All Signs Point to YES!

Had an amazing time celebrating with friends on Wednesday. Drank and ate upwards of 2,500 calories (est. daily total), but one cannot pass up birthday cake straight from the North End! Leaving half my meal was definitely a good decision. Got the ‘you look good comment’ and knew what it meant. Also got the ‘…and happy!’ follow up. Is it that noticeable (..the happiness)? Answer: YES.

Will be catching a concert tonight after work with my friend Cassie before heading up to Methuen to spend the night in her new apartment. Tomorrow will be divided between hitting the gym, helping her move the last of her belongings, and partying at her b-day shin-dig. What is up with all of these Summer babies? Cancers and Leos scare me!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be going to the gym tomorrow morning before starting our day. The best part? It wasn’t even my idea! Cassie has been doing really, really well. I can’t wait to see her. She has lost 22lbs since the end of June. I am amazed — truly!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Summary and a Wish

Seriously, if you are over-weight and ready for a change that will make you shit your pants, I recommend committing to a task you deem ‘impossible’. It’s not the easiest thing to do (mentally), but I promise you this: it will change your life.

Doing so has changed mine.

The first impossible commitment I made was signing up for a low-impact aerobics class. This was an impossible commitment for a few reasons:

1. I was only a few months into my weight-loss journey. My stamina was capped at twenty-five consecutive minutes on the elliptical locked away in a spare bedroom in my apartment.

2. Exercising in public was not only unthinkable, it went against everything I had stood for within the past five years of my life. I spent most of my time avoiding places where I thought my past might catch up to me (namely ‘townie’ hangouts, bars, etc). I spent the remainder of my time searching each and every room I entered to see if I was the fattest there. Surely moving at varying intensities and speeds in-front of people was out of the question.

3. Exercising/making an ass out of myself in-front of my friend (class was her idea) was also not an option. Hell, I’d rather eat fire at that point.

But I did it.

I did it because I knew I had to push myself. I did it because I knew I had to begin writing a new story and stop living between the lines of my past. Achieving something you deem totally and utterly impossible can be scary. How can it not be? You’ve just spent the last umpteen years of your life insulated beneath the lowest ceiling of possibility known to man feeling comfortable and safe from the outside world (even if completely miserable). When there are so few things in this world that make you feel even a semblance of humanity, it’s painfully easy to do anything and everything to hold onto it.

Don’t.

Don’t hold onto that false sense of security.

It’s bullshit.

Start small.

Get a feel for it.

Get a taste of success.

Use whatever positivity you create and build on it — no matter how big or small it may be (even if it’s so small only you can see it).

Then commit to something you deem impossible.

My second impossible commitment was signing up for a work-sponsored 5K. By this time, I had been alternating between the elliptical, Wii Fit, and low-impact aerobics — hardly what you would call running experience. I stared at that sign-up form for a good thirty minutes before filling it out and submitting it.

As soon as I submitted it, I had a full-fledged panic attack. Not only did I just commit to participating in a 5K, I was going to do it in-front of my co-workers. The last thing I wanted to do was fail — and fail publicly. In fact, I had kept my participation a secret until two-weeks before the event because I was unsure as to whether or not I could actually do it. I could have easily backed out at any moment and sat on the sidelines, but I knew that if I did, I would have remained there for the rest of my life.

Instead, I bought sneakers (at that point, I was exercising barefoot (horrible, I know)), bought a treadmill, downloaded a beginner’s 5K training program, and chipped away at my past. When I discovered that the treadmill I had ordered was defective, I returned it and did the unthinkable: I joined a gym. At that point, I was able to convince myself that I had no choice but to move forward. And I was right.

It was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. I completed my 5K one month ago. I jogged a total of 3.5 miles in 48 minutes @ 211lbs. It could have taken me three hours to do and I wouldn’t have cared one bit. I finished and that’s what mattered.

Now? I am training for a 10K. My mentality lives somewhere between contentment and elation when I think about how far I’ve come within the last eight months of my life. I do my best to stay humble and present, but I just feel so damn good right now that I am bursting. BURSTING. Who says that? AND MEANS IT?

If I had one wish, I would not wish for money. I would not wish for world peace. And I would not wish for a calorie-void pizza pie. Instead, I would ask the Universe to grant my fellow over-weight compadres the courage to make one impossible commitment. And fulfill it.

It’s not an easy road, but I would hardly call living life as an over-weight individual easy. I guess it all comes down to choosing your hard and sticking with it.

I want you to feel this good, too.

Run Paco, Run!

What a great week! Sun, fun, and weight-loss. Does it get any better than that? Absolutely not. My body feels incredible and it’s getting stronger and healthier with every passing minute.

