The Big Green Hump

Happy Wednesday, bloggie peeps! I've got a lot on my plate today with running, shredding and pilating [is that a word?] so I'm keeping this post short and to the point. I've got a yummy, basic green smoothie recipe for you today. Drink. Love. Repeat.

"The Grade School"

1 banana (1.5 points)
1 cup grapes (1 point)
1 apple (1 point)
2 cups baby spinach (0 points)
1 cup water (0 points)

Total points: 3.5

Tenacity

It's the word of the week for me. If you go to the dictionary and look it up it gives you this definition:

"The quality or state of being tenacious. Synonyms: perseverance."

Well that doesn't explain a lot, does it? However, if we go look up tenacious, you get this definition:

"Holding fast. Persistent. Stubborn. Not easily pulled asunder. Synonyms: steadfast, purposeful."

Do you get it? I'm about to tell you the big ole' secret about diet and exercise. The secret that all those really athletic assholes have been hiding from you all these years. You know, what it takes to be skinny and in fabulous shape. Are you ready for it? Tenacity. That's it. Woohoo the big secret has been revealed. What? Is it not what you wanted to hear? Me either. The longer I'm at this though, the more I know it to be true. Repeat after me. Tenacity. That is the answer to it all. It is literally the only difference between the people who succeed at weight loss and those who don't.

This is the truth, peeps.  It pains me too.

We've been at this thing for a little over 10 weeks now. I recently received some feedback about our blog. I was told that it's hard to believe we haven't "given up" by now since we work so hard and lose weight so slowly. Let's be real though. Some of those weeks we've done horrible with our eating. Some of them we have barely exercised. And yes, even a few of them we have gained some weight. Give up though? No way! How can we ever reach our goals if we stop? We have to have tenacity. Staying power. It's the only way we'll accomplish the goals we've set up for ourselves. Also, it's the only way to become one of the skinny, in shape people insead of becoming some "blog-writing jackass who quit trying and gained back all the weight she lost." It's one way or the other. Either you have the tenacity to see it through or you don't.

This week has kicked my ass already and it's only Tuesday. I'm not joking. Yesterday's run was so incredibly, ridiculously hard. [I don't even have it in me for a "that's what she said" joke!]. Then I got home and The Shred was tough too. Finally, I'm ready for bed and my three year old thought it would be fun times to stay up for hours and hours on end screaming. When he finally did fall asleep, my two year old decided it was her turn. [Don't ask why I had kids so close in age, because I have not a clue what I was thinking]. I'm not sure exactly how much sleep I got, but I can sum it up in two words: not enough. Then today, I had the dentist appointment from hell. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks dentists are total sadists? Maybe it's just MY dentist? Either way, three hours in a dentist chair made me feel like I needed a drink or ten. And of course, I can't do that, because we're on an alcohol ban right now. [Why oh why?]

Oh Sailor, why have I forsaken you?

Needless to say, I'm giving this week the double bird [and I'm not talkin' turkey here]. Wednesday better be an improvement or I may just flip out. Tenacity. Must have tenacity. I don't want to work out tonight, but I'm going to. I want to go hog down a gallon or so of ice cream and wash it down with some Sailor Jerry, but I'm not going to. Tenacity. And you know what? If I did go home and eat myself into a food coma, it doesn't really matter because I'd just pick myself up tomorrow and start over. Tenacity. I've come too far to turn back now.

Monday Fat Stats: Week 11

I started this week (yesterday) with a horrible head cold, a barely able to get off the couch, wishing I was unconscious, type of cold. I'm sure that the exhaustion from running thirty nine straight minutes the day before added somewhat to my misery. FGS met up at 6:50 in the morning on a Saturday to go running! Holla!!!

I'm not getting to the point though, which is that I've taken a crap load of cold medicine, so if this post is wandering and slightly incoherent - forgive me.

Another week has gone by, and frankly I am pretty shocked that I have stuck with this. There is a reason that this blogs title contains the word's "half ass". I've never been known for my stick-to-it-ness, and really I have somewhere over the years lost my belief in myself. Knowing this is week 11 and I'm still at it brings me real hope. I try not to focus on the fact that my numbers aren't as big as I want them to be. Fact is, though the progression is slow, my numbers continue to GO DOWN (that's what he said!).

