Couch Potato To Marathon

Every other Wednesday I either volunteer at the Salvation Army or a homeless shelter (Room In the Inn) my church participates in.  Tonight was RITI and I was asked to do the laundry.  (The only thing I was told was to make sure not to combine clothes.  Each person must have clothes in an individual load.)  Sounds simple enough…right.  Here is my advice to you, as I had to learn the hard way.

1. Make sure the laundromat you plan on going to is indeed a coin-accepting, do-it-yourself laundromat…not a dry cleaner.  Do not use your GPS, as it will send you to the four closest dry cleaner/alteration shops and/or abandoned laundromats.

2. Make sure you have coins as it is almost a guarantee that the coin machine at the front of the store will be “out of order”.

3. Don’t piss off the one lone staff member who happens to not speak any English.  No need to ask about the coins, just walk across the street. 

4. Now this is key: make sure you put the clothes in BEFORE you put the quarters in.  Otherwise you will have multiple washing machines going with NO clothes in them which wastes money, time, and energy.

5. Be aware that there are small machines that only cost $1.50, and there are very large machines that cost $2.50.  When you are washing each homeless person’s only outfit as individual loads, do not put them in the giant machines. 

6. Even though the instructions on the washing machine tell you to add the liquid detergent in dispenser 1, you must do this AFTER the “pre-wash” is complete.  Otherwise bubbles will come out of the top and Mr. Pissy staff member will shout things at you again.

7. Be cautious about the high heat of the dryer as it might melt the plastic and gum found in the pockets of some jeans.

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar, raisins

L: mashed potatoes, baked chicken, 3 reduced fat Oreos

D: Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat cereal w/ skim milk

S: bag of 94% fat free popcorn, chips and salsa

Tomorrow’s Agenda: teach, Maundy Thursday (MY FAVORITE SERVICE OF THE WHOLE YEAR), Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice, sleep!

I’m delirious.  I typed my food diary first so I could remember.  Except…instead of typing “potato”, I typed “butt ate o” completely unconscioulsy.  And now I’m laughing hysterically at something that isn’t the least bit funny.  It’s time for bed.  That my friends (among many other reasons) is why I have not blogged the past few nights.

Spring Break…where the hell are you already?????

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar, apple

L: Healthy Choice sweet and sour chicken frozen entree (w/ rice, broccoli, and peach crisp?)

D: tilapia, baked potato w/ butter spray

S: yummy yogurt fruit smoothie (w/ fresh fruit in the blender)

Tomorrow’s Agenda: survive!

I woke up at 7 am feeling sick.  My stomach was in knots (likely from gorging at CiCi’s last night) and I still couldn’t breathe quite right.  I’ve been dreading this run all week.  I was relieved to find that our 11 mile run was cancelled because everyone is under the weather.  The other two ladies e-mailed me separately saying they were sick with a stomach virus and couldn’t make it.  I went back to bed and didn’t wake up until 10 am!  I was at the gym a little after 11 and worked out for about 75 minutes.  According to the elliptical I burned 650 calories.  I also ran half a mile on the indoor track.  While I had a fine workout, I knew I was taking the easy road because I plain and simple didn’t want to run this morning.  I probably should have gone 11 miles on the elliptical but I needed to drive across town to the competition.

I drove straight from the gym to the Right Moves for Youth cheer and step competition.  I have 8 girls in my class on this team and know several other students from other classes.  I got there just as my girls were walking out to perform.  (I made sure to get there early but they were ahead of schedule.)  They did such a great job.  My kids RAN up and hugged me afterwards.  They were all so excited.  We sat together and watched all the other step teams.  During the championship basketball game (our school didn’t even make the playoffs) I got a chance to hear all about the Washington DC trip from those that went.  I also talked to most of the parents.  It makes SUCH a difference to parents when teachers attend their kids events…I don’t know why more teachers don’t come to things like that.  Anyway, our school placed 3rd in step and 1st in cheer!  (Side note: The step team that won first place was AMAZING!  I wish I would have recorded it.  They had sticks, stomped the ground, and even did their final routine blindfolded.  And yes, we’re still talking about elementary school children!)

