Weight: ??
I won't be able to weigh myself until I get home, but my smallest shorts fit just fine so nothing dramatically bad has happened in my first two days on the road.
I won't be able to blog consistently this week because we are going to be busy with grandkids, campfires, activities of all kinds, and who knows what else. I still want to blog when I catch a quiet moment here and there, though, because I appreciate everyone's support so much. I want to say thank you and tell all of you how much it means to me that you take a few minutes out of your day to read my posts.
This morning I woke up in a B&B that boasts the highest altitude of any B&B in North America. To get to this beautiful and charming in we started in Idaho Springs, CO (7,000 feet) and drive up the mountain for half an hour. We are at 10,500 feet and our room has a view of mountain tops and glaciers. I have pics, but I can't load them from my phone. I'll post a few on Instagram where my screenname is bertabetta.
Our first couple of days on the road were uneventful but fun. We tend to take the road less traveled so even though it's a straight shot from Kansas City to Idaho Springs on I-70 we decided to veer off course a bit. We followed the billboards to a charming little town in Kansas called Wamego. They had an adorable city park complete with a Dutch Windmill built in the 1800s, World Fair statues from the same decade, fountains that were truly art installations, and a miniature train for the kiddos. We enjoyed our stroll through history quite a lot!
We spent our first night on the road at a wide spot on the road called Colby, Kansas. They bill themselves as the Oasis on the Highway. There are several roadside motels to choose from and you can get a halfway decent breakfast at the Village Inn. We've never taken the time to drive into Colby itself, so we remedied that on Friday evening. We were hoping for another delightful surprise, but we were disappointed when we found an old downtown that was withering away. The courthouse stood alone and stark at the edge of what used to be a town. A beautiful old building oddly juxtaposed against blight and decay. There was an event going on outside of town, it looked like a mud racing event, so I suppose if we were into cars we might have paid an admission fee and checked that out, but that is not our sort of thing. Instead we retired to our room at the Holiday Inn Express and played a wild game of Parcheesi. If you've never played Parcheesi, you don't know what you're missing. It's a four person game, but Jack and I have invented a couple new rules to make it just as much fun as a two person game. Jack came from behind and won the game, darn it!
Just as we we're getting to Limon, CO, we realized we left our pillows in Colby, so our search for a Walmart to buy new pillows took us off the highway, again. We headed west on highway 86 and enjoyed the scenic route that took us south of Denver. We went through a charming little town called Elizabeth and stopped to do a little "junking." Carla was the lucky winner of that jaunt, as the only thing we found that we couldn't live without was a Christmas present for her.
The traffic headed into the valley was terrible, as advertised, so we had a stop and go couple of hours, but finally it freed up and we headed into Idaho Springs. After a MUCH NEEDED pit stop we headed up the mountain to this lovely inn. We climbed the mountain to the end of the road and then kept going. We went through gravel lots and up dirt roads to get here. This is not a place you get to by accident, but it's worth the drive. Right now, as I write this, we're waiting for breakfast to be served.
After checking into the lodge we went back down the hill, picked up pizza for Andrew's family and spent the evening with Andrew, Rebecca and the kids. I got my ass kicked in Twister a few times. It was super hard on my quads. Those kids are flexible! We also played a game called Headbands, a version of charades that was a lot of fun. The kids are all doing great! They're bright, healthy, adventurous, interesting young people. We are so looking forward to our five nights camping which starts today.
As far as food goes, I packed some food which made about about 50% of my meals so far. I'm not trying to eat 100% on program, but I am keeping all portions reasonable. I want to maintain my weight on this trip, but I'm also not going to fret about it too much.
I'm going to post this and proof read it later. It's much harder to blog from my phone so excuse typos, disjointed thoughts, etc.
Have a great day!!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Friday, July 29, 2016
Friday. 7/29/16: Twelve Week Challenge - Operation Re-Start: Final Results!!
Weight: 150.2 (So close!! Rounds down to 150, so I'm calling it good!!)
My 12 Week Challenge has been a resounding success!!
On April 16, 2016, I put up a blog post explaining why I was starting this challenge. You can go back and read that post if you want to, but here are a couple of excerpts:
Four months after surgery, I had this to say (by the way, one of my biggest fears with regards to the surgery is that I would not get back into the habit of exercise after recovery):
Start Date: 4/16/2016
Re-Start Date: 5/7/2016
Today's Date: 7/29/16 (Final weigh in is today because we are leaving town for a week)
My 12 Week Challenge has been a resounding success!!
On April 16, 2016, I put up a blog post explaining why I was starting this challenge. You can go back and read that post if you want to, but here are a couple of excerpts:
Four months after surgery, I had this to say (by the way, one of my biggest fears with regards to the surgery is that I would not get back into the habit of exercise after recovery):
Now, comes the next step - getting back in shape. Four months of inactivity (and 6 weeks of not being careful with my diet) has taken it's toll. I am in terrible shape. I kept starting and stopping and starting and stopping exercise programs. I'd start because I felt lazy and sluggish and because my arms and legs were starting to jiggle a little too much. I'd stop because the exercise was uncomfortable and I could tell my body wasn't quite ready. Finally, I got so frustrated that I started eating off program. Talk about adding insult to injury. In case you're wondering, there was a little bit of drinking going on, too.Why did I decide to start the challenge?
First, why is this important? That is an easy questions to answer, I like the way I feel when I am fit and strong and when my diet is clean. There are so many benefits I can't describe them all, but I will list a few. When I am fit and strong and my diet is clean:
- I feel energetic
- I sleep better
- I feel like a young person
- My memory improves
- My balance improves
- I am more optimistic
- I'm happier
- I find more joy in everyday life
- My clothes fit better
- I feel sexy
- I am more playful
- I flirt with my husband more
- I am stronger and can lift more and do more
- Hiking is more fun
- I'm a better kickball player (can kick the ball further, run faster, am more coordinated, making it easier to catch the ball)
- It is easier for me to keep up with my grandchildren
- I feel like I am actively working at improving my odds of being healthy into old age
- I feel more comfortable in my clothes
- I am more confident
- I feel more like me
Right now, even though I am thrilled with my surgery results, I am not fit and I am not strong. My upper arms wave in the breeze and my thighs are a jiggly mess. I feel puffy and weak. Three weeks ago I couldn't jog 1/4 mile or do 3 push-ups without resting. Before surgery I was running 4 miles easily and could do 30 push-ups in a minute. It's amazing what 4 months of inactivity will do. I knew this was going to be an unfortunate consequence of the surgery. I also knew I would have to kick myself in the ass to get started again. Today is the day that I am seriously committing myself to getting my rear in gear!!
Finally, on April 16, 2016, it was all kicking in and I knew I was ready to be serious about getting back into shape. I was about three weeks into exercising and being back on my food program and I was starting to feel optimistic again. I knew I wanted to be serious about getting fit again, so to motivate myself I conceived of and started my 12 Week Challenge. There was one snag, I underestimated the significance of a touch up surgery that was scheduled for late April. The two week recovery from that surgery and then an unexpected week of people in the house derailed my plan - temporarily. But as soon as my surgeon would allow it and as soon as everyone left town, I got back on program. I pushed the end date of my challenge back a few weeks because what I really wanted to see in my photos and measurements was the results of working out for 12 weeks. I knew it would change the shape of my body, but I didn't know how much it would change it. I am thrilled with the results!! And here they are:
First the photos:
Above are the side-by-side front and back photos. Look, I got my hair to stick out in exactly the same place!! So pleased with the results. I'm so much narrower and I can see muscle tone in my shoulders, abs, and back. I love it!!
And, for the first time, I'm also putting up my side photos, side-by-side.
And I am glad I took the time to put this slide together. I can really see the difference in my arms and legs from this angle. I love the muscle definition, even while relaxed. Oh, and I have fewer chins! I'm not going to complain about that.
First the photos:
And, for the first time, I'm also putting up my side photos, side-by-side.
And now the stats:
Start Date: 4/16/2016
Re-Start Date: 5/7/2016
Today's Date: 7/29/16 (Final weigh in is today because we are leaving town for a week)
End Date: 7/30/2016
WEIGHT GOAL
Start: 163.4 lbs
Start: 163.4 lbs
End: 150.2 (Dang it, I didn't poop until after my coffee and water! That would have made the difference! I said this to my sister and she said, "Well, you are your poop!" True words, Ruth, true words.)
Change: - 13.2 lbs
Change: - 13.2 lbs
Goal: 150 lbs (So close!!)
FITNESS GOALS
Distance I Can Jog Before I Have to Slow to Walk
Start: 1.25 Miles
Start: 1.25 Miles
End: 3.0 Miles
Change: + 1.75 Miles
Goal: 3.0 Miles (Achieved goal!!)
Change: + 1.75 Miles
Goal: 3.0 Miles (Achieved goal!!)
# of Push-ups to Fail
Start: 6
Start: 6
End: 27
Change: + 21
Goal: 20 (Exceeded goal!!)
Change: + 21
Goal: 20 (Exceeded goal!!)
Start:: 0 Sec
End: 0 Sec
Change: 0 Sec
Goal: 5 Seconds (Removed this goal from challenge after I broke my finger)
Change: 0 Sec
Goal: 5 Seconds (Removed this goal from challenge after I broke my finger)
MEASUREMENT GOALS
Right Bicep
Start: 13 ½”
Start: 13 ½”
End: 13 ¼"
Change: - ¼"
Goal: 12” (Did not achieve goal. I think the goal was a unrealistic. My biceps are fine just as the are!)
Change: - ¼"
Goal: 12” (Did not achieve goal. I think the goal was a unrealistic. My biceps are fine just as the are!)
Start: 34 ½”
End: 33"
Change: - 1½"
Goal: 32 ½” (Just shy of goal, which was probably unrealistic. I'm happy with this result)
Change: - 1½"
Goal: 32 ½” (Just shy of goal, which was probably unrealistic. I'm happy with this result)
Circumference at Belly Button
Start: 34 ¼”
Start: 34 ¼”
End: 31"
Change: - 3 ¼"
Goal: 32 ¼" (Exceeded goal!!)
Goal: 32 ¼" (Exceeded goal!!)
Circumference at Top of Hip Bone
End: 36"
Change: - 3 ¼"
Goal: 36 ¼” (Exceeded goal!!)
Change: - 3 ¼"
Goal: 36 ¼” (Exceeded goal!!)
Right Thigh 9 Inches Above Knee
Start: 21 ½”
Start: 21 ½”
End: 20 ½"
Change: - 1"
Goal: 23” (This was a whacked goal! I thought my thighs would get bigger with the workouts, because of results from a previous challenge I did. Now I think the measurements from the previous challenge were incorrect and this makes more sense. I am glad my thighs are thinning out a bit.)
Change: - 1"
Goal: 23” (This was a whacked goal! I thought my thighs would get bigger with the workouts, because of results from a previous challenge I did. Now I think the measurements from the previous challenge were incorrect and this makes more sense. I am glad my thighs are thinning out a bit.)
Original Plan:
During my 12 Week Challenge I will:
During my 12 Week Challenge I will:
- Exercise 6 days a week - I have averaged about 5 days a week
- Eat On Program (including abstaining from all sugar and alcohol) - I stuck to program most of the time, with the exceptions being the 3 short trips away from home in the last 5 weeks.
- Weigh myself and record my weight, daily - Easy Peasy. I do this all the time anyway.
- Update my blog posts regularly - Yes! I've been good about this. Thanks for reading! The blog really helps!
- Measure my progress towards the goals listed above every 4 weeks. - Yes! End results posted, today!!
For the first time in my life, and I am serious about this, for the very first time in my adult life, I am not worried about my weight. I've been this weight (and lighter) as an adult, before, but I was always struggling to either lose weight or to maintain my weight. It has always been a battle. I was always coming up with schemes to trick myself into behaving in a way to keep the weight off (or to lose weight, when it went back up again). I no longer feel this way. Today, I feel like a 150 pound person. I feel like this is the weight I am supposed to be. My daily program, the way I live my life, my lifestyle, supports my body the way it is today. Something significant has changed and it is hard to put a finger on what it is, but I feel profoundly different about myself than I have ever felt before. I can point to a few specific things that have got me here:
- My food program is solid and unwavering
- Jack and I started the Whole 30 food program about 18 months ago. It is a 30 day program designed to eliminate everything that is addictive, inflammatory, hormone whacking, or gut twisting from your diet. After 30 days on the program we felt better than we had ever felt and we decided that is the way we wanted to eat for life.
