Marathon Mom

Weight: 159.6 (ugh… 3 pounds in three days. Yesterday involved cake, frosting and ice cream… need I say more?)

OK, weekend is gone. Over. Done. Past. So instead of stressing about it. Boom, just get back up on that horse, baby! Awesome…. also, the horse sucks.

I did NOT want to get up and exercise this morning. OMG I DID NOT WANT TO DO IT!!! See, a couple days of slothful behavior and I’m totally OUT of it! But…

I MADE MYSELF DO IT ANYWAY. Yep, 43 minutes on the elliptical. I DID IT.

And then, I did NOT stop for a pumpkin scone or donuts or a McFatty breakfast sandwich. I knew I had a bag of apples at my desk, so I came straight in to work and ate three of ‘em! Ok, so I’m washing them down with a Coke Zero. Hey, I’m not freakin’ Mother Teresa here! Geez!!

I am MAKING myself get back on plan, whether I want to or not!!

And yes, Diet Buddy Daily - I accept your no snacking during the Biggest Loser challenge!

Weight: 156.4 (apparently, I’ve already stalled. Or it could be the four mini snickers I had at the movies.)

Yikey-crikey! WTH is UP with the site! After I posted yesterday, I couldn’t get back in at all. Or this morning until just now. And who knows how long THIS will last. I have a running blog Marathon-Mommy, but it’s more about the marathon training and less about the whole weight thing. I think I have too many blogs! I have four (including this one) that I update regularly (or at least semi-regularly) and then I write movie reviews for a website too. Plus the whole kids and full-time job. And trying to get stuff together to get my Etsy shop up and running… I think I need a nap!

Speaking of, I need to get the review of 2012 written and submitted. I’ll just say it was totally AWESOME! But then, I do love me a good disaster end of the world flick, especially if it’s starring John Cusack. Almost as good as Brendan Fraser (the brand new trailer for his upcoming movie Extraordinary Measures co-starring Harrison Ford and Keri Russell is up. It looks amazing. Based on a true story and due in theaters January 22, 2010.)

Yesterday’s calories: 1528

Yesterday’s exercise: none, rest day which I have come to accept as an important part of the workout/exercise/training program. I was active at work, up and down stairs a lot. So there’s that.

Today - don’t know if I’ll be able to get back in. I’ll update if I can. Otherwise, I’m aiming for 1200 since my calories have been in the 1500 range the last few days.

Exercise - already did my 43 minutes on the elliptical this morning. Gosh, I feel good when I do that first thing!

I’m working a half day and then it’s grocery shopping for the week, some meal planning and prep, and sewing. Hopefully I’ll have the Etsy shop open by the end of the week. Thanksgiving is my make or break. If I don’t have it open by then, there’s almost no point. Well, that’s not entirely true. But I need to make that deadline.

Weight: 156.4

50 days left of 2009. Hard to believe it’s almost over. I feel like the year just started. 2010 - that just blows my mind! I told my mom the other day, we are living in THE FUTURE. It’s just crazy. That futuristic movie 2001 - that was almost nine years ago. And what really gets me is in the Back to the Future movies, Michael J. Fox travels 30 years in the future… to 2015. That’s just 5 years from now! How did time go by so fast? What the heck happened?!

I’m determined not to let any more time fly by. Too many years I spent with my head down, eyes closed, just trying to get through the day. What a waste! I want my days back! I didn’t value time when I was younger. And now I do. Oh, I still have days where I just grit my teeth and bear it (like yesterday) but I still try to do something of enjoyment in it (like going to see “Men Who Stare At Goats”. It was funny but just OK. George Clooney, I don’t get him. He’s a mediocre actor at best and I don’t think he’s good looking at all. Same with Ewan McGregor, though maybe mildly better looking. Mildly. Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges were HILARIOUS, though. Totally made the movie. It’s a Netflixer, for sure.)

Yesterday’s food:

2 Fuji apples - 160
1 granny smith apple - 50
1 Eating Right philly cheesesteak stuffed sandwich - 250
1 Eating Right thin crust pepperoni pizza - 360
1 movie theater box Junior Mints - 510
3 oz plain baked chicken breast - 110

Total calories - 1440

Yesterday’s exercise:

43 minutes elliptical - 487 calories burned

Today’s food:

Today’s exercise:

41 minutes elliptical - 462 calories burned

Weigh-in: 164.6

OMG - this is by far the most gaudy, heinous piece of jewelry I have ever owned. I am in LOVE with it!! I found it at Claire’s yesterday on Clearance for $1. How could I not buy it? There was just one and it was practically screaming at me! Now I have the complete set: earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring. I put all those loud tacky American tourists to shame! HA!

