So I have decided it is time to get back on the horse and ride off into the thin and fabulous sunset.  After being in and out of town, the holidays wreaking havoc with my diet and being sick for three weeks with SARS or whatever the hell I had, it is time to get back on the train.

I have had some 12-grain toast with a little PB and J this morning, a banana, an orange and some pretzels.  A lot of water.  AND I’m headed to the gym for the first time in about a month.  The antibiotic I was on, believe it or not, Avelox, has a side effect (while rare) of rupturing one’s Achilles’ tendon.  Sick, right? Eff that, big time.   So I decided even on the days I did feel well, but was still popping the pills, I didn’t want to risk it.  I’ll slowly ramp up to more weight and speed, but right now, I am just happy to be going to the gym at all.

I know my tushie has gotten bigger.  I know my arms are a little flabbier than before.  But I’ve decided today that it’s on.  been watching my intake, going to the gym and taking care of business so when the summer comes around, I look amazing.

Hello all. It’s been too long, has it not?

I’m proud to say I haven’t gained anymore weight. Good for me. However, I haven’t lost anymore either. The last several weeks, (no exaggeration) have been filled with doctor’s visits, an inordinate amount of medications and very little relief for this cold/cough/SARS/ear infection/Bird Flu/Plague I have. The last two days, I have finally felt better rather than worse. My lungs and the “productive” cough aren’t really ready for the gym again quite yet, but I have been taking note of my caloric intake and trying to off-set my cough-syrup-induced lethargy.

Still at 140 even, I am just trying to be patient for when I can hit the stepper again. I’ve been sticking to tilapia, baked chicken and the like, and trying to stay away from simple carbs as much as possible. And of course, they suggest drinking a lot of fluids for upper respiratory shenanigans, so I’ve been guzzling water like I’ve been alone in the desert on a horse with no name. For real.

Winter can always bring the common cold and other infections into your household…and unfortunately can derail your gym practices. Just keep in mind that if you’re being less active, maybe there can be a few places you can trim some of your intake. Maybe you can muster up some sit-ups before bed at night. Maybe you just do some simple yoga moves instead of blowing through 30 minutes on the treadmill at full bore. Just know your limits and do what you can to stay in the right mindset. I know it’s tough for all of us, but even just conscientious eating can help keep us on the same path.

I’m going to stop apologizing for being busy and not updating the blog as often as we initially intended.  We start off about every 3rd post with apologies and reasons why we haven’t blogged in an appropriate span of time, but you know what?  Oh well – we all have busy lives and try to keep things going daily, so if we miss something here or there, it’s just a good thing we remembered to get back to it at all….   That being said, I have lots of good news to share with those of you playing along at home:

Workouts:

I’m doing VERY VERY well on the workout scene.  I’ve become a little obsessive with it.  As Ash said earlier, I finally joined Peak fitness so I can try and get some workouts in at lunch or immediately after work or class as it works out.  I’ve also made use of the workout facilities in my apartment complex which is not as good as elsewhere, but encourages sweat, so I’ll take it.  I’m trying to consistently attend the Funky Fit classes, though I am rhythmically challenged at times, it works my smile/laugh muscles as well ‘cuz I can’t help but laugh at my own ridiculousness.  I’m also still getting up at the ass-crack of dawn with my step mom and doing interval run-walking.  It’s really showing a difference, and I’m excited about it.  Additionally, this week I’ve begun doing core work and ab work directly after my morning excursion – situps, pushups, butterflies, crunches, and supermans (gotta work the back).

Food:

Also doing pretty well, though I definitely have room to improve.  I have been consistently eating lunch, and drinking water and taking my vitamins.  As a downfall, I’m still drinking my Coke a day (crack in a bottle, I like to call it), and often forget dinner.  NOW – that’s also because the term is coming to an end and I’m stressing over homework and projects to complete within the next couple of weeks, so I really DO forget.

