Holy crap, I'm going to weigh 12 lbs by September!!

Not lose 12 lbs...WEIGH 12 lbs!  I love tennis too much!  My tennis pal and I have to force ourselves to stop after 2 hours.  We played through spotty rain today and only stopped then because the court got too slippery to play safely, and I slipped and scuffed up my shin.  I was exhausted and exuberant and wanted push on for another 3 hours.  I ate 1319 calories today, and burned 925 simply having fun w/ my friend.  This rocks!!  I want to do this every single day, but I can't eat enough to compensate for it.  I'll just wither away and die.  Plus, I already bought a beautiful vintage wedding dress and had it fitted, and I weighed about 155 then.  I either have to limit the tennis or get one of those camel packs and fill it with maple syrup to keep sipping from while I play.  Or I'll need to have the dress re-fitted (which will be a real bitch since it was a total reconstruction with material taken from some places and sewn into others by a vintage clothing specialist.  Oy!!  She's gonna kill me!)

In all likelihood,  I'll stay too busy to play tennis more than twice a week.  This week though -it's twice!  Plus I'm planning to get a good strenuous hike in over the long weekend.  Ha!  It's so odd that I'm suddenly finding myself thinking of ways to healthfully increase my calorie intake...just enough to keep fueling great workouts.

Your Daily Summary

806

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1200	1319	- 925	394

It's the usual time of night that I pop in a workout DVD.  I really, really want to right now.  I am stopping myself b/c that seems a little nuts after 2 hrs of tennis just a few hours ago, and a sore morning after last night's workout.  Plus, I should get to sleep earlier.  I've been saying that for many weeks but haven't really put in the effort to make that change.

I think I'm just crazy-motivated right now.  Gotta make up for last week, and I'm so psyched for June and summertime and wedding planning and the pool being open and the fact that my legs feel so much more muscular than they did this winter.  Damn, that's a good feeling!!!

OK - going to bed.  Hope to read through all you RFSC members' blogs tomorrow when it's slow at work.

Motivation pic for today - (how cool is this chick?!)

ONE! FOUR!! FOUR!!!! 144lbs! 10.4 lbs lost!! 3 since last week!

Let this serve as a reminder to us all on our weeks when we're dumbfounded by the scale not budging despite all our effort, or going UP when it seems scientifically impossible for us to have gained weight.... It will all balance itself out over time.  Keep working, keep making good food choices even after you consume a meal you regret and feel like you've "lost" the day of progress.  KEEP AT IT.  I had two of those days this week.  I had over 1,000 calories just for Mothers Day brunch this Sunday.  I was discouraged and started thinking the week was going to be a waste and I'd have to wait til next week to make progress.  Last night I almost didn't workout because I had resigned myself to the probability that I'd have gained weight this week.  I thought of PlumPetals and her early morning "should I get up and workout?" post, and decided I wanted to feel the way she felt after just doing it.  About 15 min into it, I started getting really motivated, thinking about making a dent in the scale # I'd see this morning.  I was determined to...even if it was only .1 lb, and even if it was due to lost sweat rather than burned fat.  I ended up burning 54 more calories than usual with this workout...used the 10 lb dumbell where I had been using the 5.  Kicked higher.  Squatted lower. 

I FEEL AMAZING!!!!  I could really, truly reach 140 by June!!! 

My fiance and I just set a wedding date of October 20th.  I should be well out weight loss mode by then, but my primary goal now isn't even to enjoy the summer at 140 lbs, but rather to develop eating and exercise habits that will keep me there into October and beyond.  My fiance and I are happy Catholics and we're not living together (or doing anything else together) until we're married.  So all that cellulite on the back of my thighs and butt I'm so determined to burn off?  He hasn't seen it yet.  And if I keep this up, he never will.  (Uh - "keep this up" meaning the diet/fitness routine, not the abstaining from sex routine.  That routine I'm counting the days til I can give up forever.)  I want to look the best I've ever looked on my honeymoon.  I'll probably wear clothes on the airplane, but after that, I plan to stay naked the entire 1st week or two of marriage.

144!!!  PSYCH!!!!!!

You can't out-exercise a bad diet.

I've been making more and more little excuses for myself with my snack choices lately, and I think that must be why I'm not seeing results on the scale.  I was doing well, and I tend to go too easy on myself when I realize it's not that hard to lose weight and tone up...I'm succeeding, and I'm enjoying the process, so it's obviously not that hard.  Then I crave a bagel and I tell myself, "it's not supposed to be that hard - I don't feel depived, and I'm succeeding, so no need to limit myself so much... just enjoy the bagel and I'll still stay on track."  Sure - once in awhile I can and should do that.  But I think I did it too much this past week.  And I also haven't been getting nearly enough sleep. I have to make that my new, immediate priority.  No point having a low body fat % if I crash my car after dozing off at the wheel.  Fitness can only do so much for ya...

