Tuesday, January 27, 2009

progress?

I see a difference...do you?

I was looking at myself in the mirror earlier and I was shocked. My body has changed in the past few weeks. Not much is showing on the scale, but I know things are shifting because I look tighter. I used to be very much an apple, and now I think I look almost proportionate.

I love that shirt, btw. I think I can almost wear it out at this point. Shirts are always a strange thing. Even if it looks nice from the chest up, I have to go up a size because of the loose skin around my tummy. When I suck in I see baby abs, though! Which is very promising!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Motivation, Success, and Helping People Realize Dreams

Yesterday was a really great day. I started out kind of sleepy, kind of unwilling to go out to the gym and push myself to do my 6 mile run, but it ended up being a really positive experience.

Me and my friend Cintia, we're best friends and we always push ourselves to be better people. She's an amazing person and I am happy that I have her in my life. Without her, and without you guys who are there supporting me, I don't think I would have gotten as strong-willed as I am today.

Well, now we've kind of taken it on as our mission to help people around us who want the help. Cintia's sister Maggie has started running and going to the gym with us, and last night when we did the 6 mile run, she came with us. She's gotten to 5 miles before, but she's never run 6 miles, and that last block we all ran together was really awesome and it felt really rewarding to see her smile and tell us that we made a difference and pushed her to a new level. Her boyfriend's sister might even start running with us. We'll be signing up for a half marathon in May soon, and I'm excited.

I had a great idea the other day when I was walking home from this training program for work. I want to run and raise money for the place I work for. It's called The Guild for Exceptional Children, and it has a number of day programs and housing facilities all geared toward the care and education of men, women, and children with developmental disabilities. I'm in the very beginning stages of going around to friends and family and talking about it, but I hope it can become a reality.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

My resting heart rate :D


I haven't done one of these in a while. :) The first time I checked at this machine my resting heart rate was about 80 and my blood pressure was a little over normal.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Hardcore


Holy crap. For the past few weeks I've been doing things like running when it's 10 degrees with a windchill in the negatives, or running while it's snowing (it's warmer while it snows), and pumping iron. I'm wondering if my arms have any definition yet. One of the things I want to happen with the lifting of weightage is for my arms to shrink up and look tighter. We'll see! I am excited though. The guys at the gym are impressed with me and my friend. Pretty awesome. At first I was apprehensive about the gym, but now I love it, especially if my friend is there and we trade off doing machines or using the free weights. Now that I'm more familiar with things I feel less weird. That machine that works your inner thighs will always make me feel weird though, sorry. LOL.

I felt so energized after running while it was snowing last night. Especially when I was going downhill and it felt like I was flying through a magical forest. I was running by the golf course, and with the snow accumulating on the branches everything looked sparkly. Absolutely breathtaking. You should all try it. Dress warm, though! You'd be surprised how little you feel the cold if you push yourself hard enough and have something that covers your ears and hands. :)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Unofficial celebration!


I am unofficially down 75 pounds. I've been here before (before the holidays), but I am going to stay here and go even lower this time! 170's here I come! I've been in the 180's for MONTHS now.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

got it!!!

I got the job :)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Spoiled Brat

Yay, I just got back from the gym. :) I have to pat myself on the back because I was fiddling around with the bars today. My friend can't lift anything heavy or run until Sunday so we haven't started lifting together, but I've started acquainting myself with which machines work for me and which don't and how much weight I have to start out with. I also started running again, though I'm still not 100% and it's going to take a little while to get back to where I was. Most of it is mental, though. I can feel myself holding back.

I have my second interview tomorrow, so I'm excited/nervous, but word is that everyone who works in the home is saying that I am starting, so that means I got the job, I think. The interview might just be a formality for the manager to meet with me. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle it...did I bite off more than I can chew? I don't know. I guess I'll see. I can't psych myself out before I even start. That's not a good way to be. I just know it's going to be very difficult, especially with school. I have never worked and gone to school full time before and I'm a spoiled brat. The idea of having so much responsibility with these people who are going to be counting on me is scary. There, I admit it. XD

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Momentum










That's the title for Weight Watchers' new program, and it's what I'm building back up now.


I weighed in Saturday at my center at 186 pounds. I've gained three pounds since November, which really isn't that bad considering I haven't been running very often and eating too much. I was maintaining until the end of November hit and with all the end of semester stress and the holidays those three pounds crept back on, but I look at it as a victory because this time last year I had gained ten pounds back, threw my diet out the window for finals, and had to struggle to reel myself back in. How beautiful it is that I have learned how to maintain!

I'm mostly over the flu now, and I went to the gym twice last week despite still being stuffy and achy. I'm glad I went. I got a little familiar with what's there and how to do things, and now the real fun begins. LOL. My friend is going to weight train with me. We do everything weight-loss related together. I love her to death. I don't talk about her a lot because she's not really an Internet-type person, but she's been a wonderful friend and supporter. I was doing this on my own until she started with me and she's lost forty pounds. We run together and now we're doing the gym thing together.

I'm excited about this new year. Things are starting to fall into place for me. I feel like I've matured so much in these past two years, but particularly this past year. It's amazing to me; I'm so proud of myself.

My friend (the same girl I train with) went with me today to fill out an application at a center for the education and caretaking of those with mental limitations. I'm not exactly sure what the correct word for it is, but I know what the wrong words are. I met with a few different people today and I got an immediate interview. It looks like they need people and the woman who hires really liked me, so she said I'd be a good fit at one of their homes. I would have loved to be a substitute at their school for special education children, but I have crazy school hours next semester. If I do get it, and I strongly think I will, it will be really tough next semester. School, gym, eating right, and caretaking. Sounds crazy to me, but I think I can do it if I work hard and don't let myself slip in any one thing. 2009, the year I stop being lazy! LOL.

So, that's what's up with me. I'm meeting with the manager of the house I was fitted with on Thursday and if I'm liked, I'll do paperwork and get my background checked. All that lovely stuff. Wish me luck!