Saturday - Weigh In Day - Week 1

I stepped on the scale, and I weighed in at 168.6!

Starting weight: 174.6

Current weight: 168.6

Goal weight: 139.0

Pounds lost this week: 6

Next weigh in: Saturday, August 8th

Woo!

Day 5 - July 31th

Well, another good day. Another good run 2/walk 1 and brisk walk. 10 girlie push ups. Exercises. All my water. 

Tomorrow is my first weigh in (early to make weigh ins on Saturdays) so yay!

WORKOUT

46:22

Best Pace: 5:13

Average Pace: 7:55

Distance 5.86 km

Calories burned: 416

Still have a wee bit of cought, and stuffed up on one side only. Ears are feeling a bit better.

The weekend will be of course more challenging with friends coming for dinner, wine. Dessert etc. Birthday party/Playland treats. That kind of thing. I know I can do it. Is is do I want to? Or, will I revert back to bad old habits? I am thinking of my reunion and walking through that door and seeing old friends from 20 years ago. How do I want to appear? I know  I do not want to look like this! 

A new bar

I was walking through the isles and found a bar that I wanted to try out. I always like to try new bars out. It is the Goji Moji bar by Dr. Andrew Weil. (Natures Path) a goji is actually a berry! Who knew!  I actually really like it! It kind of reminds me of Christmas fruitcake or something. It is organic, vegan. Nothing artificial and really tasty! 

I am going to try another flavour tomorrow. These will be on my  'to buy' list this week for sure!

Thumbs up! 

I will be back later after to talk more about my day!

Day 4 - July 30th

Well, day 4 is here. And I am really not having any trouble with sticking to my plan. I have so many great options to choose from. All this summer fruit etc. And I am feeling so much more energetic. Maybe it is all the water, maybe it is the healthy eating? Maybe just a better frame of mind? Whatever it is? I will enjoy this ride. I am trying to remember what if feels like to run effortlessly. And smoothly. I don't look like that anymore running. I think also this heatwave has a lot to do with it. I think it was over 4o degrees today. I waited until almost sun down to go out for my run.

I drank many, many ounces of water today. Lots of fruit. I even had a bowl of salad greens with a whole tomato and low fat italian dressing for an afternoon snack. I had that with a hard boiled egg. I actually LOVED it! Weird for me to love a salad like that. I tasted awesome in this heat. 

Anyways. It is Thursday night. Weigh ins will now be on Saturday morning. (This week I weigh in a few early)  That is to keep my weekend in check. And, one of my final-ish weigh ins will be week of my reunion which also falls on a Saturday. How convenient for me :D

WORKOUT

5.99 km

50:36 minutes

Best pace: 4:54 km

Average with walking: 8:26 km

414 calories burned.

Did my stretches, bridging stuff from physio. Also, I did about 100 crunches, and about 10 girlie push ups. Still sore from the other days. I will get back up there. I know I am not able to make a come back over night. But I am taking all of the right steps to get back there. Sooner, rather than later. My goal is to get back to 5/1's hopefully all next week. Then go for the 10/1's again. Then hopefully back to the RR to run with my running family again. I have missed them so very much.

I am really enjoying keeping my eating/fitness on livestrong.com this time around. So easy, and quick. Just what I need to stay in line. And I get a good idea of where I am at. I learned from the first go around, to keep it simple. Eat similar things for breakfast and lunch. That way portion and calories are no brainers. For dinner keep it light. And have a couple of healthy snacks. That is exactly what I have been doing. So far I am loving this change of pace from all the crap I was taking in. Food was filling a void. Too bad it took me this many pounds to get out of it. Always learning.

Day 3 - July 29

Well, after such a good physio appointment, I had to celebrate and go for another walk run. Cliff joined me tonight. It was so hot, but it felt so GOOD! We did 30 mins of 1 min walk/1 min run and then walked and talked. I would have liked to have walked more briskly, but that is OK. We got out there, and we were able to chat a bit. Thanks MIL for coming over tonight. xo

I have been eating well. My energy level (even with a cold) has been way higher when eating well. And eating the right things. I find I am not having that afternoon slump anymore. And I have increased my water back to where I used to love! So, I am going pee a whole lot more, but today it was not as bad as the first day. 

WORKOUT 

1:06 

Best run pace 4:50 km

Average walk pace 9:20 km

Distance: 7:17 km 

Calories burned 464 +

I have decided to make my weigh ins on Saturday morning...that way I will stay on the 80/20 rule a little bit better over the weekend. Sunday night we will have our splurge night.  I have momentum going and I don't want to lose this feeling again! I forgot how good I feel. I remember this always...nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. I believe this to be true. I know I am not near down where I was when I was hardcore training, but I just feel less bloated. I am enjoying all of the WONDERFUL fruits of the season. Like plums, nectarines and blues. 

I did my stretches tonight, and my crunches and some push ups (arms are really sore!!) I will ease back up to 50! 

My first weigh in will be this Saturday, a couple of days early, but that is OK! 

Finally a GREAT Physio appointment!

I just got back from my physio appointment! He is happy! I am happy. I have booked for next Thursday, but if no pain! Cancel! That is the best news ever! 

I am to keep on running...starting slowly like I have been, but add in some 2/1 with my 1/1's and gradually build back up to my 10/1's. Whoo HOOOOO!

