2017 Summer Challenge

The blog has sat silent for quite a while now. The last time was 100 days before vacation to Jamaica, which was December. So...

I've decided to try my hand again at the blog and see if it can help get me moving again. I didn't do anything towards that last "I'm going to lose weight before vacation," in case you're wondering. I haven't really gained any more since then, but I haven't lost any either.

I thought I would aim for 5 pounds a month after I got home from vacation, which would have been January 2017, but that didn't happen either. I had motivation, but my sweet little Elizabeth kitten (she was 12) became deathly ill and passed away a week after we returned from vacation. Not how I wanted to return home.

I was to train for the Shamrock Dolphin Challenge in Virginia Beach this past March, but I was struggling to run. I chalk it up to the blood clots and pulmonary embolisms making my lungs much weaker than I thought they would be. I will not ignore the fact that I was/am out of shape and weigh more than I ever have, but the lungs were what bothered me most. So, I deferred the challenge until 2018.

Now, it is Memorial Day weekend and I am no closer to my goals than I was 100 days before vacation. I started thinking about this and decided to set a challenge to myself - lose a pant size between June 1 and August 31. I know that's three months, but for some reason it takes me forever to go down a pants size. I will lose shirt sizes quickly, but pant sizes just don't budge!

I thought about what have I been successful at in terms of losing weight. I have finally come back to Weight Watchers. I am not spending the money to officially join, but I've been a member so many times, I know how it works. I've always lost weight while on WW, so I'm going back to that on Wednesday.

While this challenge doesn't officially start until summer, I spent a good part of my day going through my work and workout clothes and doing three things - clothes that fit me go on hangers. Clothes that do not fit right now - do I like them? Yes - goes in the bin. No - donation. I've also thrown some clothes out because they are missing buttons, stained, etc. I'm hoping that by always having clothes that fit me easily accessible, I will be more inclined to feel better about myself. I'm going to restrain from buying any clothing, unless necessary - which might be pants, but I should be fine with shirts.

There you have it. My goal for the summer. I start Wednesday with the diet and workout routine. I will document everything here and hopefully by the end of summer, I will be down a pants size. Wish me luck!

Do you have any summer goals - weight loss, workout routine, read more books, eat in-season fruit, spend more time outdoors? Let me know!

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100 Days

In 100 days, hubby and I are going on vacation! Oh thank heavens! It's been over a year since we got away and I cannot wait!

But, I'm not happy with what I look like. I had a doctor appointment Tuesday night to update the primary with all the ankle stuff from the summer. And of course, the dreaded weigh-in. Apparently the ankle caused a 9 pound weight gain.

I suppose that's not too bad, but I am not happy in general with my weight and I really don't want to go on vacation looking like this.

So, I want to spend the next 100 days working hard on my food and my exercise. At this point I need to get my butt back to the gym and work out, even though I know it will be less than it was before the ankle break. I need to start eating better, stop buying dinners out and making food at home that's healthy.

So, here's to a healthy 100 days!





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Stationary bike problems

I am almost 3 months post-ankle break and was cleared last month to use a stationary bike. I can start at 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and so on. Then I can add the elliptical in short spurts, because it's not as hard on the ankle as walking. My final approved activity is walking, but I haven't really gotten that far yet. I haven't even gotten as far as the elliptical.

Why? Because I am used to being able to do any amount of time I want. Usually, I'll do 30-60 minutes on a stationary bike. I had been doing 30 minutes of walking at lunch and then some on the treadmill at night before I broke my ankle.

I'm sure that made no sense. What I'm {very poorly} trying to say is, I don't feel like 10 minutes is worth my time doing. It's easy, but how do I get myself dressed and drive to the gym to do the bike for 10 minutes, then go home? Plus, I'll be honest, walking in for 10 minutes on the bike, then walking out? Who among you wouldn't see someone do that and judge them? I would. I would wonder why did you come all the way to the gym to do the bike for 10 minutes? It wouldn't make sense to me and I would question it.

I need to get this idea out of my head if I want to run again. I don't have a clue when I can do that. The PT I saw in August didn't give me any timeframe at all for running, just the bike, elliptical, and walking. I have an appointment on Thursday and I will ask about it. I may not look like a runner, but I would like to go back to it. From the beginning obviously.

Any motivational thoughts to get me to the gym are welcome. :)


 

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Maybe the Mediterranean Diet?

Thank you https://bloguvib.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/mediterranean-diet/

I know I need to find a way of eating that works for me. I've tried so many various things - Weight Watchers, eDiets, 21 Day Fix, calorie counting. I did the best on Weight Watchers, but I just can't seem to get back into it. I don't know why, but I have tried off and on over the last couple of years and cannot stick with it.

I have been reading a bit on the Mediterranean Diet and wondering if this might be an option. I know I can't give up pizza, fries, or dessert, but I like the idea of more vegetables, fruits, fish, and whole grains. They are all foods I eat and may be a better way for me to get a healthier diet and lose weight.

I still have research to do, but it sounds promising. Do you have any experience with it? Any advice? I'm open to more information!



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The post where I come back

Well, hello! How are you? How've you been since January? Has your year gone well?

I had all good intentions of getting back into writing this blog at the beginning of the year. I did a few posts, then stopped. I don't know what happened, but I'll be honest, I kinda lost the password to get into the blog. And with that, I stopped posting because I didn't feel like I had anything good to post about.

