February 2012
42 posts
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Under the weather
I’ve been under the weather for the last few days – after a month of bizarre weather patterns, last week finally did me in (3 inches of snow on Monday, 82 degrees and humid on Friday). I stayed home from work Monday and Tuesday, and just felt icky in general.
This was me:
Monday evening, however, is one of my thrice-weekly personal training nights and I was reluctant to skip, even though I...
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Black or white
Before I lost the weight, at the height of my sickness, I would constantly try to diet. I’d start out the day so well, eat the right things for breakfast, but inevitably would find temptation during the day and would “cheat”. After I ate whatever my “cheat” was, I’d eat more, rationalizing that I’d already blown the diet, so it didn’t matter if I...
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My favorite meal
As I talked about in this post, routine is key to weight loss success. I eat pretty much the same breakfast day after day and I have a steady rotation of easy, nutritious meals and side dishes that I can whip up on short notice.
One of my most frequent options is a whole rotisserie chicken from Fresh Market matched with either a mixed salad or other vegetable, usually green beans.
Yum:
...
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“Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe,...”
– Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh
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Recognizing there's a problem
I’ve been really down, anxious, and emotional lately. I talked about it in late January (here and here), but things haven’t really improved. I’m working out regularly, my diet is 95% clean, and I’m smaller than ever. But something is lurking that is like a cancer, malignant and eating away at me.
I’ve been in and out of therapy for a long time, dealing with eating...
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Lent
I’m not terribly religious and didn’t realize that it was Fat Tuesday until this morning. However, as soon as I realized that tomorrow was Ash Wednesday, my brain did a weird thing – it immediately started thinking about what I would give up for Lent. I think this was a Pavlov-style reaction from my Catholic-school upbringing (I went to Catholic school until college) where giving up something...
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Half marathon training: day #2
Due to inclement weather last week, I was unable to go for my long run over the weekend. I can do some shorter runs on the dreadmill, but nothing more than 3 or so miles.
So this Saturday it felt wonderful to slip into my running shoes and take off for a nearly 5-miler. The weather was gorgeous and it felt more like early April than February. Since it’ a holiday weekend, Colonial...
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We don't carry "fat people" clothes
Have you ever walked into a store and felt like you didn’t belong? I went into a fancy store near my office the other afternoon for a sanity break and left feeling really upset about the experience. I hadn’t been in the store in awhile because I knew I wouldn’t fit into the clothes and because it’s towards the higher end of my price range, but they were having a 70% off...
“I just had the most amazing, empowering workout. Feeling strong, powerful, and...”
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Things that are awesome now that I've lost weight
I have defined ankles (not cankles)! They’re all small and delicate-looking.
I can go into any store and know that (a) I can try just about anything on and (b) 90% of it will fit properly.
All-new clothing. (Although this is also a bit of a downer, because it’s expensive, especially given the above bullet.)
The feeling of empowerment at the gym. I’m becoming fearless in my workouts.
My...
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Weekends
Weekends are so weird - I look forward to them all week at the office, dreaming of sleeping in, lounging around the house, and cooking delicious, elaborate meals while my dog snoozes peacefully in her dog bed.
The reality is, naturally, completely different. There is no sleeping in with an impatient beagle who is used to her morning walk by 7AM. There is no lounging around the house until it is...
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Awesome article from Prevention/The Biggest Loser...
One of the biggest threats to healthy eating is dining out. Restaurant portions are huge and calories, fat, sugar, and sodium lurk in surprising places.
This article has some great advice on how to navigate meals out, but leaves off the main thing I do before leaving for a meal: check the website for nutritional information ahead of time! Many chain restaurants now have extensive nutritional...
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Clothing is NOT optional
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced along the way with my weight loss (can you tell I really don’t want to use the phrase weight loss journey?) has been to figure out what on earth to wear. For the last 18 months, clothing has been too loose, too tight, too short, or just wonky as I’ve transformed from a 22/24 to a 10/12. I’ve been lucky enough to have had help in...
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Motivation from strange places
Tuesdays are generally one of the nights I consistently work out with my personal trainer. Even if I don’t work out with him, Tuesday workouts are generally some of the most intense I do in a week.
This is because of The Biggest Loser.
Since I started losing weight and exercising, The Biggest Loser has been my personal form of crack. I seriously love a lot of things about the show,...
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Blessed
I had one of those mornings where I didn’t want to get out of bed, walk the dog, or deal with responsibility/life in general. I just wanted to hit snooze some more, cuddle under the duvet wrapped up in flannel sheets, and lounge the day away.
Alas, I have a job and a dog that needs walking, a body that needs the daily exercise, and a whole lot of bills that need me to get my behind out of...
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Half marathon training: day #1
Yesterday dawned cold, damp, and rainy, so while I had planned to hit the pavement as early as possible, I held out long enough that I was able to run with clear skies.
It was day 1 of my half marathon training and my first day running again in about 2 months. I was a bit nervous when I headed out but settled into a nice rhythm - fast enough to be a bit challenging, but not so fast that I...
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Back in Action!
A really great personal training session can always turn a bad day on its ear. I wrote yesterday about realizing how much I needed exercise in my life to feel balanced and healthy. The proof is in the pudding: on Tuesday I had a kickass workout and felt beyond amazing.
I was worried about the workout after my month hiatus, but it ended up being AMAZING. I was completely dedicated and gave it...
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End of January, Back to the Gym
I had a really hard day Tuesday, capping off a rough month, as noted in this post. Things have been off, I wasn’t feeling my best mentally, and things were just really discombobulated.
Things have been hard at work and stuff has been really falling through the cracks. I’ve been eating more, and eating more unhealthfully, veering into some bingeing territory. I’ve been shopping a few...
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