A Busy July

So I feel like I have (once again) fallen off the fitness wagon. I am still riding my bike a few days a week but I need to really step things up! July was a crazy busy month that seemed to throw everything for a loop. We went camping, it was hotter than hell, we had a rummage sale, and I had a mini vacation to plan. I also had some lovely outings with friends. Also, as July hits the beginning of the school year looms in the not so distant future and beckons me to return to my classroom to prep for the start of another year. This is of course when the real challenges begin-if I am going to have any level of commitment to this, I am going to need to get my butt in gear so that I am motivated to continue during the school year. With all that said...this post is going to be about my summer in review-it has been an absolutely amazing one!

We ate some ice cream on occasion!

 Camden got his first buzz cut after his wild mane could no longer be tamed!

 We spent more time at the outdoor pool than ever before-it was a HOT summer so it worked out well.

 I experimented with some healthy recipes and found one heck of a great one!

 The boys enjoyed their new outdoor table-it has been great for play and picnics!

 Cohan saved up for an iPod touch

 The boys learned to play together with less fighting!

 We cleared the clutter (and made a little money) with our rummage sale

 We got silly

 We challenged gravity

 We played with friends

 I gained a quite place to be crafty

 The boys merged into one happy toy-filled room

We hit the road and Matt and I experienced seeing one of the Great Lakes for the very first time together

 We relaxed and enjoyed some peaceful time together

 We saw a friend enter into a new, wonderful walk of life-MARRIAGE! Congrats Jay and Andrea!

 We ate some sweet treats

That about sums it up! We will still have some fall fun but the summer fun is almost done!

Getting back into the swing of things

I completed day 5 of Couch to 5k a week ago but was so busy prepping for our family camping trip that I didn't have a chance to write about it. I did better on the second day of week 2 than I did on the first...the increased jogging is still going to take some getting used to but overall it went pretty well. At one point I stopped jogging just a few seconds early to get a drink...partly because I wanted to stop jogging and partly because I was thirsty...I knew that my jogging had to be just about over ;o)
Depending on how today goes for day 6 I may repeat week 2 as I am not sure I am ready to step things up to week 3 after a week off. I had planned to do at least one day of training during our camping trip but the weather was not in my favor-every day it was 100+ with temps not even dropping below 80 in the evening/morning add some humidity to that it was great swimming weather but terrible running weather. I did swim quite a but so I wasn't without some activity while in vacation. I also had some fun on the jumping pillow which is quite a fun workout but rough on the knees. The teeter-totter led me to tweak my ankle a bit but it is feeling better now.
I went on my usual morning ride and was able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise:

On a different note-I ordered myself a  Wii Fit Balance Board on ebay for $51. I got it in the mail last Monday and as a family we have discovered that it is quite fun! There are many different activities and games to choose from. While I purchased it for myself, it has been a big hit for the whole family-even Camden found a game that he can play by himself. My Wii Fit age came out at 31 (only 1 1/2 years older than I actually am). I am looking forward to having one more tool to help me along the way!

Couch to 5k Day 4

Yesterday I started week 2 of Couch to 5k. The jogging was upped to 1 1/2 minutes and boy could I tell the difference! I have to say I had a much harder time keeping myself going but I am happy to say that I DID complete it! More than once I thought to myself-there is no way that I can keep jogging...it just isn't going to happen. Then a LOUDER voice chimed in and said-it isn't that much farther! YOU CAN DO IT! I am a bit amazed by myself because I completed the day successfully. I thought for sure that I was going to give in and walk a bit when I was supposed to be jogging. Part of what kept me going was the fact that I didn't want to come back here and write about how I didn't completely finish day 1 of week 2. I hope that Friday feels a bit easier now that I got the first day of transition out of the way!
Today's ride wasn't too eventful. Matt also got out and went for a ride after I got back. I didn't ride across the bridge today because I was feeling a bit tired (darn work) but Matt did and he told me that you can't exit the top of the bridge on the Yankton side-something that is always good to know. It ended with him going across the bridge twice LOL. I did see a possum on my way home today. It ran off into the tall grass after waddling down the path a bit.
It was too cloudy in the west for there to be much of a sunrise although I did snap one picture of a neat little break in the clouds. It is on my camera rather than my phone so I will have to wait a bit to upload it.

