Lunchtime Post
Okay... a quick, little lunchtime post since I feel like I've been neglecting this place. Summer has been so fun and so busy, and work has also been beyond crazy, all of which leaves very little spare time lately.
Let's see...
I'm still plugging away at my half marathon training. It's slow progress and I run at about a snail's pace, but I'm doing it! My side pain is definitely back in full force, which causes a lot of discomfort on these runs, but I'm too stubborn to give up. Race day is 10 weeks from Saturday and I'll be up to 5 miles this weekend. The long runs just get longer from here on out!
As you can see, getting my runs in during the week isn't always the easiest thing to do. Last night I headed out for a short, 2-mile speed training run at 8:30pm. The weather couldn't have been more perfect though. I love cool summer nights. Ahhhh!! It was quite refreshing. I even shaved 15 seconds off of my last speed training run. I opted for more short fartleks this time. I'm thinking next time I may try a different method to shake it up a bit. I have thoroughly enjoyed researching training ideas though!
Lately when I'm not running, or running kids to and from things, I'm at the dojo! With softball season finally being done, I'm busting my tail to get caught up in karate and muay thai. Our karate test is next month for our advanced green belts (Emmy Lou is testing for her brown belt), so I've been working on learning two new forms. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of the more complex forms and one-steps that come with being a higher belt!
Muay Thai is giving me a run for my money! I don't believe there has been a "day after" that I haven't been so sore that I have to roll off the bed to get up in the morning. It's a good sore, don't get me wrong, and a very welcomed challenge! I feel like a newbie again, which I am. I'm hoping to test for my white sash olnext month, but we will see. I have a lot of work to do! It's a crazy sweat fest though. Most classes I burn 650-850+ calories and then double that up with a karate class just before or just after. I never would have guessed I would have ended up on a journey through martial arts, but I love it!
I meet with the specialist next week and, as always, I'm nervous. I'm actually a little frustrated and trying to keep a good attitude. I've definitely hit a plateau, but my body has also returned to gaining 5-9 pounds any time I have a day or two of eating outside the norm - for example more carbs or sugar, higher calories, or drinking alcohol. It's frustrating because it's not just water weight that comes off in a couple of days. GRRR!! With that said, I need to step away from the scale for a bit after my official weigh in tomorrow. I've been bouncing around the same pound or two at official weigh in, but the scale isn't my only indicator of success.
This past weekend I found an old bag of clothes I had stored away because they were too small. I pulled them out before heading to the cabin for a girls weekend last weekend. I found a bikini top that I had bought on a whim off of a clearance rack. I'd never worn it. I was too embarrassed. I took it with to the cabin and actually wore it. Now, it was just my best friend and I, but I also knew she would be brutally honest with me if I looked hideous. That's what best friends are for, right? She gave me the green light and, while I was very self-conscious - even just sitting in the hot tub behind the cabin - I started to relax as the weekend went on.
When we got home, I decided to pull a couple of comparison pictures to see if I could see any progress. I was shocked. Now, here's where I really step outside of my bubble and share with all of you. Of course, I've shared pictures of myself in a sports bra and shorts since I started this blog, but the difference is that I had never actually worn that particular outfit outside of my house. This one, I have and plan to again. EEEK!
I hope that by sharing these pictures I'll be able to help others realize that the scale is not the best indicator of success. I'm beyond guilty of being that person who relies on the scale for good news and gets so discouraged when it gives me bad news. Looking at pictures helps. It's crazy what we can miss because we look at ourselves in the mirror every day. The change isn't as obvious to those of us going through it. So, here you go...
The part of me that still has major body issues sees so many flaws in the picture on the right, but I'm working on that. Even with the flaws, I can see the progress and I'm beyond shocked at the progress pictures with no weight loss. It's confirmation that my hard work is paying off and confirmation that the number on the scale does not tell the whole story.
Yes, for the sake of my doctor's appointments and, let's be honest, it is nice to see that number decline, I need to keep working at getting my weight down. They do also take my waist measurements at every appointment and put emphasis on that at my appointments as well. It's shrinking! I have no interest in being a super skinny person who eats like a bird, and doesn't take time out to enjoy life, parties, special occasions, etc. for fear of gaining weight. But, I do want to find a way to get to a healthy weight/size and feel comfortable in my skin. Ultimately, I want to find that happy relationship with food where I can enjoy it without binging and without gaining at record pace. I'll get there. It's just going to take some fine tuning!!
Let's see...
