A Nice Surprise...Forwarded

Today was rocking along fairly nicely, even after my workout, and I was counting it as an okay Monday. When I arrived home and began checking my email, the day moved from "okay" to "fantastic"!



It seems the lovely Ready Maid awarded me a "Nice Matters Award!" And then she wrote some beautiful and heart-warming things about me, things that made me blush. Thank you again, RM!

Hanlie, in bestowing upon Ready Maid her award, said this about her: "She’s such an interesting and courageous person and I love reading about her life and travels."

I agree, and I'll add generous and compassionate to go with it.

Now that I've basked for a moment or two, I'll follow Ready Maid's generous gesture of "paying it forward" and honor these bloggers for being "nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world":

Krissie, who has such a sweet and resilient spirit and is stronger than she knows;

Andrew, who lets me hang out at his blog even though I'm not a runner and shows up here frequently to give my spirits a boost;

Valerie, whose sense of humor rocks alongside her introspective wanderings;

and Sybil, who ponders things so I don't have to and then writes about them so eloquently.

I'd better stop there, though I could easily and happily go through my bookmarks and list so many more. But that would be greedy and unfair to the honorees, who may want to pass the award along to a few people themselves.

I appreciate ALL of you so much more than I could ever adequately express in black and white.

~

Stranger in a Strange Land

This weekend has been about finding clothes that fit. I had a picture made last week and I realized my pants were not flattering me AT ALL. I did not do all this work to walk around in baggy britches!

Going into "normal" sizes continues to be a bit of a transition for me. I actually get dry-mouthed and jittery walking into the store. I'm not sure what I think will happen in there. Maybe the clerks will say to each other, "What is she doing here?" (Left over, I suspect, from a miserable Bloomingdale's experience in NYC, in which a sales clerk yelled loudly, "We don't have your sizes here. You'll have to go over there!", and pointed to the plus sizes. No fewer than twelve people in the vicinity all looked at us. I kid you not.)

Anyway, I know in my rational mind that I belong there. I earned my way in. My heart still gets nervous, but I'm working on it.

The first thing I did was to find a helper:


I love this tank. It doesn't squeeze so much as it smooths.

If you know what I mean.

It's called Assets, and it's the best $20 you'll spend at Target.

(note: I am not the model here or in any of these photos. I do, however, have a red necklace and a nice smile.)

After a check on zafu, I decided yesterday to try some of the smaller stores: Eddie Bauer, J.Crew, Coldwater Creek, the Gap. I couldn't find anything I liked because they all seemed to be droopy in the butt. That many stores and all the size 12s fit the same. I didn't think it was possible! And then the clerk at J.Crew clued me on the fact that I was a size 10. I almost argued with her that I was only a 10 if there was elastic in the waistband. But I didn't.

Unfortunately, while she was gone, I noticed the price tag on the pants: $130. Ouch. There's no way I'm paying $130 for a pair of pants when I still have weight to lose (and still seem to be in losing mode.) But I couldn't resist trying them on. They looked good, but they were a little snug in the waist. But only a little. They'll be mine when I reach my goal weight. I don't plan on spending that much on all my pants, but this pair will be in my closet.

Today was Macy's and New York & Company. I tried on 10s and 12s, but no luck. I did find a couple of cute shirts though.

Finally, I remembered my old faithful: Target.


Jackpot! And at $22/pair!

Perfect?

No.

But they look good, fit snugly (since I opted for the size 10s) so I should be able to wear them for a while, and didn't break my pocketbook.

When I'm able to give these away, I will have gotten my money's worth from them.

If you're still here and you're worried that every stitch of clothing I purchase from here on out will be discussed in such detail, fear not! I think today I'm just excited about progressing on my discomfort in shopping in "regular" sizes and feeling less like an imposter.

Also that tomorrow I will wear pants that fit.

Have a happy, healthy week everyone.

~

In Which Cammy Puts Herself in the Hotseat

Pandora, I mean, Erin said in reply to a post she wasn't supposed to be reading:

You should have a question and answer post for all of us! That way we can ALL ask you wonderful questions, and we won't feel so NOSY!!

Well, Erin, that's not a bad idea, and I'll do it IF...you'll agree to be next! :)

With that, I'll throw open the door for questions about me. I'll try to answer them all in my update post on Monday night, but I'll throw a 'Privacy Flag', if I feel uncomfortable discussing an issue in an open forum. But I doubt I'll have to do that. :)

So bring on the wonderful questions!