Heat, Fish, Bugs, and Cucumber Salad

It is going to be a blazin' hot day today. It was nearly 76 degrees when I went for my ride this morning and that does not include the humidity. The bugs were out like crazy this morning but the beautiful sunrise made up for it. A cool thing about it being such a buggy morning-there were tons of fish sitting at the surface of the river! As I rode along the trail and into the park I saw ans heard the fish splashing every few feet. Sometimes they were hanging out in little lines just waiting and other times they were all spread out. I wish that I could have gotten a picture of one of the fish jumping up to nab a bug but I guess you just had to be there.

You can see the splash of the fish going under. Also, if you enlarge the pic and look carefully you can see all the little places where there are fish just under the surface-there are quite a few in the upper right corner.

As I mentioned earlier, the sunrise was very beautiful today. The sky was filled with pinks and purples (which you can see reflected in the water above. I had to keep stopping along the way and snapping pictures. 

It was such a great morning to be outside. What I really need to do it bring my actual camera instead of my phone and maybe I can take some pictures that I can hang up in my house as art :o) These picture really only have resolution to be printed up to 8x10.

Last night I read my latest issue of Women's Health magazine and I was happy to see a nice little article about tips for women cycling. I was also happy to read that I already do many of the things suggested-I have my seat and handle bars in the correct positions and I have a wider seat. I have to say that I didn't really learn much from the article other than the fact that I am doing many things correctly but I enjoyed it just the same.

One thing that I mentioned that I still need to work on is food-I am still working on this! I did find a great recipe for one of my favorite things that it worth a share. I love cucumber salad! It is cool and refreshing and the perfect summer snack. I had never actually made it myself before a couple weeks ago-after discovering how easy it is I am kinda kicking myself for not doing it sooner! The version that I made is only worth 2 Weight Watchers points for the ENTIRE BATCH! I could eat the whole thing in one sitting but I usually try to save some for the nice people that I live with :o) I adapted this recipe from a recipe that I read on Allrecipes.com

Cucumber Salad

3 cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced

half an onion thinly sliced (or more or less depending on your level of love for onions)

salt

1tbs vinegar

1tsp sugar

1/4-1/3 cup of non fat Greek yogurt (depending on how big your cucumbers are)

1tbs olive oil mayo (pretty much the only kind we use)

some dill weed to taste

Salt the cucumbers and let them drain for at least 30 minutes (putting them in a container to drain over night in the fridge works too. Mix everything else together then add the cucumbers and enjoy! I usually put it in a bowl that seals up nice and tight so that I can just shake it all around to evenly coat everything-it is much easier and quicker than trying to stir it all up.

Today starts week 2 of Couch to 5k and, as I said before, I plan to run over lunch so that I can fit it in even though I have to work. I will share more about how that goes later today.

More pictures from this morning:

Beautiful Sounds

It was a bit breezy for my ride this morning which meant that I was fighting the wind by the time I got down to the river. Riverside Park was a sprinkler obstacle course this morning as well-especially because of the wind! That one unavoidable sprinkler at the start of the path in the park was arched directly over the path and it appeared as if they were not moving or at least not moving quickly.
The bridge ride was much better. I have discovered that I would much rather ride on the bottom portion of the bridge because it doesn't have the pink rock chip seal like the top. It makes for a much smoother ride. This morning I was treated to a lovely chorus of bird music. I couldn't seem to spot any of the birds that I was hearing but their music was wonderful-see what I would miss id I were listening to music on my morning ride? There is nothing like the beautiful sounds of the morning to wake a person up. The birds along the bridge are really wonderful-yesterday I had a little goldfinch flying beside me for a little while-it was the smallest finch I have ever seen, and on mine and Matt's anniversary walk across the bridge we saw a few orioles. If you have not yet ventured across the bridge I would highly recommend you do so. I do kind of wish that we had the nice wooded area on the SD side of the bridge that they have on the Nebraska side. If you have the time, you should linger on the NE side and see if you can spot some of the beautiful birds.