But, I decided I wanted to have this back. I wanted a place where I could share what's going on and ask questions and show off my cats. Ha! You will always see pics of the cats!

So, I'm back. I'm not going to write multiple posts about what has happened between January and August, so I'm going to do a quick recap and start going forward from here:

• We had 30" of snow in these parts back in January. Made getting to work and training for Shamrock Dolphin Challenge a bit challenging;
• At one point, our schedule became so busy we started doing our long runs on Friday nights. It was actually fun and I loved that the runs were done so I could sleep in on Saturday mornings and sometimes get a second run in on the weekend.
• I ran my favorite three races in March - St. Patrick's Day 5k in Baltimore and the Dolphin Challenge in Virginia Beach. I didn't set any PRs, but I had fun. 
• I missed running one of my other favorite races in April - Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore - because I killed my back the week before and I just could not imagine running a 10k. It made me sad because hubby ran it, but I knew I did the right thing.
• In May, I decided with my Y membership running out in June, I needed a gym closer to home and one that I would have the ability to go on weekends. So, I joined the local Gold's Gym in town.
• June changed my life dramatically {and I am not exaggerating} when I fell off a stair in my backyard and broke my right ankle. It has been a rough summer and it is not healing as fast as I hoped {and read about}.
• I missed another race. I was signed up to run the Baltimore Women's Classic the following Sunday, but with a broken ankle, that sure didn't happen. I was not a happy camper.
• June also saw us plan our 15th wedding anniversary trip. We go to Jamaica every 5 years and this is the year we go back. We visited the travel agent and booked our trip!
• After the ankle break, the summer stopped. I used a scooter for almost two full months before getting the ok to start walking without it. It really messes with your mind when you always thinking about whether you can do something or not. I highly recommend not breaking anything from the waist down. Break a finger, your wrist, elbow, shoulder, ANYTHING but below the waste. It seriously impinges your ability to do anything.
• August brought some good news - the ability to stop using the scooter, then the ability to start walking without the air cast, and my husband's 40th birthday.
• I spent months {ask my friend who listened to me go on and on about what to do since February} planning a party for him, then I broke my ankle. I then had to re-do the whole party. It turned out well and we all had a fun time. That's what matters.
• We also went to Atlantic City, NJ for three days to celebrate his birthday {and to try to take suspicion away from the party}. We had a great time, even with my limitations. I got to put my feet in the ocean, even though I couldn't go swimming. It was something.

So, we are all caught up. Here's what's coming up in the next few months:

• Getting back normal movement in my ankle.
• Working with the doctors on some health stuff that's come up because of the ankle.
• Getting back to the gym, getting back to running {though I'm sure that will take longer than I want}
• Work on getting my eating under control. I didn't adjust the diet with the broken ankle and gained some more weight. Need to find a way to start eating healthy and stay consistent with it.
• Writing a journal article on the 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Philadelphia. My first attempt at being published.
• I also have an idea for an ebook that once my journal article is done, I will be working on.

My goal is to get back to writing on the blog several times a week, probably not everyday, but sharing my life and answering questions if you have any. Thanks for checking back in and we'll chat soon!

Elizabeth the Kitten

 Love ya!

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Food plan

One of my downfalls is healthy eating. I plan well, I find recipes, we buy the ingredients, then after work I get lazy and have no desire to cook it. We order in or heat up pizza.

I want to do better this year, so I've decided to make my meals on Sunday. This way I have all the meals I had planned for the week cooked and all I have to do is re-heat them. This may not sound appetizing to you, but it's perfect for me. I'll add a frozen vegetable to many of them and be good to go.

This week's recipes are all Weight Watcher approved:

• Veggie Chili
• Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
• Taco Bake
• Tortellini Soup

We have a couple unhealthy foods left over from the holidays, which we will eat because I am not going to let them go to waste - money-wise or meal-wise {there are people in the world who do not have food and I am not going to let them go bad}. If we sprinkle them in between healthy foods, it won't be too bad.

My goal is each week determine the meals for the week and then make them on Sunday. This should reduce how many times we skip the healthy meal for convenience. Time to write up the grocery list and get started cooking!
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My 2016 word is...

This year I want to be Brave. It may seem like a strange word to focus on, but in reality it's exactly what I need to do. I go along with people all the time above what I prefer because I don't want to rock the boat. I want people to like me so I just say yes, even if I don't want to do something.

This year I want to get better at saying no or I don't want that or I am not comfortable with that. This to me takes bravery as I have to tell people whom I would normally go along with that I don't want to. I will lose friends because of this, but I have to be brave enough to remember the ones worth keeping, the ones who matter will continue to be my friend.

• I need to be Brave in saying no to eating out when I know my goal is to lose weight.
• I need to be Brave in saying no to myself when I want to skip a workout.
• I need to be Brave in saying no to buying that "treat" on the way home from work.
• I need to be Brave in trying something that can help me in my career rather than saying no.
• I need to be Brave in saving money for things rather than buying whatever strikes me fancy.

So many things to be Brave about this year, but I can do it. This is my mantra for the year and it is doable.

Do you have a word you're focusing on or a goal you want to hit in 2016? Tell me about it!

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