I’m Maryfran, a down to earth, open and honest writer who has had incredible success with weight loss (150 pounds) and also a regain. I’m currently on a weight loss journey and working to lose my weight. I write a little about everything....life is so interconnected and all encompassing! Belief is the key to success in life and how I came up with my name for my sites! Believe!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wind.....
Todd and I decided to go for a bike ride yesterday. It was about 60 degrees outside. We decided to go down to the canal across from Harpers Ferry. Fun stuff. We bundled up...because 60 is still cold when you facter in the movement and all that. We hopped on the bikes and headed downstream. I honestly expected to not go very far as Todd hasn't been out much on his bike. I was thinking to Weaverton (lock 31 and back) Which would put as at about 6 miles total. I was ok with that...I could go home and ride the exercise bike to bet the rest of my time completed for the day. Todd complained about how cold it was. I laughed, usually I'm the one that's cold...but you can tell that I've been out more on my bike in the cold (I've gone out in the mid to upper 40's recently) and I WAS bundled up better than him. He acclimented to the weather...or it got warmer....not sure which...but either way he did eventually take off his outer layer leaving a teeshirt.....I actually took off of my outer jacket....leaving a teeshirt and sweatshirt, which I then eventually had to push the sleeves up on.). Anyway, we got to Weaverton and Todd kept trucking on along. WOO HOOO! I was faintly optimistic that we would make it to Brunswick....which is about 5 miles from Harpers Ferry....which would make a ten mile ride. WOO HOOOO...we made it. And Todd said, "lets go a bit further". We went to The catoctin Aqueduct.....9.5 miles from Harpers Ferry. We stopped to look around. We contemplated going another half mile to make it an even ten both ways...but we both like to turn at landmarks...so we decided 9.5 was enough for the day. We turned around. And worked our way back. The ride was nice.......UNTIL 2 miles from the end. And that is when the wind picked up. When I say it picked up, I really mean it picked up. Apparently the wind was whipping at about 20-30 mph! AGAINST us! I dropped to my lowest gear and I was pushing for all I was worth.....and my top speed? Ohh yeah, my top speed was 2-3 mph! At one point an extra strong wind hit me and it stopped me and pushed me backwards! (It was absolutely crazy). The wind was whipping up the dirt off the towpath and blinding me. All I can say is that the last two miles were pure hell! I worked HARD those last two!
My weight is up a little today. Not as bad as I expected. I'm glad I weighed myself though...becuase I need to see the damage that is caused by poor eating choices. I mean, I rode the bike for 2 hours yesterday....I shouldn't have seen a gain! My eating negated the weight loss that I could have posted after a great workout! That is sad!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Deep inner babbling
This morning I was exercising (yep, 70 minutes down on the exercise bike......I wanted to get in some this morning as it will be a long day of work for me.....9 until 6:15...and then I need to go to Robbery Training tonight. That will be from 6:30 until approximately 8. So we are talking about an 11 hour day. I'll get home....make (finish making, Todd should beat me home so he'll start dinner)dinner and then eat...and then watch The Biggest Loser. I hope to ride a bit during the show. But I know that after a long day like this, that riding may be the last thing that I want to do tonight. Anyway, I was riding this morning and watching an episode of The Biggest Loser Australian season 3. It is nearing the end of the season.....when they do the typical hike where they have 'gates' and at each gate they have to add sandbags to their backpack to symbolize the weight that they lost each week thus far in the program. At the top, one of the contestants, Michelle was talking to bob and Jillian (yep, they are on the show) and Jillian was asking, "what's in the backpack". Michelle was having a hard time answering. It got me thinking.....what would I answer. I immediately knew what my answer would be. "Pain, misery and sadness". Jillian finally got Michelle to answer and Michelle answered very similarly to what I responded with. But then Jillian pushed and made her answer the question of why she wanted to feel that way....and something clicked with me. My weight was maybe not put on for this reason, but it became a defense mechanism that I used. Defense against what? I am a preachers daughter and it was known around my high school that I was such. I never gave ANY indication that I was a rebel and wild. But it was a well known fact in my high school that preachers daughters were wild and would do anything with a guy. (I guess there were a few that lived up to that typical stereotype that made some of these guys think that I would be that way). I was asked out a lot in high school.......but the conversation would usually turn to something like this. "I hear you are a preachers daughter.....I've heard about preachers daughters.......you wanna go out on Friday night?" 9 times out of 10 it was pretty easy to deduce the reasoning behind the invitation. As I gained weight in high school, the invitations decreased....(they still came, just not as often). It was easier that way, since I wasn't going to go out with those guys anyway (yes, I declined each and every one of them). Thus the weight became a defense mechanism....a way to help protect myself. I don't need that defense anymore.