 The sun was trying to peek between the clouds

No doe this morning but this is the exact spot that I saw one Saturday evening

Couch to 5k Day 3

I can't believe I am going to say this but...the jogging is already getting easier! I was able to get about 30% farther during each jogging period than I did the last time which means I am getting closer to actual running :o) This one little thing has me pretty thrilled! I also feel like I am getting better at controlling my breathing so that I am not huffing and puffing after completing each period of jogging. After a single lap of cool down I had my breathing back to normal. This is feeling great! Cam had fun at Tot Time while I was running so everyone had a good morning.
Wednesday starts week 2 of Couch to 5k-I also have to work that day. I have an hour and fifteen minute lunch so I am thinking that I will go over lunch and run then have a bit to eat before getting back to learning about Common Core standards. I figure if I have a plan in place I will for sure get my run in and I will probably avoid eating out (which would probably be an unhealthy lunch!).

Catching Up Day 2 of Couch to 5k

Saturday morning was my second day of Couch to 5k training. It went pretty much as well as the first day. I have a few observations after a couple days of this:

1. I do not hate this-I actually feel pretty good when I am doing a cycle of jog/walking. If you see me at the Summit Center you may even see a smile on my face! I find all this pretty unbelievable! I know I am not all out running yet but really it is an amazing feeling to me to just enjoy this.
2. I can do this-Today is day 3 of my Couch to 5k training which means that I complete week one today and shift to week 2 on Wednesday. I already feel like I am on my way to really doing this!
3. This feels great-I am not the kind of person who enjoys being sweaty and gross but this makes me feel good about getting sweaty. I know I am doing this whole things for good-to get fit and honor some really great people. I am thinking I may even say I like getting sweaty now :o).

I went for an evening ride on Saturday because of an early morning thunderstorm (with thunder that shook our bed) and I enjoyed it for the most. The weather was really nice and I ventured across the bridge. The only real issue were the bugs! YUCK! Thankfully, I do not encounter an over abundance of them in the morning. I did have a very cool sighting-I saw a young doe near the creek. Once it spotted me it hopped off but it was quite the sight to see! I could still see the faint white spots on its back so I knew it had to be pretty young.
I didn't ride on Sunday. I didn't want to worry about it when I was focused on getting ready for church because we became members of First United Methodist Church yesterday. I went swimming with the boys in the evening and I swam laps during the pool break. We had a really fun time. By the time I got home and got the boys in bed it was 9:00. I could have gone on my ride but I figured some time with my hubby was more important.
My ride this morning was pretty uneventful. It was cloudy but warm. I usually see quite a few stray cats on my morning ride and today was no different. While I usually only see a couple per day, I know that there are several just because of the number of DIFFERENT cats that I see in any given week. As I was finishing my ride this morning I had another cool animal sighting-I saw a badger. It is actually the first time I have ever seen a badger in person. I was pretty close to it because I spotted it as I was rounding a bend on the trail. It quickly hurried off into the grass. I am so happy to be back to riding! :o)

From Nebraska

From the Bridge

Morning Greeting

Almost Missed It!

