Day Ninety-Six: Gorgeous Fall Day!

I had Finn home with me today, so we took a long lunchtime walk around the neighborhood to burn off some of that little boy energy. We walked to a friend's house, took a little break, and walked home. Finn made it all 2.48 miles all by himself, which made be crazy proud. And the weather was absolutely glorious! Couple that with me actually making it to my morning barbell class, and I feel like today was pretty much a winner.

Log: 

Exercise:

• Barbell Strength class with Joy at the Apex gym
• Big walk in the neighborhood with Finn: 2.48 miles
• Short evening walk to finish miles/steps: 1.01 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: spinach and mushroom frittata, 2 pieces of Applegate Farms sausage, 2 cups of tea with raw sugar and milk
• Lunch: leftover stir-fry with skirt steak and greens (not enough, but too good to waste!), half a honeycrisp apple
• Dinner:a small amount of meatloaf (Paula Deen's basic meatloaf recipe), roasted parsnips, green beans cooked in tomato sauce with onions and bacon
• Snacks: 1 Mozzarella Babybel, 1 can of Steaz green tea with coconut water, 1 piece of irresistible bacon handed to me by a so-called "friend" :-)

Stats:

• Steps:12,803
• Calories: 1213 consumed, 745 burned
• Weight: 191 lbs (Boo--it went the wrong way!)(Yes, I realize fluctuation is to be expected, but I don't have to like it.)

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Ninety-Five: What a Day!!!

Kieran's school was closed today for Veterans Day, so Jason and I both worked at home to field our rowdy kids and still get work done. We both ate lunch while working, and then decided to take the boys on a walk in the woods so they could burn off some energy. Unlike most of our family walks, which are awesome, this one seemed to consist of one annoying thing after another, culminating in Finn throwing a huge tantrum in the middle of the woods. So we cut the walk short and headed back to the car to discover a big puddle of coolant underneath it. It overheated on the way home, so we located a mechanic close to home, and now, it's in a garage. This means working at home tomorrow (again) because we're down to one car till this mess gets worked out. And none of that has anything to do with getting in shape, but I am brimming with frustration, so here we are anyway. 

By the time we got everything settled, the timing had derailed my dinner plans, and we ended up at our local pub, where there is, thank goodness, something relatively healthy for me to eat. I had to work hard to resist drinking about 100 beers instead of going to the gym. Thank the sweet baby Jesus it was Tiffany's Zumba class tonight, or I would never have made it. That said, I feel a lot better after going! Zumba = stress relief. Now, I'm off to bed so I can hopefully make it to barbell class tomorrow morning, too--that's the hardest one to make it to by far. I like the teacher a lot, but man--sleep is dear. Y'all say a prayer.

Log: 

Exercise:

• Family walk in the woods: 1.74 miles
• Zumba with Tiffany at the Cary gym

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese, 1 slice of banana bread, 2 cups of tea with raw sugar and milk
• Lunch: butternut squash soup, muhammara with TJs pumpkin cranberry crisps
• Dinner: Salem Street Pub's tuna salad wrap with a garden salad and thousand island dressing and a boatload of pepper
• Snacks:N/A

Stats:

• Steps: 14,170
• Calories: 1404 consumed, 1070 burned
• Weight: 190 lbs and holding

Pretty Thing from My Walk

What's In An Average?

This is one of the most interesting articles I have ever read about body image and how we see ourselves: http://nicolepartridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MC05_FEAT_70kg.pdf. It's by Nicole Partridge and from Marie Claire magazine, of all places. I generally despise Marie Claire for photoshopping the women on their covers to near-unreconizability. However, this is pretty great. Each of these woman weighs 154 pounds, which is average in Australia. The article includes an interview with each one about how she feels about her body. Worth a read for sure.

Day Ninety-Four: A Break in the Rain

When I woke up this morning at 5am, it was POURING rain and cold outside. I almost can't believe that I made it to the gym this morning--it was a close thing, and the warm bed nearly won over the freezing rain. Utterly proud of myself for pushing through and making it to my barbell class, and even adding some weight for some of the workout today. I think that Tracy must have had something extra-energizing for breakfast, as she was extra mean today. She was even laughing an evil laugh and everything! I made it through class, but wow.

At lunchtime, the rain stopped right at the time when I generally walk, and I actually got to go! OUTSIDE! I can't tell you how glad I was to be outside for a walk during daylight hours--I have gotten so addicted to that. In fact, I just got my labs back from my physical last week, and this is the first time in years that my vitamin D levels have been good--apparently all the outdoor hours have been good for me. :-)

Log: 

Exercise:

• Barbell Strength class with Tracy at the Apex gym
• Lunchtime walk: 2.08 miles
• Evening walk to finish miles/steps: 1.56 miles (I didn't log it on MapMyWalk, but my fitbit doesn't lie!)

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar, sliced almonds, 2% milk and half a banana, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: turkey and avocado wrap on whole wheat tortilla with lettuce and havarti, a small honeycrisp apple, muhammara with sliced cucumbers, red peppers, and TJs pumpkin cranberry crisps
• Dinner: stirfry with skirt steak, bok choy, tatsoi, chocolate peppers, ginger, garlic, soy, peanut oil, shallots, and scallions, served with steamed jasmine rice
• Snacks: a super-decadent chocolate duet cookie from Panera (which I regretted after it made me feel a little nauseated)--I don't need anymore chocolate anytime soon. Ugh.

Stats:

• Steps: 11,085
• Calories: 1756 consumed, 561 burned (plus tonight's walk, which I failed to log on MapMyWalk)
• Weight: 190 lbs

Playlist

Music is crucial to working out. Over the course of the past few months, I've created a playlist that fits my natural walking rhythms, and it's super helpful for maintaining focus and speed when I walk alone. My lunchtime walk today was a little faster than usual, thanks to this song, which I heard on the radio last week and immediately bought for the playlist. I think this was the soundtrack of my entire second mile today--I love when the music makes you feel like you're dancing down the path!

