Bring it on!!!

The good news?   I had that weigh in on Wednesday for my I Pity the Fool Challenge.   I walked into the bathroom and went to weigh myself the next morning.  THIS time I had my glasses on.   I noticed that the scales were cockeyed on the tile floor.  I learned long ago that my digital scales don't handle the fluctuations of an uneven floor and the tile floors in the bathroom where I am currently living is notoriously horrible.  I can move the scales from one tile to the next and my weight can fluctuate by POUNDS.  I'm not talking about ounces...POUNDS.   So when I actually looked at the scales while wearing glasses it didn't take me long to notice that the scales were NOT in their proper location.....I weighed myself without moving the scales and my weight was the same as Wednesday.  I moved the scales back to their rightful spot and voila....my weight was the same as it had been on Monday (and the week previously)  WHEW!!!!!

I know, I know....the scales shouldn't rule me.  And I'll say that they don't rule me.....I don't base my life off of them.  I use them as a guide for how I'm doing.

  

My eating hasn't been too bad since the rough day of Snack food on Tuesday.  I've managed to keep my caloric budget in check.   And I've done it honestly!!!  Hahaha

The blisters?  The one foot is fine (the skin is tender but it doesn't hurt at all) ...the other one still hurts a bit.  The weather is supposed to be fantastic this weekend.  The weekend plan?  More hiking.  Not sure where yet...but I'm sure I'll be sharing pictures next week.  What is the plan with the blisters?  I've been keeping it cleaned (hydrogen peroxide) and creamed (Neosporin) and covered (band aid during the day....either sock or aired at night when I'm home).   For the weekend?   Slathering the area with Vaseline, covering it with a gauze pad and taping that on with duct tape.   A thin pair of socks over that and then my normal socks over that.  On both feet.  And then bring on the trail.  

Jason has vowed to inspect my feet to make sure I am not hiding any new or worsening blisters on my feet after each day of hiking.   ha ha ha.  I TOLD him last weekend on the first day that I had picked up some blisters.  He knew that I had covered them  to protect them for day two of hiking......but he didn't know how bad they really were.  Ha ha ha ha  His words were "I followed you on the trail at times  and you didn't limp or walk with a weird gait or anything...I had no clue!"     Yeah, that stunt of mine will only work once I think!   He's got my number now!

A Vicious Fight

I fell and I fell hard yesterday.   It started in the morning at work.   I was hungry....and I knew I had those pesky cheddar pretzel bites in my drawer at work.   Well....they are gone now at least!!!!   

Junk food 1

MaryFran 0

The afternoon rolled around.   I had eaten my lunch but it hadn't hit the spot.    Or maybe I was bored...I don't know.  All I know is that I headed to the snack cabinet at work.  I opened the doors and I peered in.    Why yes...cheese puffs sound delightful!

Junk food 2

MaryFran 0

After I ate those cheese puffs I sat there thinking about the BBQ chips on the cabinet.  Oh yes...I could hear them calling my name!!!!  I caved!

Junk food 3

MaryFran 0

Come on now...all that salty food.  I was drinking water but I wanted ...no I NEEDED something sweet.    I looked over at the counter and there lay a bag of Cadbury Eggs. 

Junk food 4

MaryFran 0

It wasn't pretty.  I'm not proud.   I know I have to clean it up if I want to lose this weight.

I DID order a salad for late dinner. So I guess I ended my day at...

Junk Food 4

MaryFran 1

I was talking to Jason and jokingly told him that he needs to stop me from eating junk food and bad food.    He immediately almost reared back at the suggestion and said 'no way!   I am not falling into that role.  I'm no Hitler and I do not agree with a Nazi regime'.   (Smart boy!)  we laughed some about how in the world he would keep me from eating junk...outlandish ideas that had us cracking up.      But the end result was the same as it has always been for me......this is MY battle to overcome.  He made it clear that he will support me 100% and has reminded me on many occasions that the weight will fall the more long hikes we do.   So he's in my corner...but it is totally MY battle to fight!!!!

So my weekly weigh in....not good.   I glanced at it in disgust and then walked away...and honestly I can't remember the exact numbers......but let's just say a pound or two....I'm not going to dwell on it....I DID fight a battle with salty foods yesterday...and lost.  

