Monday

I need to come back to this! I need to become accountable to myself again.

Life has been so crazy lately and the weather so chilly that I have lost focus. I have time off next week and we are planning to fill our week with Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Laser Tag and other active activities. For me, it will be a great kick start. It's funny, even with regular exercise, those activities use a different set of muscles and I can always tell I worked out played hard.

Plus, with time slowing down and all the stresses of preparing for the holidays behind me, I will be able to be better focused on eating right. It's not that I have been eating that horribly, but a pick of this and a pick of that at holiday events has started to change the amount (and type) of food I am wanting to eat.

I even purchased a Groupon for Zumba classes and will be taking Zumba with a friend starting in January - can't wait. I have always wanted to check it out and now I have a great way to check it out and if I love it, I can sign up for more.

Tuesday

I was definitely feeling yesterday's Chest and Back workout this morning. Today's workout was Plyometrics. As I sit here, I am already starting to feel the effects of the workout. You know, it is part of what I love about it. I can tell that I did something in my workout. It is a good "pain".

I had really good eating intentions this morning, I packed myself a spinach salad, an apple, a clementine and yogurt. Then, there was lunch as a team before our meeting and I had fish tacos. They weren't too bad for me, but I had a cookie and a bottled drink with it...an addition that wasn't needed. Otherwise, eating was fairly reasonable today.

Tomorrow's workout is arms. I think I am up for it.

Monday

So, I started back to P90X this morning. I can already tell that my arms, chest and core had a workout. I think the challenge is that I am approaching it as someone who has done it and forgetting that it has been a while. As with any activity, even though I have been active since last doing it, I have been active in a different way and the way that muscles the are called upon during this activity is different and so it's like they haven't done a thing in forever. Like rollerskating...always leaves me with sore legs, even though I run and exercise.

Eating has been a challenge. Overall, I think I did okay with consumption, but I was starving all day. Something about P90X, even the strength days, it makes me feel really hungry the first week or so. Then, my body gets used to the demands.

I had hoped to fit in a walk or short run, but the rain kept me away.

Time to think about sleep - I have Plyometrics tomorrow! It is my favorite, but it is tough too!

Monday

Well, I started my day with good intentions. Then, I came downstairs to check the weather before putting on my work out clothes. Pretty much cancelled work out plans. As always, I got wrapped up in doing this, that and the other thing and without being ready to go out...I lost all motivation. I got some stuff done, which was good, but I wish I would have worked out.

I did get some walking in...I walked the neighborhood for Trick or Treat with the family. Now, I just have to make sure that I'm not tempted by all of those treats in the house.

Eating...oh boy! I have stopped being consistent in tracking. In fact, my notebook where I jot it all down at, has been in my car for a week now. Not a good thing. I still act like I am making good choices, but I know that there are little things that are sneaking in and then there is that occasional good plan, bad execution. Like today at lunch. I filled over half of my plate with salad, then, I stacked two slices of pizza and some chips on the other side. The point of filling with salad was supposed to be so that I only had room for one slice, but I failed at executing that plan.

Wednesday

Oh dear...what a day.

It was raining when I woke up. My kids were up when I woke up. It's amazing how they can completely impact your best laid plans when they are up too early.

I was able to do my dishes and all the normal mommy things that I do in the morning, but when I tried to do my work out, I had to give up before I was done. They were fighting and complaining and I couldn't focus. Still, I did 2 of Tony Horton's 10-minute Trainer workouts. I still got a workout, it just wasn't all that I wanted.

Lunch was not a good scene. A pizza and nacho lunch was hosted by the department. I could have elected to not eat it, but nachos...the crunch of the chip, the cool of the sour cream...they were just too inviting. I did skip soda and stayed with water and only had a half a piece of brownie.

Then, I had to make cookies for my daughter's Halloween party. I made my favorite cut out cookies. You know how I know that they are good? I can eat them completely plain and thoroughly enjoy them. I only ate one cookie, but I'm sure I snuck more than a little dough.

#s to Go: 21.6#

Tuesday

What a day! I headed up to the high school this morning, hoping to run on the indoor track. Except, when I arrived, the doors were all locked. I talked to someone who said that despite the paper reporting morning hours, there are only evening hours. I was very bummed. I wound up running back towards home and finishing with a quick loop around the block.

Eating was probably less than desirable today - I had two cookies at lunch, cookies with frosting. I am not sure what possessed me to do that. I felt bad after eating them - honestly, my body isn't use to consuming that much sugar all at once. I didn't do a good job of tracking calories today - probably because I didn't want to admit how many calories that might have been.

I did fit in a walk at lunch though, so at least I can feel a little bit better about today.

#s to Go: 21.2
Calories Consumed: too many
Calories Burned:
2.78 mile run/walk; 12:13 pace; 394 calories
2.72 mile walk; 16:35 pace; 348 calories

Wednesday

Yeah! Even with a dinner out with a friend, I was able to have a positive result on the scale.

The weather was blah this morning and I had to leave home at 6:15 am for work this morning, so no run (or other work out) for me this morning. Some catered meals, a cookie and some M&Ms leave me feeling like I may have overdone it a bit, especially since I didn't work out.

This is a short post, but that is really all I have to say tonight.

Time for a good night's sleep.

#s to Go: 22.6#

Tuesday

I ran 4 3/4 laps straight this morning. I took a 1/4 lap break and ran for 2 more laps. I might have gone further, but I was alone at the track and decided that running towards home was a better option. Of course, as I was leaving, someone pulled up to the track to work out. Oh well! Maybe in a couple of weeks when the time changes, I will stay longer by myself since there might at least be a glimmer of light.

At lunch time, I went for a 2.7 mile walk with a co-worker. Our pace was a little bit off at 16:00 minutes (normally we do 15:00 minutes), but it was still a good workout.

