Good Pain

Last night, Dylan and I went for a Couch-2-5k Week 1. We made 2 of the one minute intervals and then quit because Dylan was hurting too badly. This morning I woke up and stretched while still laying in bed, and my quads are burning, but in a good way. I love that muscle fatigue feeling. Just lets you know that you did something right. I felt so good that I stretched and tried another day of Couch-2-5k Week 1. I made it through 4 intervals and stopped again. I was pretty tuckered out but I stopped because I found a little swallow on the side of the road, all huddled up and still alive.
This road is pretty much the main stretch in our neighborhood for people to walk their dogs and there are a few feral cats, so I scooped him up. I think he somehow broke a wing, but he's so small that if a car had hit him, he would have been plastered onto it. Regardless, he can't fly. He's tried to flap, but doesn't make it more than an inch or two off the ground. He didn't flap or peck when I picked him up though. I rather him die because he was destined to while in a warm house, than a cat playing with him, or a someone's dog picking him up like dogs tend to do with injured/dead animals.
Oh well. I'll be doing the 30-day shred later too.

Exercise is a substitute for medication

At least for me it is.
For the past week, I've been obsessing over getting a large dog. Why? Because I grew up with a large dog, and there are just things that a large dog can do that a small dog cannot. My little shih-tzu can't be expected to keep up with me jogging. He gives up after a mile of walking, which is quite a bit for his little legs. I carry him the rest of the way if it's during a longer walk, which does wonders for my arms. 10 lbs isn't a lot, but it gets heavy after a mile or two. My little guy is a lap dog, through and through. He wants nothing more than a few table scraps, and to curl up with me and Dylan on the couch, watching TV, or sit in my lap while I'm on the computer. I know the reasons why I can't have a large dog. I understand the logic: we live in a 2 bedroom place with no yard, and hopefully I'll be starting to work soon, so that would leave me with less time to train a puppy and bring him out for all the exercise that he'll need. That didn't stop my mind from obsessing, from binging on a sandwich bag full of cookies, from not being able to sleep at all for the past few nights.
Last night, I obtained Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred. Now, that video was pretty difficult for Level 1. I had to pause it at least 3 times and go get a bottle of water because I was parched. I feel less crazy and my mind has silenced about the dog for now. That little bit made me want to do more, so I decided to give an old workout plan a try again.
Dylan is going to try to do Couch-to-5k with me tonight. I go back and forth with the program, because it's an ass kicker and I have a hard time timing the intervals. I found out that GymBoss has a free interval app for the iPhone, so now I feel confident that I can keep the accurate time (and that excuse is gone). Hopefully with Dylan there, I'll stick with it. I get bored when I go by myself. No one to talk to; No one to push me. I shouldn't depend on other people to do the right thing, but I don't feel right leaving him behind in the house. Maybe if I threaten to do that he'll start coming with me AND I can get a workout in. Maybe.
And it's been about a month since my last picture. I did a couple of pictures, but this is the one I want to show you. It's only been 8 lbs difference, but it's been a great 8 lbs. I can tell a slight difference in my appearance, and my clothes fitting better, but the greatest is how I feel. I have much more endurance than I used to have, and I feel better because I know that I'm doing the majority of my stuff right.I left my magnetic lasso alone for one side of the photo so you can see I didn't shop it to make me look thinner. I just wanted the contrast of the white against my stomach so I could maybe see the difference.

OMG! YAY!

So I'm excited about my weigh-in because I've been trying to be really awesome with what I stuff in my face. It feels like I have the ball back in motion even though I'm not exercising much (maybe 3 times a week), but it is better than I was doing, so I guess that's why I'm seeing the benefits.

A: 230.4 (-5.5!)
Happy dance time!

I haven't had a weekly weigh-in like that for a while. So now, I know that my body responds well to decreasing the amount of carbs and trying to up the protein. I'm not going on any Atkin's diet or anything like that. Dylan loves sandwiches too much to endure such a catastrophe; He'd perish on the spot if I told him he couldn't have bread.
I'm starting to believe that I can do this. Apparently it takes me 16 lbs to realize this, but yea, I think I can. I was able to eat only two truffles last night (their price helped that matter)for dessert after only eating half my vegetarian pad thai at our favorite Thai restaurant (Thai Kitchen in Baton Rouge = awesome). I didn't feel deprived because I know I'll have Pad Thai for lunch if I save it and those truffles were super rich, as a truffle should be, and only 60 calories per one. I think I finally got the ball rolling and I'm just going to try to keep it on a hill so I can keep it up. I'm excited and happy, so now to go wake up Dylan. WEE!!!