Weight:

Drum roll, please…………………………..  I’m down to 212lbs!!!!!!!  I can hardly believe it, but hard work pays off, and I’ve been fairly successful at a good eating/lifestyle change.  A little reality for you all – I bought a pair of pants 4 years ago because I loved the style and they were $7.00.  Couldn’t pass them up.  I have NEVER been able to wear them before because I tend to average from a size 20 pant to about a 16 when I’m doing really, really good.  Well, these pants are a size 14 and I wore them to work yesterday.  NO – I did not have a muffin top, and they were very comfortable, with room in the waist… I call that SUCCESS!!!! 

I still have a long way to go, but I am seeing improvement.  My peeps are doing great at keeping me accountable and reminding me that I can no longer be a blob o’ awesome, but a lean, mean, machine of crazy, mad, sexiness…….  Care to join me?

sorry…blah blah….busy…yada….etc.  </apology>

I have actually been doing pretty dang good and so has JP.  Work gets crazy, life gets nuts and it doesn’t get recorded here.  So sue us.

I’ve worked out 3 times this week already and plan to go again today.  JP joined up at my gym and is officially official, so she won’t have to drop $10 every week to join me at Funky Fit anymore.  I have been trying to integrate more protein into my life…and more interval training on the elliptical.

But I want you guys to be confident that we are still watching our waistlines and working on ourselves.  Sometimes life gets in the way or reporting to our adoring fans…but we’re doing well.  I know for a fact JP has dropped a few more pounds and I have to have, though I haven’t weighed myself in a few days.  I am feeling good though.  Sticking to the plan and getting more energy in the process.

Just stick with us…and we’ll do better with sticking with you.

I am with you – 100%.  We’ve dropped the ball.  We’ve fallen off.  We’ve totally ignored our lovely blog intended to hold us accountable to our new goals of weight loss, fitness, proper nutrition, and all things good.  I’M SORRY!!!  Okay, maybe not that extreme -My Bad…. is that better?  LOL – Here’s my most recent update:

I’m STILL walking each morning at 5:30am.  NOW – this has not been as consistent as I would like – such as taking the last 4 days off – but the important thing is that I deprived myself of sleep and got up this morning and I’m still feeling the effects, 10 hours later.   

The food thing is still a work in progress.  As with anything in life, it’s hit or miss.  Some days I’m absolutely fabulous – eat a minimal amount of fat/sugar, the right amount of good calories with all the veggies, etcetera, while other days I eat cheese and sour cream and the chips I deprive myself of on those other days.

The goal of this blog, though, is to hold ourselves and our friends accountable for their actions.  I have not been behaving myself and I have not been providing any important tips or routines for you lovely readers to take to heart in order to assist you with your own personal goals.  With that being said, I’ve created a list:

1 – Just because you’re out to eat with friends does NOT mean you need to have the chicken fingers and french fries.  Go for something broiled or baked and go easy on the condiments (butter/sour cream/cheese on a baked potato, while yummy, adds the calories and fat to our ever-widening hips)

2 – Walk the extra flight of stairs.  If you are headed to the 2nd or 3rd floor, why not just grab the stairs?  The elevator could be old and rickety and quite possibly not deliver you safely anyhow, so just be sure of your arrival and hit those beautiful cement stairs…. your butt and thighs will thank you for it later.

3 – Park a little further away.  Seriously, is it THAT important that you drive around the parking lot 5 times in order to get that rock star parking space in the very front row?  I mean, the time you’re wasting driving and the gas you’re spending could save a small country from distruction in a very low budget sci-fi flick.  For realz.

4 – Eat a pickle if you want a snack or have a sweet tooth.  Don’t ask me why, but this ALWAYS gets rid of my appetite and makes the sugar cravings disappear.  Plus, they’re a vegetable, and thus, must be good for you.  LOL – don’t eat too many though – you’ll turn green.  Maybe.

Okay – so those are my insightful thoughts for the day.  I’m getting back to pounding my head against my desk in frustration and I will make every effort to follow my own advice.  Let me know what you think!!!

This pretty much sums up my weekend.

So…the weekend has come and gone and I am back from Myrtle Beach a little sore from the surfing we did, but a little plumper from the eating we did.