But seriously… well, seriously for me… this is like the ultimate inspiration piece. A constant reminder of my April marathon goal. What Weight Watchers likes to call an anchor. And I know I found it for a reason.

So girls, with that in mind, I’m more jazzed than ever! Like some glorious supernatural force is rooting me on. Some call it God, some Allah, the Goddess, whatever you’re name for it is - it’s behind me all the way!

Last night, I spent some time with all of Jillian Michaels’ books laid out on my bed (yes, I own all of them!) a calendar and a notepad. And I got to work on the whole Booty Camp plan. And the first thing I realized is that I need to start it next Monday (August 17th). Skye is going in for minor surgery on September 17th (tonsils and adenoids removed, Sean had it done two years ago… I swear they are the same kid, DNA-wise, she’s just the girl version!) And my sister and I are running in a 10K on September 19th. Otherwise, Skye’s surgery and the 10K will come right in the middle of my last week of Booty Camp and that just doesn’t work at all.

I’ve got the rough work done, I still need to fine-tune the schedule a bit. But I’m like 80% finished with it. It’s going to be AWESOME! I’m so excited!! When I’m finished, I’ll put it all on my Booty Camp page.

So far today, I purposely overslept (weird dreams again and I just could NOT pull myself out of bed this morning!) I took Jason to the dentist and so ended up missing breakfast (kids ate my last banana, damn kids!) Now I’m at work. I’ve already had my first Coke Zero of the day (in the waiting room at the DDS office) and a cup of tea. And a Yoplait Light yogurt (lemon cream pie - truly brilliant!!) As soon as I tie this up, I’m off to the gym (Thursday is gym day!) I still owe an hour to the elliptical tonite when I get home.

Tomorrow is movie night (I am being forced to see BandSlam by my oldest daughter. She is promising a new New Moon trailer… there better be!! The only way I could stomach all the little high schooly teen-bopper movies was Zac Efron and he’s definitely not in this one. Bummer, no eye-candy for mommy!) I HAVE to get my 60 on the elliptical in before work tomorrow or we are going to have a major problem!

Gotta run - the gym awaiteth (and it’s just the elliptical tonite and tomorrow night, no fast or junk food for the next 36 hours and mommy gets some new threads!) Wow, I’ve just referred to myself as mommy twice in the last two paragraphs… what is up with that?

UPDATE 8:33 PM

Currently enjoying a bottle of Mike’s Light Hard Lemonade - 98 calories. I did hit the gym and managed the 60 excruciating minutes on the elliptical when I got home. Man, I did not want to do either of those things. It was ONLY the Challenge that got me to do it. Don’t under-estimate the power of The Challenge!!

OMG - I am such a light-weight. I’m maybe halfway thru that bottle and already a little buzzy. LOL! This is why I have a VERY strict no driving if I’ve been drinking rule. I can’t risk it. Well, I’m not really a drinker so that’s not much of an issue anyway!

So I just need to get through tomorrow. 60 minutes elliptical in the morning, knee PT exercises, and no fast or junk food. I’m even going to forgo my Junior Mints at the movies just to prove that I can really do that on a consistent basis. However, during Boot Camp, I’m going to let that be my one treat a week. Cause really, I don’t know if I want to live in a world without Junior Mints, frozen or un-frozen!

I just finished 60 minutes on the elliptical and I hit the gym earlier today. So BOOYAH! Oh, and seriously all healthy food. Oatmeal for brekkie, big ole salad for lunch and I’m having two lean turkey burger patties and a bag of steamed snow pea pods for din-din! No snacking of any kind. CIRCLE THIS DAY ON THE CALENDAR! I SAID NO SNACKING TODAY! I KNOW, SHUT UP, RIGHT?! (sorry, got a little caps happy there!)

I am now torturing myself by watching Food Network programming. Cause I’m all masochistic that way.

I’m going to spend the rest of the night planning menus for both the kids and myself, with an accompanying shopping list. Tomorrow after work I’ll do the shopping and any prep work. I’m trying SO hard to get more organized.

