Sweat & Sparkle

One Day at a Time

After skipping a workout on Tuesday, I wanted to fit in a good, sweaty gym session last night. Running on a treadmill is quite possibly the most boring activity known to humanity, but I flipped through channels and watched other people to amuse myself, and I made it 70 minutes. Seventy slow minutes, but hey, I still did it! I added on 20 minutes on the elliptical and felt pretty good when I left.

So far no one seems to have noticed my weight loss. I’ve lost 18 pounds. Some of my pants are getting baggy, but I don’t think it’s terribly noticable yet. Well, it will be! I just need to keep working at it, day after day.

Whoops!

Apparently, counting is not one of my strong suits. I would have bet my life that this year is our 10-year anniversary, and I even wrote “happy 10th anniversary” in my boyfriend’s card. He kindly informed me last night that this is, in fact, nine years! I calmly and graciously corrected him, and he calmly and graciously laughed and told me again it’s been 9 years, not 10. Turns out he is right, and I felt a bit foolish for not getting the years right!

Since we are going out this evening and won’t be home until late, especially with an hour drive back from the town where the kids live now, I set the alarm for an early morning gym date this morning. It didn’t happen, but before you roll your eyes at me, know this: my boyfriend woke me up at 3 AM with his tossing and turning like a fish in the bottom of a boat, and when the alarm went off at 5:30, I could barely lift my eyelids. I reset the alarm for another precious hour or so of much-needed sleep.

So it’s indisputably his fault, ha ha. I am a little nervous that skipping a workout today will mean bad news on weigh day, but I will work hard this week and track all my food and still aim for a loss to finish off the month.

Last night I did an hour-long Les Mills Combat class, and I must be getting stronger, because the last time I did that workout, I hit a wall with 20 minutes to go. I gasped, huffed, stumbled, groaned, and cursed my way through those last 20 minutes. Last night it was still definitely a challenge, but I didn’t feel like I needed to have 911 on speed dial or ask my boyfriend to call a priest for my last rites. Every improvement is a step in the right direction!

Anniversary Week

I wasn’t quite sure how weigh-in was going to turn out. I worked out each day this past week except one, but that happened to be the day I caved and went out for dinner too. It always seems like it takes momentous effort to lose the tiniest morsel of weight, but one screw up can lead to weight gain, which strikes me as just a bit unfair!

I lost 1.8 pounds, down to 193. Why does it feel like I’ve been in the 190’s FOREVER? I will be so happy to dip into the 180’s and stop seeing the 190’s on the scale.

This week poses its own special challenge. My boyfriend and I are not married but have been together so long that we celebrate the anniversary of our first date. This year, on Tuesday in fact, we will be celebrating ten years together. Why can’t special events fall conveniently on a Saturday, my “cheat” day, after my weigh in and workout, of course?

We have to go to the kids’ town that evening for a school event, so we are going to go out to dinner afterward. I decided I would enjoy that dinner, but I have to make up for it, just like I did this past week. I will log my food on MyFitnessPal to make sure I stay within my calorie range the rest of the week, and I will work out each day this week.

The only time on Tuesday I will have for a workout is the morning, which is a struggle for me! I got out my calendar book last night and planned out my workout for each day, to make sure I fit them in. I scheduled myself for a nice, early morning run at the gym Tuesday morning. Now to hold myself to it!

Weight Training

After skipping a workout on Tuesday and indulging in a fried, high-calorie dinner, I wanted to make up for it a bit with a good workout last night. I headed to the gym, and I pushed myself to run 50 minutes on the treadmill, then tacked on 20 minutes on the elliptical. Sweaty and exhausted but strutting like a peacock, I made my way to the door pretty dang proud of myself.

Cutting back on soda has proven to be even harder than I thought it would be. By late afternoon, I am ready to climb the walls, and by evening, I am prepared to do bloodthirsty battle for just a sip. I know the cravings will ease up. Next week I’m going to start bringing juice to sip on during the mornings at my desk and cut back even more.

On tap for tonight is a weight-training workout. Now that I’ve built up a little strength, I’d like to hit my Jari Love weight-training DVD’s. If you have never heard of her, this is Jari Love:

I have several of her Get Ripped workout DVD’s, and they are not for the faint of heart. They use ridiculously high reps, to the point your muscles feel like they are going to fall off, but I know when I used to do them regularly (when I was in better shape), they shaped my muscles like nothing else.

Her style is to the point, serious, and some may say, flat and boring. And her workouts can be on the dull, monotonous side. When my younger stepdaughter watched me working out one day, she said, “That lady is probably afraid she’s going to get fired.” I asked why, and she said, “Because she’s boring.”

Critique from a 9-year-old aside, I admit the workouts can be a bit snooze-inducing, but I’d rather have a bit boring and get results than flashy, bouncy, loud, chatty workouts that don’t get me anywhere.

And…seriously…where on this wonderful Earth can I get shiny black workout pants like that? I love them!

Scratch the Itch

I struggled all day yesterday with feeling super-hungry and fighting a mad craving for one specific thing: chicken tenders from this local chicken place my boyfriend introduced me to. I just love how they cook the chicken, all crispy fried goodness, and they hook me up with extra honey mustard sauce too. I finally decided last night, for better or for worse, to scratch that damn itch and get it over with so I can move on.

My boyfriend and I went to that chicken place for dinner, and I got my chicken tenders basket and my luscious honey mustard sauce, and I enjoyed every bite. It was delicious! Exactly what I was dying for.

I know it was a high-calorie meal. I know it put me over my calories for the day, especially since I didn’t work out afterward (too full!) But it was 100% satisfying, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am going to meticulously log my food the rest of the week, and I signed up for an extra Spinning class on Friday morning, bright and early!

I am going to work hard to still have at least a small loss this week. It’s only Wednesday, so maybe I have enough week left to make that happen!