Fire Up for Fall Update

I started this post yesterday and got busy.  Second attempt:

I weighed myself Monday and Tuesday morning at 236.8, up 0.8 from Sunday.  I think I weighed myself 4 times, so I know for sure that that's what I weigh. I know I ate right Sunday (well, it was <1100 calories, even if some of it was leftover apple crumble!) and worked out Monday morning on the elliptical.  As long as I practice the right behaviors, I'm not terribly worried about the scale from day to day (as long as it mooooves).

I felt great emotionally on Monday, and when there was extra food after a lunch meeting, I got an Italian Mix wrap (1/2), and a sugar cookie.  OMG, that was a mistake!  It's been so long since I've had italian mix meats that my gut flora can't digest it any more.  It was a rough afternoon of discomfort.

I'm really getting off on feeling my muscles growing.  Other times I've lost weight, I've done it without working out, so it's been YEARS since I felt a muscle.  I pulled a workout off Pinterest that struck me as do-able and not time-consuming (I changed the numbers to make it easier to remember and may try to work up to the whole thing).

First thing in the morning:
50 jumping jacks
40 second plank
30 crunches
20 mountain climbers
10 pushups
5 burpees

I'm putting off starting Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred because I remember how tough it is!  I definitely want to give it a shot before the end of the year though. 

Anyway, here's the Fire Up for Fall update:

Positive picture is me in the blue lace dress. For comparison, I added a shot from August before I started.  Ugh, I can hardly look at my huge bootay.  Or rather, my formerly huge bootay!  I'll put the same clothes on and re-take that pic later this week.

 

1. What have you done this week towards your goals? Worked out most days and ate within my calorie goals.  My emotional upheaval of the past month seems to have calmed down.  I still don't have friends that I can feel comfortable and be myself around, but I'm feeling better that things are moving in the right direction.

2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous? 

I tried on my blue lace dress and found that it mostly fits now!!

I did an all-day meditation workshop that left me feeling very peaceful and whole.

3. What is the most positive thing you've taken away from this challenge?
I'm always so serious and so private that it was very nice to relax and open up a little and answer questions about myself, about things that I normally don't even think about - like the last question today!

4. It's your last week, the run to the finish, what is your priority? 

When I started this challenge, I was focused on working out a lot and pushing myself physically.  That hasn't turned out the way I expected (because I'm pretty busy, and I've been sedentary for over 25 years), but I've done OK at doing 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week (elliptical/weights).  Consistency at a lower level rather than going for flash and burning out has worked well.  I think I want to push myself a little more this week, with heavier weight workouts, and doing more difficult elliptical/sweating workouts on alternate days.  Then I'll come back to the workouts I am doing now and it will feel easy-peasy.

5. Fun Stuff: Desert Island, you can take 1 person, 1 famous person and 3 items besides food and water. Who and What do you take?

I want the one person to be somebody that I can have great sex with, and talk to for hours and hours and hours.  The problem is that I don't have anybody like that in my life.  Even if you take away the great sex part, I still don't have anybody that I'd like to talk to for hours and hours and  hours.  Hm.  Sad. I'm going to save a space for that person.  Famous person: because I'm high on the whole meditation thing, I'll go with Thich Nhat Hanh, a famous Buddhist teacher.  I'd always be learning, and seeing the joy in every moment.  Wonderful!
Three items would be my mp3 player and a solar charger because I can't live without music, and a huge towel/blanket to dry off, sleep on, etc.