I had another successful week in the gym. I completed all of my 10K training and then some (in the shape of disc golf, of course!) Today marks the start of week three of 10K training and has been my most invigorating session yet. I completed 3 min/2 min run/walk intervals @ 5mph/4mph up from 4.7mph/3.8mph last week. My goal is to slowly increase my speed over time, starting with my interval sessions and hopefully seeing a lift during my distance sessions.

I think it’s working.

I decided to pick up a shift at the warehouse (I work for an online retailer) on Saturday when a co-worker (and friend!) of mine asked if I was interested in working. Did I want to wake up early on a Saturday morning and deal with a Black Friday-esque crowd thirty minutes out of my way? Sure, why not. I knew my friend needed the extra money and had limited transportation options.

Verdict? We ended up leaving two hours later than planned and sat in traffic on the way home. Oh, Cape Cod. You are so wonderful, but really, the traffic you cause is horrendous.

Needless to say, I was beat by the time I got home. After a quick lunch, I decided it was time to lace up my sneakers and head to the Y. Sort of. I figured it might be nice to ‘take it easy’ and hit the track up @ the end of my street rather than running spending an hour on the Hamster Wheel. To my utter surprise, I ended up completing my 2.5-mile jog in less time than I ‘normally’ would have on the treadmill. OK, OK. The time difference was marginal, but it was FASTER. AND. Unassisted! No moving grounds forcing me to clod-hop at a designated speed. It was just me and the tartan. Amazinggggggg.

My day away from the gym tomorrow has been replaced by a day at the gym since I will be going out for birthday margaritas and Mexican food on Wednesday. Woo! I am excited (…mostly because 90% of the people I will be in the company of have not seen me since before December). Oh, and it’s The Girl’s friend’s birthday. Yes. That, too.

I plan on indulging in margs, but only dabbling in the cuisine. Yum, yum in my tum!!

Quick, but Good

No time to type, but wanted to quickly log the fact that I had another big week! 5 pounds down the drain never to return again! Crazy to think that I’m eight-ish months into this thing and I’m still posting some decent (kick-ass?) losses. YES!!

Sweated it out with my dad for two hours playing disc golf this afternoon. The humidity was intense, but one cannot pass up the opportunity to throw plastic in baskets with such an awesome guy. His snack choice, however, was less than awesome (…actually, it was hilarious):

He lost a disc! I lost a disc! And perhaps another pound! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

A Little Reminder

I don’t know what it is, but 10K training is killing me. I am having a hard time completing intervals that I previously slogged when training for my 5K. In my defense, I have increased my speed from 4.5 to 4.8. Does .3 really make that much of a difference? My goal is to be running @ 5.0 by mid-august.

A little reminder for when I want to dive head-first off the treadmill and onto a bed of french fries smothered in nacho cheese.

Starting weight: 271 lbs
Current weight: 209 lbs
Goal weight: 150 lbs

Secret to weight-loss: Diet, exercise, thirst for knowledge, and a lot a glue (to fix your insides, of course).

Future: Uncertain

Lately, I’ve been battling this insatiable need to eat something sweet after every meal. Nice healthy salad? – check. Craving to eat a tub of ice cream? – Double check. It’s killing me.

I’ve given into it a few times (on the weekends and at night), but realized that in doing so, I will continue to perpetuate the cycle and make it a habit. They say ‘cravings last for fifteen minutes’. We shall see.

Other than that, I have nothing much to report. OH! Except for nearly dying on the treadmill last night. About forty-minutes into my training, I thought I was going to die. You know how it is…

First you foam at the mouth…

Then you pass out…

Then you crap your pants after losing the ability to control various muscle groups…

Then your heart explodes (which turns out to be a Godsend after having just shit your pants in public).

Of course, quitting is not an option. I stayed the course and finished without crapping my pants or experiencing a blown artery. Still, I began to wonder how in the world I am going to cope with repeating this beating five days a week (not technically, since two of those days are cross-training) for the next eleven weeks.

I never did come to a conclusion.

Duration: 60 min
Mileage: 4.62 mi
Calories burned: 795 kcal

Total calories consumed: 1432 kcal
Total calories burned: 3295 kcal
Total calorie deficit: 1863 kcal

Not a love letter

Dear Mother Nature,

I lost zero weight this week and I am blaming you. Your early arrival and side-order of cramps are not appreciated. I hope you die in a fire.

Best,
Rachel

Inspire Others

Things have been chugging along at a steady pace this week. Been sticking to my exercise and eating regimen for the most part. Missed my workout on Wednesday due to domestic drama and have consistently blown calorie allowance by 100 or so cals for the past few days, but all is well in the land. Aerobics class served as my ‘cross-train’ workout yesterday and it kicked my butt — goodness style. Mmm. Sore muscles.