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Ninety-Three: Continuation

I am going to have to change the name of this blog, since I am not past the 90 days, but have no intention of stopping. I like the idea of keeping the day numbers for the daily log posts so I can keep track of how long it takes me to get into the shape I want to be. Things have been going well, and I think all the tracking I am doing has been a big part of that, so I am keeping it up. I think I will plan to take another picture in another 20 pounds, too. I like the visual tracking of progress.

Log: 

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk was aborted due to pouring rain. AGAIN! :-(
• Yoga with Beth at the Apex gym
• Evening walk, in my living room, feeling slightly like a fool: 2.02 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: spinach and mushroom frittata, 1/2 a pices of Great Harvest honey whole wheat toast with farm butter, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: leftover potatoes gratin and roasted brussels sprouts from Saturday's date night at Peak City Grill with a boiled egg. It wasn't a ton, but it enought, and it was delicious and comforting on this cold rainy day.
• Dinner:butternut squash soup with rosemary honey goat cheese, walnuts, and fresh sage, Trader Joes pumpkin cranberry crisps
• Snacks:N/A

Stats:

• Steps:12,317
• Calories: 1129 consumed, 571 burned
• Weight: 192.5 - up a couple of pounds from low activity weekend and date night!

90-Day Challenge Essay

The last step if the essay is to write a 5000-character essay about your experience with the challenge. I submitted mine today, and here it is:

In July, I got an email about the 90-day Weight Loss Challenge, just as I was searching for motivation to get moving again. I thought that joining might give me some much-needed accountability, so I decided to go for it. Like many people who have battled weight issues for years, I knew WHAT to do—I just needed the motivation to actually DO it. I didn’t spend a lot of money on this challenge. I haven’t hired a personal trainer or a nutritionist, and I haven’t purchased any supplements. I have tried to be smart and not set unrealistic goals for myself.  I have mostly stuck with my plans, in spite of a few life-related setbacks, and I came close to meeting my personal goal of losing 25 pounds, would put me about half way to my goal weight. In the end, I lost 21.4 pounds, which is 10% of my starting body weight, and I am pretty happy with that!

I have never been happy with my weight, but my attitude about it has changed a lot over the years. I used to view losing weight as a path to happiness, but I have realized as I have gotten older that happiness comes from within, and that weight is more about health than anything else. As a young’un, I used to diet stupidly and work out sporadically, and I truly had no idea what I was doing or how unhealthy my actions were for my body. In my 20s and early 30s, I went through a couple of periods of coming close to being in decent shape, but with a real lack of knowledge about what I was doing—it never “stuck,” and I always ended up back where I started or worse.

In my mid-30s, I started to learn about nutrition. I read a book called “Fatland” that was a real game changer for me, and I started to change my diet. Over the next few years, I learned more and more, started cooking more and eating healthier. I learned a lot by going to the farmers market every weekend and trying anything that was unfamiliar. I read Jane Brody’s nutrition book, Walter C Willet’s fantastic guide, “Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy,” the South Beach Diet books, and many others. I learned to take an additive approach to dieting—trying to figure out ways to get more healthy things into my diet rather than focusing on depriving myself of things that were less healthy. I learned to make healthy choices most of the time, and not to beat myself up over occasional indulgences. I learned to plan meals for the whole week at a time, and to do a lot of cooking and prep on Sundays so that it was easier to keep up with healthy eating through the work week. I believe that our family eats really well overall. Food is not the source of my weight issues.

My biggest issue is time. I am a mother of two young children, and I have a full time, extremely sedentary job. I have had a huge amount of trouble finding time and a way to fit exercise into my life in a way that I could actually maintain. Through this challenge, I have tried to look hard at the bits and pieces of my day that were unclaimed by other commitments: early mornings, evenings after dinner and homework is done and before the kids are in bed, the brief time at night before I go to bed, my lunch hour at work... I have found classes and created short workouts for myself to fit into these holes in my schedule, and I have had a ton of support from my other half to make that happen. Time management has been a HUGE priority, and we have, as a family, achieved a level of organization I didn’t even know was possible. It’s working.

For the last 3 months, I have been utilizing the fool out of the classes at two locations of the gym. I am doing Zumba classes 2-3 times per week, Barbell Strength classes 2 times per week, and a Yoga class once a week. In addition to this, I am also doing daily core work at home, stretching a lot, and walking 11,000 steps/5 miles per day. Our family has been doing big family hikes on the weekends—we are having a blast exploring state parks and the local hiking trails we are so lucky to have all around us.  I have been tracking calories on the MyFitnessPal app, which I have linked to the Fitbit app and the MapMyWalk app. Last, but not least, I have been blogging the whole experience, including pictures, research, and rewards.  I have put some good habits in place and worked out a great schedule for our whole family to get us moving more and eating better. This whole experience has been so positive. I am confident that it has set me on a path to meeting my personal weight and health goals—this is our new “normal,” and I think it’s totally maintainable for our family. I feel better, I am starting to look better, I am setting a good example for my kids, and last night, I made it into my “goal pants” for a date night with my awesome and ultra-supportive other half. It’s all good.

Official Weigh-Out and Pictures

Starting weight on August 9, 2015: 211.5 on the home scale, 214.3 on the gym scale
Weight on November 7, 2105: 190 on the home scale, 192.9 on the gym scale
Current Loss: 21.5 pounds

Before Pictures:

Progress Pictures:

There are definitely some differences, but I certainly don't want to call the second set, "after pictures," because I still have a long way to go. I think the biggest difference is in my waistline. I didn't take full body measurements when I started, but I wish I had. There's a big difference in my waistline, which is most apparent from the side and back.

