One Month

WooHoo! I knew that the scale would do it one of these days. I was down almost 2# when I stepped on the scale. I didn't actually 'lose' 2# in one day, but I have been plateaued for about a week now. I think my body was adapting to things and making sure, before it 'released' this weight. I've seen it happen this way before, so I was just waiting on it.

The best part is that I have been doing this now for one month - started tracking on 5/29. I am down just over 10# in that window. That means that I am well on target of reaching my interim goal of being down 17# by my birthday. I would love to be ahead of that, but recognizing that the first few pounds are easier to lose, I am not yet ready to accelerate the timeline.

No run today - it is raining. We are going to spend our day with swimming lessons, soccer, and t-ball - so I'm guessing there won't be a work out today, but I am okay with that. I was able to run all five days last week, so I can afford a break in my routine. A chance for my body to recover and re-energize.

Another Mile and then some!

When I went out for my run this morning, despite it being before 6 am it was already mid-70s and 80% humidity. I was immediately struck by the heaviness of the air. It was very evident to me with how slowly I made the walk up to the track. I started to question whether I would be able to run very well in this weather. My 'friends' were there when I got there and another gentleman, who I learned grew up in Virginia, joined us. I walked the first lap and then started into my run. As I was in my second lap of running, I passed my friends and they asked if I ran yesterday. I told them I had and said that I missed them. They told me that they had left because two strange guys had showed up and just seemed to be hanging out. They were still there when I got there, but by then they were doing sprints and steps and shuttle runs, but there were other runners too. They were glad to hear that I wasn't alone at the track with the other guys. It made me happy to think that they were looking out for me. Needless to say, our conversation slowed down that second lap, but I was able to complete it and then the third one and then I figured I would do what I could. I was able to complete the fourth lap and started into the fifth. I think I could have gone a little further, but didn't want to push too much, so I settled for 4 1/4 laps. I walked out the balance and followed it up with 3 + laps of running. I was very pleased with myself - I overcame the heavy, stagnant air and ran over a mile and then followed it with 3/4 of a mile more.

Eating was good yesterday. I had a couscous stuffed tomato for lunch. It was couscous, grape tomatoes, zucchini, squash and feta cheese inside a tomato, sprinkled with some bread crumb and bit of Parmesan. I also had a side of steamed broccoli and red peppers. It was very tasty and satisfying. I was a little worried there wasn't enough 'meat' to it. Dinner was pork tenderloin, but I skipped the bun, making it a better option for me. I finished my day with a nice cup of milk. Milk is a favorite treat of mine. I find that when I am watching calorie intake, I tend to drink a little less than normal, so when I can find the 100 calories at the end of the day, I am very happy.

I was a little bummed that the scale didn't respond at all today. Maybe it was by design....I had said that if I was down, I might skip the run and do the laundry and dishes. Turns out, I did it all.

I Ran A Straight Mile!

So, my title might be cheesy, but I am excited. I mentioned yesterday that my goal was to be able to run a straight mile, 4 laps and that I hoped to do it by the end of the week. On Monday I was at doing 3 laps in a row and did that twice. So, stretching to a full 4 laps may not sound like much, but trust me, for me it was quite a stretch. I essentially added about 1/4 lap each day. I wasn't convinced that I could finish the 4 laps today, but I was determined and I did. I even allowed myself to walk a full lap since I ran the 4. Then, I wrapped up with 2 laps of running. So, I actually ran 4+ and 2+ of 8+ laps. My plus is equal to about 11 strides (or the distance from the start line to the first big arrow on my track). Continuing my recent practice of running home instead of walking, I was able to complete my journey today in just 37 minutes. Not bad for a 3.2 mile journey. Now, I think I will stay at the run 1 mile thing for a while, but will try to get going earlier so that I can increase the second run interval from 2 towards 4. That would really only need about 10 more minutes, I just need to get moving faster in the morning. Well, that and the fact that it was really a challenge to finish the 2 after running the 4. Then, I want to get back to the point where I am at the track for the equivalent of a 5K. By the end of summer, I want to be able to run a 5K. I have a ways to go.

Eating was good yesterday. I was so proud of myself. I was in a meeting and the cookie tray was sitting beside me. I picked at the fruit and after about 2 hours, I had a small piece of a brownie, but that was it. Hours of staring at cookies and brownies and only having a nibble is a great stride in self-control. I just need to keep that up. Ate within my target calories, even with having bread and olive oil dip at dinner. This bread that my husband buys is just airy enough that I can have 3 decent slices for only 120 calories. It makes me feel like I am really splurging and yet, am not.

Scale is still holding steady in the morning, but the night time is coming down. Hoping that means I am ready for the morning to start moving again. Plateaus are discouraging.