I made sure to watch during the day, as I was preparing for my dinner out. My friend and I had both gotten in on the free Steak offer from Outback a few weeks ago and we went out to enjoy our free steak. I enjoyed a Skinny 'Rita (150 calories), 1/2 a loaf of bread (150 calories), 6 oz steak (254 calories), Broccoli (109 calories - must have had some butter), and 4 oz Mahi Mahi (100 calories). I was prepared to share a slice of cheesecake, but since our server brought us our checks when our plates were still half full, we decided we could skip it - seemed like he was anxious for us to leave.

#s to Go: 23#
Calories Consumed: 1468 calories
Calories Burned:
3.3 mile run/walk, 11:40 pace, 470 calories
2.7 mile walk, 16:00 pace, 400 calories

Monday

Wow! I really am not so good at this "daily" thing.

I was very proud of myself for running a straight mile, plus. It was really a matter of convincing myself that I could do it. I am sure that I have been physically ready for a while now. After all, I have been running most of my 3 miles each day, with just short walks between.

After a crazy weekend of not really monitoring or measuring, I did my best with watching today and still wound up at about 1500 calories. Tomorrow is dinner out with a friend, so I will just have to plan for it and do my best. I will try to look up info before I go, so that I can be prepared for how to eat during the day and what to get/avoid at dinner.

# to go: 24.2#
Calories Consumed: ~1500
Calories Burned:
2.77 mile run, 13:00 pace; 450 calories
1.5 mile walk, 15"00 pace; 200 calories

Tuesday

Well, little progress from yesterday. And, as you may have read, I was lazy.

Eating was actually quite a challenge for me. Without working out, I was uncertain what to have for breakfast - certainly, I didn't need to have a protein bar or shake, but I had so few portable options. I decided on a granola bar and banana - easy to take on the go. For lunch, I went out with some friends for a post-birthday celebration. I got fajitas and skipped the shells. I had a bit of rice, but I also had some tortilla chips. I seemed to have the munchies, so I found myself picking at small candies all afternoon - you know those individually wrapped caramels, mini-candy bars, etc. Certainly not ideal. Then, my husband suggested dinner out. We headed to Red Lobster. Of course, I couldn't skip those awesome Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I tried to be good, but I think I had 2 1/2 (at 150 calories each - ouch!). I had the Caesar with the dressing on the side (270 calories - so a little less with the dressing on the side). I had the Endless Shrimp - but went with the grilled option and added broccoli as a side. (probably about 350 calories) So, that would be likely 700+ calories at dinner. Not awful, if I had planned for it, but eating out at lunch too and having a candy buffet all afternoon, I didn't even want to try to add it all up.

#s to Go: 24.4
Calories consumed: too many
Calories burned: not enough

Monday

Well, really it is Tuesday morning and I am being lazy. I woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off and it was wet outside and I turned off my alarm. I got up about 1/2 an hour later and had great intentions of putting on a DVD, but it didn't sound that exciting and so here I am playing on the internet instead of working out. I guess I am taking a day off.

The weekend was another whirlwind adventure and it sort of stymied my "recovery" from vacation weight. I lost since last Wednesday, but not as much as I would have hoped for.

Monday morning, I was not lazy and did fit in my run, just in time. It started to rain as I was cooling down. My pace was off a bit, but it was pretty cold and I had to walk a few places - once because the sidewalk was covered in puddles in mud, of course I took a few steps in before I realized how bad it was and once because a random yellow lab came to greet me, (s)he might have been the nicest dog in the world, but I wasn't taking any chances. As I wrapped up, I also lost a little bit of time as I talked to another neighbor that I see sometimes at the track. If I knew he would be there consistently, then I could plan to go up on those days. I guess maybe next time I see him out, I might have to ask if he can let me know when he is going, so that I feel comfortable. Only thing is - he does like 1 1/2 miles and I do 3...so it won't be complete, but some.

Eating was average yesterday. I did really well until dinner. It wasn't awful, but we had bread and olive oil dip. I had planned to have two slices, which fit well in my plan, but I had a third slice. Then, after a baseball award event, I came home and had a cupcake sent home from my niece's birthday party - yummy, but unnecessary calories.

#s to Go (Monday morning) - 24.6

Wednesday

I had a really good run to start my day. I impressed myself. I stayed in the neighborhood because my friend wasn't heading for the track. I started out planning to run as I had before, 5 minutes on, part of the next 5 minutes, 5 minutes on, etc. But, instead I pushed myself. I simply tried to run as much as I could. I ran the first 5 minutes and beyond, then when I felt I needed a moment, I would drop to a walk, but would try not to walk for more than a 2 house distance. I must have done okay, I ran/walk 3.28 miles in 35 minutes. I'm still not to the under 30 minute 5K that my friend is now running, but considering that I still walked a portion of that distance, I feel really good about that number - my pace was 10:38 per mile.

Did you catch my post on the RunKeeper app? I really like it. I do find myself imploring the woman in the phone to talk to me, so that I can take a few moments and walk when I am running on time. But, besides from the likely funny looks I would get if someone heard me talking to no one, it is a great app.

Eating was good. Managed to forget my banana, again!

I felt really good when I checked my weight at bedtime, despite seeming to be up in the morning, I weighed less at bedtime than I had that morning. ??? Seems odd, but I will take it.

#s to Go: (morning) 26.0
Calories Consumed:
1350 calories
Calories Burned:
3.65 miles run/walk, 10:57 pace, 595 calories
1 mile walk, 15:00 pace, 120 calories

Tuesday

I started my day today with a run/walk. It felt awesome. I wasn't sure I could do it, and there were points on the first portion of the run where I didn't think I would get to the end of the lap. But, I kept pushing and I did it. I ran/walk on a 2/1 lap pattern. In the end, I ran 2 1/8 miles of the 3 3/8 miles at the track. I was very proud of myself.

A good run has it's drawbacks though I guess, because now I am dog tired. Falling asleep on the couch when I have a to do list a mile long (still trying to do the things remaining from returning from vacation).

Eating was pretty good. I forgot my banana this morning when I left for work and I found myself very hungry as lunch approached. I had my Chef Boyardee Be the Chef House Party tonight, I tried the dishes, but think I did good with the portions. I counted a full portion of each of the dishes that I tried, but think I had a little less than that.

