More Milestones

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As I was on the treadmill yesterday, I pumped the speed up until I hit my stride, and noticed I was easily running a 9-minute mile.  This isn't a race-winning speed, by any terms, but what it means is I have shaved an entire minute off my average mile pace in just three months. I was thinking about how far I've come in just about three months, and it really humbles me.  I've rediscovered running, given my diet an overhaul, and gotten my weight down to what it was when I was 19.

Yesterday I was excited to report that I was at my weight-loss halfway point from the goal I set at the first of the year, but what I didn't remember until later is, I have actually lost thirty pounds from my very heaviest in 2006. It was not a great time for me; I hated my job, drinking cocktails like it was my last night on earth, not making exercise a priority, and I was busting the seams of my size 14 clothes.

Today my life seems to be a complete 180, and though I abandoned a career path that seemed like a fast track to success, I have made peace with it knowing that allowing myself to step back and let my career flounder in my 20s was ultimately the right decision for my own happiness, sense of self-worth, and personal empowerment.  I knew that the field I was in was actually a toxic element in my life and choosing me over my job was what I had to do.

Saying that out loud feels like a deep breath of fresh air.  Thanks for letting me share with you.

Beach Bods

Right about now Target launches their swimwear collection and this year it's very much my style.  Abby and I paid a visit to Target over the weekend and in addition to browsing the shoes and picking up some liquid hand soap, which had to be done, we did a fair amount of cooing over the adorable mix and match bikinis.  I want them all, but mostly, the goal is to rock the swimsuits I already have.

This summer will be the year to flaunt beach bods.  We're going to sit by my pool and feel awesome about it, even next to all those tan 22-year olds.  Abby's got her goals set on a Raquel Welch body, so I told her I'll see her RW wager and raise her a Halle Berry.  Just look a those legs!  Really, you can't go wrong with either.

Gentlemen, wash off those boats and shine 'em up, 'cause you're taking us out and we're gonna look good!

Pushing the Limits

Last night I hit the gym for my scheduled 6-mile run.  At about 5.5 miles, I was thinking about yesterday's post and how I talked about pushing my limits, so I decided to practice what I preach and change my goal on the treadmill to 7 miles.  It was hard.  I haven't run more than 6.5 in a long time, and while a half mile doesn't seem like much, I still had to push myself for that much longer.  I had my ipod cranked up while I told myself, "I can do this.  I can do this."  And I did.  I felt triumphant when I completed that seventh mile, drenched in sweat, and I found myself wishing there was someone there at the gym I could high-five.  No one there knew I had just brought myself to a new level.  But I did, and I guess that's what matters.

Progress Update

When I started this journey thirteen months ago, I thought I'd have accomplished my goal and moved on by now, but it has proven to be a longer process than I originally expected.  I went on vacations, I enjoyed the holidays, and even took a couple wine tasting classes.  My weight went up and down and I barely blinked.  In all honesty, fitness slipped from being my primary focus.

As I mentioned before, Hawaii was my turning point.  As I began on my new journey during that vacation, I had a conversation that really helped me solidify my renewed effort to work out and be healthier.  Andrew and I were lazing around in our room in the condo talking about work and life goals, and I asked him, "do you think I could lose thirty pounds?"  Without hesitating, he said, "yes."  It felt good to have someone support me immediately.  He didn't bring up obstacles or question whether or not my number was realistic, he just told me I could do it.  Other successful people whom I admire have referenced the constant support of a partner or spouse when they decided to take on new things throughout the course of their careers, and I feel lucky that I have that support in my own life. 

Even if I'm over-reaching, having a cheerleader who believes I can do it is a huge motivating factor.  I realized I don't need to set "safe" goals that I know I can accomplish.  Why not try for something I've never done before?  I decided to set loftier goals for myself, and make it a priority.  I can run more miles, I can set a lower goal weight, and I can have a six-pack.  I can do it.

Right now I'm the lowest weight I've been in a couple years and I'm determined to continue tipping that scale and increase my strength.  I can and I will.

Aloha and Happy New Year!

I seem to have a bad habit of falling off the radar for lengthy episodes.  Work got crazy, my class (wine sensory evaluation) took up a good chunk of free time, and mixed in there was my social life and the holidays.  In any case, my apologies.

The day after christmas I got on a plane with the in-laws bound for the Big Island of Hawaii.  It was a much needed, much appreciated break from the damp and gloom of Seattle winters.  Initially, I had planned to do what I like doing best on vacation: read by the pool, drink afternoon cocktails, and, with a few exploration adventures mixed in, relax with the family.  And I did.  

