Behind every happy OCD person...

...is a nicely organized chart:

Sorry if the picture sucks, but this is the chart that I created for "Operation Baby Weight". I borrowed the idea from the Ash is Fit's 20/20 Challenge Chart that we received at the beginning of the challenge.

I'm excited!

"Hold your head up, keep your head up - movin' on..."

("Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics).

248.0, but guess who has made the executive decision to move her weigh-ins back to Monday? That's right, yours truly.

Since the 20/20 Challenge is defunct and no one is 'officially' keeping track anymore, it doesn't matter when I weigh in. I just feel 'off' weighing in on Fridays, and it gives me no incentive to be good through the weekend. Therefore, *lightbulb* I can weigh in on Mondays again!

So I guess that means I've lost 1.8 pounds from last Friday, but maintained from this Monday. We'll see what next Monday has to say about that. All in all, I feel much better about Monday Weigh-Ins, so I'm glad they're back.

So far this week, I've done treadmill 5k three times. Twice with an attempt at as much running as I can - not strictly C25k, but running for less time, more frequently. I'm not sure if it's the best idea, since it's not doing much for my endurance, but it's probably closer to the reality of what I'll be doing when I actually get out there and run my 5k. We'll see how it goes.

I have 2 more 5k's this week to reach my goal of 5. Tonight and tomorrow will have to be the days I get it done, since I'm driving out to bufu to see my momma on Sunday.

The End.

Waisting time...

(Heh heh, get it? It's a pun. About how I'm wasting time, and it's affecting my waist? *Tap, tap*...Is this thing on? Crickets.)

249.8

I'm up a 1/2 pound, which is to be expected. I've boycotted diet and exercise this week, just because I can. Now that's dedication for you...

Actually, I've been doing a very physical project at work that involves LOTS of lifting and moving and general running around. It basically means I leave work at the end of the day feeling like I got hit by a train. I just couldn't bring myself to go through c25k this week. I knew the consequences, and this morning, they were staring me in the face.

Unfortunately, until I took a look at the calendar this morning, I didn't realize just exactly how much I was counting on this week to help me get to the -20 mark by May 23rd. Now I have made it so that I have to lose over 3.2 pounds per week to reach that goal. I'm not going to say it's impossible, but...

If I get there, that's great. If I don't, don't expect a big, whiny post about it. It's my responsibility, my job to do the work. If I don't reach my goals, I have no one to blame but myself.

And that's all there is to say about that.

Current events-wise, Tonja's birthday bash is this weekend, which The Hubs and I can't afford to go to. Bummer! I'm sure it will be an awesome time.

Since The Hubs has to work on Mother's Day, we're having The In-Laws over for Mother's Day dinner this Sunday. Wish me luck, as this is my first chance to prove to her that I'm a capable, adult, human being. I'm going to cook a family favorite that I've made about a thousand times. I had better not mess it up, since she already has about zero confidence in my cooking/baking/breathing ability, and she's not been shy to make it known. The hope is that this will turn her attitude around, without The Hubs having to have the talk with her. Wish me luck!

(p.s. While she can be a little too much to take sometimes, she's totally cracking me up lately. The woman keeps asking me how my 'marathon' is going...no matter how many times I tell her it's just a 5k, it's a 'marathon' to her. Okay, Jack's mom, sure...I'm running a marathon in a month. Let's go with that.)

The Biggest Loser Challenge final weigh in by my boss is on the 18th. I know I haven't won the challenge, but I just really want that fricking scale in her office to tell me a number below 250. It seems as though I've been going down, down, down on my home scale. Every fricking Friday, I try the scale in her office, and every fricking Friday, it says 251.6. How is that possible?! I figure, losing those 10 pounds by the 23rd, maybe...just maybe I can get that scale to say 249. Ugh!

Aaaand...I had 115 chances to become a millionaire on Tuesday, and it didn't work. Mega Millions was up to $181 mil - $117.4 mil cash option, which would have worked out to just over $2 mil after I shared it with the other 56 people at work who put in money. I have 129 chances tonight, and would have to share $220 mil ($143.5 mil cash option) with 58 people. In case you're wondering, that would be just about $2.5 million dollars.

Don't you worry your pretty, little blogger-friend heads...I will blog, even if I become a millionaire. I promise. :-)

Wish me luck, because my good karma from last week - I saved a girl from walking out of a bathroom with her skirt stuck in her underwear, and I saved a deer from getting hit by my Speed Racer of a husband - didn't help at all!

Guess that's all the news here in Mrs. B-ville. Hope you have a great Friday!

Well,

Blah.

And that's all I have to say about that.

"So hold on tight, we'll muddle through, one day at a time..."

