Today went very well.  I worked out for the third day in a row, and I’m still sore, but tomorrow is a rest day, so that should help.  I’ll probably go in on Sunday (or I’ll go to the gym at my college) and just run.  Monday is my next appointment before the long break, so then I’ll have to go on my own after that for a while.  Still, some cardio is much better than nothing, even if I don’t do weights on my own.  Today I did the elliptical since I was so sore from running/leg weights.  He said it would be a lot less impact and use different muscles of course, so I thought that was a good idea.  I burned the same amount of calories and went the same distance, so I suppose it’s about the same.  I don’t feel like it was as hard as running, though.  Since I plan to go five days a week, I think I will do the couch to 5K three days a week as the plan suggests, and then do some other form of cardio (elliptical, reebok bike, etc) on the other two days.  Weights will probably happen four days a week because that’s how many days my trainer guy is there.  After a couple weeks if I figure out what’s going on, I might try it myself on the fifth day.

I’ve not lost a ton of weight in the past few days despite the working out, but I think I remember reading somewhere that your muscles retain water or something…is that right?  So, I’m not too worried yet.  I actually feel pretty good having worked out.  I feel good mentally– as in I’m proud of myself for doing it, but for the first time, I also feel pretty good physically.  I think having lost so much weight has helped me aerobically, and I can do much more stuff much more easily than I ever could before.  Really, I can’t express how good it feels to be able to climb the three flights of stairs to my office and not even be out of breath at the top.  I used to hate walking up with people because they’d be trying to talk to me, and I’d be huffing and puffing, and now it’s totally not a problem– yea me!

On another tangent– I had a bit of a revelation today.  I have always looked at my wedding pictures in the past and thought– wow, I was so much thinner then; I looked really good!  Ever since then (over 2 years ago), I’ve just wanted to get back to that point, and then I thought I’d be totally satisfied with my weight.  Well, today I was looking through pictures because I get a free 8×10 printed from Walgreens, and I just could not hardly find a wedding picture I was really happy with– I kept looking at my second chin and puffy face.  I’m not trying to beat myself up over how I used to look, but I’m really kind of marveling at the change.  Just a few months ago, I would have never even noticed these problems because I was faced with something worse in the mirror every day.  Now it’s just the opposite– another yea me!  moment.  I was a size 12, pushing a 14 when I got married, and now I’m a size 10.  Here are two pictures– one is my wedding, and the other was taken just a couple days ago:

                        

Incidentally, this shirt is from Charlotte Russe, whose clothes I can actually fit into now! 

Breakfast:  shake, HNS

Lunch:  bar, HNS

Dinner:  2 oz. tuna, 1 slice pepperjack, 6 reduced fat club crackers, 3/4 cup pear sauce, hot cocoa HNS with peppermint mocha creamer

weight– forgot to weigh, but based on the “unofficial” numbers tonight, I’m thinking there’s a loss.