Late Update

I'm so far behind in my blog reading and didn't even get around to update my challenge(s) status this weekend. I guess it's a good thing I'm not wasting the summer sitting in front of the computer screen but I hate falling so far behind. I have almost 600 unread posts in my reader so if anything earth shatteringly important is going on out there it may take me a while to catch up with it all. I was extremely tempted to "mark all as read" but just can't bring myself to do it in case I miss something big. I may not comment while plowing through all those posts but I'll get caught up soon and back to commenting regularly again.

I'm just going to give a brief summary update for the 101 Days of Summer Challenge and the Summer Challenge 2010.

Goal No. 1: Lose 20 pounds (average 2 pounds per week)

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)
Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)
Week 6: 209.2 (+1.3)
Week 7: 207.2 (-2.0)
Week 8: 206.4 (-0.8)
Week 9: 207.0 (+0.6)

I wish I could have used the numbers I saw on the scale on Thursday as I was down over a pound and a half but I'm sticking to my Friday weigh ins so a gain of 0.6 pounds is what it is. Let's hope I can show a decent loss next week so I can creep closer to that elusive onederland.

Things are pretty much status quo with the rest of my challenge goals. I'm happy to report I got my ass into the weight room TWICE last week with a little encouragement from Cammy. Sometimes all we need is a little push or a big fat kick in the ass to get us moving. Feel free to give me either one if you think I need it. Thanks Cammy!

I'm off to try to catch up on what's going on with all of you. I hope you're staying cool and enjoying the dog days of summer (or winter if you're down under).

Rock on, Challengers.

Summer Challenges Update

I know I'm late with my update but better late than never, right? I started writing my challenge update post on Friday but the day got away from me so I'm just getting back to it now. I don't know where my time goes. The days are just flying by and I'm trying to make the most of my last days of freedom because unless they decide to pass the vote for unemployment extensions I'm going to be forced to take whatever job I can get just to keep the lights on and my computer connection. I don't know where I would be on this journey without all the love and support you guys give me so I just can't live without internet access. As always, thank you!

Here's my update for the 101 Days of Summer Challenge and the Summer Challenge 2010.

1. Lose 20 pounds (average 2 pounds per week)

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)
Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)
Week 6: 209.2 (+1.3)
Week 7: 207.2 (-2.0)

Week 8: 206.4 (-0.8)

Looks like a roller coaster ride, huh? I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I can break through to "Onederland" before the end of the month. It's so close I can almost taste it.

2. Hit the gym at least 4 days per week (not all cardio - weight training too)

- I made it to the gym every single day last week and managed to pump a little iron on two days. I can almost feel real muscles poking through on my arms. Imagine what I could see if I made more of an effort to get in the weight room more often. I still find it boring and have to force myself to get in there but I know the benefits will be worth every minute of boredom.

3. Push myself to get 99+ minutes of cardio at least once a month

- I got this done the first week of July but still want to get more super cardio days in. I don't think I reached 99+ minutes of all cardio any day last week but I spent over two hours in the gym on the two days I did weight training and have gotten at least 60 minutes on the elliptical every day. It's crazy how much I've changed in the past 7 months. Last week I laughed when I caught myself saying "I ONLY did 60 minutes on the elliptical." Who would have thought that would be a light workout?

4. Start C25K program

- This one is really tough for me. I know I should be on week 7 or 8 of the C25K program by now but I'm worried about injuring my creaky ol' knees so I haven't been pushing myself to get out of week 1 or 2 of the program. I'm still running more and walking/jogging less so I'm making progress.

5. Get moving on the weekends away

- We planned to go hiking this weekend but it never happened. I wasn't a total slug but I didn't meet this goal this week.

6. Manage nighttime munchies

- It's such a mental struggle of me wanting something sweet after dinner even if I'm not really hungry. I can't be hungry since I just ate but I WANT something sweet. I'm still working on this one.

7. Get more veggies, more fruit and more water

- I still got this one covered. It's been crazy hot here and fresh fruits, veggies and ice cold water are going down really easy. I even joined Kenz and Sean's "Positive Effect Water Challenge." I drink at least 64 oz. or more on the days I go to the gym but the water intake is lacking on the weekends. I'm making a conscience effort to stay hydrated and keep things moving.

8. Avoid as much processed crap and HFCS as possible

- We never made it berry picking this weekend but I've stocked up on frozen fruits for my green monster smoothies. Checking for HFCS is making my shopping decisions easier. If it's in there, I don't buy it. It's harder than you would think because that sh*t is in almost EVERYTHING. Can you buy stock in HFCS?

How was your week? Did you meet your goals? Do you want me to do a little cheer for you or give you a good kick in the a$$? Whatever you need, I'm here for you, just let me know.