("One Day at a Time" Theme Song)

249.2

Slowly but surely...we're getting there, and I'm okay with that. I was hoping to be in the 248's, but I'm pretty darn close. I'm under 250, which means more than a 10 pound loss since I started this whole darn journey. (8.8 pounds since starting the 20/20 challenge, which averages out to 1.76 pounds per challenge week!)

All in all, I'm happy. I've actually accomplished something, allbeit a small feat. I've fought for these 10 pounds. I have sweated. I have wanted to cry at times. But I did it. The frustrating part comes when I know how hard this was, and then know I've got to do the same thing five more times to get to my goal. And then five more times after that to be at a "healthy" weight.

But, as I've said before, I can't think of it that way. Every time I do, I get frustrated. So, no. I don't have to lose 10 pounds five more times. I have to lose 10 pounds one more time, by May 23rd. That's it. Just one more time. I can do that. I'm already on my way.

Only 9.2 more pounds to go until I hit my goal.

Totally do-able. Totally.

This is it, this is it.
This is life, the one you get,
So go and have a ball.

This is it, this is it.
Straight ahead, and rest assured,
You can't be sure at all.

So while you're here, enjoy the view,
Keep on doing what you do,
So hold on tight, we'll muddle through,
One day at a time, one day at a time.

The real test...

Tonight is c25k Week 4 Day 2.

It always seems as though the first day of a new c25k week is the easiest. I'm thinking that's because I've had at least two days of rest since the last workout - I usually start my c25k weeks on Tuesday, and do Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

The Thursday and Saturday workouts always seem infinitely harder than the Tuesday one, but by then, I've also completed one and know that I can do it, so there is a little bit more motivation there. I don't know...it's a trade-off. I really wish The Biggest Loser would switch to Thursday nights - that would help me so much!

We'll see how it goes tonight - Week 4, Day 2, Last Chance Workout before my Friday weigh-in. I totally need to kick butt to get away from 250, and to get on track to lose the next 10 by May 23rd.

Tomorrow, we shall see just how much further I have to go.

That is, if my treadmill doesn't just up and swallow me tonight in a Week 4 fury.

"Come Monday, it'll be all right..."

("Come Monday" by Jimmy Buffett - I finally had no choice but to repeat an artist!)

Quick little ditty today, kiddos. I have to leave in about 1/2 an hour to go pick up The BFF for a girls' day of window shopping at the Outlets! Woot! About the only thing I'm going to buy is lunch, but still, it's better than being at work on a rainy Monday.

The big news? I finally hit -10 pounds this weekend! I'm super stoked! And I told The Hubs that if I lose another 10 by May 23rd (a family wedding) I'm going to buy myself a new dress. (perhapse this little beauty from Torrid. I tried it on this weekend and it's beautiful! I would wear a wrap or something, of course!)

But, anyway...I hit my -10! And to celebrate, we went to Rockbottom, which I blogged about before on my Valentines day post. I didn't eat all day, in preparation for their Chicken Fried Chicken. It was so, totally, worth it.

After we ate, we walked around downtown a little bit, and decided to grab some seats on Fountain Square. The Hubs' powers of observation were much more potent than mine, for once, and he drew my attention to the 3 film cameras that were mere feet away from us, and pointing in all directions. Then we saw a ton of people with walkie talkies, shooing people away from one certain set of chairs, and making people sign release forms and such.

The Hubs said, "Maybe they're filming Taking The Stage", and sure enough, about five minutes later, Mia and Aaron walk over and sit at the tables that were reserved for them.

It was pretty neat to watch, even though we couldn't hear anything they were saying, and I'm pretty sure neither of us were on camera. I'll watch to see, anyway. (Besides, I love any show that showcases my city...)

Okay, so that was Saturday. Sunday I went to a bridal shower for my soon-to-be step-cousin-in-law. It was pretty fun, but standard bridal shower stuff. I made her "bow-quet" since she made mine at my family bridal shower last year. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

And today, it's a lovely, rainy vacation day from work. I don't really care about the rain. I'm just glad to have a day off.

And I plan to take full advantage of it!

I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close...

250.2

Can you believe it?! I can't.

That makes -7.8 for the 20/20 Challenge, and -9.8 total. I'm stoked!

And that is all.

"I ain't got much to lose, cuz I've seen better days..."

("I've Seen Better Days" by Sublime).

251.4

Down a measley 0.2 pounds, but a loss is a loss. Especially when I was expecting a gain.

This week, my food intake has been HORRIBLE. I went out for lunch every single day. I ate out for dinner twice. Yesterday, The Hubs surprised me by coming to work and taking me out to lunch. We had B-dubs (a weakness of mine) and I didn't even try to make good choices. And then I felt bad, because Thursdays are Last Chance days before my Friday 20/20 weigh-in, so I went home and had one piece of whole wheat bread with a little peanut butter for dinner.