Fat Girl Slim's Week 11 Numbers:

Muffin Top's Week 11 Numbers:

You might be wondering how we did on our workout schedule last week - we did some minor tweaking, but regardless, we ROCKED IT! I am so, so, so proud of both us. We've continually upped the amount of time we are running (Mon = 23 min, Wed = 25 min, Thurs = 27.5 min, Sat = 39 min), and are no longer taking walking breaks during the run.

Here's our game plan for this week:

I should probably attempt to add something witty/funny/charming here, but my throat is scratchy, my head is pounding, and I'm just to tired. At least I got in my run and the shred :)

Here's to a GREAT week!!!

Oh The Things You'll Learn

There are many things you'll learn when trying to be healthy and get and shape, here are some of the things that I've only just recently realized:

The true meaning of being sore: you are truly sore when all you want in the morning is a nice hot cup of coffee, but you cannot hold the coffee pot up long enough to pour it :(

The Shred: a dvd workout hosted by Jillian Michaels. Basically THE workout that all others are measured by. Once you start the shred all other workouts seem tame in comparison. I tried one of the biggest loser workout dvds and I wasn't even sweating at minute FOURTEEN. Come one people! If I can still breathe and my muscles aren't trembling with fatigue, it is not a real workout!
   * Side Note: If anyone knows of some ass-kicking workouts on par with the shred, PLEASE TELL ME what they are!!!

People will think you are stupid: To be committed to getting in shape and ready to run a race you will have to do things that you would normally laugh at. If today is a scheduled run day, and it's raining, tough shit - suck it up. This is not to say that I don't whine and complain the entire time before and during the run. But I'm complaining WHILE I do it. And it's not that I blame the people who've been calling me crazy - a few months ago I would have done the same thing. So I just smile back, put my running shoes on, and head out the door.

They're just jealous they don't have you're stamina (that's what she said!)

You can have fun in a spin class: while no bike is actually involved, the workout itself might be even better. The only supplies needed are one husband (if you're not married, just find a guy). Now, with said husband, make him lay down and practice your squatting (aka 'riding') for a good 20 minutes. If done right you won't be able to move your legs without wincing (and it was fun!).

"Getting in shape" never really happens: Some people will argue with me on this, and that's fine since I know that I'm always right. "In shape" isn't like a destination, a place you go, and once you're that's it. There's no "all done", no "damn I'm glad that's over". Why? Because it never is. Even if you achieve results beyond your wildest imagination, even if you have abs as hard as titanium, even if you're thighs don't touch when you walk - if you stop "getting in shape" - it WILL ALL GO AWAY. This completely sucks ass. I know this. But better to deal with the reality of it then go back to the way I was!

It happens to the best of us...

The Big Green Hump: A Beginner's Lesson

We've been making green smoothies and posting the recipes nearly the entire time we've had this little blog. Muffin Top and I are HUGE advocates of the yummy, green smoothies we've been making, and we truly cannot say enough about them. Over the past couple of weeks, we've received lots of questions about how you make the smoothies and what you put in them, so I figured it was time for a refresher of sorts. I wanted to get back to basics and give people a post they can refer to if they have green smoothie questions.

So, let's assume you are new to this party. You may be wondering what's wrong with your old smoothie. You throw a little fruit and yogurt in the blender, and voila. Healthy. If there aren't any greens in your smoothie, however, it's just not cutting it. Greens are where it's at. Adding some green goods to your normally fruity faire will add to the health benefits like nobody's business. Fiber, chlorophyll, and dense nutrition come packed in every leafy green. Trust me. You have to try these. At least give them a fighting chance!

So let's talk foundation ingredients in a green smoothie. First you need a liquid. Right around 2 cups, maybe more if you are blending a big batch or are incorporating a lot of frozen ingredients.

-Almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk
-Pure water
-Tea (any kind, knock yourself out!) I prefer green or black.
-Fresh Juices (again, knock yourself out, but make sure it's not processed)

Next comes the rock stars of this smoothie, the greens. Feel free to mix and match these as you see fit. You can add just a handful or a few cups if you are feeling frisky.

