Almost there...join me in my journey

It has been a little over three months since I began exercising. In that time I have gone from a 20 min walk to an 11 min jog average. I feel comfortable saying that I have lost 9 pounds and possibly some or one inch off my waistline. I feel like I can see less spillage in that area. As for anything else, I have gained a stress fracture (self-diagnosis) in my fib, an injury with which I am well acquainted, a tight hamstring, knee pain, foot pain, and resolve. I know that goals are not reached without a fair share of bumps in the road so I'll take what I've got and hope that I can leave out some of the garbage on the next go around. My first mini goal was to do 10 push ups and 50 sit ups every day and that went nowhere so I changed it to one mini goal. I was going to lose 10 pounds. So far I am almost there. To reach that goal I started this blog and also joined an online running/fitness community called Dailymile. I joined a timed mileage group that gave me the motivation to keep going even though I wanted to stop so many times. The goal was simple. Walk 180 miles by the end of the year. I started this challenge in early September and only logged 37 miles. Some of which were before I started this challenge and therefore didn't count. October brought a surprising 67 miles which fueled my resolve. By mid November I thought I would finish the challenge by Thanksgiving but then the weather turned cold and windy and I turned into a wuss logging only 64 miles. So here I am in December hoping, no, knowing that I will finish this challenge and finish it soon. I have logged 12 miles so far this month and have a mere 17 miles left to go. When I started the challenge 180 miles seemed daunting and now I am reading a book where people run that two or three times a week. This book has inspired me to keep going. I may take more days off than I would like during the winter months due to weather but I plan to make up for it full force once the threat of slipping and freezing my child have passed. Today I logged 5 very slow miles due to my leg and knee (and lack of much motivation) on a very warm day. Low 40's was the high and apparently there was steam coming out of my mouth. I don't know if it was the weather but I barely broke a sweat today. It seemed that it was just a day to enjoy being out in the world and being alive. I think that is the best kind of day. It gives me hope that I can do this again tomorrow and the next day. So after my first mini goal is met I will graduate from my beached whale status and move up to hippo status until another 10 pounds are lost. From there I will reach fat cow for another 10 pounds. If I can do that then technically I could just assess since I will be at an ok weight for me so if I can make it another 10 pounds I will be a skinny mini at high school weight. I don't have delusions of grandeur in thinking that I need to lose those last 10 pounds but we'll see how it goes. I hope I can make it and I hope I won't be alone. Join me in my journey.

Call it what you like...

Be it a phase or a revolution, I have the urge to try it! I have never been one to fad diet or anything like that but you put out an exercise "fad" if you will, and I am all over it. Though I have very few of these "gadgets" in my exercise arsenal, I salivate over the infomercials and ogle the products in the store that carry the "as seen on tv" label. How pathetic am I? I have been told many times that I run funny or even walk funny. I do not limp and as far as I know both my legs are the same length so all I can say is, "it's my hips." I have known for a while that I have loose hips...I said hips not legs...so I always tell people that I'm just not built for running and I mean it. I think there is a disconnect between my brain and my body that perhaps hints to the fact that I was a turtle in a past life. Well, if I believed in past lives...
I have been reading a book called, "Born to Run" which of course sparks my interest as it is the complete antithesis of what I believe myself to be. I haven't gotten too far into it but I have spent some time on the internet researching what the book is about. Here comes the gadget. The book is about barefoot running. I have a neighbor who a few years ago mentioned her interest in this very thing and I didn't understand it and thought she was, frankly, weird. But now I find myself interested in it, too.  I want to try the shoes and have been trying to find a replacement for ordering a kit to make the shoes. There have been a few videos on youtube but I was actually hoping to try to order the same materials from a company here at home. Invisibleshoe.com has a kit for sale that is not that expensive but after shipping it is almost $30. I would like to test it out before I take the plunge. I know I may sound cheap but I'd rather be cheap than stupid. So the hunt goes on to find the right material at the right cost to make myself a pair of huaraches. Maybe one day I'll be barefoot for life!

Photo used with permission courtesy invisibleshoe.com

I've fallen off the wagon!

It as been a week since I last ran/walked. I have fallen off the motivation wagon. The snow has come and the wind has blown and all I want to do is stay in my house and keep warm. The Man is home this weekend and instead of shopping I had it in my mind that I could go running by myself. Here it is 8:30 am and I am blogging about how I should be outside running and yet I find myself...warm. How pathetic am I? I guess I could be doing my yoga program too but yet again, I don't really want to. I know that I will be complaining later about how fat I am getting and that I feel lazy...oh, and how close I was to graduating from Beached Whale but here I sit, thinking that maybe I could go Christmas shopping or help the kids put up the Christmas tree. I guess I'll just sit here and wallow in my fat clothes.

Finally!

I have been on a plateau for the past month and I have finally broken it. I am very happy that I didn't go up in weight but at the same time, disappointed that I have been stagnant for a month. So happy that the scale says something is working!

Hooray!

It amazes me how far I've come since I started to exercise. It may not be noticeable to me or anyone else for that matter but since I'm a numbers gal I see the difference. Thanks to Dailymile I have found that if I can finish my challenge this month (which I am on par to do quite possibly even by Thanksgiving) then I will have logged at least 26 miles more than last month and have my total close if not past 100 miles for the month. Hooray! I don't mean to toot my own horn but this is amazing for me! Two months ago I couldn't have even imagined logging that many miles and I couldn't have thought I could do 100 in a month! I look at all the available challenges on DM and I just think to myself, "that could never be me" and now it is! All I can say is HOORAY!

Going nowhere...