I hope you're staying cool. Rock on, Challengers.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thanks to Jo at Weight on Me at 50+ I am one of the recipients of the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Jo! It's an honor just to be nominated.

As with all blog awards, there are rules so here they are:

1. Thank the person giving the award (THANKS AGAIN JO!)
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about the award.

So, here are 7 things you may not know about me:

1. After 27+ years, I'm still with the guy I lost my virginity to and we're still not married and have no plans to tie the knot (if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it, right?).

2. I'd rather be wearing jeans and a t-shirt than a designer dress (I haven't worn a dress in over 5 years).

3. I went bungee jumping off a crane and want to do it again just for the rush and perma-grin for days but I'm more scared now since I know what to expect.

4. Like Jo, I'm a handbag hoarder.
5. I hate to cook. I once burned a bag of frozen corn (I fell asleep while it was cooking and didn't wake up until the smoke alarm went off).

6. I love snow and would rather be snowmobiling in the mountains instead of sitting on a beach any day.

7. I love to read and usually have at least 2 books going at the same time. I think it's going to get even worst now that I got a Kindle although I'm old school and would rather crack a spine and turn the pages of a real paper book than turn on an electronic gadget. I'm always looking for good reading material so let me know what your favorite book is so I can add it to my list of "must reads."

I don't think anyone has ever responded to my blog awards and I'm a rule breaker so I'm just going to list my top ten newly found blogs and a few great ones I've been reading for ages just in case you've been living under a rock and haven't found these great blogs:

1. Lindsay at Healthy Stride

2. Leslie at Something Brilliant is Brewing

3. Bobbie at Anonymous Fat Girl

4. Tricia at Endurance Isn't Only Physical

5. Lori at Finding Radiance

6. Hilly at the new and improved Snackie's World

7. Jen, Amanda and Lindsay who are all Prior Fat Girls

8. Rachel at Body by Pizza

9. Jennifer at Ex Hot Girl

10. YOU, yes YOU. I'm sorry, but I'm too lazy to do any more links but I want you to take this award and tell us 7 things about yourself that we may not already know.

Thanks again, Jo.

I'm off to the gym to get good and sweaty. Peace out.

Quick Fixes, Magic Pills and Excuses ....

It's too hot to think around here so if you've been sitting there at the computer looking, JUST LOOKING, for some sort of motivation, head over to Anonymous Fat Girl's site and read this post. That's right Bobbie, there are no quick fixes, magic pills or excuses.

I had been feeling a bit discouraged lately by my snail's pace weight loss, especially when people like Jewlia Goulia hit 100 pounds lost in under seven months (Congrats Jewlia ;), and then a little light went off when I read AFG's post and realize I'm still a work in progress, but I am doing this. I have lost 34.8 lbs. off of my body and sustained a healthy lifestyle for over eight months. No quick fixes and no excuses. Even Jewlia agrees that there are no magic pills, no fad diets, no reality shows, just simply eating well and moving!

It's not a competition to see how fast we can lose weight but how we learn to live and love a healthy lifestyle. You know, live and learn.

Challenges

We're into the dog days of summer now. It's time for another challenge update for the 101 Days of Summer Challenge and the Summer Challenge 2010. I'm making progress slowly but it's still progress. How about you?

1. Lose 20 pounds (average 2 pounds per week)

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)
Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)
Week 6: 209.2 (+1.3)

Week 7: 207.2 (-2.0)

WOOOHOO! I finally broke into a new low. I don't have any scale pictures because I left my card reader in Vermont but I'll be sure to post a picture next week. I think it still may be possible to see "Onederland" before the end of the month so I'm going to do my best to stay strong this weekend and not have to waste time working off weekend weight regain. I'll be happy if I can maintain over the weekend.

2. Hit the gym at least 4 days per week (not all cardio - weight training too)

- I made it to the gym 4 days this week and even went on my birthday. Again I only made it to the weight room once. Next week I'm going to start out in the weight room and then do my cardio so I can get it out of the way.

3. Push myself to get 99+ minutes of cardio at least once a month (Super Tuesday)
- I got this done on the 2nd but I plan on doing another super cardio workout next week.

4. Start C25K program

- I'm working on it. More running and less walking/jogging so I'm making progress.

5. Get moving on the weekends away

- We didn't go away last weekend but I didn't get much activity in since it was so damn hot out. I did sweat a lot though.

6. Manage nighttime munchies

- I've been doing better controlling the nighttime snacks. I did have frozen yogurt the other night but I got the kiddie size and it was more than enough.

7. Get more veggies, more fruit and more water

- I got this one covered. It's so damn hot and fresh fruits, veggies and water are all I've been craving.

8. Avoid as much processed crap and HFCS as possible

- I'm really shocked by how much HFCS is in EVERYTHING. I'm planning on hitting the local farmstand this weekend and stocking up on all the fresh produce. If the weather cooperates we may even go berry picking. MMMMmmmm...fresh berries....mmmmmm.

