Day 166

Weight: 192 lbs

Weight lost this week: 5 lb

Total weight lost: 46 lbs

Bust: 39 1/4" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 33 1/4" (1 1/4" lost since last week, 6 3/4" lost total)

Hips: 45 1/4" (1/2" lost since last week, 7 5/8" lost total)

Um, wow. WOW. Riddle me this, readers: I just went through two of the busiest weeks I've had in a long, long time. Between classwork, work, editing 140+ pages worth of case studies, driving all over central Oklahoma for various reasons, the girls coming in for a weekend of going out to dinner and drinking, and a myriad of other wonderful yet time-consuming things, I had next to no free time for good, hard, butt-busting workouts or to do much cooking ... and I somehow lost five pounds. In two weeks.

My weight-loss secret? Frickin' magic, guys. That's all I've got.

I actually feel sort of bad, though - for all my celebration, I cannot for the life of me begin to explain what I did! Some weight loss blog, huh? "I lose weight by sheer force of will. Emulate me. Fin." I'm still excited outta my mind though, I haven't been losing weight like this since I came back to Norman for the fall. I'm only hoping that whatever it is I'm doing right, I can keep on doing - I feel amazing, and it's only getting better.

As incredible as the last few weeks have been, I feel certain that the next few will easily rival them. Between the things I've got planned, the people I'm spending my time with, and (on a totally geeky note) the myriad game and movie releases coming up, good times are definitely ahead. Also broke times, perhaps. Why must gaming be such a pricy hobby? Agh. Ah well - a girl does what she must to be happy. 'Til next week, dear readers!

Day 152

Weight: 197 lbs

Weight lost this week: -1 lb

Total weight lost: 41 lbs

Bust: 39 1/4" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 34 1/2" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 1/2" lost total)

Hips: 45 3/4" (0" lost since last week, 7 1/8" lost total)

So I gained a pound, but lost an inch? Yay/boo? Sigh. I miss the days where inches and pounds both just fell away together.

I feel pretty good about this week though - my favorite kickstep instructor Leigh was watching me do push-ups on the pool wall during class, and was really impressed. You have two options in pool pushups - either lean at an angle on the wall and push back and forth, or brace your hands on the edge and push up and down (much harder!). I started with the former, but switched to the latter several weeks ago. Apparently, according to Leigh, you can really see a difference in tone already - remarkable, since outside of kickstep I'm getting minimal weight training in. Now I feel like a badass (albeit sore in the biceps).

Considering this was a holiday weekend (I do so love the Halloweekend), I was pretty responsible with my eating choices. I didn't have a proper free dinner all week, although I was busy enough I stuck mostly to soup and sandwiches. I am still making my beloved garlic chicken stir fry, though; I think I may be addicted a bit. However, while my eating choices were good, my drinking choices ran away with me a bit. I made rum punch for a party I threw Friday night (which we all called Drink Me because of the label I slapped on the pitcher). I made two gallons of deceptively sugary, totally-yet-subtly alcoholic punch, and it was gone in 3-4 hours. We were all RIDICULOUS ... totally smashed by like 11 pm, and yet by 1-2 am we were sober enough to watch a Thai horror flick and read the subtitles. It was like a party in reverse.

This was, awesomely enough, the first party of mine that has necessitated people to crash at my place; I feel so legit! Thank God I have the spare bedroom, though, as the two guys who had to crash spent a good hour (still mid-party, even) drunkenly lounging on my bed and insisting that there was room for all three of us to sleep there. And in the spirit of good decisions and resisting temptation and whatnot, I managed to (after much cajoling and some impositions on my personal space) persuade them to crash in the study and on the couch rather than in my bed where I intended to sleep. When did I get to be so well-behaved? I had two good-looking guys in my bed, and my first thought was, "Oh, hell NO you don't. That's my space!" Haha.

Suppose that says something about the shape I've gotten into, though? That I'm having to chase not one but two men out of my bed? Hmm ... let's just say it does. Go team me. ^^

Day 145

Weight: 196 lbs

Weight lost this week: 1 lb

Total weight lost: 41 lbs

Bust: 39 3/4" (0" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 45 3/4" (1/4" lost since last week, 7 1/8" lost total)

So, apparently having a brutal cough counts as an ab workout? Because I'm looking pretty good for having been pitiful and on the couch all week. I'm definitely relieved I didn't gain anything during my recuperation, but equally looking forward to getting my schedule back. Apparently I'm pretty reliant on kickstep as stress relief, and missing 3 classes in a row has me pretty twisted.

But it was the flu that had me laid out, it seems, and I was reluctant to take Tamiflu without having anyone around to keep tabs on me - its side effects may include hallucination and odd behavior, and I didn't like the idea of hallucinating and acting weird alone. It's supposed to be pretty good for your system to overcome the flu on its own, though, so go me.

