Accountability: Week 17

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Starting weight:   172 lbs.

Previous weight:  156 lbs. 

           Current weight:    152 lbs.            

Weight +/-:          -4         

Total weight loss: -20         

Short term goal:   150 lbs.

Goal weight:        145 lbs.

I'm glad I wasn't discouraged by last week's big goose egg. Looks like my continued hard work paid off... 4 pounds this week! I think that's awesome! You'd have thought I would have gotten these big numbers earlier on when I was heavier though. Oh well, I'm certainly not complaining...

I think I'm going to have to refigure that ultimate goal weight. While I'm much happier with myself these days, I see there could be more to lose. I don't think I could ever be the ideal weight for my height (I'd surely be nothing but skin and bones- ick!), but I think I could stand to lose a few more than I originally said I'd be happy with. I guess I need to think on that. I could just continue to lose until I'm satisfied, but I think I'd work better with a goal. We shall see.

Oh, something else worth noting... I bought shorts this weekend. Like real shorts, not capris or bermudas. I haven't been comfortable in shorts in years. I got a really cute pair of denim shorts with an eyelet ruffle on the bottom from American Eagle, and I got a pair of Nike running shorts for the gym. This is a real breakthrough for me, just so you know.

And an even bigger breakthrough... I mowed grass in said shorts yesterday... with a sports bra. ACK!! In public!! And I wasn't at all worried about it. I'm not ready to be up at the gym with no shirt on or anything, but it was hot and it was just in my neighborhood. If people can mow in a bikini top, I figured I could get away with it.

All this weight loss must be going to my head ;-)

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Accountability: Week 16

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Starting weight:   172 lbs.

Previous weight:  156 lbs. 

           Current weight:    156 lbs.            

Weight +/-:          -0         

Total weight loss: -16         

Short term goal:   150 lbs.

Goal weight:        145 lbs.

I completely forgot to post this last Thursday...

After having worked out 7 days in a row the week before, I took Monday off as a day of rest. Tuesday I hit it pretty hard, but Wednesday... well, it was my anniversary. To say I splurged would be a little bit of an understatement. It involved alcoholic beverages and fried foods... oh, and then dessert. A heaping bowl of fro-yo topped with granola.

Weigh in day did not bode well for me as I stayed the same weight... although, I suppose it could have been worse, I could have gained.

I know there are bound to be weeks like this, so I refuse to let it discourage me. I'm feeling good about this week though, so we shall see :-)


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Accountability: Week 15

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Starting weight:   172 lbs.

Previous weight:  159 lbs. 

           Current weight:    156 lbs.            

Weight +/-:          -3         

Total weight loss: -16         

Short term goal:   150 lbs.

Goal weight:        145 lbs.

All this hard work is paying off! Three pounds in one week! I know plenty of people do that regularly, but I'm still very excited by it. As busy as I've been at the gym though, it makes sense...

I spent four hours at the gym Saturday night. Yep, four hours. From 10:30pm-2:30am. My kids had stayed the night with an aunt the night before and ended up taking a pretty good nap that afternoon, which I joined them for. Since we all napped so well we ended up staying up a bit later. It was late by the time I got them down, but I said I was going to the gym, so by-golly I went!

It was a weights night so I did my routine and found I was still feeling pretty good when I got done, so I just kept going. And going. And going. At the hour on a Saturday night the gym was pretty quiet, so I was able to hit some of the machines I either haven't tried yet, or are usually taken. It was nice to not feel in a hurry to get off so the next person could use it.

Oh, and they finally got the new hydro-massage beds installed and open. A ten minute massage? Don't mind if I do :-) I even got to do it a second time later since no one was there. Pretty sweet. Actually, I think I'm in love... I've been there every night since.

And thank goodness it shows on the scale. And not just the scale, apparently it's just showing in general. In the last two days I believe every single person I work with has commented on how I'm "withering away" or how it's "just melting off of me", lol. Compliments are great motivation, let me tell you!

Well, see ya round!
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Book Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oskar Schell is on a search. Though he's not really sure what exactly he's searching for he's hoping it will bring him closer to his father, closer to answers, closer to peace.
While this was a moving story I didn't particularly care for how it was written. I read it on my kindle so I'm not sure if this version was any different than a hardback, but during conversations I found it hard to follow for lack of punctuation or separate paragraphs.
The story also jumped back and forth quite a bit, not only from past and present, but from letters to and from different characters, some current, some from long ago.
Again, I found the story very interesting, but probably would have enjoyed it more had it been written differently. I think I'll give the movie a shot and hope it comes across a little easier that way.

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Bumping It Up a Notch

Whew! I've been busy at the gym! I'm hoping it shows Thursday when I weigh in... I'm normally at the gym anywhere from an hour to two and a half hours depending on what I'm doing. And some of that two and half hours is tanning and sitting in the massage chair, don't let me fool you...

Saturday though, I spent four hours at the gym!! I had taken a pretty long nap with my kiddos earlier in the day, so when I made it to the gym around 10:30pm I was amped up and ready to go. I did my trainer workout, rocked it out on the arc trainer for an extra 30 minutes, and since it was so empty in there, tried out some other machines I hadn't done before or are usually too busy. I don't know what it was, but I just kept going, and going, and going. It felt great though!