I'm pretty sure that's not how this whole diet thing is supposed to go.

Last night was W3D2 for c25k. It's the very first time in this whole adventure that I've had to tweak the workout. I did the 1.5m run/walk, and then did the 3m run. After I completed it, both of my legs started cramping up from the knee to the ankle. Not just my calves, either. The whole damn leg - 360 degrees of burning pain. I had to stop half way through my 3m walk and sit down to wait for the cramping to stop. Once it did, I got back on, kept on schedule, finished the rest of my 3m walk and did the whole cycle over again. Once I made it to 25 minutes, you can bet I was off of that damn treadmill.

And then I felt bad. Crappy. Disappointed. Annoyed.

I promised myself that I would finish 5k every time I get on the treadmill, and at that point, I had barely gone over a mile. I had no choice but to get back on. I took it a little slower than I normally do, since my legs were still letting me know that they weren't at all happy, and would much rather be chilling on the comfy couch watching bad tv. I finished 5k in about 67 minutes. 10 minutes over my fastest 5k time, but I knew I had to go slower or I wouldn't finish at all. Once I completed the 5k, I hopped off, thinking I should now feel like I accomplished something.

But I didn't.

I still felt like I hadn't done anything. I stopped during my c25k, I stopped after my c25k, and it took me over an hour to finish 5k. I felt like a total failure, even though I logically know that an hour on the treadmill is good no matter what.

So I hopped back on the treadmill for the fourth time last night. Ugh. In the end, I ended up spending a cumulative two hours on the damn thing. (Partially to try to make myself feel accomplished, and partially to see what would happen when my treadmill timer hit 99:99). The counter says I burned off over 800 calories, and I went 5.6 miles, but I just can't shake the doom and gloom.

It's disheartening. To have 2 weeks of above average weight loss, and then to lose 0.2 pounds. And to know that you've got no one to blame but yourself. And to kick your own ass at cardio (I've done over 200 minutes of cardio so far this week) but for it to all be for nothing, since you put nothing but junk in your body all week. And to have something proven to you that you already knew was true, but just didn't want to accept: you can't half-ass this stuff.

I can't eat what ever I want, and then hope that killing myself on the treadmill will fix it. It's almost the same mentality as being Bulimic - to eat everything in sight, and then "fix" it by throwing up? I was doing the same thing this week. Of course, my "purge" was through the use of a treadmill, but I don't think it's any different. And that scares me a little.

I've got to realize and accept that there has to be a balance. I have to eat well and work out. I can't just do one or the other.

My goal for next week is to get to -10 pounds. I'm only 1.4 pounds away, and I'm making it a priority to do it the right way this time.

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter, all.

c25kiss my bootie!!!

I almost died DID IT!

Week 3, Day 1: Complete! You thought you had me there for a second, didn't you, evil c25k? You thought you could crush my dreams, that this would surely be the end of me, right? Certainly I would give up, or maybe even drop dead...

But I didn't. I didn't and I won't. Just go ahead, give me another 3 minutes to run. I dare you.

Not that it was easy, or anything. I was feeling pain in places I didn't know could hurt. I now understand why people hate running - they start out pushing themselves too hard, and feel the way I felt, and then say "heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell naw". I completely understand that. At about 2 minutes into my first 3 minute run, I was thinking the exact same thing.

And then I kept going. That's the trick. And to do it again, even though you know what it's going to feel like now that you've done it once. To know that you're going to feel pain, but to do it anyway.

I don't think I've ever done that in my life until today.

Thank you, evil c25k. I owe you one three.

"It's just another manic Monday..."

("Manic Monday" by The Bangles).

Craziness, I tell you. Ugh.

Let's start with the weekend:
Friday night, The Hubs and I had the best pizza in Cincinnati for dinner. I was good with my calories, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Then we drove up to his parents' house so that he could fix some computer problems for them. Other than that, it was a pretty boring night.

Saturday (aka My Arch Nemesis) we had to get up at the crack of dawn to head down and help my Aunt move. Since we left so early, we grabbed McDonald's for breakfast on the way down. So. Not. Good. I basically started my day with 500 calories. Bah. Then, my Aunt bought us pizza for lunch. LaRosa's twice in two days. While that may be heaven for the taste buds, it's pretty much hell on a diet. I stuck to thin crust, and plain cheese, so I think I didn't sabotage myself too badly with lunch.

And then, there were doughnuts. Damn you, Dunkin'! Doughnuts are like my favorite thing. And I had two. I just couldn't help myself. (Oh well...) The one thing that annoys me about the doughnuts, though? Dunkin' Donuts puts "0g Trans Fats!!!" really big on the boxes, like that makes them healthy. Whatever, dude.

