It's been a while...

After a few people asked me if I ever planned to blog again, I figured I should probably check in (especially since my last post was so negative). My friends were beginning to worry if I had given up. Truth be told, it was touch-and-go there for a while... but I had accomplished too much to let it all slip away (luckily I realized this before I was at my original starting point).

So, an update... after I left Sean and started on my own things got pretty rough. I had trouble motivating myself and I was not as strict as I needed to be. I lost more ground, and began to feel sorry for myself. And while I am truly happy for everyone else's successes, reading about them made me feel even more like a failure... so I stopped. I stopped blogging, stopped going to the gym, stopped paying attention to what I was eating. Naturally, I backslid further which made me feel pretty lousy...

In mid-June, I found a new trainer. Her name is Rebekah and she works at my gym. There has been a period of adjustment (her style is very different than Sean's), but working with her has at least got me back on the path. I am getting myself to the gym more consistently, and slowly getting the nutrition down again, too. It's a little humbling that I can't lift as much as I used to, but then again, I think being pushed too hard was what caused some of my injuries and my failure. I know it's going to take time, but I have hope that I can once again achieve my goals.

Anyway, Friday is my first fitness assessment since coming back to training. I am not sure that I have made much progress, but I am at peace with whatever the results may be. I plan to chalk it up to experience and keep going...

Well, that's all for now... Happy Wednesday!

LP

Rock Bottom...

(I guess you can probably tell how this post is going to go...)

I'm in one of those moods. I honestly was revved up to go exercise this morning. I went to the gym and hit the treadmill and I was "rewarded" with knee pain. Aggh... seriously? As if finding the motivation to do what I need to isn't hard enough. I'm beginning to think I'm never going to reach my goals... I'm slowly unraveling all of the hard work I've done. I'm watching my dreams fade away.

I am down in the dumps. I guess I'll ride it out (not that I have much choice)... a positive attitude is bound to return at some point, right?

Here's hoping your Monday is better than mine!

LP

Getting there...

Hey all --

It is a beautiful Saturday morning here in Richmond, VA. The sun is out and it's warming up -- and to risk sounding like a rhyming dork -- spring is in full swing!

I had a lovely walk/run this morning. Since I slacked off 2 weeks, I went back to week 1 of the C25K program. I found a couple of new podcasts with music that is more my style (the first one worked, but the music was a little too new-agey for my tastes). It was great, but harder than I remember. Payback for taking such a long break, I guess.

As I've mentioned before, I love when I am in this enthusiastic and positive headspace! I wish I could keep it sustainable. But maybe the better way to deal with this is by accepting the lows with the highs. Learn to work through the lows because the highs will return soon enough.

Cheers!

LP

Coming out of hiding

Well, 2 weeks has come and gone... I just finished a 14 day stretch at work. This was the most emotionally, physically and mentally draining stretch ever. I had some really sick patients and some really stressful days; I don't really want to get into it, but suffice it to say that I am glad that it is over.

As far as fitness goes, I haven't done anything in 2 weeks. It's the longest that I have gone without working out since I started my journey in Feb 2008. I went to the gym the first day of the stretch, but the I fell and hurt my knee that night It was nothing serious... I just wanted to be safe and rest it for a day or two. Two days then turned into four, which turned into seven which turned into 14. I just couldn't stomach the idea of getting up at at 4am when I was just so tired! Maybe my not getting to the gym added to my exhaustion and stress, but I felt that it was the right decision at the time.

The good news? I managed to maintain my weight during this time. Over my month without Sean, I lost something like 8 lbs (8 from my last official weigh in -- it could be more or less overall since I can't remember if my weight was higher or lower when I decided to do it on my own). I'm even moved the ticker! And I'm on the fence of my initial goal again! I never shared it with all of you because it involves my actual weight... I got there once before on this journey and promised that I'd never get there again but then I backslid. Hopefully, I can make it stick this time.

So it's back on the fitness trail today! I'm seriously considering going back to Sean, but I need to think about what specifically I need and want from him first.

Happy Thursday!

LP

Motivation/Consistency Problems

... I guess this is where the trainer comes in handy.