Wednesday

I was feeling very sluggish this morning. I got up a little late and by the time I was ready to go out for my walk, I was already really late. I was feeling a little bit stiff, but I decided that a quick stretch and getting moving was the best remedy. I headed up to the track, which seems to be becoming progressively more crowded. There were the same two women walking when I arrived, but while we were doing our thing, another pair arrived to run and then another pair to walk. Suddenly, there were 7 of us at the track. I think that I might need to get back to arriving early, I find it more relaxing to be there with just the two others, versus a huge crowd. I was able to 'best' myself on the first run sequence, by going several strides past the 3 1/2 lap mark. With time limited, the second sequence was just 1 lap plus a few strides. I was happy that I completed over a mile run on a morning that I was contemplating not going, and recognize that I need to get moving in the morning to allow myself to continue to improve. My goal is to get to running a full four laps, I would like to get there this week. I was stretching towards that today, getting a good distance towards 3 3/4 laps, but I think the crowd left me conscientious, as the one pair passed me just as I was completing 3 1/2 laps. It was the first time I was passed while running. It was a little disheartening.

Eating was good yesterday. Forgot my packed lunch, so I enjoyed my goat cheese and veggie sandwich. Today, I will remember to pack. I hate to waste leftovers and I still have some turkey soup, plus I have a big bag of cherries.

The scale seems to be stuck. It was up big unexpectedly the other day and though I have nearly recovered from that up, I seem to be hanging. My guess is that this will be like other plateaus and one day, I will step on the scale and find myself suddenly down 2 - 3 pounds overnight. I just hope it comes soon. I get discouraged when I am plateaued. I need to move past this and continue to progress to my goal. I have an engagement party to attend this weekend and was hoping to be down another pound, in hopes that my dress will look better.

Tuesday

I did it! I 'bested' myself again today. I know that at some point I will not be able to make much improvement, but now, while I can, I want to celebrate. Today, I was able to run 3 1/2 laps and then after only 1/2 lap of walking, ran another 3 laps. I did the same distance as yesterday and finished one minute quicker. It was awesome.

Yesterday, we had friends over for dinner and grilled out. I am not sure what I expected, but the hamburgers that we have are chock full of calories. I exceeded my daily target for yesterday. I was a little bummed with myself for not thinking ahead. Not that a hot dog is healthy by any means, but it would have been a better fit in my daily target. Oh well, you live and you learn.

The good news is that I was down from yesterday, but not back where I should be on the scale. I tend to have more faith in today's number than yesterday's seemingly inflated number. Hopefully, tomorrow all will return to normal.

Monday - a new week

Wow! What an invigorating workout! I think sometimes that I have my best workouts when I feel least like I am going to. I had a few obstacles today, but I worked through them and came out on top. I wasn't sure on the walk up that I would run much at all. I wasn't quite through the first lap of my run and was wondering why my legs hurt so much and my breathing was so heavy. I have to thank the two women at the track for helping to keep me going. They don't know that they did anything, they were simply walking and talking, but it became my goal to lap them, while I was running. This got me through the 2nd lap of running and by then, I was able to go for the run until the next 5 minute update goal. Then, I walked nearly a full lap before starting into my run again. Again, a target of lapping the other women became my goal again. It took me two running laps to do it and by then, I decided that in order to improve on what I had done last week, I would need to do one more lap and wanted to run as much as possible. Needing at least 1/4 lap to best my total run from last week. Well, I did it! I was at the track for 2 miles/8 laps and I ran 3+ and 3+, with a 1 lap walk before each. It felt so awesome. Best part - my pace for the whole outing was 12:21. A full :38 better than last time on a longer distance. I ran a full 1/3 mile more in only 1 minute longer than I did last Monday.

Eating was good yesterday. We went out for lunch after taking the kids for pictures. I planned ahead and printed off the pdf of the calorie information, so that I was able to make the best choices for me. Dinner was turkey soup, which I just find very simple and satisfying. I topped my day with a cheese and cracker snack, as I was light on protein for the day. I finished within my calorie target.

Which, is why, I am a little confounded today. The scale was right where it was supposed to be yesterday and yet this morning it was up 3#! Now, I get that things fluctuate and don't consider anything up or down 1/2# to really mean much, but 3#. Especially after a day where I was right on target with my eating. My body is doing something strange. I will do my best to 'ignore' it and hope that things correct for tomorrow.

Saturday

Well, Friday was a good day. I headed out to lunch as planned. I ordered the chicken fajitas with no rice, no beans, no tortillas, no oil. So, pretty much chicken, peppers, tomatoes and onions. It was still very tasty. I had a few chips, but not too many. Dinner, we had pasta arrabiata and bread. The arrabiata sauce is mostly tomato, so it was reasonably low in calories, I had 1/2 serving of bread and a serving of pasta. Again, yummy!

I started my day out with a Zumba class. It was a lot of fun and I felt really energized after the class was over. So much so, that I did a lot of errand running. Lunch was simple and mostly leftover clean-up. I had open faced grilled cheese, an ear of corn and some fruit. Dinner is a picnic, it could be a challenge, but I will persevere.

We have a busy day ahead of us.