Looking up

Thanks to the Wii I weighed myself. I have not gained nor lost a single lb this week. I've been eating right, but I'm afraid that my exercise has been less than ideal. So I went for a jog/walk this morning and that made me feel good. That just put the ball in motion for other good things.
My mother was meddling in my life as she normally does, but this time I am thankful. I have an interview with a guy in her company tomorrow. The job has long (but regular) hours + commission + benefits. I'd only be making about $100 less than Dylan does weekly, which would put us in a really good place if we want to get married in the next year. Only fear I have is that I wouldn't get enough exercise. Maybe the structured hours would even help me there though. I would have to be at work for 6:30am, and wouldn't leave until 6pm, leaving me until 10 to get in dinner and a work out. I can do that! I just hope that I can secure this because it would be great for our family to have the extra income. My mom would also get a bonus after 90 days for referring me.
Also, random thing I've learned. My Little Guy likes the smell of the Wrigley's Dessert Gum - Key Lime Pie flavor. He's on my chest purring and keeps trying to lick my lips. Cats are so goofy sometimes.
I'm just happy with the way today is going. Tomorrow is trash day so I need to go around collecting trash and recyclables. Toodles!

Weigh-In

Wow. I haven't had an official weigh-in since before Thanksgiving. Crazy Crazy.

The losses I'm counting are from our last official weigh-in a while back so starting numbers are A:238 and D:272

Current weights
Amy : 235.9 (-2.1)
D: 273.2 (+1.2)
You can thank the Wii for those decimals, but I'm still going to keep it rounded up for simplicity's sake.
To be fair, we had yo-yoed thanks to some bad habits rearing their ugly heads again. Not an excuse, but an explanation. I'm happy with my loss and I'm happy with Dylan's loss from what we were at a week ago.

I finally set myself some more specific goals to let me know how far I'm come. I have completed losing 10 lbs! *happy dance*
I'm 9 lbs away from my 2nd goal of losing 20. I also have a monthly goal of losing 5 lbs per month and I have 4 lbs left to lose for this month/year, since I had to play catchup for November.
My mom usually makes homemade treats (Fudge, haystacks, pralines, etc) for Christmas, but I don't think she's had time to make them which makes my tummy happy. I don't know if I could resist them (and there isn't moderation when it comes to me and fudge). So I have a 3rd personal goal of NOT eating any holiday candy. Will I make it? Prolly not, but I need someone with a spoon to smack my hand if I got for more than 1 piece. Any ladies with wooden spoons available?

Soup is my friend.

I've been a soup-a-holic in the past couple of days trying to up my water intake. I'm not a huge fan of cream soups, so that helps. I made homemade Miso soup last night. That was good good stuff. I played with the ingredients in the recipe because it told me to use 1/4c of the 300ml $4.99 bottle of mirin for one serving. I used 3 tbs for 2 servings and it was just as flavorful if not more than the restaurant miso I've had in the past.

According to Wii Fit, I lost .7 lbs since yesterday. *shrug* I hope it's that water getting out my system, and I'm working on more exercise. I went for a bike ride this morning that was cut short by my front tire going flat during the ride. I walked the bike the rest of the way home, and made myself breakfast - a bowl of miso soup minus the tofu and onions. I'm about to get started on the housework, then calling people about getting my car fixed. I've been stressed out about my poor car.

No one was hurt, but it puts me without a car in a sprawling city. I'm still working on getting a job, and this certainly doesn't help matters.

Quick Update

So I've been steadily gaining weight since our vacation. I finally think I found the culprit. I believe it's that I haven't being drinking enough water. Before we left, I was drinking about a gallon of water a day. I've hardly been drinking anything as of late. Also, because it's cold I haven't been walking as much. I thought the Wii Fit would supplement that. Apparently not. So tomorrow I will be up bright and early to bike before Dylan goes to work. Normally the time wouldn't be an issue, but my house keys are still with our friend that watched our kitties during vacation. Oh well. Everyone has their slip ups, but I will not go back above 240. I refuse! Now to break 235 and make the vow again.