And then, there was the cook-out with Tonja & Jason & The BFF/BF. Fun times! Considering the amount of food we had, and the types of food we had, it could have been much worse than it was. Almost everything we had was the healthier version of the real thing. Fat Free Cool Whip, Baked Lays, 0 Calorie butter for the corn, etc. But I still had way more calories than I was supposed to. I felt horrible.

If I had to guess, I'd say I was about 500-700 calories over my allotment on Saturday. It's not the end of the world, but it's not good either. The hard part is knowing that there are just going to be days like that, where I can't prepare, and I can't control everything. I really can't stand not being in control of it, but I need to get used to it because I know it's going to happen again at some point. How do you deal with that?

Anyway, Sunday The Hubs headed back up to his parents' house to try to figure out more of their computer issues, so I had the whole day to myself. I did c25k W2/D3 and 5k on the treadmill, then ate lunch/dinner, and did it again. I was really trying to make up for Saturday, even though I know I can't do it all in one day. In the end, it was over 2 hours on the treadmill, more than 10k, and over 800 calories burned. Not too shabby, but I just can't seem to not feel funky about Saturday. Hopefully soon I'll get back into the swing of things and quit being so OCD about the whole thing.

So, let's talk about last week's goals, shall we?

I did not plan the in-law dinner or either of my doctors' appointments. I'm horrible with that kind of stuff.

I took my Metformin 6/7 days. Not too shabby! And I'm even up to two pills a day now, without the gastrointestinal issues. Now I just need to remember to take the darn stuff!

I did not test my blood sugar at all last week. I'm just not too concerned about it.

I stayed under 2,000 calories 6/7 days. Saturday it was just not meant to be.

I only conquered the Dreaded Steps of Doom one day last week. No excuses.

I accomplished all 3 c25k workouts, and even did one extra.

I did almost double the amount of cardio in my goals: 345/180. Now, that's pretty darn rockstar if you ask me.

So as you saw before, I weighed in at 251.6 - 3.1 pounds down last week. This week, I'm pretty darn sure I won't get that number, but that's okay. It would have been awesome to get under 250 by this weekend, but I'm definitely not going to be heartbroken if I don't. I know that I will get there in the next couple of weeks, and that's awesome enough. This week, I'm just concentrating on not gaining, and losing what ever I can.

I've also found that listening to TBL theme song (Proud by Heather Small) really gets me pumped up to go kick some treadmill butt. I have decided that I really need to join the rest of humanity and buy an iPod. I had a Sony mp3 player a few years ago, but it bit the dust. That's been almost a year and a half ago. Yeah, I think it's time I finally get one. I think it would be really inspirational and motivating to listen to some good booty-shaking music while I'm c25k-ing.

In other news:
This week at work is going to suck. Our receptionist is on vacation, so I have to cover 3 half days at the front desk. This pretty much means I can't get any of my work done while I'm up there, so I'm not really looking forward to it. Bah.

We got our tax refund, thank you jeebus. Let the iPod buying commence.

I found out Saturday that my oldest little brother (14) is going to Washington, DC for his 8th grade trip this week. Not only that, but he gets to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. How cool is that?! Apparently, he won an essay contest of some sort, and now he gets the honor of placing the wreath during the ceremony. That's some pretty awesome stuff. Is it wrong to be jealous of a 14 year old?

All right, children. Guess that's it. Have a lovely week!

"Running down a dream, that never would come to me..."

("Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty).

Short post today, since I'm busy. I'll post more later, I promise.

251.6

Can you believe it?! Another 3.1 pounds this week...I'm amazed.

I kept my calories under control, and didn't let the peppermint patties or idiots at work sabotage me, amazingly enough. I also worked out like a mad woman...1.5 hours on the treadmill last night. The calorie counter said 636 calories, although I'm not sure exactly how accurate that is.

I also brought my 5k time down a bit - from 59:40 to 57:15. It's getting better! C25k W2/D2 was just as hard last night, but I powered through. I even kept the jogging 90/walking 120 up for an additional 10 minutes before I "slowed down" to a walk at 3.3 for the rest of the time.

Okay, I guess those are the important bits. More later, loves!

A moment of weakness...

Damn you, peppermint patties! I was doing so well!

But, being a Cincinnatian, and having Skyline for lunch, it's tradition - second nature, even - to finish off with a York peppermint patty (one for 15 cents, two for 25, so you always go for 2...) or two.

I didn't even think about what I was doing. It was automatic. I bought my two patties, and scarfed them down without even thinking about the consequences of my actions.

That scares me. Especially since I've been so vigilant lately about what I've been eating.

