Marathon Mom

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

Weight: 158.6

So I finally got whatever it was out of my eye yesterday, but it continued to be irritated for the rest of the day. Would spontaneously tear up. And I woke up this morning with it all crusty (sorry for the TMI) but thankfully whatever it was, was finally completely gone. No pain, no faint scratchy scratchy and the tearing has stopped. However, it is a lovely swollen red googly thing. I am a beauty and wonder to behold! Nothing some eyeliner and mascara can’t fix! Or mask sort of. I’m in the office for a half day and then home. I shouldn’t frighten too many children.

I took the kids to see Disney’s A Christmas Carol (in digital 3D!!) last night. It was awesome (but scary for younger kids, I was surprised at how intense parts of it were! I wrote a review for the Imperfect Women website - that should be up in the next day or so.) I did NOT buy candy, popcorn or a soda. I brought my water bottle. I had my daughter make up little baggies with their halloween candy in it for the kids and then I bought them each a Slurpee (cause they were whining and sulking about no popcorn and I wanted to enjoy the movie! Plus, I admit to feeling guilty for sneaking in food so I feel obligated to buy SOMETHING at the concession stand. Yes, movie snacks are horribly over-priced, but two wrongs don’t make a right. And I worry about teaching my kids that it’s ok to break rules if you feel they’re wrong… moral implications and ambiguity blah blah blah…) ANYWAY - so I had a couple or three pieces of their Halloween candy. And my water. I am a saint!

Today will be a bit harder cause I’ll be home and baking for part of it. In the KITCHEN. Yeah, that’s a hard one for me. It’s one thing not to snack cause I have no access to snacks. It’s another thing to be surrounded by food and handling it! I am not made of stone! Yikes!!

I’m still not feeling one hundred percent. I have just the remnants of that cold still lingering about. I’m a little snuggly and I cough occasionally, but when I do it’s DEEP. Like from my toes. And it’s what’s called “productive” or “wet” which means ICK! So as long as that’s going on, any real exercise like running is just out. So I’m trying real hard to focus on the healthy eating. Which is hard considering TOM IS IN THE HOUSE and being super demanding this go around. I really just want to curl up in bed with chocolate and a bunch of Brendan Fraser movies! Especially George of the Jungle - mmmm…. loincloth Brendan!

You know, I AM still sick. I shouldn’t be handling the kids’ food. Yeah, it’s really in there best interest that I NOT cook. I’m just thinking of the children (the CHILDREN!) Because I, am all about the children.

Weight: 159.8 (I knew those chocolate chip cookies were going to do me in!!)

I am BACK, baby!! Awake at 5:30 (my alarm was set for 6, I woke up early on my own! How’s that for mind over lazy ass!!) Dressed and ON the elliptical by 6, did 42 minutes (that’s how long an episode of Charmed on DVD is.) Then 50 crunches, 50 deep knee squats, 10 push-ups (girlie style, I have the weakest arms!) and 30 seconds held in plank position. Showered, dressed, makeup and hair and PRESTO! I am ready to go and it’s not even 7:30! Boo-yah!

OK, so I AM enjoying a can of Cherry Coke Zero right now. There’s one more in the fridge. When they’re gone, they’re gone (I didn’t even buy them, my kids got them for me as a surprise. Damn kids! LOL!!) I will be making a oatmeal pancake muffin thing to take to work. It is just oats, an egg, a little water, some Splenda and spices. Nuke it for a few minutes and it’s ready to go. It’s totally low carb, which is good cause of me being the total carb addict. The only thing it’s really lacking is much protein, just the bit from the egg.  I should add some protein powder, but I only have chocolate and… that really doesn’t sound that good with oatmeal. I’m going to bring a couple bananas for snacks at work today. And there is already the fixin’s for a big healthy salad in the fridge at work. My gym bag is already packed and in the trunk of my car. I am all kinds of prepared and ON IT!!

