It's Working!

Dude, exercising.

Turns out?  Totalllllllly worth it.

Look at these stats:

On both Saturday and Sunday I walked a little under 7 miles.

Monday's Weigh-In:

And yesterday I got really ambitious and decided to try jog/walking.    I downloaded a new (and much better) app called Runkeeper at the suggestion of my sister in law.  It's. Freaking. Awesome. 

 

 

It essentially functions just like Walkmeter in that it basically tracks your movements with the GPS on your smartphone and calculates calories burned based on the speed you travel, body height, weight, sex, and age. 

This one is a lot better though. It's linked to MyFitnessPal so it will input the calories burned automatically.  It keeps a much more easily accessible log of past activities. And it allows you to comment on how the walk/jog/run went for posterity.  And the map feature is way, way better.  AND IT'S FREE.  Holy awesomesauce, Batman!   

So anyway, with my new app in hand, I decided to go on a nice walk at a brisk pace.  However, about 1 mile into my walk, I realized that an incredibly creepy homeless looking dude was also walking....at a brisk pace....right by me....and talking to himself....and it didn't look like he was stopping anytime soon.

maybe he was just Hugh Jackman out on one of his urban hikes....

So, I thought about it for a second and decided to go ahead and start jogging just enough to get away from the dude. 

But then once I started, I realized that it was going to be totally obvious what I did unless I jogged long enough for the dude to mistake me for a WOP and not just think I was trying to avoid him. So I did it for as long as I could (which wasn't that long...only about 3 blocks).  And went back to walking.

And then I reached General Lee.

I stopped for a second to gaze up at the magnificent sculpture of the General.   He is facing North.  Towards NYC. The Big Carrot.  And I took a deep breath......and turned around and decided to jog a little bit more.  I told myself, "Just another 3 blocks or so. Nothing crazy."

And then it started to rain......and I had no choice but to try to get home as fast as humanly possible. So I alternated walking and jogging as much as I could (which was not a lot; I'm still a beginner).

4.5 miles in 1 hour.  Not too shabby.....definitely faster than I've ever gone before.

If I keep this up, I might stand a chance of finishing the 5k in less than 40 minutes. That's the goal.



Today's Weigh In:

9 pounds down so far.

 

And the awesomest part is that if I exercise I get to eat more! And I love eating!  It's a total win-win.

Exercise.  Go figure.  We will now celebrate with a dance party:

 

 

 

 

 



Bursting The Bubble

One of the hardest things about losing weight is that you can't do it in a bubble.   It would be easy enough to hole-up in the house for a couple months, stock up on pre-portioned meals and workout videos, watch the pounds melt away, reemerge from the house looking all hot, and call it a day. 

If only.

Instead, I constantly struggle to continue living while doing this.  This means that on a daily basis, I have to step out of the diet bubble and interact with real-life people who may or may not be on diets themselves.

Three challenges immediately come to mind:

1)  Not boring people out of their fucking minds.  Let's face it, keeping track of calories, exercising, and then taking the time to sit down, self-reflect, and write about it is really time-consuming.  It has sort of become the center of my little universe.  So when I get together with friends or family members and folks ask, "What's up with you?" it's very difficult to walk the line between giving a brief update and droning on for an uncomfortably long time about, well, keeping track of calories, exercising, and then taking the time to sit down, self-reflect, and write about it.  So, my apologies go out to any of my readers who are also around to hear about this in real life.  I know it's not interesting....and I try to be brief. Honest.

2)  Not wanting to kill everyone who isn't on a diet.  This is one that I am ashamed to admit.  I'd love to be happy for my friends when they go on a McDonalds binge or enjoy a couple courses at a five-star restaurant.  But even though I keep my cool on the outside, on the inside I wanna be like....

Just yesterday, The H and I decided to go on an Urban Hike (well, more like an "Urban Meander" because The H walks really slow and gets easily distracted by shiny things).  And not even two seconds after we get started, he decides that he wants to begin the hike with a couple McDoubles.  

I'm not kidding. I even took pictures so I would have proof. 

Oh, I might have eye-rolled him and made a snide comment about McDonalds being disgusting, but inside I was like

3)  Temptation. Temptation. Temptation.  So after getting over the initial feeling of wanting to murder my friends who have not subjected themselves to the self-inflicted misery of a diet, a second and far more dangerous feeling takes hold: temptation.  