The only food they had was hot dogs, nachos and cheese, and funnel cake.  I was starving and didn’t end up eating lunch until 4 pm.  After a shower and quick laundry, my husband and I hit the road to the in-laws.  As always, we had great company over a very leisure dinner.  Baby Levi is up to 8 and a half pounds.

Food Diary:

B: Fiber One Frosted Shredded Wheat cereal w/ skim milk

L: 2 hamburgers (lettuce and tomato only) from Jack in the Box

D: homemade macaroni and cheese, smoked pork on bun, baked beans

S: 1 cupcake and a very small serving of banana pudding

Tomorrow’s Agenda: prepare for school week and grad school, relax

I won’t bother updating on my daily food diary…who really cares.  (For the record, I’ve still kept track of everything.)  Here’s what’s happened in the past week:

Work: School has been unusual as this was the week of the annual 5th grade Washington D.C. trip.  Unfortunately, I was the one that stayed behind with the students who did not go on the trip.  The only reasons students don’t go on the trip is because they are too much of a behavior problem and cannot control themselves or they could not afford to even pay the deposit.  (We received community support to fund scholarships.)  Anyway, the week went by fairly smoothly (despite 2 fights), but was a very different routine with a very different group of kids.

Life: I was completely shocked and devastated to hear on Monday about the death of two wonderful young men I’ve grown to love.  I worked as a youth director at a church for 2 years prior to teaching.  I became especially close to one of the young men during mission trips to New Orleans and the Dominican Republic.  Sunday night the two were killed instantly in a car wreck.  The whole community was stunned.  Both men (ages 20 and 23) were firefighters.  There was a very somber, silent processional of firetrucks and presenting of the flags to the families.  I spent Monday and Tuesday evening talking to former youth group members for hours.  I took half a day off work on Wednesday so I could drive the two and a half hours to attend the memorial service.  I spent 7 hours hugging, crying, laughing, and loving many teenagers and parents before driving back home around midnight.  (Around 700 people attended the memorial service!)

Exercise/Illness: I’ve had a nasty cold all week…so much so that I have to put vaseline on my nose from blowing it so much and am living on NyQuil/DayQuil.  Between a different schedule, being sick, going out of town, and losing sleep…I definitely haven’t worked out.  I was feeling somewhat better yesterday so I went for a jog with my husband.  I swear…I lost all dignity and pride I ever had.  I walked more than I ran.  I could not breathe at all.  On more than one occasion I blew my nose all over my shirt.  It was a mess.  Nonetheless, we still “ran” 5 and a half miles in a little over an hour.

Food: Eating has been fine, though I’ve been on the road most of the time.  I’ve been very conscious of my food choices each meal.  I had really long days so I haven’t been able to daily track on SparkPeople.  I did write everything down on a post-it note and I logged everything this evening.  I’ve still had doughnut holes at breakfast and chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, but I’ve stayed within range every day.  EXCEPT today when I ate at Ci-Ci’s, where I deliberately ignored any positive food choices (including portion control).

While I’m writing this marathon blog, I will go ahead and vent about a few of my students and the lack of manners.  Granted, I teach inner-city, high poverty, minority students.  With that said, I have very high expectations and am completely disappointed with some of the things that come out of my students’ mouths.  I took three of my boys out to dinner tonight.  I was humiliated to find that one of my students was getting in a fight with a complete stranger at the arcade in CiCi’s.  He took his belt off and began hitting another child (who was 2 years older than him).  When I walked in to check on them I acutally hear my three boys saying… “Stop acting like a fag”, “I’m going to pimp-slap your ass”, and my favorite “I saw your mom’s underwear on e-bay last night”.  WHAT THE HELL????  I immediately told them it was time to leave.  I found out in the car ride that one of my boys spent the $20 his mom gave him this morning to put in his lunch account on games.  And when I dropped the kids off at their house it became abundantly clear where they’ve learned such behaviors.

