Yep, I Did It!

5lbs GONE! Total weight-loss: 53lbs and counting. I am officially at my ‘pre-Washington’ weight of 218 pounds. Unbelievable!

I am 90% sure I would have continued to gain weight even if I never made the move to Washington (I gained twenty pounds during my senior year in high school alone!). I was on a downward spiral and moving out west only accelerated it. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe it was better to gain a shit-ton of weight in a short period of time and hit rock bottom after five years rather than spreading it out and hitting rock bottom after ten or even twenty years. Yeah! I like the sound of that.

Onward!

Progress

I could have been more productive today, but I could have just as easily laid in bed all day and ate Cheetos until inches of powdery cheese clung desperately to each of my fingers (do people still eat those things?).

I went food shopping at both Trader Joe’s and Wholefoods this afternoon and got all kinds of yummy fruits and vegetables (all pre-sliced, of course — an ode to laziness). On my way into the apartment, my sandal got caught in the door and I went down hard! I have rug-burns on my forearms to prove it. The bags flew across the room and I couldn’t help but lay on my back and laugh into oblivion. It was hilarious.

In other slightly-productive-news, I launched one of my client’s new website this afternoon. Of course, it would have been too much to ask for it to go smoothly (blah blah blah server security issues causing her contact form not to work blah blah blah). My programmer friend and I spent a good hour trying to fix the issue to no avail. Before I knew it, 6pm rolled around and that’s when it hit me: OH CRAP, the Y closes at 7pm! I literally dropped everything I was doing (broken contact form and all) and hauled to the gym. I was able to get a decent forty-five minute workout in before I was (literally) kicked out. It had to be done.

Tomorrow is the day I hit the 50lb mark. And if I don’t? Someone better have 9-1-1 on speed dial because I am going to freak-the-fuck-out. Maybe not, but seriously. If this thing is a science (…and I fully believe it is), I should be in the clear tomorrow. As long as I don’t eat that salmon I bought today (which contains a shocking 1190mg of sodium), I should be good to go. Key word: should.

I know, I know. Fifty is just a number and I shouldn’t measure my success in numbers (but rather in the fact that 90% of my t-shirts now fit like nightgowns and my underwear gives me perpetual wedgies because they’re far too big), but it’s FIFTY POUNDS, peeeeeople.

At any rate, I thought it would be neat to round up my previous Inspire.com user pictures and line them up to see my ‘progress’. While I don’t think the results are terribly mind-blowing, I do see a difference. I’m going to have to dig out a scanner and post a decent photo of my license because that’s where the shocker lies. Every time I get carded, I can’t help but wonder if the person carding me thinks I am amazing or thinks I am a complete tool for looking like that at one point in time. I guess I’ll never know. HA!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Thank God it’s Friday!! Even though I had Monday off, this week has been an absolute killer. I am looking forward to the weekend even though much of it will be spent tying loose ends (freelance-wise) so that I may finally be able to cut back. YES!

I have been feeling more and more like my ‘old self’ lately. Rather than being able to count my ‘good days’ (emotionally speaking) on one hand, I’m having a hard time remembering when the last time I had a truly ‘bad’ day despite my (sometimes) hectic schedule and occasional bouts of annoyance. I cannot begin to express how empowering it if for me to be using my body in the ways that I have been lately. Honestly, I don’t know how I was ‘getting through the days’ before. Can we say ‘auto-pilot’ much?

Even though I have been training for this 5K for over a month, these past two weeks have been far more intense than previous weeks. When I first started, I loosely stuck to the Week 1 schedule for a period of two weeks before heading off to the desert where I gorged myself on fat and sodium bombs. Since my return, I dove head-first into Week 2 and will have completed Week 3 on Saturday.

The changes my body has undergone cannot be ignored. I (quite literally) feel like a totally different person. I have no doubt in my mind that I will indeed hit the 50lb mark this weekend and I have no doubt in my mind that the ‘Paper Towel’ theory is completely true. I feel that I am becoming closer to reaching that cardboard core of goodness.

