A great day!

And Tony's call came right at the perfect time in the midst of it all. I'm completely back on track, ate clean, worked out hard, seriously stayed to the plan completely and 100%. And in the midst of it all, Tony calls and says he really wants me to stay 100% focused, no diversion from the plan, until Christmas Eve, and can I do it?

I don't know if I can, but I think so. I don't know if I can, but I'm willing to try. I don't know if I can, but I sure do appreciate how much he believes in me, and how much he wants me to succeed.

PLUS, he sanctioned something brand new for the first time - PROTEIN BARS. He recommended this amazing protein bar: Supreme Protein.

I tried the Peanut Butter Crunch tonight, and YUM! Unbelievable! Like a freakin' Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!!! I'm in lurrrv.

If I can have these things, I can really do this! I REALLY CAN!

I'm ba-a-a-ck!! (In more ways than one...)

Hey everyone,

Sorry to say I succumbed and ate and managed to gain EIGHT POUNDS in three days. Bwahahaha....that's a laugh. I ate a lot, but no way did I eat 30,000 extra calories! So, back on track today. Have eaten clean all day today, and finished a tricep/bicep/abs workout, Tony style about an hour ago.

This is the fun part. Even though I hate that I slipped so far backward, it is really fun to watch the scale go down when I get myself back on track. (Boy, I really need to clean out this keyboard.)

The girls and I are going to see the Michael Jackson movie tonight, I think. Then, we might get a Christmas tree. Fun!

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!

Ugh.

Didn't do as well as I thought I would. If it weren't for desserts, I'd be fine. But alas, they are everywhere. And I'm still at my mother-in-law's house, so still struggling to get back on track. I have been drinking water, though, and I did get up and ran 5 miles this morning.

Better than nothing.

Tomorrow's Turkey Day!!

There's a good chance I will have met my goal of being 165 by tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, 165. anything works for me!! 165.9? Counts. :)

Pretty good day today. I took the girls to the gym, then the Please Touch Museum, then we went and took photos with Santa. I could post them here, but I'd rather wait until closer to Christmas.

I did bake tonight - brownies and chocolate chip cookies. I had a couple fingers full of icing, but otherwise, exhibited restraint.

OK, I'm going to bed before I start getting hungry. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It's going to be rainy here, which cancels out my plans to run 5 miles on my favorite trail tomorrow. Ploo.

Is it possible?

Can a person do Thanksgiving and NOT gain weight? I'm really tossing that around in my head. Yesterday, I was at the gym and was talking with a friend of mine while we ran on the treadmill (well, HE ran...I did Tony's walk/run) and I told him that I'm starting tomorrow with a 5-mile run. He said, yeah, I have to do something to offset the 4 or 5,000 calories I'll be eating that day.

Why do I have to assume that I'm going to eat that much? I have to believe that there are people out there that eat healthy the whole day, then have a plate of food at Thanksgiving, trying a little of everything, maybe, then have a small dessert, then go to bed. Is it possible that I could be one of those people? And then, here's the REAL question: can I start back on Friday with the plan I have been on all week?

I hope so, I really hope so. Because I am 166.9 pounds this morning WITH my period. That means, if I keep drinking water like mad and keep my food reasonable through the holiday, I could be SOLIDLY under 165 by this time next week. But I also know that I, like so many others, have gained 5-10 pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday in years past. I also know that I, like so many others, have found it very hard to get back on track until well after New Year's when I have allowed my resolve to slip on Thanksgiving day.

So, how about it? Is it possible to treat Thanksgiving day like every other day I've eaten slightly more than usual and the day after Thanksgiving like every Monday after?

I know it's possible. And this year, I'm making my New Year's resolution early. Because I'm not going to let this holiday be about anything other than giving thanks. And one of the things I'm most thankful for is the sanity I've been given as a result of eating healthy most of the time.

How about you? Can you challenge the assumption that the holiday season has to be about gaining 10 pounds only to lose it again come January? What if you started the new year 5 or 10 pounds closer to your goal, rather than further away from it? How would that feel? Let it settle into your bones and become a reality. People are doing it all over the world. You have the choice to be among them.

I know I will.

Doing great!

So, I did slip up on Friday night, BUT I told Tony about it and he just had me do an extra hour of cardio Saturday morning. Saturday night I had my showcase, and it was OFF THE CHAIN! The place was packed and the energy was unbelievable. We had such a fantastic time, and I got a standing ovation at the end!!! Totally wonderful!

Then, after just four hours of sleep, I went ahead and kept my commitment of running the half marathon. Every year, I run a 10-mile run in the Spring (the Broad Street Run) and a half-marathon in the Fall. I ran the half marathon in 2:32:39. A couple minutes slower than last year, but not bad, considering I was so sleep-deprived!