It has been about three months since I have started walking/jogging. Within that time I have logged over 150 miles and have almost completed my challenge. I have 45 miles left to go to complete my 180 miles by New Year's Eve and I think at the rate I am going I will complete it by the end of the month. I have almost reached the point in my routines where I can honestly say that my motivation is me and not disappointing other people. I have lost about 6 lbs so far. All these things are accomplishments. All these things give cause for celebration. All these things are evidence of progress. So why do I feel like I am going nowhere? It has been a month since I have lost any weight. At least I have not increased but I am not losing. I have been suffering the effects of a full fledged attempt at weight loss...my weight is on the forefront. I think part of the reason I am the size that I am is because I just ignored myself and my weight. I didn't realize, as most don't, that I was getting bigger. My pants seemed to stretch with me for a while until, of course, I had to replace them. And now that I have decided that I am going to lose ALL the weight, it is depressing me. I look at myself in a different way now. No longer am I happy that I got up and did my hair or put on makeup for the day, now I see the rolls and the bumps, I see how poorly my clothes actually fit me and I am disgusted. I can really see now why people do fad diets and weight loss pills and even surgery. We, as a society want to see results quickly. I guess it is a sign of the times because when my computer takes more than a few seconds to download something or to close a window, I get irritated. I have been suffering the effects of the realization of my weight more recently than ever. I have even contemplated doing HCG just so that I can feel like I have done something. I want to feel like the work I am doing has been worth it. So far, I don't feel like I have made a difference in the way I look and the only difference I feel in the way I am feeling is that I can go longer distances without stopping. It is depressing to me to feel like this. I am not normally one who looks for a short cut but I am getting there. I know in my heart that if I lose the weight right I will be less likely to gain it back but I admit that the prospect of losing it quickly is quite enticing. I need to find a way to be able to see the difference in me and not wait for other people to tell me. Any tips?

Slow feet, quick feet, well feet, sick feet...

I have been having problems with my feet as of late. The last time I ran I didn't have any problems except shin splints. I'm used to those. My feet have been hurting and I haven't quite figured out what to do about it. I read an article today about what to do to stretch, exercise, and relax your feet. Just thought I'd share it will you.
Article

I think I'll have to find a golf ball. 64 miles to go!

It's been a while...

Its' been a while, I know. I have been slacking in my blogging. In my head I know what I am going to write about but when it comes time I find myself with brain drain. I have been getting closer to finishing my challenge on dailymile and I am excited! There was a time when I thought about the lifetime of running shoes. Three months or three hundred miles, as I recall it, seemed like I would always hit the time limit before the distance. It amazes me that I have logged so many miles right now. I'm glad that I joined dailymile for the encouragement that I get from everyone--total strangers at that--and the record keeping that it has done for me. I have heard it said that if you need motivation than sign up for a race, well, the challenge has been good for me so far. I don't think I am quite ready for a race yet because even a 5k would take me longer than I would like. I think I am running at an average of 12 min/mile so far and at that pace I would be looking at a 36-40 min 5k time. I guess I should be happy that I completed it at all but let's face, I am competitive. Right now I think numbers are keeping me going. Trying to squeeze in 180 miles in just over three months has been keeping me going because I don't want to flake out on myself. SUCCESS! I said, myself! That is a great achievement for me! Thus far it has been that I kept going because I didn't want to let my workout buddies down.


BABY STEPS.... BABY STEPS...

I am moving forward. To what, I don't know. I already have planned what I am going to do during the winter once my challenge is done. I hope I can keep it up. Once my challenge is done, I will do yoga on days when it is cold, excuse me, too cold to take Thing 3 out and I will run outside when I don't have to take Thing 3. I think I need to step things up a bit. I know my workout buddies will be canceling on my a lot this winter. I hate to say that but I know it is true. They both have babies and I'm sure will not want to take them out in the weather. I am used to it. I did it quite a bit with Thing 2 and had no problems.

As of late I have been having problems with shin splints and foot bone problems, and it feels like my arches have fallen (if that is even possible.) With all these things occurring to me, it leads me to wonder, what am I doing wrong. Why would walking, a thing which I have been doing since infancy, cause me injuries? I don't feel like I am doing anything different other than pushing a stroller. I haven't been losing any weight lately. But that is probably my own fault. I don't think I have been as good at counting calories as I should these past couple of weeks. Mystery solved! or is it? I have not taken Thing 3 out much this week just because I had a babysitter so I have been running instead of walking. If you were to look at my pace, however, you would see that my running pace is only slightly faster than my walking pace. I would consider myself to have a bouncy walk instead of a run. I am building up my running ability. I can go 2 miles now without stopping. It isn't fast but it's the whole way. There was a time when I ran two miles in 17:34. That equates to an 8:37 mile. My personal best. Right now, I'm looking at around 12:06. I think on one of my runs I might have gotten in the 10 min/mile range but often my time is highly suspect. Because of this sudden increase in the type of exercising I have been doing, my shins have suffered and my feet, hips, knee, and hamstring have all been screaming at me too. I read an article today that made me wonder if I'm doing more harm than good to myself. In a nutshell it tells you the warning signs that you need to give yourself a break. Right now I walk M-F save for the few breaks I had for air quality and a mini vacation. If I didn't walk then I ran. I have been feeling the effects of this behavior for a while now and it is making me wonder. One of the points laid out in the article said that you can lose a couple of pounds but gain fat. I think that is me. I don't feel like the exercise has made a difference in my physique at all. I find that most people say they lose inches but not weight. I am wishing I was in that category right now. I could weigh two hundred pounds if I could fit into a size 3. That will never happen. I will never weigh two hundred pounds and my hips would never allow me to be a size 3. I could be on the verge of death due to anorexia and I would still not fit into a size 3. I know it, it just isn't in the cards for me. I accept that.

Well, I've rambled on enough for this post. Sorry for the novel but it's been a while.

Milestones!

It is almost Halloween and that means costume making but I find myself taken aback at the fact that I have logged over 100 miles since the end of August. I know for some that is nothing but for me that is a great feat! The mere fact that I have kept it up this long, often going it alone save for Thing 3 who frankly isn't much of a conversationalist. I feel like I owe that in part to my walking companions and joining up on Dailymile and being able to get great feedback and motivation from all the people there. It really does make a difference when someone notices how hard you worked or how hard it was for you to get out there. I am glad that I found the site and that I joined a challenge. It's not a race but it keeps me motivated to keep going just so that I can finish. I would hate to say that I had 93 miles left to go and I pooped out. Though, that does sound easy to poop out of. Really, 93 miles? I am hoping to get it done by Thanksgiving but with all the aches and pains that I have from pregnancy of all things, I wonder if I will make it. I will definitely give it my best but my best will be accompanied by lots and lots of prayer.

Struggles!

