Experiment in Eating

This past week has been very, very eye opening and educating for me.  For instance, I learned this past week that baseball season and working full time is hell for my dedication to the gym (which is sketchy at best anyway).  I missed all but one day of the gym this week, thanks to practice and game schedules for two busy boys interfering with this crazy thing called my job.  Seriously, this week was crazy town.  Also - it was the last week for my students, which means there were treats galore and I wasn't as well behaved as I should have been (but when a special needs child comes up to you with a plate of cookies and tells you he made them just for you, really, can you say "no thanks, I'm dieting"? Or do you take it and eat a couple in front of him, relishing not only the chocolate deliciousness, but his look of extreme delight in pleasing you?  I chose the latter and got a squeal and a hug for my effort - or a fist bump, or a glowing face and full on grin - depending on the level of physical touching the child's disability allowed for.  It was worth the stress of what the treats were going to do to my scale efforts. I seriously LOVE my job!)  Ok - so now the important tidbit I learned:  I need to eat more.  I know, it sounds crazy.  When trying to lose weight, you're supposed to eat LESS< right?  However, for the past month, I have gained and lost the same frustrating ten pounds and have seriously been considering physically harming my scale.  But this week, I didn't get the regular intense exercise I normally do.  I wasn't as strict in my dieting efforts as I usually am - meaning I actually had carbs and sugar and all things delicious. And I didn't weigh myself at all this week because I knew, I  just KNEW, it was going to send me into a suicidal depression the likes of which only Ben and Jerry could pull me out of and I didn't want to start that cycle again.  But, I bit the bullet and stepped on my enemy today.


And I have lost five pounds in one week.

This five pounds has finally, FINALLY, finally put me under a goal I have been trying to reach all fricken year.  And I am seriously doing a happy snoopy dance today.

Someone told me once, along this crazy journey, that I needed to watch not only that I didn't take too much in but that I also didn't take in too little.  The body is a funny thing in how it works.  It's crazy and complicated and I am pretty sure mine is even crazier and more complicated than most (because that's just how my luck runs).  But, whatever, I cracked a code this week and think I am on to something.

And no, I am not giving up the gym - I know that's good for me and I only have 2 work days left before I am on summer vacation.  But, I am going to increase my caloric intake a bit and maybe add in more carbs - but not the cookies and cream variety so much as the good ones like whole grains and more veggies than just lettuce and tomatoes and cucumbers.  Heck, I might even go crazy and add in some strawberries.  I know, I know - you're saying "Whoa there, you'd better slow down, girl.  That's just crazy!"

But one thing I've learned this week is maybe I need to experiment more.  I am also learning that patience IS a virtue and I need to have a little more.  It didn't all go on overnight, it's not going to come off the same, either.  Even though I wish it would.  
   

give me strength

True story - I had myself talked out of the gym by the time I was done with work this afternoon.  It was kind of a crap day, the kids I work with were in an uproar most of the day, one of the other teachers had a major attitude problem, I was thoroughly exhausted and still super sore from yesterday's workout.  Really, I just wanted to go home and veg in front of my lap top with some tea in the peace and quiet of my house for a bit before I went to pick up the kids.

And then, on the way home, there is a turn I need to take.  If I take it, I get on the interstate and go home.  If I keep going straight, I end up at the gym.  I couldn't get into the other lane because some jackhole kept speeding up and slowing down, thereby eliminating any space or chance I had to get over.  After mentally flipping him off, I kept going straight after I missed the turn onto the 229 and ended up at the gym.

My body is seriously pissed at me and I don't think I will be able to walk tomorrow.  I haven't been to a strength training class since my original ten week challenge (when I went to the gym before, I was only going to the kickboxing classes.  Because, well, those damn strength training classes are HARD!) and it was TOUGH.  It was lower body today.  My thighs and ass still haven't quit burning and the class ended 3 hours ago.  When I bent over to take dinner out of the oven, I am pretty sure I strained something.

However, I don't really regret going.  Sure, I hurt.  BUT, I was reminded during the class by a screaming instructor trying to encourage us to work harder that strength training is just as important as cardio.  And the lower body days burn more calories than any kickboxing class ever could since the largest muscles in our bodies are worked.

Do I regret going?  nope.  And I need to remember that.  However, I might regret it in the morning when I can't get out of bed.

New Year, New Plan

Hm, it's been a while since I've checked in.  And, I suppose since I am going all out this year to make sure I get ALL of this damn weight off, I should update.

Firstly - I finished the first 10 weeks of Farrell's and did extremely well.  I was so pleased with my results - how much stronger I became, how much better I felt about myself.  And the weight I lost helped a BUNCH.

Secondly - I signed a one year contract with Farrell's at the end of my ten week challenge and then promptly fell off the wagon.  And by that, I mean, I fell off, got drug behind for several weeks until someone finally cut me loose.

Thirdly - when I was cut loose, I did horrible, terrible despicable to my body -  things that we won't discuss here.  We'll just say those 25 pounds I lost are back in the game and need to be lost.  A-freaking-gain.  argh.

Fourthly - I caught up with the wagon train and they are willing to let me jump back on.  I did that today.

Can I just say that going back to the gym in week five of a ten week challenge sucks?  You see, the ten week challenges start off slow and then build your strength and stamina over the course of the challenge.  At the end of the challenge, there is about 3 weeks of crazy high impact kick boxing and uber psycho sessions of strength training before the next challenge starts again, at a slower pace and then building up again.  This works for several reason:  mainly that your body has to keep guessing where you are going with your exercise.  AND you are defining and toning your muscles, rather than bulking up like a muscle head while losing the fat.  I like this. I like the classes. I like the challenge.  But o. . . . m . . . . g!  When you don't go for a couple of months and then just jump right back into the program mid-challenge, your body pretty much screams at you throughout the entire class and then, once you get into you car to drive home, it laughs hysterically and maniacally while refusing to allow your arms to lift high enough to grasp the steering wheel or your feet to move from the brake to the gas pedal.  Let's not talk about how I got home.  Right now, my legs are groaning and moaning and I am pretty sure I heard a curse word or two a few seconds ago after the threat of leaving me for someone else.  Bastards.

Fifthly - I am back on the 17 day diet.  I am not following it STRICTLY, but I am following it very closely.  I had such great success with it before, I want to see those results again.

And finally, I started a new Facebook page to hopefully try and keep me accountable and motivate me.  With that page, I plan to keep track of my exercise AND what I eat everyday.  Well, maybe not EVERY thing I eat, but if I have some good recipes to share, I will and if I misbehave and do naughty things to myself (gutter minds!!  I mean things like eat a chocolate and peanut butter cup the size of my garage. Or drink my weight in Coca Cola.)  So, anyway, I will probably be blogging more, I will definitely be using my FB page often.  Feel free to share it.  I have this idea in my head that the more people I have looking on, the more pressured I will feel to finally just get off my fat ass and make it not so fat anymore.

It's an idea, and well, let's just hope it works.