I'm still plugging away at my half marathon training. It's slow progress and I run at about a snail's pace, but I'm doing it! My side pain is definitely back in full force, which causes a lot of discomfort on these runs, but I'm too stubborn to give up. Race day is 10 weeks from Saturday and I'll be up to 5 miles this weekend. The long runs just get longer from here on out!
As you can see, getting my runs in during the week isn't always the easiest thing to do. Last night I headed out for a short, 2-mile speed training run at 8:30pm. The weather couldn't have been more perfect though. I love cool summer nights. Ahhhh!! It was quite refreshing. I even shaved 15 seconds off of my last speed training run. I opted for more short fartleks this time. I'm thinking next time I may try a different method to shake it up a bit. I have thoroughly enjoyed researching training ideas though!
Lately when I'm not running, or running kids to and from things, I'm at the dojo! With softball season finally being done, I'm busting my tail to get caught up in karate and muay thai. Our karate test is next month for our advanced green belts (Emmy Lou is testing for her brown belt), so I've been working on learning two new forms. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of the more complex forms and one-steps that come with being a higher belt!
Muay Thai is giving me a run for my money! I don't believe there has been a "day after" that I haven't been so sore that I have to roll off the bed to get up in the morning. It's a good sore, don't get me wrong, and a very welcomed challenge! I feel like a newbie again, which I am. I'm hoping to test for my white sash olnext month, but we will see. I have a lot of work to do! It's a crazy sweat fest though. Most classes I burn 650-850+ calories and then double that up with a karate class just before or just after. I never would have guessed I would have ended up on a journey through martial arts, but I love it!
I meet with the specialist next week and, as always, I'm nervous. I'm actually a little frustrated and trying to keep a good attitude. I've definitely hit a plateau, but my body has also returned to gaining 5-9 pounds any time I have a day or two of eating outside the norm - for example more carbs or sugar, higher calories, or drinking alcohol. It's frustrating because it's not just water weight that comes off in a couple of days. GRRR!! With that said, I need to step away from the scale for a bit after my official weigh in tomorrow. I've been bouncing around the same pound or two at official weigh in, but the scale isn't my only indicator of success.
This past weekend I found an old bag of clothes I had stored away because they were too small. I pulled them out before heading to the cabin for a girls weekend last weekend. I found a bikini top that I had bought on a whim off of a clearance rack. I'd never worn it. I was too embarrassed. I took it with to the cabin and actually wore it. Now, it was just my best friend and I, but I also knew she would be brutally honest with me if I looked hideous. That's what best friends are for, right? She gave me the green light and, while I was very self-conscious - even just sitting in the hot tub behind the cabin - I started to relax as the weekend went on.
When we got home, I decided to pull a couple of comparison pictures to see if I could see any progress. I was shocked. Now, here's where I really step outside of my bubble and share with all of you. Of course, I've shared pictures of myself in a sports bra and shorts since I started this blog, but the difference is that I had never actually worn that particular outfit outside of my house. This one, I have and plan to again. EEEK!
I hope that by sharing these pictures I'll be able to help others realize that the scale is not the best indicator of success. I'm beyond guilty of being that person who relies on the scale for good news and gets so discouraged when it gives me bad news. Looking at pictures helps. It's crazy what we can miss because we look at ourselves in the mirror every day. The change isn't as obvious to those of us going through it. So, here you go...
Left: This was me on our girls weekend last year in September
Right: This was me at our girls weekend last weekend - almost 1 year later
Weight loss between pictures is just over 25 pounds.
Left: Me on July 12th of this year before I started my
lifting challenge and went back to Muay Thai.
Right: Me on July 29th of this year.
Weight loss between pictures... ZERO!!
(P.S. Those shorts in pic #1 were not tight on me!)
The part of me that still has major body issues sees so many flaws in the picture on the right, but I'm working on that. Even with the flaws, I can see the progress and I'm beyond shocked at the progress pictures with no weight loss. It's confirmation that my hard work is paying off and confirmation that the number on the scale does not tell the whole story.
Yes, for the sake of my doctor's appointments and, let's be honest, it is nice to see that number decline, I need to keep working at getting my weight down. They do also take my waist measurements at every appointment and put emphasis on that at my appointments as well. It's shrinking! I have no interest in being a super skinny person who eats like a bird, and doesn't take time out to enjoy life, parties, special occasions, etc. for fear of gaining weight. But, I do want to find a way to get to a healthy weight/size and feel comfortable in my skin. Ultimately, I want to find that happy relationship with food where I can enjoy it without binging and without gaining at record pace. I'll get there. It's just going to take some fine tuning!!
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