Friday, July 11, 2014

A Busy Summer So Far...

WOW....I haven't posted in my blog since May 24th.  That is horrible!!!  I'm really sucking at keeping up with the whole blog thing.  My problem is every time I think about doing a post I think oh I don't have enough to write about.  Then I get busy and now there are so many things.  What I need to try to do is stop thinking something is too small.  Even if a post is a few short paragraphs, at least I'm keeping up with things.  That being said, as much as I have missed blogging I have to say it really is more important to be out there doing things and keeping active instead of sitting in front of the computer.

So, what's been going on with me since I last posted...

In May I started my DietBet.  As I had previously posted the reason for doing the DietBet was to get myself back on track by putting a little money on the line.  I am doing the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans "Commit To Your Fit" transformer game.  The transformer game is 6 months long and in that time you need to lost 10% of your weight.  While that is end goal, each month you are also given a percentage to win.  For month one the percentage to lose was 3%.  My starting weight for the challenge was 246.4.  At the end of the first month (middle of June) I weighed in at 233.8.


So I crushed the first month and was pretty happy with how the month went.  I'm going to attribute a lot of this change due to a food challenge I was doing...Julie's 21 Day Challenge.
During the 21 days of the challenge I had lost 8 pounds.  Most of the things on the list were pretty easy to give up.  Chocolate might have been the hardest.  I was pretty pleased with how the whole thing went.

Onto month 2....I hadn't stepped on the scale once in month two.  This week came around and I realized that there was only a little over a week until official weigh in day.  I figured I better get on the scale and see where I was.  In month 2, the percentage to lose is 6% and because I had such a good first month I only needed to get to 231.6 to win for the month.  I stepped on the scale and saw the following number - 237.8.  At first I was like WHAT?!?!?!?!?  How in the hell did that happen?  For a brief second I was a little upset, but that passed.  The old me would have been depressed and probably would have starved myself for the entire week to get to the goal number.  The current version of me...NOPE.  While I may not win the month 2 portion of the DietBet, it is not the end of the world.  So what happened you ask?  While I am not going to sit here, question, and nitpick every single thing I did in the last month...there are a couple of things that come to mind.  Let's start with the food....while I have eaten well in the last month (minus a few indulgences, but that's life and reality) I have eaten a lot more than I normally do.  I haven't been logging my food and counting my calories.  I have to say I have had a wicked appetite this month.  My portions (even if healthy) have been much bigger.  And I know the combination for weight loss is both the exercise and watching the calories.  Then, I think I have gained some muscle.  I can see changes in my body in certain areas.  I think wonder with all of the biking I am doing if I some of that muscle is in my legs, they certainly feel stronger with the climbs I have been doing.  So....I am going to officially weigh in next week with whatever the number might be and move onto month 3.  I'm going to try to go back to logging my food and counting calories.

In June I participated in the completed my first 5K.  My friend Gloria and I did Run or Dye, a very fun day.  While my friend does do some running I really am not much of a runner.  I will occasionally try to up the speed on the treadmill and do a little jogging.  It is really hard on my knees, but I try to do a little here and there.  So my goal for the day was to alternate between walking and a slow jog.  I have to say Gloria was so supportive of me.  I kept telling her that I hope I don't slow her down.  She said "this is your race today, we will go at your pace".  That was so wonderful of her and I felt much more relaxed.  In the end I think it helped me to jog more than I had planned.  While it wasn't timed it was very casual and fun.  Strategically placed through the course were dye stations where you would get covered with different colors of dye.  I really enjoyed the day, the company of my friend Gloria.  It was so nice to share this first with her and I so appreciate her being there to push me, inspire me, and motivate me.  I definitely don't want to give up on the idea of jogging more, but I feel like I need to get a little more weight off my knees for this to happen.  Maybe my next 5K will be a timed race with more running.  We shall see.
Since my last post I have really gotten more into the whole biking thing.  In my last post I had completed my end of summer goal - which was biking the GAP trail from Cumberland to Frostburg and back.  So I made a new end of summer goal, to ride the trail from Cumberland to Deal.  This is around 50 miles.  I've been trying to ride 3 to 5 times a week.  What I have been doing is getting in some smaller rides in the morning before work.  These were great ways to get some riding in and making the most of my morning.  While the week gave me some great short rides, the weekends are when I usually kicked it up a notch.  I have been gradually trying to increase the mileage.  I've also been doing different parts of the trail, trying to change it up so I don't get bored with keeping to do the climb.  There are so many beautiful areas on the trail (both the GAP and the C&O).  Also, since finishing my bike class I am now a member of the Western Maryland Wheelmen, a local biking group.  I have been out on a couple of rides with some of them and it has been so much fun.  I even did a beginner's road ride and did much better than I ever thought I would.  But I have to say I would never have made it through some of the hills without the help of Silvester, one of the members.  He stayed with me for the whole ride, giving me pointers and tips which I needed (especially on shifting), and saying the right words to motivate me over each climb.  I just couldn't nor can I thank him enough.  I still am learning and still have so many things to learn but that day gave me so much more confidence in myself.  I visually remember when Silvester and I came to the turnaround point where everyone else already was they were cheering me on and congratulating me for making it to that point.  Everyone I have met in the group has been so nice and oh so supportive.  It makes me think the skies are the limit in terms of biking.  I can do whatever I want to do.  I also did a group ride with some of the WMW on the C&O canal.  We rode from Cumberland to Old Town and had lunch.  It was a really nice ride, a great pace.  At one point I was evening in the front of the pack leading the pace.  I was told I was fast.  That made me smile. 

