Everything and Nothing.

I've spent a lot of time inside my own head this weekend, as I spent most of it in the yard doing tedious manual labor by myself.  I think that means this is going to be a long post. Settle in.

Last October, I wrote this post about the great day lily move of 2010.  After that weekend, I was still angry about having to move the flowers, so I paid no attention to them.  It didn't take long for the new bed to become overrun with weeds.  I spent most of the winter wondering where I was going to get the strength/motivation to weed that bed.  It had gotten completely out of control.

This weekend seemed to be the best to tackle the horrendous job of weeding the bed, laying down landscaper's cloth to prevent future weeds, digging a trench between the bed and the rest of my weed-filled grass and re-mulching the entire bed.

On Saturday I worked on that thing from sun-up to sun-down or in other words, 11 hours.  In the days before I began, I was dreading it fiercely, and I prayed that God would change my attitude. I asked that He help me see it as a great opportunity to be in the sun and burn some calories.

I didn't go back to read that first post I wrote until just now as I started to write this one, and it's a little eerie how similar these two posts could be.  I was again angry about having to do the chore (just so you know, there are some special drama-filled circumstances surrounding the day lily move, I don't normally get angry about doing yard work.) It was again painful.  I again ended my day with a milkshake.

However, when I wasn't being a Negative Nancy, I was grateful for the time in the gorgeous weather (it's hard to stay mad when it's 65 and sunny) and had lots of fun with my dog Bonnie, who loved helping me with the weeding (as I was working I was thinking that I would blog about that and call it "Bonnie's Best Day Ever").

Just as I had a plants-to-weight loss journey extended metaphor in the first blog, here's another.  After I first planted the new bed, I neglected it and it didn't take long for the weeds to overtake it.  I think something similar could easily happen once I make it to my goal.  Making it to my goal is not the end. It's just the beginning.  I can never relax and forget about how hard it was to make this far. Otherwise the weeds will take over again.

Exciting News and a Shopping Dilemma

Exciting news this week! My size 16 dress pants have suddenly become too roomy.  Last week I wore skirts all week because the weather was so phenomenally beautiful.  This week I went back to pants when it got a little cooler, and was surprised to find them sagging!

That's a great thing!  I really have not done much clothes shopping since I've been dropping pounds, mostly because I've been so ridiculously blessed by gifts of clothes from friends (Stephanie, April, Alyssa and Kati, I can't thank you guys enough!). The few times I have gone, though, have been lots of fun as I have fit into sizes and styles that I never would've thought possible.

Over the summer, I will probably revert to wearing lots of skirts again, and I think most of the skirts I wore last year will still work this summer.  But pants really do need to fit.  So it sounds like soon I'll be shopping!  The only thing is I don't exactly know where to shop for quality dress pants any more. I shopped almost exclusively at Lane Bryant for years, because their clothes fit my body type better and I no longer fit into anything they sell! I like Old Navy now for casual stuff (although the durability of their clothes is questionable), but not for professional clothes.

Anyone have suggestions for me? Where do you shop for professional clothes?


PS Today was a weigh day. I lost 3.5 pounds, which makes me only 1 pound away from my big goal!

How to Celebrate?

Not to count my chickens before they hatch, but I've already been thinking about what I should do to celebrate once I make it to 100 pounds lost.  Monica asked me the other day what I would do once I stepped on the scale and saw the number I wanted to see, and it's gotten me thinking.  I have a big reward planned for after I make it to 100, but it's not the kind of thing I can do the same day.  I weigh in on Fridays, so I'll be headed to the office shortly after weighing in (unless it is Friday, March 11, because then I'll be headed to the airport later that day to fly to England!).

So, this is where you come in.  You can vote in the poll below and/or make suggestions in the comments.  How should I celebrate?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Endorphins

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't."


Ah, the motivational words of Elle Woods.  I'm sure there were many important lessons to be gleaned from the film classic Legally Blonde, but this is the one that continues to stick with me.


It amazes me how a good workout never fails to clear my mind and turn my day around.  Today I was at a breaking point, ready and willing to use food to comfort me and solve my problems. Instead, I called a friend to talk me off my food-ledge and then put Bons on a leash and went for a long walk. Before I was even out of the neighborhood, I was feeling better.


