Spoke Too Soon

You know how you don't hear from a heroin addict for a week, and it turns out he's holed up in some crack house, OD'ing and seeing dead babies on the ceiling?  Well that's where I was for the past week- drunk on Diet Dr. Pepper and high on carbs.  So I guess I lied last week when I said I was getting back on it then.  I'm really doing it....starting now.

I did wog today, but I didn't do the couch to 5K workout.  That program is terrific for people who are in better shape than I am, but it progressed too quickly for me.  Instead, today, I walked to the front of the neighborhood, which was mostly uphill, so when I got to the end, I turned around and jogged downhill as far as I could.  I continued in a similar pattern, jogging whenever I could downhill.  I realized that the fact that I knew I wouldn't be able to complete the entire workout for the 3rd week of C25K was enough to deter me from even trying it. It's counterintuitive, I realize, since you can never do something if you don't try, so I just adjusted my routine to accommodate my current fitness level.  I also started using the RunKeeper  app because I have app ADD. I'm like a boy with video games.  I need constant change to stay motivated and stimulated.

I don't even know what my whore scale has to say about my indiscretions.  I'll deal with her on Friday.

My Body is a Wonderland

But not in that sexy John Mayer way. More in the defying mathematics way.  As in I haven't exercised in 4 days, and I've eaten poorly, so I gained 5 pounds.  Let me break that down for you.  Each pound is 3500 calories, and according to this calculator, I can eat 2945 calories per day and maintain my weight.  Now, I know I wasn't tracking each morsel like I should have the past few days, but I did account for enough that I know that there's no way in hell I've consumed 17,500 calories over the last 4 days PLUS 2945 each day.  I aim for 1200-1500 calories a day, and realistically, even when I wasn't eating well, I don't think I even topped 3000. I should have stayed the same at least.  So yesterday I was so super good, limiting myself to about 1300 calories and less than 100 carbs, and I gained .2 pounds. Effffff!

In the past, all of this would have driven me to binge for weeks months, and I would have probably just decided to eat my ass off since all of the holidays are coming up anyway, and then I would do that whole New Year's resolution "I'm really going to do it this time" bullshit, but I'm not.  This is the time I'm going to do it.  It's just a setback not the end of the world, and I've already established that my scale is a whore, so I don't trust what she says anyway.  Also, I have 2 runs coming up, one of which involves me being chased by other people, so I have 6 weeks to prepare for that.  I think that's enough time to make significant strides in my fitness level.

Better Day

I was in a raunchy mood yesterday, I guess, because I feel much better today.  I went out for a wog, and I did the best I have all week.  I still wasn't able to jog the full 1.5 minute intervals, but I at least attempted each one and finished most of them.  My overall time was faster, and my distance was a bit farther.

I looked ahead, and week 3 is a routine of jog 1.5 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes, jog 3 minutes, and walk 3 minutes.  You do that twice along with a 5 minute warm up and cool down.  I'm not sure about those 3 minute jogs, but I think I'll try wogging around a track (flat) as opposed to my hilly 'hood.

Part of the reason for my improved mood is that I've hit a milestone of sorts with my weight loss.  I'm finally out of the 220's and back in the 2 teens.  I was stuck at the same weight for about 3 weeks, so I decided to cut carbs at night.  I'm staunchly opposed to depriving myself of any food group, because I've tried failed at deprivation diets far too many times, but my body always responds positively to limiting carbs.  I started doing it a few days ago, and the weight immediately dropped.  I've been steady for a few days, so I feel like it's not water fluctuation at this point, and I can tout my achievement.

I've been eating stuff like this for dinner:

See how super cheesy it is???  Delicious.  It's thin-sliced zucchini topped with marinara, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni.  I got this idea on Pinterest natch, but they used low fat cheese and turkey pepperoni.  Maybe next time...

Oh, and I've learned that the best songs to listen to while working out are the most ridiculous ones you can find.  Think super cheesy ("Call Me Maybe") or this little gem that I had forgotten about and recently rediscovered:

This is the song with the lyrics, which I highly suggest you read if you need a good laugh. R Kelly is a real Poet Laureate fo' sho yo!

Even better- Young the Giant remixxed the remix.  Enjoy.

Sayonara Saboteur

Throughout all of my many many MANY weight loss attempts, one factor contributing to my failure remains constant- my scale.  I get obsessed with it.  Every stall, or worse, gain (gasp!), creates a feeling of failure, and as an emotional eater, guess where I turn.  I stepped on the scale for the last time yesterday morning.  I'm still at a 9 pound weight loss, which is frustrating, because although I haven't been sticking to the ridiculous 500 calorie daily limit, I am eating an average of about 1000-1200 calories per day, which should still be restrictive enough for me to continue losing.  Whether I'm losing inches instead or just at a stall, that number is a daily reminder of how far I am away from being the healthy person I want to be.  Instead of focusing on the number, from now on, I'm going to focus on my fitness and energy levels.  I have been feeling much better since I've started eating cleaner, cutting carbs, and increased my calorie intake from the first week on the diet.  Oh, and I did walk with the entire family yesterday afternoon and discovered that my near death experience on Tuesday must have resulted from the heat, because I did much better with the cooler temp and overcast sky.  Anywho, I will weigh myself again at some point, but I will probably wait until I can feel a definite difference in my clothes, so whatever number pops up won't make or break my fitness plans.