This week's gonna be busier than usual - a few major projects due, hosting a horror movie marathon on Friday, and Halloween Saturday, plus getting myself back into routine after my unscheduled week off. Workouts will take some scheduling, but they've gotta get done - I'm seriously tired of down-time. Til next week, all!

Day 138

Weight: 197 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 40 lbs

Bust: 39 3/4" (1/4" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46" (1/2" lost since last week, 6 7/8" lost total)

So not too bad this week; nothing fantastic, but not too bad. I'm down about half a pound, but again - only logging full pounds lost on the official count. Considering that I've had several rather celebratory nights this week in which drinks were consumed, I'm definitely grateful to see noticeable loss.

I'm already a bit worried about the rest of the week though, seeing as I've gone from feeling fine this afternoon to feeling like a big puddle of ache now. Throat, muscles, head ... yeah. Hurting. Not sure if it's flu or just another weird round of symptoms, but I'm gonna try to go to Goddard tomorrow and get diagnosed. Got way too much to get done this week to be sick.

I'm still keeping strong with the workouts, although my recipes are still pretty well-confined to the familiar much moreso than new recipes. I'd really like to get time to try out new stuff, but my schedule keeps me running enough that it's pretty much go for the guaranteed good meal. Maybe sometime within the next week or so I'll get a chance to try at least one new thing; that'll be a pretty easy goal to hit, yeah?

Suppose that's all for tonight ... see yall next week!

Day 131

Sunday Rundown

Weight: 197 lbs

Weight lost this week: 3 lbs

Total weight lost: 40 lbs

Bust: 40" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 7/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 1/2" (0" lost since last week, 6 3/8" lost total)

Sorry for the missed post last week, guys ... it was a rough couple of days. We had an unexpected death in the family, my cousin Chelsea; I spent much of last weekend helping with memorial service preparations, and things like workouts and blog posts slipped away for a few days. It was a very surreal time, and it's had an odd impact on me. Between the burglary and Chelsea's death, I've had a lot of reminders of my mortality in recent weeks. A month ago, I would've told you I was bulletproof; now, not so much.

I was starting to worry considerably, though, as my weight was steadily creeping up throughout the stress of the last few weeks. When I weighed in on Tuesday, I was toeing the line between 201 and 202. Not happy. But! When I weighed in today, 197! I have NO IDEA what I did; in fact, I wasn't on my best culinary behavior all week, and I definitely drank more than usual - my Grandad turned 90, so we had a Big Heald Party to celebrate. And yet somehow, five pounds just sort of ... drifted away. Maybe God gave me a mulligan?

In any event, I am throwing myself back on track, outside stresses be damned. I've only got one or two more major projects looming over me this semester, so barring any more unexpected events, life should be much more manageable in the coming days. Let's hope so ... stress gives me weird dreams. Haven't been loving it ><>

Day 117

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 200 lbs

Weight lost this week: +2 lbs

Total weight lost: 37 lbs

Bust: 40 1/2" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 3/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 1/2" (1/4" lost since last week, 6 3/8" lost total)

(The measurements are old; I can't find my tape measure, but I'll track it down tomorrow and get it updated.)

Bummer-post incoming. The last week has been hell. Most of you have probably heard the story by now: I was burglarized last week. Someone came into my apartment while I slept and stole $3000-$4000 worth of stuff. They left me alone, thank God, but I'm still really shaken by it. I've spent most of the week trying to get my life back in order (with my mother's help, fortunately, or else I'd still be totally screwed). The long and short of it is that my workout and eating schedules went to hell for a while; the burglary, coupled with my off-days from having flu symptoms the days prior to the burglary, means my weight jumped up alarmingly eagerly. It's scary how quickly the human body is willing to regress.

If nothing else, this week has made me REALLY mad. The workouts I got in today and yesterday helped, but I've still got a lot of anger to work out. Should help me rage my way back on track. Cross your fingers for me, guys; I need all the good juju you can send my way. Hopefully I'll have good news for everyone next Sunday.

Day 103

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 198 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 39 lbs

Bust: 40 1/2" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 3/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 1/2" (1/4" lost since last week, 6 3/8" lost total)

Ugh, this was a rough week. The first half was great - found out my favorite water aerobics class has evening meets during the week as opposed to just the one crack-of-dawn Saturday class, and got some great cycing sessions in. Then, around Thursday, I started feeling lousy. Not terrible, not curl-up-on-the-couch-and-don't-move, per se, but enough that it impacted me. But - I didn't turn to comfort foods to make myself feel better, and I kept up with my workouts ... downside, though, is that whatever my funk is sapped my appetite. So no pounds lost this week. Well, technically, I lost like 3/4 of a pound, but if I start counting every decimal pound I lose, then I'm going to go mad. Until it's a nice round number, no post.

