Battles and Wars

This post is about being real. Real struggles. Real situations. Real celebrations. Real frustrations. On Monday, I was struggling. I was so frustrated.  Why? I've got nothing but things to celebrate, right? Wrong. I was down on Monday. So far down I cried for an hour once I got home from training and the gym. Why was I struggling? We had Small Group Training Monday night. I literally could not do half the exercises in the set. I know, I know...it will come with time. I want time to speed by. I want to be able to knock out push-ups and sit-ups and planks and anything that is thrown my way. In the moment, I was frustrated. Then, it was time for personal training. Ever since I fell, I have this phobia about falling off the treadmill again. So then, I hold on for dear life. I let my mind trick me into thinking that I cannot do something. The reality is that I can do what I put my mind to. I just have to get around the mental block I put up for myself. Needless to say, all of those things compounded into a very frustrated person. 

Why is it that I focus on how far I have to go instead of how far I've come? So far in this journey, I have lost 93 pounds. In just four months. And that's with being down from cardio for three weeks. I have 7 more pounds until I hit my goal of 100. I tend to focus on the fact that I have 200 more pounds to go. And I will be honest. This is daunting. But I will succeed. Day by day. Choice by choice. Each day is a battle of willpower. But I will ultimately win the war. 

Honestly, I debated about posting this. I wanted my blog to be full of positive vibes and encouragement. But I think you all need to see the reality of this battle. It's not easy. But it will be worth it in the end. It's definitely an emotional battle. It's a mental battle. It's a physical battle. 

Firsts...

If you've ever been on a weight loss journey or a journey to change something about yourself, you will understand today's topic. Today's topic actually should've been yesterday's topic, but I was too tired to blog about it yesterday. Yesterday was a whole new day of firsts for me. I'm being open and candid...some of this stuff may seem trivial to you. But to me, it's like crossing over the top of a mountain. It's stuff I haven't done in years. Literally. Years.

First, yesterday I was able to wear a shirt and pants that was two sizes smaller than what I was wearing four months ago. I have not worn those pants and shirts in probably three years or more. When I say that I haven't worn them, I mean that they were locked up tight in the attic. Now, instead of three pairs of black pants that I have to wash repeatedly throughout the week (literally, I have worn those three pairs of pants every single day of my life for the past five years), I have about 20 more! And, I have other colors, too...navy, brown, gray, khaki (I'm still partial to my black ones though). And, the best part is, the pants were button/zip fly and didn't have elastic all the way around them. That doesn't sound like a huge deal, but trust me, it is.

For the first time since I bought my car I was able to buckle my seatbelt. I was able to do so on the passenger side on Thursday night. I did so on the driver's side yesterday. Normally, I had to have the extender (by the way, if you are overweight, the car dealership will usually give you one for free). And then, I got so large the extender did not fit. I was not proud of it. Now, I'm so proud of myself I just can't stand it, haha. It's the little things in life that make you proud of yourself.

This month I decided to up my game a little bit on my own. I told Danny about it. I think he thinks I'm a little crazy, but I've got some goals to exceed in August. I started doing an Ab Challenge and Squat Challenge in addition to my cardio and strength training. I would love for you to join me. Below are the details of what you should do if you plan on doing them (by the way, if you do, please comment on the blog so I know to encourage you along the way)!

So last night, I went to the emergency room observation unit to have the bandages on my leg changed out as I do every night. The nurse on the floor is a very bubbly lady who is friendly and always asks how my workouts went that day. I was telling her about the challenges, and she asked me to send them to her. So, I did. When she looked at them, she said she couldn't do them. My response to her was, "you can't, or you won't? Let's do them right now!" So, seriously, we stood in the middle of the ER observation unit and did our 55 squats. We got a few strange looks...and some chuckles, but it was pretty neat. I told her that even after I was done with my leg dressings, I would check in on her and see how she was doing on the challenge.

After today's weigh-in, I have lost 84 pounds. I only have 16 more to go for the month of August to reach my goal. Another first for me is truly putting in all the cardio time. Cardio is not my favorite. But, it truly works. I started with 32 minutes on elliptical Monday, and progressed a couple/few minutes each day. It's getting easier, though my legs are becoming more and more sore each day.

I encourage you to join the 30 day challenge(s). Whether you want to join just one or both, come on!  

Progressing Toward Goals...