For example, I’ve been wearing my sister’s college hockey jacket for the past few weeks (since it’s now too big for her). It was a bit tight around the waist/hips, but I had an inch or two to spare. Even though I’ve been wearing it pretty consistently, it wasn’t until this morning when I noticed a gap between the bottom of the jacket and my hips. Um? I wore this thing yesterday and that gap did not exist! Thus, ‘Paper Towel Theory’ = true.

I’m still waiting for people to tell me I look great (compliments have been far and few between!), but that crap doesn’t matter anymore. I feel great and I know it’s only going to get better.

Binge & Seek

Ohhh boy. After dodging back-to-back bullets on Saturday and Sunday, I ended up devouring four slices of cheese pizza Sunday night. Granted, the pizza was as thin and freshly made (by the nice Italian gentleman down the street) as can be, but really, did I need to eat four slices at 10pm?

Probably not.

Was it delicious?

Absolutely.

In all honesty, I didn’t eat the pizza. I binged. I was in a funky mood when The Girl mentioned pizza. My response was borderline ridiculous: ‘If you pick it up, I’ll eat it.’ Who says that after an afternoon of decent eating, calorie counting, and delicious fat-free, sugar-free pistachio frozen yogurt (…and you thought my handle was just some witty name I came up with…)?

I was busting at the seams after two slices, but I kept on. I recall warning myself that a long night of stomach aches and nausea was a real possibility, but I kept on. I probably would have eaten more if there was more to eat. Alas, I ate 1/2 of the pizza and absolutely could not touch The Girl’s slices for fear of impending doom. The truth is, I knew exactly what I was doing and I did it anyway. Just when you think you have this thing licked, eh?!

To ‘make up’ for it, I went balls-to-the-wall yesterday with exercise and activities. I showed up at the YMCA around 9a and completed my workout even though it was completely packed. I felt slightly uncomfortable given the volume due to the holiday schedule, but I got over it fairly quickly.

After wards, I returned home, loaded up the car with laundry and headed to the ‘mat. I was there for a good two and a half hours (thanks to forgetting to start a dryer of towels!) even though I had JUST spent Friday there as well. Ah, the mistake of not staying on top of your laundry/owning a hundred towels and blankets. When will we learn?!

As soon as I got home, I unloaded the car and headed north to play some disc golf. The course = giant suckage. The baskets were in the middle of the woods and we couldn’t find the 7th hole to save our lives. After an hour of pelting trees, we left. We made a pit-stop at one of our favorite Sushi places, enjoyed a bite, and headed on the road toward home.

I jumped out of the car as soon as we pulled into the driveway and headed to the park to practice my ‘drive’. Little did I know that two of my friends were there waiting to play basketball. My friend Lindsay busted my toe-nail from fifty feet away with a Frisbee, but I school her ass when it came to basketball (as per usual).

All in all, it was an amazingly active and enjoyable day. I felt like a kid again, and I am looking forward to summer days filled with good weather, good people, and good fun.

Calories consumed: 1,686
Steps taken: 24,494
Moderate activity: 3 hrs, 8 mins
Vigorous activity: 38 mins
Calories burned: 4,409
Calorie deficit: 2,723

I am Awesome

I just finished up an amazing workout and I feel like I could do it all over again. I thought you were supposed to feel beat after a workout, but I generally feel empowered, amazing, and very sweaty.

Today’s workout consisted of walking @ 3.8 for 1 mile, running @ 4.5 for 5 minutes, walking @ 3.8 for 5 minutes, and then back down to 3.8 for the remaining eight minutes. I was supposed to complete three sets of intervals but instead, I did four. Why? Because I did this same exact workout on Monday and I remember begging for it to end. It was a struggle, and the only way I got through it was to trick myself into thinking I was going to cut the running back to three minutes after the first set. I wanted to smash through it and I did.

WOO!

Time to get clean and head to Methuen for BBQ goodness. I hope I can ride the high of being awesome long enough to make great choices this evening. I’m excited for tomorrow’s weigh-in, but I’m not expecting a huge number even though I’ve been near perfect with my food choices/calorie goals this week and I’ve stuck to my workout schedule 100%. Damn that Crimson Wave.

