Big Life, Little Blog

Last week's weight - 239.6

This week's weight - 239.0

0.6 lbs LOST

90.4 total lost since June 2010

Not much of a loss, but at least I know this isn't just the flu talking. I ate normally and re-hydrated yesterday.

But LOOK 90 lbs lost!! Wow!

I really don't want to go run 7 miles today. I plan to write about it later, but mainly It's currently 35 degrees outside and my bed is warm. Plus who wants to run 7 miles after they just spend the last 2.5 days in bed? Not to mention I haven't been feeling training AT ALL. ugh.

The flu.

Yep, I have it. Well, I guess I am feeling a bit more upright today so I feel like it's passed, but I am still in recovery mode.

Thursday afternoon I started to feel a little sick to my stomach. Honestly, I thought it was just stress at work combined with lack of sleep that was making me feel queasy. The roommate and I were scheduled to go to Sugar Rush - an event that boasted over 20 local sweets makers for an all-you-care-to-indulge-in evening of cupcakes, cheesecake, candies, chocolate and more. And I wasn't planning on holding back.

I should have listened to my body.

As soon as I got there and saw what should have been deliciously beautiful food - it was over. After a restroom break I came back and tried a mini cupcake. "I can shake this off," I thought to myself. I was fine for about 5 minutes after consuming what is my favorite food group, but it just wasn't happening. I had to leave.

I don't even remember the drive home Thursday night. All I know is I was praying I made it with no incident.

I fell into my bed Thursday night (fully clothed) and didn't wake up until the sickness hit later that night. I won't go into details, but you GET what I mean...

Besides having to run something up to work in the wee hours of the morning yesterday, I stayed in bed about 23.5 of the last 24 hours. I can't remember the last time I slept SO. MUCH.

So the flu saved me from throwing my weigh in on sugar. Though, I don't thank it, I do appreciate its sentiment.

Last week's weight - 241.2

This week's weight - 239.6

1.6 lbs LOST

89.8 total lost since June 2010

Atlantapocolypse with Cyndi nd Emily has commenced, so I weighed in early today before I left Nashville.

So far we've hit 2 cupcake places, Cyndi's 'special' store where we cleaned up on argins and Tin Lizzy's for great tacos. We're regrouping at the apt now before decding what movie to see at the fancy theater then hitting the bar later.

Needless to say I'm having a blast.

Last week's weight: 243.4

This week's weight: 241.2

2.2 pounds LOST

88.2 pounds lost since June 2010

I ate well, exercised and stayed focused. Even through a road trip (no fast food eaten). I hope I can carry it on through my upcoming week from hell.

Just to keep track....

• 4.8 pounds to my Garmin Goal.

• 11.8 pounds until 100 blog pounds lost.

Wish me luck this week. I know I'll need it to get all my workouts in and stay focused on eating right during a busy week.

Happy Sunday!

Last night I was in Atlanta to see New Found Glory. I kind of love this shot below I snapped at the end of their set on my phone.


Cyndi was sweet enough to let me crash on her couch last night. Although from reading her blog and all our conversations on Twitter I feel like I know her just as well as any of my friends in Nashville, it was nice to finally "meet" in person. We had already planned for me to come take over Atlanta with her next weekend, so I'll get another dose of her sweet, but straight talking self.

On my way home this morning, I realized I had a NSV on my hands (lap?). Due to my size and the amount of space I used to take up in a seat, I could never put a cup or drink between my legs. I remember as a kid (you know before cup holders), my mom would always do this. Even though I don't really have a NEED to do it (because you know my car has a bagillion cup holders), it's nice to know I CAN do it.

What I really want to tell you about is my Fitness Evaluation at my gym this morning. It was awesome; however, I don't have the brain capacity to write in detail what I want to write about it. So it will have to wait for the weekend.

Never fear, I do have goodies for you today.

I haven't taken my measurements since the beginning of July. I'm never consistent on the frequency of when I take my measurements. I pretty much do it just when I feel like I haven't done it in awhile. So here we go.

July's results

When I began posting my measurements, I never posted what the measurement was exactly, just how many inches lost. I did this because although I had no qualms about sharing my weight with the world as someone who was over 330 lbs, for some reason admitting I had a 58" hip measurement when I first walked into the Dayani Center Weight Management program at Vanderbilt Med Center in 2008 was scary.

For consistency (and vanity, maybe), I'm still not sharing what my measurements are, but below is the change since July.

Hips: -1
Neck: no change
Arms: no change
Waist: -2
Underbust: -1.5
Natural Waist: -1.5
Thighs: no change

Total inches lost in 3 months: 6 inches

I'm not really surprised about my arms (lots of loose skin) or neck as I'm getting pretty small on top. But my thighs frustrated me since my legs LOOK smaller to me. I only regret not keeping track of my wrist, ankle and calves.

Since I haven't taken my measurements regularly, I don't know how to compare this. Honestly though? I've felt pretty fluffy lately. Like I have no tone at all. Yes, I am losing weight, but I don't feel like I am getting leaner.

This was #1 reason why I scheduled my Fitness Evaluation this morning. I am going to track my progress in 30 days and hopefully not only will I feel leaner, but I'll be leaner!