This month has been a little difficult for me. I let my circumstances dictate me, to a point. Don't get me wrong, I still went to the gym almost daily. I still did as much cardio as I could (which, truthfully, wasn't much, due to the bum leg). But, what I did not do, was stay on target with my diet. Of all the times I should have been spot on with my diet, this month was it. But, I didn't. I allowed myself to veer off plan. To eat many things I shouldn't. At one point, I felt as though I were on a slippery slope of crashing into my old lifestyle. And quite honestly, that scared me to death. I don't want to go back to where I was. I feel like a whole new person. My outlook on life has changed for the better. No longer am I the girl who circles the parking lot looking for a front row parking space, or too tired to go to the gym. No longer am I the girl who picks sweets over healthy food. No longer am I the girl who doesn't eat leftovers. No longer am I the girl circling the fast food restaurants for breakfast. No more. I refuse to go back.

This past weekend my mom finally made me go through my clothes I had packed away in the attic. You know, the clothes you always keep because you just know you're going to get into them again someday. To be honest, I've needed to do it for quite awhile now. But, I have delayed. Procrastinated. Made excuses as to why I didn't do it. Truly, the root of it was that if they didn't fit, I didn't want to be devastated. Nonetheless, my mom literally dropped the bucket of clothes right in front of me and basically said to do it. So, Sunday afternoon, I shopped from my attic. I found many items that I could wear. There are two or three shirts I cannot quite wear. Other than that, I mailed off a ton of items still with tags to a company that resells them for you. They were too big! And not just a little bit!

Monday night was measurement night. You know what that means. I'll be honest, I was a little bit dreading it because of the surgery, my lack of perfection on the eating plan, lack of cardio. But, you know what? Despite all that, it still was okay. Life went on (insert shocked face, here)! Here's the updated measurements:

	April 17, 2013	June 3, 2013	July 1, 2013	July 29, 2013
Neck:	16	15.5	15.5	15
Chest:	52.5	51.0	50.5	49
Waist:	56	54	51.5	51
Hips:	75	73	71	71
Left Thigh:	39.5	37	36.5	35
Right Thigh:	36.5	35.5	34	34
Left Calf:	26	26	None due to surgery	None due to surgery
Right Calf:	28.5	26	None due to surgery	None due to surgery
Left Bicep:	21.5	21	18.5	18
Right Bicep:	20.5	19.5	17.5	16.5
Shoulders:	56.5	53	51	50.5

Last, but not least, below is the updated picture. Because there was only a six inch loss this month, the picture really is not distinguishable from last month. Mostly, because it's a half inch here and there. So, just for fun, I thought I'd post my initial weigh-in picture from April 17, 2013 and my picture from this month's check-in:

Left: April 17, 2013 (445-ish lbs.)
Right: July 30, 2013 (362 lbs.)

This picture shows about an 82 pound weight loss in just four months (82 pounds since April 13, 2013). I know it sounds cliche, but I really do feel like a whole new person. I am at 102 pounds since last July, when I first joined the gym. It's not the 100 I wanted to lose from April through July, but I am okay with it. I am truly happy with my progress because I know I have done everything I could do to get there. I did not give up when the going got tough. I might've stumbled, but I did not quit. It is still 100 pounds. 

So, a huge thank you to all my family and friends who push me. The deepest, heartfelt thanks goes to Danny and Cynthia - who reached out of their busy lives and saved my life. Without y'all, I'd still be eating fast food three times a day and being miserable. I owe y'all so much. 

The point of this post, is that I am striving for progress. I fell off the wagon. I had an injury. Before, I would have given up. Now, I'm more determined than ever to kick this weight loss in the face and beat it -- once and for all!

You can do anything your mind says you can! If you haven't made the change, what are you waiting for? The hardest step is the first one. 

Setting Goals, Facing the Music and a New Wardrobe!

This month has been a struggle for me. I have let it be a struggle. I could have made better decisions. I could have worked harder at the gym. I could have said no to the temptation. But, I didn't. And, now, I have to face the music. While I did have an injury this month, that took me out of cardio commission for about 2-1/2 weeks, I still could have made the decision to do more. I let my circumstances outweigh my goals for a bit. While I have lost the pounds I gained during my surgery/recovery, I haven't lost much more than that. I am hoping that all the upper body workouts made me lose some inches, but we will see. If I didn't, it's my own fault. All I can do is work to improve.

Tomorrow, July 29, 2013 is a new day for me. A new beginning. Time to stop focusing on the past and what I have or haven't done and to focus on the future. This coming month. This coming week. Tomorrow. The next meal. The next choice. The next 30 minutes of cardio. Whatever. I have to get back into the mindset of not focusing on the overwhelming goal, but to focus on the little goals that will eventually get me to that big goal.

