Sunday, October 25, 2009

October! Where have you gone??

Has it really been a month since I posted??
This goes to show that when I am without a laptop and sleep deprived a lot of things go by the wayside.

On the laptop front, my iBook died - or so I thought. With a some help from a work colleague, it was disassembled and the culprit found! A crispy part responsible for charging was ordered and replaced, so I'm now back to mobile computing! I never realized how much I relied on it until it was dead. It's so hard to use the PC in our office for long periods of time because the office is not a Gremlin-friendly zone. It's best for me to sit in the living or dining room in full view of Gremlin and his myriad of activities.

As for sleep deprived, that really isn't anything new. I've been sleep deprived for over a year now so there's no point in bitching about it. I'll just say that my son (to quote my husband) has the sleep needs of an 85 year old woman. Basically he sleeps very little and is up FAAAR too early!

I have had some great personal developments since my last post. I decided to start Weight Watchers again and take it SERIOUSLY this time. I went with the online version because apparently the state of Arkansas was not participating in the do two months get one month free special they were offering for meetings. Ridiculous because if ever there was a state that could use some free Weight Watchers, it most definitely is Arkansas. Luckily, I found a good deal on the online version and I decided that I would get out of it what I put into it. For me, the biggest problem is in recording my food intake. For Weight Watchers (or any diet) to work, it does require a knowledge of what one crams into their gullet. I purchased a handy dandy pocket notebook and committed to "If I bite it, I gotta write it!" When I make it to a computer, I then put it in my points tracker and calculate my points intake. There is also a mobile site that works with my Blackberry, but I find it's less aggravating to just put it in my notebook and use a real computer as soon as possible.

Apparently, it's worked, because so far I've lost FIVE pounds!!!
Woo Hoo!! Yeah Me!!!
(Pause for Applause)

I've certainly had my bad days and moments, but I now know that the system works. I'm still learning how to utilize my daily points allotment and trying to focus on healthier choices as opposed to blowing it all on a few donuts that leave me feeling hungry an hour later. I would LOVE to be at my goal weight by the end of the year, but barring that, definitely by my 2nd Anniversary in March.

In addition to weight loss efforts, I have been continuing to trudge along in my quest to be a runner once more. So far, my biggest obstacle has been Gremlin and I really need to find a way to mitigate that obstacle. Luckily he is happy to take a ride in the jogging stroller, but I just need the energy to do it. With recent sleep challenges, I have really felt worn down. I struggle with motivation to work out when I feel there's no gas in the tank. With the onset of true Fall weather, it really makes me WANT to go run. This is my favorite time of year and I love how crisp it feels outside. I simply need to overcome that urge to sit inside.

I recently did a 10 mile training walk/run which was the furthest I've gone in close to 2 years! My Mom was in town for the weekend which allowed me to go sans jogging stroller. It's so much easier to lose myself along the trail when I don't have to worry about a one year old getting bored, needing his sippie cup, or getting chilled by the wind. I'm still only averaging a 14-15 minute mile, but at least my endurance is coming back. I'm still following my half-marathon training plan for the Bass Pro Shops half-marathon November 1st, and also working on the Little Rock Marathon plan for March 2010. I'm still lacking on my weekday workouts, but have done enough long runs to know that I have it in me to be successful. It's just a matter of making a commitment and not allowing life, work and wee children to get in the way.

But hey, did I tell you that I lost FIVE pounds?!?!??!

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