Today is going to be a great Monday. Especially since tomorrow I’m OFF and heading to Fresno for the day. My BFF has flown in for a week. (Her grandfather-in-law passed last week and his funeral is today. So tragic, he was checking the vineyards and killed in a farming accident. He hung on for about two weeks before he finally died. So hard on the whole family. I feel guilty for being happy that she is here, considering the circumstances. She has had a whole baby since I last saw her, she lives in Minnesota.) Fresno is four hours from here, so I’ll be spending most of the day driving! But we’re going to run away for a couple hours of girl time. Her husband is going to keep the boys so I can kidnap her! She is on Weight Watchers, trying to lose the last of her pregnancy weight, so we’ll be relatively “good”.

I will hit the gym today too. And tomorrow morning, I back on the road. I’ll be logging a 3 miler!

Oh, I should mention here. I’ve started writing movie reviews for a website (part of why I’ve been so extra busy lately. That and the sewing.) You can check it out here: Imperfect Women - just scroll down to the entertainment section. So far I’ve reviewed: Where the Wild Things Are, Paranormal Activity and most recently Motherhood. Next up will be Amelia, which I saw on Saturday. It’s nice to get back to my first love, writing.

UPDATE 3:33 PM

Had to improvise on breakfast. Oatmeal pancake thing was out and so I hit the grocery store for a Smart Ones frozen breakfast egg mcmuffin thing (pack of two for $3.00 - not too shabby!) I saw that Granny Smith apples are on sale for $.69/lb which is basically like STEALING!!! So I nabbed a bunch and had those for a snack instead of bananas (much better for me too!) Unfortunately, I also grabbed some roasted almonds. Too many roasted almonds. Drat!! Better than cookies, but not great.

Lunch was half a veggie sandwich from Subway (a co-worker brought in a foot long and then begged me to take half! Hey, I’m not one to look a gift sub in the mouth!)

I just finished off an early dinner (I had an early lunch too) of a taco salad - lettuce, grape tomatoes, chopped red onions, mushrooms, salsa, a little fat free ranch dressing, and some soy protein that was like ground beef with taco seasoning. YUM!!

I am not going to make it to the gym today. Which sucks. I really wanted to go but getting away from work is just not feasible today. And I can’t spare the time when I get home, I still have a couple of costumes to make. One of them is for my mom and it’s going to be somewhat labor/time intensive.

NO MORE FOOD TODAY!!!

Weight: yeah, uh, let’s not go there. K, thanks!

Who suggested the low fat crackers and laughing cow cheese?!!! I’m guessing you didn’t mean for me to eat the whole box and entire wheel in one sitting, correct?! Next time, specify that please!!

PMS - I blame it for all the worlds’ ills… and my own. Cramps - PMS. Food cravings - PMS. Lethargy - PMS. Global warming - PMS. See, it works for everything!

I am trying so hard not to lose my focus. Exercise has gone right out the window. Why? I do not know! I’m not one of those people who hates exercise. In fact, I really love it. So WHY does my slothful, lazy, good for nothing mind keep convincing my body that it sucks?! I’m at a total loss here!!

I ordered some really cute shirts from Charlotte Russe last week and they came yesterday. This is a juniors’ clothing website and I got larges. I put the shirts on and they button up but… well… I need about 10 lbs off for them to fit properly. Great incentive, right? I have them hanging prominently in my closet, so I see them when I open it. I’m going to keep thinking of those shirts - 10 lbs ain’t that much. And I’ll have almost lost all the weight I put on over the summer. Keep FOCUS!!! KEEP FOCUS!!

I’m on my third cup of tea this morning. I’m trying to keep drinking it instead of snacking… hmmmm…. crackers and laughing cow cheese…. NOOOOO!! CUTE SHIRTS CUTE SHIRTS CUTE SHIRTS!!!

Oh, and the shirts are all plaid and flannel and girly - just like the ones Bella wears in Twilight!! I’m going to be so adorable… even though I’m mere months away from turning 40. Is it sad that I want to dress like a teenage heroine in a vampire movie?

