Weigh Day (week forty-six)

Sheesh – weigh day again.  Already.  I seriously meant to post other things this week and time just kept on flying by.  Next week is vacation (and I am truly excited about that), so I know my weigh day post will be late.  My chicklets and I will be back in town Monday evening (the 4th), so look for weigh day post probably Tuesday morning.

Here is something interesting (to me and maybe to a handful of you)…I have actually contemplated bringing my scale with me on vacation.  Honestly, the idea of not weighing for several days in a row makes me feel anxious.  Also, I am not sure I could be as understanding with myself as Shonnie was with herself after her hiatus in Alaska.  I admire her strength and her trust in herself.  Those are things I still struggle with…on a regular basis.  So, it is very likely I will be packing up the scale.  When you go on vacation, does the scale travel with you?

Here is another something interesting:

Denise’s Survivor Bootcamp (Saturday, May 26th)

 This picture.  I have stared at this picture lots since Denise posted it on Facebook.  Why?  Well, because I find it interesting.  Interesting to see myself (my body) in comparison with others.  Typically I am the one *giant* person standing out in any photo.  When looking at pictures I usually think, “Thin, thin, thin, GIANT!  God, I look like I ate an extra person before they took my picture!”  Here I am, though, in this picture with all these normal people, and I do not look like I am *that* much bigger than any one of them.  I look pretty normal here.  So, why can I not *feel* normal?!  Sigh.

I bought clothes this week.  That was more than a little frustrating.  When I tried on jeans just a couple weeks back at Wal-Mart I fit into a regular size 14.  However, when I switched brands at a different store, guess what?  Size 14, size 15, and size 16 were all tight.  Some of them I could not even get up over my thighs and booty.  The jeans I ended up buying were a size 18, and they were still a little more snug than I would prefer.  Oh well, right?  I tried on some 18s from Old Navy and they were huge on me…so huge that a belt would not have even helped that situation.  Why do clothing manufacturers have to make this so difficult?!

Anyway, I had a fairly busy week.  I did some strength training with Denise on Wednesday, which was fun.  I have not been lifting as much recently (probably over the last two months, really) as I once was.  I definitely need to add more strength training back into my routines.  I spent majority of yesterday at Coney Island (pool…swimming…ick) after an excellent bootcamp in the morning.  This week will hopefully bring some power yoga my way…something I wish I had *lots* more of on a regular basis.

So, as for my weigh in…

208.0

Yup, down exactly one pound this week.  I expected as much after last week’s unexpectedly huge loss.  That is quite alright, though, another pound is another pound gone, right?  I will get there…slow and steady wins the race (my seven-year-old tells me that all the time…especially in weeks where the numbers are crawling).

As I promised last week, I do have other posts in the works.  I *will* get to them this week.  I *will* make them a priority.

-Erica

Exciting Things…

So, although I have a list (literally) of things I intend to blog about within the upcoming week…this post is completely random.  Hope you do not mind.

First, let me tell you all how very excited I am about the Neil Armstrong machine at my gym.  (Okay, it really is not called the Neil Armstrong machine, but I have *no* idea what it is actually called.  And, I feel like I am walking/running on the moon when I am on it…hence the Neil Armstrong title I have given it)  Anyway, I have been hopping up on this machine all week and have progressively stayed on longer.  Monday I did 15 minutes with my girlfriend.  Tuesday I did 20 minutes (again with the girlfriend).  Wednesday I managed 40 minutes (alone), which was 3.26 miles!  Tonight I did 45 minutes, which was 3.61 miles!  This is such a big deal to me because I tried to do that machine about 50 or 60 pounds ago and simply could *not* pull it off.  I just did not have the strength and stamina to do it even for five minutes.  Excellent progress that is!

