...I'm a beast, I'm an animal...

Mission: To lose poundage. (and to beat a friend in a weight losing contest...you're going down Boelter)
Plan of action:  Work out at lunch every other day or so and/or work out at home.  Plus, eating less too. 
Starting weight: 166 lbs. I hadn't weighed myself since January and it was a nice surprise last week to find that I'd already lost almost 10 lbs since the holiday binge.  Not by working out, but rather by eating better.  Works for me. 
Goal weight: 155 lbs or less.

Advantage: I get to lose 5 lbs less than my friend.
Disadvantage: He's a dude. It's so easy for guys to lose weight and so not easy for me.  Hubby lost 20 lbs last year easy.  I gained 5. But that's because of disadvantage #2.  I live to eat.  (We're going for cheesecake at the mall later...)

I picked up weights yesterday...I'm not going to say the size because it's rather embarrassing.  Ok, fine, they were 3 lb weights.  Way to make me feel weak.  These flabby arms can't even pop the ice cube tray.  Not surprisingly, my arms are kind of sore.  But I'll never admit it out loud because then I'd have to admit out loud how I used the lightest free weights in the gym.  Wow. I'm so weak.

The funny thing is, I don't really care about losing weight.  In the long run though, it'll be to my advantage to get in some kind of shape.  Especially considering just yesterday I signed up for a charity event, Bike MS: Tour de Farms. It's a 2 day bike ride through farmlands in IL at the end of June to raise money for MS.  Day one I chose to do the shortest distance, 35 miles.  Considering the longest I'd ever ridden a bike previously in my entire life is probably about 5-6 miles, I need to start training like last year.  Day 2 will be worse since Steph decided we should go for 50 miles.  I am so dead, but we'll give it a shot.  Plus it'll get me to actually have to work out/train.  Step One: Get a Bike.  The husband, who is a biker (roadcross bike not motorcycle), already has an idea of what bike I should get. 

I have 2 months to get in shape.  Perhaps it is time to bust out Insanity, since it seems an insane and daunting task to whip me into the kind of shape I need to be in for a 50 mile bike ride.  Maybe I am insane...already know I'm an idiot for signing up for this.

PS. If you're reading this, I'd much appreciate any donations for the Bike MS event.  **CLICK HERE** for my fundraising page. Help support me and motivate me to train for this event!  Thanks and much love!

Am I Insane? I think not.

So I may or may not have been guilted into working out this afternoon but not nearly enough to continue Insanity.  I'm not insane. Even though the person responsible for this guilt is also an Insanity challenger, I know after failing completely to perform at any decent level during the first 2 workouts, I'm no where near fit enough to even attempt such madness.  But I did recently purchase Zumba for our Kinect. 

I must say...minus botching the moves in my front picture window (note to self: put up drapes...) where everyone and their brother can see me in my sweaty glory, I really do enjoy this as an exercise.  Now that my review class is complete and I've got several months yet to study for the big exam, I will have to increase my work out to 3-4 times a week.  The past 3 weeks has been 1-2 times a week depending on whether or not I decided to go out in the middle of the week.

Now after about 45 minutes of offbeat, tripping over my own two feet, I feel accomplished since I finally managed a work out this week.  Despite my oddly joyful demeanor for the last 4 days, I've been quite unproductive in terms of managing my dieting and exercise.  Perhaps that may be the root cause of my misplaced contentment?  Most likely not, since I do feel refreshed even now after I broke down, got my heart rate up, and peed from my pores.  After a good long hot shower, I was even more relaxed and the joyous week continues.  Now its time for a pasta dinner.  Feed my belly!! nom nom

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy #(@!

By name, I am catholic. By practice...I don't know what it is.  I'm a sucker for traditions however, and therefore still follow the 'no meat on Fridays' that somewhere along the line became some kind of homage to our fasting ancestors during Lent.  As lent approaches, I find I have no idea what I will "give up" for this period of 40 days and 40 nights. With exception to last year, I've not had any successful attempts at fasting from one of any number of my vices, which unsurprisingly have all been food related.  I routinely attempt to give up soda...and within a week, fail.  I once tried to give up dessert.  Again, fail. 

My only success has been giving up all meat save for seafood, just last year.  As I'm notoriously carnivorous, it seemed it would be a daunting 40 days only eating fish and shrimp. At the beginning, I struggled to find ways to make my meals interesting and flavorful.  By Easter, I found I had a surprisingly easy meat free month and a half.  In fact, I'd come to not crave meat at all, and although I did break my meat fast and partook in the Easter ham, I didn't have a "Hallelujah, AMEN" moment as the ham passed between my lips.  Not like the husband who gave up coffee last year and went straight back to multiple cups of the beverage the day after Easter was over. 