Weight:155.6

Yesterday I figure (through My Daily Plate) that I ate around 1500 calories. Which mentally has me in sort of a panic because that is a high calorie day for me, which makes two in a row. But I had all really healthy food (except for the two marshmellow ghosts made by the Peep people, but oh how I love those. I had two and gave the rest of the package to the kids since they are gluten and dairy free. So even Sean could enjoy a few.) Yesterday’s menu was full of apples and clementines, a big salad with chik’n strips (meatless chicken like soy protein - delish!) and black beans and corn. The kids had pizza for dinner, so I had a Lean Cuisine BBQ chicken pizza (one of my very favorites!!)

So, when I got on the scale this morning, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see a loss on the scale. But I was. Because I ATE yesterday. And didn’t exercise. I’ve been getting an occasional twinge in my knee and with that 10K looming on Saturday, I’ve decided the best thing I can do is rest it completely until the race.

Even though I’m on day 2 of the challenge, I’m in my rest days. And that feels weird. I’m challenging myself to eat and do nothing! You know, in some ways, that is harder than working out 3 hours and eating a super restrictive diet!!

Speaking of today, I’ve taken the day off work. My two youngest have been home from school all week. Skye is still recovering from her surgery and Sean’s asthma has been in high gear. They are actually both doing fine today. But they missed all week and its Friday. Honestly, I don’t see any point in sending them to school today. So we are all playing hooky and going to see Toy Story 1 & 2 in 3D!!! I also plan to get a little cleaning done, move around some furniture, and set up my sewing center in my bedroom. I’ve been meaning to do that since… uh… April!! Yeah, I am right on top of things! I don’t list procrastination as my biggest vice for nothing!!!

I better get moving. I am like a little kid excited to see Toy Story again!! I absolutely love these movies. And you should have seen me in the theater when I saw the first teaser trailer for Toy Story 3! I literally squealed really loud! I am more excited about that then New Moon, blasphemy I know!! But still true!!

Have a great Friday everyone! TGIF!!

Weight: 154.6

Skye woke up every four hours last night, that’s when her pain meds would wear off. Being woken up by a sobbing 5 year old several times does not make for a restful night’s sleep. Difference is, she gets to stay home and nap all day. I have to go to work. UGH. At least it’s Cali’s day off, so I don’t have to bring Skye in to work with me today like I did yesterday. Though she is good and took a 3 and a half hour nap on the floor of my office!! She hasn’t been sleeping well at night since her surgery. I was hoping she’d be more on the mend by now. I need a decent night’s sleep!! It’s like having a newborn all over again!

I was just too tired to get up and work out this morning. Part of it was attitude, I admit. Tuesdays are supposed to be a run day and since I have that 6.5 mile trail run coming up on Saturday, I need to rest my knee as much as possible. So running was out and I was going to hit the elliptical. I like the ellip ok, but I miss running in the morning. I guess I just wasn’t into it today. I’m going to be sure to hit the gym at lunch today, though, to make up for it. Its good cross-training anyway.

I better get moving. I still have to get Sean to school on time. And I promised Skye I’d run and pick up Monsters vs. Aliens on DVD this morning before work, since it was just released today. Very cute movie. I highly recommend it!!

Today is Sean’s 8th birthday. So I planned a day chock full of 8 year old fun. Well, as much 8 year old fun as I could handle (and afford!) We started with a matinee showing of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (in 3D!!!) This was possibly the most fun movie I have ever seen! We all loved it, it was hilarious. Even the credits are entertaining. They practically had to drag us out of the theater (we were the last ones to leave!) Go see it if you can, especially in 3D. Definitely worth the $$$. This is the first zero bathroom trips movie we’ve had all summer! The number of trips to the bathroom is in direct proportion to how bored the younger ones are. They didn’t even flinch - but they practically ran to the bathrooms afterwards! Ha, they were so enthralled with the movie they didn’t dare go! That speaks volumes!!!

Next we went to Chuck E. Cheese. Ah, apparently so did everyone else! I’ve never seen it so crowded. We had to wait 10 minutes for enough people to leave so we could go in!! I was seriously reconsidering, but Sean and Skye were literally jumping up and down with anticipation, so leaving was totally not an option! Fortunately, once we were in, it wasn’t so bad. The noise level was no worse than our house on any given weekend afternoon, and the kids didn’t seem to mind one bit. So, I didn’t either.