Sekrit Msg for Jaden from Kentucky

(Eveyone else on the internet should look away. Now. You are not authorized.)

Hi Jaden (only), you left a message on my 'Cake Day' post the other day and said you had questions for me. I'd love to try to answer them, but I have no way to get in touch with you since your profile doesn't have an email link. If you could leave me an email address (or post your questions here, if you'd like), I'll be happy to try to provide some answers.

Given that I don't have that many answers, the prognosis is not good, but we'll take a shot at it! :) I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you!

(If you are not Jaden and you are reading this--SHAME.)

:) :) :)

Lazy Blogger Does a Meme

Maybe I should've made that 'Busy Blogger'...Nah, 'lazy' fits, too. :)

I'm off work tomorrow, and tonight and tomorrow are dedicated to cleaning and organizing, with the goal of having a Goodwill run on Saturday. (That's a donation center, for those who may not know.)

But I hated to offer nothing for today, so it seemed a good time to do a meme. I've seen this meme on lots of other blogs, but I snagged it specifically from Felicia. :) The idea, I think, is to have all one-word answers:

1. Cellphone: safety
2. Relationship: desired
3. My hair: windblown
4. Work: mortgage
5. My sibling/siblings: broke
6. My favorite thing: iPhone
7. My dream last night: forgotten
8. Favorite drink: soda
9. Dream car: fuelless
10. The room I’m in : office
11. My shoes: Asics
12. My fears: retreating
13. What do I want to be in 10 years: here
14. Who did I hang out with this weekend: myself
15. What I am not good at: math
16. Muffin: top
17. One of my wish list items: bicycle
18. Where I grew up: Memphis
19. Last thing I did: ate
20. Wearing: sweats
21. Not wearing: glasses
22. My pets: none
23. My computer: posessed
24. My life: charmed
25. My mood: relaxed
26. Missing: order
27. What I am thinking about right now: cleaning
28. My car: Vibe
29. My kitchen: dusty
30. My weather: sunny
31. Favorite color: red
32. Last time I laughed: today
33. Last time I cried: today
34. School: basketball (Go Univ of Memphis!)
35. Love: blessing

I challenge you to be a lazy/busy blogger, too!

I'll be making the rounds of blogs as time permits. That's my non-food reward for being so industrious and getting some cleaning/organizing projects checked off the to-do list!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Motivation Mojo

(Thanks to all for the HYC Love! You all inspire me to make the next week as excellent as possible, and I appreciate you for it!)

I'm caught up on all the Mr. Linky's I could access, and I'm impressed by how many successes (on the scale and off) there were this week. Plus, many of you are using an "up week" to learn and grow, and isn't that what this is all about?

In a few areas of fitness land, I'm reading discouragement and a sense of being...sort of lost, and that breaks my heart. There's not a one of us here who hasn't gone through the exact same thing, though in all likelihood, in various and sundry ways, and we'll likely have dips and trips in the future. I wish I had some magic words to help those of you who do feel like you're struggling, but I'm sad and sorry to say I just don't.

So, I went and found somebody else's words! LOL A great post arrived in my email today from sparkpeople, and I knew as soon as I saw the title, it would be linked on my blog tonight!

"25 Ways to Get Back on Track Today"

(Do they have our number, or what! )

I'm not going to list all of the tips and tricks. You can check out the article for that. I highly recommend it because they have neat links to supporting how-to type articles for additional assistance.

But here are my faves, the things that have worked very well for me:

1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing. For ideas browse our video library or workout generator.

3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right! Get lots of breakfast ideas here.

4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference!

6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it.

10. Find a buddy. Get support from friends, whether you need someone to listen or a mentor to give you ideas and encouragement. (Cammy note: If you're here via the HYC, you've already made a great step in this direction!)

14. Check the nutrition facts before you go out to eat. That way, you can make an informed choice. (Cammy note: The only bookmark I've added to my iPhone is the mobile calorie-count.com link. I can now check from my table at the restaurant. Waitstaff will loathe me for it, but my belly fat is depending on it! LOL)

22. Eat a piece of fruit. Even if 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to you, one is doable.

25. Learn something new. Sometimes simply taking a quiz or reading an article about nutrition, fitness, or health can change your mindset and get you back on track.

There are lots of other good tips and links in the article, but as I said, I can personally attest to the healing powers of these few items. Try one or two or six of them, and keep yourself moving forward even when you can't make the scale move downward. You can do this!