Well, my fingers are cold, so I'm going to end this post.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Challenge
The challenge will come tonight. I can be a bit of a closet eater. I know that I have a tendency to struggle on the nights that Todd is not there and that I'm 'eating dinner alone." It's soooo easy to slip food onto my plate. To snitch extras. Sometimes I go into the kitchen with a clear cut plan and it falls apart when i actually see the food. It's crazy! SOOO anywy, the challenge will be that Todd will not be at home this evening. I'll be home alone...eating alone. I've actually got a healthy amount of points left after my breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was an egg and cheese sandwich....5 points and Lunch was boccoli and cheese (1point) and corn (2 point), strawberries (1 point) and pineappe (1 point). So at my current weight, that leaves me 15 points left. That is pretty healthy. So as long as I can hold it under control I'll be ok.
Training. Yesterday I took the day off. I woke up and before I even got out of bed my legs felt heavy. I made it through the day but it just wasn't happening. I'm planning on getting in some kind of ride (be it exercise bike, outdoor or a spin class) tonight. I've added something to my exercise journal. (Yes, I keep a 3 ring binder that has a record of my exercise going back quite a ways....I also have my training plan and spreadsheet for this training in there also). Anyway, I'm adding something. I'm writing on each day how my legs feel. I'm curious. Does the 'weighted affect' in my legs change according to how much I rode previous days? It's all very intriguing to me. So, I've decided to start watching to see what in the world my body does and how it responds. I can even tie it into my food...maybe my food had something to do with my dead legs. Hmmmmm
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Help!
Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States? 1 out of 3 women will die from heart disease yet it is preventable. Knowledge is power and with the knowledge on how to prevent heart disease we can change these statistics. On April 19th I am participating in an event called - Girls with Gears: A Women's Cycling Event and plan to ride 25 miles. Proceeds from this event benefit CAROL For Heart (CFH). CFH is an all volunteer non-profit organization that educates women on the prevention of heart disease. They offer free programs and presentations to groups of women to learn more about risk factors, symptoms and prevention. CAROL For Heart is founded in memory of a woman named Carol Pawelski who died 7 years ago at the young age of 60 of massive, undiagnosed heart disease. She had no idea she was even at risk. I know that I had put myself into a greater risk by the lifestyle that I had chosen. It wasn’t until I started to pay attention to my health that I became educated about this disease and it’s risks. I have used this information to help reduce my risks, mainly by losing weight.
It is now my turn to help others.
I am asking for your support to help me raise $250 by making a flat donation in any amount. $250 can educate approximately 20 women and potentially save 20 women from a preventable disease. Please help save your mothers, daughters, aunts, nieces and girlfriends lives by supporting me in this ride. Checks can be made out to CAROL For Heart (and are tax deductible). Please send any contributions to: MaryFran Stotler at PO Box 605, Sharpsburg Maryland 21782 Donations can also me made online at http://carolforheart.org/default.asp?p=support_us. Simply enter my name in the “Donate on behalf of” section and select your amount. For more information on CAROL For Heart visit: www.carolforheart.org.
Thanks so much for your support!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
After work today, I came home and Todd and I rode our bikes down to the canal and rode up to Dam #4. All in all about a 9 mile ride. I came home then and cleaned/organized the back porch (stuff seems to have just gotten pitched out there throughout winter and I've been literally having to climb over things to get my bike out and to get to the freezer that is out there). Then I came in and cleaned the house inside for a few hours. So all in all, from noon when I got off of work until about 6PM (when the dinner dishes were finally cleaned) I was on the go (with the exception of sitting down to eat dinner). That has to be good for me!
Friday, March 06, 2009
weigh in and training
Went to my meeting. As I wrote yesterday I was optimistic about the results. I was actually estimating (based on my home weigh ins) that I would be down about 4.5 pounds. I stepped on the scales with confidence. I mean, I was pretty sure that my weigh in was going to be a good one. Uhhhhh it was not what I expected. I did NOT lose 4.5 pounds. Not even remotely close. Yeah, I lost 5.8 pounds! YES you read that right. I lost FIVE POINT EIGHT pounds! Five and eight tenths of a pound. Holy cow...that is almost 6 pounds in one week!
There was some sad news. The weight watcher leader that was there......Bonnie is actually the leader that i have had for most of my weight loss journey. She is not going to be leading any more meetings as she accepted another job. Sad. Makes me nervous. I've sat in on a lot of meetings in the last few months...and I have heard some pretty lame leaders. But we'll have to see!