Jason and I are heading out on an actual date, and I am wearing these amazing bright green linen pants that I bought as a goal over a year ago, and I have to say--that's pretty awesome. I tried them on as a test, with very low expectations, and they aren't even the slightest bit tight. So exciting! I know it's November, and WAY past linen season, but people, I cannot help it--these things have to be worn!

Day Ninety: Last Day of the Challenge!

I can't believe that today is the last day of this challenge--and believe me, a challenge it has been. So many unexpected life derailments, and so many things that kept me from working out here and there. Only a few food slips really, so that's good. And hey--I am still pretty happy about those 20 pounds, even if I WAS hoping it would be 5 more by now. Those 5 will come, and the rest after. This is the beginning of a longer road. Hopefully, this has all helped me to set up better habits.

Tomorrow morning, I have my final weigh-out at 8am, and then I will take progress shots and write up an essay about this experience and its ups and downs. That will wrap the official challenge, but not my personal one. I might have to think about a new name for the blog, since 90 days is only the beginning...

Log: 

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk was aborted due to pouring rain. :-(
• Zumba with Tameka at the Apex gym
• Teeny evening walk to finish steps/miles: 0.40 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: Trader Joes pumpkin cereal bar, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: roasted chicken with baby potatoes and sugar snap peas
• Dinner: turkey and avocado wrap with lettuce and havarti on a whole wheat tortilla, half a small-ish honeycrisp apple, and 8 Trader Joes turkey and stuffing chips (so weird!)
• Snacks: Trader Joes muhammara and 12-grain crackers, TJs roasted red pepper hummus with cucumber slices, 6 dark chocolate covered blueberries

Stats:

• Steps: 11,841
• Calories: 1371 consumed, 835 burned
• Weight: 191.5 - holding at the 20 pound mark

Day Eighty-Nine: Preventive Medicine

I had my yearly physical today, which was all good. I even got a flu shot! I talked to my doctor about my exercise and weight loss regimen, and I was a little shocked to have my level of exercise classified as "heavy" by both her and the nurse. In the past, it's always been light, and I think of it now as moderate, not heavy. Heavy to me is training 3-4 hours a day, which I am certainly not doing. I still say moderate, no matter what my doctor's office thinks.

Exercise was a bust today--I was entirely too asleep to make it out of bed at 5am this morning, and then I was slammed for the rest of the day. Plus I gave the doctor's office a bunch of blood and let them give me a flu shot. It seemed like a good day to take it a little easy. Tomorrow will be better for sure.

LAST DAY OF THE OFFICIAL CHALLENGE TOMORROW! 

Seriously, it's flown by!

Log: 

Exercise:

• Teeny tiny evening walk to do SOMETHING today--0.56 miles (Note: This would have been slightly longer, but I got stopped and heckled by the neighbors.)

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: tea with milk and raw sugar, a super-indulgent blueberry scone from Starbucks (390 calories!)
• Lunch: London broil and grilled asparagus/peppers/mushrooms
• Dinner: roasted chicken breast, rosemary lemon goat cheese, half an Aisan pear, and a few Trader Joes pumpkin cranberry crisps
• Snacks: Trader Joes red pepper hummus and cup up raw veggies, a Mozzarella Babybell with a few more pumpkin cranberry crisps

Stats:

• Steps: 4624
• Calories: 1334 consumed, 72 burned
• Weight: 191.5

Day Eighty-Eight: 20 Pounds!

I had another one of those mornings where I stepped on the scale, and I truly thought it was broken. I re-tared it to make sure it was OK, and then weighed again to find myself soundly at the 20 pound mark! I was hoping to lose 2 pounds during this challenge, but given all the unexpected difficulties, I am very glad to be crossing this milestone. I am sure that if I continue along this path, and keep trying to make good decisions about my healthy most of the time, then I will see my goal weight on that scale in just a few months. Whoo hoo!

 

Log: 

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk with Finn: 1.8 miles
• Ab work: 40 sit-ups, 24 leg raises, 50 crunches, 45 second plank
• Evening walk to finish steps: 1.38 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with cheese and microgreens, half a honeycrisp apple, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: turkey and avocado wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with havarti, lettuce, and a tiny  bit of mayo, 1 small navel orange
• Dinner: Salem Street Pub's tuna salad wrap and a side salad with thousand island dressing
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps: 11,432
• Calories: 1353 consumed, 442 burned
• Weight: 191.5 - TWENTY POUNDS, Y'ALL!

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Eighty-Seven: Determination

Today it rained all day again, so no walks. This drives me insane. I got up this morning and went to my barbell class, which was good, but then it seemed clear there was no way I was going to make all of my steps today. Frustrating. Further, Jason has to do some training tomorrow, which means no Zumba tomorrow either. Also frustrating. My solution: skip knitting and go to Zumba tonight. I have mixed feelings about skipping knitting--it's and it's purely relaxing girl time, and I don't get much of that. But I REALLY don't want to miss any classes this week if I can help it, so I went. And it was great! The woman who was teaching turns out to be a Zumba education specialist, and she was amazing--so much energy!

My food was ok, though the Indian food I had for lunch was a bit of an indulgence. However, going to the gym twice in one day burns enough extra calories that I think I could probably eat a cupcake and still be alright. Here's to more exercise!

The rest of the week promises more rain--I am so hoping there are some good breaks for walking. I am utterly determined to make the rest of my planned classes this week.

Log: 

Exercise:

• Barbell Strength class with Joy at the Apex gym
• Zumba class with Loretta at the Cary gym

Nutrition:

• Breakfast:2 boiled eggs with microgreens, 1 slice of honey whole sheat toast with butter, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: some Indian food from the hot bar at Whole Foods with a little mixed fruit and an unsweetened iced tea
• Dinner: London broil and grilled asparagus/red pepper/mushrooms
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps:12,257
• Calories: 1368 consumed, 1049 burned
• Weight: 193 on the home scale, 198 on the gym scale (which, by the way, the trainer weighing me told me is known to weigh high--um, get that fixed, y'all!)