-Collards
-Baby Spinach (great for beginners!)
-Kale
-Romaine
-Bok Choy
-Celery
-Cabbage
-Cucumbers (make sure you peel them if they aren't organic!)
-Broccoli stems

Finally, add some fruit to make it taste yummy. I try to stick with in season or frozen fruits, so I only have to add minimal sweetener [agave nectar] to make the things edible. Today for the first time this year, I actually put fresh, organic strawberries in my smoothie. Oh my hell! It was delish. I must do this every day from here on out. Anyways, add some fruit to your smoothie and say hello to all the marvelous antioxidants.

-Banana (a smoothie staple)
-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Pineapple (a must for me)
-Mango
-Cherries
-Melons (all varieties)

Always taste your blend after you've finished to see if it could use a little somethin' somethin' to give it a sweeter flavor. It might need more or less sweetener, depending on how ripe your fruit is. [Did that sound dirty to anyone else? Maybe it's just me...]

-Agave nectar (my fav)
-Honey
-Dates (remove the pits!)
-Figs
-Coconut flakes
-Stevia (use sparingly)

Mix and match all this yummy goodness and be completely amazed at how you feel. I really can't describe how much energy these give me. Here's the smoothie I had for breakfast and the point value (by request!). It was SO freaking good.

2 cups black tea (0 points)
2 cups baby spinach (0 points)
2 carrots (0 points)
1 cup strawberries (1 point)
1 cup pineapple (1 point)
1 cup blueberries (1 point)
1 tbsp agave nectar (1 point)

Total 32 oz smoothie = 4 ww points [not bad!]

If you have any questions regarding green smoothies, don't hesitate to email Muffin Top or myself. We'd be more than happy to answer them for you!

Sticking It To The Plan.

Last week was a pretty good week for me. Unlike MT, I was thrilled to maintain my weight, because I figured gaining would be inevitable. After puking up 5.2 lbs, I assumed at least one or two of them would come back as water weight or something. So the fact that they didn't is really cool. This week, however, I want the scale to move again. Preferably down. I have a really hard time staying stagnant for more than a week; it makes me feel angry.


The best thing I've found I can do to get that scale moving down is to plan. Plan my food intake, plan my exercise, and make sure I follow through. It's really helpful to know what I'm doing in advance, especially with the busy schedule I've got going on lately.

Take today, for example. I've already mapped everything out, and I know when I get home I have to do Shred: Level 2 and Pilates. I also know that all I have left to eat today is a bowl of oatmeal and a green smoothie. This is some tough knowledge, because a king size Snickers bar is calling to me from the kitchen. No, not just calling to me, it's screaming at me. However, if I waste calories on that, I won't have enough for my smoothie, and I NEED that smoothie. It keeps me healthy. It gives me increased energy. So you know what? I'm telling that Snickers bar to fuck off. I've got a race to run, and poor planning on my part can really sabotage my efforts.

Go away you peanuty bar of happiness!!!

I figured I'd show you my daily menu, so you could have an idea of what I'm eating. While I have been far from perfect in past weeks, I'm really trying to stick with my eating schedule now. I need more results in less time.

Food Intake: March 23, 2010

Breakfast:

2 cups fresh pineapple (2 points)
1 small bag microwave popcorn (1 point)

Lunch:

Linguine alla Marinara (6 points) [Hell yes for Olive Garden!]
2 Breadsticks (4 points)
Glass of Orange Juice (3 points)

Dinner:

Steel cut oats and Soy Milk (3 points)
Green smoothie (5 points)

This brings my daily total to 24 Weight Watchers points. Eight total servings of fruit and veggies for the day is pretty damn good as well. With as much exercise as we've been busting out, it's crucial for us to get all the nutrients we need. It's hard enough to run without adding nutrition deprivation to it.

Plan, plan and then plan some more. Let's all hope I can follow this advice for the rest of the week.

Monday FAT Stats: Week 10

Maybe we should have called these "Monday THIN Stats", because I'm really feeling the fat in "Fat Stats" today. It's Monday, no more soda or alcohol for 3 weeks, I'm at work and it's gorgeous outside, FGS is blaming me for her bad attitude (she even called me, and I quote, "whiny bitch"), did I mention NO ALCOHOL?