How did you do on your challenges? Are you making progress or do you need a push?

It's time for me to pack up and get out of the city. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Stay cool!

I'm Growing Older But Not Up

I can't believe it's been 43 years since the Summer of Love.

I was tempted to have cake and cocktails for breakfast but I went to the gym instead.

I get a little older, I get a little wiser - it's a shitty trade-off.

I'm off to celebrate. Peace out!

Challenge(s) Update

It's July! Can you believe it? Happy Canada Day, Independence Day or weekend to you. It's crazy to think 2010 is already more than half over and my 39th++++ birthday is next week. Where does the time go? It feels like we just made those New Year's resolutions and then we started these challenges and now it's already time for weeks 5 and 6.

So, here's how I'm doing on the Summer Challenge 2010 and the 101 Days of Summer Challenge.

1. Lose 20 pounds (average 2 pounds per week)

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)
Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)

Week 6: 209.2 (+1.3)

#$%^&*, no loss again this week. You may not think it's possible but I once again managed to gain 6 pounds over last the weekend. That's right, two weekends in a row I gained over 6 pounds. That's just crazy. It was a three day weekend since B's company picnic was Monday. I indulged in BBQ at the ATV ride Saturday night, ice cream cake at my nephew's graduation party on Sunday and pasta and potato salad at the picnic on Monday so I'm not really surprised I didn't completely work off those extra 6 pounds (AGAIN) but I got close. I was hoping to give myself the gift of "Onederland" for my birthday but I don't think I'm going to make it in time. I may have to settle for getting there during my birthday month. I'm ok with that as long as I get there.

2. Hit the gym at least 4 days per week (not all cardio - weight training too)

- I only made it to the weight room once this week. I was too busy being a cardio maniac. I know I need to do more strength training but it's so slow and boring. I want to learn to love it so I'm going to force myself to slow down and just do it.

3. Push myself to get 99+ minutes of cardio at least once a month (Super Tuesday)
- Knocked this one out today, the 2nd of the month. I did 111 minutes of cardio on Tuesday and 112 minutes of cardio today (70 elliptical, 41/42 dreadmill). Imagine? I wouldn't have thought this was possible 6 months ago.

4. Start C25K program

- I'm running more on the dreadmill but I haven't moved past week 1 of the C25K schedule. I'm going faster with more running and less walking but I don't want to end up flying off the damn thing so I can't be bothered to keep checking the time every other minute. I'll get there.

5. Get moving on the weekends away

- We had to leave VT too early on Sunday so I never got a chance to walk down to the lake. We finished putting the deck on the new porch, got the ATVs running, went riding, and pushed the lawn mower around. I didn't "exercise" but I didn't sit on my ass all weekend either.

6. Manage nighttime munchies

- I haven't been out of control but I still wish I didn't crave something sweet every night. I have a mouthful of sweet teeth not just a single sweet tooth.

7. Get more veggies, more fruit and more water

- I've been doubling up on the veggies with dinner, drinking Green Monster Smoothies when I get home from the gym and constantly having to empty my pea-sized bladder. Who knew pee could be so clear?

8. Avoid as much processed crap and HFCS as possible

- This is really hard. What are all these chemicals, preservatives and colorings doing in all our food? We can see what they're doing to our bodies. I wonder what they're doing to our minds. These chemicals and preservatives are like drugs or cigarettes - addicting. Good thing it's summertime and the farmer's markets are in full swing with FRESH, LOCAL, ORGANIC, DELICIOUS, YUMMY fruits and veggies. It's berry picking time around here so I'm hoping to stock up next week. MMMMmmmm...blueberries....mmmmmm.

I still have the urge to drastically alter my eating so I can just lose it QUICK but I keep reminding myself that that never really worked before. I'm getting there, slow and steady ....

Life is Good

I want to thank the fabulous, beautiful, smart, funny, honest, thought-provoking, lovely Jill at The Sassy Pear for bestowing the Life is Good Award on me. I'm honored to receive such sweet bloggy love and apparently, I've fooled her into thinking I have great words of wisdom. She must read my comments after spending all day with her 5 year old and gets confused on who said what. ;)

Ninety percent of the t-shirts I own are from Life is Good whose slogan is "Do What You Like, Like What You Do." Words to live by, don't you think? Maybe I should see if I can get a job with that company.


Anyway, the rules of this award are that you have to answer a few questions that the Award-er makes up, so here are my answers to Jill's questions:

1.What do you do in the privacy of your own home that you would NEVER do in front of anyone?


Walk around naked. Back in the day when I was comfortable with my body I wouldn't hesitate to jump out of the shower and walk around without covering up but those days are gone. Now I can hardly look at myself in the mirror when I'm naked or maybe it's just because I'm older and less of an exhibitionist.