Last night I came home and I admit that I ate a bit more food than I probably should have. I ate pancakes and turkey bacon. I then followed that carb laden meal up with a 70 minute exercise bike ride. (I had ridden for about 35 minutes early yesterday morning also). I was kinda nervous about what the scales would say today. But the results were not bad. (hey, it showed me down..that's all that matters)
This morning the cat (Ethel) started at around 4AM. She just didn't want me to sleep. She wanted to tell me something. She pawed at my face. She bit my hair. She meowed and tapped me with her pay. It was terrible. Finally at about 6Am I got out of bed. I guess she just wanted me to get awake...because from then on she was fine. But, no problem...I was hoping to get an outside ride in this morning as the weather was supposed to be gorgeous today. I looked at the thermometer. YIKES 43 degrees outside! That's cold! (yeah, I'm a wimp) I turned on my computer. I made my oatmeal. I ate my oatmeal. I answered some emails. Ohh yeah, life was just moving along. 7AM. Ohhh joy, it was up to 44 degrees. At about 7:30 I looked and we were up to 45 degrees. I stepped outside (gave a truck driving by a nice sight, me in my nightgown with my flannel pants standing on the front deck stretching and feeling how cold it was). Hmmmm...it wasn't that cold. So I went in, bundled up and grabbed my stuff (I took extra care with my cell phone....I'm not sure it could handle another submersion in the cats water dish) and off I went. My IPOD was fully charged so I was able to listen to music on this ride.
My goal that I set for this week, in my training was to ride as much as possible (exercise bikes if I couldn't get outside) and try to do at LEAST 12 miles outside on the roads. (last weeks goal was 10 miles.....I did 11.21...averaging 9.1 mph). I don't know what overcame me. I had a route all planned in my head. I came to the turn off that I should take to do that route. And I thought, "why the heck not" and I went straight to a longer route and definitely more hilly. It seemed at every turn, when I had the option of choosing to go the 'easy/short' way or the 'long/more hilly' way I chose the harder option. Heck, I even swung around once and did a second lap on the north end of the battlefield. Probably because it was so bucolic. Ohh wait, that was the manure that they were spreading in the fields! (haa haa haa) I'll admit, the first mile or two was rough. My legs were KILLING me. But it seemed to get better the further on I went. At one point on the battlefield, I was riding along and singing at the top of my lungs. (hey, I heard that singing while you exercise helps to expand the lungs and actually helps your workout....and I like to sing and the music was really good so why not? And NO, I didn't sing aloud when I was in town...or anywhere near where others could really hear me....well, not including the cows).
Soooo the results of my ride. One hour and 41 minutes. 16.17 miles! Average speed of 9.5. SOOOO, I went further, (true it took me longer, but that's expected) and I bettered my average speed. :-)
The other thing that I started working on during the ride. Hills. I've been doing the hills. I just gear down, stay in my saddle and pump my legs to get up the hill. I go mighty slow on some of those hills, but I make it to the top. WELL, today I started experimenting with getting out of the saddle and really working on the way up the hills. Well, first of all I learned that I can't have it in too low of a gear or else it's like near impossible because it is actually wobbly and you feel as if your legs are just flying through the air because there is not enough resistance. SOOO the next attempt I left it in the higher gear that I had used to approach the hill. Uhhh nope... It worked for a little bit. But after just a bit, you start to slow down and it feels as if you are trying to ride through quicksand. Uhh that doesn't work! So it's a middle of the ground gear that you need to be in. Ohh yeah, I found out that one of my middle of the ground gears slips. Yeah, that hurt when my leg jarred when it slipped it's gear. But i kept riding and ignored the pain (that was at about mile 4....) and whadya know...by the time I got home it didn't hurt anymore. (Maybe it's because my butt was so numb...yeah, I forgot the bike shorts/padded underwear again...ok the butt wasn't that bad..but I was mad at myself for forgetting). But you know...with the gear...it's only on one tier of gears...so if I knock it up to the next 7 (my middle 7 out of the 21) then I'm ok. Well, that's good...I shouldn't be wimping out and riding in that low gear anyway should I?? tee hee hee
So, I'm pretty stoked about my ride this morning. I blew my training goal out of the water...that's a REALLY good thing! :-) I still haven't faced the south side of the battlefield yet....that's like ALL uphill. I'll get there though! I'll get there!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Rambles and deep thoughts
Training is going as well as it can be going when the weather outside is freakin' 20 degrees! Come on spring temperatures. I know you are out there. Get here already! Meanwhile, I truck along on the exercise bike as much as possible. I've been nailing some longer rides on the exercise bike...so I feel good about that. Riding until my legs have a little bit of that 'jelly feeling' in them is a good thing now-a-days. How sick is that, that I look forward to that feeling????
You know...I just like the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. they seem to go so much more in depth with the background of why the contestants are the way they are...and eating and all that jazz. I was watching an episode from season three (yep, while riding the exercise bike) and one of the contestants participated in a temptation to win immunity. He ate well over 1000 calories as he participated....and LOST anyway! He was just so upset and bummed out that he went to the kitchen and had lunch (right after the temptation where he ate 1000 empty calories). Ohh it wasn't just lunch. It was lots of bread, 14 cookies (at 100 calories a cookie), cheese, you name it...he had it. He ate something like 4000 calories during his binge. They showed it! Not that we needed to see him eating. But I think it's good to show that even though this guy had lost close to 50 kilos (we are talking 100 pounds here) he still so easily lost control and binged. It happens. And they took the opportunity to talk about how you deal with that. The trainer also talked about how she could tell immediately that 'something' was wrong even before he told her...simply in how his body was performing.
