lessinayear

For the weekend, that is.

Of late, I’ve been traveling a lot on the weekends, which is fun and hard all at the same time. This weekend is one of only two for the next SEVERAL weeks (months?) that I’m not either going anywhere or having guests stay with me. I’m so excited about doing whole lot of nothing!

Actually, though, there are plans. Tonight is date night! Boyfriend and I are going to a movie — think we may go see the documentary “Food, Inc.” I’ve been really eager to see it, and usually he just likes to make me happy. Tomorrow we’re getting up earlyish and going to the farmer’s market to stock up on some yumminess. Then his parents are coming up for lunch and to spend the afternoon. Church on Sunday, followed by the gym. After that, some cleaning and errands. A productive weekend — and one not spent in the car!

I think I MAY make it under 200 pounds (again) for this weekend’s weigh-in, too — especially if I do eat well for the next couple of days. THAT would make me happy.

A good weekend to all of you. Rest well and work hard!

I told myself when I first started on BuddySlim that I’d set mini-goals for myself every 10 pounds. (One of these days, I’m actually going to make it to that first one!) And I also decided that every 10 pounds I would treat myself to a massage — a good massage, with my favorite therapist, at the pricey place I ordinarily wouldn’t splurge on.

I’m six pounds away, and MAN, I want that massage! I have been eating well this week, and there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue. I’m getting in gym time. I’m drinking my water. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think this week should be a loss, maybe of a couple or three pounds even… If I could do that for the next 2 or 3 weeks in a row… Massage by mid-August! Want that so much!

Last night my boyfriend came over after work. It had been a pretty tough Monday for both of us, so we were in agreement that we wanted a quiet, do-nothing kind of night. We curled up and started flipping through stuff on TV and came across the new ABC show “Dating in the Dark.” We’d seen previews, we both thought it looked intriguing, and it was totally the brain candy we were looking for. So we settled on watching that.

The premise of the show, for those who aren’t familiar, is that three men and three women, all strangers, are brought in to meet one another and go on dates in a completely blacked out room. In other words, it’s simulated blindness, so you’re forced to get to know the person without a visual.

Last night’s show involved a woman named Megan. My best guess is that Megan was probably a size 8, MAYBE 10. In other words, she wasn’t “model thin,” but she was not overweight in anyone’s book… Anyone’s, that is, except Matt (I think his name was). Matt and Megan really hit it off in the dark. They chose each other for their various dates, they seemed really compatible, etc. But when they hugged each other, Matt was trying to assess Megan’s size — and after the date, he was talking to the other guys about how she was “too thick” and he really wasn’t sure he could date her long-term. And when they were revealed to one another, and he saw her, he was clearly not pleased. The show ended with him agreeing to take her on another date — in the light — but it was seemingly obvious that it wasn’t a long-term thing, and that he was probably hoping for a little easy action before finding someone whose appearance was more to his liking.

At least that was our interpretation of it. And my boyfriend was so pissed about it. When the term “thick” was thrown out, he was like, “Which of those girls is ‘thick’? What the hell?” And when Matt was debating whether Megan was pretty and thin enough to date, I thought my boyfriend was going to throw something at the TV; he called the guy all kinds of names I won’t recount here…

I know I need to lose weight. But I love my boyfriend so much for loving me regardless of that. At 200 pounds, I know he loves me as much as he would at 120 pounds — or 250 pounds or whatever. That sort of security and confidence is so important and valuable, and I am so thankful for him giving me that.

I’m also glad he’s not an a$$ like the guys they get for TV dating shows.

Leaving work shortly for another weekend out of town. Cannot wait till the schedule slows down and I can sleep in, clean house, and do nothing! Argh!!

Anyway, this weekend we’re headed to my mom’s to celebrate her birthday, and also to visit with other family who are going to be in town. It will be the first meeting of many of these folks for the boyfriend — hope he’s ready for my family — lol!

Should be good, and hopefully it will allow for some semblance of routine, healthy eating, etc. My boyfriend is so excited about us getting to walk my mom’s dog he can hardly stand it. (We really need a dog!!!)

So I’ll be out of touch all weekend, but wish everyone a great one! Will catch up with folks Monday…

Last night my boyfriend and I had our gym date. Right after work we headed to the gym and did 35 minutes each on the elliptical, plus some stretching and a couple of cool down laps on the track. It was great — and I was really pleased: Despite like a week and a half with no cardio, I was still able to do an 11-minute mile without feeling overtaxed. (Yes, I realize that’s not super-fast, but for me, it’s a big improvement over what I used to be able to do, and I’m recommitting myself to celebrating the victories!) So anyway, I did just over 3 miles, burned about 450 calories (per the machine reading) and felt really great afterward.

My boyfriend did too, and on the way home, he told me he really wanted to start going to the gym more, but that he was going to need me to be the “instigator” of that — that he realized he didn’t have the motivation in himself, but if I’d suggest it and help him get into the habit, that would really make him happy.

THAT is exactly the motivation I need. It’s just my personality — I do my best when I’m doing something for someone else. I’m really “other-motivated.” So it can feel selfish if I go to the gym by myself and make that “me time” (even though I need “me time” and am trying to be better about giving myself some; it’s just hard for me), but if we go to the gym together and I know that he’s depending on me to lead in that endeavor… That will really help keep me on track.

So yay! I’m happy he’s willing to go with me, because it’s more fun to have someone there, even though we both have our iPods on and ignore each other for like 45 minutes or an hour. It’s just good to have the moral support! And I’m glad he’s willing to start taking better care of himself. We’re about to celebrate his 30th birthday… By the time we get married and have kids, we’ll both be in our mid-30s, and I want us to be as healthy and hearty as possible!

All of that is to say yesterday was good, and I think will start a trend for us. I’ll keep y’all posted!

