A challenge for mom and I

So I have completely fallen off the bandwagon and gained back what little bit I had lost. Time to pick myself up and try again. Seems like that's all you can ever do in life.

I wish I had, at least to my mind, valid reasons for gaining the weight back. I don't though. I work nightshift and 4 10 hour shifts. Given how busy my job is I usually work closer to 11 hours a night and far too often (or so it feels) longer than that. Sure I work 4-10 hour shifts, but I spend one day of my weekends simply sleeping because I don't sleep well during the days. Basically I feel like I am in a perpetual state of exhaustion.

I need to do something though and I need to do it now. I don't feel good. I don't just mean how I perceive myself. Everyone has skinny and fat days, no matter what size pants they put on. I just mean physically I don't feel good. I have no energy, my back hurts, my knees hurt, and I can tell my blood pressure is high. Although the last one might be more due to my caffeine addiction than anything else. javajavajavajavajavajava

I also know my mom needs to get healthier as well.

So I issued a challenge to her and she has accepted.

Starting tomorrow, from 10/15/12-03/15/13 we are going to have a two-person challenge to see who can lose the largest percentage of body weight. What does the winner get? A new Coach purse. I am not meaning a "knock-off" from the Coach outlet store in Loveland, I am talking a brand-new latest style of your choice Coach purse. Yep. I made the stakes high.

Mom and I set a price limit of course (neither of us are insane enough to say "whichever one you want") and some other personal ground rules.

As for the losing weight part, I set no rules. I just want both of us to get healthy. As I put it to mom, it is however she wants to do it. Atkins, Ideal Protein, Weight Watchers, the cabbage diet (joking on that one!), or whatever.  We just need to do it and we both need motivation and accountability.

So how am I going to do it? Getting my sorry butt back to my gym and doing exercises I love, and counting calories. I still want to get better at running now that I know I can do it and it is something I need to prove to myself, but running still is NOT a passion of mine. I doubt it ever will be. I am still caught up in the novelty of the fact Sandy got me to run (and not completely hate it). Instead I will focus for now on the things I love to do. Yoga, swimming, and bellydance. While my gym doesn't offer bellydance classes, there are half a dozen troupes along the Front Range I can take classes with.

I realized the other day how much I miss bellydancing and the group I danced with in Casper. It is fun, a great workout, and so empowering. Yes it can be sexy...ok most of the time the dancing is sexy....but to feel and know how your body can move is an amazing thing. In fact I tried to go to a bellydance class this afternoon and it was cancelled. Oh well, off to find another!

Off to work on a calligraphy project and get it done so I can do other things in my limited free time....like dance!!

Oh, and the purse I want?

Back with a vengeance

This is the start of my blog and re-entry into the ongoing battle with my weight loss. After reading some inspirational blogs (like Krista!) I have decided to start one myself. I am on SparkPeople (you can find my page here if you are interested), but I wanted a semi-fresh start. I have let myself slide the last couple months on any attempt whatsoever at healthy eating or exercise. And it shows. Let me present Exhibit A:

 

Yikes!

So basically at this point I am starting over. 5 years ago I had been a part of T.O.P.S. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and working out at Curves. I lost 30 pounds and 2 pant sizes and I was feeling great. Just a short 3 years later and the pounds start to creep back on. And now it is back. And my body is letting me know with a vengeance it isn't happy. 

A couple years ago I dislocated my knee at work, did physical therapy, and it got better. Now it screams at me anytime I have to do stairs. Period. Which is lovely considering I live on a second floor apartment and I have to climb a very long 2 flights of stairs everyday to get to my office at work. I also have back problems. If I sit, stand, lay, or be in any position for too long my back aches. And that is every day. With the extra weight back on the pain never seems to go away. 

To make life even more fun, I went to the doctor this week. My blood pressure is high. 130/80 to be exact. Now granted life has been more than stressful the last month or so. Dealing with a move to another state, waiting for my boyfriend to hear about a job, and my grandmother dying will do that to a person. Still, high blood pressure is common in my family and I would prefer to get this taken care of now. At least (to my knowledge) I don't have diabetes yet. That is literally my worst nightmare. So I need to get back up and try again....and again...and again. I know I will fall off on this ride, but I have to keep going.

Part of me feels silly writing this and reaching out into the great unknown for help and support from strangers as well as my wonderful friends and family. But it feels good to share. It feels good to read other blogs. See other peoples success stories and how they are inspiration. It is good to know I am not alone in this battle.

I could ramble on and on tonight. There is a lot on my mind. However, I need to organize my thoughts and I will keep this hopefully short.

My short-term goals:

1) Lose 10 pounds by August 15 (the absolute latest date I can order my dress for the Renaissance Festival). It may not make a big difference, but it will make me feel better!

2) Cut out soda and most sugary drinks (ie Minute Maid Juices) aside from the occasional cheat day on Saturdays and replace it with water and iced tea.

3) Do my yoga everyday for the next week

4) Do 30 minutes of cardio 3 days this week

My long-term goals:

1) Lose 121.8 pounds for a final weight of 160. A few years back my Dr. wanted me under 160 for my back, that and I love my curves :-)

2) To be able to do a headstand in my yoga practice

3) To be able to run a mile without walking

At some point in the next week or so I will talk more about my goals and their meaning, but for now I have them down and out there. It is my hope that this blog will help keep me more accountable to myself.

I am off to a good start so far. I only had one soda this weekend and have been drinking water and tea most of the day today. I also did yoga last night and tonight. So I know I will sleep well.

Oh and of course, a weight loss blog wouldn't be complete without the infamous BEFORE pics. These are not the most flattering pics I have ever had taken of me, but they work. Sorry for the closed eyes in the profile photo...it happens. And please excuse the boxes in the background. How I hate moving.

You can tell I am oh so thrilled.

 

 

 

Thanks for making it through a very long first blog!