On the way down, we stopped at Hooters to kick off our trip.  We hit up a Plantation House of Pancakes for breakfast one morning.  We cooked up a whole rack of ribs, potatoes and corn on the cob.  We had our share of s’mores and cold beers by the fire.  We had fast-food chinese to save a few bucks on our ride home.  Not a stellar weekend for my hips and hynie.  But today….We are back on the boat!

I had had about 800 calories today so far.  A Smart One, an egg white omelet with some cheese and veggies and toast…not bad at all.  Definitely back on the wagon.

While I made a fat pig of myself this weekend, I realized that everyone has the same problem as me.  Keeping it real during the week is no problem. The days are so routine and regimented, packing a healthy lunch, making it to the gym and making the right decisions are a lot easier.  Maybe you go out for lunch with coworkers once a week or something, but on the whole, dieting is a piece of cake (bad analogy).

What do you do on the weekend to help with your dieting goals?  I’m always caught up in going to have a beer with friends or getting some chicken wings with the BF while we watch the game.  We’ve tried to bake wings, do light beers, etc., but in the end, we end up going through more calories than we’d want.

Why do we get lazy on the weekends?  Is it our chance to let our hair hang down in every way possible?    No work, no schedules, no diet?  I am just not sure exactly how effective we can be at losing weight if we crash and burn like I know I do on weekend days.  I’m all about a treat here and there, but can two days of completely reckless abandon be too much?

It is absolutely beautiful outside – the sun is shining, clouds are at a minimum and there is a slight chill in the air. I’m sitting in my home office situation feeling the sun on my arm and face and trying my darnedest not to pull my hair out by the handfuls. You see, ladies and gentlemen, I am waiting on the Washing Machine Repairperson from GE. I am NOT a patient person, thus the weight loss blogging effort to hold me accountable because I am an instant gratification kind of a girl. I want it, I make it happen. Weight does not work so quickly, so I tend to lose interest or get frustrated or adopt different strategies before the first one has had the opportunity to perform any life-altering miracles, like dropping me down to a size 6.

All this is to say that my food intake SUCKS big, fat, hairy, donkey balls. Seriously. And my lack of patience, or ADHD, whatever you want to call it, contributes to a poor dietary consumption habit. For instance – I’ve been up since 5:20 this morning – did my brisk morning walk – under duress, but still did it, and have been sitting on my voluptuos rump at the computer ever since – working on statistics. I have had two cups of tea – one chai, and one green – both straight up, no sweetener or cream, thanks. I have also had two biscuits – sweet, soft, fresh, buttery, homemade Bisquick biscuits that my daughter saw in her heart to produce last night. Yes, there is a God. STILL – I should have only had ONE. For some reason, portion control goes out the window when I’m bored or impatient. I will just continue to stuff whatever food is at hand into my pie hole until I’m either uncomfortable or my attention has been captured otherwise. It’s a damn mess. Another example for those of you who just aren’t getting it – last night, I got home from class around 7:30 or so. My day so far had been good caloricly speaking. I hadn’t overdone it and had refrained from the handful of M&Ms I wanted to eat. I got home and threw some leftover spaghetti into the microwave. Rather than take part of it and relax in front of the Phillies/Rays, I gobbled down the entire Tupperware container of pasta because I was freakin’ bored….. What the Hell people???? I know this is not good – it upsets my stomach – but I was hungry/bored/ridiculous. This is my struggle. GRRRRR………

Feel free to give advice. I understand that small snacks are really the way to go, and not associating food with something to do would be a good concept to adopt, and I’m working on that, but it doesn’t make this process any less frustrating. Now, I haven’t weighed myself or seen any direct results, but the point is that I’m recognizing a fault, examining it, and hopefully discarding it as stupid… Whaddyathink????

I forgot to post yesterday with my menu. Sorry peeps. I got busy with things and didn’t finish out my day for you all.

I had 2 hard boiled eggs, an apple and peanut butter, popcorn, a Chicken Noodle Soup in one of those little cups by campbell’s, a coke zero and my coffee of course. That was my work day.