I'm going to revisit a rant I went on a while back about gastric bypass surgery and being bothered about it. Well, that family member has her date set....for the end of this month. WHY WHY WHY!!! Mom told me that in her words she said "I just stay away from food." Well, what is going to be different after you have the surgery? Your stomach will stretch again! Look at the guy (the father Ron) on the current season of The Biggest Loser. He had bypass and it didn't work! Ohh he lost the weight but he gained it back! Same thing with that girl on DietTribe (I think her name was Morgan). Bypass...and right back to 280 pounds! It's not the end all be all answer! I ran into a friend last week and somehow this bypass conversation came up. Turns out her brother-in-law had the lapband surgery back right around Thanksgiving (I think she said between Thanksgiving and Christmas). Two days before the surgery (and the last time he was supposed to eat before the surgery) he went out to Ryans...and totally ate himself silly. What is taht about? So anyway, he had the surgery and has been losing the weight. BUT my friend went on to say that he's figured out a trick. Apparently with the lapband, they leave a small portion of your stomach...so you eat until that is filled...and then when that is digested it passes through the small opening and then you can eat more....but you can't eat more until that is digested and passed through that opening. WELL, apparently her brother in law has figured out a way to beat the system , er lapband. He has figured out that he can eat until that 'space' is full...and then if he drinks a lot of water (quickly??) that it pushes that food past that narrow opening leaving that pouch available for more food...which of course he refills by eating...and then flushing. It took him what....3 months to figure out how to bypass the bypas (ok, a lapband, but bypassing the bypass sounded better)
I'm still really feeling led or called to do something to promote healthy living. To help people see that even though you may dig yourself into a pretty big hole with your weight, that it is NOT impossible to correct the problem naturally. I don't know how....but I'm thinking and I've started to seriously pray about it. The one thing that keeps popping up in my mind is becoming a nutritionist. I had looked at the certification programs...I'm not sure that is the route to go....so that leaves the RD (registered dietitian)...but that is more schooling.....which takes money. So we'll have to see about that. I've looked for non-profits to align myself with...but I'm not finding much. I found one coalition or some such group that looked big and well organized. But upon looking deeper noticed that they have links and support the gastric bypass stuff. And while I do think that there is a time and a place for those surgeries...I feel that it is becoming the 'quick fix' resort....and that is wrong in my book. So I don't want to align myself with a group that pushes gastric bypasses as the common solution. So I'm not sure what route to take...I just know that right now, my heart is really pulled in that direction.
My last thought of the day. (maybe) is why do we feel as if we need to eat something just because it's the consummate diet food. I was reading a post just recently where the author was talking about oatmeal. And how she never liked oatmeal...but she wants to eat it...and did we have any ideas how to make it more palatable. I threw some ideas out there (things that I do to my oatmeal) but then finished with "don't make yourself eat something just because you think it's healthy'. We need to eat what we like...otherwise we will NEVER have any success....at least with any longevity! Soooooo today, just a few minutes ago, I started eating my lunch....and what did I find in my lunchbox (yeah yeah yeah...I packed it..so I knew what was there beforehand) but yogurt. Ohhh goody! My favorite thing! NOT. I really do not like yogurt! So why do I continue to buy it? Is it because I have coupons and get it cheap? Well, even though I have coupons sometimes for the yogurt, the coupons alone do not make me buy the item. I mean, after all, I get coupons for Depends (yeah, the adult diaper) and I don't buy them! (thank goodness I don't NEED them) I dont' buy diapers and baby food..but I've had some good coupons. So no...that can't be it. Ohh wait, do I buy them and choke the yogurt down because it's healthy for me???? Ohhh yeah, that's it!! Even though my own advice was to not force yourself to eat foods that you do not like....even though it's healthy for you, there I was doing it! I thought about my advice and I just didn't have it in me to choke down that yogurt....so into the garbage it went. It's about time I started following my own advice!
Lunch is over now (yeah, I was eating while I typed that last paragraph). And like I promised, I'm done talking (typing ) for now.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Whew!
