A Little Challenge

My blogger buddy, Missy, and I will be having a little challenge this weekend to inspire us both to get a run in.

We have both pledged to run on Saturday.  If one of us doesn't, we must post a current picture, wearing a bikini, on our blog.

I will NOT be posting a pic of me in a bikini anytime soon.  So you can bet your sweet patootie cheeks that I WILL be running!  In fact, I intend to run both Saturday AND Sunday.  They may not be long, and likely won't be, but the weather is supposed to be nice and I'm going to take advantage. 

This weekend I can't wait to spend a little one-on-one (OK, maybe one-on-millions time) with my favourite Canadian athlee.  Mr. Georges St. Pierre!  Go ♥GSP♥!!!!

And also a little nail biting time watching:

Saturday night is a TV kind of night!  Better get my run in early!!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Step By Step

After a little time off and a few changes on the home front, I'm feeling so much more refreshed and ready to start working on this weight loss thing again.

Last night I took step one in that direction.  Hmmm, is this step one AGAIN?  Perhaps, but personally I don't believe failure is messing up and having to start again .... for me it's failing to restart.  So, when I got home yesterday I immediately suited up, grabbed the dog, and headed out for a brisk walk. 

We're having typical April showers here these days.  If you get a window of sunshine between the showers, you need to take advantage of it.  And I did!  45 minutes of glorious sunshine and fresh air.

Eating was pretty decent too.  Started dinner off with a massive salad.  Definitely have been lacking on fresh veggies lately.  Yum YUM!

Of course, the scale showed a 2 lb gain from yesterday to today ... that's always nice.  But I'm not worrying about that.  My focus right now is on eating healthier and moving more frequently.  The rest will fall into place with consistancy. 

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

What It's All About

Mentally, this weekend was just what I needed.  A little get away.  A lot of time with family.  Mostly good weather.  It was pretty much perfect.  A few minor bumps in the road (including an emergency call out vet bill that we really could have done without), but these things are to be expected in our world.

For most of our married life we have gone camping on Easter weekend.  It's become a bit of a tradition.  This year we really probably shouldn't have gone ... with finances, obligations and all.  But mentally it was so necessary it wasn't even funny.  The choice was pretty much down to getting away for a few days or checking into a mental institution. 

Honestly I don't think the weekend could have gone much better.  We spent a ton of time together. We laughed, we joked, we just chilled.  It was wonderful.

Yes, there was the situation where we thought the dog had found some mouse poison.  But, the vet thinks she probably pinched a nerve in her back and after what essentially boils down to a VERY expensive bottle of Doggie Advil, she's 100% again and that's what matters the most.

After such a great weekend I feel refreshed again and ready to take on the world. 

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

The Laundry Will Wait

Ya know life is exciting when you post in point form.  Highlights from the weekend ....

• Met up with my sister and her family for a short visit.  Got mistaken for her daughter (ahhaha, sorry sis, but if it were you, you'd share the story too).  The woman may have been straight out of the looney bin, but I'm going with it.  Gee, denied purchasing beer last week, mistaken for my sisters daughter this week.  Not so bad!
• Did some yard/barn clean-up.  Looks SO much better out there.  We're on acreage and things can get cluttered up pretty easily.  Had a nice bon fire in the evening with all the scraps and bits.
• Had a nice visit with a friend I haven't seen in weeks.  We were supposed to go for a walk, but the timing didn't work out (darn kids).  Instead went for a trail walk with my daughter and her bf.  Took along my little dog and the big dog.  Nice day and great to get out in the fresh air.
• Made wonton soup .... from scratch, and rocked it!  So easy to make, and tastes so much better than you get in a restaurant, and cheaper to boot.  I don't know why it's often oily when you order it, mine wasn't at all.  A little time consuming, but kind of fun.  You make a bunch of wontons (I did 200) and freeze the extra. 
• Ran 6.2 miles in the pouring rain.  On my own I probably would have not gone, however I made plans with friends I haven't seen in a while.  They called me to say they were running late.  I can't say that I wasn't hoping they would cancel.  No such luck!  It was not wonderful, but I am glad I got it done.  Walked all the hills and ran probably the slowest pace I've ever run on that distance.  But my hamstring feels fine so I guess I did everything right.  Will build up slowly again like this and hope to strengthen it without causing further injury.
• The run however completely zapped my energy.  Came home, had a hot shower and fell hard asleep for a couple hours.  Even after that I was very low energy and only got a few minimal things done around the house.  The day was shot.  Hopefully that will improve again soon.  Not sure if it was entirely the run, or also weather and a bunch of other circumstances.  I hope it wasn't just the run.  But, even if it was, I know the more I get out the better it will be.

