Dancing the Nights Away

So my supposed flu was actually nothing at all.

I went to a wedding celebration  last night at this very posh venue in Chelsea.   It was a lot of fun.   I put on a silk dress, did my makeup and hit the dance floor.

When I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror, I was happy to look  – it’s been a long time since I have felt this way, but I felt like I looked really good!

Of course diet is off track.   Not so much from eating, but from the glasses upon glasses of wine and champagne I consumed at the wedding and at other events this weekend.

Pushing through the pain

Weight today: 205.4 (lowest yet!)

So in the past few hours I have had developed: 1) swine flu (of course), 2) food poisoning, or 3) some unknown but utlimately minor flu-like/stomach related ailment.   Tune in tomorrow for the resolution of my not-so-mysterious ailments!

I feel wiped out!  

On the plus side, I did manage to stick to 1,500 calories yesterday.   I thought of it like jogging — there’s is usually some point in the first half mile of my now 2 mile treadmill jog where I think “ugh, not feeling this today.”  But I promise to at least go one mile.   When I get to a mile I usually feel like keeping on to 2 miles.   So I pushed through the annoyance and pain of not overindulging in food.   It’s always a better result in the end………

Emotional Eating

Oh, how I long for the days when I consistently stuck to 1,600 calories a day!  

My calories are now in the 2000s four to five days out of seven.   I am fitting in all my extra calories at night or on the weekend.   During the week, I am good about my three solid meals plus one snack.   But I keep buying a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar and large bag of popcorn to eat after dinner.   920 extra calories a day!  On the weekend, I have turned into a grazer of delicious and mostly unprocessed foods.   Then, at night, if I am alone, I add two cupcakes to top it off. 

It scares me that I look forward to my snacks.   I am maintaing my weight, because I have been exercising regularly and because I have 2-3 days at 1500 calories.  But my mind is getting used to being cheered up by food. 

I have to say however that I am proud of myself.   This is the place where I might ordinarily give up.   But how can I?   I’ve lost close to 50 pounds.  How can I turn my back on that accomplishment?   The only thing I can do is strive to do better.   To address my problems without food.   To that end my new goal is as follows:

1.   Count and log everything!!!!!   Every day!!!!

2.   Keep my calories to 1,500 at least five days a week.   I can go over on the other days if I want, but I need to log it and be aware!

3.  No secret eating!   If I need to lie about it or hide it from friends/family, I cannot eat it.   If I would not feel comfortable telling people that I am going to the store to buy cupcakes, I am not buying them.

Weekly Weigh-in

Down 2.0 pounds “officially” this week to 207.8.

My eating has been off track.   Way off track.   I seem to do okay Monday – Thursday, generally hold it together Friday, but when the weekend comes I feel compelled to eat.  I don’t know if it’s stress, boredom or something else.   I don’t even love the junk food I am eating, but I keep going back for more.

Do I need to understand why to get myself to stop?

Numbers!

Last night I just dragged at the gym.   I did 10 minutes on the rowing machine – fine.  Then I was going to walk/jog on the treadmill for 40 minutes.   After five minutes, the idea of spending another 35 on was just killing me.   I felt bored and physically strained.   I normally have a better mental attitude towards jogging, so I just commited to doing 30 minutes on the elliptical instead.    My whole workout just felt like torture.  

Ok, so numbers.   I realized that I am so close to so many different weight milestones.   This morning I weighed in at 206.8 (goodbye junky carb water weight gain!).   That puts me: 0.8 pounds from my lowest recorded weight since August 2004, 2.8 pounds from losing 50 pounds!, 7 pounds from being under 200 (assuming I don’t round up!), 11.8 pounds from my 195 birthday goal, and 19.8 pounds from my weight when I started college (187).

Weekly Weigh-in

I’m up a pound.   Due to more cupcakes — agh.   Just didn’t care this weekend — did not binge, but sort of allowed myself to eat as a I pleased.

30 days left to reach goal and 14.8 pounds away.   I owe it to myself to do everything I can to meet my goal.

That means 1500 calories a day, exercising 6 days a week and walking to work as often as possible.

Monday Weigh In

Down .4 pounds for the week officially.  Unofficially my weight is bouncing around due to too many cupcakes.   Today has been good – ran on the treadmill at the gym and stuck to 1500 calories.  Not the best quality food, but I’ll take it.

I updated my stats .

