it too. It helps clear my head and I'm not constantly worrying about what people think of me like in the gym. Good for you for going that extra 1/2 mile too and staying op with the eating! You're doing great!

 

[lurkernj]

Yes, it was definitely different. Initially I wasn't digging it, as I felt like I was literally "pounding the pavement". I felt so heavy when my feet hit the ground. After a while I got past it, and it did feel really good. I also liked that I wasn't all sweaty when I finished since it was pretty breezy and most of my path was in the shaded neighborhood.

 

[lurkernj]

So, DS16 was home from school sick yesterday (sore throat/congestion) and called me around lunchtime to pick up some supplies on my way home (coughdrops, lipton noodle soup, oj). Of course I had to take care of my baby, so when I got out of work, I stopped to get those things, and a few others while I was there. Then went home and made him the noodle soup, some tea, etc. It almost feels good when he's sick, as he doesn't really need me much anymore, except for a ride and some money, so it's cute to "take care of him" sometimes. DS13 mentioned he felt like he was getting sick too, so he also got some special treatment.

This took a nice chunk out of my afternoon. It was around 4:15 at this point. I decided to go run some errands like banking, target, etc. When I got home, I started dinner then did some arm weights for a bit in between. My knee was bothering me a little, so I didn't want to run, but was feeling guilty, so I went for a 2 mile walk after dinner. This of course made my knee feel worse, but functional. I went to Sams and got home after 8. The knee does feel better, but I should probably give it a break. I once again bought the caramel apples, but didn't have one last night as I was tired and just wanted to watch tv in my bed (kids were having a Burn Notice marathon with the downstairs tv).

To my delight, I get upstairs and DH is already in bed watching Twilight. He's already seen all of them once, but since the new one is coming out in a few weeks, I guess he thought he'd brush up (he willingly goes to see these with me).

Foodwise it was a pretty good day. Dinner might not have been the best, but I used some portion control (it was potatos, peppers, onions, and pork loin).

So, of course I woke up this morning with a very sore throat. I'm not feeling good at all, but I have a meeting at work today that I really can't miss, so I am here. I'm thinking I might take off any exercise today between the throat, the knee, and the shins (gosh, I must be gettin old). If I feel up to it later, maybe I'll do some core stuff on the mat that doesn't require much leg movement.

It is my day to drive the crosscountry carpool, but I'll just cross my fingers that they get done early enough to catch the late bus. Our dog also has a vet appointment tonight. DH has to take him since hes too big for me to handle, but I was planning to go with him to at least help out in the car. He apparently has lymes disease. Which from what I gather, they will put him on antibiotics for a few weeks and this should get it under control.

I had already planned on making homemade chicken soup for dinner, which couldn't happen at a better time, and I have the cauliflower soup at work today, so food intake should be decent today.

 

[Desiree]

Sorry it seems like you all are coming down with the crud. Please take care of yourself too! Don't sweat the exercise, just get to feeling better first and foremost!

I have a dd, who is 17 so it's nice to take care of them still (even if they are sick). My dd, is finally turning "normal" again. Lemme tell ya, between ages 13-16 those were a doozy!

 

[lurkernj]

Ok, so I've been slacking in my journaling and exercising. Friday I stayed home sick from work so I could rest since I was committed to selling snacks at the riverwalk at night. I slept til 12:30 I did force myself to do 2 miles on the treadmill, mostly walking. Saturday and Sunday I stayed on the couch most of the time since I felt even worse, and we bizarrely have a bunch of snow, so no exercise for me. I've not been eating much so it's probably been a wash, but I hate starting over with running again. I felt like I was making some progress and now I'm going to be going backwards. Hopefully tomorrow I will start getting back into the routine again.

Just to update you all, DH took the dog on Thursday and he now has to take 5 pills once per day for his lymes. I devised a simple way to make that happen. I slather a piece of white bread with peanut butter and place the pills in the middle, then smush it up into a ball. He loves it. He also has an eye infection that I get to put antibiotic cream in twice a day. He's being a pretty good sport about it all.

Not sure if I'll make an appearance at work tomorrow, as I still feel terrible. Lots of sneezing and congestion. They actually don't like us to come to work sick, so we don't get everyone else sick. It would be nice to sleep one more day, then hopefully start the normal routine.

 

[dragitoff]

Hopefully everyone (including your dog) gets well soon so you can get back into the exercise rotation! DW was sick a few weeks ago and couldn't run for about a week. She said she didn't know what was worse. Trying to run while sick or being told by the doctor she couldn't run until her antibiotics were in her system for a few days.

 

[Desiree]

Hope you all are feeling better today! (Even the doggie!)

 

[lurkernj]

So, I'm a day late with my summary. But didn't get on the scale yesterday.

I'm back at work today and will do some form of exercise tonight, though I doubt it will be running since I am getting short of breath easily.

Halloween was pretty good. My kids still trick or treat (even the 16 year old). I'm not too fond of older teens trick or treating, but there were about 12 of them going, and made sure he at least wore a costume. Nothing peeves me more than a group of teens at my door with no costume on. You have no choice but to give them candy, as you know they'll be coming back with some eggs.

When he came home, he didn't even have much candy, as apparently the whole purpose of going out was to put hundreds of plastic forks in some kids lawn. (apparently this same kid mischiefed my SILs house Sunday and my son was getting revenge for her) DS13 was with a large group also, and ended up spending most of his evening at one of the girls house (with the whole group). DH and I stayed home with some chinese food and a NY Rangers game (which they actually won). We had about 12 trick or treaters, which is a lot for us, since we live on a main road.

I ate NO CANDY. And didn't even want any.

So, to summarize last week:

I had 7 out of 7 good food days
I ran/walked 4 out of 7 days
No trips to the gym

Lost 2 lbs

I'm sure that's due to the lack of appetite, but whatever it takes! So that's a total of 7 lbs down now.

This week I will definitely get more exercise in and keep to the proper eating plan.

Thank you all for your support!!!!!

 

[Desiree]

Wow despite you being under the weather you did AWESOME this week! Way to go and 2 pounds to boot! You are rocking it! Great job with the candy! I didn't do as well as you but I only had 3 pieces which is next to nothing compared to what I normally consume! But as of today nothing else, I'll bring the rest of our stash to work and hand it out there. I don't want it in my house!