HYC Update - Week 12

Ah, another week rolls around. It's the time of year when I'm certain--beyond all doubt--that I will never be warm again. Those of you who are still around here in July will see me write fondly of these days when the temps (and the humidity) are in the 90s, but for now I just want to be warm.

Irene tagged me on the 6-word thingie. The idea, as I understand it, is to write a 6-word sentence that describes your life so far. Here's my entry:

I learned in time to live.

I'll tag...everybody who hasn't been tagged so far. :) Let me know your entries!

Check In:
First things first, I have my iPhone! Besides the internet, the mp3 player and the expected phone capabilities, I've discovered that it has a camera, a stopwatch, and a timer! It's a fantastic fitness reward!

Food and exercise continue along the proper paths. My calories are still on the upper end of the desired range most days, but I think the addition of interval training has taken care of those. In fact, I think I needed those calories. One thing I've learned on this trip is that you have to eat to lose weight, and the evidence seems to back it up.

The crazy scale showed a 2.8 pound loss this week, for a total of 79.2! I have the sneaky suspicion I got a lucky bounce. :) But, I'll not look a gift pound in the mouth. Or something like that. This week's focus will be on moving toward a shiny new badge, and if I have to deal with a bounce the other direction, so be it.

Busy week at work this week, but I hope to catch up on everyone's progress in a timely fashion. Make no mistake, if you 're still here and you're still fighting, then you're making progress!

Happy Easter

To those of you who observe it, I wish you a
Happy Easter, and to those of you who don't,
well, I hope you have a super nice Sunday!


see more crazy cat pics

The Biggest Difference in Building a Smaller Me

Selma asked: What made you successful, when so many of us aren't? Did you have any sort of revelation early on?

Thanks for the question, Selma! I appreciate the compliment and your interest. I've blogged this before, but I welcome the opportunity to harp on it some more. :)

I'm no expert on weight loss or weight management, obviously, but I do think I've uncovered a fairly large clue on how to make a lasting lifestyle change. At least, I hope it will be a lasting change. Time will tell, I suppose. Entering the fourth trimester of this rebirthing process, it still feels like it's taking.

But to your question, there have been lots of tools that have aided my success (having friends and co-workers who make up a brilliant support network, hiring a personal trainer, logging food consumption on sparkpeople, blogging, etc.), but the fundamental difference was that I decided to forget about losing weight and focus on being healthy, and I gave myself time to adapt to the changes that would require. I guess with age comes a certain amount of wisdom, because I finally "got" that overturning a lifetime of bad habits would be a lot easier if I undid them one by one. Or sometimes a couple at a time, depending on the level of complexity. :)

Here's why I recommend that people at least try this approach: in ten months (or so) of changing, I can honestly report that I have had four full-out feasts--birthday, Thanksgiving and two at Christmas. They were planned and they were spectacular! No binges, no food meltdowns, not a single recrimination. Add to that the fact that I haven't missed a single workout other than when I had surgery on my feet and then when I had the flu (me, for pity's sake! Former Queen of the Couch Potatoes!), and you'll see why I so fervently believe in the process of small, healthy changes over time.

Again, I'm certainly no expert and God forbid I ever come across as some sort of obnoxious know-it-all. My diet is not perfect, nor is my form when I exercise. (Oh, Lord, I hope they don't have anything on videotape!) But it's all so very much better than it was, and I'm still fully committed to improving myself even further. In fact, I'm looking forward to it!

Bits and Pieces

Just some newsy link love for today.

Diet Book and c-dizzle are putting together a team for the Susan G. Komen West Virginia Race for the Cure. If you've got a few dollars to donate, that would be great. But save some for LoserIrene who is participating in the Revlon Run/Walk For Women in NYC.

Kudos to all these women for stepping out and stepping up!

In other news, Moon ran her second marathon last weekend, and...well, you've just got to see the result. Amazing! Congratulations, Ms. Moon!

And finally, a post that hit me where I live(d). Trisha captures so beautifully and poignantly the fears we face, both real and (I suspect) imagined. Those don't go away easily, on the inside or the outside, until we face them and deal with them. Hats off to Trisha for getting a start on it!

And thus ends my Lois Lane imitation. :)

~

HYC Update Week 11 (day early)

First, a big shout out to those of you who weighed in on the iPhone situation. Bunch of enablers, aren't you? :) I'll keep you posted on the progress of the purchase.