I still consider myself a carnivore.  I love meat.  Give me a nice juicy steak and I'm gonna eat it.  No regrets or sympathy for the bovine creature that gave its life to feed me.  However, I've been noticing an increased craving for fish the past year as well.  And I wasn't much of a fish person prior to last year's lent period.  True, my husband has gotten me to enjoy fish when we go to Florida, and I've always loved shellfish.  And true we finally had a place here smack dab in our neighborhood that sold good quality fish. (alas, our fish monger has had to close up shop due to the recession and relocated to Indianapolis so we no longer have him)  But, before last year, I would prefer to eat something with beef or chicken in it over fish.

...Now I'm craving me some steamed blue crab.  Oh man I'm hungry.

Back to the original dilemma...what to give up this year? If I was more of a 'devout' catholic I suppose I'd give up something really important.  However, since I'm not...I'll stick to my (unhealthy) food vices.  Actually I will probably give up meat again and add something else to try and reduce my intake of.  Perhaps I will finally succeed at giving up soda this year.  Maybe the 'fastfood' joints like McD's and Wendys won't be seeing me for the next 2 months.  All three? 

Fabulous Friday

21 days into the new year and I've had 4 people at work insist I have lost weight.  Yet I unfortunately have to insist in return that I have not lost a pound and have in fact gained at least 5 lbs since before the holidays...so says the scale at my doctors office.  Although, I must admit I don't put in that much effort in explaining that there is no possible way I have lost weight after eating the way I did for about 2 and a half months.  (My holiday diet starts mid-October when all the candy starts rollin' in and ends mid-January when I finally get a grip on reality)  Anyway, I suppose I will just have to accept these compliments despite the fact they are false.  Thanks for the ego boost.  It makes me feel better about the piece of cake I cut for myself sitting on my desk tempting me with it's chocolatey goodness.

I have noticed no one has asked me what my new years resolution is this year...and good thing because I  have decided NOT to have a new years resolution this year.  Instead I am attempting a series of short burst health goals that hopefully, with any luck, will eventually turn into longer term habitual activities that will benefit me overall.  For instance, I am trying to get myself to drink less soda.  I went almost a whole week drinking water and kool-aid with my meals.  Unfortunately I'm highly addicted to the fizzy syrup drink and have revised this goal to be a little more flexible.  Clear sodas are unlimited, and colas are for special occasions or when I'm at my parents' where there is an abundant supply of Pepsi, even flat my dad will drink a small glass.  I would do the same, but unlike my father unfortunately, my addiction doesn't allow for just one small glass of soda.  I usually need 2 or 3...or 4... oh just give me the whole 2 liter and a pitcher of ice.  Thanks. Lucky I hardly buy soda for myself anymore so at home it's Kool-aid. Yes, its still a highly sugary drink, far from healthy of course but as someone who religiously drank soda...it's a step in the right direction.


Another goal I have recently in the past 2 weeks began is to take my vitamins at/around/after dinnertime at least twice a week until the end of January.  Fortunately, that one is going well so far.  The past 5 days I have taken my vitamins.  Now, if I keep it up, I'm looking to do this until the end of February...and we'll take it from there. 


Well, after a whole week of seeing gray clouds blanketing the skies, I finally get to see the sun.  If I'm inside tucked snuggly in my sweater, heater blasting, I can almost forget that with wind chill the outside temperature is -13°F.  Almost. The moment I get too close to the window as my body yearns to be outside in the sun, I get a stabbing cold reminder of the time of year.  Oh right, that's why there's still icy snow on the ground.  (o.o )...( o.o). Sigh...

Next week my parents are going on vacation to Costa Rica. Lucky ducks.  They're debating the canopy zipline adventures or the jungle walk and whether or not to wear shorts on their ATV adventure...I'm debating which sweater will keep me warmer and whether or not to wear my long underwear.

In a week and a half my hubby goes to Big Sky on a week long snowboarding adventure...  Now, it's not quite my cup of tea to vacation in a place that has more snow than here, I'm still jealous.  It's a week away from responsibility.  He's been counting down the days I'm sure.  I wish I had a vacation to look forward to.  There has been discussion of Mexico in 2012, so if that happens I'll have something to look forward to...except it'd be a year away!  But if that happens...I'll be ecstatic, which, by the way, is way more than excited. 

Well, time to eat that cake that's been staring at me. :-D Yum.