May Losses

-11 pounds
-31.75 total inches lost
-.3% body fat

Inches broken down:
Neck -1
Upper Arm -.75 ea.
Middle Arm -1.75 ea.
Lower Arm -.25 ea.
Bust -2.5
Chest @ Armpits -1.5
Under Bust -1.5
Natural Waist -4
Waist @ Belly Button -3.5
Hips -2.5
Butt -2
Upper Thighs -2 ea.
Middle Legs -.875 ea.
Upper Calves -.75 ea.
Middle Calves -.25

10 weeks today & Mini-goal met!

Pity parties must burn a decent amount of calories!  I reached a mini goal today!

Non-official (because there's 1 days left of May), I've lost 11 (ELEVEN) pounds this month!!!  I am now .8 pounds BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight.  And have lost a total of 43.8 pounds since December; 27.6 of that in the last 10 weeks.


Next mini goal is to get below 186, so I'm no longer considered obese (6.4 pounds to go), should be there by mid-June.

I'm officially down a size, actually, probably more.  When I started, the size 18s (ug, gasp, oh the shame) I had newly bought because I couldn't stand wearing maternity clothes MONTHS after having a baby were so tight I couldn't even really wear them because they were so uncomfortable.  So I'd say I was probably EASILY a size 20, possibly bigger.  Now I'm in 16s, and I can get into 14s (as long as I don't sit or breathe LMAO).

I really needed this today.  Thank you, scale, sorry for calling you a bitch yesterday!

:(

I'm feeling rather sorry for myself today.  Why, yes, of course I realize there are far worse things people are dealing with than a stupid sprained ankle, but waaaaaaaaaah anyway.  The worst part is really that I'm constantly fighting the urge to comfort myself with overeating food in general, and indulging in very high calorie foods.  Alas, I know that there is no comfort in food, only misery -- but it's still a struggle right now.  I felt like I finally was hitting a really comfortable stride with my workouts.  I know I just need some rest and can get back to it soon, but in the mean time it just sucks.  The scale has been being a little bitch lately on top of everything.  Really hoping it will cooperate and give me my 10 lbs for the month!  I won't be hitting my cardio goal (125 mins short) and will fall 1 workout short of my weight training goal because I had to skip legs on Friday, and will fall 3 workouts short of my over all days goal because I can't do any cardio.  The only thing I have left is the pounds goal

That is all for now.

BOO!

I would never say that I'm all that unique, but I often think I am the exception to the rule.  It has been 5 weeks now since I started working out hard core, and in the 5 weeks I've taken 2 days off.  I've been told by numerous gym staff (including my own trainer), my husband, and many internet strangers on various forums, that I am going to end up over-training and getting injured if I continue at the pace I've been going.  I've graciously agreed, to their faces, then turned around and rolled my eyes because obviously they don't realize that I am certain that my body would not do that to me.

From day 1 of running I started having pain in my leg right above the inside of my left ankle, running about half way up to my knee.  I kind of ignored it because I figured #1 I'm very deconditioned so of course there will be pain, and #2 I'm heavy, so of course there will be pain!  I also knew my running shoes were very old and that probably had something to do with it.  Oh, and my muscles are all tight and I refuse to stretch (working on that one).  Well this pain has gotten worse with every passing run and leg day.  And now it's to the point that it ALWAYS hurts, even when laying in bed.  I started googling yesterday (Dr. Google, I presume), and found out that it is Posterior shin splints.  Now I've had shin splints plenty of times (the Anterior kind), and never knew there was more than one kind until yesterday.  So I go reading through several sites and of course if there is anything that I could do to make matters worse I've done it (old shoes, running through the pain, tight calves, never resting, never icing, never elevating).  Well, I have new shoes now, I have no choice but to rest, I need to start icing and elevating, and I promise to stretch.  My only fear at this point is that I've run, and done other various exercises, too much through the pain and have caused a stress fracture.  I'm giving it until Tuesday to see if it gets any better, then I'm going to go to the dr.

The GOOD news is that I'm almost to my goals for the month!  I've already lost a whole pound more than last month and there are 5 days left.  I will get my cardio in somehow (biking or light walking maybe), and even though I can't do legs, I can do upper body still!  I'm trying not to get discouraged!  There are like 34 weeks left until the half marathon, and the training program is 24 weeks, so I have a good amount of time to let this heal and still not get behind with the training.

And only .8 pounds to go until my pre-pregnancy weight!!!