I am having problems getting it together. I know what I need to do, but making myself do it is another story. Yesterday, I kept telling myself that I needed to get to the gym to do my elliptical workout... I didn't listen. Today, I am supposed to do a run/walk workout. I also have 15 other things that I need to do before I start yet another 14-day stretch at work. Hoping I can find the time and motivation to actually do it.

and now for the pity party...

What is wrong with me? I can't seem to figure out why I sabotage myself. I am my own worst enemy. I'm angry and disappointed with myself. Agghh!

OK, now that that's out my system... what's next? I guess I have to just keep trying. After all, I'm in this for the long haul, right. If it were easy, I would have done it a long time ago.

Happy Wednesday!

LP

C25K and My New Goal

For my next race I'm going to do the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. It's a 5K on May 8th. It's probably premature for me to expect to run the entire thing, but I would like to at least run half of it. Hopefully, it will help me stay on track with my other fitness goals.

I found a podcast to help me along the way. It's called C25K (which stands for couch to 5K). Basically the same premise that I have been doing with alternating running and walking, but what's great about it is that I don't have to time myself, because the guy tells you when to start running or walking. The first week in this program is 60s runs and 90s walks, so guess what? I graduated (I had been doing only 30s runs before this). It was harder than I thought but I got through it... I didn't have the energy to walk the extra time (the first week only calls for 30 min and I usually do more than that in my cardio workouts), but maybe I can go for a second walk later.

Not a bad start to the week!

Happy Monday!

LP

The Importance of the Bounce-back

Well, it's been a rough week... first traveling to NY and visiting with family (which always includes way too much food) and then working 2 night shifts really messed with my routine. I've been dragging. I still haven't gone grocery shopping and so my food choices have been crappy. I'm not proud of how this week has gone...

... BUT, I can choose to start again right now. And when you think about it, isn't it what this journey is all about??? Recommitting to myself every day. Life happens. Stuff inevitably comes up that knocks you on your butt -- it's how quickly we can get back up that is the key.

Time to go work out... catch ya' later!

Have a great weekend!

LP

Power of Positive Peer Pressure / Week 2 Goals

Can I just say, I love my neighbors! They are such a good influence. I don't think I would have ever aspired to do any races on my own without their example. Everyone is so supportive of each other... it's just the best (clearly I'm rambling, but I really can't describe how lucky I am to have moved to such a cool street).

Anyway, one of my neighbors, Rachel P, is helping me get started on my own. She is also a trainer and owns a fitness company designed for moms called Stroller Strides. Be sure and check out her blog. I really appreciate all of her help and wanted to give her a little shout-out here...

Here are my goals for week 2:

MON (done): Run/walk workout on the treadmill - 60 min

- After doing the 10K, I wanted to be able to run more than ever. In the fall, Rachel gave me a training program to be able run the 8K, but it was a little too hard for me. So, I'm trying again, but starting out a little easier: run 30 seconds, walk 90 seconds for 20 min, then walk for the remainder of the time.

- It was challenging, but doable. I walked at 3.8-4 mph and ran at 5 mph all at a incline of 1. The second 20 minutes were a hill workout, with inclines of 2-10 and speed of 3.7-4 mph. The final 20 minutes were a brisker walk, incline of 2 and a speed of 4-4.3 mph. Calories burned: 825.

TUES: HIIT on elliptical/ab workout

WED: I'm considering taking today off, but if the weather is nice I plan on taking a walk after work.

THURS: Another run/walk workout. May be outside, but it's going to be an early am workout.

FRI: Either a swim workout or HIIT on the elliptical. Driving to NY, so will sneak small walks at a rest stops.

SAT: If it's nice, I'm thinking about walking Lake Mahopac. It's another long walk. If it's raining, I'm going to do a hotel workout (probably the elliptical, maybe the treadmill.

SUN: Rest, and enjoy Easter with my extended family.

I anticipate a few challenges. First, I go back to working the day shift Tues-Thurs, which means I have to get up and exercise at 5am without having someone to meet. Second, traveling means I need disruption to my routine and having to improvise (staying in a hotel, probably going out to eat with friends and family). I think being aware of the possible obstacles makes it easier to overcome them...

Happy Monday!

LP

Monument Ave 10K... with a little help from my friend!