My one heel is feeling good...the other blistery heel still aches.   So I haven't been running either!   Grrrrr

Sixteen

Well.....it's been a while.  (just shy of a week)  Let me go back to where I last wrote and start from there.  In my last blog entry I weighed in and talked about my slow start to my "I Pity the Fool Challenge"   I didn't come right out and say it, but I totally implied that I would be shaping up and knuckling down to actually show a loss and get this challenge moving.   Yup...that was the plan.

Plans Shmans!!!

Ok, so it didn't work out that way.  I ate.  I was hungry as all get out.   I couldn't stop eating.   I think part of it is that I let myself get hungry (beyond hungry) and then I just gorged on food.  Not a good method.  Although the Fried cheese bites were tasty, the tater tots were fresh out of the fryer, and the.........I just better stop right now!

By Friday/Saturday morning I was absolutely petrified to weigh myself!  I felt bloated and icky.  In my mind I was SURE that I had gained sixteen pounds in the few days since I had last weighed in.  I was too afraid to check....so I just moved on and VOWED to not eat junk food over the weekend!  I figured next Wednesdays weigh in would be time enough to face the music!

So we move on to the weekend. 

It was my Saturday to not work in the morning so we were able to get an earlier start to the fun.   What fun did we have planned?   The weather was forecasted to be GORGEOUS.  Like REALLY pretty.  (The weekend before we had dealt with temps in the teens as a high....this weekend they were calling for 60 degrees!).   We decided to go hiking at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, VA.   This is part of a nature preserve (and borders more preserve land)   The weather was just what they called for, fabulous!   Some of the trails were in great shape...some were a bit muddy.   Not an issue.  We were wearing water proof hiking boots.  We didn't go into the visitor center....and instead opted to try to hit as many of the trails as possible in the time we had. 

We managed to hit up almost all of the trails!  A bit shy of 10 miles of hiking.  WOO HOOO  

Through the woods and by the bay....it was all pretty.

Through wetlands too...

We were at the tail end of the day.  We were both getting tired.  I was starting to feel some hot spots on my heels from my hiking boots but we decided to push onward  to take the Eagle Spur trail another one of their out and back hikes.  What a DELIGHT!   We had went out to one of the other bird blinds and checked that out.....but we figured a bird blind/observation point on a trail named the Eagle Spur Trail HAD to be a good bet.  Ohhhhh was it ever.  It was the most serene and beautiful spot!    (Yes, we saw some eagles....and YES, I WILL be returning with my good cameras instead of a simple no frills cell phone!!)

By the time we got back to the car it was right at sunset.  We decided to go to the bay to watch the sunset.  More beauty!

How was my food on Saturday?   I had an English Muffin for breakfast.  For lunch I had a Kind bar and a block of Cheddar cheese.   After hiking for a few hours we hit dinner HUNGRY.  I had about 4 hot buffalo wings, a slice of pizza and a 1/4 of a stromboli.   My calorie Count for the day.... 1397 calories eaten.....rough estimate of calories expended through hiking?  1337.  There ya go.   I was wiped out and I slept like a log!

Sunday was still warm but it was overcast.  We pondered our choices....and had settled on trying to find mostly indoor activities but I had found a park near us that offered a 1/2 mile boardwalk hike.  I kept it in the back of my head because I knew that if it was only drizzly that we could do that just to stretch our muscles after the previous days hike.   We got in the car and it looked like any kind of outdoor hike would be a bust (yeah, better rain gear may be on my list of future expenditures!).    A mile or so down the road the rain stopped.  YAY!   I threw out the idea of this short boardwalk hike.   Jason jumped at it.  So off we headed to Huntley Meadows Park.    What a great little discovery!!!!    The boardwalk took us right through the wetland preserve. 

Love seeing all the beaver dams!!!

When we stepped off the boardwalk we were walking through a nice tree cover (well, it would be nice tree cover were it a season that had leaves on the trees!). 

  

So much interesting fungus and  mushrooms

This was a wonderful hike.  We were able to link some of the trails together to pick up just over three miles on the one series of trails (the other series of trails were not interconnected and we didn't go over there on this trip).  It was pretty enough that we traversed this same path a second time and we vowed to hit up this park three more times...at least (it is about 2 hours away from home).   Why three more times?   There are three more seasons that we want to experience at this park!   The grand total for day two?   Just over 6 miles!

Sundays food?   Not as good   I ate 1530 Calories and expended about 689 calories.  I actually picked up mixed fruit and had a banana instead of junk food when we stopped!   Soooo proud of myself on that one!!!!