Theme for Tuesdays and Thursdays

Day Eighty-Six: Trying to Reverse My Bad Attitude

Rain rain rain. I loathe when it rains all day, especially when I am home with Finn. We can't get outside for a walk, other than a short one, and it's slow if we do. Today, he's watched too much TV, though he at least stopped of his own accord. And today, though I have gotten a lot of work done, I haven't moved enough. I HAVE managed to avoid too much sugar and carbs, though for some reason, I've been extraordinarily hungry all day. I made it to yoga this evening, which is a miracle, considering my mood and the weather, and the fact that Jason's truck died this morning. (It's better now, after a little time, money, and inconvenience.) I am fighting a bad attitude. Between the rain, the candy coma follow-up to Halloween, the time change, and the new-ish routine, to which we are all still adjusting, the boys were super-crazy cranky today. I was sluggish and out of sorts. Jason was stressed out by the truck failure and his own insane work schedule this week. I keep having dreams in which I am on vacation--does that mean I need a break? I wish I had a few days to just work on personal projects, but I guess every parent wishes this. Right now, my goal is just to keep the wheels on this bus.

This challenge is winding down, though that fact doesn't mean all that much to me since I have no intention of stopping. I have lost between 16 and 19 pounds, depending on the day, time of day, and how much water i consumed the day before I weigh. I have a good 25-30 pounds to go. I plan to keep going, no matter how long it takes, until I am happy with how I feel, how I look, and my flexibility and strength.The number on the scale is a convenient metric for progress, but it's really about so much more than that.

Log: 

Exercise:

• Yoga class at the Apex gym with Cathy
• Short evening walk (in the yucky drizzly rain): 1.06 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast:2 boiled eggs with microgreens, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: garden salad with honey mustard dressing, baked chicken with lemon and herbs
• Dinner: turkey and avocado wrap in a whole wheat tortilla with havarti and lettuce and a small glass of 2% milk
• Snacks: 1 Mozzarella Babybel, 24 raw almonds

Stats:

• Steps: 7225
• Calories: 1148 consumed, 358 burned
• Weight: 194--Holding is acceptable, considering the indulgent eating from the weekend!

Weekend Report (Days 83-85)

I have been running flat out since Friday and had no time to write anything, so I am reporting on the past 3 days all at once.

The food this weekend was a little bit out of control. I forgot to make lunch for Friday, and then my absolute favorite food truck showed up to both save and ruin my day. I love Chirba Chirba with the crazy love, and their dumplings are nearly impossible for me to resist. I admit to some serious indulgence there. Then--it was Halloween. I had a few treats, though I stayed away from the candy itself. I figured that the corn chips, the sweet roll, and the cupcake (I make them every year) were more than enough. I will say that the indulgences of Friday and Saturday left me feeling positively ill on Sunday morning. I think I have trained my body to like healthier food better. Sunday was marginally better, though more calories than I should have consumed. I will try to make up for this craziness this week with some low sugar and low carb eating for a few days to get things back on track.

As for exercise, I did manage to get in some walking on Friday. I went for a morning walk as soon as I got to work instead of a lunch walk, and that was absolutely the right thing. It started my day off on a good note, and made my whole day go better. Then I squeezed in a couple of short walks later to get my steps in even though I skipped Zumba in the afternoon to go have dinner with the grandparents instead. Saturday, in addition to the normal stuff we have to get done and the farmers market run, we had people over for a little Halloween celebration. This means there was little time for exercise, even though I was on my feet for the whole day. Sunday was worlds better. We managed to get in a good family walk around Apex Community Lake before the serious rain set in--we got a little damp, but we were all in a better mood after we went! Then in the afternoon, I went to a Zumba class in Cary to try to make up for some of my skipped classes last Thursday and Friday. The instructor turned out to be Tameka, the same woman who teaches the Friday class in Apex that I like so much. That was definitely a win! Top off the day with some ab work and a family dance party, and it was a good, active day. I still consumed more calories than I should have, but I will work on correcting for that this week.

Whew!

Log for Day Eighty-Five, 11/01

Exercise:

• Family Hike at Apex Community Lake: 2.38 miles
• Zumba class at the Cary gym with Tameka
• Ab Work: 40 sit-ups, 24 leg raises, 50 crunches, 42 second plank

Nutrition:

• Breakfast:scrambled eggs with cheese, 1 slice of honey whole wheat toast with butter, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: tuna salad wrap and a garden salad with thousand island dressing at Salem Street Pub
• Dinner:chili with cheese and sour cream, corn chips and guacamole
• Snacks:N/A

Stats:

• Steps:15,092
• Calories: 1527 consumed, 1024 burned
• Weight: 194

Log for Day Eighty-Four, 10/31

Exercise:

•   Nothing to speak of

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: sweet roll from Boulted Bread
• Lunch: pan seared salmon, veggie strudel from the farmers market
• Dinner: chili with cheese and sour cream, corn chips and guacamole
• Snacks:5 corn chips with sausage dip, 1 Halloween cupcake

Stats:

• Steps: 7592
• Calories: No idea--too hard to track on a day like this!
• Weight: ??