 I do a mental tug-of-war with myself every.single.time. I see someone eating or drinking something that I really wish I were eating or drinking.   Sometimes I find myself dreading social gatherings simply because I am afraid to succumb to the temptation.   I wish I could offer some awesome insight into how to cope with this, but so far I am coming up short.    Playing Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" in my head works to a point.   But usually I just end up going home a little earlier than normal. 

It helps that it's working. Days like today where I reach a new low-point are always exciting and they give me some willpower to overcome temptation because the results are its own reward.   But I would be lying if I said that it wasn't hard. 

But I also would be lying if I didn't say that stepping out of my own little bubble sometimes yields surprising sources of encouragement and inspiration. 

Just this week I've had a friend who read the blog offer to let me tag along to her Pure Barre class (which is apparently, like, the hottest exercise trend among young, female, WOPs right now).  Of course I said yes.  This is like being asked to have lunch with the cool kids. 

Another friend clued me in to an awesome farmer's market that sells huge boxes of locally grown produce for $20.00 (I'll probably buy one and devote an entire post to it). 

A couple others have offered to sign up for next week's 5k with me. 

A couple others asked me to join them in another 5k the week after the first one. 

And in a sign of solidarity, even the cat decided to do weigh-ins.

It's truly humbling and amazing to know that there are people who are following the blog and pulling for me.   Their support means more than they'll ever know, and so does the support of all of you who read this.    Thanks for reading.   

Onward.

Week 3 Progress Report

Without any further ado, the WEEK 3 PROGRESS REPORT

WEIGHT: 153.8
WEEKLY NET CHANGE: -2.0 lbs  (not too shabby!)

Ugh, I am not even sure why I bothered with this photo because it's so hard to see, but it's 153.8 alright.

 

BMI: 28.1
WHAT THAT MEANS: Still overweight, but decidedly less-so than Week 1.

Well, I am a little bummed that I didn't get back down to the low point of 152.8 this week in time for the Progress Report, but I am confident that I'll see that number again real soon.

If I can keep up this pace, I'll be on track to reach 145 by the Wedding....which is my next carrot. And I'd be booking my trip to NYC in about 14 weeks (which I think is the week of Thanksgiving).

In addition to sticking to the calorie limits that have been in place this whole time, I have started drinking a lot more water, avoiding sodium, eating lots of fiber, and, of course, urban hiking/training for the 5k......still not sure what I was thinking. I was having delusions of grandeur.  Or a "runner's high."  Or maybe I am just crazy.

...Or maybe, I can actually do it. 

Training updates to follow.   I have 1 week!!  It's gonna happen!

The Clique

So, for starters, an update: Weight 154.2.   The Desalinization Process from sodium-bomb Monday is well underway.  I'm just hoping the process is complete by tomorrow's progress report.

But that's not what this post is about. 

This post is about the new clique that I am eagerly trying to join. You all know them. Heck, some (many) of you might already be part of this in-crowd, so please don't blackball me after reading my impressions of your little group. A lot of this is just the sour grapes of an outsider looking in. 

They're....the Workout People.  WOPs. 

WOPs are the grown up equivalent of the popular kids from high school.  And breaking into their little club is tantamount to getting a coveted seat at the "cool" table in the cafeteria.  

Look at 'em! They're just like the rich/cool kids from high school except they've traded the perfectly-paid-for-teeth and the "brand new Jetta on their 16th birthday" for Nike Fuel Bands, and iPod arm bands, and sweat proof earbuds, and an entire wardrobe of clothes just dedicated to getting sweaty and disgusting.  

They brag on social media about how far they run. They check-in at gyms.  They jog to raise money for puppies and Tibetan peace and shit. 

They get doused in colorful powder in cities though out the country. While running.

I WANT IN.

It's not easy to break into the WOP's group.  For starters, it takes a lot of time.  They have meetings, like, every day including weekends and before and after work.  If you miss a day...it seems like you may as well be from Mars.

But I have decided to give it a try.....even if I fail miserably.

I figured that for starters I ought to try to look the part.   The first step to fitting in is to make them think that you might be one of them.  That's not gonna happen if I keep walking/running in jean shorts.

Where better to begin than by stocking up on "the uniform" at good 'ole Academy. I went there and stocked up on everything.  Socks. Shirts. Shorts. Something called a "sports bra" that makes it look like I only have one boob.  EVERYTHING.

I stuck with name brands....Under Armour, Adidas, Nike, etc. in an effort to a) fit in with the WOPs and b) be comfortable (my experience with shoes has taught me that quality matters).

( Side bar: I was also unpleasantly surprised to learn that WOP fashion does not believe in vanity sizing.....the sizes that I would normally wear in street clothes are gigantic compared to the clothes in WOP world).

So anyway, after stocking up on gear, I made a truly huge rookie mistake. I overstepped my bounds.

Just as you wouldn't invite yourself to the first big sleepover with the popular girls in school if you're not on a first name basis, you probably shouldn't plunge straight into WOP territory without at least making a friend or two.....

But that's exactly what I did.  I was at work and in a moment of total insanity I decided to sign up for a 5k taking place next weekend.

ME!

A 5k!   I am literally out of my mind.  I don't know what came over me.

 

I'm gonna look like an idiot.

 It's gonna be like the episode of Friends where Phoebe runs...

And to make matters worse, it's a work-sponsored 5k which means a ton of people (actual WOPs, not wannabes like me) from work are gonna be there to witness this disaster.

So I have 9 days to train for this 5k. 

Wish me luck. I am gonna need it.

A GIF-Heavy Look Into My Brain

So yesterday's weigh in of 152.8 was awesome and I was like....

So I decided to harness this momentum and use it to mentally double-down on my commitment to exercise, stay within my calorie limits, and just, in general, be healthier.  I went on another walk yesterday (admittedly shorter--3.45 miles, but at a faster pace) and was scrupulously good about my calorie limits.

This morning's weigh in should have been perfection.....but instead.....

154.8.

A TWO POUND GAIN?!?!

So at first I was all in denial about it and tried re-weighing myself......

And then the little voice in my head started running through all the things I did wrong. Did I eat a lot of fiber yesterday?  No.  Was my pho for lunch a complete sodium bomb? Yes. Did I drink enough water?  Maybe not.

And then I could just hear the annoying choruses of people saying that "this why you need to watch your salt intake blahblahblahblah"

And at first I prepared to get all defensive. Like, whatever.....

 

But then, I had a moment of clarity.  I know I have been good this week (even if I was a little heavy on the sodium).   My clothes are looser around the waist and hips.  In fact, they're just as loose-fitting today as they were yesterday, this 2 pound fluctuation notwithstanding.   I know that this is working.  I know that this was just a blip on the radar. 

 

I will not be discouraged.

 

I will be a boss.

 

 

And I will charge forward, full steam ahead and keep doing what I'm doing.  Because it IS working. Despite what the scale might say this morning. 

 

And I am confident that by Thursday, this will all be a distant memory and I am going to kill it in my Week 3 Progress Report.

 

And in the meantime, I'll lay off the salt.  That's the master plan.

 



Something Strange Has Happened.....

After Saturday's Urban Hike, I swore it was too miserably hot and would never do it again. Not until Fall.

 

So when Madame texted me on Sunday asking if we wanted to try another route....I surprised myself when I agreed.  I almost couldn't believe what I was saying.

 

 

I didn't even begrudgingly agree.  I just sort of decided to go with it, but I stipulated that I wanted a nice, easy route with no wasteland/side-of-the-highway-deathwish-segments of the journey.  

 

Off we went.

 

We walked from my house towards downtown. The goal was to walk to the interstate overpass (about 2 miles from my house) and turn around and come back.

 

But when we reached the overpass....we both just kind of wanted to keep walking.  I can't really describe the feeling...it was like Forrest Gump or something. We just figured we'd made it that far and weren't really tired so why not keep going.

 

So we kept on going.

 

We got all the way to the Jax Brewery in the French Quarter and realized we'd gone over 3.5 miles. At that point we figured it was a good idea to turn around. We took the scenic route along the river levee...

 

 

Much better view than The Wasteland.

And just kept going.

 

We made it back to my house at just under 7.5 miles total.

 

 

And I am not going to lie, by then my leg muscles had reached a new level of sore.  It was weird.  I was almost afraid to stop because I knew the minute I did that it would really, really suck (and it did...I was walking like an idiot the rest of the day).