Tuesday I when I got done running 3.3 miles, I picked up my phone and had a text from my friend that we were booked to eat dinner IN Cinderella's Castle at Disney World during our half marathon stay. So excited. This tweet pretty much sums it up:


I then proceeded to spend way too much time looking at restaurants on property at Disney World. There. Are. So. Many.

I haven't been to Disney World since I was 5 and I barely remember it. No that's a lie. I remember screaming my head off on Space Mountain and trying to climb out of the ride while it was moving. Um yes, at 5 years old my parents let me ride Space Mountain. I was a tall kid.

In short, I'm getting super excited about spending 5 nights at Disney World in January. You know, except for that whole running 13.1 miles thing.

Aside from weigh in posts, I've been pretty absent from blogging lately. It's not that I don't have anything to say, it's just after 8-10 hours a day in a stressful work environment, starring at a computer screen I don't really feel like blogging much in the evenings. After work I'm usually good to barely get my workout in and get a healthy dinner eaten before zoning out in front of the time waster aka the TV. I know I should watch less TV, but most days I don't feel like it.

Let's pick our battles here, and I'd rather battle my impressive sweets addiction I've let back into my life.

As I mentioned in my weigh in post earlier, I did get all 3 of my training runs in last week. Oh yeah. If you haven't followed amongst the long gap of updates, training has officially started for the Disney World Half Marathon I am doing in January.

After 2 weeks of skipping workouts, I finally completed a full schedule last week. And I realized you truly have good runs and bad runs. Thursday was a bad run. I just felt really off. I was at the gym on the treadmill. I felt overheated and I finally gave up around mile 2.5. I was so focused on my pace and how it wasn't good enough (15 min miles), I frustrated myself and talked myself into quitting.

I decided late Friday not to do the Germantown Bier Fest 5K as planned. I love this event so it was a hard decision to make, but doing 3.1 miles when I needed to be doing 5.5 as I outlined on my training schedule wasn't going to cut it. And I'm still not sure about running two days in a row. Plus, I needed to save the $35 I would of had to pay day of the race since I have a lot of travel coming up (Atlanta, holidays, Orlando)

I was so glad I decided to focus on my long run instead.

I woke up at 4:30 AM on Saturday morning (not on purpose) and laid in bed until my alarm went off at 6:15. Surprisingly, the too early wake up call didn't phase me and I was at the greenway by 6:40. It was a beautiful morning and I ran by 2 deer (twice) literally inches from the trail.

I decided to do something different and leave the phone (stopwatch and music) in the car. All I carried with me was my car key and water (I forgot the Shot Bloks at home, but I ended up not needing them) and off I went. When I was warming up I thought, "Crap, how am I going to do my intervals without a stopwatch." Silly me quickly realized the trail is pretty much marked every quarter mile, so I decided to take it easy and run a quarter mile, walk a quarter mile; out and back.

It worked like a charm.

I had been doing 5 minutes running and 1 or 2 minutes walking, but I was finding myself nosediving halfway through my runs. True, a quarter mile recovery walk is probably a bit too much recovery time, but it was easy for me to keep track of with no watch.

I finished 5.8 miles in my fastest time.

5.8 miles in 84 minutes. Of course that time is approximate since that includes walking to/from the car to look at the time. But by all conservative estimates, that is a 14:29 minute mile!

Timing my intervals by distance and allowing myself more "recovery time" WORKED!

Also, I got my head out of the clouds from Thursday's run and realized my pace is JUST FINE where it is for right now. I don't HAVE to be any faster for the race in January. I ONLY have to be able to do 13.1 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes. And even if I take every last second of 3 hours and 30 minutes to finish, that will still be my fastest Half Marathon time, and an accomplishment.

So no more worrying about "going faster." My natural running pace right now is 15 minute miles and I am finally OK with that.

Last week's weight: 242.6

This week's weight: 243.4

0.8 lbs GAINED

86 pounds lost since June 2010

Honestly, I knew a gain was coming and I'm only surprised it wasn't 3 lbs instead of the 1 I gained. I've been having a really hard time staying in check Friday and Saturday. It's a mental thing I just need to get over. I think planning for Friday dinner and all meals Saturday needs to be established.

I'm so close to my Garmin Goal and my 100 lb lost milestones that I need to stop the gain/lose thing pattern. I really want to have a 100 lb party, so it's time to get that last 14 lbs off in order to plan the party :)

Exercise was good this week. Probably the only thing that saved me. I was able to run approximately 11.5 miles cumulatively this week. My run yesterday was REALLY, REALLY good. I plan to do a separate post about that tomorrow.

I'm going to make some lentil burgers for dinner tonight and finish up getting organized for the week. Happy Sunday!

Last week's weight: 250.6

This week's weight: 242.6

8 lbs LOST

86.8 pounds lost since June 2010

No, 8 lbs is not a typo! After a crazy gain last week I had a secret goal in mind. A goal I only told KG because there's no way I would tell the public and then not be able to achieve it. A goal to lose 7 lbs this week.

It's something I've done before, but only once or twice. It was something I knew I had to work at. So, I watched what I ate got all 3 of my runs in and did an extra 9 mile bike ride yesterday. And I surpassed my goal.

If you're keeping score, I have 6 lbs until my Garmin Goal and 13 lbs until 100 lbs lost since starting my blog.