All in all not such a bad weekend.  Kind of bummed that I didn't accomplish much yesterday after the run.  It was one of those days.  The laundry will wait another day or two.

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

A Few More Steps

One more step ... or should I say 3.5 miles of steps :)

Did a little run with a friend last night.  It was a gorgeous afternoon and perfect running weather.  We chose a local trail and while it was beautiful, it was much too hilly for my current condition.  Unfortunately my hamstring that was previously injured is NOT happy with me now.  GRRR!  I couldn't possibly rest it more.  I don't know why I keep having an issue with this.

If I don't run too far, too fast, too often, or on too many hills it seems to be OK. 

This scares me.  Am I destined to not run again?  I enjoy walking & biking .. but I love to run. 

I'd hoped to do another short run tonight, but think it might be best to just do a walk.  It's sunny again today and I HAVE to get out in that one way or another.

Good choices yesterday:  oatmeal, salad for lunch, added veggies to soup @ dinner, felt a hunger signal!!
Bad choices yesterday:  PB cookie dough (almost gone), crispy instead of grilled chicken on salad @ lunch, Mr Noodles for dinner (taste SO good, so bad for you)

Getting a little better everyday.

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Crunchy Mistake

A few more better choices, still far from good, but taking it "One Step At A Time".

This morning I had an old favourite - oatmeal with a scoop of peanut butter.  Usually I buy smooth peanut butter, which my son prefers, but I accidentally bought crunchy this time.  YUM!  Quite glad I made THIS mistake.  It's definitely sticking to my ribs!  Maybe a little too much, but that's the leftover feeling from the last few weeks.

This afternoon I plan to get in a short run with a friend.  It will probably only be about 30 minutes, but it's one more step in the right direction.  The sun is out at the moment and I'm looking forward to a little movement!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Step 1 - Awareness

It wasn't pretty, but I got 'er done!

Step one in a comeback is awareness and acceptance of the situation.  Yesterday was both.  Everything I ate was recorded in a journal.  It was NOT pretty ... but it was there.  You'd think after writing that post yesterday that I would have had a stellar day.  You'd think it would not have been a day that included consuming about 500 calories in cookies.  You'd be wrong.

However .... it was ALL recorded.  And for that I feel a little bit of pride, a little bit of control, and lot of awareness ... and I feel like this is step one.

Today I will record everything again.  And I will make a few better choices.  Then tomorrow I'll probably make a few more better choices.  Things will start snowballing in the proper direction.  I can feel it!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Payback is a &*%$#!

Have you ever done something, or not done something, all while knowing that there is going to be a price to pay?  There are going to be consequences.  And the longer you do it (or don't do it), the bigger that payback is going to be.

Well, that's me right now.  I'm there.  Living every moment of that awful feeling knowing that I, and only I, am responsible for the choices I've made.  The way I'm currently feeling is COMPLETELY my doing.  It sucks!

The last two months I've been in a funk.  It started with a lack of interest in running.  No wonder considering I had an injury and just a lack of focus after helping my friend train for a marathon.  I didn't worry too much about the lack of running.  My body needed some rest to heal, it really did.  My weight didn't change and I was still eating healthy, so no big worries.

But, of course, that snowballed.  Eventually my eating habits started taking little hits.  A few less veggies, a little less water, some unhealthy choices.  Somehow I was still getting away with it.  My weight crept up a couple pounds, but I still felt pretty good, still looked fine, and my clothes were still fitting the same.  I was getting away with it ... or so I thought.

We're now going full speed down that slippery slope.  What started as less exercise and a little unhealthy eating has now morphed into a monster who does not exercise, and those bits and bites have turned into a daily habit that includes everything from Snickers bars and red licorice to McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers - sometimes all of the above.

I've hit rock bottom! 

My clothes are tight.  Those "couple" pounds have grown far beyond what I am comfortable carrying as a "few extra".  I'm SICK of feeling full ALL THE BLOODY TIME!!!!!!!  I've forgotten what "hungry" feels like.  I haven't felt a hunger signal in I don't know how long. 

I'm done!

The journals come out again.  The filthy habits stop NOW!  Summer is coming and I won't be comfortable this way.  Heck, I'm not comfortable this way now and it's cold & rainy.

This morning I weighed 154.2, though I FEEL like alot more than that.  I hate being over 150 and really feel best under 147.  Commencing today, I will be reporting my weight every Monday morning. 

Enough is enough .... I'm coming back!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