Keep telling yourself that.

I'll bet there's a kick-ass story behind this picture though!!!

So, it's come clean time. Neither one of us lost anything. Not a fraction of a pound, not a quarter of an inch. Even though nothing changed this week, I'm putting our numbers up for those of you who may not have seen our progress to date. Since this is week TEN, I'm going to put our height and goal too.

Fat Girl Slim's Refresher:

  *  Height: 5' 2"

  *  Goal weight loss: 50 lbs

  *  Lbs lost to date: 11.6

  *  Percent of goal lost to date: 23.2%

  *  Inches lost to date: 15.5

Fat Girl Slim: Week 10 Numbers

Muffin Top's Refresher:
  *  Height: 5' 10"
  *  Goal weight loss: 30 lbs
  *  Lbs lost to date: 4.6
  *  Percent of goal lost to date: 15.3%
  *  Inches lost to date: 7.5

Muffin Top: Week 10 Numbers:

Really anything that isn't a gain is a step in the right direction. I know this, but it is really hard to reconcile that fact with the sinking feeling in my stomach when I step on the scale and it doesn't budge. The feeling that busting my ass is for, what exactly? Not a damn thing apparently.

Like FGS said though, we haven't been completely consistent. We make grand plans every week, but don't ever follow them to the letter. In the final weeks before the 5K we are going to be ON IT! Not only are we going to do EXACTLY what the work-out schedule calls for, but we are going to stay on our point/calorie goal every day.

Rather than a vague "do cross-training x days per week" or "run x days" we cemented out a schedule that must be followed - or beatings will occur! Here's what we are up against:

I think I can, I think I can (can't I?) 

Getting My Shit Together

Our 5K is in 3 weeks from tomorrow. 21 days, that's it. Really, that's plenty of time - last year when we attempted the same run we started our 'training' (and I use the term very loosely) 4 weeks before the actual event. We couldn't even run 3 minutes let alone 3 miles! This year we are already running TWENTY MINUTES at a time! * yeah us *

I can't be content with that though - I'm a worrier, it's what I do. Have I ran enough? Have I done enough cross-training? Would Jillian approve? Have I eaten good enough? Well, that one's a definite no...

If we don't have a plan there is no way we will finish that 5K in our goal time of 30 minutes (or less!). It's time to put on our game faces, buck up, bite the bullet, cowboy up, put on our big girl panties...

You get the point.

So our plan is basically broken down into 3 or 4 (or 5) categories:
 
1. Run. Duh, what else would our first priority be? We are going to run a minimum of 3 times per week, we'll throw in a fourth run if we are feeling extra frisky. Not this weekend, but on the following 2 weekends we are going to run the exact route that the 5K will follow. Nothing like a little practice to get you focused!
 
2. Stop slacking on the cross-training! I was doing the Shred almost every day and pilates on some mornings, I was doing really good! Now, not so much. So the goal for next week is to do the shred (levels 1 & 2 alternating) 6 days a week. The following week we're going to bust out the before-now-unthinkable LEVEL THREE shred. Yeah, we're crazy like that! The week right before the run will have to be a little more mellow though, I don't know - we'll figure that one out later.
 
3. Green smoothies. We can't afford to get sick. Green smoothies are full of all kinds of healthy crap that I don't ever actually eat except in smoothie form. For the next 3 weeks they will be a daily requirement!!! If you aren't sure about the whole smoothie thing, we've posted tons of great recipes - just look under "The Big Green Hump".
 
4. Protien. This is a hard one for me. I'm not a real meat eater, I grew up in Eugene where dinners consisted of tofu, brown rice, and steamed brocolli (or steamed carrots and/or cauliflower if my step-monster wanted to mix things up a little). Add that to 2 years of working at Burger King in high school and you have one very un-meat loving girl. But protien builds muscle and helps your muscles heal. So I need to find other ways to get it.
 

Seriously, you look at this shit and think "Yummy! I want a piece of that!"

[Editorial note from FGS - "Just cause I eat meat DOESN'T mean I want to eat a MEAT BABY!"]