The best part of the appointment, being able to rest in the dark air conditioned treatment room for about 20 minutes. LOVE that. 

I am back at the bottom, but I know I will get back to the top shape I was in, and even better. I have learned so much along this journey so far.

*fingers crossed* that the hip pain goes away, and my hip stays in place, if it goes out (I can tell!) I am to call right away and he will fit me in! Got to love him!

My Current "Before Photos" 174.6 pounds

(Ignore the sweat, I just got back from my workout on the hottest day ever! We are going through a heat wave and extra proud that I went out and exercised in it!)

Day 2 - July 28

Well. I am still sick. My ears feel a bit better. I could taste my food more today. I still feel clogged up. A bit of a cough.

Eating was great! Water intake was great. A really good day!

EXERCISE

1:06

Distance: 7.41 km 

Best pace of the run was 4:59 kmh

Average pace (walking) was 8:57 kmh

Calories burned: 466

My goal is to burn 400 ish calories 6 days per week. 1 splurge meal a week like I did the first time. I am FINALLY feeling OK with this not running a lot business. Just the fact that I could run tonight for about 32 minutes of 1 minute run/1 minute walk felt amazing. I know I do not LOOK amazing, but I feel amazing right now. Cold and all.

I took my before photos, and let me tell you...I am not PLEASED. I will do those in a separate post. Uggh. I have to get real. I do not want to go to my 20 year reunion looking like this. The most weight gain is in my breasts, hips, waist, and but. 

Cathy's Favourite Protein Shake

I am drinking this right now and I LOVE it! Especially on these hot days! And, it beats eating a shwack of cookies or something that makes my blood sugar slump. I find I am full, and energized.

Protein Shake

1 cup skim milk

2 scoops chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup of mixed frozen berries

1/2 of a small banana

a few ice cubes

Blend and enjoy! You will get almost two large glasses worth.

Calories: Approx 340

Enjoy!

P.S. The kids love it too!

Come on? Blisters on my feet?

Well, I got out there this evening (with my cold, stuffed up ears-not in my chest kind of cold) and I ran for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute. For 18 minutes. Then I power walked (thus the blisters-not used to fast walking anymore) and ended up going for a total of 61 minutes (and a 5 min warm up) I burned my calories. I drank water, I ate well. I am feeling the way I should be feeling! Minus this cold business going on.

My hip feels good so far. I did my stretching after I got back. Did 100 crunches, and 50 push ups (thinking that this is the way to go with my sore hip and leave the squats for another time)

Tonight:

6.89 km

Average pace with the walk run included: 8:51

Best pace (running) 4:58

Calories burned: 408+

Feel: Sore feet (blisters) I feel lighter, and I feel more mellow and happier. Walk or run! Gonna get it done!

Day 1 is done! 

A sense of Renewal...

July 27th, 2009

This is my first post in a very long time. It started out as my get to my marathon goal, and it got ugly in places. I gave up. Yes, I gave up. Not for good, but for about 3-4 months since my last run when my knee pain started on my taper run on April 4th. Four weeks from when I was supposed to run my very first marathon. I was in too much pain to get to my race day. In fact I felt so bad about not running I couldn't even go and cheer on my friends. I think I would have cried. So I didn't go. I spent time with my family instead.

 I may never run a marathon, but I figure it is just good to be healthy, and to run. My physio guy believes I will be able to do a half again. I am happy with that. I am happy just to MOVE my body!

I have decided (well a week or two ago) that today is the day to get back on to track. You see, without my running everything falls apart. It is not because I don't want to run. I DO want to run. I have run about 5 or 6 mini walk runs since that one bad run back in April. It feels like a lifetime ago that I ran fluidly, strong. Energized. Fit. smaller. 

Today, I stood on the scale and I weigh in at 174.6 -- I am not too proud of that number. Or the fact that absolutely nothing in my closet fits. That my bras are too tight. My smaller clothes stare back at me from the closet. Seeing them I feel like a big failure. 

So, instead of going WAY off the deep end. I am nipping this back in the bud. Before I put on all of the weight I have lost. 

Time to start recording my eating, counting calories. Eating smaller portions. And get out there and walk. I can WALK!  I am allowed to walk. My awesome physio guy says so. So...tonight I start walking. Even though I have plugged up ears,  I cannot taste and I have a cold. I can still walk! So, I am going to be excited about walking.

Another motivation is that my 20 year high school reunion is in about 60 days. I won't be able to take off ALL of the weight, but I believe with hard work, dedication and determination I can do it. I can lose a BIG chunk of what is put on. Shifting my mental power switch back on.

I updated my weight ticker, I updated my measurements. I recorded my eating so far. I have decided to record my eating at livestrong.com this time. Try something new!  I am back taking my vitamins. I feel good for the first time in months. I couldn't do this even a week ago. I just had to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH. Don't put yourself last, don't use that ugly 'fat' talk tape that goes through my head on most days. Flip the switch. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. And go! Go do what you can do! So that is what I am doing.

Time to take it off, and reach that end goal. No more! Time to take back my life and my health.

I have just over eight weeks to kick it! And then I will remove the rest by Christmas. Then, I will go on the wait list for my vein surgery. That is the plan!