What You Didn't Know & Challenge Update

A few days ago a friend (who is on an amazing weight-loss journey of her own - Hi Sara!) shared this HuffPost Healthy Living article by Anne Ricci - "6 Things No One Tells Women About Their Weight Loss Journey" I thought it made some excellent points.  Many of the points she made can be related directly to my own experience.  I have taken each point and briefly described how it has related it to my weight loss journey. When you get a chance, please take the time to read the entire article and examine how it applies to your journey.

1. "The path to a slimmer you is not a straight line" - Even when the scale is going down, it rarely is a steady decrease week after week. There are big losses, little losses, no losses and even gains - gasp! Yes, it is super frustrating when the scale stays the same or goes up and down from week to week, but if I can look back over a longer period of time and see the loss I am in success mode.  That downward trend is what I try to focus on. 

2. "You may face several defeating setbacks" - When I started this journey (at least the current leg of it) and this blog, my goal was to lose 75 pounds. I knew it wouldn't happen overnight, but I fully expected it was something I could realistically do in a year. I was off to a great start - almost halfway to my goal and I started to wobble - I thought that was my setback. Then I got straighten out and back on track. Rolling along. Little did I know I would hit a devastating setback about 6 months into the journey.  Our loss was devastating and the aftermath has been a huge setback on my weight loss. Over the course of 4+ months I gained back about 25 of the 35 pounds I had lost. Super depressing on top of the loss. I am hopefully finally bouncing back from one of the biggest setbacks I can imagine. I wish I could say that I learned valuable lessons that I will definitely apply to future setbacks. I am not quite sure it works that way. At minimum I know it is possible to move forward despite the challenges we face. 

3. "You will need to have compassion for yourself, instead of criticism and guilt" - I am learning this.  Thanks in no small part from the support of many of you reading this. As I have tried to find my way through this setback I have had encouragement after encouragement to go easy on myself. I would never have been hard on anyone else in the same situation. Why are we always our own worst critic?  Would I keep a "friend" that treated me like I sometimes treat myself. 

4. "Other people will try to sabotage you" - To be honest, I don't think this has happened to me at least not in a purposeful way. My circle has been very supportive. 

5. "You will have to take a serious look at your relationship with food" - I have a feeling this is going to be one of the toughest part of the journey. I do know (and admit) I am an emotional eater. How I can change all that is something that may take me some time to work out. 

6. "Getting enough sleep will help a lot" - This is an area I don't think about from a weight loss point of view. I know I used to be a good sleeper, but that definitely seems to be gone now. I have zero problem getting to sleep. I just can't seem to stay asleep. I know part of it is related to my MS, pain, medication, etc. Some of it may be that we need a new bed - hopefully, this summer. 

Have you discovered any of these to be true in your own journey?  How are you experiencing and overcoming them?

30 Day Ironman Challenge update (click here for challenge details)

I am a week in and I definitely feel challenged on several levels

Physical - After not doing much exercise recently my body has definitely taken a step backward on general fitness. Biking was significantly tougher than I expected. What happened to when we were kids and could ride forever.  I am happy to say that my tender hiney has started to toughen up.

Mental - I have to make myself start (and continue) when I would rather be doing anything else.

Emotional - I hate how far back I have fallen physically and I have to constantly remind myself to be kind to myself.

Time Management - There are always so many things to be done.  This week I have invested over 4 hours. That doesn't sound like much, but when you add it to a full-time job, household chores, social activities (and dare I say sleep) it makes for a busy schedule.

Truth is I am not quite as far along as I hoped I would be at this point. I am going to have to carve out more time and ramp up my efforts. Please don't take that to mean that I am not proud of what I have done so far. I know I have worked hard and made strides in each of the areas mentioned above.

Week One Status Report

Swimming (0 of 2.4 miles = 0% completed) The pool at our gym is still closed for repair. I hope it is open soon. This will be an extremely challenging area for me to make up. I am still hoping the pool will open today and we can have a date night tonight that will include a dip in the pool.

Biking  (21 of 112 miles =  18.75% completed)  I am currently most proud of this. I thought this would be time consuming, but not as physically challenging. Turns out it is both and I am making it happen.