Tomorrow’s Agenda: I haven’t heard from our running group leader in two weeks, but we’re scheduled for an 11 mile run tomorrow.  My girls are in a step competition that I’ll try to go to in the afternoon.  My husband and I are going to dinner with the in-laws later in the evening.

My food choices today were TERRIBLE.  So bad, that at 8:15 pm, I drove to the gym and ran 5 miles in 58 minutes.  The bad news: running 5 miles didn’t even burn half of the calories from tonight’s dinner…

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein, miniature box of raisins

L: chocolate chip scone and a huge brownie (I completely forgot my lunch so had to either eat the never-ending supply of baked goods in the teacher’s lounge or not eat at all from 7 am-4 pm.)

D: TGI Friday’s–southwest salad (wedge of iceberg lettuce, tomato, some kind of creamy avocado dressing?), grilled shrimp and broccoli, vanilla bean cheesecake

I wouldn’t be so disappointed with myself if I had eaten a remotely nutritious lunch.  Now granted, nobody forced me to order the cheesecake after dinner.  Oh well, the damage has been done.  This makes one of four times in 80 days I’ve gone over in fat and calories.  (I tend to consume between 1400-1600 calories a day and 40 grams of fat, but today was definitely a 2,000+ calorie day and 80 grams of fat!!) 

I was so mad at myself after dinner I drove straight to the gym and ran.  I felt much better (mentally and physically) after running, though I’m beginning to get irritated now that I’ve typed everything on the blog.  What I would give for more self-control!

Tomorrow’s Agenda: 4 mile speed run with the running group, paperwork/grading, potential napping, cake baking, game night

I swear, a group of teachers can bitch more than any other group of people known to man.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good vent session every once and a while.  I just feel like that’s all we’ve done lately…enough already!!! Everyone is on edge waiting for spring break.  Despite the complaints, we were productive during all day planning today.  It felt SO GOOD to see June 10 on our quarterly pacing guide.

My sweet tooth is trying to get the best of me.  We went to a cafeteria on our lunch break (a rare treat).  I refrained from the decadent desserts after literally encircling them.  I ran by Subway for dinner after our curriculum program tonight.  There was a Dairy Queen beside this particular Subway.  After I bought my sub I walked inside DQ, got in line to order, and left before I got up to the register.  I ate Girl Scout cookies as soon as I got home.  Now all I can think about is going to Dairy Queen and getting a large Snickers blizzard.  What is my problem??

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar

L: chicken salad on rye, apple

D: Subway 6 inch turkey w/ lettuce and tomato, Dannon Light and Fit yogurt

S: Girl Scout peanut butter sandwhich cookies

Tomorrow’s Agenda: teach, gym?, date night, sleep

Teaching was fine today…nothing really worth sharing.  I gave all of my kids who didn’t wear green a shamrock sticker and green beads. 

No workout today.  Lila ended up having surgery on her abscess, so my husband met me after school to go to the hospital.  It’s remarkable what a 3 year old will pack as security/entertainment items in a bag.  I thoroughly enjoyed rummaging through plastic food, dress up clothes, Dora and My Little Pony figurines, a microphone, and more.  All fun aside, she seems to be doing much better so we’re all relieved!  

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar, apple

L: 99% fat free ravioli

D: 1 hamburger (lettuce and tomato only), yogurt

S: 6 (yes, 6) munchkin Dunkin Doughnuts (WHY did my mother teach me the healing power of sweets??)

Tomorrow’s Agenda: all day quarterly planning…I LOVE my 5th grade team so it should be a fun, productive day…stay late for “curriculum night” aka “2 parents might show up for standardized test prep material”

I had a good workout today after work.  I chose to do 20 minutes of elliptical, 20 minutes jogging on the treadmill, and 20 minutes on the stair stepper.  Burning a good 600 calories felt good! 