I overslept a bit this morning...I must have been tired from my super workout day yesterday. I cannot say how happy I am that I actually got up and went for my ride. The sunrise was AMAZING today! It wasn't so much  that there were a variety of colors painted across the sky but rather the sun's rays reaching up into the sky. No matter how many photos I took this morning there was no way to completely capture the beauty of what I saw this morning. A little proof of how beautiful it was: as I entered riverside park this morning there was a photographer set up and snapping pictures of it. It made me happy to know I wasn't the only one enjoying the morning.
I cut my ride just a little short by skipping the bridge because I got up late. I was surprised that I wasn't really all that sore this morning. My knees felt a little stiff but that was about it...maybe I am in slightly better shape than I give myself credit for!
Today I thought I would talk a bit about why running is a goal of mine. I was thinking a lot about it on my ride yesterday because I knew I would be starting my Couch to 5k program and here is what I came up with...
When I was a kid I LOVED to run. I would run just because I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair (although I hated the tangles that ensued) and my feet on the pavement. I loved to run barefoot (I think I was barefoot most of the time). I remember racing kids from the various apartment complexes that I lived in. I remember being fast...and then I wonder when did all that end? When did running become something hated rather than something enjoyed and looked forward to? I figure this is my way of reclaiming something that I lost in my youth. My more current motivation is the Susan G. Komen race for the cure. I really think that it would be amazing to be able to run the whole 5k. I think it would be a nice little tribute to my grandmother and to Theresa, the two people I am running for.
And now for the photos from this morning! I tried to pic the best ones but like I said...the photos really don't do it justice. My favorite ones are where you can see the rays of light reaching up into the clouds. If you click on them you can see a bigger version :o)

Day 1 of Couch to 5K

Today was my very first day of Couch to 5k training-I was excited about this day and nervous about it all at the same time. Last night I finished preparing for it by downloading the C25K app, buying a bit more fitness wear, buying some good quality ear bud headphones (which I LOVE), and buying an armband for my phone. I was ready to go!
Today I was happily (yes I said happily when referring to running) awaiting 8:50 so I could load up the boys and head to the gym. I must say that I LOVE Tot Time! I paid $4 for both boys to go to Tot Time and play for an hour and a half (I had from 9-11am but didn't need that long). I will say that I worried that my oldest (7) wouldn't like it because it says it is for ages 2-7 but he has a blast. After they were all signed in I headed up to the track, hung up my bag, started up my music and started the app. It was very simple to use-I just hit start and began walking for 5 minutes to warm up. I do not normally listen to music when I workout. In the mornings I enjoy the calm and peaceful silence-I tried listening to my iPod once and didn't really care for it. But for running...for running I needed SOMETHING to distract my body from the thought that I was trying to kill it. I really like the music-it is upbeat and fits well with motivating me to keep going. I really like that it only cost me $4.99 after I used some Amazon mp3 credit. I previews hundreds of albums looking for something that I liked and I am happy with my choice.
Now on to the actual running/walking or should I say jogging/walking. When it was time to jog I really had no idea how much longer I had before I got to walk again but I do have to say, knowing that that motivating voice was going to come on EVENTUALLY and tell me I could walk kept me going. After a while I was able to estimate when it was going to cut in and tell me to jog or walk based on how far around the track I had traveled. That little bit of intel really helped me keep going especially toward the end. It is easy to keep going when you know that you will be getting a break shortly! All in all I have to say that today was not near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did get towards the end and think..."Oh no, it is going to tell me I have to jog again...can I really jog again?" When I got to that point the lovely little voice came on and said, "Cool down." COOL DOWN?! Wait a minute...I did it? I completed it? NO WAY! All I have to do is finish walking and I am DONE! AMAZING! I have to say that I was pretty impressed with myself. The whole thing was smooth and simple-all I had to do was listen to the voice and do what it told me. Couch to 5k ROCKS!
As a reward for my rockin' performance I went for a swim afterward. Note to self...putting a suit on while sweaty should be an Olympic event! Once that was taken care of I headed to the pool and dove in. Never has that water felt so amazingly good! I really swam as a reward but I also figure it can't hurt my fitness goals. I swam for about 35 minutes until the calm peaceful atmosphere of the pool was broken down by several boys and their swimming lessons.
All in all I think it went really well :o) Only one little Just Dance 3 workout left for the day and I am all done until tomorrow. No running tomorrow as the C25K is a 3 day a week program but I hope to still do my morning ride...here's to hoping that I am not TOO sore in the morning!