Walking  (6.3 of 26.2 miles = 24% completed) Okay, I think I made a miscalculation in my original plan. I was thinking I need to average 4 walks a week, but it is actually closer to 3 walks a week. (I walked 2.6 miles this morning that is not included because my silly Garmin is not cooperating so I don't have the exact time yet.) 

Not bad at all on the biking and walking status. The swimming is really out of my control at the moment. I hope they get it repaired and give me enough time to realistically get it done. 

My husband is off to a great start. He has run 8.5 miles and biked 39.7. He would have more running miles, but is fighting with his IT band.

And the flowering tree obsession continues. These pictures are from my lunch time walk yesterday. 

I couldn't resist this "tale of two lawns." I think the closer yard had sod laid last summer. I wonder if they are happy with their neighbors??

Thanks for indulging my obsession :)  One final picture...I promised I would always try to tell both sides of the story. I took these pictures with my cell phone. When I looked at them later there were several like this of my fingers. The sun was bright and it is nearly impossible to see the screen because of the glare. I just try to line up the phone and hope for the best. Truth be told, there were several of my crazy squinty face too, but I can only share so much truth on a Friday.  Have a great weekend!

Can't Get Enough of Spring

I did it again! I got home from work, changed clothes and got right to a bike ride. I am still shocked. That time right after work until dinner is super difficult for me. I am glad to be home and I just want to relax for a little. It is a terrible time for the pre-dinner munchies. So for me to get out and exercise after work is huge and it keeps me out of the fridge - win/win.

The last couple of bike rides I just did a bunch of loops of the same area where I go walking. Turns out when you are going faster it gets a little boring seeing the same thing over and over again. At least while I am walking I have more time to look around and notice details.

I need to walk soon so I can get a decent picture of these beautiful tulips. I feel a little more conspicuous stopping my bike to snap a picture, but I can be more subtle while walking, right?

Love these orange tulips. I haven't had much luck with tulips in my yard. Maybe it is time to try again.

The flowering trees continue to be absolutely beautiful. My goal is to wear you out with pictures of them. While I am out riding my bike (or driving) and enjoying them I have been thinking about all those out there with terrible allergies. I think about how lucky I am to be able enjoy the flowering trees and not be crippled by allergies.

I swear I am NOT chasing the ice cream truck. For some reason, ice cream trucks creep me out. I have never had a bad experience or know anyone who has. But when I hear the bell and Barbie's voice call out "Hello..." it makes my spine tingle.

The garden is coming along well. Here are some of the babies..

SPINACH

RADISHES

LETTUCE

ONIONS

GREEN BEANS

PEAS

I was NOT happy to see this. I am not sure who is trying to move into the garden. Looks too small to be my naughty puppy. We do have moles , but I haven't had an issue in the garden before. the hole isn't pretty shallow so hopefully they moved on to another plan.

My first morning walk in a long time. This morning I walked with my almost teenage niece. She is so much fun :) I am so impressed with her drive to get up at 5:30 a.m. before a long day of school, play practice, etc. She wants to improve her conditioning for cheerleading. And it makes an aunt happy when she is motivated by getting time with her aunt and uncle. There is something not right about this picture, in addition to the total lack of daylight and my shiny glasses. It makes my niece looks so much taller than me...the road must have been VERY uneven. We are currently the same height...but not for long I imagine.

By the time we were finished it was lightening up. I love this time of morning.

I am planning on a lunch time walk today (assuming of course that work doesn't get in the way).  Prepare yourselves for more pictures of flowering trees. I am currently obsessed!

If Life Gave Out Gold Stars...

I would definitely have had my hand out today :)  Last night I made a small batch of pork enchiladas. I portioned them out into three containers for lunches this week. This morning I made some fresh pico de gallo and cut up an orange to go with today's lunch. Even better, I actually remembered to take the lunch with me to work and eat it. I didn't figure out the actual calories. it may be a little higher than I want to have for lunch every day, but certainly better than I have been doing (eating out, grazing all day at my desk). I had made pulled pork the other day. To make it healthier, I trimmed as much fat as I could from the pork before I slow cooked it. I also added a good amount of peppers and onions. Then when I assembled the enchiladas I used corn tortillas and placed them on a bed of freshly chopped spinach. Then I poured on the sauce and sprinkled it with a little low-fat cheese. They were yummy!