Also, I'm thrilled the JOLT thing was so well-received. I play so many mind games with myself trying to make this process fun that I sometimes worry that I've gone over the edge. From your responses, I take it that if I have gone over the edge, I'm in very good company.

Oh, and Andrew? You've definitely got me considering the chocolate option for May! *G*

Now, on to my HYC check-in, which I'm posting early because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to move tomorrow. Tonight's workout was intense!

The check-in:
1) Exercise - I'm giving myself a high rating for this week. I tippy-toed into the world of interval training, and I'm enjoying it so far. It's a fun way to ramp up the intensity in a manageable way. Neat side benefit: doing intervals has the effect of breaking up the cardio session into smaller segments. No more, "Oh God, I have 35 minutes left!" Now it's more like, "Three minutes until I have to move it up again. Breathe." With all the focus on moving the resistance up and down every few minutes, time flies by and before I know it, the blessed, beautiful "COOL DOWN" light flashes.
2) Water is winning in the water v. Diet Coke battle. I had one extra DC over the weekend, and I'm okay with that. I do think that now that I'm counting all my exercise minutes (including trainer minutes) on my Splurge-ometer, the DC penalty points will also increase to 50. I would've still had the extra drink over the weekend, but I was sorely tempted a few times during the week. Making the penalty higher should ensure that I don't give in to the mid-week temptation.
3) Healthy eating was pretty good throughout the week. As I mentioned earlier in the week, it's just routine now to opt for good choices and controlled portions. (Not that there aren't times when I wouldn't happily dive into a platter of Mexican food instead of blackened chicken salad.)
3) Weigh-in tonight was okay. I lost 0.4 pounds, which is good enough for a week with c-a-k-e in it. I'm going for the remainder of the pound this week. Maybe a cousin or two will join it. ;) :)

I know I had other things to report, but I have no clue at this moment what they were, thanks to The Workout That Ate My Brain. As a friend of mine said, "There's a reason they call it dope-amine." LOL

Here's wishing all of you a happy, healthy, warmer (or cooler, to the south) week!

~

Cake Day and Other Ramblings

Today was Cake Day, the day I celebrate passing 2500 cardio minutes since the last cake.

It saddens me to report that I was not served a slab as shown in the picture. No, I received a mere slice. Sheesh, try to splurge and look what happens. I smell a conspiracy!

I noticed while I was eating this yummy delight that the experience was a lot like a workout with the trainers, fun for a while, but a little nauseating toward the end. :)

As it turns out, I think I'll be within my calorie count for the day, or close enough. Fat and carb counts are probably another story entirely.

I prepared for the big event by starting my morning at the gym, where I did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I'm really, really enjoying this interval training. I have no idea if it will show up on the scale, but it's showing up in my body already. I started out at level 5 today for the easy part, and upped it to 10 for the first two intervals. My heart rate was getting a little too far up there, so I decided to do 8 for the remaining intervals. Perfect for now.

Shopping was also on the agenda today. I've decided I deserve an iPhone for all my hard work *g*, and I went to the phone store to get the particulars. Since it's such a large purchase, I've imposed a mandatory 7-day waiting period for myself. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get one. For one thing, I need to have a phone at hand when I go the gym early, early on weekends. The gym is unattended during those hours and I'd feel a little better with a phone close by. My regular old cell phone is enough, I suppose, but then I have to carry my cell phone AND my MP3 player. :)

Plus, I just found out about hulu.com, where I can download movies and tv shows to an iPhone. The cardio equipment at the gym has plug-ins for displaying your video on the HDTVs. Buying an iPhone for these purposes may seem a bit (hah!) excessive, but there's not a lot on television at 5:30 a.m. except informercials, fishing shows, and farm reports.

Another benefit to the iPhone is internet access. I could blogcast my workout! LOL No, it wouldn't be the same if you couldn't see the sweat and hear my wheezing.

I also shopped for (and found) something green to wear tomorrow. This having no clothes to wear is starting to get old, but I'm still leery of buying too much too soon. It really was an eye opener to have to give away all those clothes last month. Not to mention I've got an expensive movie internet phone to pay for. LOL

And that was the bulk of my Sunday. I did manage to do some de-cluttering and now I'm hoping to write for a while.

I hope you all had a marvelous day!