This morning it snowed. That was bad enough but I decided to carry Thing 3 in my front pack with all the blankets to keep the little one warm. I thought it was cold outside so I wore sweatpants and a fleece shirt and a sweat jacket. I thought I would be fine. So the snow, plus a cold, strong wind, plus 20 or so extra pounds on my person, plus my pants falling down, plus sore feet and knees adds up to one slow, crappy workout. I had to convince myself that I could keep going as both my workout companions pooped out on me today. The fleece shirt made me sweat so much that I fogged up my ipod. Seriously, who does that? Me, apparently. The constant shifting of the little one and stopping to hike up my pants was really grating on my nerves this morning. I heard myself chanting my memory chant that lets me recall what lap I am on. I think it is harder to go in laps than it is to go distance because the scenery never changes and it feels like you've gone nowhere. Mostly because you haven't. I dislike doing laps but when the weather is crappy I hate to go too far from home just in case it gets worse. The wind was enough to make me want to quit but then I kept thinking about last week and how hard it was for me to make up the miles. I came out okay last week with two over my 15 quota but it was difficult trying to get it all in. So, I really don't want a repeat. I thought about that as I walked, though slow as it was. I thought, "I can get in at least one mile and then I'll stop." The more I thought about it, I thought I could make it two miles as Thing 3 fell asleep. So I thought some more. If I go just two more laps then I can get in three miles. I hadn't even gone two miles before I reasoned with myself again that I should make it at least ten laps today. And so I did. I know the neighbors who saw me thought I was crazy for taking Thing 3 out in the weather but for me it is a no brainer. I can keep my little one warm and I did. I checked Thing 3's nose and cheeks and they were barely lukewarm. Not even cold! So I don't feel bad about taking my little one out tomorrow though I hope that I don't have to. Not because of the weather but because I think I might be able to get in a better workout by myself since I'll likely be going by myself. I predict that my walking companion will not be joining me tomorrow. That means that I'll have to pick myself up and hit the road. This time I'll be the one listening to my ipod so as not to get caught up in my doubtful thoughts. I think that is a big deterrent for me. If I can hear myself doubting that I can go any further than I won't so I will have to drown out that nasty voice and fill the void.

I had a silly moment this morning. I seriously jumped for joy in the bathroom this morning after my weigh in. I lost another pound even with all the junk I have been eating. I think the exercise coupled with my conscious eating decisions has really made a difference. Slow though it may be, it is a difference. I told The Man that I lost another pound and he replied, "I can lose a pound just by taking a poop!" Well dear, I cannot. My fat clings to my frame and doesn't want to leave. It's like that annoying relative that just doesn't know when to leave. Well, eviction notices are coming daily! Pound number 6 just got evicted and I'm not taking new renters and squatters will not be tolerated! Next notice goes to pound number 7 and possibly 8. Hopefully this week. So number 7 and number 8...pack your saddlebags. There is no love left in these handles.

When is the best time to...

I have always thought that the best time to weigh in was first thing in the morning because I supposed that all of my swelling and what not from the previous day had gone down. It has come to my attention, however, that first thing in the morning may not be the best time. I often weigh myself after a workout and just before I get into the shower. Even if I have eaten something post workout pre-shower and time has elapsed, I find that I weigh less than I did first thing that morning. I wonder why that is. What, if anything, have you found to be the best time to weigh in. Perhaps I am just tricking myself into believing that this is so. Hmmm.

Speaking of swelling, is it weird that I am glad at times to see that my ankles are swollen? Or that I am retaining water? In my strange and twisted mind I see that as weight that isn't fat therefore it is hard to lose, I see weight that is water that is easy to lose. Demented? Probably. Genius? Possibly. At least I'm an optimist!

PAIN!!!

So I took a week off. Not intentionally, but I went camping and came home to a broken water heater. While I was gone, I started to hurt. Not the sore, I need to workout hurt, but my feet have been aching. It feels like bone pain. So I have cause for alarm. I don't have the patience right now to really research what my problem is so I have been looking for ways to stave off the pain. I was on dailymile and "melanie" posted the "5 most common mistakes new runners make" and of course I'm sure that I fall in to more than one of these even though I've only been walking. I do try to keep the pace up so maybe that is my problem. One of the problems is stretching and that is for every runner. I, myself have not been stretching so it is something to which I should pay attention. There was a link for stretching that gave some good stretches for muscles that runners use. I have found that I am experiencing tight muscles in a lot of these areas. So much so that I had to stop my walk to stretch a bit. So I guess that will be my next issue on hand and tip of the day. As for things, I have to take it easy this weekend because I probably overextended myself trying to make up for lost time because of my trip and the water heater issues.
But, on a lighter note, I am only 107 miles away from completing my challenge. I think I should finish by the first week in December barring any other problems. And my weigh in was good. I am back down to where I should be so far with a loss of 5.5 pounds. At least according to Mr. Taylor.

It's been a while...

So I went camping for four days and then came home to a broken water heater wherein I lost about a week of exercise. Add to that the gluttony that usually accompanies the lack of a stove or a fridge for that matter and you have major problems. This is me. No exercise, bad food, but good company. Does that make up for it? No, it really doesn't. I came home thinking that I had gained back everything that I had lost this last month and luckily, I only gained about a pound back from where I was before I left. Though, that means that I have to change my widget because that is two pounds more than my widget says. So sad! I am hoping that the change in weight is actually due to water retention because I have a lot of that. Four to six hours on a trail with no bathroom in sight does not make for good company. Thus in preparation of these outings I go on the defensive. I cut back on my water consumption and it has hurt me because while out in the desert, my salt consumption went up. So the imbalance left me with huge ledges where my socks were. Gross! I got in almost 7 miles today but I am still behind on my weekly mileage for my running challenge so I am trying to catch up. I hope I make it!

I had a great salad recipe, though not very calorie friendly it tasted good. So I add it because I liked it and may someday like to make it again. The original recipe called for walnuts and more onions and the nuts weren't candied but I like it better this way. This salad has about 274 calories per serving.

