What I am looking forward to in 2017

I don't really feel like doing resolutions. Goal may be a better word, but there are also just things I am looking forward to

TRIPS (the lack of trips is actually something I am looking forward to too!)

• 2 week trip out west
• Booking a trip to Universal for 2018

HOUSE PROJECTS

• Built-ins in family room: Entertainment center and 2 book shelves; new paint and flooring

RUNNING/EXERCISE

• I am setting my goal to 365 miles. No, I am not going to streak. But I want to get out there every Sunday and 1-2 during the week (even if that means the dreaded treadmill)
• More steps - wear my Garmin every day and log my steps - try to get to 10,000 even if that means walking on the treadmill - but do need to get up from my desk more often
• We hope to get an exercise bike soon - my big exercise goal for 2018 will be to do a Sprint Triathlon so need to get biking
• Need to get into the pool as well - I may take adult swimming lessong

WELL  BEING (not going to make a goal of how much I will lose - that never works)

• Weigh myself every day
• Re-join Weight Watchers (well I am still paying for it, I just don't go)
• Sleep more
• No soda, no buying lunches
• 100 oz of water a day
• More variety of meals (don't care if the kids (or even my husband) doesn't like them)
• Eat less
• Me time - get back to (or start new ones) my hobbies - piano, photography, scrapbooking
• Get outside more
• Work harder at work
• Be more present in my kids' lives
• Less screen time (except if I am reading a book)

Bye Bye 2016

What a long, strange year it has been....I will not be sad to see it go.

 

But it hasn't been all bad - First are the good things:

TRIPS

March - Great Wolf Lodge for my son's 7th birthday

April - Disney trip and cruise

August family vacation to Montreal and Smuggler's Notch

December trip to New York City at Christmas time

HOUSE PROJECTS

 

The major thing was finishing our basement

 

I finally got my red front door

We painted our office and dining room (and all our bedrooms - not shown)

RACES

 

I started New Year's with my typical 5K

I ran 3 races (3, 4, and 5 miles) over 3 weekends

I ran a 10K before getting on our boat

I finally ran the 6.66 Devil's Chase

 

But overall it was a long, sad year

 

While we didn't lose any of our remaining (1) parents, my husband did lose his grandmother, our last remaining grandparent.

 

The biggest thing was my mom selling my childhood home. It was her choice and I feel better with her in a retirement community, but emptying the house took up 1/2 my Sundays this year

The house situation (both hers and mine) was mentally draining. Due to busy weekends, my running took a major hit. I only ran 177 miles (the previous 2 years had been slightly over 400). I didn't get up in the mornings because I was just so drained. I bagged out of more races than I actually ran. I did a #runstreak for 14 days - it was supposed to be Thanksgiving to New Year's, but after 2 weeks we lost heat in part of our house on-and-off for a week - it was very stressful (and very cold) so going down into a cold basement on the treadmill wasn't going to happen. And I haven't run since then (December 7th)

My weight - I am back to where I was in November 2012. I never, ever thought I would be there. It sucks. 2017 I really have to do something about that. But what I want in 2017 in another post.

Running Goals

Yeah, getting back to Weight Watchers didn't happen. I was fooling myself if I thought I would have the time when life is still so crazy (but the crazy should be dying down). Eating has been so-so - I really do think the 2nd have of my cycle is much worse, which is where I am right now.

But the good news is I ran 6.66 miles yesterday, without stopping.  Granted, it took 90 minutes. I did it because I am supposed to do the 6.66 mile race I have 2 DNS for, so I wanted to make sure I could actually do it. For the next 2 weeks I plan on trying to eat well, drink tons of water, and get lots of sleep. We went out for Thai food Saturday night, which isn't as bad as having Chinese food, but I still didn't feel great.

I am sore as crazy today, but feel good. The 90 minute run and since then have given me lots to think about in terms of my running goals. I need to have goals. But I also need to step back and not be running 6-7 miles when I ran 4 miles 3 weeks ago and hadn't run a 10K or more since June 4th. Not smart!

I plan on running 7 miles this coming weekend, then the 6.66 race and then after that cutting back to 5 miles a weekend. 2017 I really need to concentrate on the # of runs, not the number of miles. And that doesn't mean I all of a sudden am going to start running 2x a week during the week again. I'd like to do 3-4 1x during the week and then 5 miles on the weekend. I plan on continuing the 5 miles through the end of May.

The races I want to do in 2017 until then are:

New Years - 5K
3 part series: 3 mile, 4 mile, 5 mile (February/March)
2 5Ks in April
5 miler in May

Then once Memorial Day hits, start ramping back up to 6-7 miles because that is my happy spot. And then I can assess my goals from there.

But running less mileage and less runs, I can concentrate on losing weight and on re-gaining some of the speed I have lost. And still be able to walk around. Today I feel like I did when I used to run 9+ miles.

I also need to start doing strength training, hills, and hiking so I can be in shape of our very exciting vacation in August.

What a low, low month....