This whole weight-loss effort has taught me some wonderful lessons. The newest lesson that I’ve learned is a logical, yet hard one to employ: lead by example.

Now that my lifestyle has improved umpteen percent, it seems that the people around me are starting to take a good look at their lifestyles. For example, my best friend Cassie. She is very overweight (not as heavy as I was, but close and getting there fast). Even though I have been striving toward improving my health and fitness, I haven’t been pushing my lifestyle changes on anyone — including my family and closest friends (some of whom could really benefit from doing the same). I am a big believer that people need to hit rock bottom or decide for themselves that it’s time to start taking steps in the right direction. No matter how much you preach your case to someone, it’s ultimately up to them. I am always willing and happy to talk shop once engaged, but preaching is pointless and may be interpreted as rude.

Before I left for Washington (3.5 weeks ago), I asked Cassie if she would consider participating in the 10K with me. Her response was simple: ‘OK’. Verdict: She joined the gym that day and has been going religiously ever since. She didn’t lose herself in the mental and emotional labyrinth of being over-weight by ‘mulling over’ her options or beating herself to death with emotional baggage. Instead, she took action without hesitation. In a few short months, my best friend will start to feel wonderful, powerful, and beautiful — things she (and the rest of us) ought to feel on a minutely basis.

In addition, The Girl has mentioned that she would like to lose twenty or so pounds and improve her fitness level. She also wants to give up soda. SODA! This is big. This is huge. The Girl is a soda machine! Giving up soda would be the equivalent of a crack addict retiring their pipe. Ah, what a wonderful world it would be if she did not drink that chemical concoction. I think she can do it.

Anyhow. Point is: leading by example is a powerful tool and a great way to not only keep yourself on track, but at the same time, inspire others.

Do you lead by example?

Warning!

After a few days of smashing my calorie goals to bits (…dramatic?), I am back on track for the most part. I blew my goal by 104 calories yesterday because of two reasons:

1. NUTS. Yes, nuts. I’m starting to incorporate more nuts into my diet now that I am able to keep my eating in check for the most part. Yes, I know nuts are good for you. Yes, I know they are full of heart-healthy fats and omegas, but Jesus Christ! A tiny portion of nuts is equal to nearly 1/5th of calories for the day (M-Th). ONE TENTH. 210 calories for twenty nuts is a JOKE!

I will continue to eat the nuts, but I will not be happy about it.

2. Super tasty buffalo flavored tortilla chips made from ingredients I can actually pronounce! The flavor is mild, but it’s there. Such goodness. I had a serving, but did so knowing I would be over my calories. Bottom line: it won’t kill me.

Today is day three of my 12-week 10K training program and I am stoked. Monday was my first day back on the treadmill since vacation and I have to admit, the first two minutes of jogging nearly killed me.

What the huh?

I slogged (slow-jogged) 3.5 miles straight 2.5 weeks ago and I could barely complete two minutes. Of course, after a few minutes of intervals, I got into the groove, but it was much harder than I would have imagined. Interesting stuff! In addition to burning legs, I experienced a high level of anxiety while I was preparing to go to the gym. Perhaps I was experiencing pre-’groove’-jitters. Either way, I may have let that get to me in the past, but excuses hold very little water for me these days.

Standard-size chairs, consider yourselves warned!

Whoops

I’ve been walking a fine line these past few days with my eating. I’ve missed my calorie goals by +200-+500 since Thursday and today was no exception. It’s probably been the ‘worst’ day of the bunch, as I kind-of-sort-of binged a few hours ago (two sushi rolls, 100-cal chocolate bar, slice of left over pizza, two organic rice krispy treats, and a soy ice cream bar within a two-hour span…).

It’s been a while. Not sure what to think, but figured I’d write about it quickly before heading to bed.

I am so super excited about hitting the gym tomorrow to start my 10K training. Training technically started today with 45-60 minutes of ‘cross-training’. I woke up late (when I drunkenly set my alarm for 10p instead of 10a @ 3a this morning) before heading to the Sox game @ noon to meet my father. By the time I got home from the Sox game, the gym was closed. Instead, The Girl and I tossed Frisbees around for 45 minutes in the park across the street and swung on the swings. I also made sure that my father and I walked to and from Fenway Park when applicable.

Another plus: I lost 2.5 pounds between June 26th and today. I wasn’t able to weigh myself while I was in WA and so I am sure not when the loss actually occurred, but I am pretty pleased to have gone on vacation and still managed to lose weight.