2.If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?


This is a tough one and the sole reason why it's taken me so long to write this post. My first thought was someone like Diane Sawyer (fame, brains and beauty), then I thought of Jennifer Aniston (fame, fortune and a smokin' hot body), then I thought Oprah (power and riches), then I was thinking Annie Leibovitz (my dream job) but none of those really felt right. I think I'd rather be someone like Gabrielle Reese or Lindsey Vonn, woman who are healthy and fit and live their lives doing what they love to do. After thinking long and hard about this question, ultimately, it would be fun to have fame and fortune and a smokin' hot body but I really just want to be the best version of me I can be.

3.What’s the bravest/scariest thing you’ve ever done?


Three, two, one .... BUNGEE!!!! Bungee jumping was the scariest thing I've ever done (at least until I work up the nerve to go skydiving. ;)

Now I need to pass on this Life is Good award with questions of my own. I'm sending this award to:

Lori at Finding Radiance
Lindsay at Healthy Stride
Jan at Thufferin Thuccotash
Biz at Biggest Diabetic Loser
Melodee at The Diet Naked Blog
Shauna at The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl
Tammy at From Fat to Fab
Diane at Fit to the Finish
Nilsa at SoMi Speaks
Jennifer at Prior Fat Girl
Leslie at Something Brilliant is Brewing
Cammy at The Tippy Toe Diet
Tricia at Endurance Isn't Only Physical
Debbi at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
and you, and you and oh, I didn't forget you.

Why does it take so damn long to link to everyone? There's probably an easy way to do it but I don't know how. I'd love to specifically name each and every one of you but I need to get my ass to the gym now so please, if you're reading this, take the Life is Good award and answer these questions and link to them in the comments so I can see your response:

1. What was the happiest day of your life?
2. What is your dream job?
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you be?
4. If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?
5. What is one thing that always makes you smile?
6. What's the bravest/scariest thing you've ever done?
7. What is your favorite book?

Remember, LIFE IS GOOD! Get out and enjoy it!

Challenges

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a good week. It's time for my update on the Summer Challenge 2010 and the 101 Days of Summer Challenge.

As you know, I've been having a little pity party for myself today because I'm getting cut off from unemployment and I'm scared of going back to work, not having time to go to the gym, getting totally stressed out, and falling right back into my bad habits of stress eating and collapsing on the couch after a long day at the office. The good news is I haven't started stuffing chocolate down my throat to make me feel better because, you know, it never actually makes me feel better, just fatter and I don't need that.

So, here are my combined goals for both challenges and my progress update for this week:

1. Lose an additional 20 pounds by the end of summer/continue to lose an average of 2 pounds per week (13 weeks x 2 lbs. per week = 26 pounds)

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)

Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)

I spent the entire week working off the 6 pounds (actually 6.6 pounds) I managed to gain last weekend as you can see from my Wii graph above. I'm not really sure how I managed to gain over 6 pounds in only two days but apparently gaining weight quickly is just one of my many talents. I didn't make any progress on the scale since last week but I'm determined to get closer to "onederland" next week. I'm going to be extra careful not to snack and overindulge this weekend. We have a BBQ with the ATV club on Saturday and my nephew's graduation party on Sunday so it will be a challenge but I'm all for the challenges these days.

2. Continue to hit the gym HARD every day I'm in the city and not in VT/continue to hit the gym at least 4 days per week (60 minutes cardio and weight training)/get off the elliptical once in a while and start hitting the weights at least 2x per week

- I went to the gym every day this week and worked out for a minimum of 60 minutes. I made it into the weight room twice too so I'm doing better with that. I even walked to the gym one day because B took my truck to work since his car was in the shop. It's only about 3 miles but it was a good walk and better than having to get on the dreadmill at the gym.

3. Increase cardio to 99+ minutes at least once a month (Tuesday challenge)

- I did 110 minutes on the elliptical and 22 minutes on the dreadmill Monday for a 132 minute cardio session (and it wasn't even a Tuesday). I couldn't wait 'til Tuesday after seeing the 6.6 pound gain on the scale Monday.

4. Start the C25K program already

- I'm still working on Week 1 of the C25K but hope to move to week 2 of the program next week. I don't want to move up until I can do the running parts without feeling like my lungs are going to explode or my legs are going to give out. I'm making progress.

5. Get some sort of physical activity on the weekends while away at camp/hike, bike, walk or jog at least one day each weekend

- I didn't get much activity in last weekend other than a little swimming Sunday afternoon but I plan on going for a hike or taking a walk down to the lake (3 miles) at some point this weekend.

6. Limit my nighttime snacking ritual

- I wish I didn't crave something sweet after dinner and throughout the night but I'm getting good at limiting the amount of snacking and eating healthier stuff.

