I'm hooked on a feeling

On Monday I started my 5k clinic at the Running Room.  I'm sad that Carol is no longer my running instructor.  She really rocked...and called me Lynn up until a month ago.  However, all of my running gals, with the exception of Jennifer, have moved onto the 5k clinic with me.  Our new instructor Eric seems like an amiable dude.  So I'm sure all will be wonderful.  I'm hoping to work on improving my speed during this clinic as well as running more hills.

Our "For women Only" clinic.
Enz, me and Bev in the back.  Carol, Jennifer and Tanya up front.

I have a race next weekend.  Another 5k...the Run for Wells.  This is my first, and likely only race without a medal.  At least it is chip timed so I can see if my speed has improved since the Hazel 5k.  I have races planned every month until November.  I was getting a little addicted, so I've limited myself to one per month.  I can't afford to enter any more than that.   After the Run for Wells comes the Meredith Hagan Inspiration Run.  I'm looking forward to this one.  It's near and dear to Tanya's heart because her fiance went to school with Meredith.  It's a 5.6k trail run with hills.  I'm looking forward to the challenge and for supporting such a worthy cause.

Yesterday I had dinner out at a work function.  It was a banquet style dinner.  The only thing I could eat was the chicken breast and the 4 stalks of asparagus served with the entree.  So I could not eat the cream of mushroom soup, the rolls, the mashed potatoes, the apple crumble dessert with ice cream, the iced cupcake lollipops or the two kinds of cake (chocolate and vanilla).  According to everyone at my table, it was all pretty tasty.  Some questioned how I could not be tempted to indulge in the many desserts that were served.  It was surprisingly easy.  I drank a ton of water and just reminded myself how great I felt.  No food could replace that feeling.

I saw many people that I have not seen in a few months and must have gotten at least (and I'm not even exaggerating) a dozen comments on my appearance.  During the work day, I got an additional 6 comments from people who see me on a daily basis.  I was wondering if my appearance changed dramatically over night.  It is a big incentive to keep going when I get so many positive comments.  Makes me want to reach my goal more than ever.

Today I went through the clearance racks at Old Navy.  I found a score.  A pair of shorts for under $6.  Right now I have no shorts and my 16R jeans and capris are getting a bit baggy.  Baggy but still comfortable.  So I purchased the shorts in size 14R.  A size I haven't seen since my hubby and I were first dating.  I figured I'd fit into them in a few weeks.  So I bring them home and try them on...and they fit perfectly.  Man, I love that feeling!

My $5.90 Old Navy shorts.  Cute huh?

A house full of sickos

What a weekend.  Friday my little dude was sent home late in the day for vomiting three times.  He comes home, goes to bed and my husband calls me while I'm two hours away to tell me that the boy is sick.  So I say, "did you put a bucket and maybe a garbage bag down beside his bed?" Simple answer of "nope".  So I suggest he does just that and he insists he's pretty sure he's done.  So Julien woke up and vomited three more times all over his bed and rug.  Men are so dense.  I spent Saturday morning at the laundry mat washing his duvet and pillows.  So now the hubby is ill and I'm with my little guy for the day because although he's almost 100%, he still has a little bout of the diarrhea here and there.

I felt so bad for him yesterday.  We went to see the Imagination Movers in Kitchener, Ontario yesterday and he was sooooooooo excited.  The concert started out with Julien singing and dancing, he was so happy to be there.  Then as time wore on, I could see he was getting real quiet and clingy.  When the show was done, he said he had to go to the bathroom right away.  Then he had a pretty explosive episode in the washroom.  My poor little dude.  I asked him why he didn't tell me earlier and he said he didn't want to miss the show.  I really did enjoy myself (I didn't want to go, but the hubby was sick) and the show was pretty interactive.  The guys came down into the audience quite a bit and Julien was so excited because he got to high five 3 of the 4 Movers.  Definitely worth a look if they come to your area and your kids are fans.

This weekend was pretty decent exercise wise.  We started 5 and 1's at the running clinic on Friday.  All went pretty well.  It was the first time I felt like a real runner.  If you had told me 5 weeks ago that I would be running for 5 minutes straight and not only could keep up with everyone, but hold a conversation during, I would have laughed at you.  After the clinic I went out with my running girls and we had a nice dinner at the Bean Bar in Hamilton.

Saturday was my Yoga class and I was so stiff at the beginning of the class.  I could feel my back cracking as I lay on my mat on the floor.  I don't sweat during the class, but boy do I feel the stretches in my joints.  By the time the class was over, I felt flexible and refreshed.  I personally think that the Yoga on Saturday helps with my Sunday morning run.  I'm definitely not a morning runner.  Other than this Sunday past, the only other time I truly had a good run Sunday morning was three weeks ago when I first started yoga.  There was no Yoga last Saturday because it was the Easter weekend.