I must admit I’m getting really behind in school work again.  I simply don’t understand my disdain for grading papers.  I had the time to grade papers, I just chose not to.  I don’t know what it is…I HATE grading and filing.  I ALWAYS have my lesson plans and copies in order, but I know I would be much better if I could provide quicker feedback. 

Now back to my favorite…Biggest Loser.

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar, apple

L: 99% fat free ravioli

D: asparagus sauteed in olive oil, mashed potatoes, bbq chicken

S: Girl Scout peanut butter sandwhich cookies, Chocolate Slim Fast shake

Tomorrow’s Agenda: staff meeting, teaching, gym,

Reflecting on what a difference 3 months can make:

• I’ve lost 24 lbs thus far, which is greater than 10% weight loss (In Weight Watchers land, I’d get a key chain!)
• My BMI went from “obese” to “overweight”
• Down from a size 12 to a size 8
• Can run 10 miles in 2 hours
• Have tracked EVERYTHING I’ve eaten online for 79 consecutive days.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I feel like I could manage this lifestyle permanently.  Unlike WW, I don’t pay each week, even if I can’t attend a meeting.  Unlike L.A. Weight Loss, I don’t eat special protein bars and supplements.  Unlike NutriSystem, I don’t rely on packaged food.  Unlike Overeaters Anonymous, I don’t feel guilty and cry at meetings, then eat ice cream.  It’s just plain old making conscious food choices and exercising!  Who would have thought???

I’ve already committed with my running group to run the Virginia Beach Half Marathon on Labor Day weekend.  I’ve gotten to where I’m so familiar with my calorie/fat/carb/protein intake that I can estimate, eat, and then log after I’ve eaten everything.  I stay within my range most days, though I occasionally go under.  (I’ve only been over in fat or calories 3 times.)  I’m going to keep blogging to hold myself accountable.  (The more comments I receive, the more accountable I feel.)  I still have 15-20 more lbs to lose that I know won’t be easy, but I’m very motivated!

Food Diary:

B: Pure Protein bar, box of raisins

L: Healthy Choice frozen entree (meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, apple crisp)

D: 2 Jack-in-the-Box hamburgers, lettuce and tomato ONLY ($1.73, including tax!)

S: Chocolate Slim Fast shake

Tomorrow’s Agenda: teach, gym, Biggest Loser

Prayer Request: My pitiful 3 year old niece is suffering from her 2nd abscess on her neck…not sure why or if it will involve another hospital visit??

Yesterday evening we went to the mega mall that we are so close to now.  I bought a pair of real running shorts (with underwear attached…SO strange to me!) from the Nike outlet.  I also bought John Bingham’s book The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life.  I read the first 50 pages before I fell asleep.  He is known for running for enjoyment and not for speed.  He’s the announcer every year for the Country Music Marathon in Nashville that I’m running next month.  Ahhh…did I just write NEXT MONTH??

Today I baked and decorated a carrot cake w/ cream cheese icing for my father-in-law’s birthday which was last Thursday.  We had wonderful company (and rave reviews of the house decor) all afternoon.  After all was settled, I decided to go for a walk before dinner.  Both my husband and I walked every cul-de-sac of the neighborhood.  I still don’t know how long it is but we figured it must be 2 miles b/c we were gone a good 40 minutes.  (We do NOT walk slow!)  I brought my 5lb hand weights and did bicep curls, shoulder raises, triceps push backs the entire way.  My arms felt like jello afterwards.  While I had been looking forward to dinner since 10 am this morning when we put it in the crock-pot, I was really disappointed at how fatty the roast was.  I dissected my dinner more carefully than my cat during AP Biology!  After dinner we caught up on the DVR and I finished up my lesson plans and grad school reading.

Food Diary:

B: pancakes w/ spray butter, 2 pieces of bacon

L: Yoplait fruit smoothie, Pure Protein Bar, slice of carrot cake

D: slow-cooked roast, potatoes, carrots, and celery

S: Fiber One cereal w/ skim milk

Tomorrow’s Agenda: teach, grad school, sleep