Tired legs

I did lower body tonight, which, considering we use weights for squats and lunges and kettbells for squats, it's really like a full-body workout. My legs are tired but I feel good. Cardio was :45 of a speed climb with 3:00 of recovery (also speed climb). Started walking at 4.0, running at 4.5; finished my set walking at 4.6 and running at 5.2, with a full sprint at 6.5.

I admit planned on running at all, but my legs feel good. Tomorrow will be a full run after upper body. I've got three sessions at the gym with my trainer this week and next, planning to make the most of it and kill it on the scale by August 1.

All numbers are good....scale is back under 190, just .4 up from before my surgery; I'm at 632 miles for the year, shooting for 700 by the end of July. I'm in a good rhythm.

Right now, this is the most important thing in my life...I'm the most important thing in my life.

Kicking ass....kind of

I'm proud of myself for bouncing back so quickly. Decent nutrition the past few days, kick ass workouts and a good mindset.

I set three workout goals for the weekend, even wrote them in my to do list

* 15 total miles for the weekend

* run in my treadmill, .5 consecutively (as I've said, my treadmill is much tighter than the one at the gym)

* do an upper body workout

I printed out some simple workouts and created a mini calendar on the wall outside my bedroom. I have the week planned out with my workouts, and they include circuit training and strength training at home (my Achilles heel). 

I've got a couple sessions with my trainer to make up after my surgery and vacation, so I'm hitting the gym three times this week and next.

I feel good. I enjoyed myself in Richmond, made myself enjoy every thing I out in my mouth and now I have my routine back. This is living, this is life.

And this is planking on the bottom step.

Dominoes

I hate how one little change in my routine can completely derail me. I was so strong, so confident, so on track, and then I had surgery, and then my student from Denmark came to visit and then we went to Richmond and then I still have an 18-year-old in my house,and then and then and then.

Did you know that Denmark only has plain and peanut m&m's? Not dark, not dark peanut, no almond, not crunchy, not pretzel. Did you know that I have all of those in my pantry? With berry Oreos and potato chips.

I packed my food for Richmond. Protein shake powder all measured out in baggies. Protein bars. Greek yogurt. And then I got to Richmond and we were having lasagna for dinner. When I asked for chicken for dinner, would it be a problem to grill me a chicken breast. "You don't want lasagna?" I'd like more protein than carbs. And then my brother jumped in with, let's get ice cream tonight.

In the end I did have chicken breast for dinner, but overall it just seemed easier to not be difficult and eat what was being served.

I blame no one but myself. I'm an adult who makes her choices. In the end it's all on me. The eating, the lack of self control, the three pounds I'm up since before my surgery.

I put my sweet little Charlotte on a plane tomorrow. And I told her all opened sweets are being put in a ziplock bag and going with her. I get back to the gym on Friday, and to make up for a few sessions I've missed over the last two weeks, I'm planning three sessions per week for the next two. 

I've sent myself some good workout charts from Pinterest to print out at work tomorrow. So the nights I don't go to the gym, I can get in some strength/circuit training.

I will have challenges the next few days. Lunch with a friend on Friday in Philadelphia, Chris in town this weekend, lunch in Baltimore next weekend, as well as a neighbors party. One day at a time. Tomorrow my focus is creating my plan, staying on track nutritionally and getting a good workout in when I'm back for my Newark airport drop off.

On the plus side, I have walked every day, ran once. Have they been stellar workouts? No. But I've moved. I've burned some calories.

I'm going to sum it all up with the photo I posted to Instagram tonight. Not exactly the most positive of messages to go with my 30 days of positivity, but it's a message I needed to embrace tonight as I put oral surgery, out of town visitors and out of town visits to rest.

Making choices

This is how my afternoon started

me: can I have chicken for dinner? 

My sister in law: you don't want lasagna? 

Me: I'd rather not eat carbs for dinner 

my brother: we'll have to go get ice cream after dinner

It all worked out fine. Did I snack off plan at the pool? Yes. But I went for a walk/run, my sister-in-law graciously grilled me a chicken breast for dinner and I had nonfat frozen yogurt.

