Working hard to get my fill

So, it's been a good week! No scale victories, as it were, but lots and lots of non-scale type victories.

I started week two of Couch to 5K yesterday, and did awesome, if I do say so myself. I'm especially proud of myself because the place I run (our parking lot) is on a very steep hill- so half the time I have to run up hill. I think it's definitely showing in my butt- firm like a ROCK. I was worried last week, so I was timing my runs so they were always down hill. Now that I'm running for longer that's not possible, I just went with it last night,and it wasn't so bad!

The running on concrete is killing my knees, though. They aren't so bad today, but during and after my run they felt terrible. All this weight pushing them down, only to have that shock from the pavement push back? I don't have any where else to do this at the moment (unless I use the mostly broken treadmills down at the clubhouse) so I'm going to have to adjust.Or lose more weight.

Though a friend did mention there is a track at a city park about a mile down the road we can use- I'd walk there but it's a mile down the road on a highway with no shoulder, so driving the whole four minutes would be best. I'm going to check it out this weekend. If it isn't concrete, or if I can run around the outside of the track, I may just start making the silly drive three times a week to save my knees.

I'm really starting to like running- I honestly hated it growing up, and would only run if I were being chased. Even then I would usually just give up. Good thing my life never depended on it! But now, it's something I want to do and look forward to. Even during my cool downs when I'm supposed to be walking, I tend to run at least part of it to burn off the rest of my energy.

And my distances have been getting so much better! Last night I managed to do 2.3 miles in 30 minutes. Just a few weeks ago I was only able to walk 3 miles in just under an hour. I feel very confident that, barring any injuries, by the time I go home in August I'll be able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes. And that will be on dirt roads,so even better!

My diet has sucked lately. For some reason this week I've been ravenous but nauseated. I haven't even hit 1000 cals today, and I'm starving, but when I go near food I can't eat it without wanting to throw up immediately. The past three days have been like that. Better not be pregnant!

I'm having a hard time figuring out the calories I should be eating, anyway. I was using a combination of apps and calculations I found online, and then averaging them out since they varied wildly. I had been shooting for 1500 a day, and 1600 on days I worked out hard (break a real sweat, want to cry when I'm done work outs, not three reps of squats and calling it a day work outs). That has been working- slowly. SLOWLY. Like, lose a pound a month slowly. So I was trying to vary it, going up a little, going down a little, but nothing seems to really work. Going down too little and I'm always hungry, going up to high and I feel gross and bloated.

So, what I've decided to do is focus on the two things I really need to make sure I get enough: Protein and Fiber. Fiber for my poor digestive track that likes to make my life miserable,and protein because, frankly, the only time I've seen awesome weightloss was when I was eating 100 grams or more a day. I'm participating in a round of 90 Days Goal over at Reddit, and sprint two kicked off this week, so that's my focus this month. Getting my protein and fiber and not worrying so much about the calories, and working on Couch to 5K.

I'm seeing crazy changes in my body, and I'm digging it.I'm not in danger of becoming a super model any day soon, but I'm not hating myself completely when I look in the mirror. And I'm looking in the mirror a lot more lately, to watch the changes. It's been fun.

Dust and cobwebs

Well. It's been awhile. I'd tell you I've been busy (which I have been) but that's so overused. This just hasn't been in my top priorities. I recently started doing writing exercises over at 750words.com, and since I like seeing those x's across the top of the screen, and I sometimes don't feel like writing about my writing and I don't always have issues to work out, I'll use that for this 2 days a week. (Like now!)

So, I'm doing steady as far as fitness. I recently restarted (as in last week) the Couch to 5K program, and I'm already doing better than the last time I attempted it. Of course, the last time I attempted it, it was about a month after I had surgery and I was also 20 pounds heavier than I am now. I'm still planetary, but every little bit helps.

I find I can walk/run better and faster when I'm alone. And at night. Maybe once I get my stamina and speeds up, I'll want to do this with other people, but at the moment it's nice to put my head phones on and just go, and not worry if I'm slowing anyone down or having to listen to unwanted, unhelpful advice. (I know I'm slow right now. I'm a big girl who NEVER ran in my life. I'm going to be slow.I don't want to hurt myself. Right now I just need to work on my form and breathing. I don't need to go faster right now. It's week one. I can go as slow as I need.)

Right. I had been doing the 150 dips/200 squats program, but my last week coincided with my husband's brother-in-law passing away. I'm going to try this week to do my final 'test' (to see how many I can do at a time) and then start both programs over, for my off days from C25K.

The body changes are so slow, but for the first time I can see visible changes on myself. My legs are turning back into the ones I had that all my friends were jealous of. My forearms are so damn bony I keep hurting myself. I set my arm down expecting that fat cushion, and it's gone. My face is getting thinner. And all of this is awesome, but it makes my middle look even bigger. Ah well. Can't expect miracles.

I've recently started adding protein powder to my food- I'm very consistent with it during the work week, but the weekends just suck as far as my eating goes. I fall right into my husband's schedule of staying up late/sleeping in, so my first meal usually isn't until after noon or one, and at that point I don't have the patience to eat well. I just want food. (Not that I eat terribly, but my go to for something fast is usually lacking in fiber and protein, and those are the two things I need the most. I've started making my own breakfast shakes (I had been drinking ones from Svelte- which are fucking delicious, but also pricey), I have a Clif Builders bar for lunch with some fruit, some almonds in the afternoon for a snack, and then dinner is usually some tofu/bean/veggie mix. On days I work out I have frozen banana mixed with protein powder and PB2 after (because it is tasty).

I -love- PB2. It's a good snack for when I'm hungry but don't want to eat a meal and don't want to mindlessly snack. I just mix up a serving with almond milk and eat it with a spoon, or fruit. Good stuff.

So that's what's been going on with me. Today is day three of week one for C25K, and I'm hoping it cools down some by nightfall (it's been in the 90's all weekend, which is gorgeous but not conducive to beginner running). My ultimate goal with C25K is to be up to running 3 miles by the time I visit my family in August. If I could lose some more weight before then, that too would be awesome.

Despite slow weight losses and barely moving inches, I am down 2 sizes in my shirts and down a size in pants. That's pretty awesome, despite the fact I have nothing in these sizes in my closet. If I can make it down one more size, I have plenty, but apparently I skipped right over this size when I was gaining all the weight. Boo.