Now off to get a good night's sleep.

#s to Go: 25.4
Calories Consumed:
1441 calories
Calories Burned:
4.69 mile walk/run; 12:05 pace; 630 calories

Monday

It was a little bit difficult to get back into routine today, but I did my best. I started my day with a 3-mile walk. I wanted to run, but figured with 10 days away from activity for exercise (trust me - I was active walking around, it just wasn't for exercise) I was better off walking the first day. I can definitely feel it, even as I sit here this evening. Tomorrow, I would like to work in some running.

I did pretty well with eating today. I figure I was close to 1400 calories, which is on the higher end of my target. I found myself craving something sweet at the end of my meals. Guess that is what a week of having dessert with lunch and dinner will do for you. I did grab a small snack size candy bar early afternoon to meet that craving.

My hope is that by getting back on track today, that I will find myself already in a better position tomorrow.

#s to Go: 26.2#
Calories Consumed: 1400 calories
Calories Burned:
3 mile walk, 14:30 pace, 370 calories

weeks....

Alright, clearly I lost steam, but I hope that now I am back. We took a family vacation and simply stated I enjoyed myself. Not only enjoying the time with the family, but also the opportunity to dine. I drank soda at most meals, which relative to my less than a glass a week norm was a significant change for me...this one should be easy to overcome and correct. We had dessert at many meals, it was free and I hate to be wasteful. This one will be a little harder to correct, you sort of become used to having a sweet at the end of the meal and it can be hard to overcome. Generally, my food choices weren't awful, frequently though, they were dictated by what was available and certainly there could have been better options, just not right then or there.

I don't have a direct reference, because I didn't keep up well while preparing for the trip, but I know that relative to where I was 20 days ago, I am up 3.6#. I am hopeful that this will melt away with a return to normal.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday

You know the thing about eating good and exercising? When you take a break - your body hates you!

I allowed myself to splurge a little with dinner out on Sunday - I got Beer Cheese Soup and a Chicken BLT Salad. It seemed like restrained splurging...problem was, the salad was like a salt lick. There wasn't bacon, but rather seemed to be more of a corned beef. The chicken had been marinated, but was so salty, I could barely eat it. I fished around trying to find a piece or two more of lettuce, but it seemed to be sparse in my salad. Totally disappointed. I asked for a wedge of lime when I got my fifth refill of water. Sprinkled with sugar, it finally helped to remove some of the salt flavor from my mouth. Then, after the show we saw, we went out for a drink. I had only intended to have one glass, but wound up with two. I did avoid having Taco Bell when the others stopped.

Then, Monday we were at a picnic. My meal was well balanced with a cheeseburger (no mayo), an ear of corn (spray butter), a dab of potato salad and some watermelon. I sat at the table and there were pita chips and spinach dip. I didn't take much, at a time, but after sitting and visiting for a while, I am sure that I ate a lot more pita chips than I consciously realized. I also had a couple glasses of wine.

Today, I felt major yuck. I didn't sleep well last night and haven't felt fully normal at all today. I did make a concerted effort to eat better today. I think it is helping and hope a good night's sleep will help further.

I got out for a walk this morning, but had to hurry home, only doing about 2.75 miles. It is supposed to be rainy the next few days, so it is likely I will have to work out at home. That was about the only thing that kept me from going back to bed this morning. Well, that and my weight - over the course of the weekend I had gained 4#. Of course, much of this is not real weight, but it was still a shock to the system to see that number. Thankfully, when I was upstairs, I peeked at the scale and it was already down 2# (and that was post-dinner, so it should certainly look better tomorrow!)

Tuesday -
#s to go - more than it should be
Calories Consumed: 1200 calories
Calories Burned:
2.75 mile walk, 13:45 pace, 415 calories

Saturday

It was another hot and muggy day. My foot was still bothering me, so I opted to not even do a walk today. I hope I don't regret it, but I figure sometimes you just need a break.

I am happy to say that I did lose a little, even with my girls night in last night.

I had another busy day and we decided to take the family out to dinner. I had a little bit of the appetizer - loaded homemade potato chips, then I had a chopped salad with dressing on the side, a 16 oz Prime Rib and a baked potato. Then, we walked over to Cold Stone and my daughter and I shared a Love It size creation (my husband and son also shared one). I probably overdid eating a little bit, but we will see what the scale says. After all, eating out is part of my lifestyle, my hope is that my body is able to handle the occasional dining out with out significant impact. I expect I might be up tomorrow, but expect that over the next couple of days, I should recover well.

#s to Go: 22.6

Friday

My foot was still feeling a little sore this morning, so I wound up just going for a walk, not that there is anything wrong with that, it just is that Friday would normally have been a running day. It was probably a wise decision on my part, it was like pea soup out there. The air was so warm and humid - oppressive even. It was really strange though, on my second time through the neighborhood, the fog had settled in and it felt strangely cooler.

Eating was a bit of a challenge, as there was a shower for a woman at work. I did my best to fill my plate with salad and lean chicken, but the pasta with cream sauce was so tasty. I opted for not eating all of my chicken and went back for a bit of pasta and salad. I had a piece of cake to finish my meal - it was just too yummy. I left some of the cake behind, but couldn't resist the creamy frosting. Dinner was leftovers, but when there weren't enough to go around, I opted for brie on some pita chip crackers (or something similar from Kashi). It was tasty and satisfying. In the evening, my friend came over and and we watched a chick flick. I enjoyed some red wine and some crackers and cheese. It was more than I should have had, but it was good that I resisted my husbands offer of Chipotle, I could have eaten that whole burrito if I had him get me one.

#s to Go: 22.8#

Thursday

I awoke to thunder, must have been around 3:30 am. I was certain that meant that I would not be going out to walk this morning. When my alarm went off, it was clear. A quick glance of the weather map and I discovered I was good to go. But, maybe I should have taken a break? My foot was a little tender when I woke up and whereas it didn't bother me while I was walking, I could tell that I was walking at a slower than normal pace. At first I was a house behind, but before long, I was a few houses behind pace. It wound up taking me longer today than it did yesterday - walking 2.87 miles vs walking/running 3.44 miles - over 1/2 mile less and it took 15 s longer! Maybe tomorrow I take a break?