Feeling the Burn

Today was a pretty standard morning ride-it was a bit chilly compared to the past couple days. I did a full ride plus the bridge today which was nice-the last two times I have ventured across the bridge I took a short cut through town. This added about 15 minutes to my ride which left my husband wondering where I was for a bit! I tried a different route to get to the bottom of the bridge this morning and I don't think I liked it at all! There is a really tight turn that goes directly into a steep hill which led to me walking my bike up the hill. I hate having to walk my bike! Anyway I went across the bottom of the bridge and then decided that I should take the top back to make it easier for me to get back on my normal route. Climbing that first hill to get to the upper level really made me feel the burn! I shifted down two gears but wasn't making as much progress as I would like so I stopped shifting and just powered through. I was huffing and puffing a bit by the time I reached the top but then it was smooth sailing! I am really glad that I choose to challenge myself this morning. It really made me feel energized!

A few other things on the agenda for the day-I would like to get back to counting points for weight watchers so that I can get a better handle on what I am eating again. This is and always will be my biggest challenge! I love food too darn much but I want to get fit and be healthy even more so I am determined to get back on track.
Today I will also be starting my Couch to 5k program which I am actually quite excited about! They have tot time at the gym from 9-11 so I plan to do my Couch to 5k and then take a swim to cool down without having to worry about what to do with my boys. I am hoping to have the time to write a second post later solely focused on running and why I want to be able to do it so badly! A friend may be joining me at the gym today which would be a nice change of pace. I often see people biking or walking together on my morning ride and I think about how nice it would be to have a buddy :o)

Well Blow Me Over!

Last night there was a forecast for rain so I was a little worried about my morning ride. When I woke up is was a bit dark but not raining so I hit the trail. The first few minutes of my ride were pretty normal, then the wind picked up. I could see dark clouds moving across the sky as the wind picked up and I knew I was in for a treat. The drizzle of rain started when I got about 30 feet from the river. I didn't mind it as I kinda like the rain and there was no lightning in sight so on I went. After the turn that put me on the trail parallel to the river the wind was howling in my ears. Huh...hadn't expected this! I figured it was no big deal as it was just a bit of rain and wind so on I went. About 20 feet later I was literally blown off the trail by the wind and into the grass (but I didn't tip over!) I had to hop off my bike and stand there waiting for the wind to let up so I could turn back...what? Turn back? NO WAY! I went right on my merry way wind howling and all! I was smiling and laughing at myself as I must have looked crazy out in the wind and rain but I was having fun. I was only blown off the trail one more time before I turned around and headed back home. I figured the wind was bad enough on shore that the bridge must have been a wind tunnel so I skipped that today. All in all, I am happy that I went out...even if I am a bit soggy sitting here writing this post!

Taking the Low Road

Another day, another ride! The mornings have simply been wonderful the past few days-it is nice and warm and you can feel summer in the air. This morning I had to run an errand on my morning ride so I rode through town rather than taking the trail. The street that I had to ride to just happened to also be the street that led to the bridge, so I decided it was a good morning to ride the few extra blocks around to try out the bottom of the bridge. I have to say I like the bottom better for the lack of giant hills, and I like the top better for the magnificent views and the openness. I am pretty sure I will be tackling the top tomorrow because it is so beautiful. The bottom feels a bit too closed-in making it difficult to get a great picture. Either way I think I will continue my bridge rides as I have really enjoyed these past couple days.

In other fitness news, I have been reading a lot about this whole "Couch to 5k" program. My interest is quite peaked because as you all know (if you read my very first couple blog posts) enjoying running happens to be one of my goals...one that I have tried and still loathe. I planned on participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure again this year which is a 5k run/walk. Last year I walked it for the most part-there were short bursts of running but they were SHORT as they made me want to lay down on the sidewalk and die. My friend Lindsay and I said that we would run it (or run half of it?) the next year which is this year! IN SEPTEMBER! While I could totally blow off this pact that we made, I am thinking that this whole Couch to 5K thing just might be exactly what I need. Not only will it accomplish one of my fitness goals (hopefully) but I would feel awesome being able to RUN a 5k-and I would be doing it in memory of my grandmother Sandra. She never ran a 5k but she was a wonderful woman who always showed us her love in her own little ways. She died at age 56 of breast cancer-all the more reason to stay fit and take care of myself. In summary-this whole Couch to 5k thing sounds like it may just be worth $1.99/$2.99 but before I do that I think I need to work on getting some music on my phone...that is a whole new problem! Anyone use a C25K app for their phone? I have a couple in mind that I am trying to decide between.