I brought my running shoes with the plan that I'd get in at least a couple runs a week while taking it easy.  When I got to Hawaii, however, something took over.  It started innocently enough.  I got up early that first morning because of the time change from Seattle to the islands and decided to hit the pavement for an easy run.  It felt great.  I wanted more.

I made a decision to start out each day with a run.  I snapped a picture during my workout, sending it to my running buddy who gets on my back if he thinks I'm slacking off (I love you, Wade!), and I realized this might be a good way of keeping me honest in my commitment to run every morning.  It worked.  Every day I sent home a different picture titled: view from my run. occasionally also forwarding it to family members, or various friends in Seattle, but when palm trees are involved it's hard not to seem like I was bragging - just sharing!  Promise!

In addition to getting up and sweating each day, I was also having a good time deciding what snapshot would be representative of my chosen route.  By the end of the vacation, not only did I have bragging rights for sticking to my fitness commitment, but I have a great photo-diary of the experience.

We stayed in a resort complex known as Mauna Lani.  Several individual hotel and condo compounds make up Mauna Lani.  This is the entrance from the highway.

Our particular development was called the Golf Villas, which were surrounded by a golf course, as were all the other resorts.  I'd gotten up late this day and it was already pretty sunny and hot when I got started.

(3 mi run on the first day)

I liked to get started early and be out the door before 6:30 am.  Before 6:30 it was really too dark, and as the sun was rising, the temperature was perfect.  Usually by the time I got back it was in the low 80s and I had broken a good sweat. 

(4 mi run on the second day)

Often, I left closer to 7:30am.  The temperature was still pretty good and the wind in the mornings kept it feeling relatively cool.  This is the road leaving the Golf Villas.  

(4 mi run on the third day)

All the roads and even highways were designed with giant shoulders to accommodate bikers, runners, and golf carts.  This is an extremely active resort area and I rarely had the road to myself unless I got up before daybreak.  I actually really loved greeting all the other runners and bikers I passed.

(4 mi run on the fourth day)

The resort was built right overtop of what looked at first glance like barren lava fields.  Nothing grows here.  There's no soil for seeds to root into, so the rock stretches on and on.  It grew on me and I found it very beautiful by the end of the trip.  From what I could tell, this was the home of lots of birds, geckos, and mongoose.  Probably a few bugs too, but I never checked.

(4.2 mi run the fifth day)

I love the contrast of the lava fields and the palm trees that were planted at the resort.

(4.5 mi run on the sixth day)

All along the highway, people had brought up white coral rocks and written their names or messages with them.  I'd been admiring the shark for several days --it was right across the highway from our resort gates-- but by the time I had decided to run up there with my camera, someone had ruined it by writing ESTEP inside the shark.  I was annoyed, but at least the outline was still there.

(5.5 mi run on the seventh day)

 This was a common view from my runs.  No matter where I went in Mauna Lani, I was next to a golf course.  At night we were allowed to walk on the golf course, but during the day we had to yield to golfers.

(2 mi run on the eighth day - my "off" day)

 

I decided I liked the run up to the shark - the distance was right and there was a long hill up to the halfway-point, so you really felt the burn in your legs and lungs.  When I got to the shark the second time, to my delight, someone else had been annoyed by the defacement of the shark and had the cojones to scatter the stones.  I snapped a second picture.

(5.5 mi run on the ninth day)

There's a petroglyph park next to a beautiful lavarock and coral beach within Mauna Lani that we'd gone to one afternoon. It was only a few miles from our condo.  I decided to run that direction for 25 minutes one morning to see if I made it.  Almost.  I got about a half a mile away, and stopped to stretch at a golf cart crossing sign.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but you can see the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocks from where I was standing.

(5 mi run on the tenth day)

The next morning I new I wanted to increase my mileage, so I ran the route again, hoping to make it all the way to the end within 30 minutes.  My stopwatch alarm went off 50 feet from the beach.  Fantastic!  All those white rocks are sunbleached pieces of coral that have washed up.

(6 mi run on the eleventh day) 

That same day we made a stop at Costco to pick up some macadamia nuts to take home to my parents and co-workers.  While we were there we found some awesome athletic clothes and I was so excited about them, I immediately went for a second run when we got home.  This picture does not do justice to the sunset I witnessed.  It was absolutely beautiful.

