Sickness is in my house. No fevers, so I think we’re spared H1N1 (for now) but Violet isn’t sleeping for more than 30 minutes at a time, and it must be on someone. The boys are irritable and I just want to get in the car and drive away from it all. Please God, let them feel better soon!
(On a good note, I did get in 3 workouts this week…2 days of running and 1 day on elliptical. Go me!)
After 1 day of running a few weeks ago, I quit again. But this morning I got up determined to get back on it. My new jeans have been a huge motivator and I want to get off this plateau I’ve been sitting on for a while now. I got up and headed to the First Baptist Church Family Life Center (which is open to the public and has an indoor walking track, gym, equipment room, etc.) and did week 2 of the Couch to 5K. It wasn’t even hard, so on Wednesday I’ll pick back up with week 3 and see how I do. I only have about 5 weeks to go if I want to run in the Southern Pines Reindeer Fun Run, so I need to step it up!
Now that I’m running again, I’m wanting all kinds of nifty things to help with that…shoes, cute running clothes, new music for my iPod, etc. But probably the most reasonable and useful thing I’d like to have is the Nike+ Sport Kit. For only $29 you have this super cool way to track your runs, and you can upload the data to iTunes and other places. I don’t wear Nikes (I’m a New Balance kind of girl!) but I’m told there are little pouches you can buy. This one is definitely going on my Christmas list, and it’s something I actually have a chance of getting.
This week’s Motivation Monday is a little different. Mainly because I got a stomach bug (along with everyone else in the house, except Violet…YAY for breastfeeding!) and I’m still way behind and playing catch up on the housework. Does anyone want to come over and do my dishes???
So anyway, with that situation and the weather getting cooler and my husband now working out 3x a week, if not more (he’s in the local Biggest Loser contest…he only applied to support me, then he got in and I didn’t so I’m a little bitter…I really wanted to do it!) I’m ready to run again. My back feels better, my knees and ankles feel good, and I’ve almost lost that additional 10 pounds I was told to lose before trying to run again thanks to the last 3 weeks of pain, vomiting, and general ickiness. So one day this week, I’m going to get out there and make an effort to run. I’m starting all over on Couch to 5K, so if you want to join me let me know! I’m hoping I’ll be able to do the Reindeer Fun Run in Southern Pines on December 5. It’s 68 days away!
Such a small thing, really. And in the old days, I could have afforded this without blinking. Too bad I didn’t have the motivation. But now? I have all of the motivation in the world and no money. I slacked all summer long because it was hot outside and now I have to get back into it…but one really hot day or one rainy day can put a stop to a streak. It would be nice to have working out inside as an option, along with the childcare that most gyms have available.
I’m looking forward to the new YMCA opening as it’s just down the street from me. I’m really hoping my family qualifies for a scholarship, though. Because if we don’t I might as well forget about it. It’s just not in our budget.
All of my clothes are too big. At least 2-3 sizes too big. Which is a good thing! I’m thrilled to pieces about this development and can’t wait to figure out what size I am now. It’s been a long, long time since I was this small and after about 5 moves, all of those “skinny” (not as fat?) clothes are long gone. So I’m left with clothes that fall off of my behind when walking (no joke…I’m constantly hitching them up to avoid sharing plumber’s crack with everyone) or that look mildly tent-like on my new and slightly improved body. It’s a good problem to have, as my mom says. But the crappy thing is we can’t afford for me to buy new clothes. Which is perhaps not a bad thing, either. I would much prefer to buy a whole lot of clothes when I reach a point where I won’t be losing any more weight, rather than buying just a few now to hold me over. But it sure isn’t fun trying to wear clothes that fit when you were 30 pounds heavier…
I have been faithful to the running plan, going 3 times a week for a couple of months now. But I am now stuck at a point that I can’t get past…because of leg pain, because of the heat and humidity, because my asthma is flaring…I have so many excuses. But the truth is that I spent a lot of time researching last night and came to the realization that running may need to be put on hold until I get some more weight off to save my joints. I am in pain almost all of the time now, in both legs, from the knee all the way down to the foot. I read a lot of websites that told me pain like that is trying to tell me something and that I need to listen to my body. I did some serious soul searching over it, but in the end I concluded that my weight is causing this joint pain and that the best thing to do *right now* is to work harder on getting that weight off so I’ll be in a better position to pick running back up.