My motivation pic today isn't posted here - it's on Raeesa's blog because it's her progress pic.  And Jenn's new before/after pic.  And Maren's new wardrobe pics.  Freakin' awesome!!  And TOTALLY revved me up to workout hard tonight.  I even burned 30 calories more than usual doing the same workout.  :)

Today's report:

Your Daily Summary

-61

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1210	1760	- 489	1271

Exercise:  Tae Bo Ripped Extreme

Oh - an interesting little bit of info:  For a few years now I've been having some minor discomfort in my right knee when doing high impact workouts.  Nothing to make me stop, but yet it concerned me b/c I thought it might progress into something that could potentially, eventually limit my exercise.  Well, it's totally gone now.  Not a trace of it.  I believe it must be my diet change...I used to try to eat as low fat as possible.  Now, I purposefully add healthy fats in.

Oh - and I ordered this dress from Anthropologie yesterday.  I want my belly to look flat in it, and the gathered drapes to flatter my curves.  We shall see if that will be the case - if not this month, then in June.  Belly must be flat though...nothing's worse than a fitted dress with bulges in the wrong places.

What happened to my puff?

Decent day.  I haven't had a day off from exercise in over a week, but I really didn't want one tonight either, so I just did a very quick easy aerobic workout and skipped the weights section.

Your Daily Summary

56

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1210	1347	- 193	1154

So I didn't lose or gain anything this past week.  It's the 1st day of my period, but the strange thing is, my belly looks flatter than usual, and I see new muscle tone in my lower abs.  Where's the puff?  Today, of all days of the month??  I need to go examine my journal at MFP to see what's changed.  Sodium?  Carbs?   Jillian Michaels after-effects?

I really have to have an excellent week now to not only figure out and keep up the bloat-reduction, but to also take advantage of the fact that the week after my period is usually a good weight loss week.  If I keep my belly flat AND burn more fat off this week, next week can show the best progress of any week I've had yet since I started this in February.  Plus, it's May!  I want to get to 140 by the end of the month.  I know scale #'s are a sillyish kinda goal, but 140 is NOT a lofty goal for me.  I'm actually resisting the urge to change my goal to 135.  140 is healthy eating, some muscle tone, and soft feminine curves.  It's probably my healthiest weight to maintain.  135 would be a struggle.

Plus, I have some pants I ordered from Athleta like 2 years ago that were too snug in the seat, and I kept forgetting to return them.  I still have them somewhere.  I think I'll have to locate them and try them on again.  It would be great to get some pre-paid new clothes now, eh?

End of Week 13, and RFSC Week 6 Goals/Motivation

I got 2 new workout DVD's.  Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed and Shred, and JM's Killer Buns & Thighs.  I did Shed & Shred tonight and it was great!  Not as intense as Insanity, but more stick-with-it-able.  I had to modify some moves (and, admittedly, sit a couple out after a few seconds) when the push up variation moves became excessive towards the end.  So it's good to have something to work up to in the workout.  I DID manage to complete 4 jumping jack push ups though!  Whoo-hoo!!!

Your Daily Summary

358

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1210	1449	- 597	852

It seems my TOM may be starting a little early.  I weigh in tomorrow, so it may not be a great indication of anything, really.  I'm ready for that and won't let it effect my emotions too much.  Unless, of course, I'm  back to 145, in which case I'm going to Snoopy dance!

RFSC Goals this past week:

Weight loss: 1.4 lbs on Tues' weigh in, in 2 days.  (146 lbs).  And below 145 by next Tues' weigh in.

SUCCESS!  Last Tuesday I'd lost exactly 1.4 lbs!  I want to be down another lb tomorrow morning, even if it's TOM.

Fitness:  keep the 14 push ups, and bring them lower to the ground.  

?????  Honestly, I can't tell if I'm going any lower, but I've kept the 14.

Add weighted butt crunches and lunges to 2 workouts this week.  

NOPE!  Only added to one workout this week.

Hike/climb and play tennis again this week.  

SUCCESS!  Tennis - yes!  Hike got cancelled, but I did do the stair climb on the mountain trail.

Nutrition:  figure out why I'm bloating and try to improve it.

NOPE!  But I certainly saw what a large tub of popcorn at the movies did to help the matter.  Egads!

NSV:  Try 2 new recipes

SUCCESS!  I tried FOUR!  All were wonderful!  One was a simple homemade pesto, which I'd never made from scratch before.  SOOO easy and so worth it!  The other 3:

Fruit Salsa - strawberries, apples, kiwis, raspberries and blueberries chopped up small, w/ baked cinnamon sugar whole wheat pita bits.

Sugar Snap Pea and Shrimp Curry 

FAB - U- LOUS!!!

My goals for Week 6 - 

Weight Loss:   .8 lbs

NSV:  PRE-PLAN MEALS!  Try a quinoa recipe, cut more bread from diet.  

Fitness:   Keep mixing it up -  strength and cardio, indoors and outdoors, lots of variety.  Play tennis and hike this week.