(3 mi run on the evening of the eleventh day - yep, that's a total of 9 mi that day)

This might be my favorite shot of the entire trip.  It was also taken on my 3 mi twilight run.

 I ran the route to the beach again the next day and got a closeup of the lava and coral that covered the beach.  I also did a few push-ups and planks while I was there.

(6 mi run on the twelfth day)

 My final Hawaiian run was on the day we left.  I had packed the night before and got up extra early so I could fit it in.  I left the house just after 6am and started my run in the pitch black, watching the sun slowly come up from behind the mountain as I ran down the road toward it.  It was glorious.

(5 mi run on the thirteenth day)

It was a great project and I plan to carry through with this momentum into my daily routine.  Hawaii was really good for me, and I made some goals about habits to break and habits to make.  More fresh fruit, fewer starches, smaller portions, drinking more water, and cutting back on wine will all be worked into my habits this year.  Diligence and commitment.  I have been doing a decent job taking care of my body, but I want to be diligent and committed about doing a good job - maybe even a great job.

Coffeemate and a Check-In

This morning I woke up and I was a little sore, undoubtedly from yesterday's spill.  I don't feel like running today.  I'm not gonna.  I'm tired and my ribs/everything hurts.  I feel like it's hurting more as the day progresses.

Today is day-two without Coffeemate, and so far I'm not really missing it.  My co-worker Jeff calls it "white death."  I have to admit, that was part of my decision (maybe the nail in the coffin) to give it up.  I think I might be able to go cold turkey, but I'm not going to commit to that route just yet.  I think I need a full week of success before I call it out as a sustainable goal.

So I've been getting Jillian Michaels' e-newsletter, and one of her articles was How to Take Off Those Last 10 Pounds.  Her advice is simple, direct, and not at all what I want to do.  But I'm going to try... at least a little.  I drink plenty of water and I work out (but I guess I could more), and I try to stay away from processed foods, but the drinking and the salting are where I definitely over-indulge.  I am going to try really hard over the next several weeks to cut down on both A LOT and see how I feel.  I typically eat about twice the recommended sodium in a day, so this will be an interesting experiment.

The Elephant in the Room

I know I am super late posting my update.  I have a million excuses, but this blog is about not hiding behind excuses, and so I dug a picture out of my recent adventures to tack onto my stats.  Here's the ugly truth:  I fluctuated in weight a lot this month.  I had many glasses of wine and late dinners.  I was putting off weighing in as long as possible.

This morning I stepped on the scale and got the exact weight I brought to you last month.  I did, however, lose an inch of my chest, waist, and hips.  This caused my body fat percentage to read higher than last time.  Curious.  I'm beginning to question the accuracy of those calculators.

May will be a better month.

Small Steps and Trying New Things

I'm finding that when I get busy I let my fitness plan suffer.  To me, this is an indicator that I am approaching it wrong.  Sure, I want to work toward an ultimate goal and keep the big picture in mind, but when my schedule is full, as it has been lately, it helps me more to focus on smaller tasks to keep on track that way.

Abby and I discussed, and it seems that the secrets to our success in dropping extra poundage two years ago were in focusing on specific changes:

• drink more water
• eat more fiber
• cut out beer
• spend more time walking

Anyone can do these things, and there is no room for excuses.

It's time to go back to those simpler times and reteach ourselves good habits and make those priorities.  It seems easy when it's not a complete overhaul.  Today's goal:  drink a hell of a lot of water.  It's an easy thing to forget, so taking a day to be conscious of it might just help kick-start that habit again.

Another thing I'm bringing into my life is an hour of gentle yoga.  I've never been really into yoga, but it's worth a shot, right?  My mom gave me some yoga dvds she was bored with, and I'm enjoying them quite well.

The one I've been focusing on lately, Yoga for the Young at Heart, is actually perfect for what I'm looking for: serious stretching.  I may have mentioned that my right knee has been sensitive recently.  I've talked to a physical therapist and gone to see a massage therapist, and the general consensus has been that I need to be stretching more, and stretching right.  In this dvd, SWW doesn't have you do any crazy poses - it's all really simple and low key, but very targeted.  Here's to hoping this works!

March Monthly Check-In

I've finally got my March stats for you, complete with a picture.  I'm not throwing down huge numbers, nor do I really look different at all from last month, but I feel like a million bucks for getting back under 160.  It's not much under, but I'll take it.

