Biggest Loser Update

Up to this point I have been encouraging everyone else while eating cookies. This week I took the reins and am back in the saddle. (My love of horse is showing.)

With eating right and exercising back into the daily habits category I was ready for today's weigh-in.

I ended up with a 2.6 pound loss. That's not bad. The super-control-freak in me wants more.

So I will have to work harder.

Everyone in the familly is doing well. But Gordon is kicking all our asses. LOL. That's to be expected, he's even more competitive than me.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Happy Made-Up Holiday

O.k., now that we have my cynicism out of the way.

I was going to blog yesterday, but as is typical in winter for me - snow screwed everything up. I was too busy keeping up with the national weather service and traffic to blog or workout.

I had it a heck of a lot better than my brother Gordon though, he got hit in the front of his truck and in the back by guys who couldn't drive in the snow. The one who hit him from behind was from Texas, so that's no shocker. However, the creep hit him and ran - low-life. I may look into weather the DOT may have tape of the incident to find the guy.

Back into the gym today though. Just like every other time I have missed workouts and returned to the gym, I was once again reminded of how good I feel after. The difference this time is, that until Tuesday, it had been months. Not anymore.

My knee brace is doing o.k. It shifts more than I would like. Plus sometimes I wonder if it's causing more pain than it relieves. It pinches and it doesn't allow a full stride. So my Achilles has flames again and the front of my ankle was cranky the other day. All of that said, it won't stop me from doing what I need to for me.

I plan to workout in the morning before heading to my mom's. We still have the biggest loser contest going on and this may be the first week I lose instead of gain. That would bring into numbers my new found readiness to get healthy again.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Three m&ms

I ate three of the little candy coated lovelies today and a small piece of chocolate. Afterward I felt horribly guilty. That despite the fact that otherwise I had eaten like a champ.

And I laughed at myself. A week ago I was eating full-on cookies, without guilt. Too funny. I have turned the corner and headed back in the direction of health.

It's not that anyone should feel bad about a little cheat, they shouldn't. In fact, everyone should indulge now and then to avoid a binge.

But with my sad history involving sugar, I am going to be hyper-vigilant for a while.

On Monday I am meeting with my new trainer. We are going to take a hard look at food and the options that should really be in my arsenal. I am sure there will be a bit of culture shock because trainers have a whole different idea about food. But I am willing to give their way a try.

I love learning new things. A different way to eat, that may offer new ideas intrigues me. And maybe they will let me keep just a little chocolate.

Yours in health, Kate

A Woman with a Plan

I met with the manager at the gym again today. I didn't get a workout, but I did finally get a new plan in place.

For months I have wanted to restart, but I have been too busy to sit down and write it all out. Today I began that process. I made a new commitment to myself.

The new program will cost me more than I would like. But it will also make me completely accountable for at least the next 10 weeks.

I am not only going to have a trainer for the physical, but also the food. As I have noted time and again here, I struggle with sugar. Now someone is going to watch my.food intake. I am frankly a little nervous about that.

It's easy to cheat when it's just me. However, now someone else will actually care. Could I cheat and lie about it, but frankly, I would be wasting my time and money.

I want this. I want to be back to being energetic and healthy. I want that feeling to return where I feel like I can go forever. And to be flat out honest - I want to feel sexy again.

For a while I was feeling unbelievably kittenish and sometimes naughty. I want that urge to smile slyly again at a man I don't know, just to see him smile back - that's power. :)

I also want my self-respect back. I want to be proud of myself again. I want to look in the mirror and like me. Not just like the size of my ass, myself.

The plan is in place, now it's time to act.

Yours in fitness, Kate

New Gym

I learned a lesson today, there is no direct way to get anywhere on the skywalk. :)

That being said, I joined Gym F/X today downtown. I am way excited. And I was way good on food today.

I got an extra workout today as I discovered that there are no direct routes on the skywalk. So what I thought would be a 15 minute walk became 30. It annoyed me and amused me simultaneously.

I also tried doing squats, that went o.k. But when I tried doing lunges, uh,no. My knee was not having it. I will have to have a trainer work with me on alternatives.

Anyway, I am really going to do this. I have even made a two year commitment to the gym to get a good deal.

I am working on a new food and workout plan. As soon as I have an hour to myself I will write it down and share.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Getting Excited

Ever since I decided to look into switching gyms I am getting pumped up again. The very idea of having a place, right down the street, to relieve my stress excites me greatly.

That's one of two main reasons for this weight gain - stress. Whether it's work, love, a cancer scare or life, stress has sent me to cookies time and again. Now, even when I am not stressed, I am back to the point of mindlessly eating.

It makes me crazy when I think what I have done to my body. What the fat, saturated fat, calories, sugar, etc. do is, well it makes me ill to think about it. You would think that would be enough to stop me. But no, I am as stubborn a sugar eater as I am in anything else apparently.

Anyway, my meeting with the gym is at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Hopefully it will be as good a fit financially as it is in proximity. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Yours in transition, Kate

Removing the Excuses

The excuses: My knee hurts. I am stressed and I eat. My gym is too far away.

My answers: I am going to wear a knee brace. Not everyone stuffs their face when they are stressed, suck it up. I am changing gyms.

I have really danced around that last one. I did not change gyms when my contract was up because I didn't want to lose trainer Traci. But my contract is up in March and I know this time that's not a good enough reason.

I can't really afford to train right now. And I really can't if I am paying for gas in my beat up '93 Buick that gets 15-17 mpg to get back and forth the 16 miles.

But most importantly, the travel time across time and my messed up schedule have teamed to make me complacent. When exercise feels like a burden more than a gift, I will not do it. This has felt like a yoke around my neck for too long.

This new gym is 8 blocks from my office. Even in the bitter cold, there is a trolley that will take me to the front door and a skywalk to walk back within a block and a half of my office.

I am not naming the gym yet, because I have not signed up. But I will say, after a brief conversation with the manager, I feel exhilarated and excited. Time is no longer an excuse, travel money is no longer an excuse. I can work this in to my schedule. Whether it's going in right before I go to work or running down over my lunch or sneaking in after office hours - I would be a two minute trolley ride or a 6 minute walk from my gym!

No excuses, that makes me happy.

Yours in transition, Kate