- The Whole 30 program eliminates, among other things, all sugar and grains. I can't tell you how much easier it is to not overeat if you avoid all sugar and grains.
- I am happy with the way we eat and I intend to be a Whole 30 cook for life. Yes, maybe from time to time we'll go off program, but our basic, everyday, day-in-day-out food program will be Whole 30.
- My exercise program is solid and unwavering
- I've said for the last four years that I love to exercise 23 hours a day. You know what I mean, every hour other than the hour that I was actually exercising, I loved the results. But I also said, more than once (probably more than 1000 times, actually), "I hate to exercise!" Those days are gone. Now, I can honestly say, I hate not to exercise. That switch has flipped.
- I was really worried about not getting back into the exercise habit after I recovered from surgery. This has happened before. I've exercised for a while, gotten in decent shape, something derailed me, and six months later I was fat and out of shape again. I worried that the surgery would be just such a derailment. The opposite happened. I was so ready to start exercising again that I kept starting before my body was quite ready. I didn't hurt myself, but I could tell it was too soon and I needed to wait a little longer. It was driving me nuts. I wanted to exercise. I wanted to feel the way I feel when I exercise. I now have a solid exercise habit.
- A side note on this: those people that say that it takes 30 days to make a habit are flat out wrong (in my opinion). It took me 3 years to go from being a habitual couch sitter to a habitual exerciser. It took more like 30 months instead of 30 days. Finally, I'm there. I now know that things might interrupt my exercise habit, but nothing will keep me away from it forever. Yes, I credit the book, "Younger Next Year," for motivating me. I recommend it to anyone that needs a kick in the rear to get started. For my health, for my well being, for my optimistic outlook regarding old age, I exercise most days of every week.
- I'm happy
- This is a big deal. Maybe this is the biggest deal of all. One of the benefits that comes with getting older is gaining perspective and wisdom. I'm happily married (who even knew that was possible?), I have a large and loving family, I feel proud of the work I do, I am actively engaged in life, and I have optimistic plans for tomorrow. Life is good. Yes, I am content. I still beat myself up sometimes, but not very often. I really am happy. I have enjoyed getting older. There is nothing wrong with 50+. I am going to do everything I can to stay healthy and fit so that I can enjoy the second half of my life for as long as possible. That is why I started this blog over 4 years ago, to help motivate me to live a healthy life for the second half of my life. Nothing has changed. That is still my goal and it will always be my goal.
- My surgery was a success in all the ways that I thought it would be
- I can't describe how differently I perceive my body since my surgery. I used to look in the mirror and see three things: first was the loose belly skin, sagging and wrinkled; second were the breasts, large pendulums of flesh sagging towards my belly button and almost reaching it; and third were the saddle bags, pockets of stubborn fat that I couldn't get rid of, no matter how much I exercised.
- Now when I look in the mirror I see a fit person. I notice the scars, they are real, but I can gloss over them pretty easily. They are still fading, but they will always be there. I don't get discouraged when I look in the mirror, anymore. I see my narrow-ish waist and flat belly, and my cute little-ish breasts. I see the muscle tone in my shoulders and arms. I see my legs starting to shape up, and I'm happy with what I see. I can hardly remember the saddle bags anymore, probably because there are no scars. The scars from my tummy tuck and breast lift will always remind me of what used to be there, but the lipo on my outer thighs did not leave any scars. I tend to forget that I ever had those saddle bags, which is kind of funny considering how much I hated them.
- I no longer look in the mirror and hate what I see. I look in the mirror and I see the results of my exercise program and I am pleased. The muscle is no longer hiding behind the loose skin and fat. It's right there and I love it!
- I am having fun buying clothes that fit and look good on me. I look forward to continuing to explore my style, whatever that may end up being.
So there you have. Final results from my 12 Week Challenge and a solid foundation for the next 50 years. Now I have to pack my suitcase and load the Suburban. We are Colorado bound!!
Have a wonderful day!!
Thursday, July 28, 2016
7/28/2016: Quick Like a Bunny
Weight: 150.8
No new news. Worked out this morning. Did my final measurements. Final weigh in is tomorrow. Will post full results before we leave for Colorado.
Oh - and Steve is home from Samoa, I guess that's news!! Just no time to blog.
See you tomorrow!!
No new news. Worked out this morning. Did my final measurements. Final weigh in is tomorrow. Will post full results before we leave for Colorado.
Oh - and Steve is home from Samoa, I guess that's news!! Just no time to blog.
See you tomorrow!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
7/27/2016: Almost There!
Weight: 150.8
I have two days to go and I have made it to 150.something! Barely! Yes, it feels good to be so close to goal!!
Check out the chart! Almost there!!
I might not make it to the very corner of the chart before Friday morning, but I am so close. Lauren will be here tomorrow morning which is when we will do the final fit test and measurements. My final weigh in will be Friday morning before we leave on vacation. I am very pleased. This 12 Week Challenge has been a huge success. I am going to continue to be super disciplined this last two days. I'm not going to not cross that horizontal axis for lack of trying!
Speaking of vacation, look at those spikes on the graph. There were three little trips in the last 5 weeks and they have wrecked havoc on my chart. It is very difficult for me to stay on track when I am not cooking my own food. What am I going to do about this vacation that is coming up? I am committed to staying at 150 pounds for life. I do not want to get to goal just to immediately gain 4 pounds while I am on vacation.
First, we are driving and we are camping, therefore, I will be packing food and cooking a least some, if not most, of our meals. That will help a lot. Step 1: As often as I can, I will eat food that I have prepared. Step 2: I will be careful with portions. We are camping with the grand kids. There will be times that the meals we are eating will be off program. I'm not going to fret about that, but I am going to be very careful about my portions. If we have pizza one night for dinner, I'll have one piece, not three. If we go into town for ice cream I'll have a single scoop in a dish, not a double scoop in a waffle cone. I will keep my portions small.
Second, this will be an active trip. Come on, think about it: we're camping with five children from the ages of three to twelve. Who is going to have time to eat? Ha ha!! I'm sure they will keep me hopping, particularly with Jackie in a cast. Seriously, we'll be hiking and going on an adventure of some sort every day. We're going to stay so active that as long as I keep all my portions small, I should be able to maintain my weight on this trip. That will be my goal. I'm going to come home and step on the scale and see 150.something. Yes, I am!!
I've worked hard over the last four years to no longer be a fat person. I've fought this battle most of my adult life. For the first time I feel like I've actually gotten over the hill. It started with losing 78 pounds in 2012, and then keeping most of it off until last year. I gained a little back (about 25 pounds) and said, "No!" and lost it again in the spring of 2015. That is when I finally decided to have the surgery done to remove the extra skin at my belly and breasts. All of the sagging skin was so depressing. It made it hard for me to stay motivated in my battle. Last winter I had the "Mommy Makeover" surgery to fix the things I could not fix with diet and exercise: a tummy tuck, a breast lift, and, not incidentally, liposuction to remove the saddle bags on my thighs. Recovery was rough and it was long, longer and harder than I thought it would be. I did well on my diet, at first. But as the months went by and I could not work out, the pounds and the fat started to accumulate until I was at 163.8 pounds by April of 2016. That's when I decided to do the 12 Week Challenge and prove to myself and to the world what I could accomplish with 12 weeks of dietary discipline and hard work in my weight room and running shoes.
I wanted photographic evidence of the power of exercise, particularly strength training. I can't wait to add my final photos to the above chart. Now, whenever I think I don't want to exercise, all I have to do is look at these photos and say, "Really? And why don't you want to exercise today?"
I like being the size that I am right now. It feels right. I feel like I fit in my skin. I don't feel too big and I don't feel too small. I feel just right! Even more importantly, I like being strong. I like seeing and feeling the muscle definition in my arms, shoulders, legs, abdomen, and back. I like being able to lift the things I want to lift. I like being fit. I like being able to go on a 12 mile hike or a long bike ride. I like being able to do whatever I want to do and I like it when my body can take me to the places I want to go. This makes me happy. I am grateful that I am healthy and strong and that I am finally in a place in my life where I can keep it this way. All the pieces seem to be in place for me to maintain this level of fitness for the rest of my life. When I first lost this weight in 2012 I felt desperate as the weight loss part of the program was coming to an end. I had no idea how I was going to maintain my weight once the goal was not longer to lose weight each week. I don't feel that way anymore. I feel confident and sure of myself. What a great feeling!
Two more days!! I'll be posting final results very soon!!
Have a good one out there!! I hope you enjoy a lovely summer day.
I have two days to go and I have made it to 150.something! Barely! Yes, it feels good to be so close to goal!!
Check out the chart! Almost there!!
 |
| 7/27/2016: 12 Week Challenge, Operation Re-Start Chart. Two days and 8/10ths of a pound to go! |
Speaking of vacation, look at those spikes on the graph. There were three little trips in the last 5 weeks and they have wrecked havoc on my chart. It is very difficult for me to stay on track when I am not cooking my own food. What am I going to do about this vacation that is coming up? I am committed to staying at 150 pounds for life. I do not want to get to goal just to immediately gain 4 pounds while I am on vacation.
First, we are driving and we are camping, therefore, I will be packing food and cooking a least some, if not most, of our meals. That will help a lot. Step 1: As often as I can, I will eat food that I have prepared. Step 2: I will be careful with portions. We are camping with the grand kids. There will be times that the meals we are eating will be off program. I'm not going to fret about that, but I am going to be very careful about my portions. If we have pizza one night for dinner, I'll have one piece, not three. If we go into town for ice cream I'll have a single scoop in a dish, not a double scoop in a waffle cone. I will keep my portions small.
Second, this will be an active trip. Come on, think about it: we're camping with five children from the ages of three to twelve. Who is going to have time to eat? Ha ha!! I'm sure they will keep me hopping, particularly with Jackie in a cast. Seriously, we'll be hiking and going on an adventure of some sort every day. We're going to stay so active that as long as I keep all my portions small, I should be able to maintain my weight on this trip. That will be my goal. I'm going to come home and step on the scale and see 150.something. Yes, I am!!
I've worked hard over the last four years to no longer be a fat person. I've fought this battle most of my adult life. For the first time I feel like I've actually gotten over the hill. It started with losing 78 pounds in 2012, and then keeping most of it off until last year. I gained a little back (about 25 pounds) and said, "No!" and lost it again in the spring of 2015. That is when I finally decided to have the surgery done to remove the extra skin at my belly and breasts. All of the sagging skin was so depressing. It made it hard for me to stay motivated in my battle. Last winter I had the "Mommy Makeover" surgery to fix the things I could not fix with diet and exercise: a tummy tuck, a breast lift, and, not incidentally, liposuction to remove the saddle bags on my thighs. Recovery was rough and it was long, longer and harder than I thought it would be. I did well on my diet, at first. But as the months went by and I could not work out, the pounds and the fat started to accumulate until I was at 163.8 pounds by April of 2016. That's when I decided to do the 12 Week Challenge and prove to myself and to the world what I could accomplish with 12 weeks of dietary discipline and hard work in my weight room and running shoes.
I wanted photographic evidence of the power of exercise, particularly strength training. I can't wait to add my final photos to the above chart. Now, whenever I think I don't want to exercise, all I have to do is look at these photos and say, "Really? And why don't you want to exercise today?"
I like being the size that I am right now. It feels right. I feel like I fit in my skin. I don't feel too big and I don't feel too small. I feel just right! Even more importantly, I like being strong. I like seeing and feeling the muscle definition in my arms, shoulders, legs, abdomen, and back. I like being able to lift the things I want to lift. I like being fit. I like being able to go on a 12 mile hike or a long bike ride. I like being able to do whatever I want to do and I like it when my body can take me to the places I want to go. This makes me happy. I am grateful that I am healthy and strong and that I am finally in a place in my life where I can keep it this way. All the pieces seem to be in place for me to maintain this level of fitness for the rest of my life. When I first lost this weight in 2012 I felt desperate as the weight loss part of the program was coming to an end. I had no idea how I was going to maintain my weight once the goal was not longer to lose weight each week. I don't feel that way anymore. I feel confident and sure of myself. What a great feeling!
Two more days!! I'll be posting final results very soon!!
Have a good one out there!! I hope you enjoy a lovely summer day.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
7/26/16: Solid Workout
Weight: 151.4
It's been a busy morning and I don't have time to chat so I will keep this very brief.