So I’ve formulated a new plan…30 minutes of elliptical (or some other form of cardio) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I may run some of those days, but I need to limit that until I see a good weight change. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays will be yoga and strength training. I’ve got the Wii Fit for this and am hoping I can afford some more of the Wii fitness type games soon so I can switch it up a little bit. And once I’ve hit my first weight loss goal (I’m about 10 pounds away now.) then I’ll go back to running C25K.
I admit I shed a few tears over this. I feel like I’m giving up, even though I know I’m not. The good news is that I am now in a good routine of working out and I don’t think it will be hard to keep it up. I’m hoping that in a month or so I can say I’ve hit my first weight loss goal and can get back to it!
Wife. Mother. Student. Teacher. Employee. Volunteer. Friend. Daughter. Sister. Runner. Blogger. There are a million more I could add. Lately I don’t seem to be doing any of them well, if at all! I am so overwhelmed by all of my responsibilities that my wants (like running and blogging) are not getting the time they deserve. I’m also exhausted by the terrible insomnia that I’ve been dealing with over the last few weeks. I feel like a zombie and I know I’m not handling any of my responsibilities (especially being a good friend!) well. I feel slow and stupid most days, like my brain is on vacation. It’s frustrating for me.
The good news is that there are only 2 weeks of summer vacation left for my oldest, so we’ll be home more. I’ve put a lot of effort into packing his short break full of fun things to do and that has taken up a lot of my time. Not that I don’t do fun things with the little kids, but I don’t feel the need to do so much in such a short period of time with them. Our days are a bit more laid back when their older brother is in school. Plus I’ll be homeschooling my middle child this year (there’s always a lot of learning going on, but this will be a bit more formal since we can’t afford preschool for him like we did with my oldest) and that will be good for at least a few hours a week where we can hang around the house and just relax and have fun while we learn colors, shapes, letters, numbers, etc.
Tonight, I am neglecting my running in order to blog. I’ll hop onto the elliptical and give myself a good workout, but it’s not quite the same. There is something about hitting that track or greenway and just running…for 30 minutes, I have no other responsibilities. The only thing I have to do is move my legs and arms and listen to some tunes.
I haven’t worked for over a week. I just can’t force myself to do it. I need to go schedule a few shifts so that I can get back into a routine with it, but it seems to be the thing that’s really gotten neglected lately. Something we can’t afford, especially considering tuition just went up by 20% (*gasp*) and I only had a month’s notice to come up with the money for it. I guess a netbook isn’t in my future anytime soon…which is a shame, because I could really use it with the school and work stuff!
The one thing that I feel like I’m really excelling at (which is funny, because I’m honestly not putting as much effort into it as I could!) is my psychology class. Right now, I could blow off several of the upcoming assignments and still get an A. I won’t, but it’s nice to know that I can if I need to. I am more determined than ever to finish school and become a nurse. Doing so well in this class has really given me the confidence that I needed to convince myself that I can do this, even while I’m saddled with so many labels that contain so many responsibilities!
Yes, I’m still doing it! Who is surprised? I am! I’ve never stuck to anything this long in my life.
I am working on week 4 right now. I’m able to complete the intervals on the elliptical, but the heat and humidity along with impact related pain are preventing me from finishing it at the track. I barely break a sweat on the elliptical and don’t really even have to breathe hard to do it. Obviously my endurance is in good shape. But the heat and humidity wreak havoc with my asthma. I think if I was able to breathe I could push past the pain, but my inability to do more than gasp for air after the first 2-3 intervals prevent me from finishing. It’s incredibly frustrating!