#s to Go: 23#

Calories Burned:
2.87 mile walk; 15:22 pace; 450 calories

Wednesday

I had so much trouble getting out of bed this morning. By the time I got up, I knew that I could only do a portion of my normal workout, as I had to be at work in time for an early morning meeting. I headed up to the track for my walk/run. I felt really good on my first run lap, so I kept going. I wound up doing the first 3 of my run laps at 550m (so 1 1/4+ laps). I felt like I could go further, so I did. On the fourth, and final run lap, I went 600m (1 1/2 laps). I wish I had had more time and could have done more than 9 laps (normally do 13 - 14), I would have loved to see if I could have sustained at that 600m level. Running is just so invigorating and makes me feel so good.

Except, when it doesn't. I am not sure if it is not properly breaking in shoes or spending a lot of time on my feet recently, but the bottom of my one foot is sore. It's not sore when I sit here, but when I am busy and on the move, it is definitely tender. I worry too that it could be that I am favoring the right leg because I had tweaked my left ankle the other morning - which again doesn't really bother me only on steps and the first two or three strides of each run. Who knows? I think I might need to give my feet a rest over the weekend and see if I can eliminate it or resolve the cause and address it.

Eating was pretty good today. I failed to pack a lunch (nothing really sounded good in the morning). I went to lunch today and as I poured over the menu, once again, nothing really sounded good. I went with an old standby - vegetable quesadilla. Made with sauted peppers, onions and tomatoes, it is not the healthiest of options, but I suppose there were many other less healthy options.

I think it will be an early night.

#s to go: 23.8
Calories Consumed:
1315 calories
Calories Burned:
3.44 mile walk/run; 12:44 pace; 485 calories

Saturday, Sunday and Monday

I had a garage sale this weekend. As a result, I didn't fit in my workout on Saturday. Sunday morning though, I headed up to the track. I waited until the kids were up and had breakfast before I went, so it was closer to 7:30 by the time I headed out. I was alone until my friend showed up (didn't plan to meet) when I had just two laps to go. I enjoy the solitude of the walking/running and don't listen to music or anything when I do. I feel like it is a great time to be alone with my thoughts. I felt a little sluggish the first few laps, but it got a little easier with time. I'm not sure if it was because I missed Saturday or because I ate a little more than usual on Friday and Saturday, I just knew my legs felt heavy as I was trying to run. Monday morning was a good workout. I was able to push myself and ran a full 500 meters at a time. It may not sound like much to the more experienced runner, but it was just a few short weeks ago that I was lucky to be able to get 200 meters in. I alternated the 500 with 300 of walking. After completing my 13th lap, I did an all out run for 100 meters...why? just 'cause! At lunch today, the weather was so nice and the temperature so comfortable, we were able to do our near 3 mile walk. That is one good thing about spring and fall, we get a really good walk in at lunch. Summer is too hot and winter is hit or miss with snow and ice.

Eating has been hohum lately. I got off of track of really tracking last weekend and never really got back on board, until today. I made a point of getting everything written down. I haven't totaled it yet, and am not sure if there is "room" for a small snack. I will check soon, as I think I could use a little bit more before calling it a night.

Friday

I ran in the neighborhood again this morning. I tell you what though, this whole sunrises get later as we move into the fall thing, is going to make things more challenging to me. I can't push my start time much more, but it seems that more and more of my walk/run is in the early dawn timeframe. Soon, it might still be fully dark when I want to start. There are enough familiar faces when I am out that it might be okay, but I will have to see. Too dark and I might just have to shorten the outside distance I do and do a walking video to start.

I like running in the neighborhood. The hardest part about running in the neighborhood is the hills. It sounds backwards, but I find the downhill sections of the run to be the hardest. I tried at the end to slow down my run to see if I could run further. I tend to walk and to run at one speed - all out. For walking, it is fine unless I am with others. For running, it wears me out quicker. Slowing down a little bit seemed to work. I ran further and more time when I was going a little slower. I will definitely have to keep focusing on that. I'd like to be up to a sustained 5 minute run by the end of August (which I guess is the end of next week). I ran most of 5 minutes on the second to last 5 minutes today. I walked across the street and around corners.

#s to Go: 24

Thursday

We had some crazy weather overnight. I didn't get much sleep, as my son was worried and climbed in our bed as soon as the weather sirens sounded. I overslept and got up at about 5:45 am and my phone was dead. I plugged it in and did some dishes, while I waited for it to charge. I decided that with a shorter than normal time-frame, it was a great day to try running in the neighborhood. At the track, I base it on laps, but around the block, there isn't such a gauge. I decided to run as much as I could of every other 5 minutes. I did pretty well, I didn't run a full five minutes any of the times, but I still pretty good and completed my normal 3 mile track in about 35 minutes - instead of the 40 - 42 that it normally takes me.

Eating was okay today. I had lunch with a coworker, but did my best to make healthy choices. I went with a vegetable quesadilla (I know, it doesn't really sound that healthy). Dinner was chicken enchiladas. Guess I ate a lot more cheese than I considered. I had a small slice of watermelon roll from Friendly's and a bit of birthday cake as dessert. Better to have a little than to overeat.

Mostly, I was just super excited that when I checked this morning, I had not only returned to weight loss, but had moved below 25# to go - not sure why, but that seemed like a big hurdle.

#s to Go: 24.6#
Calories Consumed: ?
Calories Burned:
3.08 mile walk/run, 12:00 pace, 450 calories

all those days I missed, plus Wednesday

Wow! I was very busy this weekend into this week and clearly, this post was not my priority. We spent the weekend with family and friends, celebrating my son's birthday. Overall, I feel like I did pretty good with everything.