7. consume more veggies, more fruit and more water

- Still loving my Green Monster Smoothies when I get home from the gym. I've been filling my dinner plate up with extra veggies this week so I think I've got the fruit and veggies covered. Some days are better than others with the water consumption.

8. eat less processed crap and avoid anything with HFCS

- I'm happy to report that I haven't had any junk food this week. I'm still working diligently to avoid the nasty HFCS that seems to be in EVERYTHING. I'm doing my best to avoid it if at all possible.

This week wasn't a complete success but given the news about my unemployment being cut off I'm just happy I haven't fallen face first into a batch of brownies or a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

I hope you all had a good week. What's up for the weekend? Anything exciting? Stay cool and enjoy the weekend!

Lady Anti Monkey Butt

What will they think of next? I saw this product at a farm and tractor store in Vermont and just had to take a picture for you guys because I'm not sure if anyone would believe there is such a thing as "Monkey Butt." I couldn't stop laughing. I was wondering if the version for guys was called "Swamp Ass."

I'm sure it would help with chafing and skin irritations for those of us that have a little too much skin rubbing against skin. I know I stopped wearing skirts and dresses when I gained weight because of the screaming thigh sweats that would rub my skin raw. I tried wearing bike shorts under skirts and dresses but eventually gave up and just wore pants all the time or at least until I wore holes in the thighs of my pants from all the friction. I often felt like I was starting a fire down there with all the friction.

A friend of mine tried using regular baby powder between her legs and learned that powder combined with sweat makes paste. It wasn't pretty. The package says that "Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder is specially formulated with patented satiny smooth powder to minimize the frictional discomfort that women often experience when using exercise equipment, running, driving, cycling or just walking." Luckily I don't get too much friction while driving but apparently it's good for that. It also says "Indoors or outdoors, work or play, or on occasions when you're on your butt all day, don't let your buns get red. Instead use Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder for all day protection."

I really should have bought some to give away here but I couldn't bring myself to actually go to the cash register with Anti Monkey Butt powder. Have you ever seen or tried Lady Anti Monkey Butt? If you'd rather get some non-chafing stuff without the silly name, head over to Lori's blog, Finding Radiance, where she is giving away Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel to one lucky reader.

I hope your staying cool and dry with minimal chafing.

Just My Luck

Congress voted to end all unemployment extensions effective the end of May. I know a ton of people who got laid off and have been collecting unemployment for at least a year, some a year and a half, and a few almost two years but it looks like I'm getting cut off after 30 weeks. I want to cry. I just can't believe it. If they don't pass legislation to reenact the extensions I will only have 4 more weeks of checks coming. That's it. One month.


I've been working steadily over 40 hours a week since I was 15 and this is the first time I've ever collected unemployment and I'm so frustrated that the one time I need to rely on the system I get screwed. It's just not fair. I want to fall to the ground, kick my feet and punch my fists into the floor. Why me? Why does my timing suck so bad? WAAAAA!

Getting freed from the chains of office life and the daily abuse opened my eyes to the fact that I was depressed and miserable in that environment. I can't believe I suffered so long all in the name of the almighty paycheck. I don't want to go back to that life. I don't want to dread going to work every day.

The soul sucking bastard lawyers laid me off after 11 years so they could replace me with someone less expensive and with less experience because, you know, the economy is really bad. As more proof that no good deed goes unpunished, I would have been able to collect another 20 weeks if I didn't agree to work a few extra weeks to train my replacement.

I'm not ready to go back to being abused. There are no jobs out there right now anyway and the few that are available have hundreds of people vying for them. How are people surviving in this economy? What do you do when you have a pile of expenses and no income? I'm lucky I won't end up in the street since my in-laws own the house I live in but it's scary to think about having to sell my soul again for the almighty dollar.


Keep your fingers crossed that Congress takes care of the little people who need to survive. I blame BP.

6 POUNDS!

Impossible! SIX POUNDS! That just can't be right. Did someone mess with my Wii board? Is it possible my new underwear weighs 6 pounds?

It can take me a month to lose 6 pounds but apparently I have an uncanny ability to gain it all back in a mere 2 days. I know, I know, it can't be a "real" gain, it's sodium, water weight, blah, blah, blah .... I still want to scream when I see those kind of numbers heading in the wrong direction.

I thought I did ok with my eating this weekend but apparently it wasn't good enough for the stupid scale. I really want these 6 pounds gone by my weigh-in on Friday so I pushed myself yesterday to workout for 110 minutes on the elliptical and 22 minutes on the dreadmill for a total of 132 cardio minutes. Can you believe it? Me? 132 minutes of cardio? I'm still amazed I can even stay on the elliptical for that long.