I had a solid workout this morning and I am pleased that my weight held steady at 151.4. Only good news, today!!
Have a great one today!!
It's been a busy morning and I don't have time to chat so I will keep this very brief.
I had a solid workout this morning and I am pleased that my weight held steady at 151.4. Only good news, today!!
Have a great one today!!
Monday, July 25, 2016
7/25/2016: Blogging First, Then a Run
Weight: 151.4
I thought I was going to have to rearrange my workouts this week because of a storm that is passing through, but I just checked the weather map and everything is moving south of us pretty rapidly. So I decided to blog first and then run, to give the storm a little more time to get out of town. I didn't particularly want to rearrange my schedule as I am always more tempted to skip a run over skipping strength training, and I am mentally prepared for a run, today.
OK - I weighed 151.4 today! This feels like a breakthrough. That is my lightest weight since I hit 150.0 in January of 2013. I got down to 151.6 after my surgery and before I started gaining weight again (that long slog of recovery finally got to me), but 151.4 is a new low for 2016! Yeah!! I am getting so close to goal. I might not cross that horizontal axis on my chart by Friday, but I am getting pretty damn close to it!
We had fun playing kickball yesterday. It was our last big day of the summer season, playoffs! We won the first game and lost the second one (single elimination) but we played well and had a lot of fun. Jack wants me to sign up for fall even if he can't play, because he loves the sport so much and wants to maintain our presence on the team. That works for me. He'll be back on the field in the spring.
Four more days of extreme discipline. I can do this. In case you haven't been paying attention, my final weigh in for my 12 Week Challenge - Operation Re-Start is on Friday of this week. My weight goal is 150 lbs. I've already met all of my strength goals except the bent arm hang, which I had to give myself a pass on because of my broken finger. We'll take measurements again on Friday morning for the final recorded results of the challenge.
Vacation prep is coming together. It looks like all the air mattresses hold air, so that's a good thing! We will probably bring the sleeping pads that we have just in case of mattress failure. I don't want anyone to have to sleep on the ground.
Steve gets home Wednesday afternoon at 1:45. I guess I am going to miss a little more work in order to pick him up at the airport. This is getting a little ridiculous. I hope I don't get fired (I don't think I will, but I am getting kind of self conscious about it).
OK, I better run. Ha - I didn't intend it to be, but literally, I better run!
See you tomorrow!
I thought I was going to have to rearrange my workouts this week because of a storm that is passing through, but I just checked the weather map and everything is moving south of us pretty rapidly. So I decided to blog first and then run, to give the storm a little more time to get out of town. I didn't particularly want to rearrange my schedule as I am always more tempted to skip a run over skipping strength training, and I am mentally prepared for a run, today.
OK - I weighed 151.4 today! This feels like a breakthrough. That is my lightest weight since I hit 150.0 in January of 2013. I got down to 151.6 after my surgery and before I started gaining weight again (that long slog of recovery finally got to me), but 151.4 is a new low for 2016! Yeah!! I am getting so close to goal. I might not cross that horizontal axis on my chart by Friday, but I am getting pretty damn close to it!
We had fun playing kickball yesterday. It was our last big day of the summer season, playoffs! We won the first game and lost the second one (single elimination) but we played well and had a lot of fun. Jack wants me to sign up for fall even if he can't play, because he loves the sport so much and wants to maintain our presence on the team. That works for me. He'll be back on the field in the spring.
Four more days of extreme discipline. I can do this. In case you haven't been paying attention, my final weigh in for my 12 Week Challenge - Operation Re-Start is on Friday of this week. My weight goal is 150 lbs. I've already met all of my strength goals except the bent arm hang, which I had to give myself a pass on because of my broken finger. We'll take measurements again on Friday morning for the final recorded results of the challenge.
Vacation prep is coming together. It looks like all the air mattresses hold air, so that's a good thing! We will probably bring the sleeping pads that we have just in case of mattress failure. I don't want anyone to have to sleep on the ground.
Steve gets home Wednesday afternoon at 1:45. I guess I am going to miss a little more work in order to pick him up at the airport. This is getting a little ridiculous. I hope I don't get fired (I don't think I will, but I am getting kind of self conscious about it).
OK, I better run. Ha - I didn't intend it to be, but literally, I better run!
See you tomorrow!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
7/24/16: Preparing for Camping with our Grandchildren
Weight: 152.0
Yes, I am getting ready to leave town, again! But this time it is with my husband (the last two were solo trips) and we are going camping. With five of our grandchildren. Ages 3 to 12. Yes, it will be an adventure.
Now, when I say camping, I mean car camping. We have reserved two campsites at Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado. If you are familiar with State Parks vs. National Parks, when it comes to camping, you already know that State Parks tend to be more improved. We'll have access to showers and toilets and water. We'll be in a campground with many other campers, probably including a lot of children. This is relatively easy camping.
We are camping in tents and I will do all of our cooking on either a portable stove or the campfire. The last time we did this one of the kids' favorite meals was chocolate chip pancakes. I doubt much has changed since then! On our last camping trip one of our girls was quite impressed that I would cook her eggs any way she wanted them. We'll see if that impresses, again.
This weekend is our big prep weekend. We had quite the shopping trip yesterday, buying the things that have worn out or the things we wish we had last time we went camping. I got a new stove, a couple of new cast iron skillets (I am in the process of testing out cast iron for most of my cooking and I think I am liking it), and various sundries such as fire starter (totaling cheating, but I don't care, I have an injured husband), hot dog cookers for the kids (one night has to be a hot dog and smores night, healthy food only gets you so far in life), and plenty of batteries. Today we need to blow up the air mattresses and find out which ones still hold air. We have a little more shopping to do today, after kickball, then we'll be on to the next step of prepping.
For some people, their favorite vacation is going to a resort where they can relax and have their every need taken care of by someone else. I get that, kind-of-sort-of. For me, my favorite vacation is camping. Most of my camping has been car camping. Someday I'd like to do more backpacking, but for now, car camping is just fine. I love being outdoors all day and all night. I don't like hotels and resorts very much at all. When I'm in a hotel or a resort I don't feel like I am experiencing the place I am in. When I am camping I am right in the middle of it, enjoying what Mother Nature has created for us. That is what I love the best.
It is a blast, a treat, and an honor to be able to share this with our grandchildren. Yes, it's a lot of work. I'm not going to lie to you, by the end of the week I will be exhausted. But I'll be tired in a very good, satisfied, delighted sort of way. We live too far from all of our grandchildren so we visit them when we can. Their parents are awesome and visit us here in Kansas City when they can, too. As much as we love the visits, and we do love the visits, nothing compares to the occasions when Jack and I get to spend time alone with the kids. That seems to be when the real bonding happens. The kids relate to us differently and we relate to them differently. When it is just me, Jack and our grandchildren, we get to know each other so much better than we do during the brief visits. We get to truly experience whatever phase they happen to be in at the moment. We get to know their little idiosyncrasies. They get to know ours. There is something about waking up together, going to bed together, playing together, working together, having fun together and getting cranky together that strengthens the bond between us and our grandchildren. If we didn't have to work for a living, we would do this a lot more often. As it is, we squeeze these special moments in when we can.
It will be a busy five days getting ready for our big trip. I am excited to get on the road. But, I also have five days left in my challenge. Let's not forget about that!!
Have a great day! It will be a busy one for me.
Yes, I am getting ready to leave town, again! But this time it is with my husband (the last two were solo trips) and we are going camping. With five of our grandchildren. Ages 3 to 12. Yes, it will be an adventure.
Now, when I say camping, I mean car camping. We have reserved two campsites at Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado. If you are familiar with State Parks vs. National Parks, when it comes to camping, you already know that State Parks tend to be more improved. We'll have access to showers and toilets and water. We'll be in a campground with many other campers, probably including a lot of children. This is relatively easy camping.
We are camping in tents and I will do all of our cooking on either a portable stove or the campfire. The last time we did this one of the kids' favorite meals was chocolate chip pancakes. I doubt much has changed since then! On our last camping trip one of our girls was quite impressed that I would cook her eggs any way she wanted them. We'll see if that impresses, again.
This weekend is our big prep weekend. We had quite the shopping trip yesterday, buying the things that have worn out or the things we wish we had last time we went camping. I got a new stove, a couple of new cast iron skillets (I am in the process of testing out cast iron for most of my cooking and I think I am liking it), and various sundries such as fire starter (totaling cheating, but I don't care, I have an injured husband), hot dog cookers for the kids (one night has to be a hot dog and smores night, healthy food only gets you so far in life), and plenty of batteries. Today we need to blow up the air mattresses and find out which ones still hold air. We have a little more shopping to do today, after kickball, then we'll be on to the next step of prepping.
For some people, their favorite vacation is going to a resort where they can relax and have their every need taken care of by someone else. I get that, kind-of-sort-of. For me, my favorite vacation is camping. Most of my camping has been car camping. Someday I'd like to do more backpacking, but for now, car camping is just fine. I love being outdoors all day and all night. I don't like hotels and resorts very much at all. When I'm in a hotel or a resort I don't feel like I am experiencing the place I am in. When I am camping I am right in the middle of it, enjoying what Mother Nature has created for us. That is what I love the best.
It is a blast, a treat, and an honor to be able to share this with our grandchildren. Yes, it's a lot of work. I'm not going to lie to you, by the end of the week I will be exhausted. But I'll be tired in a very good, satisfied, delighted sort of way. We live too far from all of our grandchildren so we visit them when we can. Their parents are awesome and visit us here in Kansas City when they can, too. As much as we love the visits, and we do love the visits, nothing compares to the occasions when Jack and I get to spend time alone with the kids. That seems to be when the real bonding happens. The kids relate to us differently and we relate to them differently. When it is just me, Jack and our grandchildren, we get to know each other so much better than we do during the brief visits. We get to truly experience whatever phase they happen to be in at the moment. We get to know their little idiosyncrasies. They get to know ours. There is something about waking up together, going to bed together, playing together, working together, having fun together and getting cranky together that strengthens the bond between us and our grandchildren. If we didn't have to work for a living, we would do this a lot more often. As it is, we squeeze these special moments in when we can.
It will be a busy five days getting ready for our big trip. I am excited to get on the road. But, I also have five days left in my challenge. Let's not forget about that!!
Have a great day! It will be a busy one for me.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
7/23/16: Week 11 Photos!
Weight: Still 152.0 - This is my third post today!
Jackie Deane was able to take photos one handed, so finally I have Progress Photos to post.
Here are my 11 Week Progress Photos:
Wow. Eleven and a half pounds and 11 weeks of strength training make a huge difference. My torso looks so much narrower. Even I am surprised by that.
I am thrilled with the results so far. One week to go!
Jackie Deane was able to take photos one handed, so finally I have Progress Photos to post.
Here are my 11 Week Progress Photos:
Wow. Eleven and a half pounds and 11 weeks of strength training make a huge difference. My torso looks so much narrower. Even I am surprised by that.
I am thrilled with the results so far. One week to go!
Saturday, July 23, 2016: Operations Re-Start: The Final Week
Weight: 152.0
Well this is it. I have one week left of The 12 Week Challenge; Operation Re-Start. I am going to make the most of it!
I am a little heavier this morning than I was yesterday morning for some inexplicable reason. Of course, I don't usually fret over minor fluctuations in the scale, they happen, but with one week to go it is a little harder not to fret. Perhaps I didn't drink enough water. Perhaps I had too much salt. Perhaps I ate a little too much. Perhaps I did everything perfectly and it is just my body's natural rhythm of things. It doesn't really matter. I'll stop fretting. In fact, I just stopped fretting. It is what it is. All I can do is control what I do moving forward. I will weigh 150.0 on Friday, July 29th, or I won't. Either way, this challenge has been a huge success.
I know I have not been posting pictures recently. This is because I have been traveling without my photographer on the weekends and have not had the opportunity to take pictures on Saturdays. I have no idea if Jack will be able to take a picture for me today, since his arm is in a splint. We'll give it a try. I'd like to get progress photos posted. No matter what, we will get pictures taken and posted before we leave on vacation on Friday, July 29.
