Couldn't sleep, so I am at work early! Woo hoo?

Getting dressed for work this morning. Have a meeting with a group of hostile attorneys, so I needed to dress up, which for me means black pants, nice shirt, and a blazer. My size 18 pants were too big, but I don't have a size 16, so I was going to wear them. But as I continued to get ready for work, I realized they were falling-off big. I knew I had a black skirt that would work, but I was 100% sure it was too big, so I contemplated if I had time to head to the store before work. Before I took that step, I talked myself into trying on the skirt. (I have a hang-up about thinking I'm smaller than I am, so I avoid trying things on until I'm relatively sure they'll fit.) And it fit! Sort of loosely (which is good because I always wear shorts under my skirts to combat the "chub rub".) Part of it was that I had misremembered the size -- I thought it was a 12 or 14, but it was a 16. Still - great confidence boost going into a hostile meeting!

I also ran yesterday. I did week 1, day 1 of C25K. I took kids to the gym, though (ages 10 and 12). I told them that they could come, but that my focus would be on getting my run in, so they could only use either the treadmill or elliptical, and they couldn't interrupt me to ask questions, so any questions about how the machines worked had to come first. But they were getting a little restless and whiny, so I was glad when I finished the last running interval and could assure them that I only had a few minutes of walking before we could leave. Except I didn't. I had misread the 6/8 for 6/6, so I only did 3/4rds of the first run, and I wasn't going to tell them that they had to wait through two more intervals. But I still consider it a victory. =) Strength training today, but I will get the full first run in tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Laurie: Yay!! So glad to hear that you are cleared and doing better now. I think you're smart to ease back into it, and it sounds like you had a good first day of it. Nice! Good for you! And it is such a great thing to have clothes fit well when you were afraid to try them! You'll rock it today with the hostiles!

For me, I am looking forward to doing the incline climb. It is kind of all I think about right now, so I'll be glad to get it behind me! I ran last night and I am planning to go tonight, too. I might not go for as long tonight, we'll see how it feels. Then, tomorrow morning is spin class, but after that, I'm not going to do any other workouts until the climb. That gives me a couple of rest days before I go.

Food plan seems to be going well right now, too. I hate to jinx myself, because I can slip so easily. It feels good to be on track, though.

Diane - I am so excited for your incline climb! I am thinking I need to commit to a half-marathon next year so that I have something to train for and look forward to. Hope you document your adventure, and that it ends up being an amazing, exhausting experience. I think a couple of rest days is smart, too. I'm also thrilled that you are maintaining the food discipline. For me, that's the hardest part, but it also makes the most difference on the scale.

I got in 16K steps yesterday, and I planned on easing into weight training. But by the time I got to the gym at 6:30, my body felt beat up and sore. So, instead, I opted for some low-key yoga. Strength training, stretching, and a bit of meditation. My gym has a studio where the patron can select a program from a variety of options, and I chose Yoga for Beginners. It was awesome. For the hour or so after the yoga session, my back did not ache. It aches all.of.the.time lately, so it was nice. And even though it wasn't serious strength training, I was holding poses long enough that it was challenging.

Hope the weekend is awesome for everyone.

Laurie: That sounds great about the yoga. I haven't been doing any of that this summer at all. I do miss it because I think it really helps with flexibility and balance. I'm lacking in both of those areas. 16K steps is fantastic, too!! Sounds like things are going well for you. I've thought about doing another race. I've only done a 5K. But then again, I'm not sure I really like it, so I'll just root for you to do it!!

For me, I went to spin this morning and I'm kind of looking forward to not doing any other planned workouts now until Monday. It might feel good to rest!! Just so anxious to get the incline done. Very ready for the weekend!!!

Diane - Hope you had a great relaxing weekend! Looking forward to hearing about the incline!

I struggled a bit this weekend. I was fortunate that I kept it in check, but I could feel myself wanting to lose control. We had friends over for a board game, and I sipped some chicken soup-flavored protein powder (that was delicious!) from a cup and let them think it was tea while everyone else ate summer sausage, crackers, cheese, popcorn, and wine. I did finally decide to have one small piece of cheese and one slice of summer sausage, and that was fine. But it opened up the floodgates, and I wanted to eat every second of the evening after that. I kept myself busy and had a couple of sugar-free popsicles, and managed to make it through. But it was painful. Hoping that it gets easier again soon.

Diane - I am going to be rooting for you! I know you said you might not post until after the incline, but I am sending positive thoughts your way.

Hope everyone has a great day and a fantastic week!

Good morning!

Diane - Thinking about you and your incline challenge! Go, fight, win!

