Getta Life, Angel!

Thanks for stopping by Mystic Blue :) I'm not a mama yet but.. one day!

Hi Laura, good to see you in these parts :)


So, I'm REALLY excited because a few years ago I bought this pair of size 12 pants that didn't fit that great, but I wanted to fit into them, then I promptly outgrew them.. I tried them on today and guess what!? They fit really good! A tad tight but not grossly immodest like before.

Also... I bought my first pair of size 12's in like, years!!

They're a little snug but I like that. I found that if I wear my 14's or 16's which I can still fit on even though they're baggy, I feel fat and sloppy, and that makes me feel like eating more just to make them fit better (subconsciously) or it makes me feel thinner then I really am.

So YEAH. Thats the news.

Ginger, I really hope you're out there somewhere because I'm nearing my goal. In a couple weeks I should be down to 170!
 
Aaand I went out for a movie and ate tons of sugar! It was good. That was my cheat day, today finds me emotionally eating which is annoying. It is possible I was not eating enough before and I'm backlashing.

Its ok, I had salad and fruit for supper with some ham. Hopefully I can stay on track. Theres nothing wrong with a cheat day as long as it isn't a cheat week. lol.
 
So I've been up and down and down and up. Sadly Laura, My Cheat day did turn into a cheat week. Thankfully it isn't a cheat month.

I've been eating everything in site and out of sight, candy or healthy though trying to eat more 'real' food as the first option...

Its annoying but I think its because I was eating too few calories for the few weeks before that, and exercising too much so I went into starvation mode. Or it could be a hormonal swing that causes insane cravings. Or a mood swing. Or something about being a woman. Emotional or unpredictable.. circumstantial. I don't know! Either way, its been done..

I've gained a bit of weight but not as much as I thought. I've been getting out walking and (running a tiny bit) and Salsa dancing was tonight (I'm vastly improving its so much fun!) which is a pretty good workout.

To top that off this week it snowed like crazy and I had to take a bus and walk 15 minutes to work, and to town for lunch, and around and its alot of work snow walking...So thats great exercise without even trying.

I even slipped with not bringing my lunches to work. But I'm getting back on track with that.

I've been to the Dentist for my braces and my mouth is sore. TOM crept up on me today, which, if I'm right means my eating will get back on track because usually the craving comes the week before. I should chart it one day really so I can at least predict it instead of being sidewalled every single time.

I bought size 14 non stretchy pants today. I feel good about that, seeing as my goal was no more 16's. They're tight but nice. I'm feeling more muscular and have better aerobic capacity as well..

Still keepin on,

Angel
 
Hi Angel,
Walking in the snow sounds so nice - it's so hot here!
Good job for getting back on track. Don't you hate the week before the TOM? My skin goes so bad that week too :(
 
Ok. I have joined a local 12 week challenge.. the highest percent of fat loss wins. I got a month long gym pass and am learning to use the equipment, the intensity of the workout is so much greater then if I am alone, or doing it outdoors where it is cold and the ground is hard and there is distractions.. its a very motivating environment.

I will be blogging about it, and since I'm not sure if I can post links, I'll prob just post some diaryish thoughts here!
 
12 week challenge sounds awesome. I can't wait to start something like that once I'm back at school :) Good luck and keep us updated!
 
I've been through a bit of holiday eating, and discouragement from being so inconsistent, but I didn't gain a pile of weight through it all.

So far, I've been working out every day, switching easier days with harder days. Its going great. Everything in the gym is so controlled, its great to work on the treadmill because it doesn't bother my knee so far at all and because I can see calories burned, it keeps a constant speed, and I can see how far I've gone. I like to beat my records so I love that. And the bike tuckers me out after the run/ walking.

I was able to run for 7 minutes straight today! Only at 5mph, but I didn't even know this was possible, and it wasn't an extreme exertion. I'm excited that I'm making progress, and that so far I've stuck with it.

Its really gonna help that my guy friend and Dad will be helping me out and holding me accountable to all this stuff I'm saying I will do!

Even some of the people at work are getting on board health wise, one woman has started working out and its looking a bit trimmer the last few months, another guy has made it his resolution to eat healthy and a girl there has made a challenge with me to bring homemade lunches 4 days a week instead of eating out (which we did before and it was so unhealthy and expensive)

So, all in all, theres been positive change here, if now I can go steady and keep it up!

I keep feeling like I'm getting sick but I excersise, and it delays the symptoms till the next afternoon. We will see if I can escape this bug, I'd hate to go backwards.. but its about time, I never get sick.
 