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Goals so far: 23/28, 9/12, 1055/1200, 9.4/10

Fat Face, Not-So-Fat Face *Edited with new pic comparison*

I've been very discouraged the last few days.  Between my weight not really going down, my overeating yesterday, and whatever is going on with the pain in my lower legs from running -- I've been a little grumpy.  I looked through some pics and what did encourage me is that I can see a difference in my face.  So I'm sharing as to attempt to give myself credit for the success I've had thus far.

The pic on the right is from Luke's newborn photo shoot on 1/1/12, 12 days after he was born.  Not only had I just had a baby, but for God's sake it's just about the most unflattering photo ever taken.  I'm only sharing it because it's such a difference from the newer pictures, otherwise I'd have deleted it. 

The pic on the left is from 6/1/12.

So there you have it.  Credit where credit is due I suppose.

And Tuesday She Rested

I feel better today, after my temper tantrum yesterday.  My weight was back down this morning plus .4, so I still may make it to my 10 pounds for the month after all; 9 days and 2.8 pounds left, it could go either way.

Back in March I joined a Memorial Day Challenge on a forum I frequent.  I pledged to go from 219.8 to 196 by Memorial Day.  I made that goal today.  I am proud of that, but it has somehow been overshadowed by, what I percieve to be, my failure to lose 3 pounds last week.  I'm really struggling mentally right now, and I think it probably has to do with being so tired.

I decided Tuesdays are my rest day, since I took last Tuesday off I figured I might as well make it the same this week.  My body is tired, I'm achey, I'm sore, and if I don't be careful I'm going to injure myself.  I have to take a step back and make sure that I am not overtraining.  It's an easy pattern for me to slip back into, same with restricting my calories too low for too long.  I still consider myself sedentary, even though I have been working out 6 to 7 days per week pretty intensly.  I haven't been taking that into account when considering my calorie level.  While that may, or may not, be the reason my weight loss has slowed the last few days, I don't know.  But I know for sure it is why I'm so sluggish and grouchy and overall just feel kinda bad.  These are patterns and habits that have creeped back in over the past week or so.  I'm aware of it, so I am working on it.

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Goals so far: 20/28, 8/12, 925/1200, 7.2/10

The Good, the Bad, and the Fatty



Brooks Ravenna

I went to Runner's Den today to get a very well deserved brand new pair of running shoes.  It was a very good experience.  The salesman, Barry, asked me lots of questions, measured my feet, had me walk around with just socks on, watched how I stood, and based on that brought out a pair of shoes.  I then went outside and ran back and forth in them while he watched.  They were comfy!  He then brought out 4 more pairs of shoes, all of which I tried on my right foot while leaving the original pair on my left, then went outside and ran with each one.  The last pair were the ones.  Very exciting.  He then told me about my stride and the way I run and how I need to work on certain things which will make my running easier and less likely to cause injury.  I signed up for a free class on how to improve all of these things.  I'm very encouraged!  And this is the Good!

The Bad and the Fatty are one in the same.  I've been doing wonderfully with my eating and in the gym.  I account for every calorie that I eat, ensure I get a God awful lot of protein, and I work my ass of in the gym every day - I push myself in my weight training and in my cardio.  I joined a month ago tomorrow and have missed only 1 day.  Yet since last Monday I've only lost .4 pounds.  In fact I was down 1.6 but somehow gained 1.2 pounds from this past Thursday to today.  I'm furious, frustrated, irritated, upset, mad, sad, and overall bummed, discouraged, and pretty damn grumpy about it.  I know that weight loss isn't just a numbers game and that fat loss is different from weight loss and that it will probably all come tumbling off here soon because a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit.  But for crying out loud it makes me want to scream!  I've been working so hard and it's difficult to not see that reflected immediately on the scale.  If I were talking to someone and they were complaining about the same thing I am right now I'd have all kinds of logic and encouragement for them.  I'd tell them to keep at it (which I fully intend to do anyway) and that the scale isn't the only measure of progress.  I'd tell them to be proud of their ever growing cardio endurance, and their ever growing stregth.  I'd tell them to be proud of how meticulous they are being counting calories and macro-nutrients.  I would applaud them for abstaining from junk food, and give them props for the portion control they practice when having a small indulgence.  Why is it so much more difficult to tell yourself the same things you would easily tell another person?  If anyone in this world were as mean to me as I am to myself I would never be around them!

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Goals so far: 20/28, 8/12, 925/1200, 5.6/10