16 miles in two days.......and two pretty decent eating days........ I faced the music on the scales.   I am almost exactly the same as I was last week (within 2/10ths of a pound!)

My feet are TORN up.  I've been wearing these boots on almost weekly hikes for the past almost three months....but this weekend tore up my heels.  BAD.  (Day two they were covered and protected and I pushed on....ha ha ha...I just didn't tell Jason how bad they were until AFTER we were done day two of hiking otherwise he would have put his foot down and we would have missed the beauty of Huntley Meadows Park!!)   

Soooo....the question remains....do I hope that my feet and the shoes have reached an understanding?  Or do I go buy new boots.  I have had a few slight blisters as I started to wear these boots...they ARE leather so they do take a while to break in.    However, I like shoes....new boots for hiking may be the most fun option!  :-)  (and i would continue to wear these....on SHORTER hikes..as the blisters didn't kick in until about mile 6.....and just general use as they ARE comfy!)  ahhh  decisions decisions decisions..... 

I Hate It!!

Have I mentioned on this blog that I absolutely HATE running on the treadmill?  

I woke up this morning and I knew what I had to do.  I knew that I needed to get to the gym to run.  The only way I would forego the gym?   If the weather was bad.  I looked at my weather app on my phone.  I don't know if I should call what I felt upon seeing the report  disappointment or excitement.  Yeah, the weather was clear enough for me to travel to the gym.   Off I went.

Have I mentioned that I absolutely HATE running on the treadmill?

The sidewalks and roads were a bit slick with a fine sheen of ice.  I didn't have any issue driving, but it was treacherous to get to and from my car!  And while I may or may not HATE running on the treadmill, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that running on the treadmill was definitely the best choice for the morning.   

You see, I have plans.  I have a 10K that I am registered to run.  It is the Cooper River Bridge Run......I did this one last year and ended up walking it.  I vowed to return and run it.  So I am a girl on a mission!   So in foul weather treadmills are kinda necessary.  I have reconciled myself to doing it....and have even tried to turn it into a way to better myself!  

I made it though and I pushed out two miles.  Nothing extraordinary.  I SHOULD have gone longer.  I was aiming for anywhere between 2 and 3 miles, so I am OK with hitting the two mile mark.  I did it in my overall average pace.  HOWEVER, I am happy to say that I did it while doing intervals.  I would walk a song...and then run a song.   So how did I manage to do this run in the same (a few seconds better a mile) pace as my typical run/jog  pace?   I cranked up the speed on my run segments.  Not so much that I thought I was going to die....but enough that I felt it.   I also walked at just a hair below a run...so a fast walk.  So a shorter run, but one in which I pushed in order to better myself. 

As I drove home I went down some of the roads that I typically run when I'm outside.  Ahhhh I want to run outside!   (Because Yeah, in case you didn't catch on....I hate running on the treadmill)   I am sooo looking forward to a pleasant outdoor run!   I was scooping out the sidewalks and alleys and I could see the slick ice and chunks of icy snow dotting the paths that I like to run.  Ahhhh sooon.....so soon!  (and then I will lament that my membership at the gym is costing me money and I'm not using it....as I run by the gym on my glorious outdoor runs!)

That said....I KNOW that I need to start using the gym for more than a place to go and run a few miles on the treadmill.  I KNOW that I should be utilizing the classes......and the other equipment..... I should be doing some toning too!    Yeah, I'll get right on that!

So today was my weigh/reporting day for my Pity The Fool challenge.  I didn't start out as strongly as I was planning and hoping.  I didn't gain...so that is a victory.   I DID actually lose.......2/10ths of a pound.  Yes, I dropped to 231.6 pounds.    Not looking at it as a failure......just a slow start!

My plans for the week ahead of me?   I plan on running tomorrow....yeah, probably the treadmill again. (Have I mentioned that I hate the treadmill?)  This weekend the weather is supposed to be FANTASTIC and Jason has already talked about getting outside and doing something!  YAY.  So that will be activity.     I will get to wear my new water resistant/quick drying pants. (May even get some benefits from the sunshade properties to protect my skin from the suns damaging but oh so good feeling rays!)  That will be a bonus because some of these other hikes have been 'WET'  as my pants soak up the water and NEVER dry during the hike.