Oh goody! We have another runny person!!! YAY!!!!

It won't be much longer and I bet you'll find that you've run right thru this sort of 'barrier' (for me it was around the 10 to 12 minute mark) and then after that you just sort of take off and it feels like you can go forever and just keep running!
 
Good to have you back posting! Other than trying to fight off being sick, it sounds like everything is going great. Having co-workers who are trying to be healthier must make it so much easier. I remember at my old job going to lunch with two friends a lot and they ate so terribly and it definitely rubbed off on me! I got much healthier with the new job! Anyway, good luck, keep us posted on how you're doing!
 
So as the work day progressed yesterday I began feeling sicker and sicker but I was determined to make it to the gym. I have to keep that structure in place, or I'll start being defeated.

So I mind over mattered the rest of the day at work. I never get sick, so sometimes its hard to tell if I am actually sick. I struggle badly with moods, so I feel crummy alot in ways that I have to get over, and work anyways. Also, in the last week I find that I have these feelings right before I go to the gym, that are trying to convince me not to go!

So I had to make sure I was sick. Because I took the bus to town I had to walk half an hour in the snow to get to the gym but I was bundled up warm, I got on the treadmill, was able to jog at 5mph for 5 minutes (amazing for me! and for a sick person, and I wasn't dying I surprise myself, I never thought this was possible!!!)

I'm so excited about running, I was able to find my stride better, and just clip along. Then I started feeling very very tired, so I finished off with a slower walk 3.5 mph and decided to leave. Another half an hour walk in the snow, and I was pooped. Then my friend gave me some magical sickness medication and I felt much better, we went for a little bit of salsa, but he wasn't into it, and neither was I. The music was strange and I forgot my steps.

Today I am taking off work because I feel pretty nasty. Not as nasty as I could be feeling. Just nasty enough not to work. I plan on resting, and tho they probably don't want sickies in the gym I could even do my elliptical at home, gently.

I havn't weighed myself much lately but I was looking at old pics and I really have lost alot since june..


I decided (because I read this book called the 100 thing challenge) to throw away almost all of my old size 19 pants, and guess what, they don't fit anymore, and I never want them too! I am burning the bridges this time, if I want to gain, I have to go buy something to wear, because going into my closet and discovering, oh! these are comfortable! is not a good thing.

I want my top weight to be a 14. I don't know if this is practical, but I like the way I look now. And that its so easy to find pants that fit. I never thought that was possible either.

Well enough jabber, time for breakfast, if I can eat.
 
So here is something I posted on my blog. Some people thought it was smart. I'm testing it out, anyone struggle, and want to do this, and report the results? lol

Ending the Endless Cycle..
Emotional eating is a particularly strong captivation for many people. Eating food spikes hormones and pleasure centers in our brain: It really does work to cure sadness or stress. The problem? Its only a short term remedy that has terrible side effects, such as weight gain, energy drops...

We all understand this logically, its so easy why can't it be conquered? My conclusion? Life is not lived Logically.

Feelings are very powerful they often take a stand over logic. We don't always do what we know.

This is why I have started to think about methods: tiny acts of discipline that snap one from a state of despair or laziness, into a state of discipline and clear thinking.

For instance: You've had a crummy day at work, binged on greasy spoon food, gotten home, the house is a wreck, you are tired, your feet are killing you, and ice cream is the only food (you want) in the house.

You lay on the couch TV gabbing, spoon and bucket in hand, sadder then life, and begin to loose control... You pick up the remote and pause the scene. Just for a moment.

You set the ice cream down. Then you pick one task. This decision alone can cause a new spark in brain activity, it causes thinking about something else other then the problem at hand.

Tasks can be anything: but they must be small and always attainable according to ability, even in a very dark state of mind.

Examples:

Task 1) Do 15 sit ups -or- fake crunches --- always according to ability, it must not be a horrible strain.
Task 2) Do 15 Jumping Jacks
Task 3) Walk or Jog in place for 50 steps.
Task 4) Do 15 dishes.
Task 5) Pick up 15 things and put them in the proper spot.
Task 6) Do a small task for someone else.
Task 7) Your task here.

By the time the task is done you look for your ice cream and its melted. Congratulations, you have just jumped out of the endless circle.


If you constantly struggle, make 10 tasks suited to your place in life and write them out. Post them on the refrigerator and use them. Doing a task can keep you from continuing on in this viscous circle, it restores control and sanity, and it gets the dishes done!
 
