It’s all up to me

Current weight: 221 (-2)

Pure mental strength got me through my workout this morning. I had the possibility of working out today after school so I considered sleeping in until 5 but somehow knew that if I did that I’d miss my workout all together. I am allowed 1 day off a week so it wouldn’t be the end of my 30 day challenge but it would set me up for a bad weekend. Instead, I hauled my butt out of bed and finished. It sucked the whole way through but I felt fantastic afterward.

Had the radon inspection today and we failed, I can’t believe it! A passing score is 3.9 and we’re 4.0. This will cost us $850 to fix. Awesome. Can you sense the sarcasm?

This weekend is the cookie baking marathon for the benefit next weekend. The good news is I found out a lot of kids volunteered to bring stuff so I won’t have to bake as much as I was planning, but it’s still going to be tough. I am just going to be hard core and not eat a single bite. Cookies are my weakness and I make damn good ones so once I start it’s hard to stop. I’ll chew my gum, just like they say on TBL and maybe even find a picture of an elliptical to put by the mixing bowl to remind myself of why I’m working so hard. Granted, my challenge has nothing to do w/diet or weight loss but it’s silly to push myself so hard in my workouts to eat 20 cookies later that day.

Progress toward workout goal: 117

Current weight: 223 (-.5)

Not much to write today. I can’t do the bootcamp on Thursday mornings due to the fact it’s my hubby’s chance to sleep w/o having to listen to the baby monitor so I did pilates this morning in case something came up this afternoon. Fortunately nothing did so I was able to do the bootcamp after school. I miss being able to workout twice a day, I’m hoping after we move that I’ll be able to b/c I won’t have to wait around an hour after school gets out to pick up my son. I know I won’t leave right away at 2:30 but if I can get out at 3:00 I’ll be able to work out in the afternoon. That’s what allowed me to be successful in the past and I liked that routine.

Food has been good but I’m still really hungry. It must be changing my workout routine b/c I thought it was PMS last week but TOM is over and I’m still starving. I’m using this as a chance to really listen to my body so if I’m hungry and after awhile I’m still hungry I eat something healthy. It’s scary b/c it’s easier to just stick to a plan and be hungry but I know it’s the key to lifelong success.

Progress toward workout goal: 116/300

Current weight: ?? I couldn’t weigh-in before I worked out so I’m not sure.

TBL last night was fantastic. There was only 1 person who initially got on my nerves and that person happened to get voted off. I’m sure that there will be drama and game play but for now they’re all inspiring me. If you watched it, what a heartbreaking story for the blonde woman, I think her name is Amber. Does bawling your eyes out burn calories b/c if it does I think I dropped a pound last night.

One other thing I noticed was that for the first time I weigh less than all of the contestants and it reminded me that weight is all a matter of perspective. I’m sure that all of them are dreaming of the day that they are “only” 223 pounds, just as I’m dreaming of being in one-derland, 175 pounds, 150 pounds, etc. I need to see how long I can stay ahead of the group. I’ll also be curious to see how the women look when they reach my weight b/c I’m always trying to visualize how I truly look.

Did day 3 of bootcamp and I’m really liking the add-on workouts to Barry’s. The plan is supposed to be that the first week you only do the regular workout, add an extra 12 minute workout the 2nd week, 2 extra workouts the 3rd week and 3 extra workouts the 4th week. If I do the final week like you’re supposed to I would have to get up before 4 am and I absolutely refuse to do that, so I’ll figure out a way to increase the intensity w/o adding the extra 15 minutes. I know it’s only 15 minutes but I cannot handle getting up when the clock has a 3 in the hour spot, even for a week.

A month from today is moving day, yippee!!!! But crap, that means I have to have everything packed up and ready to go a month from today. I’m so excited to be in our new house, it still doesn’t seem real that we’ll be moving soon.

Progress toward workout goal: 115/300

Current weight: 223.5 (-1.5)

Did the upper body routine today and added the extra ab workout. Fun, but tough. I definitely know I’ll feel it tomorrow.

