First I'm going to address the comments I got, to the first one: Yes, for SURE I was eating enough. Thinking now, maybe it was too much. I'd been eating 1500 calories a day and working out bout 400 calories off. That brings me into what I want to say about the second comment. I think that MY body (everyone is different) DOES need me to do MORE than that to lose weight. Since I always seem to come to the 140s, and it's where I've been whenever I haven't been huge, I think my body looks at it right now as the "set point". So, for me to *think* I was eating great and working out. It was probably more of a maintanence thing to my body. The second I kicked it up, and dropped my calories to 1200, my body is NOW responding. John, I think you're totally right. For ME, I think I need to have a HUGE amount of cardio and always be on point with my eating, otherwise my body won't gain, but won't lose.
So....that's ok. Now that I realize that, it's not so frustrating. Also, since I lost back that annoying pound, I'm also not as annoyed. ALSO, today I woke up feeling GREAT. I feel like I'm starting to get toned again and I *feel* stronger and all that. It's a great feeling. I don't even care what the scale said today, my body *feels* good. lol.
But enough about all that mumbo-jumbo.
I have a roadblock, but I'm going to look at it as a "challenge". Tomorrow, Shane's parents are coming into town and want to take the family out to dinner. Going out to eat is SOOOO hard on me if it isn't Applebees. (if it is, then forget it! I'm set! I LOVE their weight watchers menu!)But if it isn't.... urg. So...THIS is how I'm going to look at it. IF I can get through tomorrow, ordering something sensible, like a LONG time ago when I was in the zone: then I'll be fine. That is my challenge.
I accept.

I'm in a goofy mood today.
Anyway, that's it for my ramblings. I'm going to get the kids dressed and then hit the gym. (we're going twice today!) Yesterday I ran 1.5 miles non-stop, and I LOVE that my endurance it coming back. I don't know if this will help anyone (but it helps me, so i'll share it) but I listen to my mp3 while I run and for the first song I run on 5.5 at a 2.0 incline for the WHOLE first song. When you tell yourself you only have to make it through one song, it's easy to get through it. THEN, at the beginning of the second song, I turn the incline back to 0, and it feels like you're just gliding because of the incline shift. I do that everyday now, AND it burns a few extra calories.
So, anyway, I'm going to get the kids dressed like I said. Have a great humpday!!
ash

weight: 142.8

lbs left to hit mini-goal: 7.8

time left to hit mini-goal: 3 weeks 2 days

*OH* and at the circus I DID bring my own snacks (apple that I ate and 100 calorie cheese nip pack, that the kids ended up eating...)and a big bottle of water. I didn't eat bad there EVEN WHEN leaving Shane told me to get some cotton candy if i wanted some. I said no.

Today was frustrating. ALL weekend to Shane's talk of thickburgers, pizza, McD's....etc, I said NO. I didn't eat bad once. I hit the gym everyday. Well, guess what? Appearantly with MY body that equals GAINING weight. It's annoying to say the very least. SO...today I pumped it up and did a nice calorie blasting cardio AND strength training. (over 1000 calories burned!) I even did something I've been wanting to for quite a while now, run 1/2 a mile without stopping at 7.0 on the treadmill (that's 1/2 a mile in 4 mins 17 seconds) Well, I DID it. My endurance is getting much better, I did that half mile run after my normal daily mile run. So...all that is positive and me gaining weight today was negative, but oh well. Tomorrow is a new day.
Tomorrow should be a fun exciting day, we are taking the kids to the circus, and that is always FUN. We haven't been since Jordyn was about 2 1/2 and John was so little he slept through the entire thing. So, that should be fun. Hopefully the snacks and treats don't smell TOO delicious. I'm such a snacker! It's horrible! lol.
Anyway, I'm STILL going to try for my goal of mid-130s for the weight competition between Shane and I. I know it's seeming even more ambitious, but if I'm not doing anything wrong, then I can only hope that soon enough my weight loss speaks for itself, and maybe my body was stalling for some crazy reason. Okay everyone, hope you had a good weekend. :)
ash

weight: 143.8

lbs to go: 8.8

time left to hit goal: 3 and 1/2 weeks.

Today has started off nicely. I'm back to where I was about a week ago before my Sunday turned against me.
It's funny though, I asked Shane to hide the scale from me. Know what he did? The opposite. He SHOWED the scale to me! (anyone know that episode of "Friends" I'm channeling where Joey "shows" Chandler his clothes...? lol) Thing is, our scale is always up in the bathroom that is attached to our bedroom. I woke up like, "la, la, la, no scale to ruin my day...." (yes I go "la la" and sing to myself when I wake up in the morning.) Then I come downstairs to make the kids breakfast and there it is. My scale. Where you ask?? Sitting up on the kitchen counter. Just staring at me. Begging me to hop on and weigh in for the day.
URg, so I did. When Shane came home at lunch, I made fun of him for it. This was a funny conversation:
Me: "hey, I thought you were gonna hide the scale"
Shane: "I did, didn't I?"
ME: "if hiding it is SHOWING it to me, then yeah I guess you did"
Shane: *confused look*
Me: "It's on the kitchen counter"
Shane: "oh, oops".

Don't know if that was entertaining or annoying to anyone reading this, but my days don't consist of too much, so for me, that was a funny incident.