Apple Pecan salad with a Cranberry vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 cups mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried
• 2 Green apples, cored and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar

Directions

1. Place 1 Tbs Olive Oil,1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar, and Brown sugar into a pan and heat on medium heat until simmering, add pecans and toss until lightly toasted. About 4-5 minutes.
2. In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a salad bowl, toss together the greens, apples, onions, and enough of the cranberry mixture to coat. Sprinkle with pecans, and serve. 

Something new

So I've been looking for ways to incorporate new exercises into my routine so that it doesn't get boring and make me plateau and also so that I can work out different muscle groups without adding extra time. I am doing a challenge on dailymile right now to get 180 miles in before the new year. In just two weeks I've logged about 44 miles and I'm doing good. That means I'm almost a week ahead of schedule. I figure that I have to get in at least 15 miles in each week in order to complete it on time. Making allowances for holidays, vacations, injuries, and bad weather, I think I'll need the extra miles in while I can. If not, then I just finish early. Right now motivation is key. It is the one thing that I lack. I have the ability and the desire, I just need to convince myself to do this for myself. I think women have a tendency to do things for other people first and put themselves last. There's that, but I need to be forced into exercise. Helping out a friend, not letting someone else down, because I have no choice...you get the picture. As for the other exercises that I have incorporated into my "workout," I was searching online for things to do especially since my workout buddies and I all have strollers to push. I came across a few stroller workouts. I'd link to one but not many are actively updated. But here's an example.



This is just an example. There are many more on the web to choose from. So the exercises that we did this week were walking lunges with the stroller and walking leg lifts (arabesque) around the park. I think form is key here because there were times that the exercises didn't seem to make a difference except for the lunges, but all in all, after the routine my legs were jelly. That's good! I can feel it today two days later making me want to stretch. Needless to say, I will be incorporating more of these exercises into my routine to combat boredom.

Too good to be true?

This weekend I was reading the Yahoo headlines as I do and I came across this little gem. Is it possible to be fat and healthy? Or is it just too good to be true? I hate these articles that give you the gray area in the entire article. There is no resolution in the article just a "this article says this, but this article refutes it and says this." Is it possible to be overweight and healthy? I'm sure it is for some people. I believe that God has made our bodies highly adaptable to the ever changing things we do to ourselves. In His infinite knowledge He knew that we would do things to ourselves and made provisions for it. It's a good thing too. But as for myself, I do not believe that I can be overweight and healthy at the same time. I think that something would get me in the end. Therefore I walk!
I have been walking for the past month or so and I don't know if it has made a difference. I would like to think that it has but I am a realist and I don't want to disillusion myself. If nothing else, I think that it has helped me not to get bigger. That's something. Isn't it?

Another day down

It is yet another day and though it was nothing like yesterday, it was still okay. Thing 3 decided to cut my walk early because apparently, we had other plans today. I am confused at this thing that is motherhood. Is there some gene that I am lacking because I really just don't feel that maternal. I see these women who can console their children and who speak softly to them and the children listen. I am just not one of those women. I struggle with my children because of who I perceive them to be and also who I want them to be. Not that my children are that bad, I just think that they should behave considering their ages. Is that too much to ask? Really? I think I must have missed that class in heaven but I got extra credit in my sarcasm class because I can do that and not even realize it. But alas, I am wondering if perhaps Thing 3 is a bit sick or at the very least has an upset stomach. My sister thinks it is just something that I ate not agreeing with the baby. Who knows. I thought for a moment that perhaps some lactic acid was crossing over into my milk and therefore upsetting Thing 3's tummy but I'm not so sure. I keep reading about fussy children and that it is just normal and kids outgrow it by...oh, wait, that said that Thing 3 should have outgrown it by now. I guess my child is just special. Yay for me. With the mass of children being born in my neighborhood one would think that I could find sympathy from a kindred mother but I really just think that maybe I breed dysfunctionality. Is that genetic? Hmmph, I'll have to look that one up.

As for the workout today, it was okay I suppose. My ankles and knees have been giving me trouble lately and I just keep thinking to myself that I am not old enough to be feeling this broken. I wonder at what age does is it acceptable to be feeling this broken. If 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30, is 30 the new 20 and then from there we're all back in a pre-pubescent stage of life? I think I'll skip that. I think perhaps that all my extra weight is making itself known. Well let me tell you something, fat, your time here is running out and there is a bounty on your head! I have mini goals in place now and a walking challenge on dailymile. I have to get in 180 miles before the new year. As I just started yesterday, that means that I have to get in at least 15 miles a week without fail for the rest of the year. As long as I go every week day, I can make it! I have to start doing something. This fat isn't going to leave itself. My next mini goal will be to do crunches and push ups every morning before I leave my room. I suppose I'll have to pick a start date for that and it should probably be soon. Perhaps Monday is a good day to start. I guess 10 regular pushups and 100 crunches. Starting small but starting. Anyone want in on this? (Cricket chirps) I guess that is the empty void that is my readership. What a lonely world it is starting a blog.

The awesomeness that is sleep!

Today turned out to be awesome as far as exercise went. Thing 3 decided to sleep for the entire time and I ate it up! So because of this, I doubled my workout time and added almost three extra miles to my distance today! Yay!!! By the end of the workout it was just me and Thing 3 but I'll take it if the little one will sleep. There was no rushing to get home so that the neighbors wouldn't hear the blood curdling screams that can come from such a small person. Score one for me! I had partners today. Score another one for me! I extended my distance almost three miles! Can it get any better? I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings. As for the rest of the day I was trying to save my calories because I attended a recipe swap and the theme was Italian. I think my non-alcoholic Tirimisu sans coffee turned out alright. Honestly, I don't know because I didn't try it. Not because it didn't look good, but because there was just too much guilt lying on my shoulders because of the carbohydrate rich Italian food that found its way to my plate. I am, after all, trying to lose weight, not find it. And trust me, that is one sure way to find it.

So one of my friends asked me for the website that I used to figure out how many calories I should consume to lose weight and I couldn't remember so I looked it up. It is very helpful I found for many reasons. It gives all kinds of information on diet fads, diet needs, exercise, diet plans, emotional eating, etc. I haven't been through everything yet on the site but I plan on it. For now this seems to be the place for me but I'm sure if I find something else I will mention it. It is called www.freedieting.com and I find it useful.