To Nebraska and Back

After a torturous week of major ear issues, I was determined to get back on my ride this morning. After my last post from last week my muffled ear seemed to spiral out of control-I woke up on Thursday with major dizziness so I ended up spending most of the morning on the couch trying to get some medicine for it from the doctor. It would appear that the muffled hearing is due to an inner ear infection. I have since been battling dizziness, irritability, and exhaustion. My husband was incredibly sweet through it all. I am normally a bright and cheery person but the ear thing turned me into a whole different person. I was happy when I woke up without being dizzy this morning. I contemplated staying in bed so that I could have one more day of rest but the warm morning was calling my name!
I hopped on my bike and about half way through my ride decided to tackle the bridge today. I wanted to try the bottom half, for obvious hilly reasons) but that would have required a 3 block detour because of some construction. So top of the bridge it was! The view was beautiful and peaceful. The hill coming back was torture but I am happy to say that I made it! We will see what tomorrow brings-fingers crossed for no dizziness! I am also going to restart a 7 day challenge on the Wii as it was hard to keep up with when I spent most of the end of the week on the couch! Wish me luck and health!

No Rain On My Parade

After being woken up by rain this morning I thought for sure my ride was going to have to be put off, but when my alarm sounded at 5:30 I couldn't hear any rain. I had to drag myself out of bed this morning because I was tired from such a wonderful night with my husband celebrating our anniversary. We usually put off doing anything until the weekend after our anniversary but this year we decided there was nothing wrong with going out on a Tuesday night. I am really happy with our decision because it felt even more special than it has in the past. I will admit I ate too much but it is hard not to indulge when celebrating. We both had steak with salad and a baked potato and then we went to the Dairy Dock to share an ice cream sundae. We ended our time out with a walk across the Meridian Bridge which is slightly over half a mile one way. It was nice to get some exercise as well as go on a little romantic walk with my husband. It also helped lessen any guilt I may have had from the ice cream (or the movie popcorn and fountain pop we picked up on the way home).
This morning's ride was very peaceful. I could see the rain clouds and lightning off in the east which meant I wouldn't get to see a pretty sunrise, but the lightning was a pretty cool sight. My ride seemed pretty smooth and the only part of me that was sore from yesterday was my bum-it needs to get used to the lovely bike seat again. I am still completely amazed by the changes in the landscape in comparison to last year with all the flooding. The changes are quite astounding-I need to take some pictures so that I can post comparisons.
Now for some good news/bad news:

• Good News-I weighed less at the doctor than I did at home on Monday-I think that is the first time that has EVER happened! LOL
• Good News-I do not have a double ear infection like I suspected.
• Bad News-I am having some massive TMJ pain on the left side-the joint was incredibly tender and sore when she was checking it yesterday-not much I can do other than take an anti-inflammatory
• More Bad News-She has no idea why my hearing is muffled on the right side (I thought for sure I had an ear infection because of it). I am hoping this goes away soon as it is extremely irritating and I would rather stay away from doctors for a while-I have seen enough of them in the past few months!