Today was race day. Earlier this week I received FB mail from Kelly, a friend of mine from HS, encouraging me to go ahead with race whether or not I had prepared like I should. The gist of it was "if I have to drive my butt up to Richmond to do it with you, I'd be more than happy to"... Who could say no to that? Not only did I have someone to walk with me, but I got to catch up with a great girl that I hadn't seen in ages. I was in...

Last night Kelly came up and we chatted, gossiped, and reminisced. I think we figured out that it had been like 6 1/2 years since we saw each other last. She's in school getting her PhD in physical therapy, so she came up after classes and got into Richmond in the evening. We tried to figure out our gameplan for parking and arrival times (it is a huge event with over 37,000 runners), and then off to bed...

Bright and early we headed downtown. We were fortunate to find a spot pretty easily and so we had some time to kill in the cold. But it was a lovely sunny day here and we warmed up soon enough. We walked the most of it, but jogged a few little stretches to justify our wave (It was a jog/walkers wave -- 90 to 100 min). There were a couple of times that I thought I couldn't go further, but walking with Kelly helped pass the time.

With all of the people I knew running today, I was surprised that we didn't see any of them. But we did see my friend Lydia at the end and she took this picture for us...

So, before I started training, I had hoped that I would finish in 90 minutes (averaging about 15 min miles...). We all know how my training went (it fizzled) and so I was pretty pleased when I finished in 1:40:08 (averaging 16.1 min miles). And considering that my 8K time was 1:26, I did pretty well...

So now the question is... when is the next race??

The Honeymoon High

If I could bottle the energy and enthusiasm I have for my workouts when I start something new...

1) Nobody (including myself) would be overweight or unhealthy again

2) I would be a very rich girl

Alas, since that's not going to happen, I need to find a way to make this feeling last as long as possible. Momentum is KEY when it comes to my fitness endeavors... once I lose it, it is oh-so-hard for me to stay on track.

Hopefully the excitement and new-ness will carry me through this latest life-stress... I got a call from my dad while I was at work last night telling me that my grandmother is not doing well. I don't have enough information yet, but hopefully the doctor will give me a call today. It's just so hard to piece together what is really happening when I get information third-hand (the doctor tells my uncle, who tells my dad, who tells me). And being a doctor myself, I always have a gazillion questions.

For now, I will enjoy the stress-reducing benefits of my exercising, and pray that everything will be okay...

Happy Thursday!

LP

Week 1's plans...

So, I decided to post my weekly workout plans here...

Monday: (done)

25 min of HIIT on the elliptical/10 min abs

55 min walking/3.25 miles.

Tuesday: (done)

90 min walking/5.5 miles

Wednesday:

elliptical workout. 30 min HIIT/15 min steady pace

abs/core workout

Thursday:

treadmill "hill" workout (speed 3.6-4, incline 5-10)

Friday:

swim workout/laps.

abs/core workout

SATURDAY: RACE DAY! Monument Ave 10K ***

Sunday: rest :)

*** There has been a lot of inner debate about whether I should do the race or sit this one out. I definitely stopped training and feel a little unprepared. But after today's workout and after much encouragement from all of my friends and cheerleaders, I've decided to go for it!! If nothing else, I can certainly get a life lesson or two out of it (like the importance of follow-through and finishing something you started?)

So the promise I made myself when I decided to workout on my own was to do cardio at least 4-5 times a week, and some other workout (right now I'm focusing on core exercises because of all my aches and pains) 3 times a week. This week is ambitious... but I do have wiggle room if I need it. Just have to meet the minimum... the rest is bonus!

Happy Tuesday!

LP

Branching out...

I realize I haven't blogged in forever... Things have been crazy lately. I've had some struggles, and I needed to take some time to think. I've been meaning to give you an update (there were 5 half-started posts in my blogger account) but I didn't know what to say. And so many of you have been cheering me on... I really didn't want to disappoint you with my struggles and negativity... I needed some time to step back and think.

My workouts at the gym have been schizophrenic... I could have an amazing workout one day and then an awful one the next. I have been having some pain issues and have been struggling with motivation. My trainer has been trying to motivate me "Jillian-style", which doesn't really work for me. I believe that I give my all every time I exercise, but sometimes I just don't have much to give. I've been frustrating Sean to no end... and one day the tension even came to a head! He heard me say something horrible under my breath, and our workout ended short that day. And while things were okay after that, it was obvious that something had to change... because it's only a matter of time before the next breakdown at the gym.

