Day#187: Hardest 10 LBS so far... Color me Thrilled.

Well, I know it's been a long while since my last post, but I have a doozy of a post for you this time... There have been so many ups and downs these past couple months. I have watched progress then set backs and then back and forth again. It began to feel frustrating to not to see the progress that I want to see. I'm excited to announce my next benchmark... finally! Haha!


Yup, another 10 lbs down! A total of 40 lbs gone since I've started this crazy journey, Thinking about how much better I feel and how much more determination and muscle I've gained has been monumental. I'm happy with my progress.

It can be so hard not to get caught up with the every day minuscule movements on the scale. Stop, Breath, remember where you started from right? RIGHT! :)

Other things that weigh 40 lbs,


Some peep's pet Border Collie.


A filled 5-gallon jug.


A Microwave!!!


A big Bag of water softener salt pellets.


A full truck sized spare tire (puts a whole new meaning on spare tire huh?!?)

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Last week I participated in the long anticipated Color Run! WOOT! crazy, dirty and tons of fun! I even got a medal. I was amazed at how many people walked the 5k like me and my sisters, It seemed like everyone. That could have just been my perception from the back of the race though ;) Here, Take a gander - bask on the glory of my pictures!


Fun Fact, I got to go with some of my awesome coworkers, current and past to this color-fun-fest. My coworker Ashley with her sister Sarah, Holly, Anna, and my sisters Melisa, Kjarsti and myself. All clean and ready to have fun!


Melisa and I hugging it out with the giant beach ball!


Color stations like this were set up along our path where people would throw color all over you... or in our case pretend to throw it on us with half-hearted emotion... seriously though I wanted more color than I got, that's half the fun right?






Bubbles at the finish line!


We got medals! *biting mine to make sure it's pure... uhhh metal! haha!*


OH YEAH!!! (darn crazy eyes)


All of us in our post colored glory!


After the run, they had this kind of dance party, where you dance around and throw color in the air when the DJ told you to. We just got there at the tail end but still fun stuff.


My glasses got covered in a fog, couldn't really see.


So dirty, So SLIMY!


The final walk of glory!

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It's so fun to try new things and to do stuff that I'd never have considered doing. Bonus to convince my sisters to join me. I did feel like walking the 5K was easy as pie. Looks like if I do another 5K I'll have to actually challenge myself with jogging or some serious speed walking or something. Got to keep pushing myself. But participating and actually completing something like a race, is in of itself a thing I'm proud of.

#FeelingGood

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Trying to fit in as many Rock Climbing excursions before the big one in September, only a month away now! Anyone want to come climbing with me? I need all the tutoring I can get ;)

Time to start thinking of my next goals. Im thinking some kind of class, spin or dance... anyone ever done anything like that and what do you recommend? I'm scared of the spin classes but maybe that's a good thing, a good motivator.

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So, Trainer Update, Tyler pushes me... I've come to accept that that's okay. I need someone to push me. Scary as it is, I need it. So I'll keep giving this guy a chance. So far; I do feel like weight loss has been harder with him, I've got to hope it's because I'm gaining a ton more muscle than I've ever had and that muscle weighs more than fat, or so they tell me.

Did weigh in and measurements, and I've lost in basically every spot, little bits, but they all add up:

Thighs: lost another .25 an inch
Waist: lost another .5 an inch
Hips: lost another .25 an inch
Arms: lost another .75 an inch

New goals for this week is to eat more balanced and to eat more frequently and in smaller amounts... It's going to be rough, it means planning and prep to ensure that I have a balanced (fat/carb/protein) every time I eat. Wish me luck?

CatchUp #sweatyselfies:












Today's SweatySelfie, Good Times!

As my friend Dory would say, "Just Keep Swimming..." Always moving forward.

Day#170: Rock Climbing Amazingness

Hey my peeps, It's been a crazy few days! This last Thursday Tyler had me do this killer work out on my legs, we did weighted lunges and it killed my legs. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do rock climbing with how sore I got. literally... I've never bent over and had the thought "...should my butt hurt like this...?" ever... NEVER in my life! Working new muscles hurts people - Just saying!

But, come Saturday I wasn't about to back down. I did a ton of stretches to be as ready/warmed-up as possible and then headed out to meet my awesome and crazy fun friend Jane! Jane used to work with me until recently so it was major cool to get to hang out with her and share an experience she loves. Her enthusiasm is infectious!

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Here we are, Crazy excited after my first attempt! Nailed it! It helps that I'm tall, I've got a wider wing span! Woot! #advantageofbeingtall

We started out on the shorter wall, about 15ish feet tall. And my fear of heights was enormous! I wall trembling and freaking out... not sure what I was thinking. But I climbed to the top baby!!!




Did this wall in a couple other spots; then we moved on to the taller - sill more crazy 35ft-ish wall!


Getting my game face on! Watching the little kids and nearby athletic asian family climb with ease!