Noooooooo

Noooooo!!!  The weekend can't be over yet!   I just don't think this is kosher!!!!   The weekend can't be over yet can it!    

Yeah yeah yeah...I had off today (Monday...presidents day) so it was already a long weekend!

It was a good one!   I did fairly well with eating until this evening when I was hungry and kinda went off the rails!!   

I did splurge and I had quite a few chocolate covered strawberries....part of my Valentine's Day gift.   But seriously....it's strawberries!  That doesn't count as bad does it?  Shush....don't think about the chocolate....that is totally unimportant!!!  

Let's see...the weekend.   I did get some time in on the treadmill.  Only a mile...but hey that's better than nothing!

We did the audio tour of Manasses battlefield (the second battle tour).   Yeah the audio tour for this battle was way lack luster and disappointing...the other ones we have done have been great!  But oh well...you win some you lose some!!

It was cold...only got one picture of the battlefield.  Oops

We got some snow...which turned the hour and a half drive home into...ohhh....5 hours.  Nothing major.   Ha.   I wanted to get a picture of the snow but I was focused on driving!

Weight wise?   We shall see!   In the middle of the snow and before I went home I did stop and stocked up on some  fruits and veggies....I was craving them!!! So I am set for the week...kinda!  :-)

Why

Oh yeah, my Chinese lunch was DELICIOUS yesterday.  The conversation with my friend was even better!  It was a perfect lunch!   

My weight on the scales though?   Not so perfect.  I was up by about a pound and a half.   At least I know why.  Chinese food is a bit high in sodium so I'm sure it is a water retention issue.  Yes, I'm pounding the water today!

So my self mini "I Pity the Fool"  Challenge is being joined by some friends and some readers.  There is nothing to the challenge...other than just focus on the short term goal of April Fools Day.  Focus on that short term time frame and create a nice doable goal (no more than 14 pounds because anything more than 2 pounds a week isn't exactly recommended!)!   Well, for those actually 'playing along' they will be hearing me babble about progress and what is happening....and of course the weekly reminders when I have my weigh in!   

One of my friends asked what my plan of attack was going to be for this challenge.  I am going back to the basics.  Calories in versus Calories out.   Plain and simple.  I have a set amount of calories....I eat those calories and when they are gone...I am done eating, even if I run out of calories at 11 in the morning.     And by golly, if I run out of calories at 11AM, I sure as heck better exercise to earn something  small for dinner.    

Strict tracking and calorie counting!!!

Chocolate can be part of the plan......but I have to work it into my plan!!!!

Exercising will be part of the basic and simple plan.  The earned calories will give me a bit of peace as I don't plan on being a Nazi about remaining at exactly the caloric goal.  But I will be a little more loose on days I exercise.....by maybe a 100 calories or so.  I don't want to actually eat my earned exercise calories...I just want to have them in the can so that I don't have to worry so much about measuring out every nibble of food I eat. 

The other thing that came up was that I somehow started to think about the reasons that I want this.  What will losing the weight mean for me.......

1.  Awesome clothes from ANY store

2.  Energy....amazing energy

3.  Sense of pride and accomplishment

4.  Smoking hot body

5.  Health....I want to live

6.  I want to be active and not have my weight hold me back

What other reasons are out there?   Tons more I know!!!!

I pity the fool challenge

Well.....here we are at the end of the Love Bites Challenge.   That was a seven week challenge that began at Christmas.   I can happily say that I have lost during the Love Bites Challenge.    I weighed in at 231.8   A whole whopping 2.2 pounds lost.    Hey, it's better than none!   So I was about 11.8 pounds shy of reaching my goal.    I refuse to look at this last challenge as a failure!  A failure would have been if I had GAINED weight.  (and let me tell you....I don't know how I didn't at some points!)

So up next?   The "I ain't no fool"  challenge.   Yes, I struggle using the word ain't.  It's never been a vocabulary word that I found acceptable.  "Ain't ain't a word and I ain't gonna use it!"   The other week I lightly called this next challenge the Foolish Fat Against Fat challenge.     That was just a mouthful and I didn't like it.   Maybe I should make it the "I Pity The Fool"    (if your old enough to remember the TV show A-Team, you will totally get the reference!).    Hmmm...that could be more fun....

