True Confession Tuesday: Ugh

Here are my bare-bones confessions: 

• I have been sick for a week and a half. 
• I have not exercised other than last week's tworkout.
• I did go to the doctor and got meds, but they really aren't helping much. 
• I feel very sloth-like.  Sluggish.  I don't like it.
• There is still Halloween candy in the house, but there is less of it because I keep eating it.
• I'm going to post a loss tomorrow, but I feel I don't deserve it.  How the frak do you not exercise and eat like crap, but still lose weight? I think all my muscle is turning to fat, but friends have told me that's not possible this soon. However, if I don't suck it up and start working out again soon, it could very well be my reality.

What is going to change starting tonight:

• I'm going to do tonight's tworkout.
• I'm going to run tomorrow.  Don't know how far or how long I'll last, but I'm shooting for 3 miles.
• I'm going to do the wii or a dvd on Thursday.
• I'm going to run again on Saturday.  Shooting for 5 miles.
• I'm going to sign up for that stupid Turkey Trot.  I said I was going to do it and I just need to sign up.  I might not be able to run the whole 8k now since my training has taken a serious dive, but I still need to do the race.

Shrinkvivor: Final Weigh-In #8

I cannot believe we are at the end of our Shrinkingjeans Shrinkvivor challenge!  While I didn't make it to the finals, I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge.  In fact, it has probably been my favorite of all of the Shrinkingjeans challenges I have participated in!  I loved the minutes and miles challenges (it helped that I was near the end of my 1/2 marathon training)!  Might be due to the fact that I am a Survivor junkie and anything that comes close to letting me play along is A-OK in my book!  By Friday, we are going to find out which of the amazing 7 finalists will win that sweet prize package.

For the past week, I have resided over on Exile Island, although I have to admit I really haven't checked in over there very much.  Instead, I've just been trying to find my footing and come up with some new running goals for the off season.  (I live in Michigan and it is getting too dark for me to run after work outside, so my weekly runs will need to be on a treadmill.  I'm hoping to suck-it-up and still do my weekend running outside.  I even bought a new pair of nice, warm running pants that will hopefully keep my legs from turning into frozen stumps.  Anyhoo....)  If you follow me on twitter, you know that since finishing my 1/2 marathon, I've been a bit scatterbrained in what my next running goal should be.  I did run my first-ever straight 5 miles without any walk breaks this past weekend!!! WOOT!!! So now I am thinking I will make it a goal to eliminate walk breaks completely.  I will be signing up for an 8k (about 5 mile) Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving day and plan to keep my long run mileage around the 6 to 8 mile mark throughout the rest of this calendar year.  When everyone is running their virtual 5k with the sisterhood on January 8th (and while some of my dear friends are running 1/2 mary's and fulls at Disney), my plan is to run a 10k without walking.  I'd originally thought I would train for the 1/2 and run it "with" the Disney girls, but that just isn't realistic in my neck-of-the-woods.  I can't commit to running for 2.5 hrs on a treadmill or hoping we don't have a blizzard and running it outside.  Sorry Disney ladies :(

So, wish me luck.  Hopefully this plan will keep my weight right around where it is now.  I'm still not quite willing to say I've hit my goal weight, but I am very happy with where I've been hanging out weight wise.  Shall we get to the numbers?

Weight on June 23, 2009: 165.8

Challenge Starting Weight: 141.6

Last Week's Weight: 137.4

This Week's Weight: 137.6

Change This Week: up .2 (basically maintaining)

Change For Shrinkvivor Challenge: down 4.0

Total Pounds Gone: 28.2

My goal for the Shrinkvivor challenge was to get back down to 138 pounds and I made it!  Now, I would really love to see that scale hit 135.8 or less so I can earn my 30 pound button (and probably the "I lost it all" button), but I'm not going to stress if I don't get there.  I think a healthy weight range for me is somewhere in the 135 to 138 range.  (I've looked at a number of "ideal weight" calculators and they have me anywhere from 107-Yikes! to 141.  I don't ever want to see the 140s again even though my Weight Watchers goal weight from years ago was 141 and I maintained there for 6 years).  My BMI is now in the "normal range", although that scale has issues as well.  I think the important thing to do is to get to a weight that is somewhere in your "ideal range" based on medical data, but also at a weight that is something that can be maintained.  Could I starve myself and get to 107? I highly doubt it.  Could I get into the 120's? Probably, but I would have a very hard time maintaining that weight.  So for right now, the mid 130's are looking pretty good.