This week I am eating 100% clean. And, at least 30 minutes of cardio per day. Six days. That is my goal for the week. I have done it before. I can certainly do it again. There is no margin for error, because I have a goal, and I want to reach it more than words can say.

On a brighter note, I went shopping in my attic/storage today. Mom made me. I didn't want to do it. My shirts are literally falling off my shoulders. Said they looked unprofessional. I needed to know what I had so I could buy what I didn't have. Turns out, I have a whole new wardrobe (for shirts, anyway) that fits well! There were many items that had tags on them still that I just blew through. I couldn't wear them. Too big. I've shipped those off to a company that sells your clothes for you and gives you the proceeds. I will have to use that money to buy new clothes.

So, I will check in tomorrow with the new measurements and weight...whether I like what it says or not. It's up to me to make a bigger change for August. And, this month, there is no turning back.

Addiction

It took me a long time to realize that I am an addict. I am addicted to food. I like food. It tastes good. I also like food as a comfort. Food doesn't let me down (in the moment, anyway - it totally does in the long run). Personally, I think a food addiction is one of the worst addictions out there. Why? Because you have to eat food to survive. It has to be part of your daily life. You can't just ignore it and hope you don't do it. You don't really have a choice.

What you do have a choice about is what you put in your body. For me, this has been a difficult road to learn. I love food. I love breakfast food. I could eat it all day every day if you let me. I especially love fast food breakfast food (probably because I didn't have to make it, and it tastes good). The people at Hardee's and McDonald's probably had to fire some employees because I stopped going there for breakfast. That's how much I ate there. Seriously, it was 7 out of 7 days a week. It was bad. I was addicted. It was the first thing I thought of when I woke up. I made excuses to have to "run errands" on Saturday mornings so that I could go enjoy my breakfast in peace (which usually meant sitting in the parking lot, mindlessly munching on breakfast and sucking down sweet tea, all while reading a book). I look back at that and can't believe that was just four months ago. It seriously feels like a lifetime.

I am not saying I have been perfect on this eating plan. I haven't. I've enjoyed my pizza, burgers, tacos just like you. But, I can say with all honesty that I have not succumbed to that way of life. And for that I am proud. They say the first step of overcoming an addiction is to realize that you have a problem. I'm admitting here that I have a problem. I will probably struggle with this my whole life. That's okay. It will be fine. Because now I am more educated than ever, and I can make the right decisions for me. I can choose whether I want that pizza/burger/taco...because I know what I have to do to burn off the calories I just ate. While once in awhile it is good, I have to say, it really isn't worth it in the long run. Did you know that it takes about 5 minutes to consume 500 calories...yet takes over 2 hours to burn off that many calories (for an average person)? Hardly seems worth it.

For awhile now, I've been stuck on a plateau. I was at a certain number before I had surgery for about 2 weeks...then, I gained the 8 pounds during surgery week, and then lost that, and I've been camped at the same number for the past 3 weeks. This week, I really tried to focus on my cardio and getting more of that in versus the weight training. I don't love the cardio any more, and I miss the weights, but the cardio is what gets the poundage moving. Yesterday, I weighed in and discovered I had blown the plateau. I was down 3.5 this week for a grand total of 75.5 pounds. I can't be upset about that!

I finally was able to open my card that my friend Cynthia sent me on June 22nd. That's how long I've been hovering near the 75 pound mark. It was so irritating when I was just chilling out at the 74.5 mark. Seriously? Of all the numbers...anyway, I'm so excited that the scale is moving again. This week, I'm going to really try to "clean up" my clean eating and not make so many rash decisions. I am going to try to plan a little better. I find myself making excuses all the time about time or skipping a meal because I am too busy at work, etc. The point is, I have to make time. If it is important to me, I will make time.

If you have not started your weight loss journey yet, I encourage you to do so. Becoming free from the strongholds and bondage of fast food and junk has been the best experience. Now, when a friend asks me to go to lunch or something, I'm worried if they might not have salad or healthy options on the menu. Really? That totally was not me four months ago. This journey requires change. It requires sweat, tears, dedication and a willing spirit. Then, and only then, will it happen.

This week's quote: The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

Boys and their Jeeps....

Odd title, huh? Strange topic to talk about...or so it would appear. Tonight was small group training and personal training. A double whammy. So, I got there a little early...did a little cardio and tinkered with some free weights. 