My favorite motivation pictures:

Hilary Swank looking amazingly fit and toned. 

Lots of food, lots of exercise

Did my early morning freezing tennis, and I feel excellent for it!  The friend I play with is a relatively new friend and a cancer survivor and she loves living life to the fullest...and that seems to include playing tennis as early as necessary rather than say "not this week - gotta work."  Or "not this Saturday - temps are right around freezing."  Nope - we played.  We laughed.  We had a blast.  And we burned over 500 calories.  (And I'm slowly improving my backhand to the point where I don't end up going completely over the fence or accidentally throwing my racket as I hit the ball.)    The best part about tennis, other than this great friend?  We have no rules.  We know the rules, but we don't care all that much who is supposed to serve or if the ball bounced once or twice, etc.  Oh, it's fun!!

Other exercise today:  Walked the long stairway at the start of a mountain trail near my town with my guy.  Long dirt path uphill leading to the stairs, then 3 times up and down the stairs, 16 min total: 150 calories.  I doubled up on the stairs b/c doing so made me ache right where I most want to improve my muscle tone - my quads.  I want that definition down the side of my legs just about as much as I want a flat belly.  My fiance suggested I try it 3 steps at a time next time, even if that means I'm doing full form lunges to reach that far, and have to go considerably slower.  I think I'll try that!

I posted these pics last time I climbed these stairs, but here we go again:

This photo is from some other hiker's blog I found when I google searched images of this trail.  Doncha love that dude sticking his head out from under the staircase like a bridge troll?

Your Daily Summary

-78

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1210	2031	- 743	1288

One more quick spurt of exercise: after a trip into the city tonight, I had to walk from the train to a friend's house to borrow her car to get home.  Mild hill, walked very fast since I had to go past a bar that kinda gives me the creeps with some grubby looking unfamiliars outside, and then down some very dark, empty sidewalks to get to the house.  So like a speedwalk.  It was only like 55 calories, but I tallied it up to counteract some of the crap I ate today:  McDonald's Angus burger (hold the mayo and 1 of the 2 slices of cheese, since y'know, I'm eating healthy here folks...Pass me a fry?), and about 3/4 of a LARGE popcorn at the movies (hold the extra butter b/c...yeah, y'know...)

I think I caught a very teeny tiny glimpse of a new mindset today that may or may not eventually develop into my full fledged mindset....that remains to be seen...But it was focused more on my fitness than on my weight loss.  Like a week may come soon when I don't care what the scale says, but I DO care how many times I can climb these stairs, or how many push ups I can do on my toes.  (Still maxing out at 14, and WOW that 14th is a killer!!  And that's not even consistent - sometimes it's 8.)

This past month I've lost 1 inch from my thighs, .25 inch from my calves, .75 inch from my hips, and not a damn thing from my waist.  (Oddly, my goal was to lose mainly from my waist/belly.  If I'm not gonna, I'd rather keep my big round butt and sizeable thighs intact to hopefully make my waist seem small in comparison.  I'd far prefer this:

to this:

Or this:

Seeing NSV Progress

Wow!  Advanced Tae Bo was always my hard workout.  I've had lots of other video/DVD workouts over the years, but Tae Bo was always challenging because I could always kick higher, contract my abs harder, punch with more force - whatever it took to rev it up and keep it challenging for my muscles and my heart.  And the moves are fun, so it never got boring.

A few weeks ago I bought a new Tae Bo DVD - "Get Ripped Extreme", or something like that.  It's heavy on the arm weights.  The whole 2nd half is upper body and as hard as I want it to be, depending on the weights.  Conversely, the old Tae Bo has a very challenging legwork section at the end.  The new workout burns more calories and I think it's harder overall, though that could just be because it's new to me and I've been doing the old one for 14 years.

I hadn't done the old one since I got the new one.  I've also done Insanity a few times since starting RFSC, and been pushing myself with other new workouts lately.  Tonight I popped in the old Tae Bo though, and am feeling AMAZING to realize that it's gotten significantly less challenging even when giving it my all.  AHHH!!!  How cool is that?!?!  Admittedly, the legwork at the end is still a bitch and a half, so I'll probably keep with it every now and then for that reason.

Your Daily Summary

-14

CALORIES REMAINING

Goal	Food	Exercise	= Net
1210	1666	- 442	1224

I have a job tomorrow morning that interferes in my new tennis routine.  (Saturdays 9am).  So my friend and I decided to play early enough to get our usual 2 hours, have time to shower and then get to my job.  That means SIX A.M!!!  Not only am I a night owl, NOT a morning person, but we're also having a freeze warning overnight and expect temps at or below 40 degrees F at 6am.  I am so very very un-psyched about this, yet I haven't really considered cancelling.  I think that's a very good sign!

Speaking of getting up early, I think I better get to sleep now.

Motivation time:

NOT how I look playing tennis, but abolutely how I feel.