They got to play lots of games, eat some cheap-ass pizza, and buy crap with tickets they won. A successful trip! Then we went to my mom’s store to have cake and open presents. Sounds weird, but so’s our family! And it works for us. A good time was had by all!

I ate today:

a handful of popcorn
a few sour patch straws
a few bars of a Kit Kat bar
a very small slice of pepperoni pizza
about 10 shoe string french fries with ketchup
three bites of chocolate cake
a Lean Cuisine bbq chicken pizza

I got to have a taste of what I wanted without feeling like I pigged out. Not an optimal diet, for sure. But a couple of months ago, that would have read like this:

half a large bag of popcorn
large box Junior Mints
package of Red Vines
several large slices of pepperoni pizza
large order of fries
large slice of chocolate cake with tons of buttercream frosting, possibly a second
two to three slices of pepperoni & sausage pizza at home
one or two cupcakes

Yes, I’ve come a long way, baby!!

Note: I am SO FREAKIN’ SORE! It’s odd parts, like my hams and the backs of my calves. Oh, and my hip-flexers. OUCH. And my big toe-nails. They are tender. Like everytime I rolled over in bed and a big toenail touched the bed, it WOKE ME UP! I am hoping this will pass. And I’m now worrying about my half-mary. My toenails didn’t hurt AT ALL yesterday. In fact, I even mentioned to my sister how my feet were the one part of my body that didn’t give me a hint of pain or discomfort yesterday during the run. I hope they stop hurting soon!!!

I figured out the problem last night. I’m sick. I am coming down with a cold. Raw, sore throat, blocked sinuses, nagging headache, body aches… ugh. No wonder I feels so off!! I’ll be living off ColdEeze (I have a supply at work) I swear they are a miracle cough drop thingy - if I take them as soon as I start feeling sick (or realize that’s what it is!) it stops it in its tracks and either the cold goes away immediately or  it never really develops and just lingers for a few days in that “I’m coming down with something” level, but never becomes a full-blown cold. It better work this time. I can NOT get sick right now!

Today is day two of no exercise. What with the cold and all, I guess the timing works cause there’s no way I could go out running this way anyway. So it’s giving my calf muscles the much needed time to heal and repair. I really want to get back to running on Saturday. Sunday is supposed to be my first 6 miler and I’m really looking forward to it.

Food is what it is. I think my taste buds have a cold too. I just feel blah about it. Good news would be that eating something unhealthy is just as unappealing as eating my regular menu. In fact, I may scrap the whole breakfast thing this morning and get one of the low-cal healthy smoothie from Jamba Juice with a vitamin boost. Since my throat is hot and raw, all it wants is something cool. The calorie exchange would be the same and it’d be chock full of vitamins and good stuff.

All I really want to do is crawl under the covers with a giant dose of Niquil and sleep until I feel better! Being sick sucks!

UPDATE 10:34 AM

Did I mention the other day that Skye was home sick with a fever? Yeah, I should have thought of that. My office thermostat says it’s 80 degrees in here and I’m covered in goosebumps and shivering. Well… CRAP!! I’m supposed to go over and check on my grandparents and I don’t know if I dare. But my grandfather’s doctor called and left me a message to call him back. When I called the number he left, I get the appointment nurse who can’t help me AT ALL if I don’t have my grandfather’s Kaiser number. I would go on a how much I hate Kaiser rant right now, but I don’t have the energy. Suffice it to say KAISER SUCKS. I had the worst birthing experience with them years ago (and I’ve had 5 kids, so I have plenty to compare it to. If that had been my first birth, I would only have one child. It was THAT bad!)

Well…. piles of excrement! This is not cool.

UPDATE 4:18 PM

Did I mention that Skye was sick with fever for like 12 hours and then PRESTO! she was just fine again. And I kept her home yesterday just to be sure. Well, I hate to jinx the whole thing, but I’m thinking I had what she had with maybe a touch of allergies. Cause my eyes and throat are still a bit hot. But sinuses - fine. Fever - gone. Hot and cold chills - gone (and they were NOT fun for a few hours there, let me tell you!)