I've been thinking a lot about the next step on this journey... Should I suck it up and continue the way things are -- you know tough it out? Should I find a new trainer and start over? Should I give in and make the appointment for gastric bypass surgery? What did I really want to do??? After much deliberation and prayer, I've come up with a new game plan...

I've decided to take a break from working with Sean. I think I need to prove to myself that I can workout and exercise on my own without a trainer. It's not like I'm going to have a trainer forever, and I have to have learned something over the past 2 years... It's both scary and exciting, but I think I'm ready.

I talked to Sean about my decision. He was very supportive and encouraging. We're going to try it for a month. I'll be checking in with him weekly to see how things go. If it's a disaster, the door is open to come back.

I'll keep you posted on how things go! Wish me luck...

Happy Monday!

LP

checking in...

Wow, I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I've written... It's time to check in!

Things are going pretty well still. I am still enjoying the new workouts. I am grateful for the cardio workouts that I am doing with Sean bc I haven't been very good about doing them on my own (although, I did twice last week go to the gym on my own... I can be proud of that). Yesterday we did a stretching/yoga-lite workout. It was good, although I think I may have to look into getting a block and strap to modify things a little. Some of the things I am not able to do just yet...

Nutrition is going okay... Lent is helping me stay on track.

Unfortunately, I found out that the person who was going to do the 10K with me is now unable to (he forgot that he was working in the ICU that weekend)... anyone want to join me? I'm signed up in the Walk/jog category, so it should be doable. I'd love the company!

So, consider yourself caught up ;)

Happy Wednesday!
LP

Switching gears...

Have you also noticed that every time I have a something positive to report it's almost immediately followed by frustration or setback? I have. I don't know if I get super excited, only to let myself down or I jinx myself or what... but I do know I'm over it. I'm going to practice some "guarded enthusiasm"...

I've started my new training sessions with Sean... so far, so good. We're a lot of doing elliptical and treadmill workouts and it's been going pretty well. It's still early in the game, but it is nice not to have my shoulder hurting all the time. The only thing that is going to make the back pain go away is losing the weight again... and that is going to take time and patience mixed with hard work!

As for my assessment, it went as expected. In a way, it was actually a relief to see my numbers in black and white... they weren't pretty, but they are my reality at this time. I've decided that beating myself up for them is futile. Live and learn and move on...

Happy Tuesday!

LP

Time to rewind... (since I'm going backwards anyway)

Things imploded yesterday at the gym... I've continued to have back and shoulder pain and it has been holding me back. The back pain is exactly the same pain I used to feel when I was heavier and I have no doubt that it is related to the weight that I have gained back. I used to be able to handle a lot heavier weights, and now I struggle with lighter ones. I was the elephant in the room (pardon the pun).

Yesterday during my workout when my back starting acting up (literally bringing me to tears again), Sean said "I think we need to back off on the strength training for a while". This broke my heart... I know it's probably true, but I am afraid that without the strength training I am heading for disaster. I need to keep going. I need to lose this weight. I am DESPERATE to lose this weight... I tried hard control my tears the best that I can.

So, what's next??? Lots of cardio, rehab exercises, and strict nutrition. I did HIIT on the elliptical training this morning for 30 minutes and while I worked hard, I noticed that I couldn't do as much there as I once could. How much exactly had I been slacking with the extra cardio?? Clearly, more than I led myself to believe. I'm going to persevere and get back to where I once was... it's just going to take patience.

Wish me luck!

Happy Wednesday!

LP

Things are looking up!

Hello... it's been a while since I posted. My blogging and my 10K training have taken a long winter's nap.

Sunday is a very special day for me (and it has nothing to do with that Hallmark holiday). It's my 2-year anniversary of going to the trainer and changing my life. Even though I've had my ups and downs on this journey, the most important thing is that I haven't given up! I have a long way to go on this quest for a healthier life and I'm pretty sure the best has yet to come...

