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!