On my way home from work I had to stop at Walmart to pick up some things for a workshop at work tomorrow (the dreaded candy and some bottled water). I was super hungry when I got there - never a good thing in a grocery store. As soon as you walk in the door at Walmart there is a hot food department. Did I mention I was very hungry? I considered some popcorn chicken or maybe a slice of pizza...I actually stopped looked at and even thought the prices were reasonable. They were packaged in slightly over-sized individual servings. Somehow I managed to move on. I hurried through the store to get the items for work and a couple things we needed for home.

I promise this is all I bought for us... The guy at the checkout asked what I was making. Nothing special, my husband just loves his spicy :) It is a near crisis when he is out of habanero sauce!

My original plan was to walk on my lunch break today, but my lunch break didn't happen. We have a big event Saturday and I am up to my eyeballs in preparations. The whole way home I debated excuses why it would be okay for me to skip doing anything 30 day Ironman related. However, I knew I hadn't done anything yesterday and I couldn't justify two days of nothing in a row. So, I made myself hop on the bike as soon as I got home. The biking was MUCH better today! There may have been a few contributing factors.  I didn't bike or walk yesterday so I had "fresh" legs. I rode a different route for most of it. I had the promise of either a back rub or a leg massage if I did at least 5 miles.  I did 6!  I am going to try to collect both prizes :) There were times throughout the ride I did want to stop, but NOTHING like the last time.  UPDATE: For the record, I chose the foot/leg massage. It was excellent :) I am a lucky girl.

I must have been feeling better during the ride. I was able to appreciate the spring beauty. I love flowering trees and baby leaves. This was one of my favorite yards. Yes, I did take this while riding...I make myself nervous sometimes.

Meal prep, sticking to the plan, avoiding Walmart junk food and biking 6 miles - that completes my appeal for a gold star today :)  Now I need to string together about 4586 more gold star days!

I have also been toying with tracking. One day, I actually tracked the whole day! If you are familiar with My Fitness Pal you know when you complete you entry for the day it tells you if you continue to have days like that day how much you will weigh in 5 weeks. It was a cruel reminder when my weight came up 30 some pounds less in 5 weeks. Oops! I forgot to adjust for the weight I gained. When I adjusted it, it came up with about 12 pounds less in 5 weeks. I would totally be happy with that.

So, all that to say, I am back to recording weigh-ins. I weighed myself when I started by 30 Day Ironman challenge and this morning I am down 3 pounds. Today,will be counted as my first official weigh-in. Sadly, I am only 9 pounds under my starting weight when I started blogging last May. At least, I didn't gain it all back (or more). And I am back on track. I am moving forward without further condemnation :)

Just for fun I am sharing a few pictures of TRASHormation projects on display in our county administration building. Each year the county sponsors a contest for local students. The goal is to make something out of trash. I think they might have changed the rules this year - it is the first time I have seen "purpose of invention" listed. The purpose of some is art, but I did enjoy seeing creatively useful pieces as well.

It was difficult to get a good angle of this one, but it was super cute in person. It is a dog made of various plastic jugs/bottles. It serves as a dog dish - see the food in its belly?

I think it is a fun program and each year I enjoy looking at the entries. Hope this makes you look at your trash in a new light.

Wishing you all a gold star day!!

Pups and Determination

Our morning started out with a great walk, We met Tiina of One Crazy Penguin and her fun pups Orion and Koda at the park. How did I get so lucky to find a fun blogger so close to home?? Can't wait until we can meet up with some of our other blogging buddies! While we walked we chatted. There was some commiserating about the complete unfairness of how difficult it is to get weight off and how quickly it returns. Seriously, how do a couple of cookies turn into 10 pounds?? My aching legs/feet were also reminding me how quickly you lose fitness if you don't keep working at it. To be honest, we both know we are responsible for not being consistent, but it is therapeutic to whine a little with someone who gets it  - as long as they don't let you whine too long :)

The pups were happy to lead the charge!

Potty break! Millie started a chain reaction and then everyone had to go. Koda and Orion were told to stay while Tiina ran to the trash can. And they did! Such good pups. I think Millie would have tried to obey for a second and then followed. We need to spend some time on obedience refresher. Overall, Millie listens pretty well, but it is diligent training that gets good results. Hmm...I wonder if that can be applied to anything else in life :)

Checking out the lake at the end of the boat launch. I wonder if Millie would try a swim if she were allowed. Maybe we will try it later this summer.