Sooooo  "I Pity the Fool"  challenge.   Starts this week....runs the seven weeks until the weigh in before April Fools!  (yeah, makes sense now why I have the fools thing in there doesn't it!).   7 weeks.....14 pounds!   That will put me at 217.8 pounds.  Totally doable!    (hmmm...and that said...if I can make it to 217.8 by April Fools.....the next 'holiday' would be memorial day...and I think that is about 9 weeks after Aprils fools.....9 x 2 is 18 pounds......could I really be at 200 pounds by memorial day????   Holy cow, YES!   My word...and then i would simply be 20 pounds from my lowest ever adult weight!!!!).

No fiddling around.  This is it!  My blinders are on....this just got real!   I am eating lunch out with a friend today....and we are eating Chinese.  (Remember the other day I turned down Chinese food...I knew that Terri and I were going out to eat somewhere today.....so when I crossed off my order, I almost immediately texted her to suggest Chinese......and I'm STILL calling it a victory!)  But I will pound the water to counter act the effects of the delicious Chinese food and I will move on with wise choices this evening....can we say lots of fruits and veggies for me tonight!!!!

All things happy.....except for one

Well......I had a few victories today.

The first is kinda not a victory but kinda a victory.   I have a few pairs of pants...in varying sizes.  What size am I?   I have some 18's that are falling off of me (who knows if the zipper works anymore, I don't unzip them but rather just pull them off)  but I also have 18's that are skin tight.  I have 16 womens that fit perfectly.  Really?   So I decided that after work I was going to hit up the outlets.  I was looking for a pair of water repelling/quick dry pants to wear whilst hiking. (I am SOO tired of being wet while I'm hiking!)   I first went into Eddie Bauer.   I tried some on and I liked them...but I wanted to hit up another store or two...specifically Columbia Sportswear.   I ended up buying the ones at Eddie Bauer.  They were a bit pricier than the Columbia ones that I tried on...but they fit me better and had more features.   So what in the world is the victory?   They are tight, but I can TOTALLY fit into the 16's.   Weeee.    Moving along.  (and yes, I know....if I lose 'too' much weight the pants I bought today will be too big and baggy to really wear...I bought them as tight as I felt comfortable with wearing!)

But the even bigger victory?   Today was the Chinese New Year.  Big whoop right??   Nope...they decided to order Chinese for lunch.  They typically order from one place.....and I don't like that place.  But NO...today they ordered from the place that I actually LOVE.   I had my lunch packed and I was ok with the food I had with me to eat.  But that place is SOOO good and I haven't had it in a long time.  I wrote my order down on the order sheet and went to count my money to give to the gal that was going to pick up our food.  Yup....I caved.   But then I started thinking about money.  I am trying to put money aside......and even more importantly....I didn't want to kill my calorie count for today.   SOOOOOOO...I went over and scratched my order off the list.

Yes, I did!

Lets see if this helps me show a bit of a loss for this weeks official weigh in!  One can hope!

So my ankle has been bothering me a bit more today.  This is FRUSTRATING.  I do have it wrapped today...so maybe that will help matters a bit!!!!   Frustrating is all I can say about it though!

Mud bogging

Well here we are, the weekend is rolling to a close.  Again.    Seriously, this really needs to stop happening!  At least I can say that I had a wonderful weekend!  How could it NOT be fabulous....I got to see friends....I got to spend a lot of time with Jason...and I got some hiking in!!!    Lets start with the friends........(not that Jason isn't a friend...but he's a bit more than a friend ha ha ha)

On Saturday morning I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends (gals that I used to work with).  I've got 19-20 years on these girls but we had a wonderful time!    We laughed.  We covered some important topics of conversation (Someone needs to give these girls some advice!!!  ha ha ha), we had breakfast together  and we hit up some stores and did a bit of shopping!   It was just what the doctor ordered and it's amazing how things like this works.  The one gal showed up and we could see that she was just not herself.   By the end of the first hour we could see that the conversation and girl talk had helped her. That's what friends are for! We did shop a little so I got some walking in at the mall....not enough to really count though, even though I'm really tempted to do so!!!!  See, if I do that, I could possibly say that I counter acted the Cinnamon Supreme Sweet and Stuffed Pancakes.  Seriously, I am embarrassed to say that I ordered those things!   They were tasty...but all sweet and totally NOT healthy!   I'm not even going to write down the calorie count....isn't it enough that I put the link in there??  ha ha ha.    The only good thing?  I was soooo full and just not at all hungry the rest of the day that I ate some cheese, some strawberries and a hard pretzel in the evening and I was not hungry the rest of the day.  And yes...I heeded the voices that my body was saying...and that was 'For heavens sake, please don't eat!'