Granted, an extra 140 calories isn't the end of the world, but it put me up to 900 calories for today, and it's only 1:15! And my weigh-in is tomorrow, and I just made it 140 calories harder for me to get to the 5 pound mark. I'm just disappointed, that's all.

Oh well. Move on, work it off. That's the plan.

Mid-week Update

Okay, so it's Wednesday - half way through the work week! (Thank you Jeebus!)

So, Zumba - was totally HARD! I wasn't expecting that! Don't get me wrong, it was fun and all, but I definitely didn't forget I was working out the whole time. I think there were several things that made it so hard:

1. The Instructor - She was nice, but I think some of the moves were a wee bit advanced for beginners. When you advertise something as easy, and not needing any dance training, you shouldn't be surprised when you get people who can't dance. Not me, mind you. I can dance. (Sarcasm, here, folks - in case you missed it.) Actually, I've got a pretty good sense of rhythm, and I can groove here and there, but there were a couple of pretty advanced sequences that were hard to pick up quickly.

2. The Floor - We were in a carpeted upstairs office space, which made it pretty difficult to do the quick fancy footwork we were supposed to be doing. It would have been MUCH easier on a smooth surface, but unless we wanted to Zumba in a glass enclosed atrium for four stories of employees to see, we were stuck with the office space.

3. The Heat - As I mentioned, our Zumba location was less than ideal. The floors were carpeted, and it was HOT up there. I think the heat just zapped a lot of my energy away. It seemed like everyone was having a hard time dealing with it.

All in all, Zumba was fun, and I'm sure it was a good workout. I was surprised that I found it harder to do than an hour on the treadmill, though. Probably because it works out more body parts, and the combo of everything I mentioned above. We had a really good turnout - probably about 10 people - and I think everyone enjoyed it.


Since Monday was the first day of The Hubs being gone, I had a Happy Meal for dinner. It was quick and easy, and under 600 calories, which is nice. Yes, I know it wasn't healthy, and I didn't have any fruits or veggies, but I still kept my calories under control.

Yesterday, I took a "Mental Health" Day from work. I woke up to my alarm, right in the middle of a freaky dream where a plane was about to crash into the building I was in, but suddenly swerved, and crashed into a swimming pool. There were lots of floating dead bodies. Not the way I wanted to wake up. But I had a bunch of stuff I needed to accomplish, and I've got vacation/personal days, so I decided to use one. I ended up going back to sleep after emailing my boss, and I slept until 12:15. Apparently, I needed it.

I did a bunch of errands, and cleaned around the house all day. Oh, and there just might have been some Maury Povitch. Maybe.

I also did C25k Week 2/Day 1. Wow...I was not prepared for how much harder it was going to be. I think I got cocky. I was thinking, okay, it's an extra 30 seconds of running? That's nothing! AND you get an extra 30 seconds of walking after! Easy peasy! Yeah...no. Apparently, my running limit is at about 1:10. Those extra 20 seconds were killer. I did it though.

And then after my 25 minutes of C25k were over, I kept up a fast-paced walk until I hit 5k. I've decided that when I get on that treadmill to do the c25k, I'm not getting off until I make it to 5k, no matter how long it takes, or whether I run or walk. Hopefully, I'll start seeing my time go down. It took me 59:40 to finish last night. I would really love to get to 45 minutes before the 5k in June. I think I'll get there - 9 weeks is a long time to get better at this whole thing!

The scale (yes, I know I shouldn't be weighing myself so much, but it's habit) says I've lost almost two pounds since my Friday weigh in, so I'm hoping I can keep up that momentum and show a good number in 2 days. I weighed myself (voluntarily, no less) on the scale in my boss' office today, and for the first time, it showed a loss - it was showing 253.6, even with all my clothes on! So rock on with that.

Two more days until 20/20 Weigh-in #2. I'm going to rock out my calorie counting (only getting to 900 yesterday was a BIG mistake! I was starving today!!!), and kick butt on the workouts. C25k W2/D2 will be my "Last Chance Workout" before the weigh-in, so I'm going to work extra hard tomorrow night. And, technically, I'm supposed to have tonight off from c25k, but I'm planning on hopping on the treadmill for at least 1/2 hour, and moving my bootie. It can't hurt, right?

Right.

"If you start me up, start me up, I'll never stop..."

("Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones)

Oh, so much to talk about! Let's start with the weigh-in first. Now that I'm doing the 20/20 Challenge, my weigh-in's have switched to Fridays. And on Friday, I weighed...

254.7!

That's a 3.3 pound loss last week. And I have to say, it's all because of the BHMs. I started last week thinking, "okay, a new weight loss challenge, whoopie." I was still running really low on motivation and just generally not caring about the whole diet thing. Then, I met the girls, and I realized that these women are taking this very seriously. I quickly realized that if I was going to do this thing, I needed to DO this thing. These 5 other women are in it for the long haul, and I need to be to. Ladies, you were/are just what I needed to get my mojo back! Thanks!