This challenge has been a huge success because, even with 1 week left to go, I have achieved the ultimate goal that I set out to achieve, I feel good in my own skin. No, let me rephrase that, I feel great in my own skin. This is the first time in my adult life that I can remember being truly comfortable with my body. The surgery helped. I am thrilled to have the excess skin from my tummy and breasts removed. I am so much more comfortable. My bra size isn't that much smaller, I just went down a cup size (from a 34 or 36DD to a 34D), but instead of shoving my breasts into the cups and doing my best to cover bulges, my bra fits nicely over my breasts and is just there. My bra used to be a combination of bungee cords, sling and hammock, holding everything up and compressing a bunch of loose flesh to my chest so that I didn't hang all over the place. By the end of the day I couldn't wait to get it off. Now, I am just as comfortable in my bra as out of it. In fact, I find that I like sleeping in a bra. The breast lift has made a huge difference in how I feel about myself. The tummy tuck is a big deal, too. Pants and shirts fit differently. I am not a smaller size. The clothes that fit at 150 pounds before my surgery fit now, but they fit differently. The waist bands of pants are just there. They don't dig into my flesh. I can wear tops that fit, because I'm not hiding rolls of skin, both above and below my belly button. Yes, I am quite pleased with the results of the surgery.
During the first 11 weeks of the challenge I lost the little bit of weight that I gained after surgery, but more importantly, I am solidly back into my exercise habit. My body feels strong, toned and young. I am happy with the way I feel and the way I look. I can do the things that I want to do. I can wear the clothes that I want to wear. I can manage my weight with a reasonable diet and exercise program. I have a formula that is healthy and that I can maintain for life. I am comfortable with the idea of being on program most (probably about 95%) of the time, but allowing myself to be off program now and then. I am happy that our program keeps Jack and I both healthy and happy. It works for us. We are going to keep eating good, healthy food and we are going to stay active. We'll try to avoid serious injuries in the future, but things happen. All in all, no matter what the scale says a week from now, this challenge has been a success and I am pleased with the results.
Jack had a decent day, yesterday. His pain is manageable with medication. He did better once the nerve block wore off and he had control of his arm. He's able to manage much better on his own. I think today will be better yet. He is working from home next week because I don't think he'll be able to drive a stick shift with his arm in a splint. Also, he'll still be on his pain meds and he shouldn't be driving when medicated. I think by the time we leave on vacation, he'll be doing fine. I hope so!
I have a lot to do today, so I'll sign off. Have a good day, everyone!!
Well this is it. I have one week left of The 12 Week Challenge; Operation Re-Start. I am going to make the most of it!
I am a little heavier this morning than I was yesterday morning for some inexplicable reason. Of course, I don't usually fret over minor fluctuations in the scale, they happen, but with one week to go it is a little harder not to fret. Perhaps I didn't drink enough water. Perhaps I had too much salt. Perhaps I ate a little too much. Perhaps I did everything perfectly and it is just my body's natural rhythm of things. It doesn't really matter. I'll stop fretting. In fact, I just stopped fretting. It is what it is. All I can do is control what I do moving forward. I will weigh 150.0 on Friday, July 29th, or I won't. Either way, this challenge has been a huge success.
I know I have not been posting pictures recently. This is because I have been traveling without my photographer on the weekends and have not had the opportunity to take pictures on Saturdays. I have no idea if Jack will be able to take a picture for me today, since his arm is in a splint. We'll give it a try. I'd like to get progress photos posted. No matter what, we will get pictures taken and posted before we leave on vacation on Friday, July 29.
This challenge has been a huge success because, even with 1 week left to go, I have achieved the ultimate goal that I set out to achieve, I feel good in my own skin. No, let me rephrase that, I feel great in my own skin. This is the first time in my adult life that I can remember being truly comfortable with my body. The surgery helped. I am thrilled to have the excess skin from my tummy and breasts removed. I am so much more comfortable. My bra size isn't that much smaller, I just went down a cup size (from a 34 or 36DD to a 34D), but instead of shoving my breasts into the cups and doing my best to cover bulges, my bra fits nicely over my breasts and is just there. My bra used to be a combination of bungee cords, sling and hammock, holding everything up and compressing a bunch of loose flesh to my chest so that I didn't hang all over the place. By the end of the day I couldn't wait to get it off. Now, I am just as comfortable in my bra as out of it. In fact, I find that I like sleeping in a bra. The breast lift has made a huge difference in how I feel about myself. The tummy tuck is a big deal, too. Pants and shirts fit differently. I am not a smaller size. The clothes that fit at 150 pounds before my surgery fit now, but they fit differently. The waist bands of pants are just there. They don't dig into my flesh. I can wear tops that fit, because I'm not hiding rolls of skin, both above and below my belly button. Yes, I am quite pleased with the results of the surgery.
During the first 11 weeks of the challenge I lost the little bit of weight that I gained after surgery, but more importantly, I am solidly back into my exercise habit. My body feels strong, toned and young. I am happy with the way I feel and the way I look. I can do the things that I want to do. I can wear the clothes that I want to wear. I can manage my weight with a reasonable diet and exercise program. I have a formula that is healthy and that I can maintain for life. I am comfortable with the idea of being on program most (probably about 95%) of the time, but allowing myself to be off program now and then. I am happy that our program keeps Jack and I both healthy and happy. It works for us. We are going to keep eating good, healthy food and we are going to stay active. We'll try to avoid serious injuries in the future, but things happen. All in all, no matter what the scale says a week from now, this challenge has been a success and I am pleased with the results.
Jack had a decent day, yesterday. His pain is manageable with medication. He did better once the nerve block wore off and he had control of his arm. He's able to manage much better on his own. I think today will be better yet. He is working from home next week because I don't think he'll be able to drive a stick shift with his arm in a splint. Also, he'll still be on his pain meds and he shouldn't be driving when medicated. I think by the time we leave on vacation, he'll be doing fine. I hope so!
I have a lot to do today, so I'll sign off. Have a good day, everyone!!
Friday, July 22, 2016
Friday, July 22, 2016: Progress Update and other stuff
Weight: 151.8
Yesterday was an interesting and stressful day, as I took Jack to the hospital for his surgery (see prior post). I ate my normal meals and did not go off plan at all, which is a minor miracle in and of itself! We got to the hospital a little early and knew we would have to wait a bit, but then the surgeon was held up in another surgery and we had to wait an additional hour. All in all, we were at the hospital for about 6 hours. I packed my dinner and ate it a little earlier than normal, at about 3:30 in the afternoon. There were snack machines with candy bars in them that looked tempting, but I didn't buy any candy in spite of being alone, stressed, worried, and a little bored. After we left the hospital we stopped at CVS to pick up Jack's prescriptions. The candy aisle tempted me enough to walk down it, but I did not buy anything there, either; other than a new pair of sunglasses (well, they were not in the candy aisle). After we got home Jack took a little nap and then I fixed him a bit of dinner at about 8:00. Again, I was tempted to eat, but I didn't. All in all, I feel pretty proud of myself for staying on program throughout a stressful day. I was rewarded when I got on the scale this morning and I was finally, after 4 weeks of nonsense, into the 151's!
As far as we can tell, Jack should be completely fine after about 3 months. I'm a little worried about him, but that's normal for me. I'm sure I will fuss over him through the weekend and by Monday we should be into a new routine. I'm kind of glad I ended up having to take today off (per the surgeon's instructions) so that we would have the extra day to get ready for our camping trip. With Jack having only one arm, it is going to be a bit more of a slog to get ready. His right arm is completely out of commission for anything other than things that require only the movement of his fingers, like typing. He can't carry or pull on anything with that arm. It will slow him down a bit. I am hoping that by Friday, July 29th, he gets completely comfortable in his sling and that the injury at that point is just an inconvenience. I don't want him to be uncomfortable on our trip. When I broke both of the bones in my arm I remember being in severe pain for a couple of days, but by the time a week was up, there wasn't any more pain. Just an arm in a cast. That is what I am hoping for with Jack. Not the severe pain for two days part, but the just an arm in a cast part. Prayers to Jackie Deane for a swift and complete recovery!!
I am excited about getting close to my goal of 150.0 pounds. So far, so good, with regard to staying incredibly disciplined for this last 10 days. It's hard to express how much it means to me to reach my goal by the end of my 12 Week Challenge. It is also hard for me to express how silly I know it is to care about 1.8 pounds. I am a goal oriented person. I like the idea of weighing 150 pounds. I know it is a weight I can maintain forever (with normal fluctuations of a pound or three). I like the idea of always staying at or close to 150.0 instead of 152. I can't say why exactly, I just like it.
The fact of the matter is, at about 152 pounds, I feel awesome. My tummy is nice and flat, all of my clothes fit well, my face and neck are not puffy, and I feel healthy. I am sure I will feel exactly the same at 150 pounds, but I will have the added satisfaction of knowing I reached goal. I don't need nor do I want to weigh any less than 150 pounds. I am completely satisfied with the way I look and feel. I am not skinny, but I am not overweight. I'm just sort of average size and that works fine for me! For me, being average size is skinny!
The funny thing is at about 155 - 156 pounds I start to feel not so good. My tummy gets kind of round, my shorts get tight around the waist, and my neck and face feel puffier. That few pounds makes a huge difference. It's probably because when I gain a little weight it's due to eating off program foods and I gain "water weight," which, in my opinion, is a nice euphemism for systemic inflammation. Staying on program is key to feeling terrific.
I am incredibly pleased with the changes to my body that are occurring as a result of the weight training. My arms are getting so toned! I love having firm, well defined arm muscles. I also have nice definition in my shoulders and my back is getting stronger looking, too. My legs are starting to shape up again. All in all, my 12 Week Challenge is bringing about the results I was hoping for! In one more week, I'll chalk up the complete results!
Ruth and I decided to start a new 12 Week Challenge on October 1st. We are opposites of one another when it comes to exercise. She loves the cardio and is not fond of weight lifting, therefore she focuses heavily on cardio exercise, particularly throughout the summer months when she enjoys being outdoors. I tend to focus on the weight lifting, which I vastly prefer to cardio. The end result is that she is in much better shape than I am in when it comes to running, cycling and swimming, but I am stronger than her when it comes to muscle strength. Ruth finds winters difficult, because she enjoys the outdoor cardio training so much, so, starting October 1st, we're going to start a 12 Week Challenge. Our goals for the Challenge will all be strength related, there will be no weight related goals. I'll already be at 150.0 pounds and Ruth doesn't need or want to lose weight. The Challenge will help motivate Ruth to lift weights, but what will motivate me to run? The half-marathon that we've scheduled for fall of 2017, of course! I ordered my new book yesterday, it should be here early next week, and I will start training in earnest. Yes, we are going to have so much fun!!
On another note, I found out this morning that Steve will be coming home from Samoa on Monday. He has made the decision to end his tour with the Peace Corps early, primarily due to the fact that he found the physical abuse of small children that is prevalent in Samoa (particularly in the schools - which is where he was assigned as a teacher) incredibly unsettling. At first, the abuse in his school stopped due to his complaints, but it started back up again a couple of months ago and he found himself getting more and more upset about it until the chronic exposure to the violence became more than he can bear. I am sad that he had such a negative experience in Samoa, but I am glad that he had this opportunity. He learned a lot about another part of the world and about himself. That's a huge win! Also, it will be good to have him home.
That's most of the big news, I guess. I need to run to Target to get Jack some button up sort sleeve shirts. He needs something easier to get on and off while he has his arm in the splint.
Until tomorrow!
Yesterday was an interesting and stressful day, as I took Jack to the hospital for his surgery (see prior post). I ate my normal meals and did not go off plan at all, which is a minor miracle in and of itself! We got to the hospital a little early and knew we would have to wait a bit, but then the surgeon was held up in another surgery and we had to wait an additional hour. All in all, we were at the hospital for about 6 hours. I packed my dinner and ate it a little earlier than normal, at about 3:30 in the afternoon. There were snack machines with candy bars in them that looked tempting, but I didn't buy any candy in spite of being alone, stressed, worried, and a little bored. After we left the hospital we stopped at CVS to pick up Jack's prescriptions. The candy aisle tempted me enough to walk down it, but I did not buy anything there, either; other than a new pair of sunglasses (well, they were not in the candy aisle). After we got home Jack took a little nap and then I fixed him a bit of dinner at about 8:00. Again, I was tempted to eat, but I didn't. All in all, I feel pretty proud of myself for staying on program throughout a stressful day. I was rewarded when I got on the scale this morning and I was finally, after 4 weeks of nonsense, into the 151's!