Yeah yeah yeah....it is obvious in the picture, I was drinking diet soda.....I know, it SHOULD have been water!!!!

Jason and I got to spend a fair amount of time together this weekend.  Lots of time relaxing together in nice warm and relaxing places where we could have long conversations.  But we were also able to get two hikes in.

The first hike was at the Martins Mill Bridge and around the park.  We stayed off the hilly trails and walked the road from the bridge down to the actual park area and circled that snow covered area and then went back to the bridge.  We did that loop a few times until the wind knocked us for a loop and we were too cold to continue.  (ok, until we decided to retreat to the car and the warmth.....I"m sure we could have continued if we had wanted to...but 2.56 miles isn't bad!  It wasn't a bad walk...there were areas that were a bit snow but nothing too intense.




We also decided to hike at Balls Bluff Battlefield/Regional park.     Last weekend was the event of the Snow hike...this weekend we had another snow hike but I think I will refer to it as Mud Bogging instead!   The trails there were a LOT more intense.  Yes, there was a lot more ascents and decents on the trail.  But it was the snow that made those up hill intense....snow is slippery...and going up and down a trail on slippery snow is interesting to say the least. (especially the parts of the trail that were on the edge of a drop off!)  The snow was actually NOT the worst part.  The worst part....when we were NOT climbing up or descending a hill, we were walking on the flat riverbank.  That sounds peaceful and serene doesn't it?   Yeah....not when that said river was at flood stage a few days ago.    Walking through a couple inches of mud is.....interesting, fun and DIFFICULT!  Totally different muscles than normal hiking and different muscles than snow hills.   It was  a GREAT workout!     I didn't get any pictures from the trail...but I did get a few pictures of the National Cemetery that is housed in this park and the sight of a Civil War Battle.  This is one of the smallest National Cemeteries in the United States.  It has 25 graves and there are 54 men buried here, all of them unknown but one.  Sobering to think that 53 families (so many more in the Civil war overall I know)  lost sons who were buried with an unknown gravemarker.  All in all.....3.68 miles at Balls Bluff Park!

So a good weekend with some activity

So....it's 7:30.  I'm home.  Showered up (I wasn't exactly cold but I wasn't exactly warm....and I wasn't exactly muddy but I wasn't exactly clean!) and sitting here watching tv.  Nope....not watching the Super Bowl...does that make me un-American?????

Check In

Be careful what you wish for. In yesterdays post I talked about wanting to break the bad habit of getting home at 8 or 9 and crawling right into bed.   I broke that habit.   I was out with Jason last night and while I was out I received a message that some artwork was waiting for me.  I am designing a new album cover for a guy.  That means that when I got home I had a few hours of work...because I had NOTHING.  I was starting from scratch.    I actually made it to bed about midnight.  I sent the ideas to the client, sent him a text to let him to know to look and went to bed. He was working an overnight shift at his job...so by the time I woke up at 5:30 he had revisions in my email box.  I worked from 5:30 until 7:30, showered and headed to the store before work.   By the time I got to work there were some more revisions.  This guy moves FAST.  (He has told me not to worry about getting things done immediately...but he is appreciative that I am moving this way)  The last CD I did I would make revisions and not hear anything back for DAYS...weeks even.

So I guess circumstances helped me break that habit last night.  Who knows what will help me tonight.   Although I should be home after work tonight so I won't be getting home so close to bedtime making the bed more tempting!  

That said....I skipped my morning run as I was working on this project. (hey, I just put brakes and rotors on my car....the income from this project will help immensely in covering that repair!)

My eating last night...well not the greatest.    Today thus far...spot on!!!!! 

Weekly Weigh In

Well, today was my official weigh in.   232.4  So I am down a bit from last week.   Precious little....but I'll take it.  One week left of this Love Bites Challenge.  Right now I am showing down 1.6 pounds in this challenge (I was 234 at the beginning of this/end of the last challenge).  That's better than nothing and WAY better than a gain.

  There is NO WAY that I will make my goal of 220.0 by next Wednesday.  I'm OK with that.  I'm not HAPPY with myself, but I'm ok with it.   I'm thinking that it would be a victory if I can somehow pull out a 230.0 for this weigh in...giving me a 4 pound loss...and 2.4 pounds in this next week (which is doable.)  Either way...I'm fine with whatever happens this week as long as I actually work toward the goal!