I read this post today on Cara's blog. Check it out. It really hit me between the eyes! It's on self sabataging yourself in your weight loss efforts. It is REALLY REALLY a good read!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Book Review
I just finished reading a book entitled "Conversations with a Fat Girl" By Liza Palmer. A friend passed it on to me (thanks Lynn). It is a novel. But ohh did this story resonate within me. This girl grew up big and as she got older she have a very active fantasy/dream world...as her escape from her chubby life. Her weight ruled the decisions she made. Her weight ruled the relationships that she had...and didn't have (because of her weight). Throughout the book she learns the most important lesson...that what is inside is the most important thing...and that she can't let her fears, fears that are grounded in her obesity, rule her life.
It made me think. I didn't date much before I met my husband. The dates that I did have were not satisfying. I was uncomfortable and they rarely went further than a first or second date. I had one guy actually tell me (after a few dates) that i would be 'hot if I lost weight'. I actually saw him once more after that (in a dating situation). He is the one that stopped calling me. I did not stand up for myself and was actually sad when he stopped calling. I guess that's all I felt as if I deserved. I've let my weight play a role in my professional life. I've really let my weight dictate so much. In the past few years, I have stood up and started allowing the MaryFran that is inside to shine. But I admit that I still struggle with feelings of inferiority.......not because I think I'm stupid or anything like that. I sometimes feel inferior because of my weight. AND I'm not that big anymore. But the feelings are still there...buried...waiting to come out. For example, last summer when we were at Hershey park. I was at my lowest weight ever. I worried constantly about fitting onto the rides (on a previous visit I could barely fit on the rides...and at one point had to be moved to a special 'larger seat'). That worry translated into thinking people were staring at me...the fat chick waiting in line to ride such and such ride! As the day progressed and I fit onto more and more rides I started to feel better about myself....but each time I went through a turnstile, I felt that moment of panic. I was ruled by something that I KNEW was erroneous, yet powerless to change.
I think part of changing this thought process, these feelings; is to push myself out of my comfort zone. Do things that make me feel uncomfortable and realize that nothing bad is going to happen. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and went to the spin class. I liked it. :-) A first step toward pushing these self doubts and feelings out of my head!
I was planning on going to an express 30 minute spin class tonight. Sounds good eh? I'm still hoping to be able to go. HOWEVER, Todd called me from the house and told me that the house was cold this morning. For some reason our heat pump (less than a year old) is not keeping the place warm. NOT cool. It's in the 20's...but we've had colder days and have had no problem keeping it warm. Todd flipped the breaker to turn it off...and then he's turned it back on. He had to go to work...so I don't' know what I'll find when I get home. A cold house? A warm house??? Who knows. SOOOO I may be staying at home tonight and waiting for the guy to come and look and see what's happening. ARRGGHHH this is frustrating!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
March comes in like a Lion
So far so good....I'm happy with my eating. I'm happy with what the scales are saying. I'm feeling good. I have my food planned out for the rest of today and I'm feeling confident that I can make it through the weekend unscathed. (Oops, better drink up some more....although I'm doing OK on my water consumption also thus far).
OK...report of my week of training. I spent 330 minutes on an exercise bike. I did a 30 minute spin class (more on that later) and I rode 11.21 miles (in 75 minutes) on the road. (Todd and I did some walks and I did a few other exercisy things...but for the training purposes....they don't count).
I've been writing about the possibility of doing a spin class for quite a while. As recently as February 19th I talked about it. Well, this morning I went. I went to a beginners session. I loved it! OK, we'll see how much I love it after I've done a full outright session...but I loved it. I'm hoping to go back tomorrow night to another session!
I've been reading a book that is really making me think about my life and how I've let my weight rule it and how I've let my weight play a role in decisions that I've made. I'll expound more on this in a later post, after I've finished the book and really thought about it in full. :-) But I can say now...I can look back and see decisions that have been made and the fact that my weight was a big factor.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Cell Phone Hijinx
I've been happy with my eating both on Thursday and Friday. And the scales are showing progress on that front.
Not too much new to report today. Life is trucking along in grand fashion...I'm determined to make it through this weekend...weekends are difficult. But I made it through last weekend, so I can do it again. :-)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Crazy Crazy girl that I am!
I'm also feeling quite optimistic. I guess going and facing it gave me renewed hope and energy to do it!
