All Things in Moderation

Yesterday, my points matched my activity level - TOO MUCH! I tend to go overboard in exercising sometimes, and the combo of elliptical/treadmill/core class/kickboxing nearly did me in. I also did my PT, and as lame as it is, it's HARD work when you're as weak as I am.

Today, I am doing my best to be mediocre ... er, do all in moderation. I did a few 'laps' at work, going from one side of campus to another. Craig made muffins for breakfast and though I had an 'extra' (read:12 points worth) I kept the rest of the day's eating to yogurt, banana and latte. If I were on Core foods I'd be doing good with that stuff (although the muffins themselves woulda been off limits). Tonight I am having 0point soup for dinner and will treat myself to coco with marshmallows after I write my freelance piece. I need to do my arm work for PT but that's best done while watching the Biggest Loser.

My Tues. night class was canceled so Zula and I took advantage and went for a walk at Pioneer Park. We were among several at the start but it thinned out as the sun went down. It was the kind of day when the sun could convince you it's not February and the Groundhog didn't predict 6 more weeks of winter. The wind ripping down the street could nearly have been mistaken for a breeze off the lake you remember as a child. I let Zu offleash for about 5 minutes as we walked along the stream cutting through the park. She would race up and down the berm and I don't know how, but managed to never fall in. She eventually tired out and I put her back on the leash though I think she would have preferred me to carry her! Our neighbor upstairs, who loves Zu and Zu loves back, is going to watch her for a couple hours while I do homework and write. It's a three way tie for who will be happiest :)

The Next Day

My hip hurts. Like someone beat it with a mallet. It feels bruised from the inside out. I may not be a runner after all.

WAY over points today, but I also worked out for HOURS (between PT and the Y) so I feel like it was really fuel more than overeating.

I took my dog out at 530 this morning. It is now 943 and I am exhausted. So good nite.

Goal for the Day: Two Fruits

WW online has a link that helps you set small goals daily. Today's obviously, is eating two fruits. I am counting the blueberries in this morning's fresh, homemade, 3pt muffins as one, and the post-workout banana as another. So - Goal, Achieved!

I sent out an email yesterday asking (begging) people to join me in a 5K training program from coolrunning.com called the Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I just spoke to RaeLeigh, and she told me no way, no how. Hubbie also turned me down. I'm thinking I can maybe convince my little sis - after all, she already LIKES running, and it's not nearly as hard to move that little waif of a body as it is to move, well, mine.

Today's workout was 10 sets of 3-rep laps: 2 walking, 1 running. I taped my shins at the beginning to avoid shin splints, but ran the tape right off about half way through. So I am currently sweaty, my shins (and back, of course) hurt, and I am coughing up a lung (how did I ever exercise when I smoked?). I was really in a 'zone' if there is such a thing, and am also pretty damn impressed that I finished. Just imagine how awesome I'll be when I finish a 5K!

That is the workout I'll be doing the rest of the week. Tomorrow, I'll be doing a Core class and legs for Activate America. And some cardio since there's no such thing as too strong a heart! (right?) For now, need to stretch out the lactic acid in my muscles. Being sore is generally the thing I hate most about working out and has been the cause of not returning to several classes (pilates, yoga, step).

We are having an awesome day. Craig served muffins while I read the paper. We are taking part of a meal to the homeless families at our former church. Walked Zu to the coffee shop for a latte (me, not her) and finished knitting a scarf. Dinner tonight is beef tenderloin crusted in coffee with PBcupIceCream Pie for dessert. Good thing we got plenty of exercise in huh?!

What I Did Right

A quick overview of my greatness in the last few days: lost 1.2 pounds at WI (same as CL!); took Zu for a walk downtown yesterday; completed two phys. therapy sessions, am sitting with 'new' posture and doing the assigned excercises; journaled everything I put in my mouth.

The back is killing me, so my level of strenuous exercise has decreased to walking the dog. Gotta tell ya, this is NOT my favorite part of the healing process. But I do have a better idea of what is going on: I have a very weak core. We already knew that, but I'm also hypermobile, meaning the ligaments in my neck are not tight enough to keep my neck where it needs to be. Instead, my muscles (which are weak) are working overtime. So they are sore and tight which then hurts my neck and back more. I'm retraining my muscles in my back to be where they need to be (instead of the slumped position they have adopted in the last few years) and working to breath from my diaphragm rather than my neck (I know, how do ya breathe from your NECK!?). Eating in the next week is going to be really important bc I wont be getting as many APs as usual.

ANOTHER trainer told me I look like I've lost weight. Great little smile from that one, for sure. My friend Betsy is feeling down bc she hasn't been doing so great with points lately. But I am still sooo proud of her for exercising, and just being aware of what needs to happen. Some days, folks, getting out of bed is a victory.

Our new neighbor is moving in today. Hope she is cool and likes Zu (and vice versa). Craig is out getting groceries for the week. Mom gave us last year's big WW cookbook so picked some yummies out of there to try for our VDay dinner on Sunday. I am hoping our new tradition can be to cook a wonderful, OP meal together on Sundays. A much better option than going out to a high-cal, high-priced meal on the town.

Planning on taking a good walk with Zu in a few hours. It's very windy so we'll have to see how far we make it. Also doing my first interview for my freelance Gaz assignment - talking to the peeps at Bruno's about moving location. I LOVE Bruno's, so hope they don't have any stray cheesecake lying around!