As far as we can tell, Jack should be completely fine after about 3 months. I'm a little worried about him, but that's normal for me. I'm sure I will fuss over him through the weekend and by Monday we should be into a new routine. I'm kind of glad I ended up having to take today off (per the surgeon's instructions) so that we would have the extra day to get ready for our camping trip. With Jack having only one arm, it is going to be a bit more of a slog to get ready. His right arm is completely out of commission for anything other than things that require only the movement of his fingers, like typing. He can't carry or pull on anything with that arm. It will slow him down a bit. I am hoping that by Friday, July 29th, he gets completely comfortable in his sling and that the injury at that point is just an inconvenience. I don't want him to be uncomfortable on our trip. When I broke both of the bones in my arm I remember being in severe pain for a couple of days, but by the time a week was up, there wasn't any more pain. Just an arm in a cast. That is what I am hoping for with Jack. Not the severe pain for two days part, but the just an arm in a cast part. Prayers to Jackie Deane for a swift and complete recovery!!
I am excited about getting close to my goal of 150.0 pounds. So far, so good, with regard to staying incredibly disciplined for this last 10 days. It's hard to express how much it means to me to reach my goal by the end of my 12 Week Challenge. It is also hard for me to express how silly I know it is to care about 1.8 pounds. I am a goal oriented person. I like the idea of weighing 150 pounds. I know it is a weight I can maintain forever (with normal fluctuations of a pound or three). I like the idea of always staying at or close to 150.0 instead of 152. I can't say why exactly, I just like it.
The fact of the matter is, at about 152 pounds, I feel awesome. My tummy is nice and flat, all of my clothes fit well, my face and neck are not puffy, and I feel healthy. I am sure I will feel exactly the same at 150 pounds, but I will have the added satisfaction of knowing I reached goal. I don't need nor do I want to weigh any less than 150 pounds. I am completely satisfied with the way I look and feel. I am not skinny, but I am not overweight. I'm just sort of average size and that works fine for me! For me, being average size is skinny!
The funny thing is at about 155 - 156 pounds I start to feel not so good. My tummy gets kind of round, my shorts get tight around the waist, and my neck and face feel puffier. That few pounds makes a huge difference. It's probably because when I gain a little weight it's due to eating off program foods and I gain "water weight," which, in my opinion, is a nice euphemism for systemic inflammation. Staying on program is key to feeling terrific.
I am incredibly pleased with the changes to my body that are occurring as a result of the weight training. My arms are getting so toned! I love having firm, well defined arm muscles. I also have nice definition in my shoulders and my back is getting stronger looking, too. My legs are starting to shape up again. All in all, my 12 Week Challenge is bringing about the results I was hoping for! In one more week, I'll chalk up the complete results!
Ruth and I decided to start a new 12 Week Challenge on October 1st. We are opposites of one another when it comes to exercise. She loves the cardio and is not fond of weight lifting, therefore she focuses heavily on cardio exercise, particularly throughout the summer months when she enjoys being outdoors. I tend to focus on the weight lifting, which I vastly prefer to cardio. The end result is that she is in much better shape than I am in when it comes to running, cycling and swimming, but I am stronger than her when it comes to muscle strength. Ruth finds winters difficult, because she enjoys the outdoor cardio training so much, so, starting October 1st, we're going to start a 12 Week Challenge. Our goals for the Challenge will all be strength related, there will be no weight related goals. I'll already be at 150.0 pounds and Ruth doesn't need or want to lose weight. The Challenge will help motivate Ruth to lift weights, but what will motivate me to run? The half-marathon that we've scheduled for fall of 2017, of course! I ordered my new book yesterday, it should be here early next week, and I will start training in earnest. Yes, we are going to have so much fun!!
On another note, I found out this morning that Steve will be coming home from Samoa on Monday. He has made the decision to end his tour with the Peace Corps early, primarily due to the fact that he found the physical abuse of small children that is prevalent in Samoa (particularly in the schools - which is where he was assigned as a teacher) incredibly unsettling. At first, the abuse in his school stopped due to his complaints, but it started back up again a couple of months ago and he found himself getting more and more upset about it until the chronic exposure to the violence became more than he can bear. I am sad that he had such a negative experience in Samoa, but I am glad that he had this opportunity. He learned a lot about another part of the world and about himself. That's a huge win! Also, it will be good to have him home.
That's most of the big news, I guess. I need to run to Target to get Jack some button up sort sleeve shirts. He needs something easier to get on and off while he has his arm in the splint.
Until tomorrow!
Friday, July 22, 2016: Jack's Surgery
Weight: 151.8
Unless something unexpected happens, I will have time to put up a longer post this morning. I am unexpectedly home on a Friday morning because Jack had surgery on his arm last night to fix a ruptured tendon in his right bicep. I guess I'll talk about that, first.
Did I mention, previously, that Jack ruptured a tendon in his right bicep? I don't recall. When I was out of town last weekend Jack hit the ground in exactly the wrong position when he was trying to catch a line drive during a kickball game. He was playing short stop, which is a position he does not normally play. When his arm hit the ground in one direction with him reaching in the opposite direction, it caused the tendon to tear off his bone just below the elbow. Yesterday's surgery reattached the tendon to the bone. In case you're wondering, that surgery was kind of a big deal. Here is some information that I found on the website http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/:
The way Jack's surgeon described the surgery is this:
Jack's arm is in a splint and is heavily wrapped in bandages; effectively, it's a cast. It is also in a sling. It will stay like that for two weeks, until he sees the surgeon again. After two weeks the splint will be removed and he'll be able to bend his elbow, again. No lifting, no pulling, no exertion, just bending. At six weeks he will start physical therapy. At three months he can start lifting light weights. At six months he can start lifting heavier weights and should be fully recovered.
My oh my. As Jack would say, "It's quite the deal!"
I'm going to end this post here, since this is kind of long. I'll start another post about other things.
Unless something unexpected happens, I will have time to put up a longer post this morning. I am unexpectedly home on a Friday morning because Jack had surgery on his arm last night to fix a ruptured tendon in his right bicep. I guess I'll talk about that, first.
Did I mention, previously, that Jack ruptured a tendon in his right bicep? I don't recall. When I was out of town last weekend Jack hit the ground in exactly the wrong position when he was trying to catch a line drive during a kickball game. He was playing short stop, which is a position he does not normally play. When his arm hit the ground in one direction with him reaching in the opposite direction, it caused the tendon to tear off his bone just below the elbow. Yesterday's surgery reattached the tendon to the bone. In case you're wondering, that surgery was kind of a big deal. Here is some information that I found on the website http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/:
"The biceps muscle is located in the front of your upper arm. It is attached to the bones of the shoulder and elbow by tendons — strong cords of fibrous tissue that attach muscles to bones.
"Tears of the biceps tendon at the elbow are uncommon. They are most often caused by a sudden injury and tend to result in greater arm weakness than injuries to the biceps tendon at the shoulder.
"Once torn, the biceps tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal. Other arm muscles make it possible to bend the elbow fairly well without the biceps tendon. However, they cannot fulfill all the functions of the elbow, especially the motion of rotating the forearm from palm down to palm up. This motion is called supination.
"To return arm strength to near normal levels, surgery to repair the torn tendon is usually recommended. However, nonsurgical treatment is a reasonable option for patients who may not require full arm function.
"The biceps muscle has two tendons that attach the muscle to the shoulder and one tendon that attaches at the elbow. The tendon at the elbow is called the distal biceps tendon. It attaches to a part of the radius bone called the radial tuberosity, a small bump on the bone near your elbow joint.
 |
| The biceps muscle helps you bend and rotate your arm. It attaches at the elbow to a small bump on the radius bone called the radial tuberosity. |
"Biceps tendon tears can be either partial or complete.
"Partial tears. These tears damage the soft tissue but do not completely sever the tendon.
"Complete tears. A complete tear will detach the tendon completely from its attachment point at the bone.
"In most cases, tears of the distal biceps tendon are complete. This means that the entire muscle is detached from the bone and pulled toward the shoulder." Jack had a complete tear.
 |
| A complete tear of the distal biceps tendon. The tendon has pulled away from where it attached at the radial tuberosity. |
"Other arm muscles can substitute for the injured tendon, usually resulting in full motion and reasonable function. Left without surgical repair, however, the injured arm will have a 30% to 40% decrease in strength, mainly in twisting the forearm (supination).
"Rupture of the biceps tendon at the elbow is uncommon. It occurs in only three to five people per 100,000 each year, and rarely in women." Lucky Jack! He is so special.
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| Not Jack, but this is exactly what his arm looked like before surgery - hair and all. Ha ha. |
"Surgery to reattach the tendon to the bone is necessary to regain full arm strength and function.
"Nonsurgical treatment may be considered if you are older and less active, or if the injury occurred in your nondominant arm and you can tolerate not having full arm function. Nonsurgical treatment may also be an option for people who have medical problems that put them at higher risk for complications during surgery.
"Surgery to repair the tendon should be performed during the first 2 to 3 weeks after injury. After this time, the tendon and biceps muscle begin to scar and shorten, and restoring arm function with surgery may not be possible. While other options are available for patients requesting late surgical treatment for this injury, they are more complicated and generally less successful.
"Procedure. There are several different procedures to reattach the distal biceps tendon to the forearm bone. Some doctors prefer to use one incision at the front of the elbow, while others use small incisions at both the front and back of the elbow.
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| One method for reattaching the tendon is through a single incision at the inside of the elbow. This is the treatment Jack received. |
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| (Left) A suture and suture anchor. (Right) This x-ray taken from the side shows where the suture anchors are placed in the radius bone. |
"A common surgical option is to attach the tendon with stitches through holes drilled in the radius bone. Another method is to attach the tendon to the bone using small metal implants (called suture anchors).
"Complications. Surgical complications are generally rare and temporary.
- Numbness and/or weakness in the forearm can occur and usually goes away.
- New bone may develop around the site where the tendon is attached to the forearm bone. While this usually causes little limitation of movement, sometimes it can reduce the ability to twist the forearm. This may require additional surgery.
- Although uncommon, the tendon may re-rupture after full healing of the repair
"Rehabilitation. Right after surgery, your arm may be immobilized in a cast or splint.
- Your doctor will soon begin having you move your arm, often with the protection of a brace. He or she may prescribe physical therapy to help you regain range of motion and strength.
- Resistance exercises, such as lightly contracting the biceps or using elastic bands, may be gradually added to your rehabilitation plan.
- Be sure to follow your doctor's treatment plan. Since the biceps tendon takes over 3 months to fully heal, it is important to protect the repair by restricting your activities.
- Light work activities can begin soon after surgery. But heavy lifting and vigorous activity should be avoided for several months.
- Although it is a slow process, your commitment to your rehabilitation plan is the most important factor in returning to all the activities you enjoy.
"Surgical Outcome. Almost all patients have full range of motion and strength at the final follow-up doctor visit.
- After time, return to heavy activities and jobs involving manual labor is a reasonable expectation."
The way Jack's surgeon described the surgery is this:
He made an incision in Jack's forearm. The he drilled a small hole through the radius bone. He sewed one end of the anchor to the tendon. He threaded the other end of the anchor through the hole in the bone (top to bottom). He drilled a larger hole in the top side of the bone. He installed a button on the end of the anchor that was threaded through the hole in the bone. He wrapped the anchor around the bone and settled the button into the larger hole. He secured all of this with a screw and then sewed him back up.After Jack woke up from surgery and he demonstrated that he could move all of his fingers, they injected a nerve block in at Jack's shoulder. This made the arm completely number for 18 - 24 hours, which allowed time for the trip home and a decent night's sleep. Jack is just now starting to get a little feeling back into his fingers. We started the pain medication, as the doctor said to make sure we started it no later than this morning. We are waiting for the nerve block to wear off to see how much pain he will have.
Jack's arm is in a splint and is heavily wrapped in bandages; effectively, it's a cast. It is also in a sling. It will stay like that for two weeks, until he sees the surgeon again. After two weeks the splint will be removed and he'll be able to bend his elbow, again. No lifting, no pulling, no exertion, just bending. At six weeks he will start physical therapy. At three months he can start lifting light weights. At six months he can start lifting heavier weights and should be fully recovered.
My oh my. As Jack would say, "It's quite the deal!"
I'm going to end this post here, since this is kind of long. I'll start another post about other things.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Thursday, 7/21/2016: Working Hard!
Weight: 152.5
I'm getting there! I was super hungry yesterday (maybe because of my 3 mile run) so I ate lunch earlier than normal and then I ate dinner earlier than normal. Therefore, by 6:00 in the evening I was really hungry so I ate a 4th small meal. Everything worked out OK, though, I still lost half a pound.