Oh yeah, one other REALLY COOL AWESOME PHENOMENAL LITTLE THING happened over the weekend.  I WON ONE OF THE SHRINKINGJEANS PASSES TO FITBLOGGIN!!!!! (Along with Kirsten, who won the grand prize, and Carmen!)  Yes, I wrote that in all caps because I am SO FREAKING EXCITED to meet the wonderful, supportive, amazing ladies behind The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans (plus all the other ladies I have "met" through the blogosphere and twitter).  Had I not discovered their site a little over a year ago, I'm sure I would still be a 165 pound (or heavier) unhappy unmotivated nonathletic woman sitting on my couch.  Instead, I'm back down to a healthy weight and I've completed 2 10k's and a 1/2 marathon with their love and support.  So a HUGE SHOUT OUT of THANKS to all the girls and guy over at Shrinkingjeans!  IRL hugs will come in May the week after I finish (God willing) my first ever 25k (15.5 mile) run!  I sure hope I survive to run that 5k with all of them!

Shrinkvivor: Weigh-In #7

Here we are at the end of week 6 on our Shrinkingjeans Shrinkvivor challenge!  Someone is going to win a pretty sweet prize package very soon, but unfortunately, it won't be this shrinkvivor. Tribe Navy Seals managed to be in the bottom 2 for weight loss last week, so we have all been banished to Exile Island.  At least the company is nice there :)  

Last week I posted a bit of a gain.  Let's get to the numbers and see if I've recovered:

Weight on June 23, 2009: 165.8

Challenge Starting Weight: 141.6

Last Week's Weight: 139.0

This Week's Weight: 137.4

Change This Week: down 1.6 yeah

Change For Shrinkvivor Challenge: down 4.2

Total Pounds Gone: 28.4

Well, I managed to lose the 1.6 that I gained last week.  Yippee.  Pure dumb luck mostly.  I haven't been watching my food or liquid consumption and I haven't been exercising much since I finished my half.  I did manage to log 116 minutes of exercise, but to be honest, it doesn't feel like enough.  I'm a little lost now that I don't have a race to train for.  Last night, one of my girlfriends hauled my sorry butt to the gym and we did a 45 minute swim class and swam for 15 minutes.  Then, I came home and did the tworkout.  Totally crazy, but maybe this will be my Tuesday night plan (at least until K's diving meets throw a wrench into it).

So how did everyone else do?  Hop on those scales and head over to Shrinkingjeans and let us know!

True Confession Tuesday: The Storm Edition

For those of you who don't live in the Midwest, we are having what are local news portrays as "The Storm of the Century".  Not really, but they tend to be all "the sky is falling" and crap.  School was cancelled for me today because there were tornado watches early this morning.  Apparently in my district, the buses don't run if there is a watch.  So, I received a phone call at 6:00 this morning that we didn't have school.  Yeah! Back to bed for me and the kids after I went and checked the computer because I seriously thought I was being punk'd.  I slept until 9:30, putzed around, and then headed to the basement for a couple hours when the watches were upgraded to warnings.  Now, from where I was standing in front of the windows watching for tornadoes taking shelter, there wasn't anything more that a little wind and rain.  Total.Storm.Fail.  On the plus side, if I was at school, I would have spent those 2 hours on the floor in the boys bathroom with 2 kindergarten classes, so Thank You Mr. Superintendent for cancelling school today.

So what does this have to do with today's confession post?  I also have a bit of a "the sky is falling" in me that has now turned to complacency.  Kinda like today's weather.  All year, I have been training for one race or another (2 10k's and my first 1/2 mary).  I've been working very hard to lose weight and keep it off.  I've had goals.  But now?  Nothing.Zip.Zilch.Nada.Nothing.  I don't know where to go from here.

My confessions:

• I haven't tracked my food in who knows how long.  I'm not sure I need to be tracking.  I'm not sure if I really  need to lose anymore weight.  Sure, I'd love to drop a few more pounds, but do I really need to?
• I've only worked out twice since my 1/2 (that was 9 days ago).  I ran 3 miles on Friday and 2.5 miles on Saturday.  My calf still hurts a bit.  My ankles feel stiff and sore.  Am I really injured or am I using some post race soreness as an excuse to sit on my ass?  Jury's still out on that one.
• During this morning's "storm" I could have thrown in a workout DVD or fired up exersiseTV, but instead, I sat on the couch in my PJs and watched the weather radar.
• I need to learn that workouts can be other activities besides running.  I have this mindset that it is all or nothing.  Either I pound out 3-4 miles or it isn't worth doing.  Not a good place to be.
• I have no goals.  I need a race or something to be training for.  I need a plan.  A bunch of girls are thinking about "running" the Disney 1/2 Marathon on Jan 8 in support of our friends who are actually lucky enough to be going to Disney.  I haven't committed yet, because the thought of doing 13.1 miles on a treadmill makes me want to vomit.  The thought of doing 13.1 miles outside when it is 10 below and through 4 inch drifts makes me want to turn blue, vomit and then pass out.  There is a reason why there are no races in the winter in Michigan.  IJS.
• So, help me out.  Where do I go from here?