I had a good workout today with Sean. It was exactly what I needed. And while it's going to take more than one good workout to fix my current situation, I have hope that maybe I can still make training with Sean work. I need to figure out what exactly I want and need from my trainer, and communicate that to him.

So I have an assessment on Saturday. I know that I've gained a bunch a weight and I think I'm going to keep the results of this one to myself... I should probably update the weight loss ticker too, but I think I may just leave it where it is. Maybe I should take it down until I get back to losing again???

Happy Thursday!

LP

A case of the blahs...

This weather is killing me... 17 years ago, when I decided to come to Richmond for college I honestly thought I was getting away from terrible winters. My senior year of high school brought weather that made NYC close twice... that was enough for me to get the heck out of dodge!

And now, we're looking at the possibility of a 3rd big snowstorm this season! I am so unprepared. My civic is not equipped to drive in this and to be perfectly honest, I don't trust others driving in it either. I'm pretty tired of being dependent on my 4WD-driving friends to get around. And the thought of being stuck at work again just makes me so sad... I did it in December and it was not fun. I keep praying that the meteorologists are wrong (but so far that's not working...)!

It has been a challenge to get my exercise in which is not helping matters either. It's been over a week since I have been able to do 10K training (first swamped at work, then this weather). I think not getting the exercise in is also breaking my spirit... I want to stay positive, but can't seem to actually do it.

Anyway, I just wanted to check in. I'm sorry it's not a more cheerful or inspiring post... but if it were, it wouldn't be real.

Happy Tuesday!

LP

p.s. - I wanted to thank everyone for all of the support! Lots of people have been telling me they're following me on my blog... it means so much to me to know I have so many cheerleaders!

Feast or Famine...

Life is getting in the way of my goals...

Work was crazy busy last week. I got called in for someone who is sick yesterday and all I can say is what a doozy of a day... today was no better. It's so busy, that I barely have time to pee! I have skipped meals and got to the point of lightheadedness, headache and blurry vision... good grief!

I know that this is not healthy and not good for my sanity. I am so exhausted that I haven't been able to work out...

And then came the weekend... I was off Friday and Saturday. I slept -- a lot! And my nutrition was off then too... too lazy to make meals, I ate little things all day long. They weren't really unhealthy things -- yogurt, almonds and craisins, brown rice (I'm not sure what it is about the brown rice), fruit, and various other things. Worked out on Friday, but that was it.

So, it's quite apparent that I need to find a balance.

Luckily, I have a new week to try again...

Have a great night!

LP

False start...

I tried to get out there this morning and get my miles in. "Tried" was the operative word in that sentence. I ran out of steam pretty quickly and just couldn't get going. Especially the bursts of running... they just were not happening. I was only aiming for 90 second intervals. BOO!

I decided to come home and try again later... I mapped what I did do on SP - 1.09 miles in 16 min. My time is on target (I aim for 15 min miles or faster), but not a good enough workout for the day. Maybe I can get a neighbor to come later... this way someone can push me if I get stuck!

Later,

LP

A new day

Good morning, everyone!

I'm glad yesterday is behind me... it turns out that someone hacked into my "friend in need"'s facebook account and so really, I "helped" a stranger. Thank God I didn't help anymore, except for praying for him and for the ability to forgive him and myself. I learned an important lesson about trust and gullibility, and will be wiser the next time should something like that ever happen again. I know most of my friends are smarter and more savvy than me, but I wanted to let you know what happened so that you too can learn from my mistakes.

I didn't do the best with my nutrition yesterday either... I took my nap, but then came downstairs and proceeded to mindlessly snack. It's a good thing that I've cleared out all of the junk food from my home, otherwise the damage could have been much much worse.

But, today is a new day! I can put all of that behind me and start over... I woke up rested and am going to go for my walk/run shortly (I'm trying to wait for it to warm up a little more). I can make healthy food choices all day. I can do something kind for myself and try not to beat myself up for yesterday's mistakes... yes, today is going to be a much better day!

Have a wonderful weekend!

LP

Laura and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Some days, I wish I had just stayed in bed...

I woke up to a text message about how I'm making somebody in my life whom I love dearly miserable and depressed... I know that I frustrate her to no end, but that's not my intention. We probably are too alike which in my experience makes it more difficult to get along. I promised to try harder... I hope that is enough.

