Race for Life 5k COMPLETE!!

That's right. I completed my first ever 5k yesterday. I am amazingly proud of myself. I'll post some photos tomorrow, after I have some time to go through them. For now, though, here's an unflattering shot I took after I finished [which I posted on Twitter]:

Thumbs up = VICTORY

I just walked the thing, but I walked hard and damn near stomped it the whole way. I only slowed down a few times to tweet about passing the km markers. And while I was sufficiently worn out at the end of it all, I felt FANTASTIC. I'd actually been having a terrible week last week, with depression hitting me hard as the result of an increase in my meds and PMDD rearing its ugly head... but now? I feel more determined than ever.

Tonight I got back on track with Wii Fit. We had monster salads for dinner (om nom nom veggies). After our trip to the States in July (which is going to suck up all of our extra money for now), I'd like to get a bike again (and relearn how to ride one without falling) and start riding it to work. I'd also really like to find a sport or a class to take part in.

I'm oddly excited about the World Cup. But I suppose it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement if you live in England. I even bought a USA football kit! (Ever since I've moved away, I tend to root for my home country more than I ever have... but I suppose that's natural for an expat.)
Not only that, I am THRILLED about the summer olympics and paralympics being here in 2012. And I really want to try to get tickets to see murderball, because that shit looks INSANE.

So, in short, YAY SPORTS AND ATHLETICISM AND THINGS!

That's all for now. I'll put up those pics tomorrow, and will (finally) update the sidebar later this week. I want to get back on track with weekly weigh ins.

Stat Update

Stats have been updated on the sidebar; I lost 1.2 pounds. I've decided to move the weekly weigh ins to Sunday from now on, as I'm not going to have time to do a blog post before I go to work in the morning. Yes, I know today is Monday, but it's a bank holiday and we didn't get home from Oxford until the afternoon.

I'm still trying to adjust to having a job again. And a schedule. Last week knocked me for six. I haven't been paying as much attention to losing weight as I had before, so there have been some slip ups with unhealthy food (though not as many or as bad as before). The only exercise I'm getting at the moment is walking (including a 20 minute walk between the bus stop and work twice a day). But at least it's something. Once I'm able to switch my hours around to between 8 and 4:30 or 8:30 and 5, I think I'll be in a better place. (Right now it's 9:30 to 6 until I'm trained up enough to work on my own, and by the end of the day I'm completely sluggish.)

So that's it for now. I'm at least going to keep up the weekly stat updates for now, and put in some extra posts once I'm back in a routine of sorts.

Stat Update and New Job

Stat update is a couple days late this week. I was a little distracted because I got a job this week and was waiting to hear back about my start date. I completely forgot about posting.

But! Good news. I've lost 1.6 pounds. Not fantastic, but I've been really stressed these past couple of weeks.

I start my new job on Monday. I think it will be a lot easier to control my food intake since I won't be home the majority of the day (with easy access to the kitchen). Not only that, I'll be kept busy so snacking won't even enter my mind. My coffee intake will likely be the same though.

I still haven't started back up with my weight training... I think at this point, I'm going to have to start all over again. I am still keeping up with walking a lot, and I'm going to have to walk part of my journey to and from work every day. I'm hoping within the next month or so I'll be able to afford a membership at the gym down the road. I really miss going to a gym.

Stat Update and Making Excuses

I've lost a little under a pound this week. Considering the only real exercise I got was walking to and from a job interview (granted, it was the same place I had my assessment last week, so I walked just under 5 miles total again), that's actually not too bad.

I've been struggling a lot lately. I've been making excuses, partially because I started taking an SSRI again just a few weeks ago. My mood was all over the map for a while. I didn't exercise as much, though I tried to keep myself moving around a lot.*

My eating habits haven't been great either. I've forgotten to eat breakfast on many days. But (save one take out meal from KFC), I've actually eaten mostly healthy things. I also haven't been eating much in between meals. There have been a few biscuits (cookies) here and there, but only once did I eat more than two. And that was three. Which seems really excessive now! I used to be a person that ate between five and ten cookies in one sitting. There's also been instances of buttered toast, but even those have been kept to a minimum. So it hasn't been a disaster, and hey! It looks like I'm actually learning things!

You know, through all this I have found myself coveting chocolate only a few times, but I haven't had that much of it. And to be honest, I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

I also haven't been drinking enough water, and I have had a bit too much coffee some days. So I'm starting today with a glass of water, which will get refilled whenever it's empty. Only when I finish my current glass will I allow myself some coffee.

In short: I've done okay considering how I used to be, but I had the potential this week to do a lot better. So I'll work on that for next week.


*I remembered hearing about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (or NEAT, of you like fancy acronyms) on the Two Fit Chicks podcast (Episode 07 Getting STARTed in 2010), and how you could burn up to 400 calories a day just by fidgeting. So I've been working that in. I've been working on a project that involves a lot of sitting at the desk in our office, so I've been keeping my legs moving around and generally not keeping still.

Stat Update, Walking, and a Confession

I lost a kilo this week! YEEEEEAAAAH! Stats on the sidebar have been updated. I'm getting close to a mini goal, which is to lose a stone (14 pounds, for the American folk). The next one after that is to get below 100 kg, and after that? My nemesis, the 200 pound mark.

That seems to be an enemy of many a loser. I've butted up against it several times myself, but have never gone under it after going over it when I was in my late teens. This time, though, I will succeed. I'm older and wiser and have a hell of a lot more support.

* * *
I had an assessment yesterday, which may end up landing me an interview for a media researcher/analyst job. The location was 2.4 miles away, with no direct bus route. It was, however, a nearly straight shot from where I live on one road. So I decided to walk.

I packed my nice shoes in my bag, rocked the skirt and trainers look, and set off. I listened to a couple of podcasts about making comics. Half of the way wasn't paved, so I had to walk over grass areas where the earth was really soft. It took me about an hour.

I did my assessment with six others (some from crazy far away: Wigan and Liverpool). And then I started the trek back. I'd packed half a pita with some peanut butter in it, as I knew I'd need the protein and I didn't get lunch (I'd eaten a large snack before I left at 11:30). I got home, exhausted and in pain, but proud of myself.

I walked nearly five miles yesterday! Granted, it was split up into two sections, but still. That was the most walking I'd done in one day in a long time. And now I know for sure that I'll be able to walk the 5k just fine... but hopefully I'll lose enough weight by then that my knee will be able to take the impact of jogging. I know I used to do some jogging/running in short bursts when I was about 210 pounds or so.

* * *
I have a confession to make. I haven't lifted weights in a week. I made excuses, because I'd gotten my period (after it decided to skip a month back in February) and it was the worst one I've had in a long time. Since the doctor made me stop taking it, I'm no longer on birth control that makes the experience milder. In short (and without gross detail), I felt AWFUL.

I didn't lift weights, but I did make myself get outside and walk as much as I could. So at least I did SOMETHING. Now it's all over, though, and I'm eyeing my weights. I think I'll pick up where I left off today.