Build Me Up Buttercup

I want to work on building up my strength/stamina. I had a reality check last night...

Last evening it was too hot to walk outside so I cranked down the A/C and did 20 minutes of a kickboxing video (lots of high-energy kicking and punching, as you can imagine). I was so tired and dripping sweat when I finished. I know this is a good thing, but this is a video that used to be pretty easy for me a couple of years ago when I lost alot of weight. (For those of you that aren't familiar, I lost 63 pounds back in 2009/2010 but have since gained it all, plus more, back.) This was a reality check for me in two ways: how out of shape I have gotten (again), and how strong I was getting before and didn't even realize it at the time.

When I started on this journey back in 2009 I was 242 pounds and could barely walk a quarter of a mile at a time. Over the course of a little over a year, following Weight Watchers and blogging, I lost 63 pounds, dropped 3 dress sizes and built myself up to walking anywhere from 4-7 miles, most days of the week. I was in the zone, I tell you, and I felt fabulous. On days that I wouldn't walk outside (usually rainy days, because I loved being out in the sunshine and fresh air - or in the winter) I would do exercise videos and slowly built myself up to the harder ones. I was getting a good mix of cardio and strength training.

Last night I got to thinking of what I used to do, exercise-wise, and how strong I was getting at the time and didn't even realize it. I want to get there again. I WILL get there again. That's when I was in the zone and the weight was coming off nicely. Now I'm eating better that I ever have in my life. I still count WW points, only to keep track of my calories, but eating primally now. If I can build myself up to that exercise level that I had before, while eating primally, I'm going to be hard to handle, LOL. It's going to be hard, for sure, but I can do it. It was hard the first time and I did it. I have to keep remembering how fabulous I felt wearing clothes that fit better, having a better clothing selection, how great I would feel when people would compliment me on my weight loss, how much more energy I had, how I felt more feminine and attractive, how my aches and pains disappeared.

This time around I started out at 258 (ugh!) and I'm now down to 236. I've gotten my craving under control, since going primal, and I continue to work on my emotional eating. I'm starting to feel better and slowly starting to see a change in my body and clothes. Now to build on my strength/stamina...

Eyes on the prize. I can do this. Again.

Random Thoughts

Today's post is full of randomness.
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I'm down another half pound this morning and I have a size XL shirt on today - not my usual XXL.   :D
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I got my hair cut the other day, it is a little short but I think it'll be alright. I have no choice, do I? This past weekend I bought a new purse, 6 new shirts and some new jewelry. I'm in desperate need of clothes and this was my non-food treat for losing 20 pounds.
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The other day when I went to the doctor for my sinuses I was sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor to come in. I could hear the nurses out in the hallway talking. Apparently someone had brought donuts in and one of the nurses was reaching for another one. Here is the exchange that I heard between the nurses:

"Don't do it! You're emotional eating."

"I want one. Life is to short not to eat what you want."

"But you don't really want it."

"I could leave here today and get hit by a truck and die and then I'd regret not eating it and I'm pretty sure there are no donuts in heaven."

That was all I heard. I just sat in the exam room shaking my head. I'm pretty sure that the second nurse was doing the same thing; she "get's" it. I'm so glad that I'm one of the people that finally get's it. It is so freeing to know that food doesn't have that control over me anymore and that I'm making the right choices. In my opinion, life is too short to not live your very best life.
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My goal for this month is to amp up my exercise. I may start my Slim in 6 program again, that way I will have the structure that I need to stick to my program like I did with the squat challenge.
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I need to come up with different things to eat and different ways to prepare the usual things. I think I'll search recipes on the net today. I'm getting tired of eggs for breakfast and some days I just can't bear to eat them so I'll have cheese, yogurt, nuts or fruit. Still, I need more variety.
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I'm taking vacation days this Friday and Monday for a mini staycation. Friday is the bonus pay and this weekend is the shopping trip that I've been looking forward to. DD and I are going to a giant mall two hours away and are staying at a hotel. I'm so excited!!! I'm in need of a change of scenery and a little retail therapy. I'm going to try not to buy any much stuff for the house. I need to focus on making me feel good and look better, which will keep me on track. (Look good, feel good, keep going.) In the past I'd try to go shopping for stuff for me and it's so hard to find nice stuff that fits right when you're fat so I would always end up buying something for the house instead. Now I've pretty much got the house the way I want it, so unless I come across something I can't live without, this trip is going to be about me. :D
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Enough randomness for now.  Make it a great day!

Return to Exercise

Well, last evening I swore to myself that I would exercise. It sure is hard getting in gear after all that time off. I did a 45 minute exercise video and I was ready to fall over by the time I completed it - but I did it. I keep telling myself to push forward through this first week because it is the roughest and I know the great feeling that is in store for me once I get over this hump. I keep thinking about how great and energized I used to feel after exercise and the excitement of seeing the scale go down. I know how good eating right and exercise can make me feel and I so badly want to be there again. I must keep pushing forward, one day at a time, until the feeling returns.

This morning I saw a drop on the scale. I weighed in at 235.6

Thoughts on Protein?

Well, I'm back on my way. The house is restocked with healthy foods and my WW info is out where I can use it - and I'm tracking again.

DD and I walked 2½ miles yesterday. I was out of breath walking up the hills but nothing that I couldn't handle or had to stop for. It felt good to get moving again and to work my heart and lungs. It's amazing how fast you can get back out of shape, isn't it? We also did a 10 minute ab video. It's not long but it is a killer. I felt like stopping close to the end but I pushed through and did the whole thing. Yay me!

It was so warm yesterday - like 60° and sunny. Unreal for January in Virginia. I sure did enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Now this morning we have snow flurries. Weird.

Thursday is payday so I'm starting back at the gym. I need to get some new workout clothes and a new pair of shoes. I will feel so much better to have something cute to work out in, plus it will make me want to work out more, too.



Anyone have thoughts on protein and weight loss? I keep hearing about how good it is for you, so I'm upping my protein through my foods and now also through my drink to see if I can tell a difference. Yesterday DD and I bought this protein shake powder. You can mix it with water or milk. I mixed mine with 1% milk this morning. it's actually pretty good, it tastes like chocolate milk mix, like Nesquick or something. It has 25 grams of protein per scoop. I was so full between a glass of that and a cup of steel cut oatmeal with bluberries (my new favorite breakfast).

Today I weighed in at 221.8. Down exactly one pound. It's a start in the right direction.