Jack goes in for surgery today. He ruptured a tendon in his right bicep. So sad. He should be good as new in a few months, though. Not sure we're going to bowl this winter. Need to discuss this.
Gotta run. It's late.
Have a good one out there!
I'm getting there! I was super hungry yesterday (maybe because of my 3 mile run) so I ate lunch earlier than normal and then I ate dinner earlier than normal. Therefore, by 6:00 in the evening I was really hungry so I ate a 4th small meal. Everything worked out OK, though, I still lost half a pound.
Jack goes in for surgery today. He ruptured a tendon in his right bicep. So sad. He should be good as new in a few months, though. Not sure we're going to bowl this winter. Need to discuss this.
Gotta run. It's late.
Have a good one out there!
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
7/20/16: Two Goals; One Short Term and One Long-ish Term
Weight: 153.3
Short term goal:
After giving this a lot of thought yesterday I decided that I would try to reach my weight goal of 150.0 by next Saturday. I don't think we actually leave for Colorado until Saturday morning, July 30th, but Jack and I are checking all of our reservations tonight to make sure. If we don't leave until the 30th, I have 10 days to lose this last 3.3 pounds that I have been flirting with for 4 weeks now. This isn't ridiculous and it's not impossible. I am going to make some minor tweaks to the program:
Long-ish term goal:
I have decided that I am going to run a half-marathon with Ruth in the fall of 2017. Currently, I can jog 3 miles without walking (that is what I did this morning). Two summers ago, when I was running a lot, I got up to a little over 9 miles. I can do this. I figure if I keep up with my strength training and also train for a half marathon, I will be in the best shape of my life. I talked to my personal trainer about it yesterday and she said that she would start adding some core exercises into our workouts that will improve my running. Ruth recommended a training book, so I need to buy that. I'm going to do this thing!!
On my run this morning I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and scraped myself up a bit. Ugh. I gotta cut this shit out. I finished my run, anyway.
Pick up your feet and have a great day!!
Short term goal:
After giving this a lot of thought yesterday I decided that I would try to reach my weight goal of 150.0 by next Saturday. I don't think we actually leave for Colorado until Saturday morning, July 30th, but Jack and I are checking all of our reservations tonight to make sure. If we don't leave until the 30th, I have 10 days to lose this last 3.3 pounds that I have been flirting with for 4 weeks now. This isn't ridiculous and it's not impossible. I am going to make some minor tweaks to the program:
- I will be super strict with food, with absolutely nothing off program
- I will reduce my portions at lunch and dinner, slightly
- I will be very strict about drinking enough water
- I will run my 3.2 mile route three times a week, in the mornings. I may walk a portion of the route, depending on how I feel, but I will go the entire 3.2 miles three times a week. (I've been averaging two runs a week, sometimes only going 2 miles.)
- I will continue my weight lifting 3 times a week (I have been very good about this all along.)
- I will add a short evening activity (probably a two mile walk). This is likely to be an easy stroll, because of the heat, but I will at least move a little bit in the evenings.
Long-ish term goal:
I have decided that I am going to run a half-marathon with Ruth in the fall of 2017. Currently, I can jog 3 miles without walking (that is what I did this morning). Two summers ago, when I was running a lot, I got up to a little over 9 miles. I can do this. I figure if I keep up with my strength training and also train for a half marathon, I will be in the best shape of my life. I talked to my personal trainer about it yesterday and she said that she would start adding some core exercises into our workouts that will improve my running. Ruth recommended a training book, so I need to buy that. I'm going to do this thing!!
On my run this morning I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and scraped myself up a bit. Ugh. I gotta cut this shit out. I finished my run, anyway.
Pick up your feet and have a great day!!
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
7/19/16: Back in the Swing of Things
Weight: 153.8
Lauren was here bright and early this morning and we had a great workout. I've missed the last two Saturday update photo sessions since I was out of town. After Jack is done with his breakfast, he'll take pictures for me, to get caught back up. Then we will do pictures on Saturday and again next Thursday, for the official end of my 12 Week Challenge. I need to end the challenge a couple of days early, because we will be on the road again on the final scheduled day of the challenge.
I'm resigning myself to the possibility that I might not weigh 150.0 on the last day of the challenge. All of the traveling has made it difficult to stay 100% on program. The challenge has helped me stay committed to being as close to program as possible, but when I am not at home and I am not cooking all of my own food, it is hard to lose weight. I've had three trips out of town in the last 4 weeks and I have maintained my weight during that time. I need to (and I am) count that as a success. I am going to be as disciplined as possible through next Thursday, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I am not 150.0 on Thursday, July 28th. It will be what it will be.
I am thinking seriously about adding a 4 week extension to the challenge. I might call it a the Plus Four or something like that. I want to get to 150 and the extensive tracking and picture taking of the challenge really helps. We'll be camping for a week with our grandkids the first week of August. After we get back, I'll decide what I want to do to motivate myself to get the rest of the way to goal.
Until then, it's business as usual for a couple of weeks.
Have a good one out there!!
Lauren was here bright and early this morning and we had a great workout. I've missed the last two Saturday update photo sessions since I was out of town. After Jack is done with his breakfast, he'll take pictures for me, to get caught back up. Then we will do pictures on Saturday and again next Thursday, for the official end of my 12 Week Challenge. I need to end the challenge a couple of days early, because we will be on the road again on the final scheduled day of the challenge.
I'm resigning myself to the possibility that I might not weigh 150.0 on the last day of the challenge. All of the traveling has made it difficult to stay 100% on program. The challenge has helped me stay committed to being as close to program as possible, but when I am not at home and I am not cooking all of my own food, it is hard to lose weight. I've had three trips out of town in the last 4 weeks and I have maintained my weight during that time. I need to (and I am) count that as a success. I am going to be as disciplined as possible through next Thursday, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I am not 150.0 on Thursday, July 28th. It will be what it will be.
I am thinking seriously about adding a 4 week extension to the challenge. I might call it a the Plus Four or something like that. I want to get to 150 and the extensive tracking and picture taking of the challenge really helps. We'll be camping for a week with our grandkids the first week of August. After we get back, I'll decide what I want to do to motivate myself to get the rest of the way to goal.
Until then, it's business as usual for a couple of weeks.
Have a good one out there!!
Monday, July 18, 2016
7/18/2016: Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig
Weight: 154.4
I was a little surprised that I gained weight on this last little vacation with my sister, Ruth, to Southern Illinois. It was an exercise based getaway, and we didn't eat a ton of food. On the other hand, I did eat more than I normally eat, I ate off program a bit (some breads and some dairy), and I ate later in the day than normal. All of that adds up and the dairy makes me a bit constipated, which bloats me up. So today, it's back to 100% on program. I have almost two weeks before we hit the road again. My 12 week challenge will have to end a couple of days early because we will be on the road when the 12 weeks ends. I may not be to 150.0, exactly, before we leave for Colorado, but I am going to give it an all out effort to get there. I expect to drop a couple of pounds rapidly, as I am sure about 2 pounds is bloat and inflammation. It's that last two pounds that will be tough.
I handled the road-trip part of my vacation well. I was on the road 6 1/2 hours both directions and I didn't snack while driving. I packed a lunch for both directions and ate that at a rest stop a little over half way through the day's drive. We stayed at a bed & breakfast (a converted school house) and I ate the breakfasts prepared by the innkeeper which included eggs, some sort of breakfast meat, fruit, and homemade toast or a piece of french toast. We missed lunch on our 12 mile hike day but had a snack of nuts and an apple while on the hike. On our zip line tour day, we had lunch at a taco hut. Dinner on all three nights was a substantial meal which is probably what caused the weight gain. Dinner is usually my smallest meal of the day, but with all the physical activity we had during the day, we were pretty darn hungry by dinner time.
We had adventures, complete with mishaps. Yes, I did hear the following on our 12 mile hike through the forest, "Bees! Run!" and "Snake - we stepped on a snake! Run!" We both got stung by hornets, several times, but we avoided getting bit by the copperhead we stepped on. We escaped the bees by scrambling through the woods and wading into the creek. Classic! The next day we went for a bike ride on a rail-to-trail bike trail, complete with a 500 foot train tunnel. The train tunnel turned out to be more than I bargained for. I rode into the tunnel and it was so dark so fast that I got completely disoriented. I crashed into the wall of the tunnel and fell off my bike as I was yelling to my sister, "I'm freaking out, I'm freaking out!" Freaking out, indeed.
So in spite of the exposure to poison ivy (still hoping we don't develop rashes); many, many hornet stings; lots of ticks (yes, we used deet, but we washed it off when we dove into the creek to get rid of the hornets); and a huge scrape and a few bruises from the bike crash; we had a great time. We're ready to do it again! Well, without the mishaps, perhaps.
Until tomorrow...
I was a little surprised that I gained weight on this last little vacation with my sister, Ruth, to Southern Illinois. It was an exercise based getaway, and we didn't eat a ton of food. On the other hand, I did eat more than I normally eat, I ate off program a bit (some breads and some dairy), and I ate later in the day than normal. All of that adds up and the dairy makes me a bit constipated, which bloats me up. So today, it's back to 100% on program. I have almost two weeks before we hit the road again. My 12 week challenge will have to end a couple of days early because we will be on the road when the 12 weeks ends. I may not be to 150.0, exactly, before we leave for Colorado, but I am going to give it an all out effort to get there. I expect to drop a couple of pounds rapidly, as I am sure about 2 pounds is bloat and inflammation. It's that last two pounds that will be tough.
I handled the road-trip part of my vacation well. I was on the road 6 1/2 hours both directions and I didn't snack while driving. I packed a lunch for both directions and ate that at a rest stop a little over half way through the day's drive. We stayed at a bed & breakfast (a converted school house) and I ate the breakfasts prepared by the innkeeper which included eggs, some sort of breakfast meat, fruit, and homemade toast or a piece of french toast. We missed lunch on our 12 mile hike day but had a snack of nuts and an apple while on the hike. On our zip line tour day, we had lunch at a taco hut. Dinner on all three nights was a substantial meal which is probably what caused the weight gain. Dinner is usually my smallest meal of the day, but with all the physical activity we had during the day, we were pretty darn hungry by dinner time.
We had adventures, complete with mishaps. Yes, I did hear the following on our 12 mile hike through the forest, "Bees! Run!" and "Snake - we stepped on a snake! Run!" We both got stung by hornets, several times, but we avoided getting bit by the copperhead we stepped on. We escaped the bees by scrambling through the woods and wading into the creek. Classic! The next day we went for a bike ride on a rail-to-trail bike trail, complete with a 500 foot train tunnel. The train tunnel turned out to be more than I bargained for. I rode into the tunnel and it was so dark so fast that I got completely disoriented. I crashed into the wall of the tunnel and fell off my bike as I was yelling to my sister, "I'm freaking out, I'm freaking out!" Freaking out, indeed.
So in spite of the exposure to poison ivy (still hoping we don't develop rashes); many, many hornet stings; lots of ticks (yes, we used deet, but we washed it off when we dove into the creek to get rid of the hornets); and a huge scrape and a few bruises from the bike crash; we had a great time. We're ready to do it again! Well, without the mishaps, perhaps.
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, July 14, 2016
7/14/2016: On the Road Again!!
Weight: 153.0
I hit the road again this morning, this time to Anna, Illinois for a long weekend with my sister, Ruth. This vacation was inspired by Younger Next Year's suggestion to have a vacation with friends that is centered around physical activity. Anna is between a couple of national forests so we are bringing our bikes and hiking shoes. I think it will be a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to it.
The funny thing is my best guess is that I am back to the same weight that I was before I left for my last two mini-vacations. I weighed 153.0 this morning, but things finally broke loose this morning after breakfast and after 15 fairly painful minutes in the bathroom I am confident that I am at least a pound lighter than I was when I woke up. I know, I know, that is too much information, but hey, this is a weight loss blog and those of us that monitor how much we weigh each morning and what things impact our weight talk about such things! I do feel much better, now. My poor tummy was feeling a little bloated. Relief! My best guess is that the cheese that I ate when I was at my dad's is what caused my digestive problems. I didn't eat a lot of cheese, we had cheese on eggs one day and then some cheese on a salad the next day; but I think it was enough to make my gut unhappy. The only other thing I can think of that was vastly different from my normal diet was the amount of fruit that I ate. Dad and Kay eat a lot of fruit and for a few days I ate way more fruit than I normally eat. But I would think that too much fruit would cause the opposite reaction. Whatever it was, it has passed. Get it? Passed? Ha ha. OK, enough bathroom talk! Moving on...