I also need to plan out a new Slump Buster Challenge. It’s REALLY helping me, I’m honestly shocked at how that’s kept me not just from eating what I shouldn’t, but more importantly sticking to my exercise. I ONLY hit the gym today because I committed to doing it and that penalty, oooh booy was that gonna hurt! I’ll update in a bit after dinner, when I’ve had some time to mull this one over.

UPDATE 8:47 PM

OK, so here’s the menu I’ve come up with for next week (M-F)

Breakfast: watermelon, cantaloupe, melon, etc…
Snack: fat-free yogurt
Lunch: big ol’ salad
Snack: string cheese and handful almonds
Dinner: lean protein and steamed veggies

My exercise for the next week:

Elliptical: 60 minutes daily
Gym: Tuesday & Thursday - upper body workout

I’m going to step it up a notch for the Slump Buster Challenge. I’m convinced that my excessive Coke Zero drinking is inhibiting my weightloss. When I lost all the weight before I had basically cut it out and was drinking mostly water and tea.

So here it is: no more than 2 Diet Coke/Coke Zeros a day (ouch!) Expect to hear much whining and complaining by Tuesday!! You’ve been warned!

OFFICIAL SLUMP BUSTER CHALLENGE FOR 8/10 - 8/14

1. No more than 2 diet sodas a day
2. No fast food, cookies, pies, cakes, candy, donuts, chips or other “junk” foods
3. I will work out at the gym Tuesday & Thursday
4. I will do minimum 60 minutes on the elliptical everyday
5. I will do my physical therapy knee exercises Monday, Wednesday & Friday!!

Reward: $100 to spend on some new clothes (my wardrobe currently sucks!)

Penalty: current one is totally working for me - swimsuit pic here and on Facebook (I would run 10 miles and eat lettuce every day to avoid that! If I don’t show a weightloss tomorrow, I may seriously consider that!)

I was supposed to have lights out 42 minutes ago so this is super quick.

A.M. weigh-in: 163.6

Today was a non-run day, so 50 minutes on the elliptical. Quads are sore but otherwise good. Tomorrow is a 2 miler. Just a half-mile further. Then Thurday it bumps up to 3 miles and by the weekend it’s 4. Increases pretty quickly. But I’m up for it!!

Food went well. Protein bar upon waking. Protein shake for breakfast. Repeat of yesterday’s awesome southwesty chicken salad. Protein bar for late snack/dinner. And a bag of Popchips at the movies. Saw Public Enemies. Eh. It was ok. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it, I don’t know. Mostly I just needed the 2 hour destress that a nice evening at the movies provides. The Popchips are light, fairly low-cal as far as snack food goes, uber-delish and satisfyingly crunchy. I prefer the BBQ ones. Check ‘em out, I have found them so far at Safeway and Target.

Eek! 47 minutes past lights out.

I’ll log in after my a.m. run manana!

A.M. weigh in: 165.6

I’m feeling better, my mojo may be back. I’m tentative about stating that, hoping not to jinx myself. But for the past few days I’ve felt more my old self again. Like something “clicked” in my brain. I’m trying not to over-analyze it right now, don’t want to risk clicking it back off again!!

Thanks to everyone for your kinds words and worry. Patty, I’d love to take you up on that offer but I fear you have far more to deal with than I do; and I should be the one offering to come out and help you take a load off… plus decorating a whole room with flip-flops! OMG I’d be in heaven!!

I’ll try to check in more often. Work has me away from the computer. Home is still mostly nursing sick kids, though two of the three are 99% better. Sean isn’t doing as well, what with the asthma complication; but he’s less peaked this morning and that gives me some hope that he’ll kick this thing by next week, if not the weekend.

And I admit, the computer time that I have had, has been spent reading The Julie/Julia Project blog - I’ve read about 5 months into it in the last two days and I’m totally addicted. The movie it inspired starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia is due out August 7th and I can not wait!! I also ordered the book Julie & Julia: My Year Of Cooking Dangerously off Amazon. It should be here next week, hopefully it will tied me over. Plus there’s the new Harry Potter next week, too. But when I get addicted to something it becomes all-consuming. This is not good. I’m a bit of an OCD, I’m afraid. I seriously need to figure out how to combine an elliptical and laptop - I could retire on the money from that little invention, I believe! And solve America’s obesity epidemic while I’m at it! Hmmm… I’m off to buy duct tape and a long extension cord!!