Hitting the gym tonight. Have to decide between lifting and yoga. Maybe I'll do a bit of each. Weighed in today. Still losing, but losing slower than I would like. This is where patience, faith, and a bit of real talk need to come into play. I refuse to be upset about slow progress when for so long, I fought just to be able to make progress. At least that's what I tell myself. But sometimes, the scale is an enemy. Maybe I just need to track and avoid the scale. But I hate tracking.

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a while since I've checked in, but my little monkey keeps me busy during the day, and once I lay him down for the night, I'm usually out getting the rest of my steps in for the StepBet thing (still rocking it, btw!), and once I'm done, I just want to sit and relax.... And since I put an uncomfy chair in front of the computer so I wouldn't spend too much time on it, I tend to avoid it now, lol.

Anyway, bonus of the stepbet thing and the tooth issue thing, I've lost 8 lbs in the last few weeks without even paying attention to my food. Which is pretty awesome, especially considering most of what I can eat isn't all that healthy. So, I'm going to stick with that, because counting calories has just made me obsess about food in a different way, and I don't think that's so good. So, the focus is on fitness now, and hoping the weight loss side of things comes along with it. Since I'm officially a stay-at-home-mom now, I asked hubby if he'd be willing to shell out some cash to 'reward' me for hitting my daily/weekly goals. He said he would, and I'm gonna use the money to save up for the new camera I've been wanting forever. My daily goals are going to be a steps goal, and a water goal (I've been slipping on that, bad Mandy!), and I have a weekly goal of 1 pound... So, 2 goals x 7 days = 14 + 1 weekly goal... and I can get $15 a week into my "goal" jar, and it's more focused on fitness than weight loss, and I think it'll work for me. It sounds kinda silly, and kinda kid getting star stickers on the chore chart, but I'm finding that the money motivation just works for me, with this stepbet thing I've been doing.

Lessee how it goes, because I'm really good at coming up with plans... I'm not always so great at following through because I forget to factor different things in. So. Fingers crossed!

Hi FeraFilia, your reward system is not silly at all. I have been doing the same. I pay myself for every pound I lose and put it into a savings account - I am also really good about taking it back out if I gain back (online banking makes it so easy!). My ultimate goal with that money will be to buy a new wardrobe when I get to my goal weight and maintain it for 6 months. And in the meantime I give myself varying rewards for every 10 I lose - anything from a pedicure to an afternoon off from work, if it is a bigger loss (ie. 50 pounds) I do a bigger payment like a day at a spa or purchasing something for myself that I really wanted.

You will do great! And no one can plan for every contingency - planning is great - executing means sometimes adjusting on the fly

Mandy - Woot! on the weight loss! I love it when it happens without focusing on it, though the way you're doing it does not sound all that pleasant. Hope you get through the teeth thing fairly quickly and as painlessly as possible. I looked up the StepBet thing, too. I haven't actually done it, but I am still investigating. So exciting that you're still rocking it! And I LOVE your plan. $15 a week can add up, and it's so much more fun buying things that you've earned than just getting a windfall. Can't wait for updates.

I ate too much yesterday. I got my steps in, and had a subpar work-out. But if yesterday was the worst after a long string of pretty good days, I can definitely live with that. I am getting back to stringent mode today, though. I actually think my stomach really needs a rest. Not that I ate an excessive amount -- just too much to be comfortable. So today, I think I'm going to just do a liquid diet -- protein shakes during the day, broth or soup for my evening meal, and I am going to try to run this afternoon.

Diane - Still thinking about you and your incline. Excited to hear the update!

Hump day! Gonna be a fantastic one!

Kat - You Ninja'd me! I agree with all you are saying. Don't know if you are joining us or just adding your wisdom, but excited to see you post!

Mandy: Good job on the weight loss! And for keeping up with all of your step challenges! That's really great, especially with all of your other demands!

Laurie: Glad you're still losing! That's always a good thing. It's hard to keep on track all of the time, so losing slow is good, and so much better than gaining!!

Well, I am done with the incline hike. I went early Monday morning. I made it all the way to the top, so I did accomplish what I wanted. However, I just didn't like it at all. It was a huge workout, and probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I really didn't have much fun. The path was much different than I thought it would be, and was really uneven and at times, really steep. There were areas where the "steps" were about 2 feet tall. So much of it was extremely difficult. It took a really long time, especially compared to what I thought it would be! I am proud that I could do it, so that's good. And the amount of support I had and good thoughts from everyone was outstanding! But the pain of doing it was just almost too much. I sweated more than I ever have at doing anything and I was pretty dehydrated at the end... which equates to lots of leg cramps, by the way... but once I finally caught up with water, I did feel better. I am still sore, so I didn't work out today, but I'll try to get back to it tomorrow.

What I learned is that it was a big workout challenge, so I did that. But from now on, I want my goals to be much more fun. I like having goals, but spending time doing something that isn't enjoyable is just not the thing I need.