Then a friend messages me that she is in need, and while I help her as much as I can, it's not enough... she needs more help that I cannot provide.

I went to work out. Did my cardio (a treadmill workout of walking and running) and then a lower body workout with Sean. Actually I think this went okay.

But now it's gloomy and raining and all I want to do is cry and go back to bed... which is actually a better option than eating. Maybe this is an "aha" moment... emotional eating is part of the reason why I am so big.

I know I'll get through it -- ride out the day. One of my friends and I are supposed to get together tonight which should be fun. But for now, I think I'll take that nap...

Have a nice weekend!

LP

10K training update

Sunday was day #1 - walk/ran 2 miles... see previous post

Mon 1/18 -- Strength training with Sean - upper body. No time for extra cardio (got home late from work), but did "run" around the hospital and took the stairs whenever possible.

Tues 1/19 -- Strength training with Sean - lower body. Again, no real time for cardio as I got home even later from work (see above).

Wed 1/20 -- Hit the road... walk/ran (walking > running) the neighborhood. Covered 3.98 miles in 61 minutes.

66 days to go! If the race were tomorrow, I'd definitely be walking... I'm still hoping that I will be able to run the majority of it, but I have a long way to go! Let's see what I can do in the 2 months left!

To be continued...

LP

Sparkpeople.com

Hello, everyone...

So I know that I've mentioned SparkPeople before... it's a free healthy living website that has a free nutrition/fitness tracker, countless articles about fitness, health and wellness, tons of healthy recipes and motivation from other people with common goals. I've dabbled on the site before but never really got into it... until now.

Last week though, while looking for my new game plan, I started using it again. I really like it! I've been faithfully journaling my food and it counts everything up and tells me how I'm doing (it has meal plans, but I don't use them because I don't like being told what to do... haha). I've been logging my fitness too and it even has a "map my route" feature which helps with the 10K training. I've even set up some other goals (like journaling every day, drinking my water and getting enough sleep) that I can track. But I think most important for me is that it has given me the sense of being back in control...

So, if anyone else is looking for a free site to help them... I encourage you to check it out! You can even add me as your SparkFriend - I'm LauraP924 of course!

Happy Humpday!

LP

What we have here is a failure to communicate!

DISCLAIMER: I had fitful sleep at best last night and I am CRANKY.

So, I decided to stick with training with Sean for now. What it boiled down to is I don't think that I would go to the gym and do strength training on my own. Also, although I probably sound a little bratty lately (out of my frustration about my setbacks), I really am grateful for the help he has given me. If I had never started working with Sean, I would probably be at least my starting weight and more likely heavier. He has given me tools that I use (or at least think about using) everyday that help me on my journey to a healthy life. And, although the new gym is terribly inconvenient for me and requires me to get up at 4am instead of 4:30, I do appreciate his flexibility in coming in earlier so that I can train in the first place. So for that, THANK YOU Sean... I don't know where I would be without your help.

HAVING SAID THAT, sometimes going to the trainer just infuriates me. I have a lot of pain issues (I think subacute sports injuries or complications of my being so big), especially in my right shoulder and my lower back. These pains prevent me from doing some exercises for the number of reps or the weight that Sean would like. I let him know that I am in pain, but often I think that he thinks I'm just making excuses. What I would like for him to do is acknowledge the pain and modify the exercise, rather than either just ignoring me and making me push through it or just getting angry and stopping the exercise altogether. The other thing that drives me crazy is when there is a simple misunderstanding in his instructions. What happens he'll say something like "stand behind the bench" but mean in front and it confuses me or he'll say do push-ups "off of the knees" which I take to mean stay off of my knees. Rather than just clarify, he appears to get annoyed. All I'm asking for is a little patience.

So there you go... I told you I was cranky! Hopefully tonight I will get more sleep and be back to my usual sunny disposition!

Happy Monday!

LP

10K training... off to a soggy start!

So, the Monument Ave 10K is 10 weeks away... and while I had hoped to get a head start on my training, in true Paletta fashion, I procrastinated instead. Although since all of the training groups I know about had their first run yesterday, I must be right on track.