 

5. This one is super hard for me to - sleep. We need to get at least 7 1/2 - 8 hours every single night. All that crap I need to do will still be there in the morning (unfortunately).

 

6. This is the final one, and the one I most desperately DO NOT want to do! No alcohol :( At least, after this week, no more alcohol until after the run. But after that? It's On Like Donkey Kong!!!

 

My (one of many) true loves!

I'm Back... From Outerspace... Or My Bathroom Floor. You Pick.

So, what started out as a kick ass weekend ended tragically last Friday. Muffin Top, my BFF and I all went to see Remember Me directly after work. Two fabulous hours were spent swooning over Robert Pattinson [Hey, don't judge! There are worse vices!], and by the time we left, I figured the entire weekend was going to rock. Wrong.

Yeah, when you think things are going to be great... they might not be.

Five minutes into my drive home and Mr. FGS calls. Our daughter had just thrown up her dinner everywhere. I knew right then it was going to be bad. Inevitably, if one of our kids gets the stomach flu, so do I. I must've been born pre-dispositioned to puking. If anyone even has a hint of nausea around me, I'm destined to get it. It sucks a lot.

Hey look!  It's me last weekend!

Sure enough, I woke up at midnight bolting for the bathroom, where I remained for the rest of the weekend. You know, that weekend that had started off so well. The one that was going to kick ass! Sure, "Puke Fest 2010" really helped put up impressive numbers on the scale this week, but it did nothing to help me with running. Our 5k race is looming, and I've actually felt almost too weak to walk up the stairs. Today though, I figured it was on. Have to, need to, don't want to, but I'm going to run. This is what I kept telling myself.

I'm not going to lie to you people, that run was a total bitch. At about five minutes in I thought I might die. By ten minutes, I was sure of it. I am sitting here wondering how we even made it back, because during the run I was fairly positive we never would. At one point, Muffin Top asked me if I'd drag her body away from traffic if she fainted. I don't even think I had the energy to laugh. It was that hard! [That's what she said.] Somehow though, we finished. Hell, we even took 40 seconds off of our fastest time!!!  Impressive.

If we had any energy left, this would've been us after we realized we ran faster than usual.  Except without the helmets....

I'm glad we got out there and ran. I find more and more lately that I'm amazed at what I'm capable of. The Fat Girl Slim I've always known and loved would never run two days post epic stomach flu. She'd never run in the hail. It's an odd feeling to not know yourself anymore. I kinda like it.

On a totally unrelated note, I need to wish my baby girl a Happy 2nd Birthday, and my husband a Happy 4th Anniversary. They are my motivation when I have none, and the reason I fight the good battle. I could do none of this without them!

Monday Fat Stats: Week 9

There was a crap ton of stuff going on this week. FGS spend last night puking her guts up - with that in mind I'm trying not to be to jealous of her weight loss (FIVE POINT TWO pounds).

I have been studying every single f'in free minute studying for my upcoming "MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development" certification exam. Yes, it is EVERY BIT as horrible as it sounds. Also, this was my first real week of counting calories. FGS does Weight Watchers online, but since I'm to cheap to cough up the monthly fee - I'm using the, every bit as good, Spark People. They both have mobile apps which make it really easy to track what you are cramming in your mouth.

Overall I did pretty good with my calorie intake. As usual though, I kind of blew it on the weekend. The kids went with Grandpa and Grandma to the circus. With a little 'free' time to ourselves, me and Mr. MT headed out for some cocktails. Three (very yummy) white russians later, and we weight loss for the week was a little lack luster (1.6).

Live and learn, right? Here's the week's damage:

Fat Girl Slim's Week 9 Numbers:

Muffin Top's Week 9 Numbers:

So, if we were on target with the 'Couch to 5K' plan, we should be running 30 minutes straight 3 times this week. That is, if we were - but since our 5K isn't until April 10th we haven't been super worried about being 'behind'. Last week our longest run was 20 minutes, instead of the required 25. The goal this week is to get up to that 25 minutes. So here's the plan:

Workout 1

Brisk 5 minute warmup walk, then

Jog 21.5 minutes (or about 2.15 miles)

Workout 2

Brisk 5 minute warmup walk, then

Jog 23 minutes (or about 2.3 miles)

Workout 3

Brisk 5 minute walk, then

Jog 25 minutes (or about 2.5 miles)

See that nice, gradual time increase? Can we do it? Yes we can!