So, with their help, I lost 3.3 pounds, and I want to get to that 5 pound mark by Friday. As silly as it is, I just really, really want that "I lost 5 pounds" blog button on Ashlee's site. LOL. Whatever keeps you motivated, right? Speaking of silly motivation, I bought stickers yesterday for my weight loss chart that Ashlee's friend Emily made us. Basically, there's a spot on the chart that lists out the numbers 1-20 in 1/2 pound increments, and you are supposed to put stickers over the pounds that you lose. I bought those little tiny circle stickers that teachers use. They say things like, "Way to go!", "Good Job!", and "You did it!".

I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty fun to cover up 0.5-3.0 yesterday. What can I say, I'm a kid at heart.

Okay, on to last weeks goals:

Plan a dinner with The In-Laws: (0/1) - yeah, I didn't get to that.
Make a dentist appointment: (0/1) - didn't get to that either. oops.
Do a good deed at least once daily: (1/7) - I didn't realize how hard it would be to find good deeds to do!
Take Metformin daily: (5/7) - pretty good...could be better.
Test blood sugar in AM daily: (3/7) - yeah, I'm really sucking at this testing thing.
Test blood sugar after dinner daily: (3/7) - see above
Stay under 2,000 calories daily: (6/7) - pretty darn close to rockstar status there.
Conquer the Dreaded Steps of Doom every day this week: (4/5) - so close! Damn you, Wednesday!
C25k Week 1, Workouts 1-3: (3/3) - Heck yeah, baby! Easy peasy...
Do three hours of cardio: (240-180) - Serious Rockstar status! One hour more than my goal!

I am really proud of those last four. Even though I fell a tiny bit short on the calories and DSoD, I accomplished the whole first week of C25k and even added more to the workout than what was required. I didn't have to work out yesterday, but I did. (Granted, I wasn't running any marathons yesterday, but I was moving my butt. And that counts for something.)

And now, current events:

Zumba is tonight! I am beyond excited! I just wish it wasn't Monday, and the days didn't drag by while I'm at work...5:15 here I come, baby. I'll let you know how it goes!

The Hubs starts back to school tonight, and I'm super struggling with this. The upside? I'll be bored without him, so I shouldn't have a reason not to get my butt on that treadmill. The downside? I've only got a husband on the weekends now. We need to get this first week under our belts and see how it goes. Wish us luck!

We're going to a cook-out on Saturday at Tonja/Jason's house. I need to figure out what I'm going to bring - I was thinking maybe a fresh fruit platter or something else healthy like that. The good thing is that four out of six of us at the cookout are on diets, so there should be lots of good, healthy stuff to pig out on. But, then again, there will also be margaritas. Hmmm...

Guess that's it - I've got to start thinking of this weeks goals, and then get to work.

Have a great week, all!

Very interesting...

Even though I have gone above and beyond my cardio goal for this week, I find myself feeling the urge tonight to just get on that treadmill and go.

I don't have to, but I want to.

I must be in an alternate universe - this can't be me...

I love charts...

But I can't figure out how to make one in blogger. Bah.

At any rate, I'll post the contents of my latest and greatest chart: my tracking sheet. I basically made a chart that shows the date of an event in the future, how many pounds I should have lost by then (at 1-2 pounds per week), and what my scale weight should be by then.

Hopefully, this will give me an at-a-glance look at whether I'm staying on track with my goals or not. (I'd better be!)

So, this is not what my chart looks like, but it is what it says:

5/18:
Event: The Biggest Loser Final Weigh-In
Pounds Lost: 7-14
Scale Weight: 244-251

5/23:
Event: Family Wedding
Pounds Lost: 8-16
Scale Weight: 242-250

5/29:
Event: Camping Trip with The Hubs, The BFF/BF, Tonja & Jason
Pounds Lost: 9-18
Scale Weight: 240-249

6/7:
Event: Mrs. B.'s 1st Ever 5k Race!
Pounds Lost: 10-20
Scale Weight: 238-248

7/4:
Event: Friends' Wedding
Pounds Lost: 14-28
Scale Weight: 230-244

8/7:
Event: Ash is Fit's 20/20 Challenge Final Weigh-In
Pounds Lost: 20-40
Scale Weight: 218-238

9/12:
Event: Tonja & Jason's Wedding
Pounds Lost: 24-48
Scale Weight: 210-234

10/18:
Event: Our 1st Anniversary
Pounds Lost: 29-58
Scale Weight: 200-229

So, according to my calculations (math was never my strong point) it's still possible to get to my original goal weight of 200 or less by our 1st anniversary. I'm feeling a little uneasy about the probability of me averaging a 2 pound loss for the next 29 weeks straight, but I'm sure as hell going to try! It would be such a bummer to get really close and not make it there!

