lessinayear

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!

I set up a challenge for the month of June - an attempt to lose 10 pounds. I set up the challenge mostly because I knew my grad school course, on top of full-time work, on top of personal obligations, was going to make it REALLY hard to stick to a healthy eating or exercise plan. And I was right… But having the challenge kept me accountable, gave me something very concrete to shoot for, and offered me some great support from my challenge buddies (yay team!).

So I just weighed in to see what the June outcome was… And I did NOT lose 10 pounds. During June, I lost five pounds - half the goal.

BUT, you know what? That last pound that I’ve lost since Sunday’s weigh-in (actually half-pound, but I only count in “wholes” and round up when I get the .5 on the scale - lol) puts me at 199. Welcome to Onederland!

I’m very glad to be out of the 200s again. This time for good. I promise y’all. More importantly, I promise myself. I feel really motivated about being down into the 100s, even if I’m just barely there. I can’t wait to wrap up tomorrow’s final class (YIPPEE!) and head to the lake for swimming and skiing and Frisbee and all the other exercise that I’ll get there, as well as some relaxing with my boyfriend, his family, and other friends.

I’m feeling good this afternoon, y’all - hope you all are too!

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!

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!

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…

Back from my long weekend in San Francisco with my boyfriend and a bunch of his old friends. It was good — exhausting in a lot of ways, but fun. San Fran is a great city, and this was the first time I’ve really been able to explore it much.

We walked and walked and walked… Especially Friday was a crazy day in terms of walking and moving. (Alcatraz is a hike!) We didn’t have a car, so we were using the public transportation system in the city (which is great), and hoofing it. Felt good to move that much…

The food in San Francisco is great… We ate pretty well, though I did drink more than I should have on Saturday night in terms of calories.

And maybe that’s why I’m STILL at freaking 204 for the third week in a row! I’m so frustrated. But, I’m also taking responsibility for it. I haven’t done as much as I could (and, obviously, should), so I’m going to be better.

I’ve put up a challenge on the forums to help motivate myself and others whe are interested: http://www.weight-loss-forums.buddyslim.com/weight-loss-challenge/5142-join-me-june-challenge.html

I’m hoping that having such a specific goal, and some others to keep me accountable, will help me. (Everyone who has expressed interest — today’s start weigh-in day!)

About to head in to work (took the morning off to deal with jetlag — nothing like a three-hour time jump)… And to the gym! Let’s get to it — new months are motivating!