I would love to write more, but studying bekons me :(

I Am Becoming a Total Bad Ass

I've always been my own biggest critic. And not in an "I say bad things about myself so that other people will tell me how great I actually am" way. It's just how I am and how, I'm guessing, most people are. So, when I say I'm pretty proud of what I've been accomplishing - I really, really mean it.

For the most part, I still say that working out SUCKS. Who wouldn't rather sit on the couch with a yummy cocktail? But I am really starting to love the feeling I get after I'm done. For instance - on Monday the weather here was nasty. FGS and I debated for almost an hour whether or not we should run. Finally though, we said screw it - and we went. Starting out wasn't all that bad, a tiny sprinkle, but that was it. About 4 minutes in though - just about as we were about to start the actual running - it STARTED TO HAIL. Hail people - chunks of ice shooting out of the sky!!! And when they hit your bare skin, well that shit just hurt.

Okay, so it wasn't quite this bad, but almost.

But did we turn around? Hell no we did not! At first it sucked, but the more we went along the funnier it became. And the cooler I started to think we were. I mean, we are like super-women.

We. Ran. In. The. Hail. What else is there to say?!

Yep, that's how bad ass we are!

Midway through our bad-ass run our company Network Admin drove by. He had a completely shocked look on his face when he recognized us. You could tell he was about to pull over and save us from whatever the hell we were doing running down the road in the hail. But we waved him on and grinned like fools. Which, incidentally, he really believes now (that we're fools that is).

The best part though? Since he saw us, he told the rest of our department about it. Other than me and FGS, our entire department is men. So, now all those men know that we are SO MUCH MORE hard core than any of them!!! That is so, so, so worth the frizzy hair I sported the rest of the afternoon!

These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things.

Cue The Sound of Music...

Don't pretend like you don't know the words to the song...

It occurred to me a few days ago, that MT and I have found lots of new, "favorite" things lately, and we're kind of assholes for not sharing them already. Perhaps some of our readers will benefit as we have, and who are we not to share?  So welcome to the first installment of "Our Favorite Things".

First up, in the category of "Favorite New Blog We've Been Reading and Loving", (don't laugh at the category names!) is the Bitch Cakes blog. Sheryl (aka Bitch Cakes) runs a Weight Watchers/Fitness/Diet/General Kick Ass blog, and MT and I are totally addicted to it. Her writing is superb, and she gives fantastic advice and great vegan recipe ideas. Also, she's just damn cool. And SO inspirational. And...and...and... I could literally go on all day. Seeing her before pictures compared to how she looks now is just amazing. I'll keep this simple. Go read her blog! Then come back and thank us for linking you to someone so bad ass.

Next we'll move on to the "Favorite New Yummy Food You Should Try" category. Three words, people: Steel Cut Oats. Why have I never given these the time of day before? They are so freaking good and SO filling. They do take a little time to prepare (right around 15 minutes), but they are definitely worth it. Also, you can make them in a pretty big batch and save the extras for the next day. They keep great in the fridge, because they don't turn into mush. [Which disgusts me]. Chewy, yummy, oat-y goodness that is low on calories and high on nutrition; what more could you ask for in a food? Nothing. That's your answer.

These things kick ass.  Trust.

Moving on to the "Favorite New Motivating Book We Just Read" category. It's called The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training. It's a hilarious look at running from a "non-runner" standpoint. Dawn Dais, the author, decides to run a marathon even though she really doesn't like to move off her couch. It's inspiring; it's motivating; it's hilarious. Also, it has some great advice in it that I've utilized in my runs. Even if running isn't your preferred form of exercise, you will laugh your ass off at this book.

Read. Laugh. Repeat.

Next up, the "Favorite New Exercise To Do Early In The Morning" category. Pilates is where it's at. Every morning without fail MT and I have been getting up early to get in some core-building exercises. Pilates in the morning is better than coffee for me. [I don't think MT would be willing to go that far]. When I do a short, 25 minute stint, it sets the tone for my entire day. Because, damn, I must be a healthy person if I get up at 6 am just to do exercise! Also, since most of the exercises are on the floor, it doesn't feel so jarring to the body first thing in the morning.