Tonight is my 2nd night of c25k workouts. I'm going to wait about another 1/2 hour before I do, since I ate not too long ago, and I don't want to re-visit my dinner. I was really proud of myself on Tuesday for finishing the whole c25k 1st workout - I even threw in an extra minute of running and 4 minutes of walking at the end! I don't know if I'll be able to do that tonight though - I definitely noticed that the Dreaded Steps of Doom were harder to conquer today...we'll see how well my legs hold up tonight.

In other news - I love my BHM ladies! We added another hot mama into the mix - welcome Tricia! That brings us up to 6, which is one of the largest groups Ashlee did, I think. The BFF's group is only 3 people. Anyway, I really enjoy our email chats and discussing The Biggest Loser, our husbands, and the eerie similarities we all seem to share. It's really kind of amazing we all ended up in the same group together - we couldn't have been better matched.

Aaaand...our first 20/20 Weigh In is tomorrow...eeek!

Rock on Team BHM - we're going to kick some bootie tomorrow, right?!

Right.

Okay guys, I think it's time to go from couch to 5k...wish me luck!

I'm off my rocker...

...and in my running shoes!

We're doing a 5k, kids! The BFF and I are starting C25k this week, and we are signing up for this 5k in June. I can't believe it!

And the best part? Most (if not all) of my BHM Mamas are doing their own C25k programs and signing up for a 5k in their areas, too! I am so psyched for this - I just can't even imagine how good it's going to feel to cross that finish line in 11 weeks...

Now all I've got to do is be able to run 3.1 miles. Easy peasy.

(Right!) But I'll get there, kids. I'll get there along with The BFF and The BHM's. We can do this!

"...If you need me, let me know, gonna be around..."

"...if you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down,
If you're all alone, when the pretty birds have flown,
Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me..."
("Take A Chance On Me" by Abba).

258. No change. Last weeks goals? Well, let's just see about those...

Think good thoughts at least once daily: (7/7) Easy peasy with a Hubs like mine.
Take Metformin daily: (4/7) Damn you, weekend!
Test blood sugar in AM daily: (2/7) Um, yeah...no excuses.
Test blood sugar after dinner daily: (0/7) I really need to set up the alarm on my phone again!
Stay under 2,000 calories daily: (2/7) 2,000 sounds like a lot, until you actually try to do it. I've done it before, though, so I know it's possible.
Do three hours of cardio: (0/180 mins): Did you not read my last blog? Told you, I'm lazy.

Uh huh.

Diet: FAIL. Exercise: FAIL. Weekend: FAIL.

Let's start with the weekend. Friday night was very nice. Dinner on a Long Horn gift card and a free appetizer coupon...can you say "thrifty"?! Then, home and lots of games of Sudoku. I get addicted once I start, so I didn't get to bed until after 1:00 am. Uugh.

Saturday, up and at 'em bright and early to drive an hour to have my uncle do our taxes. Finally! Uugh again. We owe the city, we're getting a whopping $10 back from the state, and our Federal was waaaaaaaaaaaaay smaller than either of us was hoping for. Those dreams I was having of our shopping spree where we finally get a bed big enough for both our fat booties?! Swoosh, out the window.

Saturday afternoon we both took naps, which is a very rare occurance for me since I find it incredibly hard to sleep during daylight. I was super tired, though. We woke up, I cooked us dinner, and then we left for the In-Laws' house. We hung out with The Kids until after 2 am, randomly pulling up every old TV theme song we could think of, and singing along. Drunken theme song singing is hilarious! (The Hubs and I were sober). Then I wowed the crowd with my amazing ability to list all 50 states in alphabetical order. Yeah, we're a bunch of wild and crazy guys! (Channel your inner Steve Martin, please).

Sunday was laundry day. One of the many benefits of going to The In-Laws' is the free laundry service. The Hubs and his dad spent the day working on my car and miscellaneous other things in the "shop", and I did 8 hours of laundry. And spent the day with The MIL. Yep, that was fun. (How 'bout a little sarcasm for ya kids today...) Then it was back home, a couple more games of Sudoku, and in bed by midnight. Woot.

On to diet and exercise: you all know I suck. I'll leave it at that.

But you all also know that I'm an optimist, and I don't like to leave negative vibes out there without at least attempting to throw some positivity out with it, so:

We got our buddy groups for the 20/20 Challenge. I'm paired with 4 other women: Amanda, Joy, Misha and Nicole. If you're reading this, "Hi Ladies!" :)

Ashlee was very smart/awesome, and paired us up based on how much weight we're looking to lose, and why we're trying to lose it. I'm really excited about the group, and I hope we can really motivate each other to get this thing done! ("...if you need me, let me know, gonna be around...")