Last Sunday when I ran Cootes Drive with my clinic instructor, I felt like I wanted to die.  I did the same run yesterday and it was 100% easier.  Like night and day.  Coming backup the incline was not nearly as difficult as it was a week ago and it amazes me how quickly my body has adapted to this whole running thing.  I have three races scheduled in the next month or so.  The Chocolate Race in Port Dalhousie (April 29th), The Hazel 5K in Mississauga (May 5th), and the Run for Wells in Burlington (May 26th).  I'm nervous, but excited at the same time.  My goal is to finish the races by running/walk intervals of 8 and 1 (Chocolate), and 10 and 1 for the other 2.  I may be really daring and sign up for the Hamilton Marathon in November and register for the 10K.

I get weighed for the first time in three weeks this Thursday.  I think I've been doing pretty good food wise.  The only thing I've been eating more of is Phase 2 veggies and I have a glass of wine here and there (which is also allowed on Phase 2).  Other than that, I still mostly follow Phase 1 of the diet.  I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in over 10 years on Friday.  I took my client to register and attend her first meeting ever.  Although I know WW works for many people, I'm not optimistic it will work for my client.  She's excited she gets to use her points on whatever types of food she wants and will still undoubtedly eat processed bad foods, but still may stay within her points.  I'm doubtful she will lose weight this way.  I did like the meeting part though where we discussed exercise and keeping active.  I may look into Overeaters Anonymous for her too.  Maybe that along with WW will be more helpful for her.

All I can say is, I better not get sick.  I have a rumbly in my tumbly today and I hope it's just the cramps from my monthly gift.  Since I never had to clean up vomit, I'm holding out hope that the virus has skipped me.  Probably wishful thinking on my part!

Seasons change and so do I

So close....but I'm officially at 69 pounds lost.  I was hoping to get to 70 at today's weigh-in, but alas, it will have to wait until my next visit to Dr. Pitt on the 19th of April.  That's just over three weeks away.  Needless to say, it appears as though my weight-loss is slowing a bit.  I'm not doing anything differently eating wise (mostly phase 1, some phase 2 on running days), but I am running three times a week.  I remember my good friend Enz telling me that when she started running last summer, her weight didn't change, but her clothing size got smaller.  I'm not concerned about the numbers on the scale, I'm more focused on learning to run and preparing for my first 5k at the end of April.

That's right, I signed up for the Chocolate Race in Port Dalhousie on April 29th.  By that time I should be running 8 and 1's.  So that is likely how I will run the 5k.   The weekend after I'm doing the Starbucks Coffee Hazel 5k in Mississauga.  Then I think there's one in Burlington at the end of May...I'm becoming a bit of an addict here.  I run with a great group of supportive ladies and we're signing up for these races together.  That's what I love about the Running Room.  There's a lot of support and a real social aspect to it.  Makes me feel included.  In a sport no less!  Such a change from always being the fat kid never picked during sports in gym class.

So I did something this past weekend I have been doing regularly.  Purging my old clothes.  Once they no longer fit, I get rid of them.  I refuse to give myself permission to "grow" back into bigger clothes again.  In the past, I have held onto various sizes of clothing.  They may not have been in my closet, but they were in tupperwear somewhere in my house.  It's so freeing for me to give away my old clothes.  I feel like I'm shedding my skin and being reborn.  That's a bit corny, but you know what I mean.  I've pretty much purged all of my winter clothes.  Got rid of all the regular and plus-size 18's.  The only depressing thing is I'm passing them onto a client who has gained a substantial amount of weight in a short period of time.

The weather here has been unstable to say the least.  It was shorts and t-shirt weather a week ago, and this morning it was minus 1 when I left for work.  I really want to unload my winter coat.  It's a 3x and looks a bit big on me.  Okay, it looks a lot big on me, but damn it,  I was too cheap to buy a new one this winter hoping knowing that I would only be wearing it for one winter.  By next winter, I hope to be at goal or at the very least, painfully close to goal.

Last week, a co-worker asked me a very fair question about my weight-loss.  Why now?  Why now indeed. Why didn't I do this before I got married? (I did, but gained the weight back super fast.  Starvation diets do not work Dr. Bernstein.)  Why didn't I do this before I got pregnant?  Why didn't I do this after I had my son?  Well the only straight answer I can give is, because I wasn't ready.  I've always wanted to lose weight, but I wasn't ready to.  I wasn't ready to put in the hard work and determination.  My son, of course, has been motivation for me as well.  By remaining morbidly obese, I increase my risk of so many things.  You all know this so I'm not going to bore you with "the list".  Bottom line, I could die young and it's not fair to my son to have to lose me at a young age when I have total control over this.  He deserves to have a mother till he's a grown man and a grandmother for his children.  I'll settle for nothing less.