Starting to understand at this point why Jane and so many other people like Rock Climbing, there's an adrenaline rush, and a high you get from climbing and not... you know... dying! ;)



See that topmost yellow rock in the corner of blue. That's how far I got! Yay! had to be like 20-ish ft high. I couldn't be more proud of myself. I was super worried that I couldn't do this, that I wouldn't be ready! Sure I didn't get as far as the tippy top... BUT... I SAY BUT... But, I got really far for my first time.

Jane says most people that she's taken climbing for their first time don't get as high as I did or go as long as I did without giving up! :D I rocked it! Pun intended. Totally want to do it again, anyone want to join me?

Shout out to my awesome trainer Kendra, (she'll always be my trainer right?); who started me on my rock climbing training, and to Tyler who pushed me into insanity for helping me get this far! Woot!

Next planned rock climbing will be in the great outdoors! Into the terrible and great Nature! Jane says she has a place in mind. It'll be lead climbing - which is where someone starts the rope, clipping in as they go. Then others clip on and climb up after. Should be scary and exciting. That's happening September 24th!

My plan is to get into the rock climbing gym at least once more before then! :) All smiles - go me! I can do hard things, and yes, my weight hasn't held me back... not anymore. Sure has boosted my confidence and self esteem to see such progress, to do something I wouldn't have ever dreamed I could do.

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#sweatyselfie snapshots!




Today's sweatyselfie

Only two weeks left to prep for the Color Run! I'm going to crush it! You know it!

Day#164: Radio Silence, Pushing Myself

Last weekend was supposed to be Round1 of Rock Climbing. Unfortunately My crazy friend Jane, who was going to take me twisted her ankle, so we've pushed it a week... Meaning I have just a few days till that happens. (crossing my fingers that stays the plan).

Due to this arrangement shift, I decided to still push myself that morning with a hike. I roped my brother and his adorable wife into joining me.

Before the Hike, all ready to go!

(see the red line, that's where we went...) In total we figured it was about 3 miles, but with lots of incline I felt sufficiently proud of myself. :)

All the way at the top, all sweaty and happy!

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I know it's been a long hiatus, and that my posts have become less and less frequent. Honestly I was feeling disappointed in myself for a variety of reasons, the main one being that weight loss has slowed. It's still going but just not at the pace that it was. It can be hard to see myself loose momentum. It gets me emotional and makes me want to quit sometimes.

But I haven't quit. I won't let myself go back to where I was. It's not going to happen (shakes head) no freaking way!!! <---- see three exclamation marks means business ;)

So... Here's what's been going on since radio silence 20 days ago:

Been getting into things now with my new trainer Tyler. I like him more now that I've gotten used to his style. It's challenging, but I think that's good for me. Honestly I need to be pushed and held accountable, and he's not going to go easy on me. True I've had more injuries since having him as a trainer than I have since I started this journey, but I'm going to chalk that up to me being a poor communicator more than anything.

I've got to learn when to say "No that's not something I can do yet..." and "I can push myself in this way but not in this other way right now..." I'm learning that I can't rely on him to know what is too much and what isn't challenging enough for me unless I tell him. But I suspect that'll get better as things go on. I'm trying not to be too discouraged by the lack of movement in my weight... Trying to remind myself that muscle weighs more than fat and that I'm really gaining muscles right now. My arms have never looked so good!

I do not like Squats or lunges... I suppose that's a sign that I should do more of them. Last week I pulled a muscle in my groin while doing squats and have only done squats a couple times after that since it hurt to bend that way... Rolling on my burnt tootsie roll helps some but I feel like I'm giving myself bruises more than anything. Hurmmm... (thoughtful expression).

Since rock climbing has moved to the 6th, I'm getting myself psyched for that, remembering that I can do hard things and that just because I held myself back in the past doesn't mean I can't do hard things now if I push myself. Ironic that its' harder to remember these things in the moment huh.

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Thought I'd remind myself of where I've been and how things are going and it has given me a boost. I went and dug up my computer screen shots from my first week and put them side by side with some new ones that I took today... My slightly scandalous arms are showing, viewer beware ;)

Front

Side

It's crazy to see where I've been and where I am now! I need to just keep pushing forward. Seeing these pictures really helps me remember how far I've already come. That's a huge motivator! It's a big deal when you can go from scowling or making faces to smiling in comparison pictures right?!? That's what I'm going to say anyway ;)

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SweatySelfie Catchup!

(Today's Pic)

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Bonus, Since Loosing weight finding which of my clothes actually fit anymore has been a frustrating but fun daily activity... The other week I put this top back on after not wearing it for a few months and it fit so much better than it ever did before, it was such a cool feeling wearing it again and feeling pretty and proud of myself for rocking it...

Keep Fighting the good fight. Today is gone, tomorrow I can only do better right? ;)

ColorRun is in just 18 Days, That should be fun. I'm feeling confident that I can walk it no biggie at all. I just have to decide if I'm going to walk it all or jog part of it. These are the tough decisions right?