~

Gym Bags for the Novice

I received an emergency call from a friend yesterday morning. Early yesterday morning. It seems she has access to a gym at work and is considering actually using it. What she wanted from me was some tips on what to pack in her gym bag. While we were talking, she suggested that I blog the topic because there might be other rookies who area experiencing some angst over the issue, and since I'm now two-and-a-half months into my own gym membership, I feel moderately qualified to discuss the subject.

There are three possible scenarios in my exercise world: 1) working out at the training studio, 2) working out at the gym, version 1 (after work) , and 3) working out at the gym, version 2 (weekends), and each requires a different bag content.

For working out with the trainer, my gym bag will contain the following:
1) sneakers
2) socks
3) excercise pants
4) t-shirt
5) sports bra
6) deodorant(before) & body mist (after)
7) hair clips and stretchies
8) protein bar (I like Luna Bars or Clif Bars)
9) MP3 player and earphones

The training studio supplies a towel and cool water. There's a shower there, should I need it, but since I work out in the evening, I take care of that at home.

For the gym, version 1, used when I stop at the gym on my way home from work, I carry the same items as the training bag, but I add my heart rate monitor, a couple of hand towels (one for me, one for the equipment--tip: use two different colors to remember which one is which) and sanitizing wipes. I haven't had much use for the wipes yet, since I've stuck mainly to cardio, but if I need to use the other equipment, they're nice to have on hand. I also make sure I have a dollar for a bottle of water.

Gym bag, version 2, is used when I go to the gym from home. Since the gym is around the corner from my house, I can dress at home before I leave, and go back home to shower when I'm done. On those days, all I carry into the gym is my water and my MP3 player. Oh, and my gym pass, but it's on my key ring, so I don't have to remember to pack it.

If I ever needed to shower at the gym to re-enter polite society, I'd add a couple of towels, some flips flops, and my travel toiletries bag with soap, shampoo, etc. I would also include a couple of plastic bags for damp things. Then, of course, I'd have to also write myself a note to remember to carry the damp bags into the house so I didn't wind up with a mildewed car.

As I said, these rambling inventories are based on my vast two-and-a-half month experience as a Gym Bunny in Training, and the fact that the gym is so close to my home does make a difference in what I need to pack. I'm sure there are things I'm missing, and I'm trusting others to fill in the gaps.

Then there will be NO GOOD REASON for my friend to avoid the gym. :)

JOLT Yourself to Good Health

I mentioned this on Renee's blog the other day, and then I realized I hadn't mentioned it here. "It" is the concept of the JOLT, and it kind of speaks to what I posted yesterday about incremental change. It's also a great way to get yourself back on track if you've been...drifting.

When I was tippy-toeing my way into this thing and casting about for a method, I came up with the idea of the JOLT: Just One Little Thing. I would tell myself, "Today, you have to do Just One Little Thing differently." (Of course, I didn't talk in capital letters to myself. That's for effect. *g*) When I thought about all the changes I needed to make, I was overwhelmed. But when I had to do Just One Little Thing, I could handle it. I loved the feeling of waking up in the morning and thinking, "I need another JOLT soon." And then I'd figure out something New! and Improved! to do.

Simple, yes. Cheesy, yes. But I'll be damned if it didn't work!

We can all handle Just One Little Thing. (And yes, if it's the ONLY thing you're doing right, it's more than you were doing before, so pat yourself on the back for getting the first one out of the way.)

But! (and you knew there would be a but) one JOLT is good, but you don't stop there. The idea is that you kind of chain a bunch of JOLTs together over time, and before you know it, you're healthy and fit (or at least more than you were before) and feeling really great about your efforts.

My current JOLT is interval training on the elliptical machine. When I reach beginner level 3 and feel good about it, I'll search around for another JOLT. It might be another exercise challenge, or it might be time to conquer my fear of zucchini.

Just One Little Thing. (At a time.)

What's the one little thing you could do for yourself tomorrow?

(Happy Weekend, everyone! And thank you for visiting my blog!)

~

A Pearl for Andrew

The amazing Andrew asked: "What is the one pearl of wisdom you would share?"

One? Okay, I can do one. :)

I don't profess to have all the answers, or even to have any of the answers for some folks. But the one thing I've learned after, lo, these many years, is that you can't overhaul your life overnight. Successfully changing a lifetime of bad habits takes practice and time to execute, both physically and emotionally, along with the banishment of expectations of perfection.