I am going to start setting mini goals so that I can achieve more in less time. Right now I think if I can lose 2 pounds a week, which is healthy, then I can reach my weight goal in about five months. I would like to reach it sooner but it is what it is. I am not focused on a number though. At least I am not focused on the number that my scale tells me, I will take it if I can fit into some size 5 jeans which for me will probably never happen since I was "blessed," and I use that term lightly, with mega birthing hips. Oh well, I don't want to lose hope because of a number. Which is also why I don't hold much stock in the number my scale tells me because I can't quite fathom how it could have happened. I guess only time will tell and so will my jeans. Sadly I wore my jeans until the day I gave birth and I zipped them up too but I think they fit worse now then they did while I was pregnant and I weigh about twenty pounds less. That is depressing! Anybody want a muffin top? I'm done with it!

I'm back! But things are highly suspect!

I suppose I never really left but I haven't been pounding the pavement recently due to bad air quality. I took a week off and frankly, it showed. It didn't help that ALL my partners failed to show. I have been asking everybody under the sun to join me so that this never happens but no such luck. I went the usual route today and I am happy to say that I even did that. There was just no motivation for me today. I had a weekend of being spoiled by The Man and now I have to get out and make up for that. I have been doing surprisingly well with the calorie counting. I think the issue with me is that I have been choosing bad food lately and that is what has been packing on my lbs. Now that I have to be aware of my food choices I am noticing that doing that alone reduces the amount of food and how often I eat because there are no snacks for me to eat if I get guilt just from looking at the nutritional info on the package. I have never been much for pastries or sweets or even bread until I had Things 2 and 3 and that surprises me. Now I have no problem sitting down and eating a loaf of bread. But since I started counting calories I have been staying away from the baked goods for the most part. I went through a doughnut stage but I am over that, I went through an artisan bread stage and that one still gets me but I'm working on it, and I went through a binging stage and I have since come to a realization as to what that was about. There was no purging involved but since I am a bored eater I tend not to stop if it tastes good. Recently I noticed also that if I let myself get hungry I binge terribly and by terribly I don't just mean quantity, I mean quality too.

So as I said, last week was a bust. No exercise other than cleaning the house and all the walking around that involves and only about half and half on the cc. So this morning I was happy just to have gotten outside of the house. Score one for me! I ate a rather large breakfast because Thing 2 decided that wheat toast was not preferable and I hate to see food go to waste, especially expensive food (yet another problem I have) so like the good trash compactor that I am I ate the toast. Combined with my own breakfast (a bowl of cereal) and I came out at a whopping 420 for breakfast. After my walk/run of 4.11 miles I came home and ate not one but two nectarines which, sadly have almost twice the calories of my peaches. How disappointing. After sitting around waiting for the time to pass until I had to pick up children from school I did my usual routine of weighing myself in the buff just before I get in the shower and I have to say I was not expecting much. Who would? Staring down at my scale I was led to ponder the question, "exactly how do you know if your scale is broken?" Seriously? After having such a bad week both with exercise and with eating, how could I have lost two pounds? I think my Taylor scale is teasing me, taunting me with the hope that my workouts and my efforts of reducing my caloric intake is actually doing something. Well I'll tell you what, Taylor scale, I'll change my ticker again this week but I will not be surprised when you tell me next week that I've gained 80 pounds because if you're lying to me...believe me, your days are numbered! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, fool me three times and you will be in the garbage can faster than you can say "wait!" I'll just leave you next to the garbage can as incentive to tell me the truth. Just a little reminder, if you will.

I'm a little off...

So last week was a BUST! Terrible for me because I was hoping that I could keep up the good work. I see other people who are at the same point as me postpartum and wonder why I have four, count them, four butts! Now you are probably thinking that is impossible but trust me, if you saw it, you'd understand. My calorie counting for the week has been less than stellar. The beginning of the week was not so bad but then The Man decided to spoil me. He cooked, he cleaned (sort of), he...other things which shall remain unmentioned because this is a family show. As such, my food intake has been over the top at least for the the last three days. There are times when I could strangle The Man because I do not work for The Man. And there are times when it amazes me that he does not complain when I ask him to help out...hmmm, he just makes jokes or excuses. Regardless of which, I love this man so much! Most of all because he didn't comment on my weight even though I know he knows what it is because my scale got stuck one day and it was there for all the world to see before I even noticed it. But I digress. This whole weight roller coaster that I'm on needs to peak sometime. I'm mostly on a plateau but I am waiting on the down hill slope. I have not yet seen it and the thrill that ensues at the sight of what's coming next has yet to hit me. So far I'm just wondering how I got here.

Hopefully this upcoming week will bring some huge strides for me. I am learning how to cut calories, not food. I have been searching, nay, scouring the internet for delicious recipes that my family will eat without being too obvious that they are low cal. The Man said he would start eating the food I cook rather than me cooking the food he wants because now he has a gut. I don't really see it but he does. Oh well, I'll take it! It helps me out immensely because I never used to eat like this until the past four years or so and that is when I started packing on the pounds. Weight loss tip of the day...as they say you shouldn't shop while hungry, don't look for recipes while hungry either. Let me just say from experience that the Tiramisu I have been researching for a recipe swap pales in comparison to the bacon and cheese bread that I happened upon while looking. Just an FYI, the theme for the swap is "Italian" which I am not particularly fond of. I associate "Italian" food with heavy, overindulgent, carbohydrate laden food. That and all the fat people that are in the mafias on TV. That may sound a prejudiced but it is what it is.

I begin my walking routine again tomorrow hopefully with some new faces because I tell everyone I see to join us. I think the more the merrier when it comes to exercise. That way hopefully I will always have someone to go with and I won't shirk my exercise because I can. I just have to remember, "I will not be on the website 'the people of Walmart'."  See, Walmart is good for something. Fingers Crossed! Wish me luck!

I am not a smoker.