Log for Day Eighty-Three, 10/30

Exercise:

• Morning walk: 1.76 miles
• Short walk in the hood with Kieran:0.54 miles
• Ab work: 30 sit-ups, 24 leg raises, 50 crunches, 35-second plank
• Evening walk to finish steps: 0.56 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar, two scrambled eggs with cheese and a piece of Great Harvest honey whole wheat toast with homemade apple butter
• Lunch: Chirba Chirba lunch: a pile of Taiwanese style dumplings (9 - 3 each of 3 kinds), sauteed sesame glass noodles, a steamed chicken bun, and some sweet Chinese sausage--I have no idea how to calculate the calories for this!
• Dinner: chicken salad on whole wheat bread with a few chips at the S&T Soda Shop in Pittsboro with the grandparents
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps: 11,569
• Calories: Just impossible with all those dumplings! 409 burned though, so that's something
• Weight:194

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Pretty Thing(s) From My Walk

Day Eighty-Two: Rest Versus Exercise

I tried so hard to make it to my barbell class this morning, but I was so tired, and I woke up with a screaming headache--I swear I think I am fighting something off over here. So I got up for a minute, but then failed to go anywhere and fell back asleep for 2 hours. I clearly needed more rest, so I guess I did the right thing, even though I feel like a failure for missing class. I never know whether rest or exercise is more important, but I was so sleepy this morning, I really didn't have a choice. Tomorrow, however, is another day.

At least I made it for a lunchtime walk and got in all my steps for today. I even did a plank without it being part of a class or a challenge. That right there is a triumph of will because, as y'all know, I hate those things. Small victories...

Tonight, I am going to bed early!

Log:

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk: 2.03 miles
• Ab work: 25 sit-ups, 22 leg raises, 40 crunches, 30-second plank
• Evening walk to finish steps/miles: 1.04 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar, a Trader Joes fig cereal bar (I was in a HUGE rush and had no time for anything!)
• Lunch: baked chicken breast, French green beans with olive oil and porcini salt, 1/2 a large baked sweet potato
• Dinner: pan seared salmon with lime, stir fried veggies
• Snacks: a handful of holiday grapes--so good! 1 Babybel

Stats:

• Steps: 11,235
• Calories: 1302 consumed, 394 burned
• Weight:194

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Eighty-One: Finding a New Normal

I am so tired. I am getting into the new groove of working out, working and dealing with Finn's issues, and today was in many ways, just a normal day. It rained, so I couldn't get Finn out for a good walk, which was disappointing to both of us. He kept asking me about going on our "nature walk" and yelling at the rain to go away. So cute. I am so glad he likes getting out and moving.

I made it to Zumba tonight, only to be met with a sub, but was fine, but no Tiffany. I was really looking forward to that class, and it was kind of a bust without her. I came home and squeezed in a short walk and a bit of ab work to round out the day.

Tomorrow, I will hopefully get in another good workout day. But for tonight, I am about to pass out--too tired to write anymore. Whew.

Log:

Exercise:

• Zumba at the Cary gym (with a sub)
• Evening walk (in a light rain) to finish steps: 1.22 miles
• Ab work: 20 sit-ups, 15 leg raises, 30 crunches

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar, 2 eggs scrambled with cheese, little tomatoes, and 2 Applegate Farms chicken apple sausage links
• Lunch: I was feeling a little bit yucky at lunchtime (PLEASE don't be getting sick!!!), so I kept it extremely simple: whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a small banana, and some 2% milk
• Dinner: baked chicken breast, French green beans with olive oil and porcini salt
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps: 11,599
• Calories: 1349 consumed, 940 burned
• Weight: 194

Day Eighty: More Walking Needed

Today it rained and rained, so my intentions of walking were de-railed. I did get up and get to the barbell class this morning, however, and that was great. My legs are already getting sore after two weeks of no squats. Tomorrow, I will do better on the steps, and I plan to start re-adding ab work.

I was delighted this morning when I stepped on the scale to see that I had only gained back 2 pounds over the past couple of weeks. That could have been MUCH worse, and I was braced for a much higher number. Now I just need to reverse that and get it moving down down down.

Log:

Exercise:

• Barbell Strength Class at the Apex gym with Tracy
• Note: Lunchtime walk aborted due to rain :-(

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar, 1 boiled egg and 1/2 a honeycrisp apple
• Lunch: garden salad with honey mustard, crock pot chicken/onions/tomatos/peppers and cilantro, a handful of grapes
• Dinner: pan seared salmon with lime, stir fried veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, soy and sesame)
• Snacks: 1 Mozzarella Babybel, about 15 peanuts

Stats:

• Steps: 5031
• Calories: 1097 consumed, 267 burned
• Weight: 195

Wild Child

I have mentioned before that we really notice the effect of going for walks in the woods on the boys. This is something I have been thinking about and that Jason and I have been discussing a lot for a long time. One of the main reasons I want to be fit and healthy and active is to set a good example for my children so that THEY will be fit and healthy and active. It is my fervent hope that if Jason and I set this example for them, they will have a good chance of enjoying lifelong benefits from the foundation we are building for them now. I want them to see for themselves how good it feels to be outside, to move, to run! I want Kieran and Finn to recognize the benefits of exercise and movement on not just physical health, but also on mental health, especially the attention issues that run in both their parents' families. We certainly see direct correlations between how well Kieran performs at school and how well Finn controls his temper when we get them out into nature. Jason and I both grew up playing in the woods nearly every day, and we really want the boys to have the same opportunity. Clearly, they love it, and it's so good for all of us!

If you are thinking about getting your own family outside more, I highly recommend this great book by Dr. Scott Sampson (the paleontologist from the PBS kids' show Dinosaur Train) called How to Raise a While Child. Jason's been reading this book, and we have been actively working on implementing some of its recommendations in our lives with these crazy boys. To be fair, we already were doing a lot of what he says, but it's still good to be reminded about why it's so important.

Partially to this end, and also for our own fitness goals, we started a tradition of going on family hikes on the weekends. We are fortunate to live in an area where there are many parks and semi-wild spaces around us, and we are trying to take full advantage of them. We seek out trails at the beach, in the mountains, and wherever we find ourselves. As the boys grow bigger and stronger, we are able to go farther and farther on these hikes, and it's getting glorious! And we are trying to let them lead us to a certain extent. Even on the greenway through our neighborhood, there's a stream in which they can stomp around in rain boots and get muddy, which is awesome. They are learning about our native trees and plants and animals--things that, as a child, I took for granted, but have realized as an adult that many people never know.