This evening I have a date both with and at the gym. I have a “gym date” with myself — I am not happy with how I’ve scheduled my time lately, and my lack of time at the gym, so I need to remedy that. But I also have a “gym date” with my boyfriend, because he’s coming with me.

His mom recently quit smoking, which is a huge deal after decades of cigarettes. In the process, she has gained some weight, and she’s been complaining to him about that. I think it’s gotten him thinking a lot about weight and health and so forth… I hope so, at least! As much as it’s nice to have online support from folks, it’s incredibly more motivating for me to have someone here, in “real life,” who will get up and go to exercise with me.

I’ve made a big impact on the way he eats. In the BD era (Before Dating), he was a huge fast food eater. As in, every day, every meal. Now, we cook at home almost all the time. He’s been shocked at how much money he’s saving, and how much better he feels… Now, if I can just get him on the regular exercise train…

Anyway, if anyone has any tips on motivating the people around you to join you in your exercise and healthy lifestyle choices, I’d love to hear them. Happy Wednesday!

Was out of town this weekend for a family trip to Ohio. Long story, but suffice it to say that it had to be done, even though it meant 15+ hours in the car for very little ultimate reward. Anyway, it’s done, and I’m back.

Didn’t get to do much exercising over the weekend at all (Saturday managed a good walk, but my main activity all weekend was sitting in a car). Didn’t eat terribly, but not great either. Don’t you wish restaurants offered better options? Even salads are fatty in restaurants! (Overall, can’t complain, though I did have a couple of meals that as I was eating them I could feel myself bloating!)

In good news, I did lose three pounds last week. As little as I did exercise, that makes me pretty sure it was water weight/bloating that caused the gain week before last, but whatever. I still need to get my act together and get back to the gym in a dedicated way this week.

Not a lot else to report, really… Just sort of checking in since I was MIA since midday Friday. Hope everyone’s Monday is off to a good start!

This week has been a challenging one, on a lot of levels. I did my weigh-in and, for the first time since joining BuddySlim, I’d gained — boo! I got some test results back from my annual checkup, and there are some issues that are going to require a follow-up visit and some more tests — boo (and a little scary)! Work has been monstrous lately (big special events that require a lot of my time and effort) — boo! My boyfriend’s family’s house was burglarized earlier in the week — boo (and again, scary)!

I actually could go on and on; this week is kind of one for the record books in terms of bad, annoying, and/or upsetting things that have happened.

So how have I responded? Well, I’ve used those things as excuses: excuses not to go to the gym (too tired, don’t feel well, need to work late, need to spend time with boyfriend); excuses to eat too much and drink more than I usually do (but I’m so stressed out…this glass of wine will help, cheese is my comfort food). EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES!

I’m frustrated with myself, because I’m better than that. Everyone has bad days (and weeks — hell, months and years, sometimes!). I need to get my act together and not let something bad in one small area of my life affect the rest of my life — or my commitment to myself and my overall health.

It’s just gotten me to thinking — if you’re looking for an excuse, you can always find one. And if you’re looking for a reason to be motivated and dedicated, you can find that too. So, the question is, which one are you looking for?

Well, I did my weekly weigh-in (just never got around to it yesterday) and… BOO! I gained FOUR pounds!

Now, honestly, I had expected to either maintain or gain maybe a pound. I didn’t exercise last week, and I didn’t adjust my eating accordingly. But four pounds?! I mean, it’s not like I was gorging myself on cake every night either!

Part of the issue is undoubtedly “feminine” in nature — later this week it will be “that time of the month,” so it’s entirely possible that I’m a little bloated. I’m taking some solace in that. But I’m also pissed, and I’m getting my fat butt in gear and working out tonight. GRR.

Had a good, but busy, weekend - no real time to get online and blog or check in with anyone. Sorry about that!

Friday night my boyfriend got us tickets to the local minor league baseball team’s game. It was fun, despite the fact that the home team lost big time! But there were fireworks after the game, and the weather was nice. We also were sitting right behind a little boy who had a scorebook and was keeping score of the game and really into it - much like my boyfriend. It always warms my heart a bit to see him engage with kids; what can I say?

Saturday we had a pretty early morning - got up and headed to Chattanooga to have lunch with some friends, but ended up spending the entire afternoon with them. Then we went to my boyfriend’s grandmother’s for a big family cookout shindig, which was actually lots of fun. I’m getting way more comfortable with the fam…

Sunday we tried a new church, then had lunch, and then I gave my boyfriend a massage. We spent the rest of the afternoon kind of lounging/napping. Had planned on going on a walk before dinner, but about the time we were leaving, a HUGE storm rolled in and it rained the rest of the night. So, so much for that plan! We watched movies instead.

Anyway, I am a slacker - I didn’t do my weigh-in yesterday like usual, so I’ll have to do that tonight. I’m 99% sure I’ve gained this past week (BOO!). I was nursing my foot injury (MUCH better now - I’ve gone the past two days without wrapping it, and it seems OK), so I didn’t want to exercise and jack it up more… But I also wasn’t eating great, and I only did weights like twice last week… Totally unacceptable.

I’m loving MJ’s 10-week challenge, though, which has me being daily accountable for food, exercise, and my own “personal challenge,” so I’m optimistic about the next several weeks. I’m also already feeling the morning and evening crunches in my abs - lol!

One bummer on the exercise front… I was SO excited about my six-week yoga class that was starting tonight… But it’s been canceled. I got an e-mail yesterday that enough people didn’t sign up for it, so they aren’t doing it. Big-time bummer. I hope I can find something else similar soon. Sigh…

Anyway, that’s my rundown for now. Will weigh-in tonight (and probably post that lament tomorrow)! Happy Monday, all!