I took off Saturday and Sunday from walking/running. There was just too much going on and too many people at my house to make it feasible. I did however make up for some of that on Monday. I did 3.25 miles in the morning, 2 miles at lunch and 1.25 miles in the evening with my daughter (walked to my son's baseball game). Tuesday morning I repeated my 3.25 miles in the morning, but when my manager's manager asked the two of us if we were heading to lunch, I decided it might be best to join them than to pass to walk. Wednesday, it was storming in the morning, so I did the 4-mile Super Walk DVD from Leslie Sansone. I tried to jog when they were walking in place, since today was a walk/run day. Then at lunch, I was able to fit in just shy of a 2 mile walk.

Food, I did reasonably well. Friday evening we had a dinner/karaoke event to say goodbye to someone that was leaving our team. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and ate only the chicken, not the bun. I did however pick at a good number of sweet potato fries. I limited myself to one drink and filled the rest of the evening with water. On Saturday, I did my best to nibble on the cut veggies and the watermelon and filled my plate largely with salad. Then, there was the evening and everyone was hanging out and we had cheese, pepperoni and crackers. They were yummy and I had a little wine with them. Then, Sunday, we went out to lunch to celebrate my son's birthday - he wanted to wear the sombrero. Monday, I'm not sure what got into me (actually, I do - it was stress) and I took a rather generous portion of chocolate cake that had been made for a celebration. I was mostly back on track since then. There were a few things that I ate that I'm not sure how to gauge the calories, but I still think I did well.

The good news is that by balancing my eating and fitting in the exercise that I did, I was able to come through the weekend pretty well. I am actually flat to where I was last Wednesday. Now, I just need to fully focus and get back on track to losing weight.

Friday

What a disappointing morning. I woke up to discover I had the same 25# to go. I really wanted to pass that hurdle. There is nothing magical about it, but for some reason, having less than 25# to lose just sounds like it. Oh Well! I know that I will get there.

Then, I went out for my walk/run. I was doing a great job! I walked the first lap and then ran a lap, then I went to a walk 1/2 lap, run 3/4 lap pattern. I was impressed with myself, until I had to stop. Why? Because of the gel insert that I had put in my shoe last week. I liked the added cushion that they provided and actually was preparing to give them smashing reviews. But, you know what? It was slipping in my shoe and got to the point where I could feel the left edge on my right arch. It was awkward and uncomfortable. After completing lap #8, I paused my workout and adjusted it back into position in my shoe. It still didn't feel right. So, after maybe 1/4 of a lap, I stopped again to remove it. By this point, I had broken my stride. I finished up walking 2, running 1/2, walking 1/2. I think I wound up running in total about what I did on Wednesday, but the point was I was going to run more.

Thursday

#s to go: 25.0 #

Wednesday

Bummer! Same 25.6# to go still. I guess I ate near the top of my range yesterday and maybe my body was still catching up from the extra calories on Monday.

I went to the track this morning for my run/walk. It felt good. I was able to run a full lap plus each of the every other laps that I ran. I am not sure if I am running slower or stronger, or maybe a bit of each? Point is, just a few weeks ago, the thought of running half a lap felt like a stretch. Today, I ran past the numbers, maybe it was only 10 meters, but it was still further. The 12th lap, I ran 100 meters into the 13th lap. I think that will be my goal for Friday - to go the extra 100 meters on each lap that I run. I was also glad to sneak in 2 miles at lunch. We have a 1 mile fitness trail now at work, so my friend and I did two circuits. We walked a little bit slower than usual, but it was a bit warmer than we normally walk and less shade than walking through town.

Eating was good. I forgot my banana and almost caved to eating junk food to carry me to lunch. I was able to persevere in the end and waited until lunch to eat. Funny how that 85 calories can make such a difference. Dinner, well that might be another story, we had BLTs - which aren't too bad. However, I nibbled on the bacon while I made it. At only 90 calories per serving, it wasn't too bad eating 2 servings, until you consider the sodium and the fat!!! Oh my! It was so tasty eating it, but later it really sat heavy in my stomach.

#s to go: 25.6#
Calories consumed: 1200 calories
Calories burned:
4.65 mile walk/run, 12:55 pace, 630 calories
2 mile walk, 15:25 pace, 291 calories

Tuesday

I got to start my day by walking outside again today. Thankfully the weather was much better than yesterday. I was able to further boost my workout by getting out for a quick 2 mile walk at lunch time.

Eating was good. It always helps to work from a packed lunch - leaves me more in control. I snuck in an afternoon iced cappuccino, which tasted yummy, but not sure it was worth the calories in the end.


#s to go: 25.4
Calories consumed: 1475 calories
Calories burned:
3 miles, 13:55 pace, 500 calories
2 miles, 15:55 pace, 325 calories

Monday

Rainy Day!

I started my day with Leslie Sansone Walk At Home 4-Mile Super Walk. I have to look and see if she has an estimate on calories burned during that workout. It is more than just walking, it is a full-body workout. It even uses Body Boost Cables, to allow you to tone your upper body and increase resistance when you walk.

The lazy Sunday only caught up slightly with me. I showed a slight (0.2#) gain on the scale this morning. Who knows, that could just be the higher levels of salt consumed at dinner.

I was all prepared for a healthy eating day, and then I remembered that I had a shower at work. I did a decent job with the meal portion, but the cupcakes were amazing and I couldn't resist. Still, even with my estimation of the portion, I still was able to stay within my daily target.

#s to Go: 26.2
Calories consumed: 1455 calories
Caloreis burned: 500 calories (based on low end estimate from Leslie's post here)

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Guess this daily log thing is not always working so well for me. The good news is that I am tracking it on paper at least, so it's not like I forgot.

Friday was a great workout day. My friend wasn't at the track when I got there and after giving her two laps to show up, I decided to stay anyway. I knew that the guy from the cul-de-sac behind me always shows up at about the same time, so I figured I wouldn't be alone for long. There was a beautiful (near-)full moon in the sky. It was a big ball of orange. If my cell phone weren't tracking my workout, I would have pulled it out and taken a picture of the moon.

