Just so you know, I DID go to the gym yesterday. For three hours. And now I’m here again. 7am spinning class. Why am I awake?

Do Blogilates’ Victoria Secret Angel Arm Slimming Workout without stopping once.

Pray for me. This thing kicked my ass this morning.

This is going to be a short post, but I wanted to put it up tonight, since I’ll be officially starting the Blogilates: 90 Day Challenge tomorrow morning.

Basically, here is what has been going on with my body lately: it’s fucking crazy. As some of you may know, I am training for a Half-Marathon (in Disney World!) and have been running for 3 times a week since early May. Also, some of you may know that I have been attending Weight Watchers all summer. What you may not know is that both of these ventures have been terribly unsuccessful as far as weight loss is concerned. In fact, I steadily gained weight throughout the summer.

While weight loss/gain is based on that age old calculation calories in vs. calories out (with some variations on carb/protein/fat intake etc), this tried and true formula failed me miserably. My Weight Watchers leader and I looked at my food log helplessly, totally at a loss as to how I could be running 15 miles a week and eating within my daily limit and still gaining weight each and every week.

At the end of the summer, I have gained over 20 lbs. TWENTY POUNDS. I have an appointment with a nutritionist and my doctor to check my metabolism level (my parents are thinking that maybe the running has affected my metabolism and that my thyroid medicine needs to be adjusted), but in the meantime I am self medicating by doing the Blogilates 90 Day Challenge.

Now, if you’re not familiar with Blogilates, it’s an amazing blog written by Cassey, a pilates instructor, who does these RIDICULOUSLY difficult and awesome workout videos (I’m in pain after 4 minutes). She really advocates eating clean (abs are made in the kitchen), and she has a pretty restrictive (not in calories, but in food variance) meal plan for the 90 Day Challenge posted on her blog. I decided that maybe a strict meal plan is exactly what I need.

I haven’t exactly committed myself to the full 90 days at this point, but, I have already committed for the week. I already bought my groceries, have my meal plan for the week worked out, and have my exercise videos scheduled (along with my normal Half Marathon Training routine). So, each day, I’m going to post for you what I ate (how I prepared it), how I’m feeling (how hungry/tired/bored/whatever I am) and, at the end of the week, results!

If anyone is interested in trying to eat clean with me for the week, I definitely recommend taking a look at Cassey’s 90 Day Challenge workout schedule and meal plan.

We ran those streets so hard, they didn’t know which way they were going.

Half-Marathon Training Week Two: CONQUERED!

Angie and I even ran 4 miles in the 103 degree weather. Ick.

…on posting, but not on getting healthy! I had y’all worried there for a minute, didn’t I?

A lot has been going on this month, thus the severe deficiency in posting. Don’t worry, there will be many updates on life progress over the next few days, along with some crafts, recipes, dating stories, and even a little bit of fashion.

While all of that is well and good, I did want to go ahead and give you a short update on my weight loss progress, since that’s the focus of this blog and I have been terrible about keeping you informed (mostly because my progress is slooooooowww).

I have been diligently attending Weight Watchers meetings, and I have to say, I love going to them. The women there are all always really excited, and it always helps give me that push through the end of the week.

As of right now, I’m down to 230.6, which isn’t a terribly wonderful weight loss, considering that I started the last week in March at 238.6, but, progress is progress! I’m crossing my fingers that I will have officially gone back down to the 220’s this week, as I’ve worked pretty freaking hard, and HOPEFULLY, I can get down to my previous plateau weight: blech.

Some celebration is in order though, because I have officially started my Half Marathon Training (Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon!), and it’s been going pretty amazingly well. I’m using Jeff Galloway’s training program (which I will put up here soon in a separate post), and I’ve just started it a little earlier, to make sure that I’m in good enough shape by run time. My long time friend, Angie, and I have been meeting up 3 times a week to do the runs together, and it’s been kicking my ass, but it’s been incredible.

I want to say a few things about training for something like this, especially if you’re starting out at my size and are completely incapable of running:

1) Having a great friend to run with makes all the difference. Because I live in NYC far, far away from Angie, getting these opportunities to hang out with her this summer are great and turning that into something productive is even better. Now, I don’t dread the running, I’m just excited that I get to hang out with my friend. Angie is also in incredibly good shape, and it’s good for me to see that the workouts are kicking her ass too, because a lot of times I’m too harsh on myself and then I don’t enjoy the run, you know, because I have feeling like I’m not good at something. She helps keep me at a good pace, puts my abilities into perspective, and I’m immediately rewarded with her company!

2) Interval training may look like it’s easy, but it’s not. I thought for sure that a 20/40 run/walk interval was going to be far too easy….erm…no. It’s amazingly difficult. By the end of our interval training, Angie and I are both “finishing strong” but complete sweatballs. We also somehow manage to cover more distance than we did while we were just running straight through….go figure.