This is me, in the morning.  Or something.

Finally, in the category of "Favorite New Running iPhone App" is the Run Keeper. MT found this one all on her own. We used it for our run today though and it was epic! Not only does it keep track of your distance, it keeps track of your speed, the elevation, and your per mile time. I've been coveting all the Nike ID stuff that's came out, because it's super cool. The problem, however, is that I don't wear Nike shoes. The Run Keeper really feels like an acceptable substitute. Today MT and I realized that we kept the same pace almost our entire run, which included a few steep inclines. We were feeling pretty bad ass.

(unfortunately) These are NOT our stats.

So there you have it. Just a few things we really love right now. We'll try to pass on things in the future when we discover them. Whatever makes this journey a little more bearable, right?

To Weigh Or Not To Weigh???

I agree with FGS on most things, there is one thing that we agree to disagree on though - when/how often you should weigh yourself. I am an every single morning kind of girl, it keeps me on track, aware of what's happening and if I'm screwing up. I even track it all in a spread sheet so that I can graph it out and see how my overall progress looks. I know what you're thinking. Dork. I know this, and I'm okay with it - it's who I am.

It really is worth it though, how many of you have this to look at?

Okay, so I miss a few days here and there, I'm only human

On days when I get on the scale and I see even a tiny weight loss, I am SUPER motivated by that! It makes me feel like what I'm doing is actually doing something. Then there are the days when I look down at the scale and it has gone is the COMPLETELY wrong direction. These are not good mornings in my home. You might see this as the exact reason why I shouldn't be weighing myself every day. FGS does - she says it just upsets her and makes her that much more likely to throw in the towel. I take it as a wakeup call though, a way to keep myself in check. If I screw up bad and then see the scale start moving up - I know I need to quit that shit!

This does not equal a good morning at the MT house

FGS is a weekly weigher - it gives her perspective and a way to see real progress, not just the daily up and down fluctuations. I say - there's a graph for that too!!!

Either way you do it, the goal is to make that damn thing go DOWN. I'm counting points, so hopefully next Monday my beautiful graphs will be pointing south! Hell, I did pilates AND the shred on my birthday!!! That better count for something!

Monday's Fat Stats - Week 8

I can sum up this weeks fat stats in two simple words - EPIC FAIL. There's no way around it, we both gained two damn pounds - obviously we are screwing it all up. I've been working out all freakin' week - I did the shred AND ran yesterday. Since I'm doing that, it's obvious that the issue is with what I'm stuffing down my throat. Speaking of stuffing things down your throat, Fat Girl Slim's issue is just about the same - except her's was actually cock-n-balls! From Voodoo Doughnuts that is.

If you are ever in Portland you must, and I mean MUST go here!

I'm going to have to start keeping track of what I'm eating, because it's out of control apparently. Mr. MT just gave me the go on a new iPhone (HOLLA!) so I don't want to start paying for Weight Watchers right now. I have all the stuff from though, from one of many failed attempts with them. I'm going to dig them out of the filing cabinent tonight and start writing down my intake. On Monday I'll even post how I did on my points :( Nothing like a little accountability and public humiliation to motivate a girl!

Fat Girl Slim's Week 8 Numbers:

Muffin Top's Week 8 Numbers:

So, now you know the ugly truth. Even if no one ever looks at this blog, just knowing the numbers are out there for anyone to look at is not cool. Time to fight the good fight!

Running plan this week is pretty straightforward - 3 times this week, do this: Walk briskly for 5 minutes, then run (without collapsing) for 20 - 25 minutes. Ugh!

Next week - there better  be some damn good numbers here!!!

Getting My Head Out Of My Ass And Back In The Game

This week has been pure stress. From sick kids to the relocation of our whole office, it's literally been one thing after the other. Then yesterday I came down with a wicked cold to top it all off. Oh, and did I mention I rear ended some poor lady on my way to work? Yeah, total stress this week. My eating habits have been ridiculous and I haven't exercised even once. So bad.