So, on the 4th of July it was such a beautiful morning and I knew it would be a great day for a ride.  My plan for the day was no plan....just wanted to get out there and enjoy a beautiful morning/afternoon.  A few miles in I just wasn't feeling it and thought this will be a short day.  Thankfully I didn't stop....and as I went past each mile and I was feeling so much better.  As I went past each landmark that I had previously passed in other rides, the better I felt.  Then I made it Frostburg...which was my original summer goal.  It was at that point that I just knew I was going to go the whole way to Deal.  So after a little rest stop in Frostburg, it was time for forge ahead.  As each mile passed I got more excited about the thought of what I was going to accomplish.

Then before I made it to my halfway point I had a very nice moment.  I was sitting on one of the benches at the overlook before the Big Savage tunnel enjoying a snack and a water break.  A woman that was having a picnic lunch with her family came over and long story short invited me to enjoy lunch with her family.  This meant a lot because on holidays I really miss not being close to my family and it was nice to be a part of someone else's for a little bit.  I enjoyed my lunch and the conversation, but then it was time finish my ride.  I made it through the tunnel, past the Continental Divide and I could see the Deal trail head in my sights.  I had made it.  But me being the numbers person that I am I knew that the 25 mile marker was a little bit past the trail head so of course I had to get to that point.  The emotions they were a flowing.  It was a challenging tide up, between the incline and I was also going against a pretty good wind that day.  But I did it!!!!!  So I took a few moments to enjoy it and then it was time for the downhill ride back.  I felt so great.
Since I have gotten my bike I have put 488.32 miles on it.  Wow...I am really surprised at that number, it adds up quickly.  I'm on the fence on whether or not to make a new end of summer goal or just savor reaching my goal and just enjoy the rest of the summer of biking.  I really love my trail bike and I can't believe I am saying this but I have actually been online looking at road bikes.  Yes, the person that said she really didn't want to do road riding.  It was fun though and a road bike would make it much easier.  Maybe a purchase for next spring...we shall see.

In addition to all the biking, I've also still been going to the gym, but not as much.  Because of my busy schedule and trying to get more bike rides in I have been missing what used to be some of my favorite classes and nights.  I honestly can't remember the last time I have been to a Booty Barre class.  I really do miss it but I'm a little afraid to try it again.  It is a booty kicker for sure.  Hopefully I can get back into it real soon.  I'm trying to have a very well rounded exercise routine, a little bit of this, a little of that....with a lot of biking.  I'm really trying to incorporate a little bit of everything.  The next thing I want to try....some yoga or pilates.  I was doing some reading on people that bike that in different places I read that they also do yoga and pilates.  Hmmmmmm....something to think about.  I really can't see my body doing either very well, but like everything else, I need to keep an open mind. 

I have to say I am feeling pretty great right now.  Even with the weight gain that I have had I really haven't felt better.  I feel like I am definitely on the right track for continued success and to become much healthier.  While on one hand I know I would be happy if I never lost another pound, I know that I need to keep losing.  I am still considered in the obese column and I know to live a long, happy and healthy life, I need get out of that column.  I also know that with each pound lost I can get away from some of the problems that occur with being overweight.  I know that things that I have in my family history and it makes me want to keep going.  I also know that with each pound lost I can take off some more pressure off the the knees, and maybe just maybe be a runner someday.

What helps right now especially with the few pounds that I have put back on is all of the positive feedback I have gotten the last week or so.  I have run into people who I haven't seen and the comments have been great.  It really helps to hear to what they say.  And there are those that I know that wouldn't tell me something if they didn't mean it.  So they are really noticing the changes when I don't always.  As I have said before, there are days that I look in the mirror and still see that FAT girl. 

In the near future I need to get back to getting excited about the food.  I have lost a little inspiration, so I need to get back into the kitchen and try some new things.  So I need to take a little time to start looking up recipes, and get back into being addicted to pinterest again.  There are so many great ideas.  I also want to play more with smoothies and blended drinks.  If I can get excited about the food again and not have the same old boring thing maybe that might help with the future progress.

In a couple of month I will finally be going home to Maine to see and spend some time with my family.  I haven't been home for almost two years and I have so many mixed emotions about this trip.  This journey has been all about me and becoming healthier and happier (which I have).  I am just so nervous about the reaction of my family and friends back home.  I hope they know that I am the same person, I just look smaller.

I could go on and on but I think I have hit the highlights since my last post.  For the most part....work, gym, biking, eating, and sleeping.

Here's to making this blogging thing become more frequent again....I promise I will try.


1 comment:

  1. Wow, you've been busy! Way to go on doing your first 5k and more biking!!

    ReplyDelete