3) You immediately get better! I was amazed by this. I thought it would take weeks and weeks and weeks to get better, but no, I saw that by the long run on Saturday, I was already doing much better than I had the two previous runs.

4) It makes you behave healthier naturally. Because I’ve been running so much, I’ve been guzzling water like a fish. I’ve always been a big water drinker, but I must drink upwards of 20 cups of water a day now that I’ve been running. Also, when I sit down to eat, I think “can I run with this in my stomach?” and make better choices. It’s not a “should I have this?” impulse, but more of a “do I want to throw up later?” impulse, so I don’t feel that sting of deprivation, even though I’m eating waaaaay better. I also have more energy, sleep better, and even have better hygiene. (Running makes you sweaty, which makes you shower, and showering so much dries out your skin so I put on lotion for the first time in my life)

To help keep myself motivated, I’ve also been cross-training in between run days. I like going to Curves (a gym that’s pretty popular in the south), because their 30 minute circuit works out all my muscles, I don’t have to mess with adjusting weights, and it’s quick, THIRTY MINUTES and I burn over 400 calories.

All in all, this first week of training was pretty great. I have a four mile run coming up this Saturday, and I’m pretty sure that’s the farthest I’ve ever run, and I’m not worried: I’m excited.

What I have to say is this: you should run a half-marathon. I know that is sounds daunting, especially for those of us who can’t run a minute, much less 3 hours. But, but, BUT, you can totally do it. Seeing how much progress I’ve made in just one week, I can only imagine how much better I’ll be in 18. I ran 3 miles on Saturday, THREE MILES, and that wouldn’t have been possible for me even three weeks ago. You’re never going to be able to run unless you start training, and what better way to reward yourself than by going to Disney World to run with your fellow Disney fanatics?

If you’re interested in running in the half marathon, you should do two things: 1) BUY GOOD RUNNING SHOES (omg they will change your life!) and 2) Message Me! It would be wonderful to have some of you lovely people to meet up with and to party with after we cross that finish line!

I found this article very compelling, because, anyone will tell you that weight loss is about 90% diet and 10% exercise, which is explained very well by this guy. Of course, being in shape not makes you look great and helps your body burn calories more efficiently, but, in reality, we often feel defeated because we’ve been told incorrect information. Read, read, read, and adjust!

So, my weigh in day at Weight Watchers IS technically Wednesday (though sometimes I have to do it on Tuesdays due to an occasional class conflict), but I was so depressed about my slow progress that I haven’t actually posted anything yet. In any case, It’s time that I fessed up to you. I’m going to try to start posting these weekly, as well as a weekly summary of my workouts (to keep me honest). Would it be helpful for y’all to see food logs or anything like that? Let me know!

Weight Watchers starting weight (04/4/2012): 238.6
04/11/2012: 236.2 (- 2.4)
04/28/2012: 233.4 (- 2.8)
04/24/2012: 232 (-1.2)
Total: -6.4 lbs.

In reality, I shouldn’t be as depressed as I am, because I’m pretty dead-on for the 2lbs a week to be healthy marker. The reason I’m so down on myself, is because that my PLATEAU weight for MONTHS and MONTHS and MONTHS was 223. So, it’s a little depressing to see me crawl towards my PLATEAU WEIGHT before the real weight loss can begin.

However, I promise to try and be more positive. Totry.

I’ve also analyzed my food journal, and I see that, while I’m staying well within my daily allowance, I’m still not eating the amount of fruit and veggies I should be eating every day (5 servings). I love me some fruit, but I know that the emphasis here is on the veggies. While I think they’re delicious, my body (due to my Crohn’s Disease) just can’t handle a full salad in the middle of the day without making me massively ill. Raw veggies just grate and grate on the ulcers in my intestines. I picked up some high veggie soups, some V8 juice, and some vegetables to roast (brussell sprouts and butternut squash, yum), but I welcome any suggestions for quick and easy ways to get in those veggie servings!!

How is your week going?

I fought the urge to post yesterday. It was not a good day. I went to my Weight Watchers meeting and had lost less weight than I expected. Sometimes, I feel like I just have for-e-ver to go, despite how far I’ve already come. Watching a mere pound come off each week just seems so inadequate, making me feel inadequate.

Haunted with that defeatist attitude this morning, I really, really,reallydidn’t want to go to the gym. Even though I had worn my workout clothes to class, had my water bottle, sweat towel, earphones, and locker lock at the ready, I almost convinced myself out of going.

What difference does it make? You’ll be fat no matter what. Nothing you do will work. You can’t change anything about yourself. You’re doomed to be ugly forever.

I can’t say that the thoughts left me. They didn’t. They plagued me all the way to the gym. They plagued me in the locker room. They even occupied my mind while I ran on the elliptical.

But I did it. I ran.

Negative thoughts be damned.