I look at it this way: If someone gave me a list of home improvement projects that instructed me to clean all the windows (inside and out), sweep all the floors, remove all my switchplates and doorknobs, clean the patio and garage, catch up the laundry, repave the driveway, mow the lawn, and paint the mailbox, and then told me to start all of them on the following Monday morning and do them all perfectly, I'd run for the hills. Once I'd been revived and could pick myself up off the floor, that is.

But what I might do is choose to clean the patio and garage this weekend, tackle the switchplates and doorknobs next weekend, the windows the week after that (and maybe I'd call on a friend to be my window-washing buddy), and perhaps I'd paint the mailbox--the first coat, anyway--while I waited for the rinse cycle on the washing machine, and so on and so on.

It actually sounds possible that way, doesn't it? I might get it all done, and done well, if I break it up into manageable pieces.

Why in the hell, then, would I ever expect myself to begin a rigorous exercise program six days a week, eat only healthy foods in daily allotments that are a fraction of what I sometimes ate by noon before, drop all caffeine from my diet and replace it with water, give up chocolate and all other snack foods forever, learn everything there is to know about nutrition and how it affects my body, and deal with the emotional issues of all of the above? And do it all perfectly, with nary a tear or complaint.

Starting next Monday.

You can't overhaul your life overnight. Steady, consistent, positive changes, time to execute them, and room to screw up. It will work.

It only took me 30 years to figure all this out.


So enough of my rambling. Let's make a necklace of these pearls!

If you could share one pearl of wisdom with folks, what would it be?

Thanks to Andrew for the question!

HYC Week 10 Follow-up and News

First, the news: I had my annual blood pressure check up with my doctor this morning. (Thank God I didn't choose fasting as a weight loss plan, because I was wobbling by 10 a.m. Mornings like this are why I whole-heartedly support government-subsidized breakfasts for schoolchildren. I couldn't even spell my name after about 8:30 a.m.) Anyway, after the usual blood tests, EKG, etc., he handed me the anticipated prescription and said, "I'm only writing it for six months, not twelve months like I usually do. I want to see where you are with your weight loss and BP in August, and then we'll talk about changing you to another medication or eliminating it completely." (Since I hit the minus 20-lbs. mark, I've been on the lowest dosage of my current medication.) Talk about motivation! I could turn 50 medication-free!

Now, following up with answers to questions a few lovely readers asked:

Q: Lynn asked how long it has taken me to reach the -76 lb. mark.

A: I don't have an exact start date, because as you know, I've kind of tippy-toed my way through, but I think I can safely use May 2007 as the starting point. So basically 9 months or so.


Huh. If you could see my sagging belly skin, you would see the irony in that. :)

~~~

Q: Trisaratops wondered if it ever gets easy, if the habits get ingrained.

A: I wouldn't call it easy exactly, but it does become routine. It can be frustrating at times when the stoopid scale does its own thing, but I've been able to refocus each time I put myself in that trap and continue moving forward. I can honestly tell you that the only really, really tough time was after I had surgery on my feet, which I stupidly scheduled for the week before Thanksgiving last year. I couldn't exercise at all for three weeks, and then I could only do seated lifting and crunches. I think I missed cardio for about four or five weeks, right through the Christmas holidays. Still, when all was said and done, I was up 0.5 pounds for the recuperation period. I think that's when it really registered that I had made a lifestyle change. I kind of suspected it after I took three road trips last year and maintained a reasonable level of healthy living on each and every one. (Including the teeny, tiny piece of cake Moon and I shared on one of those trips! LOL)

Between those trips and the surgery aftermath/Christmas holidays, I now know I can manage my weight. That's huge for me.

~~~

Susie had a couple of questions:
Q1: How much Diet Coke am I drinking?

A1: I have a Diet Coke with meals only, which means 3/day. That's a 50% reduction for most days, and possibly up to 75% on some days. I'm pleased with the progress. It's been a little over a week, and I've had one "extra" diet drink. Since it was mindfully chosen, I'm okay with it, even though it did cost me a 10-point penalty on my splurge-ometer.

Q2: What did I challenge myself to do for March?

A2: Not much of anything. :) No, seriously, my goal continues to be 1000 minutes each and every month simply because that works out to 30 minutes a day. That's what's recommended, and that's the minimum goal. For life.