I don't think I'll see any bloat or weight gain from my road trip this weekend. First of all, I don't have to get on a plane!! Secondly, our days will center around physical activity, bordering on exercise, and Ruth is as disciplined, if not more so, than I am. I think it will be a net positive when it comes to my health and wellness goals. I am really looking forward to spending this time with my sister. This is the first time we have ever spent any real time alone together. Heck, we're only in our mid-fifties. No time like the present!
I guess that's it for now. I need to get the bills paid since I didn't do it last weekend and I won't be here this weekend, either. Then I will hit the road.
Have a wonderful day. It's summertime! What's not to love?
I hit the road again this morning, this time to Anna, Illinois for a long weekend with my sister, Ruth. This vacation was inspired by Younger Next Year's suggestion to have a vacation with friends that is centered around physical activity. Anna is between a couple of national forests so we are bringing our bikes and hiking shoes. I think it will be a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to it.
The funny thing is my best guess is that I am back to the same weight that I was before I left for my last two mini-vacations. I weighed 153.0 this morning, but things finally broke loose this morning after breakfast and after 15 fairly painful minutes in the bathroom I am confident that I am at least a pound lighter than I was when I woke up. I know, I know, that is too much information, but hey, this is a weight loss blog and those of us that monitor how much we weigh each morning and what things impact our weight talk about such things! I do feel much better, now. My poor tummy was feeling a little bloated. Relief! My best guess is that the cheese that I ate when I was at my dad's is what caused my digestive problems. I didn't eat a lot of cheese, we had cheese on eggs one day and then some cheese on a salad the next day; but I think it was enough to make my gut unhappy. The only other thing I can think of that was vastly different from my normal diet was the amount of fruit that I ate. Dad and Kay eat a lot of fruit and for a few days I ate way more fruit than I normally eat. But I would think that too much fruit would cause the opposite reaction. Whatever it was, it has passed. Get it? Passed? Ha ha. OK, enough bathroom talk! Moving on...
I don't think I'll see any bloat or weight gain from my road trip this weekend. First of all, I don't have to get on a plane!! Secondly, our days will center around physical activity, bordering on exercise, and Ruth is as disciplined, if not more so, than I am. I think it will be a net positive when it comes to my health and wellness goals. I am really looking forward to spending this time with my sister. This is the first time we have ever spent any real time alone together. Heck, we're only in our mid-fifties. No time like the present!
I guess that's it for now. I need to get the bills paid since I didn't do it last weekend and I won't be here this weekend, either. Then I will hit the road.
Have a wonderful day. It's summertime! What's not to love?
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
7/13/2016: Trying to Get Caught Up
Weight: 154.0
I am not trying to avoid you, really, I'm not. I mean, I'd love to avoid posting my weight of 154.0, but that's not why I haven't blogged. I'm just trying to get caught up. I don't have time to put up a post this morning, so this is going to be a quick check-in.
My visit with Dad and Kay was great. Dad cooked all my meals (what a treat!), the three of us had plenty of time to visit, and we had two beautiful car trips into the Olympic Mountains. The trip home was uneventful. Jack picked me up from the airport at midnight on Monday and I got to bed by about 1:00AM. I was up at 4:00 so I could work out with Lauren and it has been non-stop ever since. I made a grocery list for Jack, he brought home groceries last night and I spent the evening cooking. This morning, I finished cooking the vegetables, so the refrigerator is well stocked for Jack as I leave for my next little vacation tomorrow morning.
I'm not too worried about my weight. I ate almost only on program food while at Dad's house, so I am sure it will come off quickly. I ate some dairy and I ate some corn and that has affected my digestive system a bit. Once that problem solves itself there is no doubt that I will weigh less the next day, if you know what I mean.
So that's that. I will try to get a post up in the morning, but no promises. It's been a busy several days!!
I am not trying to avoid you, really, I'm not. I mean, I'd love to avoid posting my weight of 154.0, but that's not why I haven't blogged. I'm just trying to get caught up. I don't have time to put up a post this morning, so this is going to be a quick check-in.
My visit with Dad and Kay was great. Dad cooked all my meals (what a treat!), the three of us had plenty of time to visit, and we had two beautiful car trips into the Olympic Mountains. The trip home was uneventful. Jack picked me up from the airport at midnight on Monday and I got to bed by about 1:00AM. I was up at 4:00 so I could work out with Lauren and it has been non-stop ever since. I made a grocery list for Jack, he brought home groceries last night and I spent the evening cooking. This morning, I finished cooking the vegetables, so the refrigerator is well stocked for Jack as I leave for my next little vacation tomorrow morning.
I'm not too worried about my weight. I ate almost only on program food while at Dad's house, so I am sure it will come off quickly. I ate some dairy and I ate some corn and that has affected my digestive system a bit. Once that problem solves itself there is no doubt that I will weigh less the next day, if you know what I mean.
So that's that. I will try to get a post up in the morning, but no promises. It's been a busy several days!!
Monday, July 11, 2016
7/11/2016: Headed Home Today
Weight: ??
I head home today after a 4 1/2 day visit with Dad and Kay. It's been a good visit. I've enjoyed spending time with them and getting caught up as well as taking a couple of day trips to explore the Olympic Peninsula. This is a gorgeous corner of the world.
Yesterday Dad and I took a rather long day trip and drove to the very tip of the peninsula, where it juts out into the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at Crescent Lake and walked a 1.5 mile trail to see some beautiful falls. The next stop was at an Indian Museum where we ate our picnic lunch and learned all about an old Indian village that had been buried in a mudslide long ago. There were a lot of recovered artifacts as well a lot of historical information about the Indian tribe and the village. It was pretty interesting. After that, we drove to "The Edge of the Earth," as Dad and Kay like to call it. The map calls it Cape Flattery, and this is the most north western point of the peninsula, where it juts out into the Pacific Ocean. Here we took another 1.5 mile hike through the woods to get to the point. Beautiful walk and spectacular view once you get to the end. We had a lovely day.
I've been to the gym twice to lift weights since I've been here and we've had nice walks on the days that we didn't go to the gym. All food has been on program, though I may be eating a little more than normal. It'll be interesting to weigh myself tomorrow. All in all, I've stayed pretty close to normal on the food and exercise regimin since I've been here.
I'll check in tomorrow with "The Day After" results. I owe you progress pictures, as well. We may have to wait for Saturday for those.
Have a great day!!
I head home today after a 4 1/2 day visit with Dad and Kay. It's been a good visit. I've enjoyed spending time with them and getting caught up as well as taking a couple of day trips to explore the Olympic Peninsula. This is a gorgeous corner of the world.
Yesterday Dad and I took a rather long day trip and drove to the very tip of the peninsula, where it juts out into the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at Crescent Lake and walked a 1.5 mile trail to see some beautiful falls. The next stop was at an Indian Museum where we ate our picnic lunch and learned all about an old Indian village that had been buried in a mudslide long ago. There were a lot of recovered artifacts as well a lot of historical information about the Indian tribe and the village. It was pretty interesting. After that, we drove to "The Edge of the Earth," as Dad and Kay like to call it. The map calls it Cape Flattery, and this is the most north western point of the peninsula, where it juts out into the Pacific Ocean. Here we took another 1.5 mile hike through the woods to get to the point. Beautiful walk and spectacular view once you get to the end. We had a lovely day.
I've been to the gym twice to lift weights since I've been here and we've had nice walks on the days that we didn't go to the gym. All food has been on program, though I may be eating a little more than normal. It'll be interesting to weigh myself tomorrow. All in all, I've stayed pretty close to normal on the food and exercise regimin since I've been here.
I'll check in tomorrow with "The Day After" results. I owe you progress pictures, as well. We may have to wait for Saturday for those.
Have a great day!!
Friday, July 8, 2016
7/8/2016: Day 1 in Sequim
Weight: ?
I'm at Dad's and Kay's house so I didn't weigh myself this morning. I'll be back home Monday night and will weigh myself Tuesday morning.
After a delayed start to the trip due to severe thunderstorms, the flight was uneventful and Dad and Kay picked me up at the airport without any problems. Flying out here and driving through the peninsula made me think of time travel. It's been a long time since I've been in Sequim.
Dad and I made it to the gym yesterday and I was able to get my full workout in, so that was great. Food was a little off because of the travel and time change, but it wasn't bad. I packed a lunch that I ate in the plane, a little earlier than normal and then we had a second lunch, a pretty big meal, when we got home. By dinner time I was still not hungry so I ate a small portion, mostly so that I wouldn't be starving at bed time. All the good I ate yesterday was on program, so no problems there. I don't anticipate any problems staying on program for the duration of this visit. We should be able to exercise daily, so that's good. I'm hoping to weigh a little less when I get home. We'll see.
And that's that. Not too much to say and I'm posting from my phone.
Have a great day!
I'm at Dad's and Kay's house so I didn't weigh myself this morning. I'll be back home Monday night and will weigh myself Tuesday morning.
After a delayed start to the trip due to severe thunderstorms, the flight was uneventful and Dad and Kay picked me up at the airport without any problems. Flying out here and driving through the peninsula made me think of time travel. It's been a long time since I've been in Sequim.
Dad and I made it to the gym yesterday and I was able to get my full workout in, so that was great. Food was a little off because of the travel and time change, but it wasn't bad. I packed a lunch that I ate in the plane, a little earlier than normal and then we had a second lunch, a pretty big meal, when we got home. By dinner time I was still not hungry so I ate a small portion, mostly so that I wouldn't be starving at bed time. All the good I ate yesterday was on program, so no problems there. I don't anticipate any problems staying on program for the duration of this visit. We should be able to exercise daily, so that's good. I'm hoping to weigh a little less when I get home. We'll see.
And that's that. Not too much to say and I'm posting from my phone.
Have a great day!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
7/7/2016: Starting Another Trip at 152.0
Weight: 152.0
I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to Seattle. Another quick trip and I weighed 152.0 this morning. I believe I will be much more successful staying on program during this trip because I'm visiting my dad and he's a bigger health nut than I am. I guess we'll see the results in a few days.
Have a good one out there!!
I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to Seattle. Another quick trip and I weighed 152.0 this morning. I believe I will be much more successful staying on program during this trip because I'm visiting my dad and he's a bigger health nut than I am. I guess we'll see the results in a few days.
Have a good one out there!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
7/6/2015: Progress
Weight: 152.2
Thirteen days later and I am almost back to 152.0 pounds. Jeesh! That San Diego Binge was certainly not worth it! I get on an airplane again tomorrow to visit Dad and Kay for a few days in Sequim, WA, but I am not worried about staying on program while I am there. Dad's poker night is tonight, so he'll be back on program tomorrow, as he shakes off whatever weight he gains tonight at the poker game. I am hoping we get to take some long walks, hit some tennis balls, go to the gym, and in general stay fairly active. Dad cooks healthy food and avoids fast carbs, as he calls them, so I don't think food will be a problem. I am looking forward to the visit and hope to be able to relax and get away from the stress of everyday life for a few days.
The workouts and runs are going well. I still enjoy having Lauren come to the house once a week for my personal training sessions. That seems to be working out very well for both of us. She provides me with two additional training programs every week, and I am determined to get them done before she comes back for our next session. I am a little less motivated to get my runs in, but I know they are important so I do run on almost all of my scheduled running days. It was hot and muggy out there this morning!!
I'm not sure when I am going to take my next progress photos. I like taking them on Saturdays, but I won't be here the next two Saturdays. My flight leaves tomorrow at 7:00AM. If I can get my photographer out of bed early enough, I will try to get my photos snapped before we leave for the airport. I might not get them posted until I get back from Sequim, but at least I can get the pictures taken. We'll see. I don't want this trip and next weekend's trip to see my sister to throw me too far from my routine.
Charts work!! I marked my weight on my chart today and it was nice to see my progress line below my goal line again. It's great incentive to get back on track after suffering a set back.
I hope you have a good day, today! I'm going to give it my best shot!!