At Small Group Training, Danny had us do a circuit. First up was the box step (for me, it was the step up thing used in aerobic classes). Then, we moved on to 25 pound disc swings, then rows with a 45 pound plate. After that, we had a cardio station for 3 minutes (I was on the elliptical, while the others alternated between the spin bike, stairmaster, and rowing machine). We went through the circuit about 3 or 4 times I think. Lucky for me, Danny trains someone in between SGT and my training session, so I got a mini breather. Back to the ellipticals. Then, I tried my hand at the treadmill. Nothing too fast...faster than a meandering walk but not quite a brisk pace. After that, it was time for training. 

So for training, you guessed it...circuits. This time my cardio was the treadmill. I started out at a 2.0% incline and walking about 2.7 mph. I was amazed at how quickly I got winded. Then, once my 3 minutes was up, I did 20 dumbbell curls with 15 pound weights. Finally, I had to do 15 push-ups. I'm not going to lie. I can't do real push-ups yet. I can't even do "girl" push-ups.  But, I can do push-ups using the Gravitron machine. We did 3 rounds of this and then Danny said he had a surprise. 

Then he said to grab our keys...we were going outside. I thought we were going to walk/jog around the shopping center. Nope. Danny gets in his Jeep and the next thing I know is that Sara and I are pushing the Jeep while he is steering. Once we finished that, it was time for individual rounds. I was up first. Yep. I pushed that Jeep. Got it where it needed to go. Sara did it too. There is video evidence of this event but I do not know how to insert it on blog. Nonetheless, I must admit I am a little proud of myself. Three months ago I would've laughed in your face. Today I'm facing struggles head on. What's up next, Danny? Bring it on. 

This is NOT a diet...it's a LIFESTYLE!

I am not on a diet. I am not participating in a fad. This is not short term. This is a lifestyle. What does that mean for me? Does that mean that I will never enjoy food again? Does that mean that I cannot go out with my friends/family? Does that mean that I will be bored with my food for the rest of my life? NO. 

It means that for the time being, I have to be very selective about what I do and where I go. I can enjoy my food. It just means that I have to look at my food differently. I need to not look at my food as a crutch or a celebratory measure - but rather as fuel for my body. What I put in causes me to have the energy to do what I need to do on this weight loss journey. 

Nutrition is a very key factor in any weight loss/maintenance plan. If I go to the gym every day for 2 hours but then gorge myself on fast food and sodas, I have not done myself any favors. But...if I go to the gym every day for 2 hours and eat a healthy, balanced diet - I have given my body the fuel it needs to excel and push longer and harder. 

What does a typical day look like for me? Around 1200 calories. Every day it is pretty much the same thing, maybe with slight variations:

Breakfast: 1 scoop of Iso 30 protein powder with 6 ounces of cold water and 2 slices of Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel bread with I can't believe it's not butter spray

Morning snack: grilled/baked chicken; a complex carb I some type - I like the Minute Rice brown rice cups and some veggies. 

Lunch: 1 scoop of Iso 30 protein powder with 6 ounces of cold water and 22-28 dry roasted almonds

Afternoon snack: grilled/baked chicken with salad (no cheese, no dressing) or veggies. 

Supper: grilled/baked chicken with veggies or turkey burger or veggie burger

It's so funny to me that I was the girl who would never eat leftovers or would give away the doggy bag from restaurants. Yet for the major part of this journey I have had pretty much the same stuff. It just works. 

Likewise, it is important to have a gym routine. And that routine needs to vary somewhat. I learned that the two weeks I couldn't do much cardio! Holy cow my arms/shoulders/back hurt! But the point of it for me wasn't necessarily to work those muscles to points of exhaustion, but rather, to stay in the habit of going to the gym daily. Workout even when I didn't feel like it. The awesome soreness was just an added bonus. I proved to myself that just because I was down, it didn't mean I was out. 

I cannot thank all the people who encouraged me along the way of this recovery. Thankfully the doctor says it is healing faster than previous injuries and although it is still sore, I am getting my stamina back. It's amazing to see how quickly you can lose your endurance when you're not doing something daily!

At any rate I hope this blog post has explained a little bit about my plan. This may not be right for you. If you want more information about Anytime Fitness and/or personal training let me know! I'd be glad to help hook you up. 

Until then, make healthy choices!

Here's the thing about Danny...

