lessinayear

My grad school class wraps up this week - all I have to do is survive till Thursday night at 8, and I get my summer back!

It’s been a long month; I’m tired. I’m also frustrated with having to be so carefully scheduled to get anything and everything done. The weekend (we’re going to the lake for the 4th) will be a nice jumpstart to some relaxing, I hope.

Along with the relaxing will also be the opportunity to spend more time on exercise and taking better care of myself. That’s also something I’m looking forward to.

So, for now, just a few more days of working, reading, writing papers… And then a long weekend away, some plans with friends next week, and my time being MY time again - yay!

I’ve been a little quiet the past couple of days. No blogs, because I’ve been trying to get my work done for the conclusion of my summer class. THANK GOODNESS it’s over this coming Thursday, July 2. But, less cool is the fact that basically my entire grade in the course comes down to that day — I have to give my in-class presentation that day, as well as turn in a short and a long paper, all at once! So yes, I’ve been stressing. This weekend has been full of homework, and freaking out about homework, and more homework…

Anyway, I got up early this morning to get back to work on my long paper (the biggest source of stress) and decided a Sunday that begins at 6:30 a.m. can’t get much worse…might as well go ahead and weigh-in. I was nervous about this week. I’ve had a couple of maintain weeks in a row that have disappointed, and I didn’t get to the gym toward the end of the week like I’d hoped (partially school and partially an unexpected visit from an out-of-town friend Friday that changed my plans). I also had wine with said friend, so I figured those calories might have messed things up…

But I sucked it up, got on the scale, and… 200! I’m down 2 pounds! (OK, just between us, it was ACTUALLY 199.5, and a big part of me wants to just go with 199, but I’ve been rounding up, so I’m going to keep with that… Just SO CLOSE to the success of Onederland!)

So I was reflecting on how that was the case, and I have a few thoughts. First, one of my personal struggles with weight loss is portion control. If you put it in front of me, I’m GOING to eat it, whether I’m hungry or not, whether I want it or not… I’ve REALLY been working on that. For me, I think that’s almost a bigger deal than exercise — recognizing that if I’m not exercising as much, I don’t need to eat as much… And I DID think about that a lot this past week. I knew, for example, that I wasn’t going to be able to make the gym Wednesday because of some meetings and deadlines at work, so I adjusted my food intake accordingly. Even Friday, when my plans to go to the gym turned into a lunch with wine with a friend, since I knew I was drinking some calories, and not exercising, I adjusted what I ordered for my meal, how much of it I ate, and also what I had for dinner that night…

And holy crap! It worked!

I know this isn’t rocket science, but it’s a pretty powerful reflection for me this morning. I feel really re-motivated by seeing that scale movement, and I’m SO happy that I just have to make it through Thursday’s final summer class and then I can throw myself more wholeheartedly into my exercise without the distraction of grad school for more than a month. Anyway, hope everyone has an equally eye-opening, inspiring Sunday!

There is definitely some sort of summer cold going around my office. Two people were out with it yesterday; two more are out today. The last thing I want is to be sick…

I’m wondering if my “off day” yesterday wasn’t a result of a little minor bug. I had a pretty bad headache by the end of the day, and I felt achy — more than I should have based on my workout yesterday at lunch. I took a quick nap between work and class last night (by which I mean, I took a quick nap for the last 30 minutes of work!), and that helped some. And then I just took it really easy last night after class — went straight home, ate a small, bland meal, and went to bed really early without anymore exercise or homework or housework. I feel a lot better today; I’m hoping I’ve staved it off!

I tend to have a good immune system (knock on wood!); I’m not one of those people who catch everything that goes around. I regularly take vitamins, and I do eat a really balanced diet, heavy on the veggies, which I know helps. But I do also work in an environment where people are very on top of each other, and we work in teams a lot, and we have different folks in and out of our office a lot, so sometime we all succumb to those viruses…

Anyway, in honor of feeling better (and just because we both could use a little pick-me-up), tonight my boyfriend and I are treating ourselves to a nice dinner out. There’s a local restaurant that specializes in all natural, organic food, and they have a lot of vegetarian options, and they’re very health-conscious about all of their preparation in a way that your average American restaurant, unfortunately, is not. It’s a little on the pricey side, so we don’t go very often, but it’s easily one of my favorite places… So, that’s tonight’s plan — just the two of us, a good, healthy dinner that neither of us have to cook, and conversation about good things (like our upcoming vacation to Disney World!) and no talk about work or school or the things that have had us down lately. Cannot wait.

No, I’m not talking about a day off exercising or anything like that.

Any of you ever have those days where you don’t quite feel like yourself? You’re overly forgetful. Little things make you cranky. People are all on your nerves. You feel like you could cry over the slightest thing.

That’s the kind of day I’m having. And no, it’s not PMS. (THAT was my excuse LAST week - lol!)

There are a few contributing factors: My boyfriend has been having a rough couple of weeks, and I’m one of those people that if someone I love is hurting, I hurt. My job is a little out of control right now. My grad school class is really intense. I haven’t slept great.