After the walk the dogs still had plenty of energy. We let them off their leashes - shh, don't tell the park police! They had a great time chasing each other.

At one point I looked down to see Koda and Millie barreling toward me. Pitbulls and Rottweilers are not that scary, right??!?

Millie got her picture taken with the famous One Crazy Penguin :) I don't think she asked for an autograph though.

The adventure ended with a contest to see who had the longest tongue. I would have thought Millie would have won, but it was Koda, paws down :)

When all was said and done, Koda was still running circles around Millie! Tiina assured us that her pups would be asleep in the car.

I had decided prior to our walk that I wasn't going to count this as part of the 30 Day Ironman. I figured I just wanted to enjoy the time with Tiina and the dogs and not be worried about pace. I don't think I will have any trouble getting enough walking in during this challenge. For the record, we ended up walking 3.66 miles at about a 22 minute mile pace - including stops for the dogs to sniff around. My husband came to the park with us so he could run by the lake. About two miles into the run his leg started hurting, so he turned around and walked back with us. We think his IT band is causing the trouble. Time for the roller and some stretches - hope it helps!

If you enjoy blogs that feature cute pups, I recommend Runs to Get Waisted - Mary has a beautiful diva of a retired greyhound. A new addition at Finding the Skinny Geek Within is sure to make his blog debut soon. I have also enjoyed reading Runs for Cookies adventures with her new dog, Joey. Dogs can be great fitness partners!

After the walk, our plan was to go up to the gym and get in our first swim session. We stopped at the house, dropped off Millie, changed clothes and went straight to the gym. I have been nervous about the swim portion of the challenge because I am not a good swimmer. My goal is to just propel myself through the water with any stroke possible and keep my feet off the bottom as much as I can. When we walked in I was excited to see the pool was empty...no witnesses :) Turns out the pool area is being repaired after a small fire and a beam that fell from the ceiling. They are hoping it will reopen Monday. I hope so too. I don't want to get too far behind on the swim portion.

I didn't plan to ride today, but after the pool fail and not counting the walk, I wanted to have something to count toward the 30 Day Ironman today . I knew my legs were tired from jumping into the walking/biking world yesterday. Then after the walk this morning they were definitely exhausted and ached. So with some grumbling, I sucked it up and got started. I knew immediately it was going to be a looonng ride

Caution whining ahead!  I wrote this bike description immediately after the ride:

Just came in from a 5 mile bike ride. As I write, the bathtub is filling with nice warm water. As soon as I finish describing my unpleasant ride, I will be soaking my aching muscles. Today's ride was tough, tough, tough. I wanted to write this immediately,so that I could remember every terrible second of the ride. Then I can look back at the end of the month and truly appreciate how far I have come. My butt didn't hurt as much as I expected. The pain was more in my tired legs. Right after I hit the first mile my chain fell off. I walked the bike until my husband looped around and put it back on for me. At that point, I just wanted to ride home and forget the whole thing. Actually, I wanted to walk my bike home...I did NOT want to get back on. But I did and pushed on. Every loop was a new mental challenge to keep myself going. The area is relatively flat and I purposely avoided the part with obvious hills. There were a couple spots I couldn't avoid and there is no way you could really call them hills, but they felt like mountains. I was nearly at a standstill by the time I got to the top of those "hills." The last mile and a half I gave up on the loops and rode to another area of the neighborhood. I hoped a change in scenery would improve my spirits. It did a little. I even had time to think that as sore as my hiney was, I better get some good looking buns out of it! At the four mile mark my husband asked if I wanted to just ride home. Yes! I absolutely did want to ride home, but I didn't want to waste four miles of riding. My challenge said I had to ride a minimum of five to count the session. By the time I made it back to the house I had ridden 5.12 miles. I am NOT looking forward to the next ride, but I know if I stick with it, it will get easier. Hopefully, I will get less whiny.

Hours later, post bath: I am still aching, but I am feeling much better. I can start to look back and feel a little pride in the accomplishment no matter how small it is. I sucked it up and pushed through when every fiber of my being was screaming to quit. Only 102 miles of biking to go. I hope I can continue to muster this determination.

I think specific goals are good for me. If I don't have a specific goal I tend to not push myself. I have definitely pushed myself the past two days and I know I will have to keep pushing.