I'm really trying to get back in the game, kids.

Nice short little post today, unless I think of something more to add later!

Have a loverly week, my dears!

"And often times we're lazy, it seems to stand in my way..."

"...cause no one, no not no one, likes to be let down."
("Flake" by Jack Johnson).

I'm a bum. A lazy, lazy bum.

The Hubs has been working like a crazy man this week, trying to get a lot of things done before he starts school. He tore everything out of a huge closet in our entry, and has spent the whole week chipping away at it after dinner. Me? I've been doing my part by thoroughly enjoying the new cable he installed in the bedroom. Yep. I'm a bum. And quite possibly, a horrible wife.

While I completely admit that I'm lazy, and have absolutely no desire to do anything around the house after I get home from work, I do have one little teeny tiny explanation excuse: I look at cleaning completely differently than The Hubs does. If I am going to tackle a big project, like that crazy closet, I would rather do it somewhat early on a weekend day. I want to have it done. It drives me nuts to start a big project, and then have it sit there all week. My philosophy is 'don't start it unless you have the time to finish it'. That's not how The Hubs looks at it, and to be honest, he does end up getting more accomplished by his method. I just can't do it that way.

To add to the "Mrs. B.'s a big, fat, lazy loser" mentality, we're going to his parents' house this weekend. Where they all run around like Stepford people and accomplish all sorts of things, and I'm just kind of left spinning in their wake. When The Hubs still lived at home, I would come up for the weekend to visit. I used to really try to jump in, and help with whatever was going on.

See? I'm helping put the numbers on the race car.

Here, I'm modeling the stickers I stuck. (Come to think of it, I'm not sure I ever told you that when I first met The Hubs, he was a race car driver...well, now you know!)

But anyway, back to the laziness thing. Now, I don't really try anymore. It's probably a combination of The MIL and my interpretation of The MIL, but when I do help around the house, or attempt to do something, she has the uncanny ability to make me feel completely inept.

Before The Hubs and I moved in together, I always got the distinct feeling that she didn't think he was going to survive living with me. Like I was going to starve him because of my inability to cook. The thing was, I can cook. I am just really uncomfortable doing it in her kitchen, with her stuff, with her watching my every move. So I just kind of shut down, and try really hard to be friendly, but blend in with the background, and let her do her own thing, thus making me look even lazier than I already am! It's a vicious cycle. Luckily, the guys (Jack and his dad) are usually out in the "shop", which is a big, huge garage where they do manly things that don't require the help of any measley, lazy women. So I'm safe there. :-)

On to other things:

I give up on Cardio Dance. We were up to 4 whole participants (including myself), and then one dropped out, one severely hinted that she'd rather be out enjoying the beautiful day, and one (MFN) was really sore from attempting the Basic Training class the night before. Although, to her credit, MFN was totally ready to shake her booty in my class. In the end, I just decided to cancel, and give up on the concept. There's really no point in trying to force people to do something they don't want to.

One exciting bit of news: we're having a Zumba instructor come do a free demo class on the 30th. I'm really stoked for it because I've been wanting to try Zumba for a couple of years now, but haven't had the chance. Now I get to try it out for free! The BFF, Tonja, MFN, and our friend Jason (JMcQ) are going to join in, as well. I'll let you know how it goes!

Another exciting bit of news: I'm sure you've seen the little blog sticker, but I've signed up with 130 other people to do Ash Is Fit's 20/20 Challenge. She's accomplished a pretty amazing feat - she lost 80 pounds - and has found herself struggling to lose the last 20 of her goal. She had this great idea to make it a challenge, and ended up having over 130 people join in. The goal is to lose (at least) 20 pounds in 20 weeks. We're having weekly weigh-ins, and she's even crazy enough to organize a buddy system for all of us, so that we can motivate ourselves and others. It starts today, so I'll keep you in the loop on that as well.

In other random news:

-Thank you, President Obama, for the extra $20 in my paycheck last week. The Hubs found some extra money in his as well. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but when you're living paycheck to paycheck like we are, every little bit helps. I hope we'll be able to get even more good things going for the country here in the next few months. (Taking away all those exorbitant bonuses from AIG would be a great start, guys!)

-Today was a jean day at work. They are very rare, and very beloved.

-Today I learned (unfortunately) what a 'goatse' was. If you don't know, do yourself a favor, and resist the curious urge to find out. If you can't resist, then don't say you haven't been warned.

-I want to find information on becoming a freelance copy editor or proofreader. I think I would really enjoy that job.

Okay, guess that's enough for now. Have a great weekend all. See you on Monday!