It wasn't Tuesday but it was a Super Tuesday workout for sure. Here are my Super Tuesday recaps:

April: 99 minutes
May: 100 minutes
June: 105 minutes

We'll see if my legs hold out for another Super Tuesday workout today. These six pounds won't have a chance to unpack before I evict them and kick them to the curb.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Today is officially the first day of Summer here in the northern hemisphere which means I only have to wait another six months until I can snowmobile again. In the meantime, I'm doing my best to avoid burning my pasty white skin to a crisp again and trying not be the sole source of food for every mosquito out there that wants to suck all the blood out of my body.

This weekend the no-see-ums in Vermont were brutal. I couldn't stay outside more than two minutes before the little bastards were swarming around my head trying to land in my eyes. You may think people look ridiculous with those nets over their heads but it beats having bugs in your eyes.

Combined Challenges

I've decided to combine my updates for the Summer Challenge 2010 and the 101 Days of Summer Challenge in one post since my goals for both challenges are similar and they are running around the same time. It just seemed silly to do one update after the other with basically the same information.

Here are my combined goals for both challenges and my progress update for this week:

1. Lose an additional 20 pounds by the end of summer/continue to lose an average of 2 pounds per week (13 weeks x 2 lbs. per week = 26 pounds)

- My regular weigh-in is on Fridays so I'm going to use those numbers for all future weigh-ins. It was getting too confusing to have different numbers and different weigh-in days to keep track of.

Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (+-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)

WooHoo! I'm getting closer and closer to "Onederland." I'm making progress so I'm pretty happy with the numbers. I'm going to do my best to hold on to this week's loss through the weekend so I don't have to waste time losing it again next week.

2. Continue to hit the gym HARD every day I'm in the city and not in VT/continue to hit the gym at least 4 days per week (60 minutes cardio and weight training)/get off the elliptical once in a while and start hitting the weights at least 2x per week

- I forced myself to do the weight circuit three times this week in addition to my cardio time on the elliptical and dreadmill. I don't love it (yet) but I'm going to keep doing it until I do. I think I might actually see some muscles peeking out through my fat.

The only day I didn't get to the gym this week was Monday. B didn't go to work because he sliced his finger open Sunday night so we spent most of the night in the ER getting him stitched up (and watching Game 5). I was in the hospital again yesterday visiting my brother who had his appendix out. I really hate hospitals and hope I don't have to see one again for a long, long time.

3. Increase cardio to 99+ minutes at least once a month (Tuesday challenge)

- I already did my Super Tuesday workout for June but I may squeeze another one in this month. I don't have to limit it to just once a month or just Tuesdays, right?

4. Start the C25K program already

- I think this is going to take me longer than most because I don't want to move forward with the program until I'm able to comfortably do the running parts, or in my case jogging. I've done 3 days of Week 1 of the C25K and hope to move on to the next level soon.

5. Get some sort of physical activity on the weekends while away at camp/hike, bike, walk or jog at least one day each weekend

- We were stuck in the city last weekend so I was able to hit the gym on Sunday. It was nice and quiet and so much less crowded than it is during the week. I loved it.

6. Limit my nighttime snacking ritual

- I'm getting much better at controlling the nighttime munchies attack. A small handful of cashews or a jello pudding snack pack is more than enough to keep me satisfied these days. I'm so glad I haven't had the urge to binge and have not had any out of control eating in weeks.

I stopped buying sherbet, frozen yogurt and other treats so I don't have the temptation around. I know if it's in the house, I will eat it so I just removed the temptation. If I want something bad enough I'll have to go out and get it.

7. consume more veggies, more fruit and more water

- I'm loving my Green Monster ("Monstah" if you're a Bostonian) Smoothies. I've been enjoying their fruity goodness most days when I get home from the gym. They're so refreshing and filling after a good sweaty workout. Fruits, veggies and water all in one delicious drink. I still have the urge to try them with vodka .... Mmmmmmm....

8. eat less processed crap and avoid anything with HFCS

- I haven't had any cake, cookies, chips, crackers or any junk food this week. I'm sure I've had some HFCS because that crap is in EVERYTHING but I'm more diligent about looking for it and avoiding it when I go shopping. YAY!

Not bad, not bad at all (if I do say so myself). I don't want to jinx anything but I think I'm getting into the groove of this healthier lifestyle and I'm lovin' it. I have so much energy and feel so much better now than I did at this same weight when I was going up the scale. It's all such a mental head game.

I'm so inspired by all of you who have paved the way and those who've been struggling right along with me. We're all in this together, right?

I think I'm on a roll now ....

So, how you doin'? ;)

Golden Handcuffs

My headhunter set up an interview for me with a major Boston law firm that was willing to pay top dollar for someone to work with one of their busiest litigation partners that they described as "difficult and demanding." I wasn't sure if I wanted to willingly get into another position like that. Been there, done that. Is the fat paycheck really worth my sanity? I don't even know why I agreed to go on the interview but I did.

