Kinda geeked out

Just found out that one of the trainers at Hybrid is starting an "Advanced Health Plan". It's a six-week plan targeted at those of us who have completed a 12-week biggest loser program (the elite corps that we are!). It starts on October 1 includes weigh-ins and fitness plans. Bad news is that it costs the same per month as the biggest loser program; good news is that the price will drop if more people sign up. I just signed up - I need more help still.

ALSO, I'm starting a "Cleanse" on Monday. This is put together by the sister-company to Hybrid, which is Fit Fresh Cuisine. It's all food (not like an all-liquid cleanse), controlled calorie, balanced nutrients meal plan. I'm interested to see what it's all about and hopefully it will kick-start my losing again.

I'm excited by these things - which is just weird to say/admit. By the way, 'True Confessions' I bought a donut at PDQ this morning. Just a simple sugar donut - no frosting or filling. Anyway, I got in my car, looked out the windshield and what did I see? A whole cage of "Blue Rhino" brand propane tanks. Mocking me, begging me to remember my Blue Rhino photo.

I mean...I ate the donut...but I'll just have yogurt for lunch.

Floundering

I started to title this post 'struggling' but then I admitted to myself that you can't really call it a 'struggle' if you aren't really trying.

It seems that my cravings have taken over, and I've let them. In each case, I really tried to be on the healthy side of naughty. For example, I wanted Mexican rice. So instead of eating the whole batch as a meal, I made it into a chicken, black bean, veggie, salsa mixture and turned it into 6 meals. No cheese, no sour cream, but still a big portion with a lot of starch. I also went to Taco Bell, but I ordered two tacos off the 'fresh' menu, or whatever their lower-cal menu is called.

And if I'm gonna be completely accountable, I made a batch of snickerdoodles last night, and had a box of Poptarts over a couple days last week - no 'healthy side of naughty' with these - just plain naughty. I don't even really like snickerdoodles! But I had the mix in my cupboards - I think I got them at 50% off holiday items at Target after Easter. BTW, sales are dangerous for the dieter - usually, it's the crap that goes on sale. You'll never see a mescalin mix discount!

I guess I've been eating like a 'normal' person not a dieting person. Maybe I can call this phase my mini-maintenance! Yeah! That's putting a positive spin on not working toward my goal...anyway, I haven't gained any weight, which honestly shocks the hell out of me. I fear the reason for this is that I might have gained fat but lost muscle.

So, I'm going to set mini-goals:
I vow to lose 5 pounds by September 30
I vow to lose an additional 12 pounds in October
I vow to lose an additional 10 pounds in November.

This will get me to a really magical place - 80 pounds lost. Puffy is going to fit super well by November!! Oh, I never shared a picture of Puffy! What the hell is wrong with me?

Also, I teased with Shawna that I was going to put my 'before' picture in the visor of my car as a deterrent for when my car starts steering toward Taco Bell, or the MACdonalds. But, joking aside, I really think I will. Nothing will scare me straight like the Blue Rhino photo.

I Boot-Camped

So, I did it. Attended my first boot camp this morning. Today's activities were not a real stretch for me, so I got all concerned for nothing. I'm sure it won't stay 'manageable' but I suppose the challenge will be good for me.

What did we do? Start with 10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 crunches. Then take two full laps around the building (a half mile). Then return to the turf and do 9 push-ups, 9 squats, 9 crunches; off to do two more laps, then back for 8 reps, etc.

So the totals on this progressive work out (if someone does it all without shaving things off...eh hem) ends up to be: 5 miles run; 55 push-ups; 55 squats; 55 crunches.

IF, and I'm saying 'if', someone did two full laps the first two times, but then only did one full lap the following times, their total run count = 3.0 miles. If this person also was so slow that they didn't get the last two rotations in, the total run count = 2.5 miles.

Hypothetically.

Funniest Home Videos, here I come!

So, I was jogging on the treadmill this morning, moving at a nice pace, when all of a sudden...! I believe my foot hit the non-moving edge next to the belt. Holy shit! I do not recommend doing that. Thankfully, I caught myself before I was sent ass-over-tea-kettle off the edge like you see in the Funniest Home Videos. But, there was some yelping on my part. Then it happened again. THEN, my now-too-big workout pants almost fell down. I tell ya, I could provide entertainment for that whole gym...

I still have not done a boot camp. I'm admittedly a little a lot nervous about this, even though my teammates who have done it say it's similar to what we've been doing for three months. Yesterday, I didn't have time (appointment at 8:00 in Waunakee), and today I was late and missed warm-up. So I used that as my excuse to do something else. I did running/walking for probably 45 minutes and I'd say running was more than half of that time.

Somehow, I've become someone who can run for 6-7 minute stretches at a time. Never would have thought.

Boot camp tomorrow - no excuses!!

PS. - I meant to post some measurements, just for my own record-keeping. Lost 6 inches around my hips; 3 inches around my upper arm, and 0 inches around my thigh. That last one cracks me up - my legs are not where I carry my fat, that's for sure... Actually, I believe the thigh measurement went down (fat loss) but then went back up (muscle gain). So, win/win.

The dreaded "Before" picture

It's kind of interesting how intimidating posting a 'before' picture can be. But, I promised, so here goes:

 

The 'Before' was taken May 27, 2012                                                The 'After' was taken September 1, 2012

When I was building the side-by-side, I noticed the propane tank in the 'before' photo. Blue Rhino brand...I had to laugh at that one especially considering my blue shirt.

I actually feel thinner than it looks in the current photo. It really shored up my resolve that this has to be a 'during'. Sure it's leaps and bounds better than the 'before' but still not ideal.

Thank you everyone for the fantastic support!

Sweet

Saw this blog post linked from another blog I read. It really struck home - both as someone who feels like everyone in the gym is staring as I gasp and wheeze, but also now as someone who sees bigger girls at the gym to whom I want to say "I was where you are; you can DO it."

 

Anyway, here's the post:

 

Hey, Fat Girl:

 

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

 

Read the rest of Hey, Fat Girl here: