Let the training begin!

In preparation for training for my half marathon, I need to address my knee issues that I've had for years now.  I keep re-injuring my knee, over and over and it gets in the way of my exercise.  I called my MD for an appointment for today to get bloodwork done (I'm out of thyroid meds today I just noticed), and to have her look at my knee, so we can get some xrays done and pass me along to whoever can fix the problem.

I went to an orthopedist a year or two ago, and it was when I had first injured it.  He told me to take it easy, use the exercise bike to strengthen it, and if it didn't get better, to see him again.  It didn't really bother me for a long time, but then I re-injured it (a few times), because it's weak from prior injuries, and weak from all that weight I carried around for so many years (and the extra weight I'm still carrying around), so it's just a big wimpy mess.

I think I will probably need physical therapy, and I want my MD or PT to monitor my training.  I'm hoping to come out of the training with a stronger knee - I certainly don't want to do additional damage.  I know every lb I lose will make a difference in my recovery, so I'm glad to be doing the biggest loser challenge that Alison is arranging.  That will make weight loss fun!

My MD will have a loaded plate with me there today, between my flu, knee and thyroid, but I'm sure she can handle it.  ;)  I can't believe they could see me today - they must have had several last minute cancellations - typical of the holiday season.  Good for me.

Visualize whirled peas

Remember that smart alecky bumper sticker?  Visualize whirled peas?  LOL

As I've mentioned before, I think visualization is a very helpful tool.  I've been nasty sick the past few days, so I haven't done anything to lose weight.  I don't know what I put on while I was visiting my family, but I know it was enough to make my loose pants feel tighter.  I weighed myself today, and I was down to my recent highest - which I guess if you count Christmas vacation, is not my recent highest anymore, but since I didn't weigh myself, we'll just ignore that.  The weight is gone, no harm, no foul.  ;-)

I've been spending a lot of my sick hours thinking about my next moves.  I'm very excited to start training for the half marathon.  I already have that planned out, but I will adjust depending on my knees and how my body responds.  I already know I can do 3 miles fairly easily, so that's where I'm going to start.  3 miles, every other day, for 2 weeks.  Then I add miles on as I go, and the week before I do the 13.1 mile run, I plan to do 15 miles, that way the 13.1 will seem easy.  :)

I can see myself crossing the finish line.  I can see myself in the gym, every day, working out hard.  I can see myself getting down to a fighting weight.  I like what I see.  I see beyond that too - I see myself doing new things I've never done like surfing...or wearing an outfit that I liked, and not worrying about bad angles.  ;-)  I see myself healthy and fit, and living a life I barely recognize right now...and I can't wait.

Sorry I've been absent

Please forgive me for missing nearly a week of blogging!  I have not been feeling well.  I started coming down with something 2 weeks ago this past Sunday when we returned from Dallas, and I finally felt it coming on strong on Christmas day.  By the 26th, I felt full blown sick, so I upgraded our tickets to first class (thank heavens!!), and we spent the last day with my family, ensuring each of them a fair opportunity to catch my germs.  Now my sister is sick as a dog too.  (sorry!!!!)

I have spent the past 2 days, since I've been home, sleeping, reading and watching tv.  That's it.  I feel like a gross, sick, germ blob.  Today I feel ever so slightly better than yesterday, so I'm hoping I'm on my way to health.  I'm *really* hoping this thing doesn't turn into pneumonia, which I really feared yesterday when I felt it go into my chest.  I think the fact that I've been bundled up inside has helped me a lot, so I'm going to take the time off from work that I need, and I'm not going back until I'm well.  If I go back when I start to feel better, but I'm not all the way better, I'll just get even more sick. 

I have learned a thing or two these past few years that I've been sick constantly.

;-)

That is all the news that's fit to print.

Stay healthy, gang!

Who does these???

When I started losing weight and getting into shape, I decided I wanted to be a triathlete.  Then I realized what that entailed:  2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running...all in one day, and in under 17 hrs.  I'm sorry, huh?  Who can do that??????

Apparently, anyone.

Last night, I watched the Biggest Loser "Where are they now?" show.  Some people kept it off, some didn't (an interesting theme is that the ones who are doing the best are the ones that are teaching fitness or have somehow incorporated fitness and wellness into their lives...reason #4 why I'm thinking of buying a gym), but one guy who had gained some weight back decided to do a triathalon.  He was a pretty big boy, even though much smaller than he was initially, and God bless him, he gave it his all.

He ended up finishing 3 minutes after the deadline, so technically, he didn't complete it, but WHAT.EVER.  His endurance was amazing.  The fact that someone obese could even possibly complete that physical challenge was astounding to me.

We always hear about how we have to be so careful about exercise, and consulting with physicians, and heart attacks, and maybe that is all very true, but the side we never hear about is that our bodies are WAY more resilient than we think.  If this big guy can complete a triathalon, I really believe that I can too someday.

I'm not going to take all that on now - LOL - but my first goal will be a half marathon.  I think that's an attainable goal, a good challenge and a big step for me.  I never do more than 3 or 4 miles on the treadmill, but I know I can.  If I had to do a half marathon today, I know I could do it.  It would be unpleasant because I'm out of shape, but my body could do it.  With a few months of training, I think I would be in pretty good shape to do it. 

Yes, I have asthma, bad knees and a bad back, but if they can do it, I can do it.  That's one of the coolest parts of the show - the fact that it inspires some of the people watching it to reach for new heights.  If you are told all your life that you can't do something because of the way you are, you are just going to assume it's true.  I think our bodies can do more than we think, and that is an exciting thought for me.

Children's Hospital at Dartmouth has a half marathon scheduled for 8/29/09.  Since TJ has me at my goal weight by then, it should be a great date to aim for.  Who's with me?????  :)

Fill me up!

My, isn't this clinical!

Alas, I have scheduled a fill.  In anticipation of a holiday visit filled with dieting tips from my parents (love you guys!), I'm glad I can answer them with a plan of action.  I will be getting a fill on 1/5/10.  It will be my first fill in almost a year and a half.  It's been a weird run, but I'm really hoping this does the trick to help me stay back on track. 

Lately, my appetite has been growing, and I find myself able to eat more and more and more.  I don't know why it's just been happening now, but I don't care either.  It is, and I need a fill, and I'm getting one. 

No, I'm not thrilled to go in there weighing 35 lbs more than I did the last time I was there.  My surgeon was always so proud of me every time I saw him, and now I'll just be like all the other bad students who gained.  Actually, what has happened to me is exactly what he predicted.  He said most people lose 60% of their total weight they have to lose, and then end up gaining 20-30 lbs back from their lowest point.  So there, I did just that.  Good for me.  And truly, I had lost 75% of my total weight to lose, and bounced up the 20-30 from that point.  Let's try to get him to focus on that.  ;-)

There were other times during the year when I needed a fill, and I avoided getting one because I was upset with myself for gaining.  However, I don't want to gain anymore from this new high point I've reached in the past few months, so I'm facing the music, and getting the help I need.

Phat, dumb and happy

That's me.  I'm sorry I missed a week on this blog - yikes!  In addition to being very busy, I'm sharing my office at work with my assistant until hers is ready, so I don't have access to my computer as much as usual.  Also, I haven't been feeling well since the plane ride home last Sunday.  I've been fighting something off, but just feeling really run down, sick to my stomach off and on, achy, sniffly, and tired.  I haven't been exercising, and I've been eating WAY too much comfort food.  I'm back to my high point again.  Hooray!

LOL - at least I got there by eating delicious french cuisine, that I mentioned in my other blog.  ;-)

I feel super duper fat today.  Have you ever had those days when it just feels like your fat is growing and growing?  I feel fatter every minute, and it's quite unpleasant.  I know I need to focus on my health, not just losing weight, but getting to the bottom of why I'm sick all the time.  I do think I'm allergic to this house, and hopefully after the holidays, we can get someone in here to do some testing and then hopefully get rid of the mold that is probably making me sick constantly.

I'm also ready for a fill.  For a while, I was having trouble eating normal things, but that time has passed, and I definitely need a fill.  Every time I call the office, they aren't open.  I just called right now, and they aren't in until 10.  If I called at 8, they wouldn't be in until 9.  If I called at 3, they would have been closed for the day.  I don't know what's going on, but I know I need to make more of an effort.

I'm going to schedule a fill for January, and I'm going to try to lose 7-10 lbs by the time I have to fly out on Wednesday.  LOL.

Very active weekend

I even wrestled a bull to the ground!

Amazing, I know.  ;-)

We went to Dallas this weekend, and we were pretty active, walking miles while we were there, but we didn't eat very healthy foods...at all.  We ate out every meal, and although I managed to order a salad for one of my meals, naturally it was a crispy chicken salad with full fat ranch dressing, so we know how healthy that really was.

I'm hoping to lose some weight before I have to travel again next week.  I will try, at least.  It's obviously not the easiest time in the world to lose weight, but I'm also sick of being stuck in the same place and losing the same weight over and over.

I think at the very least, I'm going to plan to exercise every day.  If my eating choices aren't perfect, at least I'll be staying on track in one way. 

Hoooooly Moly!

We watched the biggest loser finale last night.

Here is a picture of Danny Cahill, the winner, before:

And here is a picture of him after:

They don't really tell us exactly how long the entire process takes but I think it's like six months from start to finish, and it may even be less.  If that's the case, than this guy lost 239 lbs in 6 months.  I know that doesn't seem remotely possible, but I think that's what happened.  

Can you believe the difference?  I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw some of these transformations last night.  It was amazing.  Many of them looked awesome...a few looked a little scary, but most of them really looked fantastic.

I hope they do keep the weight off.  We've always been told that losing weight slow is the way to go, and maybe that's true, but if it's not true for everyone, it's good to know there are alternatives out there.  I always think different things work for different people.

I can't believe how differently we view overweight people to fit people. I saw Danny as a completely different person based upon his new look.  Part of it was the weight, but part of it was his darker hair, and just winning countenance that he didn't have before.  He has truly made a jaw dropping transformation (as did runner up Rudy), and I'm really thrilled for them, and so many others who did so well.

The MD behind the show had to speak out against gastric bypass surgery, of course.  I thought that was too bad, because for some, that may be their only option.  Not everyone can go on this reality show, and it's truly not realistic to think that people at home can work out 4-6 hrs/day at that kind of intensity, and with that much support.  Gastric bypass surgery has risks, of course, but obesity has greater risks in most cases.  That's just my opinion...

I must say I was energized by seeing those results!

Yup, I'm dragging...

You probably guessed that since as of 3:30, I still hadn't blogged yet!  I missed yesterday too.  It's been a busy, busy week.

For some reason, I'm completely exhausted today.  I feel weak, sometimes dizzy, and just tiiiiired.  I don't think I slept well, and I've been waking up VERY early lately, so I think it's just catching up with me.

Sadly, that's really all I have to say for now.  LOL - sorry 'bout that.

Awwwwwww

The total weight of these 3 little Yorkie puppies is 6 lbs.  LOL - how cute and teeny tiny are they???  Darcy and I met a little baby Yorkie at the pet store the other day.  He was 10 weeks old, and he weighed about a lb.  He was so little, and absolutely precious.  It's a good thing his pen mate decided to released himself on him because I'm quite sure the offensive oder is the reason Henry doesn't have a baby brother today.  Poor little Harry - I hope they have washed him by now.

I mention the adorable trio, because today, I'm down 6 lbs from my latest high weight.  I've lost 3 lbs this week, and I was far from perfect, but I was definitely better, so it's working, and I'm glad.

I'm having a gross chicken alfredo lean cuisine for breakfast, as I type.  What a nice way to kick start the day.  LOL

I've been working since before 5AM this morning.  I have a lot to do since I was on the road all day yesterday, but I don't want it to cut into my weekend.

Better get back to it - just wanted to share the good news with you two.  ;-)

With a little help off from my friends

Where have all of my blogging budies gone?  I still have some non-weight loss blogs that I read, but I used to have a great routine of reading at least 5 every morning, and if I was going through a hard time, I could find inspiration through someone else's words.

Now I'm down to 2 weight loss blogs - mine and Alison's.  No offense to either of us, but we've both been kind of spinning our wheels for a long time now.  LOL

We're up and down and up and down, and really going nowhere.  Can someone please do something extraordinary and write about it so I can find inspiration again??  That would be great, thanks. 

It's hard having a ton of weight to lose.  It's a loooooooooooooong journey.  Things that work sometimes, don't work at other times, and it's hard to keep momentum up for years at a time.  I can see why most weight loss efforts fail.

As you may be able to surmise from my post, I'm having a struggle getting back on track.  I'm eating okay, but not great.  I'm down my silly four lbs, and I'm not gaining, but I'm not losing.  I'm not exercising either, and I KNOW I need to.  I've been tired and feeling so run down - I'd probably feel better if I just bit the bullet and worked out.

It sounds like a wonderful idea at 7:45 AM - not so appealing at 7PM when I'm collapsing after a very busy day at work.

Anyway, I must turn inward to find inspiration, and Alison and I will keep jogging along on our hamster wheels while you watch us spin.  :)

We interrupt this broadcast...

Sorry - I was sick of looking at those ribs.  It was making me a little queasy.  Please standby for your regularly scheduled programming...

Not a diet food

We bought Henry a new pen so that when we have to leave him for longer lengths of time, he doens't have to stay in his crate, but he'll still be safe.  We wanted to try it out for a short period of time first, so we decided to go out to dinner last night.  We couldn't decide what we wanted, at all, so we ended up going to KC's Rib Shack...very random choice...

I had fried pickles (that were delicious) and 2 ribs.  I felt sick to my stomach, because my body doesn't respond well to junk food.  I don't know why I ate that.  I wasn't feeling well, which never helps my willpower....and I'm not sure why I'm not feeling well.  I was exhausted by 4pm yesterday afternoon.

By 7, I wanted to go to bed.  I held out until 9PM, and then I slept in until 6:30.  I only sleep those long hours when I'm sick.  I'm feeling a bit better this morning, but I still have a stuffy nose, headache, etc...   Oh well, I'm sure it will pass.

Other than that, I had been good with my eating yesterday, so I was the same weight today. 

Today, I'm going to be working late because I have a ton of work to do, and my plan is to finally eat the right amount of calories and see a loss on the scale tomorrow!

Rome wasn't built in a day

Okay, so yesterday wasn't perfect, but I took steps in the right direction.  Sometimes, I try to make drastic changes quicker than I'm ready for them, and it's not always a recipe for success.  I ate much better than I had been, but not as good as I would like to long term.  I didn't exercise either.  I had a terrible headache, and my allergies were making me ill, but I still could have, and I didn't.

I was down 1 lb today.  I think it would have been more like 3 or 4 if I had done all the right things, but 1 lb is 1 step in the right direction.  I'm one lb closer to losing 20 lbs by the new year, and 1 lb closer to hitting my goal weight in 8/12/10.  :)

I'm hoping that today, I'll be even better, and that much closer to my goals tomorrow.