So the going back to Weight Watchers didn't work out. After my 1st week, when I stepped on the scale a week later I was up almost 3 pounds and decided not to go and haven't been back since. But I am planning to go tomorrow. Originally I was going to wait until after all the hecticness of October was over, but I have time tomorrow and for the next several weeks, so I am making it a priority.

The last 3 weeks since I last posted have been just really, really bad. I've barely had weekends with kids stuff and then going to my mother's every Sunday to work on the house, and even some nights during the week. This weekend both days I will be with her, but she is moving on Wednesday, I am taking Thursday off, and she closes on her current house in 3 weeks and then I am hoping things will be a little bit more normal for a bit before the holidays role around.

During this period, I was barely running, eating lunch in the cafeteria every day and just feeling really lousy about myself. The 2 year anniversary of my 1/2 Marathon has come and gone and knowing that that was the beginning of this cycle of gaining weight - 40 lbs in 2 years.

I've got to reverse this cycle and get back on losing weight. Losing weight makes me feel so good about myself. But I've only been successful when life isn't crazy. I need to learn to be successful when life is crazy, because life just is crazy.

So here I sit, working at home, one of my stressors and times I tend to overeat, knowing that I need to be "good" today.

As of this morning my weight was:  223.4. I so badly want to be under 220!

Week hasn't been so great....

Stepping on the scale this morning, it is almost where it was last Saturday. Though that does give me an incentive to eat well today, even though I am working from home (which will be my new norm for Fridays)

The week still has been a little crazy with the back-to-school stuff (Open Houses, a meeting for Band), along with the emotional baggage of my mom's house being for sale and knowing she isn't recovering as well as she would like and I haven't been able to be there for her. The results has continued to be too large dinners, and I ate in the cafeteria twice this week (but I didn't get any soda either time, so that is a plus!)

I would like to say that life will get a little better next week, but I am not sure.  But I can't let our schedule get me down too much.

My plan for the week is:
1) Do a lot of organizing in the basement so I am not all twitchy when I am down there on the treadmill
2) Run Tuesday morning (and hopefully Sunday but we have a date night Saturday night so who knows, and I need to be at my mom's early)
3) Don't stay up late every night watching all the new TV that starts next week - that is what DVRs are for - Thursday nights are the only nights I let myself stay up until 11:00.
4) Smaller dinners
5) Don't buy lunch at all
6) Hit my 10K steps every day

Dinners x 2

My portions at dinner continue to be a problem.

Last night I made taco stuffed shells. I've been wanting to make stuffed shells for years. Literally. And I was looking for a recipe to use the ground beef I had bought, so decided to finally make it. We weren't going to eat until later because my husband was going to be late, and I wasn't going to be able to even start making dinner until 5:30.

I ate my snack that I brought to work, but didn't eat, when I got home at 5:00. And snacked on some Monterrey Jack I was using for the meal. And we sat down around 6:40 and I proceeded to have 2 helpings.

This is my problem....Last year I didn't make a single new recipe, but gained tons a weight eating yummy stuff in the afternoon because dinner didn't seem inspiring and was totally boring and I was home in the afternoon for the first time and stressed about juggling being home and working.

Now I am finally cooking again and not caring that the kids won't have 1 bite (but at least they aren't complaining they are hungry!) But I like what I make so much that I have seconds.

I am not a big leftover person (in this case I made 2x the filling and froze it - score!) - I am mainly not a leftover person because I eat the same lunch every day and I know the Points in it and I don't keep track of points for dinner (another issue, I know) but  if  I don't know the points in my lunch as well as my dinner, then that is an issue as well.

Here I am typing this at lunch instead of taking a walk like I did on Monday - but today is 85 degrees (though thankfully not humid). I will have a lot of walking to do on the treadmill tonight because I've been sitting all morning.

I like the idea of only running 1 morning during the week - at least for now. I get in a run I normally wouldn't, but then only have to get up way too early once during the week. Baby steps. Doesn't need to be 2x a week or nothing.

Lunch mistake and a morning run

Monday went pretty well.
My 10 year old daughter is in a helpful mood, so I was able to get a crockpot meal (BBQ chicken) ready before school, which helped tremendously.

I took a quick walk at lunch - every 2000 steps helps!

After my walk I went to make my normal lunch and found the wrong Lean Cuisine in my bag - it wasn't one that sounded appealing, so I ran downstairs to the cafeteria and grabbed a sandwich for lunch. But I did get some pasta salad as well which I didn't need.

I did walk on the treadmill for a little bit - not watching a whole episode of Gilmore Girls but enough to get me over 10,000 steps.

I made plans to run Tuesday morning. For the 1st time since we got our new furniture at the end of June, I made up the pull out couch in our office and slept there so I could go to bed in the dark (my husband was reading and watching Monday Night Football in bed). I just don't sleep well trying to go to sleep with the TV and light on. And the bed was so comfortable. The only downside was that since it is our office, there are a lot of little lights on from various electronics.

The sleep wasn't without interruption and I was tempted to bag it, especially when my phone said 95% humidity even though it was only 52 degrees. But I did go and I am happy I did! 3 miles (instead of 4) but I really ran the last mile - it felt great, even in the dark.