It is early Wednesday morning and I am waiting to see what the weather will bring. So far this week has been a bust except for calorie counting and even that is suspect. Monday brought bad air quality and so did Tuesday so I could not in good conscience take Thing 3 out just for the sake of my waistline. I am not a smoker and don't want Thing 3 to be one either and it would have been just like exposing ourselves to that fate. Anyway, yesterday I thought I'd try to keep busy because I don't remember what I did on Monday. I think I cleaned a bit but it is easier for me to eat less if I am busy because I am a bored eater. So Tuesday, the same as Monday, came with no workout which is my own fault because I have been known to walk the mall with all the old people in the morning. I tried to get ahold of MR but to no avail. I had planned on going with her if her air quality was better than mine. But I digress. So Tuesday, with all its bells and whistles, brought me to a place I really shouldn't go. I was on the internet looking up recipes for dinner and for what to do with this great big zuke that my father gave me. Normally I am uncreative when it comes to dinner but lately I have been trying different things. Earlier this week we had balsamic chicken for dinner which was awesome! And it was low cal too! Can't beat that.  Yesterday I made a spicy Asian beef dish which I turned into lettuce wraps. Also very good. I was watching a cooking segment on my local news and they used leeks and for some strange reason that sounded good so I searched the net for leek recipes. I now realize that I have eaten leeks before and just not realized it. The Man said it is definitely something I can repeat so I'll mark that one down in the old noggin. And to top off my list of indulgences, I normally make zucchini bread but I thought I'd try something else. I made Zucchini Brownies. Also good. Well, I suppose the fam liked them because only half the pan is left and when The Man came home he snuck one before he knew what it was. I just laughed. He couldn't go back and say "eewww, zucchini, I can't eat that" after he already had a look of indulgent enjoyment on his face while biting into the brownie. In all actuality, the brownies were for my neighbor but they obviously didn't get there. Perhaps today I'll just make more. I have quite a lot of zucchini left as it was a big one. As for calorie counts I guess it wasn't too bad. It turns out the spicy Asian beef was 381 calories a serving and the brownies were a whopping 210 calories per serving which might have been more for me since I didn't think there was enough batter for a 9x13 pan so I put it in my 11x7. Alas, I guess my day for calorie counting was not as bad as I supposed because whilst I was cooking, baking, and cleaning, I was not eating! Hooray for small successes. I'll have to keep my low cal dinners going because I didn't even realize they were low cal. I guess my earlier post about not getting enough food while calorie restricting was wrong. I find that I have to be more conscious of where my calories go instead of haphazardly eating. I realize though, that most of my dinner cooking has been fairly low cal and I didn't know it. At least when I made my own sauces. So that I don't lose these recipes, I'll post them here for myself and any who happen to read this blog.

Asian Fire Meat

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 pound beef London Broil, sliced paper thin

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and red onion. Stir in the black pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, leeks and carrot. Mix in the meat by hand to ensure even coating. Cover and let marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Brush the bottom half of a wok with cooking oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Put in all of the meat and marinade at once, and cook stirring constantly. The meat will be cooked after just a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve with rice or noodles. For Korean style fire meat, roll the meat mixture up in a leaf of red lettuce.

Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.

If there is any left, I may post pictures but we'll see.

And the total is...

Wait for it...wait for it...ding ding ding ding ding! 1526! Hooray!!!! My goal was 1272 as per some random website telling me how many calories I should take in considering my weight, height, and how I want to lose weight, but considering the fact that I am nursing and the recommended calorie addition on that is 500 I think I did alright! I still had a 254 calorie excess for the nursing and I did exercise today. I also got in quite a lot of water today, not all of it but probably 85% of it. That's better than I have done so far so I think I can call today a good day! Hooray! I am so excited! Maybe something will actually come of this rather than just maintaining. Yay! Now I can go to sleep happy!

Day One...isn't even done.

So this calorie counting thing is getting me down. It's lunchtime on my first day and I'm already up to 876 calories and all I've had today is a bowl of cereal this morning, a peach, and a bagel with cream cheese. I guess I should have skipped the bagel. I am limited, however, with my food resources as I have not gone grocery shopping for vegetables. It seems like I'll be eating a lot of them because they seem to have the least amount of calories. Maybe I'm just used to eating more and that is my problem, I don't know. I always hear people talking about their diets saying, "it's a lot of food..." wherein I think in my mind, "liar!" when they describe to me what their diet entails. This American lifestyle that I've become so used to has been my detriment! I grew up with a garden, fresh fruits and vegetables, and never feeling hungry while never having a problem with my weight. In fact, I never had a problem with my weight until after kids. I don't know if it's hormones, diet, exercise or what but it's got me down. My yoga this morning KICKED MY BUTT! So very sad. I recall doing that same workout before having Thing 3 and thinking, "this isn't so bad, I like this even." And now I realize that I am less limber than I used to be, my stamina sucks, and my muscles are very weak! I think I will definitely feel this tomorrow. Hopefully in a good way. But probably not. Sore legs, hooker heels, and a baby with car seat, don't mix.

New things!

I was on a website and found another blog with this cool widget. I love it! It keeps track of my mileage so I don't have to keep mentioning in my posts for my records. I hope somebody comments on my widget or my blog to motivate me. I guess I'll have to do the same. Today was a little short because of Thing 3 but maybe I'll be able to get in some mileage tomorrow after The Man gets home from work. (Fingers Crossed) I find it strange but I am finally getting into the groove of things and I am enjoying my walks but I think it is entirely due to having people to walk with. I don't know that I could do it by myself but the longer I go, the more likely I think that will be the case. Next step...Calorie reduction! Weight loss tip of the day...duh duh duh....calorie reduction! I know all these things sound pretty obvious but I have always thought that I could just eat less and I would be fine but the more research that I do I realize that if I eat half of a 2500 calorie meal I'm still getting more calories than I need for the day so I am not doing as much good as I thought. So I will have to start counting calories until I get the hang of things and work out a system. As for now, I think I need to step it up a notch. There may be a family function in the near future and I don't want to show up looking like Jabba the Hut. Muu muus just don't do it for me so I guess I'll have to get my butt in gear and my curb my appetite!