Okay. I'm back on track with the GYM but not with eating. I'm not eating terribly but today I just ate too much. Brownies, chocolate, skipped oatmeal for breakfast, had a disgustingly salty cold cut sub for lunch (ick)

BUT! I ran and walked for a total of:

7 minutes at 6 mph
5 minutes at 5 mph
8 minutes at 4mph.

I'm so pleased about this! After three days of sleeping nonstop and being a sicky I thought all my muscle would be gone.

Its so great to work out at the gym when there is other people running as well. Yesterday was really hard because for half my workout the gym was almost empty, I was struggling so bad 5 minutes into it to push myself that I felt like never doing it again! Good thing that feeling passed.

Today i'm feeling pretty pleased although I probably broke even with eating to much so I can't expect to loose weight today. Thats ok. I gained muscle at least.
 
Week 3 is now over. My weigh in on Friday at noon was a little disappointing, but on the up hand even though I've been working out pretty hard, I have not figured out my eating yet, and that will do it. I lost 1.5 lbs. Which is good, because thats much better then loosing nothing. I'm happy with that result but it has been nearly 3 weeks.. that is a very very slow weight loss. It will take me a very long time to reach my goal at this rate.

So, this week, I'm going to take stock of my eating and see if I can make some sort of menu or plan, last week got a bit busy and I ended up eating out a few times, and snacking on poorer choices a few times that week. I am glad for the first weigh in.. it told me I was loosing but I need to pare down even more and get a bit more strict with things.

Because I am still quite out of shape, I can't burn the amount of calories that I want to with exercise, so for now I think I need to take up a bit of that slack with limiting eaten calories.

Today is my rest day.

I have to take a rest day because Fridays workout was quite terrible. I couldn't run, my legs were quite fatigued from the two days of going at it really hard before. Which is okay, I found my limit that I can't workout super hard every day of the week. So I backed off and got a workout but an easier one. It was supposed to be an easier workout anyways.

So heres to week 3! Let the 4th begin.....
 
Hey, good job on the loss. At least the scale is going the right direction, even if it seems slow. Keep at it - you'll get there!
 
I'm keeping steady and a recent trip to the dentist made sure that I'm not feeling hungry these days.

I've been running more: Yesterday I went my highest:

20 minutes on the Treadmill, 180 calories!
5 min @5mph
2 min @4mph
5 min@6mph
2min@5mph
5min@5mph
1min@4mph

So in total I ran for 15 minutes! I'm stoked for this.. And I went about 6.7 laps which is almost two miles (or something)

After that I did the bike, and various weights.

I need to (still) work on my eating! But I *think* I can feel my pants getting loose, and my LUV handles are slowly dissapearing. I can also see quite a bit of muscle peeking under all my layers of blubber.

My 1 month gym pass is expiring in two days! I have been going 5-6 times a week so its made good use of it. I think I'm going to get the next one at 3 months.. see how far I can get, and then it will be spring/summer and I can enjoy the outdoors.

All in all I've noticed ( I know everyone says this but.. its so incredible..) My mood over the last month has been phenominally better. Usually I get one good week, then theres the week before TOM and the week of TOM and the week after TOM.. huge mood swings and depressed and sad etc etc. This month I scraped by with about 5-6 hard days but all of them with sunny spots. The rest were signifagantly brighter. So, COOL!
 
Hi, it is so nice to see your enthusiasm about working out, :) Keep in mind that taking rest is as important as working out! Listen to your body... Working out 6 days a week is really not necessary if you want to lose weight.
 
SO!!!

Weigh in was last Friday.. and oh my lawd! I lost almost 4 lbs since the last one!!! (2 weeks)

Part of my suspicion is because last time I weighed in I was preparing for TOM so I'm always heavier and that extra 5 lbs vanishes fast... but you also can't argue with baggy pants so..... I won't argue with the number, just work extra hard to make sure its good NEXT weigh in

Also, newsflash of the day, I've been taking it more easy with the gym (sensed a burnout right around the corner) but today I ran straight for 18 minutes at 5mph.

It was hard but it didn't kill me, although I started to taste what I'd eaten right before my workout and thought I might hurl (thankfully I didn't) Just a little gut cramping.

Then I jumped on the bike, did weights. I'm pretty stoked. Its great to warm up afterwards in the hot tub and sauna. What could be better.....

All in all, I burned 340 calories plus weights plus an increased metabolism for a few hours after...

YAAY
 
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