Where I've run into a problem is in the amount of time I'm spending exercising. You see, I've never factored into my total the 3 hours per week I spend working with the trainer. I counted the wrap-up 15 minutes of cardio, but not the workout itself. I actually was counting those days as a 15-minutes deficit because I *only* got 15 minutes of cardio in (despite the fact that my heart was beating like a jackhammer during and after the workout). To make it worse, I was adding the "missing" 15 minutes to other days. Factor in rest days and odd days here and there when I missed exercising due to OT at work or a family commitment, and my cardio-only sessions were getting longer and longer. I wasn't taking regular rest days, and by body was getting very tired. Not good.

So my new plan (still in an evaluation stage) is to count all of my exercise minutes toward the 1000 minute goal. My trainers use interval resistance training, which involves cardio exercise, so I feel very comfortable counting those minutes three times per week. The three other days of exercise are 30 minute sessions (sometimes 45 minutes, but only once per week usually) of "pure" cardio. As I mentioned in my update, I'm playing around with interval training on those days, and so far I really enjoy it.

Oh, and I now require myself to take a rest day each week. In fact, I'm deciding as I type this that rest day exercise doesn't count toward my monthly points. There, that'll show me.

~~~

Thank you all for your encouraging and helpful comments and questions!

~

Healthy You Challenge Update - Week 10

The short and sweet (but sugar-free, of course) of it:
1) Blue Jeans!
2) Serious Diet Coke reduction, which translates to a serious increase in water intake. I'm getting 8+ glasses of water a day, every day.
3) Diet and exercise were good this week, kind of 'same old, same old', but I could stand to watch my calories a bit more closely. I think getting into Spring (and out of the house) will help with that a lot.
4) The fickle scale was merciful this week, shooting me past the 75-pound mark to Minus 76! Yep, Cammy's got a brand new badge. :-)

Goals for this week are to keep an eye on those calories and to continue to play around with interval training. (I'm sort of at the pre-interval level now.)

And that's my report for this week. Wishing you all a healthy, happy week ahead!

*Updated to indicate the correct week, amidst heavy blushing*

Am I There Yet?

Many years ago I lost 40 pounds, which was about half of what I needed to lose. Then I hit a plateau. A really big plateau. I couldn't budge it and I eventually gave up.


Fast forward to today.


I'm past the previous sticking point (barely), but the scale is definitely slowing down. That was to be expected, maybe even desired, because it means there's less to lose. I feel really good about that, but I'll admit I've also been a little antsy about it lately. What if this is as far as I go? It's a question that floats around in the dusty recesses of my mind, but thanks to this thoughtful missive from Moon which led to some pondering on my part, I have my answer.

Q: What if I I don't get there?
A: There never was a there.

Now I know why I never have a ready answer when people ask me how much more weight I plan to lose. I simply don't know. When a trainer asked what size I'd like to be, I shrugged and said 12 or 14 sounded good, even though I didn't know what that would look like.

For me, there is no real answer other than to be fit and healthy. From the beginning, my goal has always been to learn how to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Beyond that, there's not much I can do about the scale. I've always believed that in my heart, even if I need to be reminded of it from time to time. My body will decide what weight it wants to be based on what I put into it and the effort I pull out of it. That is the only thing I have control over.

All that said, it's still good to have measurable goals. The trick, I think, is in accepting that some of them may be just out of reach. And that could actually be a very good thing, because there's joy in working toward something. In fact, that's often where you find those other successes, like completing a 5k or lowering your blood pressure. And sometimes those successes you never expected: like size 12 Levi's 512 jeans. :) And there's no failure in that. No siree, Bob.

So I'll continue to work for shiny new badges, knowing that at some point there will be a badge that stays up there for a very, very long time. I'd like it to be a different one than the one I have now, but if it isn't? I'll still keep working.

~

Blue Jean Follow-up

Thanks to all for the encouraging words and helpful links. I knew you'd understand. :)

One link I found as a result of your comments was zafu.com . I'm going to try out their recommendations this weekend! I'll let you know what happens.

Meanwhile, I found a pair "they'll do" jeans. $20 at Cato, size 12(!!!) and...well, they'll do. :) Here's hoping for better than "they'll do" next week.

Healthy You Challenge (9) 03/04/08

Nothing much to report from my end of the world. I weighed in last night and was either the same as last week or up 0.2 pounds. I forgot what I weighed last week, but I can live with where I am now. Literally. :) Also, I met my exercise challenge of 1,000 cardio minutes with a few to spare.