Now, I just feel like my allergies are flaring up. Which they probably are. Overall, I feel a bit better. Imagine that! I am tired, though. Very very very tired. I haven’t slept well the last few nights and I’ve been taking an Advil PM every night. So that is extra suckage.

My calf muscles are feeling a bit better as the day goes on too. I have to climb a big flight of stairs to get to our upstairs warehouse. And it’s hardly hurt at all to do that this afternoon. I could barely manage at all yesterday. I’m thinking Saturday is run day. Period. Totally gonna do it!

Tomorrow night is movie night. I’m probably going to see All About Steve (new Sandra Bullock/Bradley Cooper/Thomas Haden Church flick). Can I just put in a word here for Thomas Haden Church? He is totally overlooked for the brilliant, super-funny, totally awesome comedic actor that he is. If he is in a movie GO SEE IT!! He will make it worth it. Don’t believe me? Rent Imagine That? (the Eddie Murphy kid/family flick that came out a few months ago.) I don’t know if it’s on DVD or not yet, but when it is GET IT. He is in it as Eddie’s nemesis and he makes the whole movie!! Yes, for those wondering, he was Lowell in Wings (tv series back many many moons ago!)

But I also want to see Extract starring Jason Bateman and this whole wild cast of characters including Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, JK Simmons, and even Gene Simmons (yes THAT Gene Simmons!) It looks off-beat and a little edgy, maybe a slightly darker comedy… which is definitely more my type.

Ah, decisions decisions decisions!!

Weigh-in: 163.8

A more accurate picture would have been one of a chicken with it’s head cut off, but not really the imagery I’m going for on a Friday afternoon!

Today has been crazy day! I’ve been in the car since 8:30 this morning, running errands, going to appointments, paying bills, etc… My 16 year old is now getting braces, they’ll be putting them on September 1st. The cackling you hear on that day will be me! I endured 4 years of torture orthodontia and it’s about time that mantle was passed down. Besides, my son is a wise-cracking loud mouth and I’m hoping this will shut him up at least for a few weeks!! (I love my son, but he takes sarcasm to a whole ‘nother level! And he thinks he’s hilarious. He fancies himself Chandler from Friends. ‘nough said!)

Yay to me for my 60 on the elliptical this morning before work! Unfortunately, I was running around so much, I didn’t get to eat anything until 2:30 and I was pretty damn hungry. The orthodontist is RIGHT next to a Quiznos and let me tell you, that no fast food or pics on Facebook threat is the ONLY thing that kept me from one of their sandwiches (mmmm… toasty!) So far today I’ve had a really big salad. I’ll have some string cheese and almonds in a bit for a snack. And probably a yoplait light yogurt just before I head home.

Tonite is movie night. No Junior Mints for me (waaaaaaahhh!!!) I’ll probably cheap out and just bring my own bottle of water. Jason’s braces are going to cost me a fortune (I’m having to pay for them completely out of pocket, insurance doesn’t cover ortho at ALL.)

Oh, and yes, that IS Brendan Fraser! You’re welcome!

UPDATE 10:45 PM

Another Slump Buster Challenge successfully completed. I had ONE 100-calorie pack of dried fruit and mixed nuts at the movies and some TicTacs and a Fuze (pomegranate & cherry). I did my knee PT exercises before we went. I’m calling this Challenge officially over! Yay!!

I’m also taking the weekend off. Not off of diet, just easing off the challenges. Since I’m starting in HARD Monday for the next 30 days, I’m giving myself a break. This is not a license to pig out & slack off on the exercising.

Unfortunately, my $100 clothing reward is getting slashed to a new top, preferrably on clearance. I just had to shell out $250 unexpectedly today as part of the deposit on Jason’s braces, which he’ll be getting on September 1st. I’ll be paying out a total of $750 over the next month that I did not budget for. And we’s a poor people. So this hurts! But, he desperately needs the braces. So it is what it is. I make adjustments and deal. I was hoping to buy Sean and Skye some new things for school, but they really don’t need them. They have more clothes that will fit in their closet. So really, they’re fine. Most things they’ve only worn a handful of times, they really are practically like new anyway. They’re definitely NOT hurting. I need to be more practical. Period. Well, it’s past my bedtime.