Staying on Track While Vacationing

Remember last Thursday when I was all, "I'm not going to eat ranch dressing tomorrow"? Friday I went to lunch at a salad bar. There was a plethora of ranch. There has been a plethora of ranch since. I haven't exactly resisted. You win some, you lose some, right?

Let's see. I'm nearly half way through my Challenge and I've only lost 5 or 6 pounds of the 20 pounds I've gained over the last year. This is the bad news. The GOOD news is yesterday I achieved a huge goal. On a treadmill, I ran a 5k in 30 minutes. Not 38, or 36, or 34..... I paced myself at a 10 minute mile for 3.1 miles. I started running over 2 years ago, and yesterday was the first time I have ever done this. I was actually running about a 9.5 minute mile for a good bit of the time! I know it seems like a snail's pace to some of you who are more "seasoned" runners, but for a chunk-a-munk like me - I just won the overweight Olympics. Woo!

I'm keeping my food situation under control for the most part. I did relapse a few times over the weekend on wonderful things like thin crust pizza, and pot-luck food at a party - BUT I try to burn whatever I eat in my workouts, and I've stayed away from most junk food.

I no longer hate this challenge that I have made for myself. I am starting to see gradual changes in my body and my energy levels are ridiculous. The only parts of the challenge I haven't been 100% consistent with are the blogging ( Sometimes I'm too busy exercising, or cooking healthy food, or laying on the floor in my own puddle of sweat while small children jump on me), and I've missed 2 or 3 calorie logging days. To me, I think I'd say I'm still going strong! No one said I had to be great.. just good enough, right?! That's always been my motto, anyway.

My family and I are going out of town this weekend. There will be no blogging, and yes, there will probably be even more ranch dressing and enjoyable food. However, there will also be a treadmill near the cabin and a big, beautiful beach to run on. I think I'll be okay.

Any tips on staying on track while vacationing? Not eating wonderful vacation-food isn't an option.

Thoughts From a Hungry Girl

So here is something I've discovered over the course of my challenge: I'm obsessed with skinniness. Honestly, it's taking over my life. This can't be good, right? It's so much more fun to exercise and eat right when the goal is to become healthy - not to fit into a size 6. This whole situation isn't fun. I'm hungry and my legs hurt.

I went for a 3 mile run the other night, which was nice. There really is nothing like the feeling of endorphins shooting into your brain. Also, there really is nothing like running by a store window and catching the reflection of a wooly mammoth. Windows do motivate me to train a little bit harder, and to smile more. The Lord knows I like to look like I'm enjoying myself to the passer-byes.

Tonight I did yoga. Man, I really suck at yoga. I guess that's why they call it a "practice", no?

Tomorrow night is Friday night. Naturally, I don't have any plans. I'd like to challenge myself at the gym and see how many calories I can burn in one night. Who knows? Maybe I can make myself pass out or throw up or something! That sounds a lot more like my Friday nights circa 2002. I was skinny back then, just sayin'.

 I'm not going to eat any ranch dressing tomorrow. That crap is really messing with my calorie situation.

There, now you all know what I'm doing. What exactly are YOU doing? Are you craving cheesecake as much as I am? Anyone?

Trying to Get Skinny Sucks

Well crap. Sorry I missed a couple of days blogging. I know I promised I would write every day of my Challenge, but with 3 kids and a job and actually doing all of the OTHER things I promised to do, sometimes I don't wanna.

Since I can only take one day off from the exercise per week, I suppose I have to go until next Sunday before I get a break. I accidentally took Saturday and Sunday off from working out this week. There is a valid reason, though. Friday night my girlfriends all got together for a few cocktails. I can't pass that up, right?! I accidentally had a few too many of said cocktails, thus leaving my body extremely dehydrated and useless on Saturday. Sunday was a no-go because my husband went fishing ALL DAY, and the gym's daycare isn't open on Sunday. You see? Semi valid excuses.

My weight isn't flying off as quickly as it has in the past. This is either because my metabolism is slowing down in my elderly age, or I'm not doing the dieting right. I have stayed right around my calorie goal every day, and I'm making healthy choices. Really, I think my body just secretly likes being fat so it's fighting me.

I will win.