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.

Here we go again…  I’m stillllllll holding steady, even given the holidays we are in the midst of!!    To me – that’s success.  I have not been eating a whole lot, because I believe my stomach has shrunk – I’m just not ABLE to eat as much as I used to.  That’s a good thing.  I’m still hitting the gym pretty hard and have roped my neighbor into joining me on the days I have the trainer.  They basically kick our collective asses and we pay them for it.  As a result, we are generally unable to walk or lift anything for a day or two afterward…. It’s all good pain and we get to grow all that fun mitochondria that helps to burn energy while sitting on those same asses mentioned before.  In the end, it’s a winning situation – despite the pain and sweat.  (and I like to type mitochondria)

I’ve begun keeping a daily diary of what I eat, including the massive amounts of water I intake, down to the single cookie I shoved in my mouth like a starving wolf faced with a sweet little baby chipmunk….yummy…. and gross at the same time.  Basically – whole thing, shoved into my moufff, no chewing, 100% swallow.  Yeah baby….  The diary has definitely helped guilt me into only eating when appropriate and to only eat appropriate foods.  On the other hand, it does NOT help me when I forget to eat, or when I run out of time to actually prepare something that may not cause twenty new saddle bags on my already-burdened hips.

Additionally, I’ve cut the Coke out about 50% of the time.  Today is Friday and I believe I’ve only had 2 this week.  THAT, in and of itself, is a major step forward for me.  I tend to consume one 20-oz Coke a day and that’s a couple hundred Calories I don’t have to eat good, healthy food with.  So, while it is a moving target, I’m making progress.

I still have to get through next week, with Christmas, and the week after with New Years (this will be a challenge as I plan on getting all drunkerd up and sloshy over that particular holiday), so wish me luck.  I’m planning on hitting the gym hard EVERY day between now and then just because I feel so much better when I do, and I’m really liking the results I’ve seen thus far.  Smooches – ciao!

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.

Jenn is absolutely right. We have seriously fallen off the wagon with sharing our stories…and taking this dieting thing seriously. Yeah, I watch what I eat a little but the weekends totally run my diet off the tracks. Yeah, I make it to the gym sometimes, but not nearly enough.

Life gets busy, time gets scarce…but we are given but only one body and we need to treat it the right way. I always use my stress level as an excuse for eating more/worse and not exercising. That is not a good habit to get into…and all the more reason to hit the gym and eat right.

I sat on the couch last night and looked over at my boyfriend. I looked down at myself. We are getting soft, I said. Not good. Today I have my workout bag and iPod in my car and will be taking full advantage of the gym at lunch. I hope to do some interval training to get my heart rate up and blast this fat off my gnarly body.

I’m getting really discouraged in my will power and disappointed in us for not taking this seriously. I laid in bed last night on my back and my saddle bags puffed out from underneath my legs. My soft belly muffined over my sleep shorts. Something has got to give. I need something to work towards, a reason to lose weight, other than, I look a little puffy naked.

This morning, I had a cup of coffee, some dried mangoes and some oatmeal. I’m doing everything in my power to save my Ravioli Lean Cuisine and carrot sticks for lunch time…not 10:15. I’ve been chugging water like a fiend too. I really hope this can be the start of a much longer stint of caring about my health.

Well, don’t weigh me right now, because, as you can see from the title, I’ve flat lined.  It’s time to step it up.  I’ve been building on my consistency and retraining my intake, but that’s not enough at this point.  SO, this morning, I introduced my body to just a little bit more: 3 sets of 30 sit ups after my traditional morning walk.  Twist that walk a bit with some intermittent jogging and we’ve got increased caloric output.  That was just this morning.

My uber-intelligent 7th grader informed me that there is such a thing as the Fit channel on Time Warner Cable, and that we could DVR some of the workouts and see which ones we like.  If we find one we particularly enjoy, we can just save it and use it at our own convenience.  Now, I don’t want to brag, but she’s a freakin’ genius… yeah – she gets it from her mom….just sayin’.

This is my plan.  I’m still working on the food part – as you well know, but I’m thinking that an increased exercise plan, and incorporating good portions of my life into them (i.e. my new puppy – taking walks, utilizing my DVR, actually visiting the workout facilities at my complex) will actually help me with my goal.

Anyone want to chime in on this one???

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!!!

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.

Here at the AOF we always encourage others to share their stories; fat, thin or in between – we all have a tale to weave.  The next post will be from a reader who wants to remain anonymous, which we will respect one-hundred percent.

She’ll give you her story so I don’t need to go much further here.  She hopes to contribute here and there about her struggles and triumphs and get the love and support she needs from the AOF and it’s readers to help her on her journey from inner turmoil towards outer hottitude.  Please join us in welcoming GhostWriter12 to the fold.