Thirteen days later and I am almost back to 152.0 pounds. Jeesh! That San Diego Binge was certainly not worth it! I get on an airplane again tomorrow to visit Dad and Kay for a few days in Sequim, WA, but I am not worried about staying on program while I am there. Dad's poker night is tonight, so he'll be back on program tomorrow, as he shakes off whatever weight he gains tonight at the poker game. I am hoping we get to take some long walks, hit some tennis balls, go to the gym, and in general stay fairly active. Dad cooks healthy food and avoids fast carbs, as he calls them, so I don't think food will be a problem. I am looking forward to the visit and hope to be able to relax and get away from the stress of everyday life for a few days.
The workouts and runs are going well. I still enjoy having Lauren come to the house once a week for my personal training sessions. That seems to be working out very well for both of us. She provides me with two additional training programs every week, and I am determined to get them done before she comes back for our next session. I am a little less motivated to get my runs in, but I know they are important so I do run on almost all of my scheduled running days. It was hot and muggy out there this morning!!
I'm not sure when I am going to take my next progress photos. I like taking them on Saturdays, but I won't be here the next two Saturdays. My flight leaves tomorrow at 7:00AM. If I can get my photographer out of bed early enough, I will try to get my photos snapped before we leave for the airport. I might not get them posted until I get back from Sequim, but at least I can get the pictures taken. We'll see. I don't want this trip and next weekend's trip to see my sister to throw me too far from my routine.
Charts work!! I marked my weight on my chart today and it was nice to see my progress line below my goal line again. It's great incentive to get back on track after suffering a set back.
I hope you have a good day, today! I'm going to give it my best shot!!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
7/5/16: All is Well
Weight: 153.0
All is well, I just had a late night and had trouble getting up this morning, therefore I've been running late all morning. No time to blog. Will catch up tomorrow!!
Have a great week!
All is well, I just had a late night and had trouble getting up this morning, therefore I've been running late all morning. No time to blog. Will catch up tomorrow!!
Have a great week!
Monday, July 4, 2016
7/4/16: Happy July 4th - And Another Opportunity to Fall Off Course
Weight: 153.0
I am only one pound away from what I weighed on Thursday morning, June 23rd, before we left for San Diego. It's been 11 days of progress, lost to a binge. That is a sobering fact. I will tell you this right now, it wasn't worth it. The food I ate did not taste that good. It brought a moment's worth of solace, I suppose, but that was small reward compared to the effort it is taking to lose the weight I gained and the emotional impact that comes from losing so much ground during my 12 Week Challenge. This morning, I am relieved to only be a pound away from 152.0, which is what I weighed on that Thursday morning, before boarding a plane to San Diego. Perhaps I will be back at 152.0 tomorrow morning. It's possible.
It will not be possible to be back at 152.0 tomorrow if I go off program this afternoon. Therefore, I am stating, emphatically and without feeling sorry for myself, that I will not go off program today, no matter what anyone else says, does, eats or drinks. It's just not worth it!
It will be one of those challenging situations. We will be going to a friend's for dinner, drinks, and fireworks. We will be sitting around chit-chatting. This is the most difficult type of event for me to get through without eating and drinking off program. There is something about sitting around chit-chatting that is incredibly conducive to having a drink in one hand and a snack in the other. It stresses me out just thinking about getting through the evening without drinking a glass of wine or munching on some sort of snack food. It's one of those days that if I do manage to get through the entire day without going off program, I expect to be two pounds lighter the next morning. I think the weight loss in the morning should be commensurate with the amount of effort it took to stay on program the day before. It never does work that way, though. But, if I stay on program this evening, I will be rewarded on the scale tomorrow by not having a weight gain. That will be enough to satisfy me. The knowledge that I stayed on program and knowing that in a situation where I could have gained a few pounds, I kept my weight stable, will be enough for me to be pleased with myself tomorrow morning. I will accomplish this goal, today.
I don't want you to read this and my previous posts for the last several days and think that I am beating myself up, nonstop, because of my San Diego binge. I am not doing that. In fact, yesterday, Jack and I had a wonderful shopping day and I bought myself several cute new tops and dresses, that I never could have worn prior to losing as much weight as I have lost. I had a lot of fun trying on cute clothes and felt proud of my efforts. I know I have made tremendous progress and I know I am considerably healthier than I was 4 years ago or even 2 months ago. I know that 24 hours of crap food doesn't throw years of hard work out the window, and I don't beat myself up as if it does. So please don't get the impression that because I talk about the ramifications of my binge in this blog that that is all I think about. It happens to be what I think about the moment I get on the scale and still see an extra pound there. Getting on the scale reminds me of how what I eat really does make a difference. This blog happens to be about my weight loss/get healthy initiative. Therefore, the binge will be on my mind and in my blog until the weight I gained from the binge is gone and I am back on new ground, according to my weight loss chart.
Also, blogging about the binge and the impact it has had on my weight and on me emotionally helps me focus on my goals and weigh the temporary pleasure food brings me against the long-term pleasure of staying on program. The more I write about it the more it cements in my memory the fact that the moment's solace that food brings me is inconsequential compared to the 12 or 13 days it will take to lose the weight that I gain because of the crap food. I blog for a reason. It is an excellent motivational tool for me. I appreciate your patience as I get back on track and work to get the momentum going in the correct direction, again.
Before heading over to Larry and Luz's, I need to prepare some food for this evening, go for a run, cook some vegetables for the up-coming week, and I am not sure what else. Perhaps Jack and I will get our camping inventory done. It is less than a month before we take off for our big camping trip with the grandkids in Colorado. We are looking forward to it!!
I'll be blogging tomorrow morning. I hope you will check in to make sure that I stuck to program through the July 4th festivities. I am counting on that!!
Have a great day! Stay safe and enjoy the holiday!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
7/3/2016: Advice from Some Old People
Saw the following post on Facebook. I couldn't argue with anything said below, so I decided to share it. Enjoy:
1. The most important person in your life is the person who
agreed to share their life with you. Treat them as such.
2. You might live a long life, or you might live a short one
— who knows. But either way, trust me when I say that you’re going to wish you
took better care of yourself in your youth.
3. Stuff is just stuff. Don’t hold onto material objects,
hold onto time and experiences instead.
4. Jealousy destroys relationships. Trust your significant
other, because who else are you supposed to trust?
5. People always say, ’’Make sure you get a job doing what
you love!’’ But that isn’t the best advice. The right job is the job you love
some days, can tolerate most days, and still pays the bills. Almost nobody has
a job they love every day.
6. If you’re getting overwhelmed by life, just return to the
immediate present moment and savour all that is beautiful and comforting. Take
a deep breath, relax.
7. Years go by in the blink of an eye. Don’t marry young.
Live your life. Go places. Do things. If you have the means or not. Pack a bag
and go wherever you can afford to go. While you have no dependents, don’t buy
stuff. Any stuff. See the world. Look through travel magazines and pick a spot.
GO!
8. Don’t take life so seriously. Even if things seem dark
and hopeless, try to laugh at how ridiculous life is.
9. A true friend will come running if you call them at 2am.
Everyone else is just an acquaintance.
10. Children grow up way too fast. Make the most of the time
you have with them.
11. Nobody ever dies wishing they had worked more. Work
hard, but don’t prioritize work over family, friends, or even yourself.
12. Eat and exercise like you’re a diabetic heart patient
with a stroke — so you never actually become one.
13. Maybe this one isn’t as profound as the others, but I
think it’s important… Floss regularly, dental problems are awful.
14. Don’t take anyone else’s advice as gospel. You can ask
for advice from someone you respect, then take your situation into
consideration and make your own decision. Essentially, take your own advice is
my advice…
15. The joints you damage today will get their revenge
later. Even if you think they’ve recovered completely. TRUST ME!
16. We have one time on this earth. Don’t wake up and
realize that you are 60 years old and haven’t done the things you dreamed
about.
17. Appreciate the small things and to be present in the
moment. What do I mean? Well, it seems today like younger people are all about
immediate gratification. Instead, why not appreciate every small moment? We
don’t get to stay on this crazy/wonderful planet forever and the greatest
pleasure can be found in the most mundane of activities. Instead of sending a
text, pick up the phone and call someone. Call your mother, have a conversation
about nothing in particular. Those are the moments to hold onto.
18. Pay your bills and stay the hell out of debt. If I could
have paid myself all the money I’ve paid out in interest over the years, I’d be
retired already.
19. If you have a dream of being or doing something that
seems impossible, try for it anyway. It will only become more impossible as you
age and become responsible for other people.
20. When you meet someone for the first time, stop and
realize that you really know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age,
clothes. Forget it all. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop
into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting
your life, and other people’s lives.
7/3/2016 - 12 Week Challenge - Operation Restart: 8 Week Results
The results for Week 8 are in!! Yes, I had a bit of a backslide last week, but this is a 12 Week Challenge, not an 8 Week Challenge, and I am still in it to win it!!! So here are the results:
First, the photos:
Yes! What a difference 9 pounds and 8 weeks of exercise makes! It is hard to believe, isn't it, that 2 months can make this much difference? At my age. And only exercising about an hour a day, 5 to six days a week. And no crazy crash diets. No supplements. No protein shakes. Nothing fancy. Just good food, 5 to 6 hours of exercise a week, and plenty of sleep. Yes, so far, I am very pleased with the visible results.
Now, the stats:
Circumference at Top of Hip Bone
Start: 39 ¼”
First, the photos:
Now, the stats:
Start Date: 4/16/2016
Re-Start Date: 5/7/2016
Re-Start Date: 5/7/2016
Today's Date (End of Week 8): 7/2/2016
End Date: 7/30/2016
End Date: 7/30/2016
WEIGHT GOAL
Start: 163.4 lbs
Start: 163.4 lbs
Today: 154.2 lbs (I am right on my goal line, in spite of my San Diego binge.)
Change: - 9.2 lbs
Change: - 9.2 lbs
Goal: 150 lbs
FITNESS GOALS
Distance I Can Jog Before I Have to Slow to Walk
Start: 1.25 Miles
Start: 1.25 Miles
Today: 2.5 Miles
Change: + 1.25 Miles
Goal: 3.0 Miles
Change: + 1.25 Miles
Goal: 3.0 Miles
# of Push-ups to Fail
Start: 6
Start: 6
Today: 23
Change: + 17 (Wow! So much stronger!)
Goal: 20
Change: + 17 (Wow! So much stronger!)
Goal: 20
Start:: 0 Sec
Today: 0 Sec (Did not test - broken finger)
Change: 0 Sec
Goal: 5 Seconds
Change: 0 Sec
Goal: 5 Seconds
MEASUREMENT GOALS
Right Bicep
Start: 13 ½”
Start: 13 ½”
Today: 13 ¼"
Change: - ¼"
Goal: 12”
Change: - ¼"
Goal: 12”
Start: 34 ½”
Today: 34"
Change: - ½"
Goal: 32 ½” (This goal was probably unrealistic. Don't know what we were thinking.)
Change: - ½"
Goal: 32 ½” (This goal was probably unrealistic. Don't know what we were thinking.)
Circumference at Belly Button
Start: 34 ¼”
Start: 34 ¼”
Today: 31 ¼"
Change: - 3"
Goal: 32 ¼"
Goal: 32 ¼"
Circumference at Top of Hip Bone
Today: 36"
Change: - 3 ¼"
Goal: 36 ¼”
Change: - 3 ¼"
Goal: 36 ¼”
Right Thigh 9 Inches Above Knee
Start: 21 ½”
Start: 21 ½”
Today: 20 ¼"
Change: - 1"
Goal: 23” (I thought my thigh would get bigger with the workouts, because of results from a previous challenge I did. Now I think the measurements from the previous challenge were incorrect and this makes more sense. I am glad my thighs are thinning out a bit.)
Change: - 1"
Goal: 23” (I thought my thigh would get bigger with the workouts, because of results from a previous challenge I did. Now I think the measurements from the previous challenge were incorrect and this makes more sense. I am glad my thighs are thinning out a bit.)
Original Plan:
During my 12 Week Challenge I will:
During my 12 Week Challenge I will:
- Exercise 6 days a week - I have averaged about 5 days a week
- Eat On Program (including abstaining from all sugar and alcohol) - I have stuck to program most of the time, with the exception of the binge in San Diego. That binge cost me a 5.4 pound weight gain. I am currently recovering from that.
- Weigh myself and record my weight, daily - Easy Peasy. I do this all the time anyway.
- Update my blog posts regularly - Yes! I've been good about this. Thanks for reading! The blog really helps!
- Measure my progress towards the goals listed above every 4 weeks. - Yes! Second goal update, today!!
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