11/18/2012: News, News, News!

Morning Weight:  159.4
Morning Exercise: None yet - Jack and I are thinking about doing a long hike today, but he wasn't feeling very well yesterday afternoon or evening.  If he is not up for the hike I'll go for a bike ride or a swim.  Probably a bike ride.  It is supposed to be a beautiful day today.
Yesterday Evening's Exercise:  4 mile run - 40 minutes! 
Yesterday's Calories: 1395
Vitamins:  1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine

I have three pieces of exciting news to blog about today.  The first bit?  I broke the 160lb barrier!!!  This morning I weighed 159.4 pounds!!  I only have 9.4 pounds left to lose to reach my goal weight.  I am so excited.  After weighing 160.4 for a couple of days in a row I started to believe that I was actually going to get into the 150s by today or tomorrow, and it came to pass this morning.  I even dreamt about marking my chart below 160 last night.  I need to pinch myself to make sure I am awake and that this is real.

Last night a friend of ours had a graduation party at a local bar and grill.  This would be a perfect opportunity to eat and drink the wrong things too late at night.  Being this close to goal, that was not going to happen!  Jack and I ate dinner before we left for the party and just drank water.  We had a good time, playing darts and pool with friends, and didn't spend a dime at the bar, except for the quarters we used in the dart board and pool table.  I thought it was cool that she had the party at a place that was holding a benefit for Safe Home and she asked us to bring an unwrapped toy to donate rather than bring a gift for her.  We had fun shopping for the toys at Target yesterday and were happy to support Tam's favorite charity.  Great idea, Tam!

Speaking of the party, here is a picture of me dressed up and ready to go...

11/17/2012 - 38 Weeks and 63.6 pounds

...in my size 8 jeans!  Yes, size 8!  You heard me right.  I had two pairs of jeans that I had bought over the last couple of months, one was a size 12 and the other was a size 10.  Lately, the only ones I have been wearing were the 10s because the 12s were just getting too big.  I am very fortunate that I get to wear jeans to work.  Well, one pair of jeans just wasn't cutting it.  So Jack and I headed to JC Penney's to pick up another pair.  I really am trying to avoid shopping until I reach my goal weight, but it was driving me crazy wearing the same jeans day in and day out, so I figured one more pair would be fine.

Well, we picked out all of the styles of Levi's that have a high waist (yeah, those hip-hugger jeans never worked on me and never will!) and I decided to try on 8s and 10s, just for fun.  The 8s fit!  I couldn't believe it.  Admittedly, they are snug, but I know they will fit perfectly when I lose this last 10 pounds, so instead of buying one pair we bought 3.  So the blue-jean portion of my shopping extravaganza has been completed a little early and I couldn't be happier!!  Yeah me!! A size 8!!  Whoo Hoo!!!!

And, just for fun, I am going to post one more photo...of me, of course...same day, different story.  This is a picture of me...

11/17/12

...after completing my 4 mile run.  In 40 minutes!!  Yes, I ran four 10 minute miles in a row!  I was so exhilarated!  That is why I have that kind of crazed look in my eyes.  It's kind of still there in the first photo I posted, too, which was taken not too much longer after this one.  Jack and I had a busy day yesterday, running errands, doing chores, practicing our bowling, etc...  and then we had that party to go to last night and by the time we got home from running errands we only had an hour left and I hadn't exercised yet.  So I decided to squeeze in a 4 mile run.  In 45 minutes.  As soon as my first foot hit the pavement I realized the error I had made in my calculation.  Wait a minute, I said to myself, 4 miles in 45 minutes, that's practically 10 minute miles.  I'm going to have to run fast to get this done in time for me to take a shower and still make it to the party on time.  So I started out on a pace that felt like the 10K/hour pace I had done on the treadmill in Macau and decided that I was going to try to keep that pace for the entire 4 miles.  Except for the big hills, and there are two on this route, I managed to maintain the pace, even on the up-hill grades.  It felt pretty damn good!  When I ran through the front door and checked the clock and saw that it took exactly 40 minutes for me to run 4 miles I was thrilled!!!  Wow!!  It wasn't too long ago that 4 miles took an hour, and it wasn't too much longer before that that I was walking most of 4 miles.  I am starting to feel pretty good about my physical fitness accomplishments!  Just think, in 7 or 8 months I'll be blogging about completing my first triathlon.  How much fun is that going to be?!?!

It's been a big 24 hours!!  First, I tried on several different styles of size 8 jeans and they all fit!!  Second, I ran 4 miles in 40 minutes, my fastest pace ever!  And third, I weighed less than 160 pounds this morning.  I am so jazzed and so pumped right now I feel like I could jump through the roof.  I know I have 9.4 pounds to go, but I know I'll make it. I'll hit another plateau or two along the way, that is a certainty, but I know I'll make it.  My chart has been a lot bumpier this last month, but the trend is still going the right way and I know I'll make it.  In relatively short order, too.  By my original goal date, for certain, and maybe even by the end of the year.  That's another reason to be happy about the low-key holidays this year.  It will be much easier to stay on track through the holidays without a lot of company or traveling for the holidays.

So here's to the final stretch!!  Thanks for sticking with me throughout this journey!!