My girls are home for Thanksgiving and we have lots of cool stuff planned. We went to see Planet 51 today, which was cute. I checked in with Tony and got permission for microwave popcorn. SO proud of myself for doing the movies the "right" way.

I really feel like I'm on to something. Even Thanksgiving isn't looming off in the distance in a scary way this year. I will bring some healthy side dishes - a big salad, some soup maybe - and some authorized desserts from Whole Foods. And then Friday, up and at 'em.

I love being healthy. I really, really do!

Take care, everyone. Hope you're enjoying your holiday week!

Quick post

On my way to "movie night" with my girls and their friends. Super psyched - I love hanging with these people. I have to make sure that I keep my food clean, though. Visiting with friends is a trigger, as is watching movies.

167 this morning. I'm still determined to see the 150s by January 1. Let's GO!

Good workout today, not great. Added a 3 mile run and 1 mile walk, which should also help. I'm getting ready to fill up liter number 4. That ought to do it for today.

Oh, and two days till the half marathon. YEAH baby! Tomorrow's my showcase, and then finishing my last long run of the year. WOO HOO!

Just getting my post in for today...

Today was so different from yesterday. It was all I could do to get the food in today. I had to get my middle daughter down to CHOP by 7:45 am, and all I brought with me was an apple. Of course, by the time we left after 11 am, I was starving, so I bought a protein bar. Not the best choice, but not the worst.

Then, I went to the gym (and had a great workout) and so I didn't get to my first meal (MRP w/glutamine) until 1:30 pm!! So, you know what that means. My egg whites and oatmeal were at about FOUR pm. Ugh. Anyway, I did have a few rice thins and hummus while I was making dinner, but then dinner was healthy - turkey meatloaf and green beans (and about 1/4 cup of brown rice). Again, not a perfect day, but a REALLY GOOD DAY. So, tomorrow I'm planning to take the girls to the gym after they get home from school. I have a meeting in Delaware, more than an hour away, at 9 am. For a new project! Yay!

Tony said he wants me to weigh in on Monday, after the race. I have to find out if he'll let me have my regular pre-race meal - cinnamon raisin bagel w/peanut butter. I sure hope so.

Tomorrow should be fun - after my meeting, I'm heading to my aesthetician's house for a facial treatment, and to talk about hair and make up for Saturday! I'm also bringing all my wardrobe options so she can help me decide what I should wear. FUN!

More tomorrow!!

I don't have to do everything right.

Just more things right than wrong.

Today was a weird day. I had my two older girls home with the same thing the baby had yesterday. I was tired and cranky and craving salt and sugar all day before I realized I must be premenstrual. So, I didn't work out. And my food wasn't 100% clean. But I didn't use that as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted (I'm having a protein shake for my last meal of the day). I also drank ALL my water - all 4 liters. I'm actually pretty proud of myself.

So, tomorrow is another day and I'm still accountable. I will print out my workout tonight, and I will plan my food for tomorrow. I will get to the 140s. I WILL!

Oh and PS if you ever feel bloated and disgusting, buy some SEXY SHOES. It does wonders! I bought some for Saturday night. Woo hoo!

A much better day...

Have I mentioned lately how incredibly SICK and TIRED I am of cold/flu season? Hubby and I went away for our anniversary last weekend, and our 3 year old woke up Sunday puking. Today, our 5 year old was sent home because she threw up at recess, and since I received the call she has puked SIX additional times.

Unbelievable, and I have to admit that I find the stress of parenting to be a huge trigger. It makes me want to eat...anything and everything. Despite that, my food was relatively clean today. There is room for improvement, so I commit to planning my food in advance of tomorrow and making it squeaky clean. I even downloaded my workout already and am happy to see that it's exercises I can do at home. Love shoulders day. So, once I get my little one settled after I take the other two to school, I will hit the "gym" in my laundry room. I WILL get my workout in tomorrow. I will even try to get my 3 mile run in, maybe at 6 am before everyone gets up, or maybe in the afternoon after my 2 pm meeting.

I was 170 this morning, but fully expect to see 168 tomorrow. My goal is to be 165 by Thanksgiving day, to keep Thanksgiving eating reasonable, so I can still meet my goal of being under 160 by New Year's Day.

Keeping it honest, keeping it real. I know blogging here and being accountable to all of you really helps. Thanks again, to Tea and Melissa and EVERYONE who calls me out when I neglect to post daily to let you know how I'm doing. KEEP ME HONEST!

I am thrilled to report that work is picking up, and my sitter did a fabulous job over the weekend with the girls. Can you say, Caribbean Valentine's day weekend? I can...I can not only SAY it, I can PLAN for it. If I meet my goals, that's exactly what my reward is going to be. Bikini on the beach, February 2010!!!