WHAT THE 'H' 'E' DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS WAS I THINKING?????? Was it just yesterday that i was saying that I can see improvement in my biking??? This morning I awoke before the alarm that was set to wake Todd up (I didn't have to go to work until later). I laid there and was disappointed to realize that my headache was still there. Not as pronounced as it was yesterday and the day before...but it was still floating around in my head. I walked to the kitchen and noticed the outside temp. WOOO HOOOOO FIFTY ONE DEGREES! How utterly exciting. I know that the temps are supposed to drop back to the low thirties (as a high) so this is my opportunity to get my 'big minimum' bike ride of 10 miles in for this weeks training. (Basically my training plan is to ride as much as possible throughout the week...but each week I have a goal for my 'long' ride...with each week getting to be a longer and longer ride until I'm doing 25 miles) Soooooooo I downed a handful of Advil, ate breakfast and went to the bedroom to dress for my bike excursion. I knew it would be somewhat chilly out there. SO I slipped on a pair of cuddle dud's (silky satiny long john underwear type thingy) and then put on my sweatpants over that. I put on a long sleeve tee shirt, then a short sleeve tee shirt and then a sweatshirt. (layers ya know...that wind can hit against a person...and that can get cold!) I put on a hat to protect my head and ears (bike helmets don't protect against cold), and slipped on an old pull over jacket. I put on some gloves...and I was almost ready. I grabbed my IPOD (is it against the law to listen to your IPOD while biking on the roads???) DANG...the battery was just about dead. Ohhhh well....no music on my ride...I'll toughen it out and go completely natural....just the wind and my thoughts. I grabbed my cell phone and my keys and walked across the kitchen. Ooops...the cell phone slipped from my fingers. It hit the floor and bounced. It bounced INTO the cat water dish. ohhh yeah. I quickly pulled it out (before the splash was even done splashing) and handed it to Todd so he could work on it. (We are crossing our fingers that it will dry out and still work...if not, I'm heading out to buy a cell phone this weekend). Should I have stopped at that point? Probably. But I went out back, got my bike and off I went. (I did grab todd's cell so I would have something in case I needed help). I started down the road. My thoughts went wild...and this is my ride by mile markers and the corresponding thoughts.
0.82 "Oh my, the wind is whipping much more than I thought it was. Boy...it's terribly windy. maybe I should turn around. NO NO NO I did not just ruin my cell phone to ride less than 1 mile and then turn back." This became my mantra for the next mile as I pushed onward. "I did not kill my cell phone for a measly ride"
2.0 "I'm getting close to town...what should I do. Should I wimp out and turn around, and go home...that would be a 5 mile ride. Or....I could ride around town and then go home. But then again, I can ride a mile out to the battlefield entrance and ride some over there...garnering me some more miles. Ohhh wait, I can turn right up here when i get to town, swing down to the canal and ride home on the canal. That would be a nice idea." And those thought went in a circle...round and round and round.
2.5 "Oh boy...I'm at the stop sign. I made it to town. Which way which way which way". I decided to turn right and go over to the battlefield.
3.5 "Oh wow..there is someone walking on the side of the road. I better pick up the pace on this hill so that it doesn't look like I'm biking in slow motion."
3.6 "Ahhh on the battlefield. What...I don't remember that hill going up to the observation tower! I better get a drink of water."
4.0 "The observation tower and Bloody lane. I've gone Bloody far enough! It's time to turn this bike around and return from whence I came."
4.5 "I could have sworn I went up a hill at this point going the other way...but here I am going up another hill"
5.5 "Decisions decisions decisions. I could go home the same way I came out....2.5 miles of not so gently (to a biker) rolling hills. Or I could go down to the canal and go home via the canal. The canal would be 1 mile of a fun downhill road, then 5 miles of the canal (relatively flat) and then one mile of uphill to get to my house. Hmmmm.....long but less hills or short but hilly." In my immense logic, I chose the canal...a longer route.
6.0 "weeee, I love going downhill"
7.0 "I better start praying for strength to train...this stuff is difficult"
8.8 "Mileage wise, I would have been home if I had taken the other option...what I fool I am"
9.0 "Why didn't I put on my padded shorts this morning? Ohhh I was so brilliant and thought that the extra layer of clothing would be sufficient. Well you know what...your brilliant mind failed you....My butt HURTS"
9.5 "Can I quit????? Oh my word. I can't. I'm on the canal.....secluded. I have to keep going. I can't quit. I don't want to quit..but I oh my word...even if I wanted to quit I can't because I don't' have my cell phone...I don't have the emergency number for the canal for them to get someone to help me. And I'd be too embarrassed anyway to call up a park ranger to come get me because I'm 'tooo tired'. I have only one option. Onward ho"
10.0 "Ohh my, I can see the road. I'm almost to the end of my travels on the canal."
10.5 "HILL....ohhh stinkin' hill up to my house. Ohhh wow.....I didn't know anyone could bike this slow. 3.8 mph Ohh lookey...now I'm up to 4.5 mph. Ohh this is pitiful!"
10.8 "was that a rain drop? Ohhh no...no rain, please no rain!"
11.0 "IF I can just make it to the next mailbox, I'll be good."
11.01 "oohhh blessed mailbox. Now I need to make it to that tree....."
11.1 "Ohh look another mailbox to strive for. And look, my speed is up to 6.8"
11.15 "I can see our property. Hmmm...I wonder how lame it would be to cut off the road as soon as I reach my property instead of waiting for the driveway. Oh shucks, there's a limb down, I can't cut in through there anyway...I guess I better wait for the driveway."