I consider it a successful week.

What follows is rambly and mostly written for myself, but feel free to read on if you think you might find anything useful.

I've spent the past couple of days pondering ways to "shake things up" formyself for March. I've been feeling a bit bored lately, in that sometimes it feels like all I do is work, work out, and sleep.

Oh, and eat. :) Part of that feeling is bound to be related to the winter blahs, and partof it is because I've been putting in extra exercise time to compensate for the week I missed with the flu. Something needs to change, but what? What can I tippy-toe into next?

Well, I certainly can't add more time to my workout schedule. In fact, I'd like to reduce it a bit. Plus, I have a whole list of projects I need to accomplish, with decluttering being at the forefront. I'd like to focus on a different project each month, and also set aside a smidgen of my day for writing fiction.

Ooh, those look like goals! :)

Okay, so those are the goals: less daily workout time, dedicated project time, dedicated fiction time. Applying Tippy-Toe Logic, I now have toquantify them and turn them into something fun, something I feel motivated to do. And that includes a reward! Maybe even multiple rewards!

So here's what I'm going the plan for March:

Exercise:

3 strength training sessions a week (includes 15 min. cardio)

3 cardio sessions a week, 30 minute minimums

1 mandatory rest day

Diet:

Reduce the amount of Diet Coke I drink to 'Meals Only' No 'tweeners.

Project:

1 decluttering session every day, minium 15 minutes

Fiction Writing:

1 writing session every day, minimum 15 minutes

Now for the fun part: rewards! As you may or may not know, I set a 2500-minute reward for my cardio minutes as a piece of strawberry cake. That's the only real splurge I have; anything else gets worked into my daily eating plan. The problem is that on my current reward schedule, that would be one splurge every 3 months or so, and frankly, I deserve better. :) So the new reward plan incorporates diet, exercise, projects AND writing.

All my worlds tied neatly together. ::happy sigh::

Rewards:

Cardio minutes are still 1 point each (no daily maximum) That's no different from what I'm doing now. What is different is that I'm adding points for water, which will be worth 1 point for each 8-oz. glass (8 points daily maximum). Also, IF I meet my daily exercise goals, I can now add minutes to the reward goal for decluttering and writing: 1 point for each minute actively pursuing those objectives, with a 15 minute daily point cap for each.

One penalty item has also been added for drama and effect. :) For each "unauthorized" Diet Coke I drink, I will add 10 minutes to the 2,500-point target. One extra Diet Coke raises the goal to 2,510 points, two takes it to 2,520 points, and so on. You have to understand how much I really want this piece of cake to know how motivating the penalty possibility will be. (And yet, it allows me a little wiggle room for going out with friends and such.)

I think this approach will put a little zip into things and keep me focused on exactly what my goals are for the month. It encourages exercise first, which I like, but takes away the necessity of hour-a-day every day workouts. Plus, it will keep me focused on moving forward in all areas.

And if it doesn't work, I'll change it up again next month.

March - National Nutrition Month and a Minor Rant

Who knew? I certainly didn't, but I saw it on SparkPeople, so it must be true. The folks there have a 31-day calendar with nutritional tips available for download.

In other important news, I am apparently officially out of plus sizes. This is good news, on one hand, but on the other, it's more than a little daunting. When you shop the plus size, or Women's area of the department stores, you basically have one little corner of the floor devoted to clothes that fit you. It's usually sandwiched between Petites and Maternity, which is always good for the self-esteem. There are acres of "misses" sizes, but just because you can fit in them doesn't mean they look good. Of course, that was probably likely true in plus sizes, but it hits harder, it seems, when you've worked your ass off and can't find anything that fits right.

Note to women's pants manufacturers: We're not all the same shape! Some of us are straight, some of us curvy, and some round. We don't all have big butts and thighs! Sure, some of us do, and we deserve clothes that fit properly, but so do those of us with no butt and thighs, but lingering belly fat! Sheesh!

::cue violins:: All I wanted was a pair of jeans to wear on the weekend. I must've tried on twenty pairs of jeans. Nothing! Even The Right Fit Jeans (yellow 1) at Lane Bryant don't fit. And they promised!

Please don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled I've been so successful; to be wearing these sizes was my intent all along. But it's really frustrating, especially when your friends say, "You should get more clothes that fit." Like I'm not trying.

Okay, enough of that. The sun is shining, birds are singing, it's 65 degrees already, and I'm indoors. One of those things is about to change. :)

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone!

Edited to add: Thanks to all who provided recipes in my tuna post. You've definitely given me some great possibilities!