Saturday was another good workout day. My daughter wanted to join me and I figured, what type of mom would I be to say no? She hopped on her bike and I modified my route to minimize street crossing. I am proud to say that she made the full 3-mile journey with me - not bad for a 4 year old with training wheels. Which, brings me to my next thought, Saturday afternoon I spent a little bit of time running beside her in the parking lot of our community center. She has decided that she is done with training wheels. I think she will get the hang of it. I would pseudo hold most of the length and then fully let go when she reached the grass, allowing her to go as far as she could before going off balance. I also mowed the grass for a more extended activity time.

Sunday was a wet day and I decided that I needed a break. I opted to not put in a dvd or anything. It was a wonderful, lazy day. But, I got a lot done around the house too.

Eating, well that was a whole other story. I seemed to have lots of not fully tracking this weekend. I wrote everything down, but didn't look up things like pulled pork sandwich and fish tacos.

I managed to do okay though.

Friday - 26.8# to go
Saturday - 26# to go
Sunday - 26# to go

Thursday

Well, it took a few days, but finally today I was back down where I had been before I had my evening of snacking and drinking last Friday.

I am having to start my walk later and later on days when I am walking the neighborhood. The sunrise is getting later. I am going to have to figure out what my approach will be going forward. Maybe I will start using a flashlight? Or, find someone to walk with in the dark.

I did well with eating today, although at dinner, I put myself a little bit over by enjoying some bread and dipping oil with my pasta. Still, I finished the day at about 1600 calories, which isn't unreasonable.

#s to Go: 27.6
Calories consumed: 1645 calories
Calories Burned:
3 mile walk, 14:23 pace, 438 calories

Wednesday

Today, was a travel day for work. I was able to get up and fit in my 4.5 mile walk/run. I had hoped to do some of my Arms workout, but I couldn't miss my flight, so I wound up having to skip it. I had hoped to finish it this evening, but I was just a little too tired.

Eating was a little bit of a challenge for me today. When I got to my meeting, there was a fruit tray and donuts. I had already had breakfast. Then, for lunch they had catered in salad, sandwiches and the yummiest desserts. I did well with filling my plate with salad and enjoying a vegetable sandwich (the bread had some sort of nuts, so I only had a bite of the bread and wound up eating the vegetables with a fork). Then, I had to have dessert - it was too tempting. I had this brownie with a mint filling - yummy!

#s to Go: 28.4#
Calories Consumed: 1380 calories
Calories Burned:
4.6 mile walk/run; 12:33 pace; 650 calories

Tuesday

As expected, after enjoying my dinner out last night, the scale reflected it. I was up slightly.

I had hoped to start with a standard walk, but the weather didn't want to cooperate, so I did a 3 mile walk at home DVD. I actually wound up completing one mile three times. It worked well for me, although I really missed getting outside. So, when the sun came out for lunch time, I decided to take a walk to the furniture store to see what types of desks that they might have for my son. I think it was about 3/4 miles each way. The app I used was significantly crazy and reported the one way trip at 1.7 miles. I know it wasn't that far, I don't walk that fast!

I tried to reign in my eating today. I did eat the leftover pizza from dinner last night, but I skipped the crusts!

#s to Go: 29.4#
Calories Consumed: 1440 calories
Calories Burned:
3 mile walk at home; 300 calories
1.5 miles walk; 150 calories

Monday

Well, it's Monday. I think that the Feta cheese on my salad last night had more sodium than I had bargained for. I was up slightly this morning and I figure that given my activity yesterday and the calories consumed, that likely it was a sodium thing.

I went for my walk/run this morning. When I woke up, my hip was a little bit stiff. Walking and running were both a little bit of a challenge to start with. Once it loosened up, it was much better. I think I need to focus on stretching through the hips. Also, my right side was more stiff, wondering if the track is a contributing factor. Tomorrow I walk the neighborhood, so there is less of a repetitive nature to the walk, we will see.

Food was good today. I tried to limit my calories at lunch, in anticipation of eating out with a friend this evening. I had to estimate a lot (and hopefully erred on the side of caution), but I wound up consuming almost as many calories at dinner as I do in a whole day! Ironically, as we sat at dinner I through out a number and my estimate came in pretty close - 1100 calories. Seeing that makes me realize how easy it can be to over consume.

#s to go: 28.2#
Calories Consumed: 1950 calories
Calories Burnt:
4.6 mile walk/run; 13:11 pace; 670 calories
20 minutes P90X Chest and Back; 196 calories
1.25 mile walk; 15:00 pace; 175 calories

Saturday & Sunday

It was a pretty good weekend. I had a slight set back on Saturday with regards to the scale, likely because I allowed myself a little snacking and drinking. I was pretty much at the same point on Sunday.

For dinner on Saturday, we made Cajun Jambalaya. Generally served on pasta, I opted to enjoy the fresh veggies and chicken with out the pasta. It was still very tasty and I saved myself some unnecessary calories - which I quickly swapped for BREAD! Dinner on Sunday I enjoyed steamed spinach with feta cheese and a little of the bread leftover from Saturday. It was super tasty.

Saturday morning, I started the day with a walk. I had attempted to go to the track, but evidently middle school football practice was going on and there was stuff on the track. So, I wandered around the neighborhood behind the track. Then, I came home and mowed again. It isn't a lot of exercise, but I figure why not keep active and keep it from hindering the afternoon. In the afternoon, before it rained, the kids wanted to play outside. We went for a bike ride and for the first time I attempted to ride a bike instead of walking. It was a challenge. It is hard to go slow up hills to stay with my daughter. Then, when her training wheel got knocked loose, we both had to walk a bike home.

Sunday morning, I headed to the track. It was a lot warmer than it normally is when I am there. I was able to walk and run, but my runs seemed a little shorter. I also lost track of laps while I was there.