I love working w/high school kids! Today we met w/our freshmen and I had them write a few things on index cards. One of the questions was “Tell me something interesting about yourself.” One kid, who I have already gotten to know pretty well, is bisexual, and meant to write that he wants to become involved in the Gay/Straight Alliance. What he wrote is “I want to join the gay/straight lions club” I think I might photocopy that sheet and keep it forever.

Moral dilemma–I have always said that I don’t want my kids involved in the Boy Scouts b/c they do not allow openly gay men to be leaders. I know, I know, they’re a private group so they can make those choices but I can choose not to support a group that does not share my values. Today the scouts met w/all of the kids at school (I’m actually surprised at this b/c as a non-school group this really shouldn’t happen) and Justin totally wants to join. He has been working on me hard since he got out of school. It would be so easy to look at all of the positive things that could come from him being involved and tell myself that one person can’t change anything but I know that this is a teachable moment and that it’s my job to shape him into the person I want him to be. I know my hubby will support me if I say no (he doesn’t care about this issue as strongly as I do) so the decision ultimately rests w/me. I guess I know what I’m going to do, I just had to “say it” here.

TBL starts tonight, I hope it’s an inspirational season and not purely reality tv.

Progress toward workout goal:114/300

Current weight: 225

Remember when you were a kid and didn’t like how something went so you shouted “Do over”? That’s what I’m going to do. The end of last week ended up w/me off track so now I’m declaring a do over. For the next 30 days I’m going to follow the Barry’s Bootcamp program and I’m going to keep track, just like Marathon Mom did. Today I got up at 4:15 and did day 1, the dreaded lower-body workout, but for some reason it wasn’t too bad. Maybe a new attitude helped to make it more manageable

I’m adding a little incentive to my program. If I complete the bootcamp program I can order the elliptical that I want instead of waiting for Christmas. It just so happens that the 30 days will end the week that we’re going to move, so I should be able to order the elliptical and have it delivered to our new house. See you in 30 days!

Progress toward workout goal: 113/300

Current weight: 221.5 (+.5)

I hate it when I struggle like this. I know it’s normal but when you’re in the middle of it you feel like you’re going to gain back every pound that you have worked so hard to lose. This week has thrown a lot of curveballs my way but I still chose the food I put into my mouth. Tomorrow I have to go to a luncheon for school and have no idea what’s on the menu. I’m going to make the healthiest choices available to me and work hard to not give up until Monday. I was doing so well last week, losing weight every day w/o barely having to think about it. This week I cannot get full. I’m teetering on the edge of PMS so I’m hoping that this is the culprit. On a good note I did get up early this morning and workout and I’ll be able to workout tomorrow afternoon so I can sleep until 5. I will get back on track, and soon. I just wish I was already there

Progress toward workout goal: 111/300

Current weight: 221 (no change)

Note to self: an entire Totinos frozen pizza isn’t a “snack”. Neither are 2 candy bars. Last night after supper I was still hungry so I ate 1 little piece of the Totinos pizza and proceeded to eat the rest. Then, out of sheer stupidity, I pulled the “what the hell, I already screwed up” card and bought 2 candybars while I was at the store. Nice.

So today I’m mixing it up a bit. First of all, my goal for the week is going to be to weigh-in under 220. I’m just not in the right frame of mind to be strict. Secondly, instead of getting up early to workout I’m doing it after school today. My plan was almost sabotaged by visitors tonight but I’m not sure if they’re coming and if they do they’ll have to put up w/me being all sweaty and stinky. It’s family so it’s not like they haven’t seen me like this before.

School must be getting to me. Last night I had a dream that a girl came in to see the nurse asking about birth control. When I asked why she said “because my brother and I are having sex and I don’t want to get pregnant.” The sad thing is I’ve heard worse than this in real life.

Progress toward workout goal: 110/300

Current weight:  ???? (didn’t have access to a scale before my workout)

As much as I loved the 3 day weekend it’s better for my waistline to have a more predictable schedule.  I did really well w/food yesterday until about 7:00 when I gave into the munchies.  And it’s amazing how hungry I was all day today.  Mind over matter.