Pounding the pavement

So another day of exercise comes and goes. I added another walking partner to my group which is great because then hopefully someone will always be able to go with me.  Tuesday we pounded out 4.13 mi of steep hills and graduated hills, Wednesday was another 4.1 mi also of hills, some of them different, and today ended up being about 4.96 mi of walking and jogging up hills. I tried to keep up with, or rather, outdo CB because I just can't stand to have someone beat me unless I know there is no hope. I'm a realist. I have no dilusions of grandeur when it comes to my abilities. So far I'm doing well considering the fact that I generally get shin splints. Thing 3 is hopefully coming to expect our little outings. There has been less crying at least less crying all at once. I don't feel much different as far as the lbs or inches are concerned. I will, however, change my ticker to reflect my current weight. I don't know if my starting weight was wrong or not but I guess I'll take it. I realize, though, why it is important not to weigh yourself everyday. I look at myself after each run and think, "hey, Porker! what's going on?" The scale has stayed pretty constant until this morning when it said two pounds higher. I blame the Chipotle's burrito that I ate the other day. My body must be saving some for later. That better stop!
I've been having cold food cravings lately. I have been wanting popsicles like mad. Question? How many popsicles does it take to totally negate my run? Whatever the answer, I probably ate that many.
Yay for running tallies! This week so far has been my best. 13.19 miles so far and at least one more day to go! I guess it's strange that I'm almost excited to go walking! That's what having companions does for you! Yay for motivation!

Week number two...uh, I mean three...

So, last week, which should have been week number two, was a bust. I think I only exercised twice, 3.37mi and 4.07mi. But I did weigh in on Tuesday, but I don't quite know what to make of it because I lost three pounds. Now, normally I would be ecstatic because I had a terrible first week and I still lost three pounds but I'm thinking I'll have to chalk this one up to a bad beginning weight. I'm not even going to change my ticker until next weigh in. So, I was thinking, can we just call last week a bye week? Huh? Uh, I didn't think so. Well, this next week looks promising already because I have a new walking partner. My other one is only available twice a week and on bank holidays. It makes for weak motivation when my motivation is not letting them down. I need to get into the mindset of not letting ME down. That would be good. I have taken up some new craft hobbies which only work for me if I'm skinny so I guess I better get my butt in gear. I have too much to lose and too much to gain by losing so I hope I can do this. Scratch that, I will do this! Weight loss tip of the day, love yourself. Something I need to work on so that I do this for me and not for anyone else. I can tell myself that nobody likes fat people or that my kids make innocent comments about people's weight or that doctors say this isn't healthy but until I say, I want to lose weight, I will be happier when I do it, I can do it, nothing will change because it has to be for me. So I am beginning today. I will lose weight for me, I will be healthy, I will exercise and LIKE IT, I will be more of a person but look like less of one! I will change. I will do this now! I will do this always!

Moral Dilemma

So yesterday started out as I thought it would and then there was mud in my house. Therefore leaving me to clean it up. So any hopes of exercise went out the window as Fridays are short days so I didn't have time. Instead I decided to use the zukes that have been staring me down for the past few weeks. I made some oh so good blueberry zucchini bread. It was delish! So normally when I bake I try to share it so that I don't eat it all myself. In comes the dilemma. Do I share this very tasty bread with my friend, who is probably on a diet because she is my walking partner, thus probably ruining her nutrition choices for the day or perhaps two days because it is just that good, or do I keep this to myself? Well, if I were a good friend I wouldn't try to tempt her I would support her in her goals so guess what I chose...? He, he, he. I really am trying to be a good friend so if you're reading this...it tasted good but aren't you so glad that I didn't give you any that would tempt you?  Luv you! :D But so that I am not being entirely selfish, I'll give you the recipe so that you can make your own decision.

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pint fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.
3. Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

I tallied up the miles this week and it isn't bad I guess. It's better than nothing I suppose. 12.69 miles my first week out of the gate is not too shabby. Hoping next week will be better!

Can I coin a phrase?

I have made it another day which, in my current state of mind, is a huge feat. It's not been a week and I'd like to crawl up on the couch and take a nap. As far as things go, I went (accompanied) 3.69 miles today with some good hills in the mix. I don't know if I could have done it alone but since I had company it seemed easy. At least, after the fact it did. I thought I would have a good day today but I had company who brought me lunch so that went out the window. I don't think I even tried to drink enough water today. I let Thing 2 drink from my mug probably so that it wasn't staring me down crying, "drink me, drink me." I can hear it even now. It's haunting. I think for my next tip of the day I would have to say SLEEP. Sleep, because when you don't have it, you notice it and I noticed it today. The yawns, the droopy eyelids...I almost didn't make it. Oh, wait, I didn't. I fell asleep at a most inopportune time in the early evening. It was dinner time of course so Thing 1 and Thing 2 were lucky enough to have fries for dinner. I know that's pathetic and not at all in keeping up with my "healthstyle" (hey, can I coin that phrase? It was mine first! I call dibs!)but at least they weren't deep fried. They were baked. Hah! Don't be fooled. They were Ore Ida fries made to be like fast food fries so still not healthy or even healthier by any stretch of the imagination. Ah well, c'est la vie as long as I keep going but I've already got it in my mind not to go tomorrow. Can I just say loser?

The odds are stacked against me!

So day three of exercise came and went and guess what? I was in the mix! YAY ME!! The morning came with no motivation and no answers to the "calls for help" that I was sending. But, hallelujah! The phone rang! And my prayers were answered! I packed up Thing 3 and met up with CB and we  got on our way. There was, however, no silence to be had. There was a soundtrack of epic proportions to be heard over our conversation. Thing 3 would be heard! That is right, people, we spent 4 miles grooving to the sound of screams! Now I know you are just brimming with jealousy but here's the good part....wait for it...nothing motivates a mom to exercise faster than the sound of a banshee shaped like your kid. Truly, I moved much quicker than I otherwise would have past all the evil glares and stares of astonishment and...my favorite, looks of irritation I garnered from all whom I passed. Perhaps it was in my head but nonetheless I found my motivation! Not that I enjoy the sound of nails on a chalkboard, but I was grateful that CB did not mind. At least I garnered no ill will from her. Though, I wonder if she noticed the volume of my conversation rising with the vicissitudes of Thing 3's pitch. Thus with the beginning of my day starting out so well, the rest of the day continued on the same note. I ate poorly, drank little, and frankly I could have used a nap. I should have taken one, too! At least it would have made me happy for a few minutes. Though I probably would have had to take a nap in the bathroom. It cuts down on the interruptions.
On a more...intellectual note, I was wondering if your weight fluctuates within a couple of pounds, at what point can you actually say you lost that weight? And do you have to keep in mind the last time you had a movement? I know that's gross but it's something to consider. When people go in for a weigh in, or however they do it, do they, in conjunction with shedding all extra accessories, ie. shoes, jewelry, etc. do they consider internal accessories?
Well, to end this on a more positive note, my day was not bad. It was my "fitness day" (which, I call it that because I'm not technically on a diet) that was bad. But it's early yet and I have a long way to go.
Quote of the day: "Nothing tastes as good as fitting into those skinny jeans." Amen, sista! I mention sista specifically because if a guy told me that I think we'd be going to blows depending on which hormone was in control at that moment. I guess he could luck out and only have to watch me cry as opposed to ripping his intestines out through his nose. (Oh, think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.)