Cooking was pretty basic this week, nothing I haven't tried and succeeded at. I turned to garlic chicken stir fry more than once ... if it's possible to overdose on that, I could be in trouble down the road. I did turn to chicken noodle soup on my most pitiful sick night, but I sculled through it until I got a good chicken-to-noodle ratio. Meaning like all chicken, and only a few noodles. Not the usual sick-day soup I'm used to, but still good. Suppose all the good feeling's in the broth anyway.

All's still well in the GA realm ... came up with some fairly original activities for the week, and know all my students' names (thank you, Mel's Guide to Winning Ppl Over ...). And I'm still loving the advising office work. The atmosphere is so great there! I figured 4 hours of that a day would have me watching the clock like crazy, but I haven't been tapping my foot once. I love it there! And I'm getting a little more autonomy too, getting to feel out the advising process and all that it entails.

Been missing the girls a lot more this week, especially on nights out. Nate, Huck, and I had a ridiculous evening at Blu earlier this week, and about every other comment or silly toast made me think how much the girls would appreciate it. I don't feel like I'm any less social ... it's just a different kind of social, I suppose. Ladies! Come visit Norman so I can teach you the toast!

And now, I'm going to take some Nyquil, go to bed, and hopefully wake up with this weird funk behind me. I do not have time for illness; immune system, wake up and fix this so I can get back to business as usual. Yes?

Day 96

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 198 lbs

Weight lost this week: 1 lbs

Total weight lost: 39 lbs

Bust: 41" (1/4" lost since last week, 5 7/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 3/4" (0" lost since last week, 6 1/8" lost total)

Finally, a flicker of progress! Not the 2-5 lbs a week I was losing (ah, how I miss those days), but at least a sign that I'm not scheduling myself to death in vain. Amazing how tenacious a body can be when it thinks it's found equilibrium ...

I tried a Zumba class at the Y for the first time today, and let me just say DAMN. That's a hell of a workout! Remember, I haven't done Zumba since like the first week of HFFC, back before we figured out it might be doing me more harm than good. But it definitely felt good today. I even had a spot with a clear view to the mirror, and I wasn't totally appalled by myself like I was the first time I tried Zumba. I looked pretty damn good, actually! Kinda sweaty and red in the face, but otherwise good! They even played one of my favorite songs - Jai Ho, from Slumdog Millionaires (granted, it was the glittered-up Pussycat Dolls version, but still good). I left the Y with my shirt like two shades darker than it was when I arrived ... thank god I didn't wear one of the white shirts, or I would've gone transparent and started offending the Y patrons' good Christian sensibilities.

Cooking is still going well, although I'm finding myself only actually cooking like 3 or 4 nights a week. Most of what I make creates leftovers, and in the process of trying not to waste anything, I'm eating a lot of repeats. Not that I'm complaining - it's all come out pretty tasty so far (save for the chicken capri, which I forgot to rub with garlic powder prior to cooking and was tragically bland). I've been behaving myself pretty well with free meals, too ... driving down Lindsey the other day, it occurred to me that I cannot remember the last time I had fast food. No McDonalds, no Arby's, no Wendy's ... the closest thing I've had to "fast food" is the odd Subway sandwich. It's an oddly gratifying feeling; I mean, for a while there, the Arby's on Lindsey knew my usual. That's always a bad sign.

I'm still loving my GA work, I've even been out shopping for more professional clothing to wear while advising; I'm not required to dress up, but I feel like I should a bit if I really want to make an impression. Also, as of today, my novel mentor Mel got the rough draft of my SR novel back to me! Which is why it's almost 3:30 am as I write this post: I find myself having a hard time focusing on anything else tonight. It's not a ton of changes, just a few pronoun confusions and some rephrasing for clarity's sake. Turns out I write with a lot of semicolons; who knew?

I've made a promise to myself this week - no walks. I have no means of figuring out precisely how long my routes are (trying to find a good iPhone app to track it, if anyone can recommend me one), and I think I'm cheating myself out of some butt-busting workouts without meaning to. This week, it's all Y, all the time: kickstep, Zumba, and maybe even a cycling class ... y'know, if I decide I'm up for that kind of self-flagellation, haha (honestly? I kinda miss Carla's cycling class! The bane of my workout schedule, and I'm really missing it). Wish me luck this week, guys ... I've tentatively scooted off my plateau, it's time to drop some serious weight!

Day 89

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 1/4" (0" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 3/4" (1/4" lost since last week, 6 1/8" lost total)

Ugh, I hate plateaus! Gets so frustrating to work and work and see no real change. Could be worse, I suppose. Could work and work and see myself backslide. Now THAT would be a downer.