I spent over two and a half hours interviewing with the HR Manager, the Office Manager and the Office Coordinator who were all very nice but I knew I wouldn't be able to make up my mind about the place until I had a chance to meet the lawyers on the second round of interviews.

During the interview the managers stressed the fact that the firm was open 24/7 and that the attorneys were there morning, noon and night cranking out the work. The managers said that overtime work would be required and I agreed that it was the nature of the business, deadlines and emergencies always came up and I didn't have any problem staying late some nights and weekends but wouldn't want to work EVERY night and EVERY weekend because I had a life to live outside of the office.

The next day I got a call from the headhunter telling me that the firm was not going to ask me back for the second round of interviews. Honestly, I was a little relieved but still wanted to know if they gave him any feedback. The headhunter said the reason they weren't going to ask me back was that I gave the impression that I wasn't willing to work the overtime that was required for the position. They told him I made a comment about "having a life outside the office." The nerve of me, huh? I responded that the comment was taken out of context because I said I would expect to work SOME nights and weekends but not EVERY night and weekend.

WTF? I think I dodged a bullet with this place. I was only at the interview stage and already I wasn't working hard enough for them.

I don't think I'm ready to put those Golden Handcuffs back on yet. I really need to figure out how to make a decent paycheck outside of a law firm and far away from those soul sucking bastards who want you to live and breathe their law practice. Any suggestions on a new career?

101 Days of Summer Challenge Update

I think my challenge update posts are going to sound redundant so starting next week I'm going to combine my Summer Challenge 2010 update with my 101 Days of Summer Challenge update since they started around the same time and my goals are pretty much the same.

So, here's how I did this week on the Biz' 101 Days of Summer Challenge:

1. Lose an additional 20 pounds by the end of summer

- when I weighed in yesterday morning for the Summer Challenge 2010 I was exactly the same weight as I was last Friday but that crazy fickle scale decided to finally reward my efforts this morning with a 2.2 pound loss. My weight fluctuates a lot during the week so I'm hoping the loss will hold up until next Friday for my official weekly weigh-in. I'm getting so close to that elusive "onederland" I can almost taste it. It's been so long since I've been there, I'm looking forward to seeing the sights of the ol' neighborhood.

2. Continue to hit the gym HARD every day I'm in the city and not in VT

- I went to the gym 4 days this week and even had a Super Tuesday 105 minute sweat session on the elliptical.

3. Start the C25K program already

- I got on the dreadmill for the first two sessions of the C25K .... FINALLY! In my heart I'd love to be a runner but I think my knees are happier on the elliptical. Maybe after I lose a few more pounds the ol' knee injuries won't bother me as much.

4. Get off the elliptical once in a while and start hitting the weights at least 2x per week

- I only hit the weights once this week so I need to get my ass in the weight room next week - NO EXCUSES.

5. Get some sort of physical activity in on the weekends while away at camp

- does finding a good marshmallow stick count as exercise? how about putting wood on the bonfire? We had friends staying with us all last weekend and the weather didn't cooperate but I'm looking forward to getting some hiking in this summer. I miss hiking the Long Trail on the ridge at Stowe. We're definitely going to take a few trips up there this summer.

6. Limit my nighttime snacking ritual

- I'd love to get through the night without snacking at all but for now I'm just trying to make healthier snack choices. I've stuck to 60 calorie jello pudding snack packs, fruit or a handful of cashews so I'm making progress but still need to get over the urge to binge at night when I'm NOT hungry.

Not too shabby. I'm glad I was home this weekend to see the 2.2 pound loss this morning. I'll confess I swore at the Wii yesterday when I didn't even show a tenth of a pound loss. The scale is such a mind game. I'm trying not to let the numbers mess with my head because I'm doing the right things and know the scale has to catch up eventually. I just have to keep the faith that it's working, at a snail's pace, but it's working.

Ok, time for me to get away from the computer, get off my ass and start moving. Who's coming with me on the road trip to "Onederland?"

Get out and enjoy the weekend. Peace Out.

Summer Challenge 2010 - Week 3

I've got nothing exciting to report for Week 3 of the Summer Challenge 2010. As you can see from my Wii chart, my weight was up a few pounds during the week as a result of all my weekend indulgences so I guess I should be happy I didn't have to report a gain for Week 3. I'm determined to see a loss next week so all the other challengers don't leave me behind choking on their dust (I'm looking at you Kandice and Tammy).

My numbers for Week 3 of the 2010 Summer Challenge:
Challenge Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)

Week 3: 211.6 (+-0.0)

Better than gaining, right?