 

So this morning I did a weigh-in and was, again, pleasantly surprised that the new plan of exercise, lots of water, extra fiber, and not treating Saturdays like an All-You-Can-Eat buffet was really working.

 

 

I tried like 10 times to capture this without the flash screwing things up, but that's 152.8

 

But here's the strangest thing about all of this.  When I woke up this morning, my first thought of the day was that it would be fun to go on another walk tonight.  Me!  Wanting to work out?  Really??? 

 

Maybe in some strange way this is my version of the "runner's high" that everyone talks about.  I've somehow never felt more motivated to do this.

 

I've been keenly aware of the fact that last year when I started this blog, I gave up so abruptly. I've been reading and re-reading those past posts trying to avoid the same mistakes.   I actually happened to notice that when I reached 152.8 last year, it set off about a 2 and a half week yo-yo between 152 and 153.....  I am hell bent on avoiding that this time.

 

This time, it's full steam ahead.  I will only try to be better everyday instead of trying to find ways to cut corners.

 

I'm coming for you, NYC. 

Urban Hiking

One thing that I think I will always struggle with is exercise.  It's just not something that I enjoy.  Most exercises tend to make me look and feel ridiculous, and I just can't get down with the whole "being sore the day(s) afterwards" thing.  Yeah, all told, you're more likely to see a dog walk on its hind legs than catch me at a traditional gym.

The only physical activity that I've ever come close to actually enjoying is walking around outside exploring the city.  Apparently, in the yuppie corners of the world, this is called "urban hiking."  Everyone else who lives in the city just calls it, I dunno, getting around.

Somehow I think suggesting that any of these people try taking up "urban hiking" would end with someone getting their ass kicked.

So anyway, even though it's been hotter than hell lately, I decided to brave the heat index and go "urban hiking."  Luckily for me, Madame was either crazy enough, bored enough, or just plain enjoys exercise enough that he was willing to join me. 

We started out in his house which is decidedly smack dab in the center of New Orleans, and decided to walk to the suburbs where we would reward our efforts with a plunge in my parent's pool (that was the carrot).   Total duration: just a little under 5 miles. 

Now, walking is not the hardest thing to do if you've got good shoes. And I've definitely walked longer distances than that before, but this was the first time doing it in 94 degree heat paired with the kind of choking humidity that you can only understand if you've been to New Orleans in August. 

But off we went!

We started strong....enjoying the sights and smells of New Orleans (I never really noticed just how far the intoxicating smell of Popeye's Fried Chicken travels until yesterday--the answer: a good 6 blocks).   We also enjoyed the vast patches of shade that the live oak trees provide...

....Until the wasteland.   You see, around mile 3 there is a barren tract of wasteland that stretches about 1 mile during which Madame and I essentially were shuffling along the side of a highway like vagrants.  To give you some idea of what we were dealing with I've snapped a picture from Google maps: 

Yup. Imagine us. Walking single file along the side of this highway.

So during this stretch, things got real.  Thank God Madame was there to keep me going. I was so unbelievably hot, sweaty, hungry, needing to pee, etc. that I was ready to take advantage of this being an urban hike and call a cab to pick me up.  

But on we pressed.  Mainly because Madame forced me.  

And finally, at the end of the tract of scary highway, we finally arrived!  The Suburbs!

Now another thing about urban hiking: Madame and I quickly learned that when you're sweaty, disgusting, and carrying a backpack, it's best to stick to truly urban areas and avoid the suburbs.   I am pretty sure the good people of Jefferson Parish assumed that we were transient ne'er-do-wells just looking for someone to pickpocket. 

But on we pressed despite the stares and occasional honking cars. 

And we finally arrived at our oasis!   5 miles, 1.5 hours, and buckets of sweat and Perrier later.....we made it.   And it was actually fun!  Well, maybe not the parts where I thought I'd pass out from a heat stroke on the side of the highway....but otherwise it was fun!

And I gotta hand it to Madame.....he put up with his share of whining, but he kept me going.   A more affable and worthy urban hiking coach has never lived.

And today.......

Yippie, hooray!!

I concluded my daily entry on My Fitness Pal and it told me that if every day were like today, I'd be 146.0 pounds in 5 weeks. 

At that pace, I will reach my 145.0 pound goal by the time I attend my friend's wedding on September 28.    

There's nothing left to do now but find another route and another tract of the city to explore.  All hail the urban hikers!  It's fun!