I did have a loss on the scale, so that's good.

I got my planner in today! It's super cute, and I even have a pen that matches the color of the little accent bits in it, so it's my favorite color scheme (black/white/hot pink). And I totally got sparkly star stickers to use to mark when I get goals. A dollar per star, baby! Might as well have fun with it, right?

As far as the dental situation, I will be having oral surgery some time within 3-6 weeks, hopefully closer to the 3, because the oral surgeon prefers not to do the "pay out of pocket, and be reimbursed by the insurance" thing, so they need to verify with the insurance company how much they will pay for the procedure, and then I get to pay what's left out of pocket when I get there. Fun stuff. And it's not all horrible, I can still eat most things, just not anything super crunchy - which eliminates most fresh fruits and veggies. I manage alright... just sometimes I have to stop and walk away because I've smacked the exposed nerve in my upper right molar that has been made funky by an impacted wisdom tooth. Once the pain settles down, I can eat again. But most times I find that I'm actually already satisfied and no longer hungry, so it's almost like portion control.

And I've also changed up my breakfast routine, and I have a protein shake with some coffee mixed in. It's been a wonderful energizer. Instant energy because of the coffee, then more energy during the day because of the protein (I assume?). I already feel a ton better than I did when I started the StepBet challenge. It's been a wonderful motivator. If you've got the $40 to spare for 6 weeks, I encourage you to join one. I recommend one that has lots of people. Because the one I've joined started with 1138 people, and like 300 people have already ended up dropping out because they haven't met their goals. More people starting, means a bigger chance of people dropping out and you getting more than just your buy in back! And if you finish the challenge, you will get your buy in back, guaranteed. They will reduce their cut of the pot (for operating fees, etc) to make sure everyone gets at least their buy in back.

I have noticed a marked improvement in my energy level, my general mood, and my endurance. I like these changes!

(also, thank you ladies for assuring me my child-like approach is not silly!)

Diane - Woo hoo for the huge accomplishment! I think it's really good to occasionally push ourselves to the limit. Otherwise, how will we know what our limits are? And your regular work-outs will probably feel pretty easy for a while. =) But I totally agree. There is no reason fitness has to be miserable. Incline challenge checked off the books, never to be done again. But what will you do? That's the exciting part, cuz you know you can accomplish so much now!

Mandy - Tooth pain is the worst! But getting it resolved - that's fantastic. Glad you're facing this challenge and conquering it. I am totally going to do the StepBet thing. You've convinced me. And, hopefully, I will end up with some cash to do something that I've always wanted to do but never wanted to spend the money to do.

I went running yesterday. C25K Week 1 Day 1. I was not able to squeeze the gym into my schedule, so I ran outside. It was hotter than I wanted, and the area around my house has quite a few inclines (not steep, fortunately), so I prefer to do my "just breaking into the running thing" at the gym. But I was determined to get it in. And you know what? I did it! And it was hard, but not nearly as hard as I expected. Week 1, Day 2 coming up tomorrow. And I intend to be more prepared (specific work-out planned) at the gym tonight, so hopefully, I will have a strong work-out tonight to accompany my running accomplishment yesterday. Getting back into the swing of it!

Good morning!

While my kiddo is entertained with baby shows, I thought I'd check in.

The weather here has been cool(er) and rainy, so getting my steps in has been a challenge, but I already have my 2 days of 12,000+ steps done so that makes the rest of the week easier!

Also, my FitBit that I got for Christmas (the Charge-HR) wasn't syncing with the website, so I switched back to the One that I clip to my bra. I gave hubby the Charge-HR and he is planning on using it. It works out well because his watch just broke, and he can use this as a replacement. I wasn't wearing it as often as I should, anyway, because it would get caught on the baby's clothes when I was trying to lay him down. So, now we're both walking, and he can lose his "baby weight" too. Heh, he definitely gained some stress eating weight (not a lot, like 10-15 pounds) during my pregnancy and early on with the whole new-parent frustrations. He's grumpy because he hit 200 on the scale for the first time in his life. I just told him he's getting his dad bod.

Mandy: How good for you to be feeling more energetic and just better in general. It is important to take care of yourself, even while caring for a child!

Laurie: Glad you are getting your running going again. I know what you mean, though, the gym isn't always where you want to be if you're getting back into things. Thanks for the good words on finishing the incline goal. For now, I'm just doing the usual stuff, hoping to see weight drop. I'll figure out a new goal for next year, at some point.

For me, I made it back to the gym this morning, for body pump. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so that was a bonus. The only remaining soreness that I really could feel was in my knees. I think that's more from all the climbing and stairs. I'm sure it will be fine. I'm going to wait until next week to go back to running. I don't have time tonight and I don't love to do it on Fridays.