This challenge isn't all about the numbers on the scale so here's how I did on the rest of my goals:

1. continue to lose an average of 2 pounds per week (13 weeks x 2 lbs. per week = 26 pounds)

No progress this week but I could still pull off the average by the time the challenge ends.

2. continue to hit the gym at least 4 days per week (60 minutes cardio and weight training)

Success! I went to the gym 4 days this week and even had a Super Tuesday session. I would have gone 5 days this week but I had an appointment to get my hair done and didn't have time to get to the gym that day. Oh, excuses, excuses ... moving on ...

3. increase cardio to 99+ minutes at least once a month (Tuesday challenge)

Oh yeah, 105 minutes on the elliptical. Hello jello legs.

4. hike, bike, walk or jog at least one day each weekend

Last weekend was all about entertaining and hanging out with my friends. I would have at least gotten a walk in if I didn't have to dodge the tornado warnings and torrential rain. Again, excuses, excuses ....

5. consume more veggies, more fruit and more water

It's never enough but I'm doing ok with this one.

6. eat less processed crap and avoid anything with HFCS

Not 100% but I'm getter better at checking labels and avoiding anything with HFCS.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm stuck in the city this weekend so I'll be checking in on the 101 Days of Summer Challenge tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I can lose a tenth of a pound by tomorrow and be able to show a minuscule loss. I keep having to remind myself, slow and steady .....

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Super Tuesday

It all started on 4/20 when Tony (the Anti-Jared) challenged Jen (Prior Fat Girl) to 99 minutes on the StairMaster. They also challenged us to do at least 99 minutes of exercise that day right along with them. I struggled, I swore, I huffed and puffed and I was sweating buckets but I did it and it felt great. My legs felt like jello when I got off that machine but I was I was flying high on those endorphins and glowing from the accomplishment.

I knew if I did it once I could and should do it again (and again) so I decided to challenge myself to do a Super Tuesday workout every month and try to increase my time each month. Today was my Super Tuesday workout for June. I figured it would be a good idea to work off some of those crackers, pie and cocktails I indulged in over the weekend.

I almost can't believe that I am able to stay on the elliptical machine for 105 minutes. I remember my first day at the gym a little over 6 months ago when I could barely hang on for 30 minutes and thought I might collapse from a heart attack. I've got a long way to go but I've made significant progress and can't wait to see how long I can hang on next month.

Here are my Super Tuesday recaps:

April: 99 minutes

May: 100 minutes

I think Lisa was the only one who took me up on the random Super Tuesday challenge. There are three more Tuesdays this month to do it. Who's up for it? Who wants to try and beat my 105 minutes? Come on, you know you want to ....

Weekend Highlights

What a weekend!

I had a blast over the weekend but I probably won't be so happy when I get on the scale. I was prepared with healthy snacks but you know how those never look as appealing as what everyone else is munching on. I didn't go completely off track but there may have been a few too many crackers and a couple of toasted marshmallows. I'm not too optimistic about seeing a loss this week but I'm not going to stress over it, such is life, right?



Weekend Highlights:

• good friends
• bonfire
• hot tub
• cocktails
• peace pipe
• breakfast
• auction
• tractor
• giant spider! (yikes!)
• BIG bonfire
• fireworks (thanks neighbor)
• pie (mmmm.....)
• rain
• massage
• BBQ
• poker (I'm a winner!)

Summer Challenge 2010 - Week 2

We're already at the end of Week 2 of the 2010 Summer Challenge. I can't believe how quick time flies when I'm not counting every single minute 'til 5:00 Monday through Friday. I love being out of work and dread having to go back to the grind so I'm savoring every single minute of my time off.

It was tough staying on track through the long holiday weekend, a few extra days up north and only three trips to the gym this week but I managed to pull off a 0.7 pound loss this week! Yippee! I get excited about any loss no matter how small because it could have easily been a gain considering the week I had.

Here's my stats for Week 2 of the 2010 Summer Challenge:

Starting Weight: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)

It's been almost 3 years since I started this blog and I'm finally actually losing weight *knock wood*. I'm doing it at a snail's pace but I'm headed in the right direction and you know the story about the tortoise and the hare. I'll get to the finish line long after everyone else has collected their medals and gone home but the victory will be just as sweet as if I finished in record time. I need to keep my eye on the prize, not a number on the scale but a healthy, fit, energetic body and life.

Here's my weigh-in picture:


I think my Wii Mii may be getting a little slimmer, don't you? ;)

I also joined the 101 Days of Summer Challenge but since I just joined yesterday I'm going to wait until next week for my first check in.

I'm heading back up north tonight and we're having a few friends up this weekend so it will be two days of partying and entertaining. I already bought fruit and salad stuff so I'm prepared to avoid the crappy processed snacks everyone is sure to bring.

I hope you have a great weekend. Get out and enjoy it!

What are you doing to challenge yourself?