Saturday:
#s to Go: 28#
Calories Consumed: 1255 calories
Calories Burned:
3.5 mile walk, 51 minutes, 480 calories
Mowing, 47 minutes, 350 calories
Bike Ride, 100 calories

Sunday:
#s to Go:27.8#
Calories Consumed: 1200 calories
Calories Burned:
4.6 miles, 61 minutes, 650 calories

Friday

I started my day with walk at the track. I was able to extend my running to just over 3/4 of every other lap. As a result of the additional, I was able to fit in one extra lap in the time I allotted for being at the track. My goal is that by next Friday, I would like to be running every other lap in full. I'll have to figure out how to bump it up from there.

Eating was good all day long. I allowed myself a treat in the evening. My husband and I watched baseball and then Chopped. We nibbled at sliced cheese, pepperoni and crackers while we did. I weighed out some cheese for me and knew that each pepperoni was about 10 calories. I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade as well. I wound up being above my daily calorie target, but not too far and I need to allow myself a little extra occasionally if I am going to succeed long term.

#s to Go: 27.6
Calories Consumed: 1695 calories
Calories Burned:
4.5 mile walk/run, 12:53 pace, 626 calories

Thursday

The weather was good this morning and I was able to get out for my morning walk. It seems to be that I have to start later each morning with the sun. It was almost half an hour into my walk before it was actually "dawn" out. Sure, the sun was on the horizon, but barely noticeable. That could become a problem. I can't start much later than I do and still get everything done.

Last night, I had some candy with my tea in the evening. The calories fit in my plan, but I felt rather blah after eating it and this morning, I found myself hungry. It would have been better to have meaningful calories that would have stuck with me.

The gang at work decided to go out to lunch today. I agreed to join, it was raining and I couldn't walk and wasn't really wanting to eat by myself. I decided that it was best to go with breakfast. I had two eggs over easy with dry toast (I buttered it myself, so I could control the amount that was used). It wasn't bad, but not as filling as I would have liked. Left me munchy this afternoon and I caved and had a cookie. Dinner was pizza. It is good to know that the family can enjoy an ordered in pizza and I still can make my target. Eating out twice in one day though is not a habit that I would like to get into.

#s to Go:28.6#
Calories consumed: 1460 calories
Calories burned:
3 mile walk, 40 minutes, 406 calories

Wednesday

It's Raining, It's Pouring. The map around me was so green this morning, that I moved my walk indoors. I did the 4-mile Super Walk from Leslie Sansone Walk at Home. So, I was excited when the sun peaked through and I was able to fit in a walk at lunch. It felt good to get outside and get some additional activity.

Lunch was full of fresh vegetables, fruit and a yummy spinach salad. I was able to eat a pork chop and a small serving of mashed potatoes at dinner. That is one thing that is very important to me is that as I am watching my calorie intake is that I am able to do so within the "confines" of my life. I want to be able to eat what my family is eating. Because, realistically, that is the only "diet" that I can ever hope to maintain.

#s to Go: 29.6
Calories consumed: 1470 calories
Calories burned:
4 mile walk, 55 minutes, 430 calories
arms & shoulders, 300 calories
2 mile walk (at lunch), 30 minutes, 337 calories

Tuesday

I kept up with the daily walking again today. I slept in a bit though and didn't have the time to do my P90X Ab Ripper.

We went to National Night Out and I ate the hot dog and skipped the bun. I was certain to ask how many calories and the woman at the grill was kind enough to check the package to share the calories with me. I was surprised to learn that it was only 170 calories, I expected for it to be much worse.

As might have been expected, I was still hungry when we got home, so I had a small snack of cheese and crackers. Even so, I was able to keep my calorie consumption in the desired range.

#s to Go: 31#
Calories Consumed: 1460
Calories Burnt:
3 Mile Walk, 13:39 pace, 368 calories

Monday

Okay, so I guess the daily logging thing isn't working out as well as I hoped...maybe I will just catch the weekend up on Monday.

Saturday:
I returned to 100% measuring/weighing/journaling on Saturday. After the ever-so-frustrating Friday morning, I figured I need to figure out what is going on. I found a site that provided info on the amount of calories burned at rest, sleeping and for a lot of activities. Based on that information, if I am sleeping for 8 hours and sitting for 16 hours, I need something like 1710 calories a day. I typically am walking - running a 3 - 4 miles daily, which burns about 400 - 500 calories. I decided that since you need 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound, that if I target eating between 1200 - 1500 calories per day, I should be able to lose just over a pound a week. Surprisingly, by being conscientious, I was able to easily stay within my target. We even had spaghetti and bread at dinner. It's all about portions.

On Saturday, after my 3 mile walk, I decided that since I was already in move mode, that I would mow the lawn. It quite easily has been 8 years since I last mowed our yard. We have a new self-propelled mower. I'm thinking maybe our last one wasn't. It was a lot easier than I remember. Still, I burnt 350 calories in doing it.

Sunday:
No progress noted on the scale, but I persevered and was again able to eat within the target calories. Dinner was interesting in that we had corn on the cob and leftovers. I wound up eating two ears of corn and a very small amount of macaroni and cheese. I think that if it weren't for that whole protein thing that I could subsist almost entirely on vegetables and fruit, especially in the summer when it is at the peak of yumminess. I don't eat beans (unless they are green), so I can't rely on them for a protein.

I fit in a 3 mile walk and then did some shopping, which is a great way to burn calories (picked up more work out clothes).

Monday:
I survived a work day. I was able to have my coffee with cream and sugar and have a glass of wine at the concert we attended. We even had a catered lunch at work, but I filled my plate with salad, added a little bit of chicken, ate only half a breadstick and half a cookie.

I walked only 3 miles this morning. My walking partner had a vacation day and wasn't into getting up to go to the track. I came home and because I had slept in, only fit in about 20 minutes of push-ups from P90X Chest and Back. Still, 20 minutes is better than zero minutes.

#s to Go: 32
Consumed 1200 calories
3 mile walk, 14:00 pace, 427 calories
P90X Chest & Back, 20 minutes (1 round), 196 calories

Friday

Today was a tough day.