The plan was simple... get up this morning before church and walk/run for 40-60 minutes. I went to bed at a reasonable hour and set my alarm for 6:15 -- I was ready! And when I woke up, what did I find??? It was raining.

Call it determination, stubborn-ness, or stupidity, I decided that a little rain wasn't going to wash out my first training session. So, off I went iPod full of my rocker girl tunes, full of a can-do-anything spirit! Ha! Ten minutes in, I was drenched! I think my clothes weighed an extra 5-10 lbs because they were saturated. I realized pretty quickly that I was not going to be able to get in all that I had planned... but I'd do my best.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible start. I did 2 miles in 30 minutes. I did more walking than running (as is still my usual M.O.), but I give myself an "A" for effort.

Until next time, Happy Sunday!

LP

Soliciting thoughts from the peanut gallery ...

Where does that expression come from anyway? I mean, peanuts can't talk!

Anyway, I'm thinking about getting a Wii Fit and I'm interested in your opinions... Any of you have one? Do you use it regularly? Do you like it? I don't want get one if it's just going to end up gathering dust...

Have a great day!

LP

Coming up with a game plan...

Can I just say, it was WONDERFUL sleeping in this am??? I so needed that. I'm still not back to my old self, but I think I may be a little better today...

I'm still trying to decide in what direction this journey is going to take me now. Do I continue with Sean, even though it seems that I'm no longer getting the results I desperately need? If not, what is my next step? It's not like I can just stop my journey here - I have a long long way to go before I am healthy.

So that's where I am... I have a lot of soul-searching and strategizing to do! If I'm not successful, I will have to make an appointment with the surgeons, which is something I still really really really don't want to do!

Agghh! I need another nap!

Happy Wednesday!

LP

The slippery slope...

I finished another 14-day stretch on wards on Sunday and came down with a horrible cold. Mostly URI symptoms, but also no energy and achiness all over. Yesterday all I did was sleep! I had both of my flu vaccines, so I'm pretty sure it's just some other nasty cold virus...

It seems like this cold has also wiped out my motivation, too. I decided that I need to take some time off from training. Sean reluctantly let me cancel and I will check in with him on Thursday to see if I'm ready to come back or if I want to take the entire week (or longer) off...

I'm hoping when I'm rid of this cold, I'm rid of the bad attitude too. Hopefully my motivation will come back before it's too late...

So, if you hear from me in a while, be sure to check in!

Happy Tuesday!

LP

My "New Week's" resolution...

I've decided that New Year's resolutions are too hard to keep. Instead, I'm going to make my resolutions more frequently in order to increase my chances of success...

My New Week's resolution?? To stop eating candy at work. My boss's Christmas present to us all was to stock our team room with snacks. Some were healthy (granola bars, bottled water) and others (like candies and chips) not so much. And being both a stress eater and in the middle of a 2 week long stint at work has been a dangerous combination... it's got to stop!

So, I'm putting it up here to increase my accountability... No more candy from the office supply. I bring plenty of healthy snacks and will be fine with them. For those of you who work with me, if you catch me slipping, I'd appreciate a vague comment referencing my blog (like "I read your last blog post") ... I'll know what you mean...

Happy Sunday!
LP

Happy New Year!

Wow, 2010 is here... can you believe it?

Yesterday I managed to steal a few moments for reflection on the past year. Last year was quite a rocky one on my weight loss journey... it was an uphill battle for all of 2009. And it's a little disappointing to think about how this detour cause significant delays in my reaching my final destination. I had projected that I would be at a healthy weight by my 35th birthday -- unfortunately, that is no longer mathematically possible... sigh...

While I may have lost progress and made mistakes this past year, I can be proud of some of the things that I achieved. I did my first race (well, not counting the Lake Run 10K in junior high) and signed up for my second. I met a lot of wonderful new people and learned the value of great neighbors. I went by myself on vacation to KY and WV and represented my branch of the family tree. I started a journey of introspection and am learning more about myself each day. And most importantly, despite the setbacks of 2009, I never gave up on the commitment I made to myself that Valentine's Day to become a healthier and happier person...

I want to thank you all for being my cheerleaders and champions. I look forward to updating you on all of my successes in the next year.

May 2010 bring you all much joy, love, health and prosperity.

Happy New Year!!!

LP