While I was on my walk, I made the decision that I wasn't going to consider this weekend shot and blow my eating habits, but neither can I expect that in going to stay on plan 100%. I'll get my workouts in as best I can, I'll make the best choices I can and when I don't, I need to let go and just enjoy it.

Goal 1 completed...kinda

I'm the type of person who always wants to push it a little more, who strives for perfection, who achieves something and immediately finds fault with it. Call me Type A, call me OCD, call me crazy...I accept it all!

This morning at the gym, I ran for not one mile but two. Two consecutive miles. For 25 minutes. And I should just stop there. Hooray for me, but I can't.

Here come the but's....I was barely running at 4.7 mph, it was on the gym's treadmill which is much "looser" than my treadmill at home, and of course, the way I measure my happiness these days....the scale is going in the wrong direction.

I'm headed out of town and worried about falling off completely. 

Getting it back

I did well with my numbers, had a decent walk after dinner with a friend, but I still don't feel strong. I think because within those 1100 calories, there was chocolate and a cookie. But also not in those 1100 calories are two cookies...I had the bag opened and grabbed my yogurt instead. That was a big win for me, for keeping the cravings at bay, for fighting the mouth hunger and winning.

July goals

The week went well. Surgery was a success. I still can't open my mouth completely but I'm eating solid food again. I am disappointed that limited calorie intake on Wednesday and Thursday did not translate on the scale. But in looking at my food..well smoothies and yogurt....there was half or more of my nutrient ratio that was carb.

I'm back on track this weekend. Ran on the treadmill yesterday...intervals of .25, .5 and .6; and my usual six mile walk this morning. Food was good. I'm hoping to see something on the scale tomorrow.

I know July isn't until Wednesday just I'll just start a couple days early. 

1. Planks and squats every night. I have the numbers written on my full,length mirror with a dry erase marker.

2. 185. This morning I was up slightly to 190. I can lose five pounds in a month, even with a weekend in Richmond, a lunch in Philadelphia, a lunch in Baltimore and a house guest for 10 days. Challenges for sure, but I can work through them.

3. One consecutive mile of running. I have a 5k at the end of July after all.

Two steps forward, one set back

I was feeling invincible. I had a good weigh in at the gym, as I anticipated because my home scale has been great all weekend. I had a good sweaty work out. And then I came home to make cookies to mail to my dad for Father's Day.

I tried not to snitch at the dough. I tried to stick to one baked cookie. I tried.

The cookies are all baked and packaged up, ready to mail out tomorrow so I won't be eating anymore. And for the last hour, I've been hoping I would throw up. It was mindless eating, even when I wasn't hungry, even when I was kind of full. One cookie after the other. All in all, I probably *only* ate four or five cookies, but after limited my carbs to under 100 grams for the past three weeks, I feel like I've either over eaten considerably or I have a carb hangover, or both.

It's disappointing that I can't control myself better. I'm going to remember this feeling and hope it sustains me the next time there is temptation. Until then, here's hoping that every time the discomfort in my belly gets better and I can sleep tonight.

My workout buddy keeps me honest

After a three-mile walk in the humidity, this is what I got tas soon as we walked in the door. Complete with whining, as if he was saying, "come on momma, it's your running day, get your butt in the basement and on the treadmill."

So in the basement I went, planning to just do a mile of walk-run intervals. I did two! I didn't worry or care about my speed, I worked on my breathing and was able to run a half mile at one point! Dog walking and running totals for the weekend...16 miles. And as of this morning, I'm back in the 180s!

He kept one eye open and made sure that I worked hard.

I did.

A Cheat Day

My dear friend Carrie came to visit Thursday night. we started Friday with the six-plus miles at Peace Valley Park, did some shopping, had a relatively healthy lunch (salad) with a bit of a cheat...the yummiest homemade tortilla chips and salsa fresca.

We spent the afternoon, shopping talking, catching up, getting a pedicure. We got take out (salad and froyo for me) and relaxed. My calorie numbers were on target but carbs were over.

But I felt good about the cheat. I felt in control. Today, did a four mile walk, and have been pretty much on target. Tomorrow is my running day and Monday is weigh in day.

Tomorrow needs to be stellar!