It started out pretty normal, only I slept in. Okay, that is a relative term, I didn't get up until 5:05. By the time I got to the track, my friend was nearly finished with her walk/run. I wound up only doing 2.5 miles at the track today (plus the approx 1 mile there and back), as I had to get home to complete my workout on time. I had a meeting at 8 am that I couldn't miss. I completed most of Legs and Back, but had to skip over a few of the exercises at the end to allow me to finish on time.

The problem really started when I went to get dressed. Nothing fit! I am not sure why, I just know that I tried on a couple of shirts and a couple of pants - couldn't button any of them. I was a mess - I was frustrated. I have been working out everyday and getting no where.

I did okay the rest of the day. My eating was okay. I started with my protein shake and a banana. Then, we had a team lunch at Mexican, I ordered chicken fajitas and ate just the vegetables and chicken. Dinner was a spinach salad with a bit of Feta cheese for me. I had some toast with Cinnamon Sugar Butter as a side (I need to do a review).

I am hoping for a better start to tomorrow. It is Saturday, so that alone should help.

# to go: 32
3.7 mile walk/run; 12:59 pace
P90X Legs and Back (legs focus)

Thursday

Okay, I get that I am consuming extra calories each day in my fight against this cold (the bottle of Gatorade that I drink adds about 220 calories that I wouldn't normally consume), but seriously how could I have gained weight. I walked 5 miles yesterday and did 45 minutes of strength training. I think it is times like this that leave me frustrated. I'm not making awful food choices, I'm working out and I'm gaining! I can handle if I maintain - I recognize that I might be consuming a few extra calories, but the gaining thing just doesn't work!

Food was okay today. Actually, I started out strong and finished in weakness. I forgot my banana, so breakfast was a protein shake. Lunch was steamed spinach with shredded cheese, raspberries, carrots & hummus and pudding. Dinner was two pieces of cheese pizza and 2 boneless wings.

It was much too warm to walk at lunch, so no additional exercise.

# to Go: 32
3 mile walk, 13:00 pace
Ab Ripper X

Wednesday

I have to give myself credit, (sometimes it is good to pat yourself on the back), I have been getting up and walking each morning in spite of the cold. I have to say that generally I feel better after getting out in the fresh morning air than I do when I wake up.

Today, it was finally cool enough to fit in a short walk at lunch. It was a slower pace than I walk alone, but my one co-worker was walking in heels.

I started my day with a protein shake and a banana. I wound up also having an oatmeal, my belly was gurgling at me! Lunch was one Turkey Salisbury Steak, a pudding, a nectarine, blueberries, carrots and hummus. I snuck in a snack size Twix (or maybe two). Dinner was one Turkey Salisbury Steak and spinach with a little bit of shredded Goat's Cheese. I capped my evening with two cups of tea with honey and 2 Biscoff Cookies (only 80 calories for two).

# to go: 31
3 mile walk, 13:09 pace (woohoo!)
P90X Arms and Shoulders
2 mile walk, 15:30 pace

Tuesday

Maybe I should get more creative in my post titles?

I impressed myself by actually getting out of bed this morning and going for my walk. The medicine that I took at bedtime must have done a good job, because I seemed to get a good night's sleep. I felt fine for most of my walk, with only an occasional cough. I was sucking on one of the zinc tabs - those last a long time...normally, I wouldn't notice such things, but I was 20 minutes into my walk before it was gone and I had started it before I even came down to put on my shoes! I got my full 3 miles in this morning and shaved 1 minute off of the walk. It doesn't sound like much, but consider that was a pace that was 20 seconds faster. Speaking of which, I noticed in the Weight Watchers e-Tools activity tracker, for walking there is slow and there is 3. - 5. mph. As I was walking this morning, it occurred to me that 5 mph is a 12 minute pace. I felt like I was walking as fast as I could this morning and only got to 13:40 pace. I'm not sure how much faster I could walk, but now I have a new goal - 12 minute pace.

I started my day again with a protein shake. After exercising, I'm generally not hungry. I feel like I need to fuel my body though, since I exercise before breakfast. The shake is a nice compromise - I can drink it and it gives me the protein and nutrients I need to recover from my workout. Lunch was reasonably healthy with grilled chicken fingers and a salad. Unfortunately, I didn't chose between the cupcake and the roll, including both at my lunch. Dinner was a grilled turkey burger.

# to Go: 31
Walking: 3 miles, 13:40 pace
Ab Ripper workout

Monday

Today was a reasonably okay day for me.

I started my day with a 3 mile walker.  I wasn't convinced I would get it all in, when I woke up there were returns on the radar just to our west.  I walk alone some mornings (and really, am alone even when I meet my friend at the track).  I don't have an iPod (my son and husband do), so I walk with my thoughts.  Sometimes I find myself walking through presentations or discussions to have at work.  Sometimes it is totally random, like it was today.  When I start my walk, it is still almost pre-dawn with just the slightest peak of the sun on the horizon.  So, as I was walking today, I split my time between watching the east for the sun to continue to peak through and watching the west for rain clouds.  This got me thinking and wondering about the weather coming from the west when the way that the earth is spinning, you might think it would be from the east.  Then, I thought, no of course not, the weather is in our atmosphere and therefore spinning with us.  Like I said, random.

I came home and did P90X Chest and Back.

I ate (drank) a protein shake to start my day.  I had a mid-morning banana to complete my breakfast.  Lunch was leftover pulled pork with barbeque sauce (no bun - figured I could save calories there), plum, nectarine and carrots and celery with hummus.  For dinner, we decided to head out for dinner for Mexican.  I went with the fish tacos, hoping that they were a healthier choice with no sauce or cheese.

#s to go:  31
exercise - 3 mile walk (14 minute mile pace) & P90X Chest & Back

Welcome!

I opened up this blog a few years ago and was using it to "play".  I liked the title and address I had chosen, so I have decided to repurpose it to share about my journey to a healthier lifestyle and weight.

I'm not sure exactly what my posts will be like.  I'd like it to be a bit of a daily journal - a mix of what activity I had for the day, what I ate, how I felt and such.  We will see.