The Good and the Bad

I forgot to mention: I talked to the doc about my struggles to lose weight. She informed me that since I'm on antidepressants, and a rather high dosage at that, it's just going to be hard. No advice on how to make it easier; no suggestions that I could just go off my meds; no empathy at all. I asked Craig what he thought about my ditching of the meds, and he said no way, jose. Of course, this is my non-drugged, 14-pounds-gone-in-a-week husband, who also prefers his wife mentally sound and only a little crazy, so he would naturally choose the option that is best for me, even if it doesn't make me skinny (sorry about the run-on).

We were in Fairview over the weekend, which included tournaments in Wolf Point. Food features there: pizza, nachos, popcorn, candy, rice krispies, sloppy joes. Nary a veggie in sight. We started our Saturday at Stella's with a heaping helping of breakfast because we knew it would be late afternoon by the time we had another meal. But even with just eating twice, we sucked it up on the points. BAD.

On Sunday, we had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Another two meal day that included dinner at Cheryl's, which is always guaranteed to please. She had out veggies and grapes - I ate a lot of them. Why is it that whenever I have that stuff in the house, it just goes bad but when someone else cleans and preps it, I eat it by the fistful. I should have someone come do that for me daily and maybe there will be more carrots and less crackers. Dinner was Cheryl's attempt to be healthy for our benefit - sweet and sour chicken and rice. It was very good although the sugar in the recipe negated some of the health elements. Grama made Craig a birthday cake - red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Three layers. And it was SOOO FRICKING GOOD!!!!! I had two and a half pieces last night. NOT GOOD. We left the cake at mom and dad's because it was definitely not in our best interest to have it with us.

We hit the gym when we got back to town. Craig was resistant but had a really good workout, which I will remind him of whenever he balks at going. I went to Activate America, and the instructor told me that I look like I've lost a lot of weight. Another woman said she was thinking the same thing! So I guess that although I've only shed three pounds, my body is obviously changing as a result of working out so much and including strength training in that. I feel like now that I know how to do more than just the elliptical I can accomplish so much more at the gym, or at least get a better bang for my workout buck.

Two Two Two in a Row!

For the first time ever, coming at you from Billings Weight Watchers, ladies and gentlemen ...
Angie Lancaster has lost weight two weeks in a row!!!
That's right! Three pounds in two weeks! She is nearly back to her pre-holiday weight! Let's hear it for Angie!!!!


Thank you thank you thank you ... I give credit to my computer for allowing me to count points, my boss for saying stop eating from the kitchen, and most of all my wonderful husband for telling me to PUT THE CHOCOLATE DOWN!!

In other news ... I am so hungry! Had oatmeal at 7 this a.m. then a few hours later bagel with cream cheese (wiped off most of the cream cheese - ew! who needs that much cream anything?) with a latte, but didnt eat again til almost 3. A three+hour nap will do that to you.

The nap was a rsult of muscle relaxers, prescribed this morning by my doc. She told me all along my shoulder problem has been with my muscles being too tight, which rings true. She gave me muscle relaxers and I'm going to be doing PT as well. This might just be the answer, and better yet, NO CHRIROPRACTOR!

My goal for the week is to stay within my allowed points. If I had this week, just think what my 1.4 pounds could have been!

Got to the Gym and wanted MORE!!!

I was so tired today for some reason. Could be partly due to picking Craig up from work at 1 am but I was in bed early so it shouldnt have been a big deal. Anyway, I got home from work around 3 and rather than doing the 20 errands I needed to do, I took a nap with Zu. I haven't taken a weekday nap in ages and it was scrumptious!

Went to Activate America. We are on Week 5 and dont really need much instruction although I do really like the leader and people in the class. We did 30 min. cardio then spent the rest of the time going through machines in the Life Center. I have liked the leg machines up there for a long time but have never really known how to do the other stuff. I am more confident about them now. There is a couch25K program that I am interested in doing - trains you for a 5K if that's not clear. I would really like to do one this spring or fall but am going to need to tape my legs to fight the shin splints. If that doesn't work, I don't know how I'll run.

We got my chiropractor bill today - $263 for two months of care. Craig says he'd like to see me do some other treatment because our insurance doesn't cover it. I see the negative aspects of chiropractic care, but it is the only thing that has worked so far. I do not want to live in pain and I don't want to be scarfing pain pills the rest of my life. Surgery is not an option. I've done neurology, PT, ortho, cortisone shots, massage - and I'm still not clear on what exactly is wrong (beyond tight muscles and bad rotation) or why it is like that but I hate how it affects my life. Craig has never been with me as a pain-free woman and I tend to think I might be even more lovable if that is the case.

Do It Already

I haven't blogged in almost a month.
That would be the same month in which I gained weight ABOVE my original starting point.
The same month that I was at the gym four times a week.
And the month Craig joined W.W. with me.

I am working hard - and last week lost 1.6. I saved points to go out with my husband to Enzo's on Saturday. I left the house during SuperBowl so wasn't subject to the fried food and weinies and chips.

But tonight - I got mad. I was upset. Anxiety infused my soul.
So I ate.
I ate the rest of a bag of chips, about 12 points worth.

Friday is weigh in. Between now and then there will be 6 bottles of water and 90 minutes at the gym. Veggies, fruits and chicken. Yogurt and popcorn and turkey.

I don't fail. I'm doing it.