Chicken Parm & Alarm Clocks

Another morning workout is in the books. In all honesty, when my alarm went off this morning at 5:30a, I immediately sat up and let out a whiny, ‘I’m tiiiiiiired!’. I reset my alarm for 7a and laid back down. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was wide effing awake and decided to get up.

It was as if I immediately defaulted to being ‘tired’ within .6 seconds of waking up. I almost didn’t give myself the opportunity to wake up! Crazy.

The workout itself was great. I did three miles of intervals — 3 minutes running @ 4.5 / 2 minutes walking @ 3.8 plus a 5 minute cool down. I was in and out in forty-five minutes. I even managed to refill the tire before I got home and stopped at the store for some bottled water. I made the usual trek to Shaw’s before heading into work and picked up some Chobani and watermelon. Yum, yum. I’m toying with the idea of having salad for lunch since I went out to dinner with a few past co-workers and indulged in a Chicken Parm sammie.

The best part? It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill grease pocket. The chicken breast was breaded, baked, and smothered in fresh, chunky marinara sauce with a layer of fresh Buffalo mozzarella cheese. It was nicely portioned atop a baked slice of bread — open-faced style. Nom, nom, nom!

Such a good choice, if I do say so myself.

In other (more exciting) news: my period has been completely regular for the last few months and it’s awesome! Look, I’ve had my period since I was ten years old and never has it been regular (ever) so I am allowed the celebrate the fact that I can literally pin-point the day it’s going to arrive! Rather than being cursed with it a few days early each month (which probably meant more periods over the course of my lifetime!), it’s now pretty freakin’ predictable. I’m thinking it’s the exercise.

WAHOO!

Morning Workouts

I have no legs! I have no legs!

I am in so much pain that my mind has decided to detach my legs from my body so that I may function for the remainder of the day. Yowzer!

It’s quite obvious that I made it to the Y yesterday. However! Not only did I go last night, but I also went this morning. It was a double whammy of the grandest kind. I’ve been toying with the idea of switching over to morning workouts for some time now, but decided against it for the following reasons:

- I attempted to workout one morning when I first started exercising and it was a disaster. I’ve been hesitant ever since.

- The thought of waking The Girl up before it’s time for her to get ready for work is a scary one.

Morning workouts may be better for me because I am often busy after work with freelance and/or hanging out and/or doing other miscellaneous things. I like the idea of getting my workout done and not having to worry about ‘finding time’ in the evening.

For example, my friend Lindsay mentioned the possibility of having a ‘movie night’ tonight while I was talking to her on the interwebs yesterday. My brain immediately defaulted to ‘Crap! When am I going to workout?’ It was decided: I must switch to morning workouts (or at least attempt to).

Unfortunately, working out this morning didn’t mean I was off the hook for last night (although the thought did cross my mind!).

My plan was to workout at 8:30p-10p yesterday evening, rush home, go to sleep, and workout again at 6a, but the Universe decided to throw a mini wrench into my game plan in the shape of a flat tire. That tire will be the death of me, I am sure of it. We’ve needed new rims for a while now but have been putting it off due to winter (the tire doesn’t leak as much in the cold) and due to The Girl losing her job. For the last year, we’ve been going out of our way to refill it every few days, but it’s gotten much worse. It needs to be filled almost everyday now! It’s time to take the plunge. The Girl was kind enough to drive it to the gas station down the street and refill it for me (since I’m what some may call a ‘careless driver’ on the best of days). I showed up at the Y around 9p, cut my workout a mile short, arrived at 10:15p, and jumped into bed at 10:45p (a new record!).

I was uber paranoid that I wasn’t going to wake up this morning and that I was going to miss my workout somehow. I kept waking up in the middle of the night wondering what time it was. UGH! But, I got up, got dressed (…sort of), and busted out Day Two of my scheduled workout. I was home by 6:55a, jumped in the shower, did my thing, headed toward the bus stop at 7:30a, stopped at Shaw’s for my daily dose of yogurt and fruit, and made it to work for 7:53a — seven minutes to spare!