Forgotten

It seems like it has been forever since my last 5:30 am ride so it felt great to get back to it this morning. Last night I eagerly prepared myself for the ride-setting out my clothes, asking myself (and my husband) questions (How light is it at 5:30? How chilly is it? Do I need a sweatshirt? etc.), making sure everything was just right, and setting my alarm (I actually forgot that last thing until I went to bed so I had to get out a flashlight to set it oops!).
My alarm went off without fail at 5:30 but it did not actually wake me until 5:35-I must have needed those last 5 minutes! I quickly got ready and headed out the door. It was chilly but not too bad, the sun was just coming up, I could smell the summer flowers in the air-IT WAS WONDERFUL! I had forgotten all about so many of the things that I loved about my morning rides and also about some of the little hiccups. Here is a review of what was forgotten:

• Sunglasses-they may not be needed for the ride down to the park but they are needed for the ride home!
• The peacefulness-I had forgotten how calming and wonderful the early morning it.
• The sprinklers-I was able to bob and weave around them without getting hit with more than a mist.
• The beauty-the colors of the sky, the birds, the splashing fish-everything was so refreshing.
• Water bottle-it seems the need for hydration just completely slipped my mind!

I also made some realizations about a few other things:

• I still don't like the hills but I don't hate them near as much as I remember hating them last year.
• I love this just as much as I did last summer.
• I am now pretty positive that I have an ear infection.

Okay-that last realization kind of sucks but the other two are pretty good. I would really like to be able to extend my ride so that one of these mornings I can ride across the bridge as I have not yet walked or ridden across it. I didn't want to try it today because Matt and I decided that we would walk across together tonight-Happy Anniversary Babe!
All in all, I would say that I am thrilled to get back to riding and back working toward my fitness goals. I started a new 7 day challenge for Just Dance yesterday and this time I am determined to complete it! I think it is time for an apple and some Belvita so that's all for this morning!

Well, it looks as if nearly 7 months have passed since my last post...I really hadn't realized it has been that long! After reading my last post I noticed that some updates are in order.
YankTON update: Our team placed second in the competition and we were extremely proud!  We donated the $750 in Chamber Bucks to two different local organizations. I was one of the top 5 as far as total weight loss is concerned-I lost a total of 18.8 pounds-10% of my starting weight. I was extremely proud of myself.  I don't remember my exact ending weight (because it was 7 months ago) and I have the number on my work computer but not my home computer.  I do think I just barely broke into the 160s though!
Winter/Debate Season update: This has always been my pitfall. We eat out of gas stations and it is extremely hard to eat healthy (and stick to any sort of budget) this way.  I tried to do my best by bringing my own fruit and healthy snacks but I was usually exhausted and craving comfort food. Exercising also took a back seat when I started having some foot pain-it seemed to be the worst when using the elliptical so I stopped and the pain seemed to wane. Then I discovered Just Dance 3 for the Wii and thought I was going to finally get back into a regular workout routine. Shortly after starting, the foot pain was back with a vengeance to the point where it could no longer be ignored. I also noticed a bump on the top of my foot where the pain was. I really wanted to be able to work out so it seemed a trip to the doctor was in order. I visited Dr. Pederson the local foot doctor fearing a stress fracture and was relieved when he told me that the x-ray was normal. It turns out I had a cyst that had formed at one of the joints in my foot.  After a shot of cortisone in my foot I was immediately feeling better. After a week the cyst had completely dissolved and my foot pain was gone! I was back to dancing in no time.
I would love to say that I hit my stride and got right back into a workout routine but another setback was right around to corner. In the beginning of May I had to have some surgery that left me out of commission for a few weeks while I healed-it also prevented me from working out for about 4 weeks prior to the surgery. So after all that I bet you wonder where I am at...
I am currently at 180.8 pounds as of this morning. I could say that I am disappointed that I gained back around 12 pounds but that just isn't the case. I am proud of myself for not looking at that number as defeat. I am still in a better place than where I started (192.6 pounds starting last summer in July). Even if I yoyo a bit I still know what I want and I am still going to go for it-I want to be HEALTHY! I plan to hop back on my bike tomorrow morning for a nice little morning ride and as soon as I finish this post I plan to go start a new 7 day challenge in Just Dance 3. I am looking forward to getting back into writing and back into working out-I hope you enjoy following along!