So tonight I was back to my first cardio-allowable workout. It felt good to get back on the elliptical, as much as I hate that machine. I have to admit, I gained 8 pounds total since my surgery, 10 days ago. That is unacceptable. I want better for myself. That being said, I am aware of all the excuses I could use - you know, the "they put an IV of fluids in you" and "you're taking a medication that makes you retain fluids" - the list goes on and on. While all that is true, I also have to "woman-up" and take responsibility for the unwise choices I made while I was laid up. I knew I could not do cardio. I knew it. I also knew that I should have eaten clean. Probably wouldn't have gained 8 pounds. Instead, I indulged on the 4th of July (I did fine until the darn banana pudding and brownies, haha) and then I had a "Woe is Me" weekend. I ate whatever I wanted. So, on Saturday...I ate pizza and breadsticks. Truthfully, it stunk. It was not even good. I even made the comment that I can't believe I used to eat this stuff on an almost-daily basis! Then, on Sunday...I had a cheeseburger from Wendy's and a Frosty in the Waffle Cone. I don't know why. It tasted good, but it surely wasn't worth the 1,000 calories I had to burn off!

So, here's the thing about Danny. He has this way of pulling what you don't want to tell him out of you. It was like - he asked how my eating was, and it was like it all just spilled out. Every sinful detail. I promised him that I would "break up" with Chick-fil-a, and Wendy's and pizza. Then, he proceeded to whoop my tail for a loooooooooong workout. Actually, it was two workouts.

For small group training, he did a circuit...many things which I could not do due to leg and some due to weight I still am. So, he gave me a modified circuit. (1) Two minutes on the elliptical, level 7; (2) 25 pound snatches - five on each side (that is harder than it sounds); (3) draw the alphabet in CAPITAL letters with a ten pound plate; (4) 200 punches into the mitts. We went through this circuit three times total. I was drained. Who on God's green earth comes up with writing alphabets in capital letters while holding a weight plate? Don't believe me? Try it - it's harder than it looks and sounds. I had already done an arm workout when mom was with me. (Yahoo! She joined the gym tonight!)

Then, it was time for round three....personal training session. Yep, you guessed it...more elliptical intervals. This time, three minutes at level 8...then squat curl press (since I can't squat officially yet, I sat in a folding chair) with 15 pound weights. Ten reps...each time. I lost count of the number of times we did this, but Danny says about 5. When I tell you my arms feel like lead, I am not kidding. While that was a very hard workout, it was a good one. It's the one that will leave a "good kind of sore" for a couple days.

Personally, I don't know if this is retribution for Danny's birthday...see, last week, he had to complete a scavenger hunt around the gym, and complete a short interval of each exercise in order to gain the next clue. At the end, he was given a card with a Texas Roadhouse gift card. Now, let me just say...the workout wasn't super hard...but it was not easy, either. There may have been some burpees, ellipticals, treadmill running, rowing, etc. involved. So, I think part of tonight was payback for that...part of it was payback for the weekend I had...and part of it was just Danny pushing me like normal.

So truthfully, while I think Danny is a horrible person tonight, because I'm so sore I cannot see straight, I know in the long run I will appreciate it. He pushes me beyond what I think I am capable of, and makes me do more...all the time.

Not Stellar, But I'll Take It

So tonight was measurements. I was a little anxious about them. I knew I had lost inches. I knew I had lost pounds. What I did not count on, was the treadmill fall, subsequent surgery and the gaining of five pounds since Thursday. I'll be honest...that bummed me out seriously. I had to call my accountability partner so that I did not do something stupid. I felt like I let myself down.
Danny thinks the weight gain was from (a) lack of cardio for nearly two weeks; (b) lack of movement for the past four days; (c) IV from hospital and such. So, without further ado, here are the pictures:

Although I gained five pounds this week, I am still down 69. I can't be upset about the weight gain because I have been limited in what I can do. I will overcome this speed bump. One step at a time. The measurements came in and I was down another 11.5 inches as follows:

	April 17, 2013	June 3, 2013	July 1, 2013
Neck:	16	15.5	15.5
Chest:	52.5	51.0	50.5
Waist:	56	54	51.5
Hips:	75	73	71
Left Thigh:	39.5	37	36.5
Right Thigh:	36.5	35.5	34
Left Calf:	26	26	None due to surgery
Right Calf:	28.5	26	None due to surgery
Left Bicep:	21.5	21	18.5
Right Bicep:	20.5	19.5	17.5
Shoulders:	56.5	53	51

I did have some major accomplishment moments this weekend. For example, for the first time in my life, I could weigh at the doctor's office, I could use the regular blood pressure cuff where it was supposed to be used, and when I got wheeled out in the wheelchair after surgery, I did not have to use the extra-large wheelchair - I could use the regular size one. So all in all, I cannot be disappointed. The results were not as stellar as I wanted, but I can't complain too badly.