I still can’t feel my legs, but the thought of not having to workout this evening is a great one. Tomorrow is my ‘day off’, but I will most likely find something to do that does not involve a treadmill.

Little Boxes on the Hillside

Still hunting for that cardboard box.  If all else fails, I will order a super-sized mattress box from some eco site. $36.00 is worth it. Damn that treadmill to pieces!!

The Girl and I are planning another trip out west to visit family and friends in Washington. I would really, really, really like to be under 200lbs by the time we leave, but it’s not looking good. My last weigh-in put me up to 226lbs which brings my total vacation-weight-gain to 3lbs. That’s not too bad with all things considered, but I’m not sure how realistic a 4.5lb loss for the next six weeks is.

I will try, though. I WILL TRY (Sug, you too!). If I stick to my workout schedule, I should be able to lose at least 3lbs/week (…which would be equally awesome!). The last time these people saw me, I was tipping the scales at 272! Anything, quite frankly, is better than that.

Off to the YM-CA tonight. I will attempt to repeat tomorrow morning at approximately 5:50am.

Clawing My Way Back to Normalcy

Do you know how hard it is to find an extremely large carboard box for a treadmill that needs to be returned? Yeah, it sucks.

The treadmill I purchased is defective and needs to be sent back. I won’t lie. Initially, I was ready to accept the fact that it would never decline as desired (in order to decline, you must first shut the machine off and let it sit for a good ten minutes). Why? The thought of having to disassemble, repack, and move that thing to the foyer is terrifying. However, after the The Girl vs The Treadmill debacle happened, I became enraged enough to submit a return at Amazon for the ‘mill. Wasting $800 isn’t an option when I’m pissed.

If I can’t find a big enough cardboard box, I’ll probably have to resort to breaking down and taping together smaller boxes in order to create a blanket o’cardboard. What a pain in my ass!

Buying a treadmill was a decent idea, but now that I am faced with the option to do it all over again, I am going to have to decline. Instead, I became a member of the YMCA as of 4pm EST yesterday evening. I like the idea of having my own equipment that I can use at my leisure, but I don’t feel like dealing with it anymore (especially since the rowing machine has all but stopped working completely as well).

I’ve been a member of the Y before when I lived in Medford and enjoyed it to some degree before I stopped going completely. The upside is that there’s a Y located at the end of my street (literally) and one ten minutes down the road in the opposite direction (score for living on the edge of multiple cities). I signed up at the one ten minutes away because it’s much nicer (by leaps and bounds) and $8/mo cheaper. Odd. I’m pretty sure my membership is valid at both (et all) facilities if I can’t muster the strength to make the ten minute trek (shame on me!).

I’ve got to make it over there today because I haven’t had a proper workout since returning (slash leaving for) the desert. I need to get back on track and train for that damn 5K (which is next month) and might switch to morning workouts in order to do so.

In other news, I am 90% done with those two looming freelance gigs and I have decided to take on fewer projects during the summer. More outdoors and less computer time makes the world go ’round.

Yippee!

Wingebag

Bah. The weather is so dreary and the humidity is almost unbearable. I miss the sun, the dry heat, and the blue skies. It’s kind of depressing.

I’m back on track and came in under my calorie goal for the day yesterday. I have fruit, salad, and smart snacking to thank for that.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good workout in. I ran a mile and then got side-tracked. The Girl and I attempted to put a towel under the treadmill to keep it from moving when in use. The Girl tipped it up too far and sent the console crashing down. We fixed it, but I was not in a good place when it was done. I had just ran a mile and I was hot, sweaty, and irritable and just over the whole thing at that point. I gave up and headed for the rowing machine. Three minutes into my session, the display stopped working. It doesn’t work at all now.

To top it all off, I haven’t been sleeping well for the past few nights. I slept like magic in the desert, but now? It’s back to crappy sleep. I was clocking 7.5 hours of sleep out of 8 (according to my gadget) when I was out west. I’m back to the same 5.5 hours out of 8 as I was before I left. I don’t get it. I really don’t.

Yay for shitty moods!