Another thing that is currently frustrating to me is the scale. I am not seeing the pounds drop off like I want to and that irritates me. I have never in my life been this active…they should be dropping off, right? Apparently not! The good news is that I am losing inches, so obviously I’m going in the right direction. I noticed just how much I’ve lost yesterday while I was on the elliptical. It is strategically placed in my bedroom so that I can see only my gut in the mirror. When I want to quit, I only have to turn my head to the side and look at my flab and I’m suddenly motivated to keep going! It had been a couple of weeks since I was on it, so when I looked to the side I was really amazed at much less there was of me.
There are a couple of factors that might be preventing me from losing weight. First of all, I’m nursing. Most women find that the first few months of breastfeeding will have dramatic weight loss (generally what was gained during pregnancy, though I’m an exception since I tend not to gain much while pregnant) but that it settles down and can become difficult to lose weight once you hit a certain point. I think I’m at that point now and I may not lose dramatically until she is fully weaned. I’m fine with this, because I know that breastfeeding is best for her and it’s not worth sacrificing her health (which is even more important now since she got diagnosed with asthma Saturday, but more on that in a later post) so I can see a prettier number on the scale. I’m OK with this for now.
The second is that I’m still building muscle. I’m losing fat, but gaining muscle. This is good, but I’m told it may take a while to really lose weight if I’m still working on building muscle. Not sure how true that is, but it’s an intersting theory. If muscle is replacing fat right now, once I’ve built up muscle as far as it will go with the activities I’m doing, then the weight will come off as I continue to lose fat. Makes sense, I guess!
And then there’s the whole problem with me not changing my eating habits. Well, that’s not really true…I guess I’m not changing them enough. I am trying, but I am so hungry all.the.time. I’m sure it’s because I’m nursing and burning lots of calories, but it’s hard. I’m just trying to eat lots of protein and cut back on sodas and other empty calories.
So that’s the current status of the C25K and weight loss efforts. I’m (mostly) happy with the results so far.
I feel like a total slacker! It’s been what, a week, since my last post? Yeah, life is chaotic as always! I’m still running, still doing everything I can to burn off the extra pounds. I acquired a Wii Fit and have added that to my fitness regime. I just started Week 3 of the Couch to 5K and did it Friday & yesterday. I’ll probably do it a couple more times then move on to week 4. I made my own week 3 podcast with some of my favorite music on it…U2, Coldplay, Kelis, Beastie Boys, some Grey’s Anatomy faves and more. It’s nice to have my own music!
And speaking of that, I’ve been a little discouraged because the weight isn’t coming off. BUT, my pants are getting really big on me! I bought a pair of capris a size smaller than what I was wearing before I got pregnant and they are already 1-2 sizes too big. I am trying not to focus on the number I see on the scale and instead on how I feel and how my clothes are fitting but I admit it’s hard. I need to face the fact that I may not lose much weight as long as I’m breastfeeding (at least not like I want to!) and just ignore the stress of the numbers. Easier said than done!
Other than that, I have been busy with the year-end events at my oldest son’s school. His play was Friday, and the awards ceremony is tomorrow. He is receiving the “Citizen” award, which I’m told is the highest award possible for a kindergarten student. I am very proud of him! I admit that I wasn’t entirely sure about sending him to public school. Homeschooling is my ideal but I thought he may be one of those kids who thrives at school. I’m glad that my instincts proved right! So in July he’s on to 1st grade…I almost can’t believe that my first baby is old enough to be starting 1st grade, but he is. I wish I could slow down time for just a little while.
And…my husband is now a licensed real estate agent in the state of NC! This is something he’s wanted to do for a long time (before he got laid off) and he decided now was as good a time as any. So if you want to sell or buy a house, let me know. I can put you in touch with him. He’s one of the hardest working people I know, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my husband! It will really help us get back on our feet after this year of unemployment. And if you don’t need to buy or sell a house, we’ll take your prayers, good thoughts and support. It’s a little scary but we’re trusting that we deserve some good in our lives and really believe things will work out!