This was not my first such experience. I may have even blogged about it before. Time after time I am amazed by the way a workout can change my attitude completely.  That's part of the reason I love my lunchtime workouts so much. It benefits both mental health and my work to get out of the office and clear my head.  It changes my perspective of whatever I'm thinking about or working on.  


It makes me think I should go back and watch Legally Blonde again to see what other life lessons I could ascertain. Maybe I should try the bend and snap?

Whatever it Takes

A couple of weeks ago, Abi, friend and weight loss mentor, emailed me to tell me that her husband had said that I need to do "Whatever it takes" to make it to 100 pounds, because he felt I had some sort of mental block.

Whatever it takes.

At first I asked if that meant he was advocating starvation, but he wasn't.

My second response was kind of "Isn't that what I've been doing?"

But since then, I've kind of taken "Whatever it takes" as a personal mantra.  When I come rushing back to work after a solid lunchtime workout at the gym, I think "Whatever it takes."  When I turned down a free breakfast biscuit after already eating a healthy breakfast at home, I thought "Whatever it takes."  When I think I'd rather skip an evening swim because I haven't been home much lately, I think "Whatever it takes."  When I came back from a weekend away and set to work making my weekly meals right away, before unpacking or before I caught up on my television shows, I thought "Whatever it takes."

I think you get the picture.

I'm still not perfect.  I've still caved in the presence of the leftover Valentine's Day candy that has been present around the office.  But I really want to make it to 100 pounds before I leave for England in 2.5 weeks.  That's 3 weigh-ins and 4.5 pounds to lose.  I just have to stay focused and determined.  I can do this.

Swimming

Man, I love swimming.  There's nothing else like it.  You're alone with only your own thoughts to entertain you. You can think through any problems or make mental to-do lists.  You feel good and tired when you're done, but not sore or in pain.

I'd swim every day, if it were easier to accommodate swimming workouts.  It's just difficult to accomplish during my lunch hour, and I can't commit to it regularly after work.

I was thinking last week about how I wish there was a race that was a biking/swimming race so I wouldn't have to run.  I've been a total slacker in my running lately and will have to completely re-learn how to be a runner when I'm ready.  But then I went on last week's cycling adventure, and I started doubting my biking confidence.

But swimming, swimming will never let me down.  Tonight I jumped in the pool planning to swim for 45 minutes and didn't stop to look at the time until I had been in there for 53 minutes.

Do you have one particular workout that you love?

Workout Playlist, Part 2

Here's another edition of some of my favorite workout songs. If you want to see the original list, you can view it here.

1.      According to You, Orianthi (I just stumbled across this on Itunes, but I love it.)

2.      The Power of Love, Huey Lewis and the News (classic 80's)

3.      Baby, Justin Beiber (I know, I know, the shame of it!)

4.      Male Prima Donna, Subtle Sexuality (Yes, this is the one single released by The Office's girl power duo Erin and Kelly. It is great fun and available on Itunes.)

5.      Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Beyonce (strong beat and fun to sing to!)

6.      Live Like We're Dying, Kris Allen (so inspirational for making your life count!)

7.      Accidentally in Love, Counting Crows (lots of fun!)

8.      I Think We’re Alone Now, Tiffany (My first jazz dance recital piece was choreographed to this song. Yes, it’s true I had formal dance training from the age of 3 until 7)

9.      Must Have Done Something Right, Relient K (first heard this when Amie and Daniel played it at their wedding in 2007. I think of that whenever it comes on.)

10.  Boys of Summer, The Ataris (Good for some light headbanging)

11.  Closer to Fine, Indigo Girl (Can’t explain it, it’s just good)

12.  Far Away, Ingrid Michaelson (beautiful)

13.  Gonna Make You Sweat, C & C Music Factory (kind of a no-brainer)

14.  Bust A Move, Glee Cast (I listened to this so much, I had to temporarily remove it from my playlist)

15.  Champion, Queen Latifah (Awesome, inspirational song)

16.  Burning Love, Elvis (If you move your pelvis like the King would to this song, you can burn serious calories)

17.  Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves (This song was playing in my headphones as Cindy, Stefanie and I neared the finish line at my first 5k…it powered us through!)

18.  Almost, Bowling for Soup (I have more boy rock songs than this on my playlist, but this is one of the best.)

19.  P.Y.T.-Pretty Young Thing, Michael Jackson (In all honesty, several King of Pop songs are on my full playlist)

20.  I’m Outta Love, Anastacia (Try and not dance when this comes on, just try)