OK, so I fell off again a bit...

But not entirely, and I'm proud of that. This past weekend was my anniversary going away celebration with hubby (we stayed down in Center City and shopped and ate and enjoyed each other), and I did enjoy myself. I also worked out on Saturday and ran 8 miles this morning, drank a ton of water (yesterday...not much today) and walked for about 6 hours yesterday. I also made pretty decent choices, where in former times I would have thrown caution to the wind and just gone berserk with it. So, I'm pretty happy about that.

All that being said, it was still frustrating when we were shopping at Guess, where the largest size they carry is a size 9 and I just barely was able to fit into it. I don't want to be limited by what's flattering or what fits me. I want to buy clothes because I do or don't like them.

So, hubby and I are recommitting tomorrow. I am dead set on losing 20 pounds and being a solid size 6 by my 40th birthday. I have 6 months to do it.

I will begin again and blog post daily. This definitely helps me to stay accountable. Thanks, Tea, for calling me out. And as Wendy Williams would say, How YOU doin?

Day 2 - Killin' it!

Wow. Go, me!

So, this morning I was supposed to get up and run with a friend and she got called into work at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am (gotta love those European clients...no offense, people). Since I was already up when I got her text at 5:15, I decided to go ahead and head over to the gym, which means I was able to get my Dreambodies workout done by 7:15 am. I did a great job, too - jogging a slow 4.5 mph pace for the first 10 minutes, then pushing my shoulders hard, followed by 10 min of walk/run intervals - 1 min 4 mph, 45 sec 6 mph, 15 sec 8 mph. I love it when I don't cut corners. Then, because I promised myself (and Tony) I would do my extra cardio runs Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun, I went back to the gym and ran 3 miles in 35 minutes.

The nice thing about this was that I had the entire day free to work - I own my own business and I'm submitting a response to a Request for Proposal on Friday. I got a lot done, in fact got the entire technical portion completed. All I have to do is the cost proposal. So, when another friend called me today to see if I might want to run 6 miles tomorrow, I said, sure! I'll do that instead of my Tuesday run. A run in the hand is worth two in the bush....or something like that.

My food has been squeaky clean, too. I made popcorn for my kids tonight and was tempted, but didn't have any. Was trying to get my 3-year old to eat her burger and started to justify taking a bite, and then I knew that if I went there, there would be no end to the cheats. I'm really doing it this time.

And it feels GREAT!!

If you've ever felt like you couldn't do it, if you've ever lost your fire, I'm here to say...KEEP PLUGGING AWAY AT IT! The only way you can fail is if you GIVE UP. Keep following me...watch me ... after all these many months... watch me SUCCEED! I've already succeeded, because I'm here and I'm in this to WIN IT!

Day 1 - SUCCESS!

OK, so it's only 4 pm, but I just had to report that I'm doing GREAT so far!

Oh! I forgot to do pics and measurements for Tony...oops. But I have eaten 100% clean. (Lunch was nasty - plain chicken breast and broccoli. Won't be doing that again.) I went to the gym after I dropped the girls off at school and wowsee wow! I had a great workout!

So, it's on, yo. I have 25 pounds to lose and I am determined to lose it by my next birthday (May 2010), which is when my most recent renewal with Tony runs out. Somewhere around then.

I found out today that my Dreambodies hubby is scarfing cookies in secret. Meanwhile, he's STILL lost 15 pounds since starting with Tony. Hmph. How is this fair? I gain 5 pounds from eating too large a serving of egg whites. He has a secret stash of Oreos behind the oatmeal and still manages to lose weight.

Hmph.

Oh, well. Life isn't fair, I suppose. And hey, at least I get to be married to him! Tee hee!

I'm READY!!!

I don't know what happened on Halloween, but I lost my mojo...WAY lost it. I am back up to 171 as of this morning, and so you know what?

I'm taking a DO-OVER.

I went back to my posts from the beginning of my Dreambodies journey, and I had such a passion, such a willingness to do whatever Tony asked of me. I don't know when I started thinking I could come up with a better plan than he could, but I'm DONE with that. I'm back to not only induction eating and working out, I'm back to posting here every day with how I'm doing.

I e-mailed Tony and told him I was going to send him before pictures, and starting weight and measurements as if this were week 1. As far as I'm concerned, it is. I've signed up for another 6 months with him, and I should definitely be able to get this last 25 pounds off in that amount of time. That's basically a pound a week. No problem.

So, here we go, everyone. This will be hard, this will be interesting, this will be FUN! I'm ready to get my dreambody. You ready to see it happen? If not, get ready! Cause, here we gooooo...!

PS A fresh start calls for a fresh look, wouldn't you agree? :)