This weekend, we drove down to Raven Rock State Park and hiked almost 5 miles, our longest one yet, up and down big hills, along cliff tops and creek beds, and deep enough into the forest that we couldn't hear anything but the sounds of the trees and streams and critters. The weather was beautiful, the woods smelled like fall, and the dappled sunlight coming through those trees was absolutely rejuvenating. We were treated to stunning views of the Cape Fear River, and we saw many beautiful details along the path. Kieran ran almost the whole way, and Finn was a boss--he finally started to tire out at around 3.5 miles. We will definitely go back there.

As a bonus, my fitbit was so happy with that hike that it gave me a new badge. I always get excited by these, even though I know it's a little silly. :-)

Day Seventy-Nine: Where Did the Time Go???

The fact that it's day 79 is a revelation. I have been overwhelmed the past two weeks with life's complications that have left me with little time or motivation. I am determined, however, to climb back up onto the hill and finish this thing strong. I can't believe there are only 11 days left to go!!!

Since I last bothered to track anything, I've packed and unpacked my office at work, spent a tremendous time with my 5-year-old, who was expelled from his school, worked and met a bunch of end-of-fiscal-year deadlines, maintained basic care for myself and my family, dealt with a sick dog, and been to the gym like twice. I haven't been walking enough or exercising nearly enough, though I have tried to maintain the weekend hiking with the family. I have been eating OK, but not great, and that needs to change. The day we spent at the NC State Fair was particularly bad in the food department. So I am sure that I have gained back a few pounds, but I can't tell you how many, because I completely forgot to weigh this morning. The last time I stepped on the scale, it was an astonishing 193 pounds. Tomorrow morning, I will find out how much backsliding the past two weeks have wrought.

Today is a reset. 11 days left. I will kick their butts. :)

Log:

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk with Finn at Hemlock Bluffs: 1.99 miles
• Yoga Class at the Apex gym
• Short evening walk to finish steps/miles: 0.67 miles
• Note: I had planned on some ab work, but man, did yoga take care of that for me. And then I ate too much for dinner...ab work sounds like a disaster right now.

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: steel cut oats with brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and banana, 2 cups of tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: lunch at Toast Cafe with Finn: omelet with avocado, tomato, turkey bacon, and parmesan, a little bit of fruit, and half a piece of whole wheat toast with butter (Finn at the other half.)
• Dinner: quesadilla with crock pot chicken/onions/tomatos/peppers, beans, cheese, and cilantro on whole wheat tortillas, guacamole (Note: I ATE TOO MUCH AND AM SO FULL!)
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps:
• Calories: 1386 consumed, 641 burned
• Weight: ask me tomorrow...

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Sixty-Eight: Searching for Time and Inspiration

Lord, this is the week that won't stop smacking me around. Today, there was a serious lack of time. I had a hair appointment this morning, which meant no lunchtime walking in spite of gorgeous weather. Work was slammed, due to the fact that I am packing my office in preparation for new furniture being delivered this weekend--plus, Thursday is always my busiest day. Then there's the kid commitment. One kid is unexpectedly home full time as of this Monday, which means Jason and I are tag-teaming him between work commitments until we figure out our next steps for him. The other kid is doing well, thank goodness, but is still inundated with homework and time-demands. Sometimes, those kids mess up your health goals.

I did manage to go for a walk this evening, but not enough of one to keep the wheels on the bus. I somehow must find a way to do better. Tomorrow will be no better than today--maybe I can make up for things this weekend...

Log:

Exercise:

• Evening Walk: 2.04 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: Stoneyfield low-fat vanilla yogurt with Hudson News Good Times Cashew & Coconut Granola and tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: 2 grilled chicken thighs, cut up veggies with honey mustard, grapes
• Dinner: cheeseburger: 5-oz 90/10 grilled beef pattie, 1 slice of TJs smoked gouda, 1 tsp mayo, whole wheat bun, green beans in tomato sauce with onion and bacon fat
• Snacks: 1 Mozzarella Babybel

Stats:

• Steps: 8581
• Calories: 1310 consumed, 263 burned
• Weight: 194 (still moving SLOWLY in the right direction at least!)

Days Sixty-Six and Sixty-Seven: Mixed Bag

To say this week has been stressful is an understatement. Yesterday was a complete wash for both eating and exercise--this is due to a combination of stress and hormones. I don't like it, but that's life, and sometimes the stress is just too much to overcome. No sense beating myself up about it.

Today was somewhat better, though somewhat limited by circumstances. I worked at home today with Finn. After lunch, we tried to go for a big lunchtime walk, but alas, Finn fell about a block from the house--one of those bad falls in which he scraped all knees and elbows. So, we gave up and headed home, and the poor guy wasn't really up for a walk after that. I did make it to Zumba tonight at least, and it was extremely fun, as always.

Now, I can tell you definitively that I am not going to make it to the barbell class in the morning. It's already too late at night to get enough sleep, and I am utterly exhausted. I will just have to find time to do some strength training at home instead.