Desserts

The past week I have been overindulging in desserts — mostly cupcakes, ice cream and popcorn.   I realized tonight that I don’t think I am even enjoying these things anymore — I am just doing them out of habit or compulsion.   So I’m going dry this week.  I need to break these habits.  

Plan for the week: No dessert til at least Friday.   1500 calories max per day (entire week).

Workout plan:

Monday:  Elliptical, 45 minutes or spinning class; Weights 20 minutes

Tuesday:  Elliptical, 45 minutes or spinning class; Weights 20 minutes

Wednesday:  1 hour treadmill

Thursday: Session with personal trainer, 20 minutes elliptical

Friday: 1 hour treadmill

Saturday/Sunday: 1 day rest, 1 day exercise video or cardio resistance training

My Experience at Fitness Ridge

I am back from Fitness Ridge.  What am amazing experience!   I should have blogged about it while there but between having to finish an article up for work and exercising 6 hours a day I was simply too exhausted.    

So I will try to do it justice in one long post.   All of the exercise that I have done is logged on my Exercise Log.

Pre-Fitness Ridge (a.k.a. Vegas)

I was actually looking forward to Vegas more than Fitness Ridge.   I was envisioning several days of spa time, gym time, pool lounging and gambling at night.   But I spent a lot of time stressing about work, never made it to a gym or spa, and just felt a bit drained.   I did make it to the pool and and the blackjack tables.   It was fun, but tiring.   I ate too much, but definitely within reason for vegas.

Fitness Ridge

I arrived with some trepidation.   A tasty meal of pasta and meat sauce helped divert my attention.   K and I spent some time on the elliptical and doing laps in the pool. 

Monday through Friday we hiked for two to three hours each morning followed by breakfast, a lecture and a yoga or water aerobics class.   Then lunch, another lecture, two exercise classes, and another yoga or water aerobics class.   The classes included cardio interval type classes, step aerobics, weight/cardio circuits, or core work.  

I pushed myself mentally and physically, encouraged by some of the awesome people I meant there.   I was gasping for breath and it was a wonderful feeling.  I really turned a corner when I ran my first mile on Monday.   I told myself I would do five minutes at 5 mph on the treadmill.   I pushed to eight, then ten, and then said “do you want to run a mile”?   I wanted to and I did.   From then on I just kept pushing myself — doing things on hikes I was not 100% comfortable doing, running when I might otherwise walk. 

The food was quite good — nothing I didn’t like and very filling for 1200 calories.   

Saturday we headed up the Stop Sign hike, the same hike that we did Monday morning (I clocked in at 1:11).   My plan was to jog the flat and downhill sections and walk the uphill.   For most of the way up, I was with a group of five or so women from my group.   We kept the pace for each other; interchangeably passing one another.   It really helped me keep my pace and time.   I ended up making it up in 1:01:39, shaving 9 and a half minutes off my first time.   I headed back down with three of the women from my group.   We made it all the way back to the bottom, for a total of 8.6 miles.   After that we had circuit and stretch.   I was so sore going into circuit, that I did not believe I would be able to do anything other than walk stiltedly on the treadmill, but then I started pounding out 2 minute intervals of 5.5 mph and 6 mph.  I even did another minute at 7 mph!

In the afternoon, we lolled about by the pool.   The idea of taking bikes out seemed laughable.   We were all so sore.   It hurt to even sit down!   Had a nice couple of rounds of pool volleyball and read by the pool

I lost 4.8 pounds and 2% body fat (FR scales said 4 pounds and 5% body fat, but for consistency’s sake I will stick with my numbers).  I put a deposit down for another visit.

Fitness Ridge

I arrived at Fitness Ridge today.   I am so excited for this program — it’s going to be amazing.   We had dinner and orientation.   After that my friend Katherine (with whom I am traveling) and I went for a swim and did some cardio at the gym.   Hopefully we won’t be too sore because we are going on a big (i.e. uphill) hike tomorrow morning.   Wake up call at 5:45 am – ouch!   

Vegas was okay, but not the fitness vacation I had planned.   Basically, I didn’t exercise at all and ate a fair amount and various buffets, thought definitely better than I would have a few years ago.   I also drank rum and cokes at the blackjack table.   Anyway, I weighed in at Fitness Ridge at 216 — I think that makes sense given that I was wearing more clothes than I normally do for at home weigh ins, it was the middle of the day versus first thing in the morning, and following a meal of a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake (so worth it!).   

Check in soon!