Hey, Looky!
Those of you who read my "small favor" blog from a few months ago might now be wondering, "why hasn't Kim updated us on her progress?"
Well, I would have. Except, for awhile, there wasn't anything to update.
I was making conscious better eating decisions, like opting for whole grain bread and pastas instead of processed grains and making a conscious decision to include more fruits and vegetables in my diet.
I signed up to run an 8K (5 mile) racing event with a few friends, and began following a training program to get ready for it. It involved lifting weights at least twice weekly, running three times weekly, cross training twice weekly, and taking a day to chill out once weekly.
I do realize that makes 8 days - the weights and one of the short runs overlapped one day during the week.
I made excellent use of my $28/monthly gym membership fee during (and following!) those weeks I was training for my race and believe my cost per gym trip hit an all time low.
I was fastidiously writing down everything I ate and logging WW points and calories on my desk calendar at work.
I went to the doctor at the beginning of this for my annual pelvic examination and got a good baseline measurement. When it came back that the lab screwed up the test results, I went back to the doctor eight weeks later (after the race) for a follow up pelvic exam and an excuse to get on the "benchmark" scale. I set the sliding weights for my pre-training weight, stepped on the scale, and the scale didn't budge.
I hadn't lost a single pound.
And furthermore, looking at the pictures from race day, I didn't look like I had lost a single pound either.
I got discouraged. I spent eight weeks training for a race and eating better, and saw absolutely ZERO changes in my appearance or my weight.
Add insult to injury, one of my friends' blogs was filled with references about her progress as a runner, how she had lost 15 (now 20) pounds since she had started running, and how finishing the 8K gave her such a sense of accomplishment that she wanted to run a 10K...and she finished a 5K in just over 30 minutes (10 minute/mile pacing).
I started running again the same time my friend did and have felt none of the same sense of accomplishment. My scales hadn't budged, and I didn't really feel any more accomplished as a runner. I finished that exact same 8K as she did, and still don't feel any more accomplished for having finished the race (although, I did purchase the picture and keep my race bib to put in my scrapbook...if and when I ever get around to it).
I avoided the gym at work for a week. If I could put in all the effort in the world and not notice a different on the scale, what was the point?
It took a week of nursing my injured pride and my aching muscles, but I went back to the gym. I'm still not back to running at the same pace or level I was before, but I'm making an effort at it.
It's been a month since the St. Patrick's Day 8K. I helped pick up trash at the finish line of the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and couldn't help but think how cool it was to watch people crossing the finish line, and how much cooler it was to watch the people who were watching the people crossing the finish line. I hope that I have people cheering for me and calling my name when I get up the muster and the courage to run a 10 mile competitive event.
You may have noticed that in my opening few sentences, I said, "for awhile, there wasn't anything." This implies that there IS or that there has SINCE been something worthy of reporting. There is.
They're having a "Spring into Wellness" promotion for the second quarter. We go to the gym to be weighed, measured, and have our body composition measured - once at the beginning of the promotion and again at the end of the promotion. The two AMAZING staff people at the gym will send annoyingly motivational emails and check your progress when they see you in the gym. I will be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding at the end of June, and I am down for anything that will make me look less heinous in that bridesmaid dress.
I signed up today, and I was weighed and measured.
Since November, when I joined the gym, I have lost 8 pounds.
All three of the body fat measurements - upper arm, thigh, and belly fat - were lower today than they were 5 months ago.
I have decreased the circumference of my thighs, upper arms, waist, and hips each by about a half an inch to an inch. I have decreased my "belly line" by 5 inches.
Do I still have an incredibly long way to go? Yes. Am I pleased that finally something on this weight loss plan is going right? Indeed, I am.