11.21 Ohhhh blessed driveway!
I got my bike and myself inside and literally less than 10 minutes later it was pouring down rain! I squeaked that ride out! But my goal for this week was a 10 mile ride. I did it! (I wish I would have done a 12 miler though...because that is next weeks goal...and that would have been awesome to be a week ahead)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
I was tickled yesterday. I've been riding my exercise bike at home. It's an old one.....and it doesn't keep track of my speed or mileage. So I just ride like the dickens for my set time and that's that. Well, I went to the gym yesterday and rode the random hill program on their bikes for 60 minutes. That's what I usually do if I ride the exercise bike at the gym. The last time I did that at the gym (about a month ago) I did about 11 miles in 60 minutes....and I struggled to keep my RPMS (rotations per minute) above 75. Yesterday I did my 60 minutes and did 21 miles and kept my RPMs closer to 100 for most of the hour. So I can see improvement. Now the problem is that exercise bike riding and road riding are a TOTALLY different ball game. Yeah, the exercise bike riding will help me. But road riding is SOOO much more difficult! The friction and wind and all that combine to make it soo much harder. (I can PROMISE you that I can't do 21 mph on my bike on the road! In fact, I'd be lucky to be able to keep up 10 mph on the road). But regardless...I can see improvement! SO I'm happy!
Other than that...I'm battling a terrible sinus headache and the monthly ick and all that entails. lucky me! BUT, even though these are wonderful excuses....I'm STILL going to go to a weight watcher meeting tonight!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Deep thoughts courtesy of an email.
There is a balance to be found in all of this. I may not be happy with my weight. As my friend put it...she knows she is happier with herself and just feels better when she is at a lower weight. BUT she was still happy with her eating. Being happy with your eating is saying that here is what I ate today.....and I'm ok with my choices. There is a heck of a lot of play in that. And it may not be conducive to losing weight. Some days when you are happy with your eating, it is a direct correlation to eating healthy and wisely in order to maintain and lose weight. But other days it may mean that you did indulge a bit, but you are ok with that indulgence. So at that point, what it boils down to is 'how badly do you want to lose weight." If losing weight is an overwhelming desire , then you will consider your healthy eating days your 'good' days.
So it takes the focus off the actual scales. SOOOOOOOO....I will be weighing every day, but I may not focus on the results of the scales here on my blog. Ohh yeah, when I have something to celebrate...I will be talking about it. But my daily weigh ins.....I'm going to try to not focus on them. (We'll see how long that lasts. haa haa haa)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Weekend reporting
Breakfast
Bowl of cold cereal (measured)
FF milk (basically enough to wet my cereal...as I am not a milk fan)
Lunch
Turkey sandwich (with lots of lettuce, onions and tomatoes)
Green Beans
Applesauce
Diet coke (yeah, I splurged...this is a splurge for me now)
Dinner
Roasted potatoes
green beans (a staple in my life)
cooked carrots
apple slices
cottage cheese with a dollop of homemade apple butter on top
Snack:
Scoop of fat free frozen yogurt
Water Consumption:
roughly 60-64 ounces (My water jug was not quite empty)
So I feel as if I did really well. The kicker....I was all excited yesterday because my weight was 201.2 on Saturday and yesterday it was back to 200.8......well today it's back to 201.2. Go figure.
I wish it would have gone down...but I'm not upset. I did exactly what I wanted to do this weekend. I managed my eating. I didn't go hog wild. ANd consequentially, I'm not starting my 'week' at the same place that i started the beginning of last week. Even at my 'higher weight' today, I'm still down more than 2 pounds from last week! So all in all it's a success! Now to keep adding to that success!
I'm planning on going to a weight watcher meeting tonight. Planning. I've got to check to make sure that they haven't cancelled that meeting or moved the time. (it happens). I'm kinda dreading it...becuase that means that I have to face the truth and show ANOTHER gain! Yes, even though I've done good in the last week, I haven't been to a meeting since early to mid January. And I'll have to show a gain at tonights meeting. The only good thing......I'll show a gain tonight and then I can work to not show a gain again! But as much as I dread it...I know that I just need to do it!
*****Update- glad I checked, they moved the Monday night meeting time. Not by much but enough that it would still work, but would just be more iffy for me to get there from week to week. SOOOOO my new plan. Thursday evening....and if that doesn't work with my schedule, then I can also make a Friday morning meeting. Each of those meetings are led by the same leader...which also happens to be the leader that I actually was under when I originally reached my goal. :-)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Weekend War!
I thought I did really good with my eating yesterday. HOWEVER, we did have Taco's for dinner...which is a bit high in sodium, not to mention a meal that I can easily lose control when we eat. I had a big plate of lettuce and onions...topped with a bit of taco meat, two crumbled shells, some fat free cheese and taco sauce. I was satisfied...I felt like I had tacos..because I had the taste. :-)
On the scales...well, I didn't recoup my whole weird jump from yesterday (remember on Thursday I was 202.4, Friday I was 200.0 and Saturday I was back up to 201.2) But I did weigh in at 200.8. Which is almost 1 1/2 pound down! So I recouped MOST of that gain! I"m tickled...and on a weekend!