Day 66 Log:

Exercise:

• Nada

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 homemade buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, 2 links of Applegate Farms chicken and sage sausage, and tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: Babymoon Cafe's grilled salmon salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Dinner: cheeseburger: 5-oz 90/10 grilled beef pattie, 1 slice of TJs smoked gouda, 1 tsp mayo, whole wheat bun, serving of creamy cole slaw
• Snacks: a little slice of homemade lemon cake

Stats:

• Steps: 4649 (pathetic!)
• Calories: 1500 consumed, 0 burned
• Weight: forgot to weigh this morning

Day 67 Log:

Exercise:

• Zumba at the Cary gym with Tiffany

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: 2 homemade buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, 2 links of Applegate Farms chicken and sage sausage, and tea with milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: turkey and havarti on whole wheat with lettuce and mayo, grapes
• Dinner: 2 grilled chicken thighs, green beans cooked with onion in tomato sauce with bacon fat
• Snacks: 1 Babybel cheese

Stats:

• Steps: 11,352
• Calories: 1302 consumed, 443 burned
• Weight: 194.5

Day Sixty-Five: Great Fun Weekend, Bad Monday

This weekend, we had some awesome friends in town, and the weekend was full of people, chaos, eating, hanging out, drinking, and uttery laid back frivolity. I would not trade weekends like this for anything--they are so rare and so valuable, and we miss our friends so much. It was worth spending every minute of our time with them focussed on them and our neighbors and celebrating our town and our village so much! But...it doesn't exactly make for a weekend chock of healthy eating and exercise! So, I wasn't great, that's for sure, but it's also worth mentioning that it could have been quite a lot worse. I had a few cheats on the food (carbs!), and on the alcohol, too. I guess I just need to be extra good this week to make up for it. I feel like I say that more than I should. Witness that I haven't written anything in days.

Today was...well, it was not a good day. My kid is doing his best to derail the whole dynamic of our family. These kinds of days (and thank goodness they are rare) are the kind where there's a huge temptation to eat ice cream and crawl into bed. However, my only indulgence was a little slice of homemade lemon cake. And while I didn't get as much exercise as I wanted to, I did take a walk and eat decently for the rest of the day. Again--it's worth celebrating the small victories. Tonight, I'm going to bed early so I can make it up on time in the morning.

Log:

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk: 1.6 miles 

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese, a small honeycrisp apple, and tea with 2% milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: a big salad with honey mustard dressing and two grilled chicken thighs
• Dinner: a small pile of BBQ and some leftover homemade cole slaw
• Snacks: a little slice of homemade lemon cake

Stats:

• Steps: 8500
• Calories: 1233 consumed, 207 burned
• Weight: forgot to weigh this morning

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Sixty-One: Sore-ness and Indulgence

Today was lovely again, and my friend Lisa came with me on my lunchtime walk. That's seriously one of my favorite parts of the day--getting outside for a little bit in the middle of the work day. I was planning to go to a Barbell Strength class this morning, but my quads were so very sore from Tuesday that I could hardly walk when I got up. I really don't want to injure myself, so I opted out. I hate missing class, especially when I actually make it out of bed for it at 5am, but I would hate losing a whole week to injury even more, so...

As for food today, well...that's a mixed bag. We went to the Durham Performing Arts Center tonight to see Neil deGrasse Tyson speak--a lovely date night in the middle of the week. Before the lecture, we met some friends for dinner at Bull City Burger & Brewery, and I had the tremendous indulgence of a pimiento cheese and bacon burger and duck fat fries.  That's certainly not something I plan to make a habit of eating, but it's hard to regret an occasional splurge like that for a special occasion. And I definitely count seeing NdGT as a special occasion!

Log:

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk: 1.72 miles 

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: spinach and mushroom frittata, 9th St. Bakery Omega 3-Seed bread with homemade apple butter, and tea with 2% milk and raw sugar
• Lunch: chicken noodle soup, half a honeycrisp apple, and half a yellow pepper with honey mustard dressing
• Dinner: pimiento cheese and bacon burger at Bull City Burgers and Brewery with duck fat fries--OH THE DECADENCE!
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps:11,462
• Calories: 1589 consumed, 221 burned
• Weight: completely forgot to weigh this morning

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Day Sixty: Two Thirds of the Way Through

Today is the 2/3 mark of the 90-day challenge and I'm down  about 16 pounds--this means I am averaging a loss of 1.87 pounds per week so far and that I've lost 7.56% of my starting body weight. I feel like it's flown by, honestly. The first month was strong; the second month--well, not so strong. I am determined to make this last month the strongest yet! My long term goal is 165 pounds, but as I have said before, this is about so much more than the number on the scale. I want to be strong and healthy! I am building habits and routines that I can maintain for the long term. And really, so far so good. I feel better, both physically and emotionally, than I did on August 8th, and I feel like I look better, too. I am happy to be setting a good example for my kids. There's so much room for improvement, too--at this point, I can't help viewing this whole journey with a ton of hope and optimism.

It was fantastically beautiful outside again today. I walked a little faster and farther than usual with some great music and a light breeze. I didn't have time this morning to pack a lunch, so I stopped at a little local cafe near the end of my walk to grab something. I know the people who own this place are very particular about the quality of the food they serve, and that they are, themselves, very healthy-conscious. Their ability to find good produce year round is amazing. I got a wasabi tuna salad wrap that was one of the best things I have eaten out in a long while. It was packed full of veggies and very light on the dressing. I'll definitely get it again! I am grateful to have a good backup place near my office for days when I don't have something from home.

Side note on today's walk: the jersey knit skirt I was wearing today kept sliding down as I was walking, a rather amusing combination of curse and validation. I rigged it up with the clip on my card keys for work. I think I am half way between sizes, which is a little rough. I don't want to go shopping, but I may have to get some interim clothes to keep from a) looking like a hobo, and b) ending up pants-free in the middle of a walk. Lol.

I did too many split squats yesterday, and my quads hurt so much today that I nearly need assistance to sit down on the toilet. However, today's big triumph is that I overcame my temporary disability, and I went to my Zumba class anyway. My hope was that doing some dancy cardio would loosen things up a bit, and it kind of did. Still hurts though--I am hoping it will be OK by tomorrow's strength class. I really want to make all my classes this week, but I also don't want to hurt myself.