I've got some big things coming up in the next six months, so I'm happy that I'm still making progress.  In addition to summer weddings I'll be attending and a pool in my complex that went tragically under-used last year, I've got a gaggle of former classmates to impress.  Nothing like a 10 year high school reunion to motivate me into getting into gear.  Looking good is part of it, but more importantly, I'm going to have something interesting to talk about. 

I've decided to enroll in a wine education program at one of our local CCs.  I'm tired of telling people that the only thing I've been up to is sewing and cooking.  There's a lot to be said for both of those, but it doesn't really take a conversation anywhere.  Believe me, I know.

Today's motivational gym song:
War - JJ Grey & Mofro  (shall I play it on repeat?)

monthly weigh-in!

Weekends.  Weekends are my challenge.  I love checking in each weekday about sticking to my plan... or not.  However, weekends are sticky.  I like to go with the flow, have drinks with dinner, and generally eat whatever.  It's been two months now and I'm not exactly losing weight at a break-neck pace, but the numbers are still going down and that's a good thing.  I still have about 10 lbs to go.  I don't think I can do it in a month, but maybe two?  I do feel less doughy, and my waist is a lot smaller than it used to be.

I decided to take this week off running for knee sensitivity issues, and I'm going to rely on my own determination at the gym.  My circuit training cardio plan has been good for keeping the boredom at bay (limit only 10 min per machine) and my buddy Jeff has been singing the praises of interval training on the elliptical machine so I'll give that a whirl as well.

And as always, it's all about portion control.  I love eating and when I taste something delicious, it's hard for me to stop.  I read something in Shape yesterday that might help: visualize the bikini bod.  I'm going to try that.

See y'all tomorrow with some stats to report!

first monthly check-in

So I'm off to a positive start.  I've lost 4 lbs, 3.5 inches from my waist, 2.5 inches from my hips, 11% body fat (holy moly!), and am down 0.6 points on my BMI.  I want to continue to work toward my goal at a faster rate, but I want to make sure it's sustainable and realistic for my lifestyle.

I'm also feeling the need to keep myself accountable with more hard numbers, so each post I'm going to report what I did the day before to work toward my goal, diet-, exercise-, and hydration-wise.

Yesterday:

Net Calories: 1,778 (529 over)

H2O Intake: 40 oz

Total Exercise: 40 min

Cardio: 20 min

checking in today

Lately I've been great with my eating - I still indulge a little, but I've really kept it in check.  I've made changes like pouring myself a glass of water when I wanted a second cup of coffee (with cream and sugar, of course), and I've limited my portions to half of what I was eating before, which was a lot.  I like to eat, I like going out to restaurants, and when something is delicious, it's easy to just keep going rather than setting it aside and boxing it up to go.  Not anymore - I've become so much more portion-conscious.

I've also taken to eating a morning snack at about 11.  I've found that it helps two-fold: If I go to the gym at lunch I feel stronger during my workout if I'm not starving, and if I have lunch with a friend, I'm much better about stopping when I've eaten a reasonable helping because I'm not starting from a rumbling tummy.  Today I ate a dressingless version of Ina Garten's grapefruit and avocado salad.  It's not low cal, but it tasted fresh and I don't feel guilty about it.  I figure as long as I get some cardio in, I'm good to go.  It's a glorious day today and a run to the Fremont Bridge and back might be just the ticket.

I'm finding that while I'm doing great with the diet portion of my life, I need to step it up with the work-outs.  I'm not getting 30 minutes every day like I want to.  Maybe it's every other day, or every two days.  Some of this is my busy schedule, some of it is my own lack of motivation on a given day.  Yesterday I did 40 minutes of strength training but zero cardio.  My goal is to make the cardio constant and the weights an additional bonus.  The trick is getting into a groove and making the time.

Friday is my monthly weigh-in.  Hopefully I'll have some good numbers to report to you.

A goal!

Holler!
Last night Monica and Ani came over to wii and watch the Biggest Loser. I love that show. I made pork chops, green beans, and brown rice. Healthy! (Monica what's the calorie tally on those?)
Weighing in on the wii I was about 4 pounds heavier than usual - but that was after I ate dinner. This morning when I weighed in I was 4.5 pounds less than last night! Sweet.

My goal, you ask? Some friends of mine are getting married in beautiful Cabo San Lucas next month. I am attempting to go on standby tickets, so in the event that I get lucky and get my butt there, I'll be on a beach and in photos so let's not embarrass ourselves, hmmm? My goal is 10 lbs in 5 weeks - a little accelerated but not unhealthy. LET'S GO.