One my cute purchases last night. $2!

Yesterday evening, I met my friend Cara out at a smoothie and wrap place near us and had a strawberry/banana/papaya/yogurt smoothie and a hummus wrap. We did some hard shopping at Old Navy (almost all their stuff is either 50-75% off, or $2. It was NUTS) and when I got home I had a little tortilla chips and salsa and a glass of skim milk.

I ended the day at 63 grams of fat and 1834 calories. Not good, people….when I have been averaging about 1300 a day (the diet machine over at prevention.com suggested 1420ish). I did, however, work out at lunch per usual and that burned about 300 calories. Plus….DUDE. Shopping. Lots of exertion there. Seriously though, we’re all going to have days where a toe slips off the wagon. We need to just get our bearings again and get on with it.

TIP:  You can’t let yesterday bring today down.  You can’t take today into tomorrow.  With emotions, dieting, or anything like this.  Rollover minutes at AT&T work that way.  Not guilt.  Forgive yourself.  Every little bit adds up – good and bad.  So a little guilt, a little self-pity can snowball…just like 10 minutes walking, a few sit ups before bed.

At any rate, yesterday wasn’t a stellar performance by AshPash by a lot of criteria but there were bright notes. I did make it to my lunch gym sesh, but didn’t go afterwards with Cara. I had more fat grams than I wanted but I was at 92% of my daily suggested fiber (up from 37% the day before). Today I probably won’t get to it because the SM and I need to get to Dicks and get our gear for camping and surfing this weekend at the beach. It’s going to be cold as a witch’s tit, but we are going to bundle up and see what fun it brings. We can always make things fun.

All I know is that I have GOT to get outta Dodge for a day or two…this little one-tank trip down the Myrtle Beach should be just what the doctor ordered. Plus, paddling out to catch waves is a lot of hard work. Built in workout with my fun this weekend; stellar. Plus all the shivering we’ll be doing….that should tone us up, right? Here’s to Thursday being better than yesterday.

Well I’m off to a pretty righteous start. Granted my tummy is fluttering with butterflies due to an insane amount of stress that is finally catching up to me. I interview for a potential new job today, my house is on the verge of foreclosure and my SO’s car insurance ran out a while back. The latter two items I haven’t disclosed to my SO yet. Needless to say my appetite has been lacking.

Breakfast:
(If you want to call it that)
Diet Coke, munched on a few green grapes and consumed a 90 cal. granola bar

Lunch:
Chicken Caesar Salad from Wendy’s of which I did partake in a sm. packet of their dressing and delicious croutons.

The sheer horror of my “true” weight that I discovered late yesterday afternoon is sending me into a downward spiral, amongst the other anxiety and stress I currently have in my life. Hopefully I can avoid eating my feelings during this very rough time.

I can be really bad at food sometimes. I tend to eat whatever I want to eat, when I want to eat it, and forget to eat at times. Yesterday was one of those times.

I got up and walked at o-dark-thirty, as usual, and took off for work. Forgot to eat bfast. Ate a handful of almonds at my desk, along with my vitamin and two bottles o’ water. Lunch was a tuna salad spinach wrap – yummy…. Proceeded to work my tail off ’til I about fell over and and grabbed a little mini Coke (only 12 ozs). That was it – no other food for the day – completely distracted with the rest of life… ughhhh – this is a serious learning deficiency for me, and I’ve got to remember, at least, to snack….

Today’s been a bit better – walk in the AM, almonds and water & vitamin for bfast, hit up the Japanese place for lunch, but behaved myself with the steamed veggies, and only ate the grilled chicken & skrimps and a bite or two of rice. Not too bad, unless you count the TWO Dr. Peppers I drank. I was totally going for the sweet tea, but for some reason it wasn’t sweet and I had some seriously bitter beer face going on. Not sure what’s on the agenda for dinner as this is my late class night, but I will make a concerted effort to consume something appropriately dietary.

I’ll update you more manana – have a great one!