Got up early and did the lower body of Barry’s Bootcamp and it was much easier than the 1st time I did it.  I don’t really think it was that much easier, but since I figured out the plyo/strength rotation it was easier to make it through the hellish parts.  I won’t say that I enjoy the exercises (there’s a few that I hate) but I enjoy the challenge and I look forward to the day that I can get through all of them w/o stopping.  In all honesty, I have never sweat that much from a workout than I have this one.

I am ex-haus-ted today, but I don’t think it was from getting up early to workout.  Everyone was out of whack today, so hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Progress toward workout goal:  109/300

Current weight: 221 (+5.5)

I’m guessing your eyes have popped out of your head and your jaw hit the floor w/the 5.5 pound gain in 3 days. I can’t surprise you even further to tell you it was in 1 day! Yesterday was a very carb-heavy day so I’m guessing most of it is water that attached itself to those wonderfully tasty treats and w/i a few days it will be gone. My shorts fit the same way they did yesterday when I was 216.5 so I’m not going to freak out. I’m going to look at my weight loss like the stock market, just worrying about the overall trend. There will be days that it’s up and days that it’s down but at long as that arrow is heading in the proper direction I’m ok.

I’m so happy that we’re off today for Labor Day. I would rather be off on a Monday than a Friday, it seems more restful. My in-laws are taking Justin to the parade downtown and then they’re watching Kyle so we can go miniature golfing. I think the weather is going to be perfect so we’re excited.

I started Barry’s Bootcamp yesterday and let me say that I’m impressed. I figured it was going to be a fun little break until I went back to Chalean Extreme and it may honestly be one of the toughest workouts I have ever done. I did the lower body workout yesterday, today I’ll do the upper body and you rotate those as well as tack on extra short workouts. It’s definitely not heavy weight lifting like I was used to doing but I think it’s going to be a great fat-loss workout. For both workouts you do 14 moves for a minute each with a 30 second rest in between. Piece of cake, right??? I couldn’t make it through the minute on a couple of them and for those that I did finish I was a sweaty, gooey mess. There’s a ton of high-impact plyometrics that I don’t generally do so it’s going to be a great challenge. I’m curious to see what the upper body workout will be like today. My biggest concern is that rotating the same 2 workouts for a month is going to get tedious but I’ll start adding on the extra workouts soon which should help w/that. I’ll post more later after I have done the upperbody workout.

7:00
Did the upper body workout and although it was easier than the lower body it’s still tough. I think I have it figured out that of the 14 activities, every other one is plyometrics. I’m going to have to stretch my calves more b/c they’re definitely tight after 2 days of jumping jacks, flying lunges and jump rope drills; but imagine how awesome they’ll look after 30 days of this!

Watched a good movie today, “Seven Pounds”. I had it figured out pretty quickly but it was still worthwhile. Cried my eyes out at the end, definitely recommend it.

Progress toward workout goal: 108/300

Current weight: 215.5 (-1.5)

I was really worried before school started that switching to an office environment was going to screw up my weight loss. For some reason it’s scooting it right along. I about dirtied my pants when I saw 215.5. A bit later I hopped on to confirm and actually saw 214.5!!!! I’m eating, I swear. Maybe I was eating more than I realized before but who cares? Seeing that number is going to help me get through the weekend. I was planning to start baking/freezing cookies for the bake sale at Kyle’s benefit at the end of September but that’s just asking for trouble. Instead, I’m just going to wait until the weekend before and spend the whole weekend baking. Plus, having those cookies in the freezer for almost a month is not a good idea. I LOVE cookies.

Another suicidal kid today, I don’t know what’s going on. It may sound weird but there’s a season for suicide and this isn’t it.

Worked out after school today and it felt good to do TJ. Then I went out and cut the grass. For the rest of the night I’m going to take it easy.

Progress toward workout goal: 107/300