Today may be difficult...we are thinking about going out for Spanish for lunch. I've planned a nice seafood meal for dinner...which may sound crazy to some .....but I don't eat Seafood...so while my husband eats his seafood, I'll be eating the veggies! So that will help manage my food intake for the day!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Ramblings from a hopefully sane mind
I was really shocked at my weight this morning. I woke up thirsty....which is not a good sign for my weight. AND, at the risk of giving too much information, my plumbing was not up to it's normal routine this morning.....so that can skew my weight. But, I faced the scales regardless. Yesterday I was 202. TODAY I was 200! WHAT???? Two pounds in one day....followed by my 1 1/2 pounds the day before. I've literally lost 3.5 pounds in two days???? What in the world. All I can say is that I must have been retaining some MAD MAD water!
Todd and I had our 'main meal' of the day this morning, as our schedules are totally opposing today. I've brought a healthy lunch. That will leave me roughly 8 points for dinner. As long as I can eat wisely tonight and not go on some wild 'gobble every morsel of food I see' rampage, I'll be OK.
I didn't exercise last night. I left here and I was so utterly cold. I just couldn't get warm and I was just achy and tired. SO I laid on the couch and did nothing but read a book. (Yeah, I should have swept and mopped the kitchen...but oh well...there is always tonight). I'm determined that tonight I exercise. No skipping more than 1 day of exercise! Thus far I'm not feeling that achy, icky cold to the bones feel...so hopefully I'll be able to!
My foot still hurts, but not even enough to cause a limp...just more of an achy feel. That's good. But I'm still trying to take it easy....low impact. (what a co-inky-dink...I just happen to have a bike ride that I need to be training for......low impact!)
I'm gearing up to head into the weekend. A weekend of opportunity. Opportunity for me to continue on this healthy path that i have started (again) this week. An opportunity to feel the immense pride and satisfaction of making wise healthy choices. The opportunity to beat my addictions, knowing that every time I beat my addictions it empowers me to win the next round also. Success truly does build upon itself! (Plus, being on the cusp of being back in the 100's is a REALLY big deal! I would so love to get there!!! And on a weekend...how great would that be???)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Hanging on for dear life
Had a bit of a panic yesterday. Todd and I got outside and walked in the snow (not deep snow...snow in the air) for about an hour. Then we went home and played Dance Dance Revolution. I was 'dancing', (I prefer to think of it more as hopping...because a dancer I am not) and came down on my foot wrong. I heard a pop and felt pain as I fell to the sofa that was nearby. I don't know what popped.....the pain did ease a bit....and stubborn girl that I am, I played DDR for another 20 minutes or so. (only because the pain eased almost all the way). BUT, today my foot hurts. Hmmm...not cool. Wonder what that popping noise was. OH well...I'll have to continue to ponder that...I'm not going to the doctor since the pain isn't that bad...it's more annoying! (no health insurance.....I don't go unless it's a last resort!) And yep, I still managed to get some time on the exercise bike into my day yesterday!
Which brings me to my thought of the day. Why in the world is it so hard to regain control after you've lost it. I mean I lost it back in OCTOBER! And I haven't really gotten a good grasp. I've had a few days here and there where I think I've got it under control again..but then BOOM...it slips from my grasp! I can do this though. I've DONE it...so I know that I can do it again!
Well, it's official. I am registered for my bike ride! Now to train for it! Have I said that I don't like exercise......so I'm kinda dreading training...but really excited about it at the same time...does that make sense? Could this be the exercise loving breakthrough for me???
Thinking about trying a spinning class at the gym. I've always been intrigued with them...but I've never tried one. This would be perfect with my training and stuff. My 'excuse' right now....we are planning on giving up our gym membership this summer when our contract at this gym is up (we switched gyms last summer....it was a one year contract). My excuse is "what if I love it and then have to give it up when we leave the gym" . Yeah, flimsy excuse....I'm almost ashamed to write it out...but hey, it is what it is!
I woke up this morning and looked at the thermometer...I was tickled 42 degrees. Woo hooo....with temps like that, it would be a wonderful day to ride (I get off of work at 3PM today). By the time I left for work (1 hour after my first glance at the thermometer) it had dropped to 40 degrees. It has dropped some more...it's spitting snow (ohhh wow...it was spitting snow now..icky). I know that a die hard biker would be out in it...but I'm just not to that stage (haa haa haa...I don't know if I'll ever be to that stage). Oh well...exercise bike here I come....or maybe the gym!
Spring where are you?????