Stress: It's stealing my soul...

I'm praying to the scale gods that maybe just maybe I can at least maintain my weight this week. I don't deserve to lose; I know that, but would it be so bad if I could just not gain any weight back? It's going to be tough to do.

For starters, I'm going to Portland this weekend to meet up with some friends. Shopping, eating out and drinking copious amounts of liquor are on the horizon. Will I be able to hold it together? And if I can't, how will that make me feel Monday when I've gained weight? I don't really have the answers at this point.

All I know is that when you make permanent changes, you have to roll with the punches a bit. A bad week will only de-rail the train if you let it. Come Monday morning I'm going to get my game face on and get right back to it. Exercising. Eating right. Doing all the crap I know I need to do, yet somehow haven't been doing this week.

I've noticed I feel like complete and utter shit today. I'm tired, grumpy, and just generally not in a good mood. It really sucks, and if this is how I feel when I am unhealthy, well, then I don't want to be an unhealthy person anymore. I feel totally brain dead this week. I mean, hell, I had a hard time just finding the energy to write this blog post. That's really sad.

This has been me.  All. Week. Long.

As I sat here and pondered my situation, I was having a chicken and egg moment. (No, not a chicken and pig moment). I was wondering what came first. Did the stress make me sick, which in turn made me not want to exercise? Or did the lack of exercising and eating right make the stress heightened and make me feel like shit? I honestly don't have the answers to this, but there are a few things I know for certain.

1) If I would've been drinking my green smoothies this week, I probably would've avoided this cold, which has made it difficult for me to exercise.

2) If I would've been diligent in my exercising, I could've reduced my stress, since exercise does that.

3) If I had a shot in hell of not gaining weight this week, it would've been by exercising and eating well early on, because let's get real, Portland is not going to be low calorie.

Portland or bust, baby!

So there you have it folks. I'm a big ole' fuck up and I'm telling it like it is on the blog. I'm already planning my redemption for next week though. I have a few goals in mind, and starting Monday, I'll be back on the track like I never left it.

Next week, I WILL:

-Document my food intake.
-Do pilates every morning.
-Run 3 times.
-Drink green smoothies at least 5 days for breakfast.

There, I feel better already.

Monday's Fat Stats - Week 7

I was actually going to ask Fat Girl Slim to do this week's fat stats for me. I'm completely discouraged, pissed off and wanting to throw in the towel. I don't feel like I have any words of encouragement or positive outlook in me. It took every last shred of willpower I have not to eat snickers for breakfast.

The more I thought about it though, I realized - that's life. If getting in shape was easy, wouldn't we all do it? If losing weight was easy, wouldn't we all be thin? If I say it's no big deal, it's like a walk in the park - I would be lying to you. If this is going to be about our journey from being half-assed to running a half marathon it should include the ups and downs.

I worked out every single day this week. A few of them I worked out TWICE a day. And I feel like it too, I'm all kinds of sore that you wouldn't even imagine possible. When I'm perfectly still the pain is almost bearable, but then I have to stand up and my entire body screams at me "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?". Now, if the pounds were melting away this might almost be okay. But since they most definitely are not it's become incredibly hard to find the motivation to continue doing it.

When we first started out, I had the idea to try and kind of brain-wash myself. I still try to tell myself while I'm running or working out that I actually love what I'm doing, but I never really make the effort to believe the lie. There is still a part of me saying 'yeah, right'. And afterwards I never think about how 'good' it makes me feel - how, even though I'm exhausted, I really am proud of myself. There's even a part of me that is starting to enjoy the run. I never focus on these facts though - I focus on all the negatives. And with the way I'm feeling today, that has got to stop. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm doing this with FGS, that I made a commitment to her to do it - I honestly would call it quits right now.

So when I see the numbers below, I'm going to focus on what I have done and what I'm going to do:

Fat Girl Slim's Week 7 Numbers

Muffin Top's Week 7 Numbers

The running schedule for this week is easy in that it's the same on all 3 days, but it's going to really challenging. Are you ready for it? Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 25 minutes (or 2.5 miles).
I'm telling myself I CAN DO THIS - let's hope by the end of the week I'll believe it!