And then go away again for who knows how long. But at least we have sun today. I’ve missed it! I swear I have that seasonal depression thing - I just can’t handle the grey skies for too long. Makes me want to curl up in bed, read and eat warm comfort food… or cookies… brownies, cake, ice cream… oops, got carried away there!

A.M. weigh-in: 148.6 (back down to pre-NYC weight, 4.2 lbs to pre-Vegas weight. Man, too bad what you eat in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas!)

I EXERCISED THIS MORNING!!!

45 minutes on the elliptical. Knee started “clicking” about 10 minutes in, but I pushed through. It didn’t hurt, I would have stopped if there was pain. I’m not stupid, just stubborn. Which often is the same thing. But I did it and worked up a bit of a sweat and feel really great. I missed this. I feel fired up and ready to take on the day instead of dreading and dragging through it. I need to figure out how to keep up this exercise. Since I didn’t have any trouble walking around NYC, maybe walking on my treadmill will be ok. I’ll give that a try tonite. Just 30 minutes, I’ll see how it goes.

I’ll update more as the day goes on.

UPDATE - 2:18pm

Swamped at work. Just managed to scarf down an order of grilled chicken strips from Jack in the Box. Not delish. Not yummy. Quick, easy and available without ever setting foot out of my car. This is not a recipe for weightloss success, I can tell you that.

It could have been a difficult two days. Two family parties involving TONS of food over the past two days. I ate 37 points worth of food yesterday and that just blows me away because I was VERY careful and ate small portions. Of course, I went to the movies last night and had some popcorn and a few pieces of candy. But like a small handful of skittles and 4 red vines. At the party, I only had a 1/4 c. of guacamole and a handful of tortilla chips, 1 small serving of vegetarian Mexican lasagne, 1 handful of goldfish crackers (my indulgence!) and one of the smallest cupcakes. It was controlled and not constant snacking. Yet I almost doubled my points for the day. Good thing I watched it and didn’t just eat without paying attention. Oh the trouble I could have gotten into!!

Today was different story. It helped that it was a get together for breakfast. And they served a big bowl of berries!! I had a small plate of mixed berries and that was it. Lunch was a 6″ veggie delite on whole grain honey oat bread from Subway. That was a LOT more filling than the guac, chips, lasagne & cupcake combined, and a fraction of the points!!

I didn’t exercise yesterday intentionally. My left knee has really been acting up and I decided to give it the day off. I just finished 45 min on the elliptical tonite. I figure 6 days a week is pretty darn good.

I feel really energized and upbeat. Can’t wait for Monday!!

Currently rockin’ out to the Katy Perry tune, which is my fave song right now. But it also describes how I seem to be running these days.

I got home last night and somehow conned myself into getting on the elliptical even though I had sworn to myself earlier that I would NOT work out because I was still sick and sore. I accomplished this by promising myself that I only had to do 30 minutes, just to get back into the swing of things (I knew this was a lie right away, but I humored myself.) Sure enough, as the 30 minutes was approaching, I said to me “just til this episode of Charmed is over” I have it on DVD from Netflix. So without commercials the episodes run about 40 minutes… Well the episode ended and I gave myself the “Come on, you’re less than 5 minutes to 45 minutes.” Ok FINE! I’ll do the 45 minutes but seriously that is IT! It’s after 8pm for heaven’s sake. And it takes my body and mind a while to wind down after working out. So I stopped at 45 minutes.

But YEAH, 45 minutes on the elliptical last night! And I really had to talk myself out of going for more. Cause I would have been up half the night. As it was I couldn’t fall asleep until after 11 which is WAY late for me. But I let myself sleep in til 6am (I normally get up at 5) so it’s all good.

AND AND AND - I got up and did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning! Yay for me! I’m still sick. I’m still sore. But I’m doing it. I have a raging stress headache right now which totally sucks. And the meds I’m taking are doing NOTHING for it. Actually, that’s not true. They’re taking the worst of the edge off. So I guess it could be worse. I’m grateful for that (begrudgingly!)

So, weigh in this morning - 150.4. Down two pounds from yesterday. Ha! Take THAT you stupid scale! (now that I’ve taunted the Scale Gods, I’ll probably weigh in at 175 tomorrow!)

But I feel good emotionally & mentally. I’m on track. And so, I’m wearing my new Billabong black tshirt that I picked up on a shopping trip with my little sis a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been dying to wear it. Since it’s a Juniors large, it’s not very forgiving. Ah, but I’m wearing it and loving it!

Hot or cold - today is a good day!