Just a Speed Bump

If you have been reading the blog posts, you know that on Tuesday of last week, I fell off the treadmill. Yes, it takes someone <ahem, special> like me to do that. What you also know is that I am prone to infection easily because of past health issues.

So, I went to the doctor on Monday of this week, and while he thinks it is not an infection, he wanted it ruled out by the surgeon. On Tuesday, I reluctantly called the surgeon (nice guy, but those bills make me cringe) and made an appointment for Wednesday. As soon as he started looking at it, I knew. He scheduled an incision and drainage for tomorrow morning. I have to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. the surgery is supposed to start around 7:30 a.m.

I'm not scared of the surgery. I've been down this road before. Different reasons, but same surgery. What I'm scared of is the derailment. The last time I got sick and was in the hospital for a week, I quit. I ate fast food at the hospital (let's be real, hospital food is nasty) for every meal, just about. I do not want to return to that lifestyle. It was not fun. I was just existing. Now, I feel like I'm living....at least a little. But, I have to compare the two scenarios....it is like apples and oranges, really.

See, then, I was doing the carb cycling program in Chris Powell's book Choose to Lose. I'm not saying carb cycling doesn't work. It does. But, what did not work for me was the number of cheats I was allowed to have. It was a detrimental thing for me, truthfully. It did get me into the gym, which that alone was a blessing in disguise, but it did not really do anything for me physically. When I got sick, though, I just stopped going. I would go sporadically. The difference now is that I have been eating clean for three months. I have had something not prepared by myself only a handful of times, and usually on a special occasion, like someone's birthday or Mother's / Father's Day, etc. The difference then is I did not really believe I could lose the weight. Now, I do. Then, I only had the support system of my family. Now, I have a whole other family - at the gym. I have too many people to list, but they've all promised they'll kill me if I quit. I'm trying to look at this as a speed bump, not a roadblock.

I have come too far to lose this battle now. This is the most weight I've ever lost, and I do not intend to ever find it again. Measurements and new pictures is supposed to be on Monday; we'll see how it goes. If I am allowed to go to the gym just for measurements and upper body workout, I will. Otherwise, I will reschedule for sometime next week, and we'll just take it from there. I did not get to the gym early enough tonight to do measurements (plus, that's not fair to measure my calf muscle when I have a huge swollen bruise on it).  I am excited about the measurements. The weight has slowly but steadily been coming off. The inches are where I am measuring success.

To all of you out there who are my support group, thank you. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. I appreciate each and every one of you more than you know.

Trigger Foods, Doctor Visits and a Double Take

Do you have a trigger food? I do. I'm sure we all do. It's that food that you could just eat and eat and eat and ... Well you get the drift. For me, it is pizza. I don't know why. I love the bread, sauce, cheese...pepperoni and sausage. Yep, none of those are on my diet. 

As you all know from my previous post "Wipeout" I've got quite the nasty bruise on my leg. It's really in the way of things if you ask me. Anyway, this weekend I did my training session and a little more cardio and then propped my leg up and iced it ... For the rest of the weekend. I read, I slept, I played games on the iPhone, I watched Hulu, I was bored. Just plain bored. I found myself wanting to munch because I was bored. 

Luckily a friend texted me so that took mg mind off munchies...for about 2 hours. Then they were back with a vengeance. I admit it. I caved. I ate more pizza than I should've. And definitely not at the right meal time (since I ate it while watching that crazy guy tightrope across the Grand Canyon...seriously?!?). But this time it turned out okay. I still lost weight this week. Not as much as I'd like, but I will take it. 

I went to the doctor today about my leg. He was shocked at the weight loss. Was impressed. Did a double take. Called his nurse in to verify. Said he thought I truly couldn't do it. Told him all I'd been up to and he couldn't believe it. Still have to go see another doctor just to make sure we are A-Ok but he gave me the go ahead to keep on...as long as I promise not to fall off the treadmill again!

I was so stoked about the doctor visit...I truly was afraid I would be derailed by his refusal to allow me to work out or whatever. Thanks to all who prayed for me while I was at my appointment. I felt them. 

And by the way...no more pizza for me for awhile. I can feel myself starting to slide a slippery slope if I use that as a weekly cheat.