Log:

Exercise:

• Lunchtime walk: 2.22 miles 
• Zumba class at the Cary gym with Tiffany (still my favorite!) 
• Ab work: 35 sit-ups, 24 leg raises, 50 crunches, 1 minute plank

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: tea with milk and sugar, steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and half a banana
• Lunch: a wasabi tuna wrap from Chelsea Cafe with a small side of broccoli salad
• Dinner: homemade chicken noodle soup and half a honeycrisp apple
• Snacks:1 Babybel

Stats:

• Steps:15,551
• Calories: 1311 consumed, 1088 burned (which is why I love Zumba!)
• Weight: 195.5 on the home scale

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Note: This isn't the best picture, but this is a beautiful monarch butterfly--the first I have seen in ages--so I am including it even though I couldn't get a great photo.

Day Fifty-Nine: SUN! and an Official Weigh-In

I'd love to tell you that I hopped out of bed at 5am this morning feeling energized and ready to go, but the truth is that I dragged my sorry self out of the bed with a lot of mental ranting about the early hour, the warm bed, the cuddly cat on my feet, and the gigantic temptation to stay put till about Thursday. But I made it to my barbell strength class for the first time in weeks, and I am so glad I did! If I had given into the temptation to snuggle in, I would have regretted it and spent the day feeling like I had let myself down. Since I didn't wimp out, I walked outside at 5:25am and was rewarded with a gorgeous navy blue sky filled with stars, a crescent moon, and two super-bright planets floating overhead--so lovely and so VERY welcome after all the nasty weather over the last couple of weeks!

Going to the gym this morning means I actually officially weighed in for the first time in a month. Their scale doesn't agree with mine of course (mine is better), but it's still showing a net loss, which is what counts!

I was so excited to go for a walk at lunch, and my friend Lisa even came with me. I could have walked for hours, it was so beautiful outside! But it was Lisa's first day walking with me, and she's kind of easing in. Tomorrow is supposed to be even better weather than today,  so hopefully I can go farther.

At knitting tonight, I was trying to resist a serious chocolate craving, which actually doesn't happen to me all that often. I had talked myself out of the cookie that I wanted, and I just ordered a cup of tea. And then, damn if they didn't give me the cookie for free! I used 100% of my willpower to cut it in half and give half of it away, but it was STILL more calories than that cookie deserved. At 440 a pop, I will not be getting another one of those for a while.

After knitting, it was too late, and I was too tired to do an evening walk, so I didn't quite finish my steps. However, I am still calling this a decent exercise day, however: my legs are so sore from all the split squats I did in class this morning that I almost can't walk up a flight of stairs.

Tomorrow: Zumba! Yay!

Log:

Exercise:

• Barbell Strength class at the Apex gym with Tracy (who may or may not be trying to kill me)
• Lunchtime walk:1.66 miles (with Lisa!)

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, and half a banana
• Lunch: baked chicken breast, a big salad with Briana's honey dijon dressing, and half a honeycrisp apple
• Dinner: stir fried skirt steak with ginger, tatsoi, and shitake mushrooms, jasmine rice
• Snacks: half a Panera chocolate duet cookie (220 calories! for half!) and a big cup of tea at knitting

Stats:

• Steps: 8851
• Calories: 1607 consumed, 479 burned
• Weight: 196 on the home scale, 201.9 on the gym scale (I sure like mine better!)

Pretty Thing From My Walk

Pretty Thing From my Walk

Day Fifty-Eight: Trying Out Some Yoga

Today it rained. Again. We've now officially broken all recent records for the number of rainy days in a row in North Carolina, and I am so over it, I can't tell you. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, and I think if it's not, I will stage some sort of weather-related revolt. I am not cut out for this many grey days in a row.

My food today was good and on track. I made all of it myself, which is always a good feeling. And I resisted the temptation to abandon my leftovers for lunch, which were actually quite good, and go out to lunch, where I would have spent money to eat lesser quality food. I am a little proud of that small triumph.

To combat my slug-like feelings, I went and tried out a yoga class at the gym. The timing of it worked surprisingly well between dinner and the boys' bedtime, so it might actually become a thing. The last time I tried doing yoga was about a year and a half ago when I had actually found a yoga teacher I liked, and before said teacher quit teaching at my gym and moved away (still sad). I only did it a couple of times then, and it was terribly frustrating to me because my core was so weak that I literally couldn't do half the exercises. Tonight was so much better! My core is so much stronger from all the ab work i have done since august and the strength classes I have been taking--I was actually able to hold a plank when she said to, and I was able to get my body into the majority of the positions requested of me. This class is designed to be basic, and I am grateful for that--it's been hard to find one where everyone there wasn't already a full-on yogi, which is more than a little bit intimidating. It was refreshing to have good instruction, low pressure, and a pace that I could follow. I hope I can make this work and add it to the overall schedule.

I got a little bit overheated in yoga class, and I could NOT get cooled off. It stopped raining this evening, and it was breezy and cool outside, so I did manage to squeeze in a tiny little walk after the kids were in bed. It was short, barely a mile, but so worth it. I am finally cooled down, and I feel slightly less sluggish. Now, I am wiped out, and I am heading to bed in the hopes that I can make it up at 5am for the barbell class!

Log:

Exercise:

• Hatha Yoga class at the Apex gym with Beth
• Quick evening walk:1.02 miles

Nutrition:

• Breakfast: spinach and mushroom frittata, a pile of little tomaotes from the garden, 2 cups of tea with milk and sugar
• Lunch: leftover roasted chicken breast with carrots and potatoes, green beans cooked with onions in tomato sauce and bacon fat, red seedless grapes
• Dinner: radish top pasta from The French Market Cookbook, by Clotilde Dusoulier, but made with spinach, as it's what I had on hand (Note: Both this cookbook and this recipe are fantastic--I can't recommend this strongly enough!)
• Snacks: N/A

Stats:

• Steps:6195--not enough! stupid rain.
• Calories: 1246 consumed,  354 burned
• Weight: 196.5 on the home scale