Yesterday I went to the gym and ran just shy of 3 miles.  My foot didn't fair well on that run.  In fairness, it was bothering me before I began.  I know that after the snow hike on Sunday that it was tender, so I'm assuming that the icky feeling after the run yesterday was because of that.    Honestly, the snowy hike is motivating me.   I as pleasantly surprised to realize that yes I was moving my body and it was a workout but I was not sore and achy from using the muscles.  Yay me!  I was with an avid hiker and ended up feeling better when it was over.  (go figure)   So in terms of physical wellness, I know that my running and zumba (we won't even talk about me losing that....but I do have to hit up a class at the gym soon!) have kept me in somewhat decent shape.  I don't want to lose that and would actually prefer to build upon that.  But once again, it comes down to gear.   I was wearing jeans to hike in the snow....not the wisest hiking clothing.  My pants were soaked up to my thighs.  My companion was wearing hiking water resistant/quick drying pants and he was dry as all get out.  Guess I need to invest in something similar for use in hiking if I plan on doing it much more.  (I also have had some similar issues with sweat...jeans just soak up the sweat and become nasty  and wet!)   And that is the crux of the matter.  They are not cheap.....and  I hate to spend the money on pants that I HOPE to have shrunk out of within a few months!   Yes....we talked about it on Sunday and I will buy them on the tight side so that I can just have a baggy pair that is still usable.  But still.....I'm on the cusp of being able to buy these pants at a 'regular store'.....it would be NICE to be able to buy them at a 'regular' store and maybe to be able to not have to replace them in a few months. (Although that will make some person that shops at my local goodwill a happy camper when I drop off a bag of clothes that are too big for me!!!)    Talk about motivation?

I was able to maintain a good balance in my eating yesterday.  I was proud of myself.  I knew that I would be having cake and ice cream last night to celebrate my niece and nephews birthdays so I ate accordingly throughout the day.  And guess what? I kept my calories not exactly spot on...but really close!   One day of success under my belt.  Next day coming up!    I will work to build upon this success!!!

Meanwhile, I have to break a really bad habit.   What is that bad habit?  Last night I got home at 8:30 and instead of settling in and actually DOING something; I have instead put on my pajamas and headed to bed.  I don't go to sleep immediately....I lay in bed and read or play mindless games on my ipad.   I think part of it is because it's cold outside (cool in the basement where I reside) and it just makes more sense to curl up under the blankets and get toasty warm there versus settle in on the chair or couch...get warm there and then have to move to the cold bed.   But it's KILLING my time.   What could I be doing?   Anything really.   I could be playing the piano, surfing the internet, writing, watching tv, something productive!!!!   I could be exercising!   I have a ton of videos!  

We shall see!!!!!!!

Purchased Peace

I was reading a blog post about intuitive eatingthe other day.   The author was talking about the correlation between intuitive eating and weight loss and wanting to make peace with food.  I wrote my response to her post...a really convoluted affair for sure.  I know that intuitive eating works for some people.  I also know that intuitive eating is the goal that I want to be at when I reach my goal weight.  I will say that for me intuitive eating HAS to go hand in hand with some kind of check and balance system in place. (the numbers on the scales....a pair of skinny jeans that HAVE to fit otherwise there becomes a full out panic attack, etc) . 

For me intuitive eating and losing weight doesn't go hand in hand at this time.  I'm ok with that.  I'm still overweight so obviously there is something that isn't clicking in the brain and body.   This is fine with me.

But peace with my food.  Wow...there is the kicker.  I've often talked on my blog about missing the innocence of eating.  The innocence of not worrying about calories, fat, carbs or any number of other things.    And that is when I realized that I CAN have peace with my food.    I simply have to Purchase Peace!  

How do you purchase peace?    For me I purchase peace by earning the food through exercise.   Oh yes, my hike through deep snow the other day...that purchased me peace with what I chose to eat for dinner!   A good run in the morning gives me peace with my food for the day.   (I can still go way off track and ruin that peace...but I'm just  generally speaking here!)

My brother rides his bike...A LOT (crazy insane amounts of miles) and I've heard him on more than one occasion say "I can eat whatever I want because I rode 50, 60 or whatever miles today"   It's not that he is overindulging, he earned those calories.....he earned the peace.  The peace was purchased via those miles on his bike!