I almost didn't do it. But then I did.

I love the rain. I love the fresh smell, the renewal of the Earth that seems to take place, I love that I don't have to water my grass but I don't love running in the rain with a baby! It rained this morning and it wasn't just a slight drizzle or a few drops, it rained HARD! So instead of going walking with Thing 3 right after Thing 1 and Thing 2 left for school, I waited an extra hour just in case it might rain again. I had almost convinced myself that I should just stay home and do yoga but  knew that wasn't going to happen. So I convinced myself that if I didn't get out today then I would continue putting it off. It worked! I got out for just over three miles before I had to run home lest Thing 3 got soaked. It was great but now I'm stiff. I forgot to stretch my shins so I'm sure I'll be paying for it later. I guess we'll see. I had to stick to established roads so that I could use mapmyrun.com. I love that site! It takes the guessing out of life for me. Then I can't pretend that I went farther than I know I really did.
I have also been trying to get all my water in today but that might not have happened since my pre-measured cup was partially drank by Thing 2 who seems to think that if it's mine, it tastes better. Who knew.
I didn't eat very well today but I am certain that I ate less today because I tried to stay busy. Thing 3 kept me on my toes today by crying unless I was holding the Thing. (If it seems like I am being rude by not mentioning so much as my children's gender, I have my reasons.) I also tried my hand at something new. I reconstructed a T-shirt today. Since I didn't really have a plan and I consider myself extremely linear, it was very difficult for me to decide what to do and I didn't want to just copy someone else's "design." So if my project looks like someone else's, it is purely by chance. I was inspired by...dun, duh, duh....Youtube! Who knew. I guess all my sleepless nights of watching tutorials hasn't been all for naught. I have watched countless tutorials about different things but this one is my current interest. One video "personality" that I checked out quite a bit was Kandee Johnson. Her videos led to others and also other topics. So I guess today wasn't totally a bust. In between crying and living life I actually finished my reconstruction. I went from an oversized plain white tee to a fitted "girly" shirt. I never thought I'd use that word in relation to anything I did. Times are a changing. It only took fbbtht years to do it. Now to go to bed so that I can stave off the urge to eat that peach in the fridge that has been calling my name for the past three or so hours.

Weight loss tip #1

So I had to change my blog address and transfer my first post so it might be a little off. Anyway, my weight loss tip for the day is WATER!! Can't live without it! So I know that everyone knows that we need water to live so I won't go into that but water is a necessity for weight loss and healthy living in general.  It cleans all our systems and keeps everything running smoothly. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Water, water, water...how much do we need? According to the International Sports Medicine Institute, there is a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight). At this rate I think I'll actually have to pee more than twice a day.  So how do we do it?

• Keep water with you at all times.
• Set a timer.
• Associate an activity with drinking water.
• Acquire a taste for water.
• Keep your water cold.
• Add lemons or limes to your water.
• Buy a water bottle or a pitcher and measure out your daily amount. Try to finish this container everyday.
• Drink from a smaller container. Sometimes consuming water in smaller amounts helps make the task not quite as daunting.

These are just a few ways to up your water consumption and your trips to the loo. I suggest not starting a huge overhaul of your drinking habits if you are planning a trip for at least two weeks so your body can get used to the change.

So I bought a new water bottle

Bought it at Target for under $10. It's BPA free and comes with a removable ice pack. The ice pack, in theory, is a good idea, however I find myself putting it in a baggie to keep it clean in the freezer as I do have frozen meat in there too. Not something I would have thought I would have to deal with. As far as it goes, the mouthpiece is a little to difficult to get at and it leaks if it is tipped over so I don't know that I would ever buy this guy again nor would I recommend it to anyone mostly because I don't like that it leaks when tipped over.

The beginning!! Ramblings of my mind in the middle of the night.

I have started this blog to chronicle my journey to weight loss in the hopes that it will motivate me to do better.  There are so many blogs that address this same topic but I hope doing this myself will make all the difference for me.  As I lay trying to sleep last night I wrote this up just for giggles.  I know it's lame but oh well.  It was late.


There is so much to do
I don't know where to begin.
On this quest, nay this journey
of mine to be thin.

To diet...or not,
To exercise...I must.
To lose my muffin top
but I pray not my bust.

I could do without these,
Can I move this fat there?
Perhaps I should start
this whole thing with a prayer.

O Lord, if thou art listening
to my lowly request,
please help me to give
this whole health thing my best.

Keep me from cookies
get me off of the couch,
that I may rid
my dear self of this pouch.

I was hoping to be one
of those girls that I hate
who can eat like a pig
everything from her plate.

And not gain an ounce
but alas, tis not so.
Thus I guess I will give
this whole health thing a go.

Enough is enough
I have to get started.
This blog will be where
I keep everything charted.



I know, lame.  And so it begins.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 are in school which leaves just me and Thing 3 save for when The Man is home.  I have done exercising successfully before.  And when I say successfully I mean that I did it continually.  I have no plans for any type of diet with the exception of reducing my portions and scaling back significantly on treats which normally wouldn't be an issue but since I got pregnant with Thing 3 I have acquired somewhat of a sweet tooth.  If you read this and care to join me please comment or follow my blog.  It would be greatly appreciated.  I could use all the help I can get.  As it is late Saturday evening, I will begin my exercising on Monday morning after my Things go to school.  Wish me luck!