Second I went to a boutique today in search of a new hoister…er…sorry, bra.  Anyway, I walked in wearing a 38J and thinking I would probably need somewhere in the ballpark of a 36J, maybe even a K.  Guess what?!  The girl took one look at what I was wearing and said, “I’ll be back with a 34J for you to try.”  I looked at that girl like her head just flew off.  A 34?!  Are you kidding me?  So, she did…and you know what…it fit…on the tightest row of hooks!  Then the girl looks and says, “Oh, I guess you actually need a 32.  I’ll be back.”  Again – total shock and disbelief.  That one fit, too…on the loosest row of hooks, but none-the-less.  My body actually fit in a 32J.  Craziness, that is, folks.  Absolute madness!

On an even better note (in that same vein), they carry sports bras for those with “tiny” band sizes (her words, not mine) and great, big…well, you know.  Unfortunately, they were out of my band size, but they should have a shipment in later this week or early next week.  So, I am going to have an actual sports bra…and that is very exciting.  I might even be able to do an actual jumping jack (without having to hold on to my “friends” while jumping).  Awesome!

My testimonial taping is happening within the next week or so…and I am nervous!  So very nervous!  I have already ironed out what I am doing with my hair…vibrant blue in the back with streaks of yellow and lime green in the front.  I know I am going to wear all black (which I have yet to shop for a shirt that actually fits me like a shirt should, and not so much like a night shirt).  Now, I just have to iron out what in the world I am going to say!  They told me I should strive for about 15 seconds.  Well, how in the world can I say *all* I need to say about my fabulous gym and phenomenal trainer in *only* 15 seconds?!  I was rehearsing in my kitchen yesterday morning and whittled it down to about a minute and a half.  Not kidding.  I just do not feel like I can really quantify my experience in 15 seconds.  Any suggestions on that one?!

Last I want to mention that the scale was kind to me this morning.  I was down 0.8 from yesterday…so far 1 pound down for the week.  Hopefully that means with less weight lifting (per instructions from Denise – best trainer in the world) and more cardio (thank you Neil Armstrong machine)…combined with an increase in raw foods…my “plateau” is no longer.  We shall see in the morning.  I will likely keep my fingers crossed…even while sleeping.  🙂

Do you have any exciting news to share?

-Erica

18 Again

We are not talking age here, folks.  Let me tell you how this came to be, though…

I am at Wal-Mart with my older daughter Thursday night.  It was just the two of us (since I had to keep her up until midnight for a sleep-deprived EEG Friday morning) and I decide I am going to try on some pants.  I grabbed a size 20 and a size 18, just in case.  In the dressing room, I look at my daughter and ask her which one I should try on first.  She said, “The smaller one Mommy because I know it will fit.”  (Have to love that kind of support!)

So, I did…and they did!  I was *so* happy I started dancing right there in the middle of the dressing room singing a little ditty.  The lady outside the dressing room had to think I was absolutely nuts.  Little did she know the situation was going to get even more strange…

I walk out of the dressing room and proceed to ask the lady if the jeans look bad on me.  “You know, like you would look at me and think I must be crazy for trying to wear *those* jeans outside of the house.”  I was expecting her to pretty much just ignore me, but that is not what happened at all.  She came back with, “Can you squat?”  So, I did.  “Can you bend over?”  So, I did.  “They look just fine to me and, obviously, they aren’t too tight.  I say go for it.”  She still has this semi-confused look on her face as to why I would be so excited about jeans…and why I would ask her to judge what they look like on me.  I explained my situation and then she was like, “Oh!  Well, congrats!  You look great in those jeans.”

What a great feeling.  Really.  So, I left Wal-Mart with a pair of size-18 jeans in tow.  I was *so* happy!  I wore those jeans to my graduation party last night…and, again, I was *so* happy!  I still have a hard time wrapping my head around this all.  Six and a half months ago I was a size 28.  Today I can very comfortably wear a size 18.  Who knew?!

Of course…this means I crossed that one of my list of goals, too!

What goal have you met recently?  Which one are you working toward right now?

-Erica