Especially the gym's new hydro massage beds. Talk about relaxing! I could definitely get used to those...

Anyway, I think I mentioned in last week's accountability post that I had had strep throat again and had taken the week before off from the gym. I decided to do one more week of 4 reps in my exercise regimen instead of bumping it up to 5 times like I was supposed to have. I just wanted to make sure I was ready for it, especially after having had a whole week off. That was last week, and yesterday started a new week...

So, I made the bump up to 5 reps yesterday. I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was surprised at how easily I was making it through the first few reps compared to when I started. I'm even feeling pretty confident in the Squat/Curl/Press that I won't drop the weights on my head... that is until this 5th rep. Again, not as bad as I was expecting. Since I had usually been so tired by the 4th rep, I was expecting to be ready to give out during the 5th, but I made it.

And boy did I feel good afterward! I'll be back tonight with bells on... well, maybe not bells, but a smile on my face for sure!

Scale, watch out for me Thursday!


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Book Review: Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book left off precisely where Divergent ended. Tris, Four, and a couple others are on their way to Amity headquarters to seek refuge and figure out what the heck is going on.

I don't really know how to give a review on this one. It's so new I hate to go into detail and ruin anything for anyone, but I don't know how to go about being vague either, and still tell you how exciting it is.
Marcus (Four's horrible father) apparently knows something very important, according to him anyway. He's sure it's what caused the attack and he's hellbent on getting the information back from the Erudite.
Truths and secrets are revealed that leave people shocked, hurt, and confused.
Amidst all the chaos Tris is trying very hard to deal with all the guilt, pain, and sorrow she's experiencing.
These things aren't helping her newly forming relationship with Four. Neither is her lacking will to live...
Everyone is after something, unfortunately no one seems to be on the same page. It makes for a very interesting dynamic...
One final truth is revealed and it's a doozy.

The end!

While I had a hard time with the beginning of this book, I came around at the end. I don't know what the problem was, but it almost didn't seem like these were the same characters from the last book. Tris's guilt and grief does quite a number on her, and she's not quite the strong young lady I came to love in the first book. She starts to come around, though still somewhat wishy-washy, toward the end and show that character I thought she had in there somewhere.

I still don't get her sometimes though. She is so smart, and yet she falls for some pretty dumb stuff in this one. She puts some things together, but other, more obvious things, seem to go right over her head. I didn't particularly care for that, but maybe it's all part of Roth's plan. I'll just have to wait and see.
The dynamic between Four and Tris was intriguing. I felt bad they were going in different directions, but it made for a good read.
Even though there were some things I was a bit disappointed in, I am still quite impressed with the book. Again, Veronica Roth came through with a creative and interesting story. The action was awesome. The pace was great. And she leaves me wanting more! I'm not sure how I'll ever make it to the next book!!

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Accountability: Week 14

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Starting weight:   172 lbs.

Previous weight:  160 lbs. 

           Current weight:    159 lbs.            

Weight +/-:          -1         

Total weight loss: -13         

Short term goal:   150 lbs.

Goal weight:        145 lbs.

Sorry to have not been seen or heard from in over a week... Last week was pretty rough. I was busy, busy, busy planning my daughter's 8th birthday, and came down with Strep, again. She and I have each had it twice in 5 weeks time. It's getting to be a bit ridiculous really. Anyway, as busy as I was, and as lousy as I felt, I decided to forgo the gym for a week (a few days over a week) and try to get to feeling better.

As you can imagine, that didn't help me on the scale any. When I weighed in last week I had stayed the same. I guess it didn't really hurt me either, but after coming down from my high of hitting my first short-term goal the week before, it kind of sucked to see. Anyway, I'm back at this week and today's weigh in showed results, another pound gone! That's what I was hoping for!

I have to say though, I missed the gym. I missed that me time. I missed feeling like I was making progress. Going from frequent flyer to lazy bum wasn't as great as it sounds. Especially when it came time to head back to the gym. It was like my first workout all over again. I had just gotten to where I wasn't so afraid of dropping the dumbbell on my head and was supposed to move to 5 repetitions, and then slacked off... well, the fear was back. It's a wonder I don't have a dent in my forehead right now. Hopefully tonight goes better. Though, if my legs are any indicator, it's going to be a tough one.

Oh! In case you're wondering, the party went off without a hitch. I didn't get to do all of my Pinterest inspired projects, but I did manage a few. As soon as I get the photos uploaded I'll be posting some of them here.

See you on the flip side!


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Book Review: Private Games

Private Games by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Someone is not a big fan of the Modern Olympics and is determined to see their demise.
Set in London during the 2012 Olympics. Jack Morgan, Private's head honcho is present, but not the main character. Peter Knight, and investigator for Private London has a personal investment in catching this madman. One that gets even more personal when his children become involved.

I really enjoy this Patterson series, almost more than his others I follow, I think. While it's the same high-paced action, I think it is a breath of fresh air compared to the other series (Cross and Women's Murder Club particularly). There seems to be more going on in this series in a short period of time, or maybe he just covers more cases. I don't know what it is, but I dig it.


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