Operation Send Bari To Fitbloggin'

Good day, beautiful readers!  I'm hear to tell you about a fantastic contest the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans has put together.  They are giving away 2 tickets to May's Fitbloggin11 conference, plus a $100 gift card for the grand prize winner to help with travel expenses!  How incredibly cool is THAT!  As a requirement for my entry, I needed to prepare a short vlog discussing why I would like to attend this conference.  (Please excuse the poor quality as I created and edited my vlog using my iPhone-it's not bad, but it's not my Flip either. Also excuse the still youtube decided to attach to my video.  I swear, I am not stoned.)


I was also inspired to create a "motivation board" with memorabilia from all my races.  What do you think?  I think I'm going to need another board!

Shrinkvivor: Weigh-In #6

Can you believe we are already to the end of week 5 on our Shrinkingjeans Shrinkvivor challenge?  Time sure flies when you are trying to Outfit-Outlose-Outlast.

Let's get to the nitty-gritty:

Weight on June 23, 2009: 165.8

Challenge Starting Weight: 141.6

Last Week's Weight: 137.4

This Week's Weight: 139.0

Change This Week: up 1.6 boo

Change For Shrinkvivor Challenge: down 2.6

Total Pounds Gone: 26.8

As I suspected, I had a bit of a gain post 1/2 marathon.  I'm not too upset about it, but it is disappointing nonetheless.  I'm more concerned about next week since I'm on a doctor-imposed break from major amounts of cardio this week (ie-no running until at least this weekend) and I'm still sore in a few spots from my run, especially my left calf.  I actually have a weird lump in my calf muscle and it is tender to the touch.  If it isn't better in a couple more days, I'll have it checked out, but I suspect it is just a result of almost 2 1/2 hours of pounding on Sunday. 

Speaking of 2 1/2 hours, that was the immunity challenge we had this week.  Keeping track of exercise minutes.  Since the only things I've done is my half marathon, which I completed in 2 hours, 27 minutes, plus about 30 minutes of slow walking afterwards, my minutes for this challenge are 177.

As for the non-fitness challenges, I did participate in the "Exposed Movement".  However, I did not do very well on tracking my food (in all honesty, I haven't tracked at all, but I'm starting again today).  I had at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, so 5 of 6 days for the challenge is pretty good.  Water continues to be great.  I'm drinking water almost exclusively now, but I still allow myself one Diet Coke per day.

So how did everyone else do?  I feel bad that I couldn't post a loss for Tribe Navy Seals this week.  I'm hoping this doesn't send me or my team to Exile, but if it does, I've heard there are a lot of awesome people hanging out over there *waves to my peeps on Exile Island*.  So, strip down to your naughty bits, hop on those scales, and head over to Shrinkingjeans and let us know how you did this week.  While you're there, show the rest of your shrinking sisters and brothers some bloggy love.  Peace Out!

True Confession Tuesday: Post Race

The Good:

• I completed my first Half-Marathon on Sunday!

The Bad:

• I did some serious carb-loading before-hand, and since I didn't really eat much at all after the race to combat the 2000+ calories I burned, my body thinks it is starving and I'm having to force myself not to eat everything in sight.  It's been a couple days.  I think the starvation-factor should have worn off by now.

The Good:

• I put in 2 hrs, 27 min, 52 seconds towards our Shrinkvivor challenge.

The Bad:

• I can barely move today and will probably have to miss the Tworkout.  Seriously, I'm sore in places I didn't even know I had muscles.  I also haven't tracked food or gotten in enough fruits or veggies.  I'm most likely going to be up this week and headed to join my friends on Exile Island.

The Good:

• The Fat-Goggles came off for a few seconds while looking at some pictures of myself while working on my race recap.  I also joined the Exposed movement (although the fat goggles have a hard time looking at my own post).

The Bad:

• I'm fighting the belief that the skinny pictures are all smoke and mirrors and good angles. (I'm a work in progress.  Yesterday I wore pants that were WAY too big and no less than 4 people commented on how much weight I had lost and that I needed to go buy some more pants.  Today I feel puffed up and huge.  I don't get it either.)

So, in 10 minutes or less, those are my confessions.

PS:  Did you see that adorable little boy over there on my blog, just a bit to the left?  He is the most amazing little guy EVER and wants to save the world, one glass of drinking water at a time.  Please click his button and show him some love.

PSS:  Shrinkingjeans has an awesome giveaway going on right now with Girlz N Gear.  You can try and enter, but I'm going to win, so it might just be a waste of your time.  IJS.  I REALLY need a 13.1 shirt now.