Progress is a-happening

 


















Thought I would try a side by side comparison, the one on the right is 2 years ago. The one next to it is a progress picture Janet took of me yesterday. I do like how I felt in the layered fitted tops.

The picture above is me with Willi after Body Pump on Thursday. He was the only instructor I hadn't nailed down for a picture with me.


Still haven't lost more than 2 pounds since April 1st. But I'm trying to get past that, since I am feeling pretty good about how my clothes are fitting and how I look.   I had two comments about my shrinking butt/hips yesterday. A teacher was walking by me as I bent over planting with the kids and when I stood up, was shocked to see it was me, she thought I had a sub! She didn't realize how much my backside had shrunk. Then another teacher mentioned to me as I walked in front of her that I was so much smaller from behind. I guess it really hit home to me when I saw the parent that I gave my size 16 pants to wearing them after school and she was so much bigger than I am right now, I couldn't believe I was wearing those pants just a few short months ago. What an eye opener. I think I won't complain too much about my lack of pounds coming off, since I have real proof that I am reducing my size. Especially when I look at the two pics side by side.


I ended up going to the chiropractor yesterday afternoon because my hip flexor started bugging me again, as well as that niggling shoulder blade tingling, so I got that worked on. Today is Saturday and I have gone on strike. No cleaning, cooking or laundry the whole weekend. I am doing it to see if my boys will step it up and do something around here. I am tired of being the only one to clean. I asked for Mother's Day for them to clean the bathroom and the dining room, which is loaded with soccer crap. We'll see. They have been gone since 8 am at a game and should be home by now (12:30) until they go to yet another game at 7pm. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath, but maybe the fact that I am doing only mine and Cassie's laundry will spur them into doing something. *sigh*.


I want to get to the gym today, but my upper back and shoulders are really tight and sore. I am going to try to stretch them out, be ready for some intense work tomorrow. Franklin asked me what I wanted to do on Mother's Day and I told him it's Sunday and I am going to my classes. Not sleeping in on MD for the first time in YEARS but this is my life now and I will not miss my classes unless we are out of town or I am sick. So off to sweat I go. Today, since I am tired, I think I will just rest. If I do go to the gym, maybe I will just walk on the treadmill (Boooooring) and stretch, some abs maybe. Or maybe Cassie and I will go shopping and see if the boys will clean while we are gone!!! yeah right.

Pole dance, anyone?

Laughed my butt off today. One of our regular volunteers at school, an older "fit" gentleman who goes to my gym, saw me at lunch and told me I should stop exercising because I was wasting away. I laughed it off, then he told me I should take up pole dancing. WTH?? I said, "Excuse me?" and he said, "Yeah, you should look into doing pole dancing!" Then he walked off. I could not believe it! I am still a little creeped out about it. Hmmm.

This morning while I was on yard duty, a mom in Raquel's class, who speaks English, came up to me and told me that she has been wanting to tell me for a long time how great I look. She said she told her husband that she KNOWS I didn't look like that at the beginning of the year! She asked what I was doing, how I was doing it, juggling with my kids and family, etc. She made my day! She shared with me how much she weighs and what size she is and I am going to give her a bag of clothes because she is the same size as what I just outgrew. It warmed my heart and just made me feel so good.

Icing my knees now and getting ready to go to Body Pump. I'll add more later.

CAVED......ugh

I have not felt the urge to have anything "bad" for me in months. Since January. Even during that time of the month. What is different this month? I DON'T KNOW. But today I had 5, count them 5, of those little dark chocolate minis because it was teacher appreciation day and there was a big basket of chocolate minis in the staff room. I am proud of the fact that I picked out all the dark chocolate ones. But WHY, WHY, WHY when we have to celebrate or appreciate something, is it done around food, and usually CRAP? Staff breakfasts, with donuts and pastries. Birthdays, with cake. I don't get it. Why can't we be appreciated with a fruit salad? Or some nuts? Am I nuts? Of course, no one put a gun to my head and said eat it. And I was not craving chocolate, not until it came into my line of sight. Then I couldn't resist. I don't feel like I have given up. Not even close. But I had no workout planned today, since I did my two classes last night. I am stretching and resting so I can go tomorrow. I did stay within my calorie range. Oh, but when I came home, after dinner, Cassie pulls out the mini pretzels and what did I do???!!! Ate a bunch. Yeah, they're fat free, whatever. Added them in to my calorie budget. Still came in under. But WTH??? It's not like I am really craving this stuff. It's just that I seem to not have much will power today. I am tired. Maybe that is contributing to the lack of will power.

Another reason I love FaceBook. I posted this dilemma and all the responses I am getting just brings home the fact that I do know this, I am owning up to it, it's not the end of the world, not like I ate a donut or anything. It is truly my journey and this process is a learning experience. In the past, I probably would have said "well there you go, I blew it so I might as well have some ice cream or something now" and I am really not in that space right now. It's kinda enlightening to know that yes, I had some chocolate. It was dark, not a snickers. I had some pretzels. It wasn't a sundae. So even though I "feel" like I cheated or something, it wasn't that bad. And I cannot expect to live the rest of my life and not have some little treat. I went on to BodyBugg, logged all my food, counted the chocolate and pretzels, and still came in a bit under my allotment for the day. I think I am feeling fat because of my period. I feel like sitting and watching tv. Which I did. My once a week time to sit. I'm tired. Again, without the physical activity, I feel lazy but I know I need to rest a day in between workouts. I am actively looking at both schedules for Gold's for San Mateo and RWC to find a time when I can take yoga again. It was so good for me when I could take it, I know it would help me again. Plus I am looking into pilates, to help strengthen my core, which I have been told needs to be stronger.

Gonna stretch, sleep (hopefully better than last night - had a crappy night, head full of stupid things that I thought and said that I regretted, past ways of thinking that needs to go bye bye, mind needs to lose some weight as well as body!) and wake up more refreshed tomorrow.

I sure as hell hope so.

Happy May

I can't believe it's May already. Which means school's almost out!! Well, like 7 more weeks or so. Today was a good day. Had my bi-annual formal observation, NAILED it with new EDI lesson. I'll find out tomorrow when I meet with the VP if I really did nail it, but it felt like I did. Then tonight at Body Combat and Body Pump, was REALLY disappointed when Alex changed up the routines. I was really liking the current releases. However, I think my body will be getting too used the same things and that's why he changes things every few weeks, to prevent boredom too. I was really getting the hang of it, though. Oh well. Maybe changing it up will jump my weight loss again. Lost 2 pound this week - big whoop, since I lost NOTHING all of April, but I know, muscle, blah blah blah. I am not going to give the weight thing any more weight hehehe.

Already feeling sore. This is good. I'm going to Pump on Thursday since Alexander has an appointment to get his replacement retainer.