Yesterday I worked out REALLY light because tomorrow I was going to Pracs for a screening and you all already know I'm not to work out too much before those "screenings". Well, today I had a message on my phone from them. My study got cancelled. That sucks! That means I won't make a quick 2k in one week like I was hoping. lol. I was going to stop Pracs for awhile to concentrate on dropping weight, but with Shane around I'd almost rather take my risk with Pracs. lol At least I get paid by them to eat bad.

So, now I'm signed up for another study, but it's not until June 9 (far away!!!) but it's for 5k, so that should hook up lots of costs for my surgery!!! So, looks like I have ALLLL May to concentrate on me. If I work my booty off, I should have no prob dropping 10 lbs, so I'd think anyway.

Okay everyone, this was long enough, huh? lol. I'm going to go strength train and then at 430 I'm hitting the gym. HARD.
love ya'll,
ash

weight: 142.2

mini goal: 135

lbs left to hit mini-goal: 7.2

time left: 29 days

***and thanks for the comment about being sure to beat Shane, I most definately will!

really, it's been almost a week? I didn't even realize.
This week has gone by pretty fast, especially considering that all I've been doing is damage control from Sunday. I ate bad and for MY body, having some indulgence really always seems to be TOO much. I gained a good amount. So...in other words, what I was working on losing, I gained with my cheat day, and I've spent this week trying to get it back off. Ugh. Annoying.
Oh well. As long as I stay committed and don't give up completely, right? And, it's not like I get out of the 140s and back to the 150s anymore. This time 2 years ago I'd of probably shed some blood to be in the 140s, so I should be proud that I'm maintaining my chubbiness and not getting larger. lol.
I started another competition with Shane. It's the only way I can think for HIM to NOT want to eat bad, therefore having me not eat bad. (he's the only one that tries to get me to eat bad!) It started today and goes for exactly one month. May 23rd. If I stay on top of it this time, I can be mid-130s by this time next month, if I don't fall off the wagon. :) That would be just lovely. I actually see Shane using this as an opportunity as well, he's about 40 over what he wants to be, and he has a problem staying motivated. The last few weight loss competitions we did he lost and owed me all kinds of fun stuff (from new clothes to doing all the diapers!) This time the reward is pretty simple, so it won't be frustrating if I lose, but I like that it'll keep HIM from losing. He'll want to win at least one of these. lol.
Okay, so wish me luck. Though, I don't need it. I can beat that boy at anything! LOL.
Ash

weight: 143.4

mini-goal: 135.0

lbs left to hit mini-goal: 8.4

time left to mini-goal: exactly 1 month!

Well, today I woke up and I WAS annoyed. Last time I gained 1/2 a pound, I didn't care because I am doing everything right and so it didn't phase me. Well, today when again I gained 1/2 a pound it was aggravating because now my weight is not going DOWN, it's like stalling in this 142 lb area. I wouldn't care if it was a normal plateau or something like that, but I JUST started working out and eating great like 10 days ago, so it's a bit early for a plateau. It's just irksome. But, I think I'm going to have to do something that's very hard on me, but oh well. Stop weighing myself everyday. I've done this in the past and it does help for me to not be bogged down by what the scale "says", but it's hard for someone like me that likes to keep track of every little thing when undertaking something like losing weight. Oh well, I'll do it for the rest of the month, because by then I should be in the 130s, and if things go slowly then, I won't care. Having them go slowly while I'm still 140s is annoying. For some people that sounds like a good weight, but I'm 5'2" people.
So...anyway, on with the rest of the blog. I went to Shane's awards night on Tuesday and ate really sensibly. It had a buffet style set up, which is why we never had an option on what to eat. They had salad, raw veggies, steamed veggies and turkey. (I ate all of those) They also had stuff like cole slaw (had one bite) and pasta salads, cookie salad, potatoes and stuff. I only ate about 1/3 of what was on my plate actually, Shane kept giving me hell because of how much it cost he said I should eat $17.50 worth, but I said the food wasn't that good, so what'd be the point of that?? I did eat a little small sliver of cheesecake for dessert, but that had to be 200 calories AT THE MOST (it was tiny, and I've VERY good at figuring calories for things) and I KNOW that didn't make me gain 1/2 a pound, I was .2 less Wednesday than I was Tuesday. Then today I was heavier. (both times have been the morning after I had fish for dinner...that's too funny). When it comes to nutrition, I know my stuff. I know portion sizes, I know what's good for you (fiber!) what's bad (sugar!) I know that my dinner of 6 pieces of asparagus, 3 oz of fish, small side salad, and 1/2 cup of butternut squash couldn't have been anything but an all around GREAT, healthful dinner. So, to wake up with not ONLY zero loss, but a gain...I was aggravated. So....no more weighing in daily for me. All it does is mess with my mind, and I don't need any distractions. I'm a week and 1/2 in and I'm doing great in every other aspect, so I'm going to ignore the scale. lol.
Okay, I am posting a pic of me at Shane's awards thing, I don't look very happy because Shane just took the pic really quick and wanted to get out of his uniform, but here is me at about 142 lbs:


Okay, that's it for me. I'll be hitting the gym in a little bit here, and hopefully waking up tomorrow morning feeling lighter, since that's the only way I'll know if I'm making progress. lol.
Ash

weight: 142.8

lbs to mini-goal: 3.8

time left to mini-goal: 11 days