As soon as I read that first post about intuitive eating and peace my mind was formulating this post.  But first I wanted to catch up with my other blogs.  And I came upon Shelley's blog and it was just more 'peace'

She was writing an update on how she was doing with making better choices which was a goal that she had made for this year.  I read along and then came to a paragraph about the snacks and tasty treats at a bakery that they visit after running and how she doesn't count those tasty morsels when she is talking about making better choices....and she said this..  "those are bonus treats that come with running"    Ohhhhhh, so can I just go out on a limb and say that she "purchased peace" with a nice run?????

Yes, purchased peace is awesome...and let me tell you.  The food that you eat when you 'purchase the peace' tastes FANTASTIC!

I did make it to the gym this morning...and I 'purchased a bit of peace' with a few miles of running.   I will still have to be careful today, but if I am, I can enjoy ice cream and cake tonight to help celebrate my niece and nephews birthday!!!

I faced the scales this morning....almost the same as last week...and almost the same as right around Christmas...the beginning of the love bites challenge.  Not what I wanted but at least no gain!   I've got one week to show at least a teensy weensie little loss for the challenge!!

Trust your gear

Well, what do I say?    January was a trial run?????

I had grand plans for my Love Bites self challenge has not gone as planned.  Not at all.   In fairness, I haven't weighed myself since last Wednesday, but I can honestly say that I have NOT eaten right.  Ohhhhh  some days were not THAT bad.  Some days were positively horrible with french fries, tator tots, and all sorts of other fattening (but sadly tasty) foods.  Oh and there may have been a donut or two involved in the mix.  Yeah, I just fell off the rails!   

I have a week and two days until the Love Bites challenge is over.   My goal at this point is to try to hang onto the weight that I was at the end of the Saving Christmas Challenge.  My weight last week was right in that range...so hopefully it will be a simple maintain.  

What does that mean for me?  

I'm already gearing up for the Foolish Fat Against Fat challenge.    On February 10th, the last weigh in before Valentines day will start this next challenge.  7 weeks until April Fools.  The Triple F challenge.  I blew this last challenge but I'm soooo planning on rocking this one!  7 pounds...14 pounds is what I'm thinking!!!!

I had a busy and fun weekend.  I sadly had to work on Saturday morning, but was treated to a gorgeous sky on the way to work!

Jason and I spent some time in Old Town Winchester (Virginia) this weekend.

We did some hiking at the Third Winchester Battlefield Park.   That was interesting as in some areas we were walking on slick ever shifting slush and at at other points we were walking in 1-2 feet of snow.  It was definitely a workout!!!!  

It is also crazy to be hiking in 1-2 feet of snow and be stripping off clothes because you are hot.....I started the hike with a tee shirt, sweatshirt and a light jacket.  By the first mile or so I had taken off the jacket...and by the end of the hike I was down to the tee shirt.  Nope, definitely wasn't going to let myself get sweaty!   That is miserable in cooler weather!!!!   And yes, I was more successful than a few weeks ago when we had been out hiking  and it was either REALLY cold or just cool.  No worries....as soon as I got back to the car, I popped my sweatshirt back on to avoid getting chilled as my body temperature adjusted back to normal. I will also say that I gave my newest pair of hiking boots an amazing test and they passed with flying colors.  What test was that?  Well, I've had them out a few times as we have been hiking...and they have been through some muddy areas and some water puddles.   But that was more short periods of being dipped into wetness.  We hiked a few miles (my tracker showed about 4 miles) and for 90% of that time, my boots  were totally encased in snow.  My feet were dry and toasty the whole time!  (shows the beauty of good boots and wool socks!).  My pants.....well, I was wearing jeans which are notoriously horrible for hiking and they were a flared leg....and long.  They were wet at the bottom almost immediately and they just wicked the moisture upward the whole hike so that even though I had never been in snow up to my thighs, the jeans were wet above the knees.  We laughed that if we had hiked longer that they would have been wet the whole way to my waist!!!   (Yup, just add the parking lot at the trailhead for the Third Winchester as ANOTHER place that I've changed my clothes in a relatively public place...hahaha)  

We slowly made our way back home and ended up stopping at a few places just killing time and being together for longer!  

It was a good weekend.....and the icing on the cake?  We were active and it felt GOOD to get outside in the sunshine and surprising warmth!