I just hate feeling so “blah.” I started noticing the mood yesterday evening - I just didn’t feel well, and listening to the radio after work, like three different songs made me tear up. Then my boyfriend was cranky again (still), and that hurt my feelings, and then it was just a spiral of pitifulness!

Don’t get me wrong - everything is fine. Boyfriend is good (he knows he’s being cranky, and is apologetic, and it really has nothing to do with me). Work is what it is. I’ve done my exercise today, eaten well, am powering through…

I’m just in a funk. Does anybody else have those yuck days? What’s your foolproof way to get over them?

This past Friday a good friend got married. It was a sweet ceremony, very fitting of the two of them. Yay, A & J!

I went to the wedding with a mutual friend, as my boyfriend was out of town. Several other mutual friends were in attendance at the wedding, and of course we were all taking pictures… Was just looking through some of them, and while I actually look pretty decent in most, ARGH! My freaking double chin! I try to be conscious of how I hold my head in photos — I can usually ward it off — but there are two or three otherwise very cute photos with my big honking chin ruining them!

So yeah, I’m feeling a little self-conscious this afternoon.

That aside, it’s been a pretty good day, in terms of both food and exercise. Just got back from the gym. I did 1.75 miles on the elliptical, on the hilly setting, in 25 minutes. Considering I often do just barely over 2 miles in 30-35 minutes on the non-hill setting, I feel pretty good about it. My week, while busy, is not as out of control as last, so I should be able to hit the gym every day except possibly Wednesday — yay!

Much thanks for everyone’s continued support, btw. I really appreciate all the booster notes, messages, blog comments, etc. Y’all are inspiring — and just plain nice!

OK, so this past week I let my schedule get the best of me. I skipped the gym at lunch to work. I didn’t go to the gym after work so I could spend time with my boyfriend. I let school and work and other outside commitments get in the way of my commitment to me. And that’s got to stop.

I know that it’s not going to be a fast fix, losing this weight, and I know there are going to be setbacks along the way. But I know I need to be committed, 100%, or it’s going to be a lot harder, a lot longer, a lot more frustrating. This is in my hands, and I need to take the responsibility and BE onboard with myself in achieving this.

So this week, I’m going to be committed. I’m going to take the time I need for myself to do what I want and need to do for my body. And next week, when I weigh myself, the scale is going to be BELOW 202.

I’m not getting to spend much time online this week. A lot of factors: busy time at work; friend’s wedding this weekend; heavy workload with my summer grad school class; boyfriend having a hard time with a conference he’s planning… So I haven’t been great about getting around, leaving folks comments on their blogs, sending notes, etc. It’s not that I’m not thinking about y’all! I’m just having to be a little bit selfish (see Nancy’s great blog from today about “me time”) and get my stuff done — including exercising and trying to eat halfway healthy in the midst of the craziness. The next couple of weeks should slow down some (thank goodness!), so I’m hopeful that after the weekend I can be a little more responsive. Thanks, gang!

Did my weekly weigh-in yesterday and I’m still hanging at 202 — boo.

That said, I can’t complain a whole lot. I know the weekend is what did me in. I went to Atlanta to visit one of my best friends, and I drank more over the course of two days than I probably have in the whole year so far combined. Seriously. So it was a huge number of calories, and I didn’t get to exercise much on Saturday (we did go to the park and walked quite a bit, but it wasn’t intense at all).

Anyway, it’s a bummer, because I was hopeful about my 10-pound challenge for June, and I may have screwed that up. BUT, I went to the gym when I got home yesterday, and I’m heading there at lunch today, and I’m going to “get back on the horse” and hope for the best. No — not hope — I’m going to WORK for the best.

A happy Monday to all — hope you’re feeling happy and healthy midway through the month!

So I ended up having to go out of town for a couple of days unexpectedly. Nothing bad — just nothing planned for. I have to admit that I dislike having my routine messed up. I like to think I’m spontaneous and go-with-the-flow… But the truth is, I like to have a schedule I can stick to. Sigh…

So I’m a little out of sorts today being back to the office, back to class tonight, etc. Trying to get my head around everything that has to happen.

The good news is that I managed to eat well and get in at least a little exercise while I was away. I’m pretty sure this is not going to be a great loss week (boo!!!) but maybe it won’t be a gain week at least.

Like I said, I’m a little out of sorts, so I don’t have a lot of insightful comments to offer. Maybe later, or tomorrow, I’ll be a little more together. Hope everyone is well!

Spent the weekend at my mom’s house visiting with her as well as a friend from middle/high school days who was in town for the first time in several years. It was a good — if fast — visit.

Just got home and decided to get the weekly weigh-in over with… Yay! Two pounds lost! That’s pretty much the speed I want, exactly what I’m looking for… I’m pleased. I’m also more or less on pace to meet my 10-pound challenge for June. Yay!

Not a whole lot else to report. I’m not feeling great today — a little queasy for no clear reason — so I’m going to see if I can find something light and bland for dinner, and then jump into all the homework (stupid grad class!) I’ve neglected for the past few days.

Wishing everyone a good Sunday night…