Back in the saddle . . .

So . . . things have changed a bit since I first started this blog.  My work schedule is nearly the polar opposite (& apparently I'm trying to work myself to death).  Tuesdays are no longer weigh-in days.  Tuesdays are wake up early because you have to go count all the money in the store at 8 in the morning days.  Thursdays are my steady off day now, so by default they now become weigh-in day.  They are now my only weekday off to get things done, so we'll see how tricky that becomes shortly . . .

But today is Thursday.  And since I'm back in the blogging game now, I guess that means I should update.

I'm going to be honest, I haven't been super productive since last week.  I also haven't had a day off & worked both jobs on 2 of those days.  I'm busy, give me a break.  I did fit in a few Zumba workouts in my apartment & tried to sync up my schedule to get to the gym with my workout buddy Terra.  That didn't turn out so well, though.  However, we're going to make a legit schedule because we want to get in a routine again.  It's coming.

I did eat really well the past week, though.  I owe most of that to my handy dandy Happy Herbivore cookbook.  Her black bean burgers have been my go to lunch for work for the past few weeks now & I am in LOVE with the Tofu Scramble.

It's to DIE FOR.  Especially with a little BBQ sauce on top.  Mmmmmmmm.

Anyway . . . When I started this here blog last year I was tipping the scales at 286 lbs.  Ridiculous, right?  I saw some old pictures of me last night that Terra found on her camera & its crazy how different I look (also, who let me wear such hideous clothes?  Really?).  I was squeezing into XL mens t-shirts & size 26/28 pants.  Last night I bought a size Large dress at Target.  In the Juniors section.

I almost screamed.

Alright, let's get onto it.
Previous weight : 220    (as of last official weigh-in)
Current weight  : 207.5
Total lost 78.5 lbs.

8 more lbs & I'm under 200 for the first time in my ADULT LIFE.  That's one milestone I'm pretty stoked about.  Just saying.  Just 21.5 away from hitting 100 lost.  Dang.  Its game time.

Oh & in 67 days I'm doing a half-marathon (more on that later).  I'm insane.

xoxo

Hiatus, schmiatus. . .

Hey.  It's me.  I'm alive, even if the updates to this blog would lead you to believe otherwise.

I've brought up this box several times, without the words to put in it.  I've done this probably 15 times in the last month alone.

I've been alive since October.  I've maintained since October.  I've been lazy since October.

. . . except if you count going full-time at my normal job, starting a second job, moving yet again & tumbling into the dating world.  3 out of the 4 of those are going quite well.

After Warrior Dash, I lost my motivation.  I'd lost 75 pounds in 10 months & felt fantastic.  After moving to my new place I was 1,000 times happier than I was a year before.  No goals in sight, no set deadline, no movement.

I went home to see my family for Christmas & had them all Ooohhing & Ahhhhing over me.  I was flustered, but felt like a total fraud.  Why are you praising me for being a lazy bum for 2 months!?

Good news is, I didn't start eating everything in sight.  I managed to dodge probably half of the 3 lbs of butter my mother tried to feed me at Christmas.  I had some pitfalls of course & probably drank a few too many beers along the way, but I didn't fall back into my old habits.  Of that I AM proud.

However, aside from one Zumba video at home in December I didn't do a SINGLE workout after Warrior Dash the rest of 2011.  Pathetic.  In my defense, I did have some serious issues with my knee flaring up & a weird pinched nerve issue in my leg.  I need to see a doctor.  Sigh. (But thankfully I'm insured right now!)

Enough about the past.

I've started a new chapter in the past few weeks.  I went on my first run since October on a gorgeous day in January (& 3 more since then).  I visited the gym for the first time since September.  I started tracking again.

That's progress, right?

I realized I need to have something to work towards to keep me going.  I need an event to anticipate.  Reaching an undetermined goal weight isn't enough for me to get off my butt, it seems.  So how about I do a half-marathon?  That's a sane decision, right?  GO! St Louis half-marathon, here I come!  April 15th is reallyyyyyy close & I need to shave a minute off my pace so they don't kick me off the course.

So here I sit on a Thursday night planning most of my meals for the next week+ straight of work, bagging up serving sizes of snacks & baking black bean burgers.  Ahhhh . . . the single life.

Today I ran 3.5 miles & then walked around the zoo for 2.5 hours with my best friend & her 2 little boys.  With my calculations I have a 1200+ calorie deficit for the day.  I'm cool with that.  However tomorrow I'll be on my feet working 15 hours with an endless soda fountain & maraschino cherries at my disposal.  Pray for me.

This is where I leave you for tonight, because it's time for bed.  I feel like everything is falling into place again, that the stars are aligning for me to get it right this time.  Let's hope I'm not just delusional . . .

I've never really posted any old pictures of myself, as I am ashamed of how out of control my eating got.  But my Facebook friends all got a chance to see this a few weeks back, so I figured it's only right that I blog it as well.

New Years 2011 vs 2012. This is what I did last year. :)

Not too shabby, right?  Until next time . . .

xoxo