I did a really good job of cooking for myself this week - did chili one night (although it wasn't totally right, I didn't remember to properly season the meat), garlic stir fry two nights, and a hamburger patty one night. The others were all leftovers, with one free meal (Service Station). I've even been packing lunch to campus to prevent myself from hitting Wendy's or Quizno's and breaking my diet.

I've literally scheduled out my whole week: dinners, classwork, grad work, and workouts. I popped up Microsoft Excel and mapped everything out. Should make it really, really easy to stay on track, and I can easily upgrade it every Sunday. The one bummer is that my grad schedule overlaps many of the exercise classes I'd take - sculpt, Zumba, yoga, etc. I'm pretty much confined to free cardio/weights, walking, and water aerobics. Sort of a pain, but I at least have the time I need to get a workout in every day without wrecking myself.

So biggest success this week: yesterday, my friend Nate and I went to lunch at Gaillardia to use up the food minimum we have to pay each quarter. Now Gaillardia is quite the classy place, which means jeans and such are frowned upon severely; I had to pretty up. I went through all my go-to nice tops ... and they all looked terrible! Baggy, shapeless, with patterns that made me look bigger than I am ... it was ridiculous! So, at wit's end and about to make us late, I grabbed a little black dress that I haven't been able to wear in over two years and put it on. And it looked DAMN GOOD. Like seriously; it didn't even look that nice when I first bought it. I was psyched! And, to top it off, I went to The Righs' concert last night wearing a flowy black skirt, black vest, and white t-shirt (my attempt at a celtic-punk look), and it all fit flawlessly! Hell, half my vests were so big that I could've smuggled stuff underneath them pretty easily. Guess I need to cycle a few more things outta my closet now, huh?

Tomorrow, I'm trying a new water aerobics class ... I'm not clear on what it is I'll be doing, since they all have vague names like Wave, HART, and Hydro H2O, but I'm trying it all the same. I'm really gonna bust my butt this week ... while I did get a workout in every day last week, some of them were just sorta going through the motions. I know it takes serious butt-busting workouts to make progress, not the wussy little pseudo-workouts I turned to once or twice in the last few days. I am DETERMINED to get off this damn plateau, I'm dying to see more progress! Wish me luck, all!

Day 82

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 1/4" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 47" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 7/8" lost total)

Finally got a proper tape measure, so we've got measurements again! Still can't figure out a good way to do a picture though; surely I can figure something out.

I'm bummed I didn't see any weight loss this week, but not too surprised. It's been a busy week; between TA training (which was far less fun than anticipated), Gaylord orientation, finishing my apartment, and having plans almost every night, I was seriously strapped for workout time - especially considering that the pool at the Y was closed for cleaning all week. I ended up going to my apartment complex's workout room five out of the seven days - super-monotonous - and managed a walk one day and a Y visit this afternoon. Not bad, but definitely not the level of exercise I'm accustomed to. I'm gonna have to seriously bust my butt this week, no question.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the fall semester (although not so much for me, since I don't have any classes on Monday or Friday), and the beginning of my GA-dom. I'm very excited - my schedule should allow me to get in a morning workout and leave time for me to cook dinner every night. The GA facilities even have a small kitchen, so I'll be able to take leftovers for lunch on occasion. I've already built this week's workouts into my schedule - I'm doing a few familiar classes, as well as some new ones I'm curious about. I'm determined to stay on track this week, back to school or no; with my apartment finally in the shape it needs to be and my schedule stabilizing, I've got nothing to hold me back!

Day 75

Sunday Rundown (belated!)

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: +2 lbs, then -2 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Mom took my tape measure, so I can't get you guys my measurement updates just yet. And I haven't figured out a way to set the camera properly to take a self-pic with my camera's timer. And to top it off, I'm a day late. I'm a terrible blogger! Why do yall follow me again?

Haha in all seriousness, I felt so guilty when I realized I hadn't gotten a post up yesterday! Mom and I spent most of the evening embroiled in the Battle of the Bookcase, wherein we attempted to assemble a particleboard bookcase and failed miserably. There was a moment where I thought Mom might start stabbing it with the screwdriver, and I wouldn't have blamed her. We grappled with it til late, and I crashed hardcore. It was a long day.

Anyway, I did pretty well these last two weeks, considering I was traveling so much! Gained a pound and change in NY, which was better than expected; all I can say is thank God New York restaurants are required by law to post the calorie count of each dish right in the menu. It saved my butt more than a few times. I mean, as tempting as some meals sound (like the garlic chicken alfredo whatever-it-was at California Pizza Kitchen that nearly did me in), they weren't worth the calories even as a free meal (the alfredo dish topped 1000 calories! For one meal! That's almost a day's worth!). I just carried CLIF bars everywhere and made the best choices I could.

The last week's been a bit muddled too; between traveling home, beginning my TA training, and trying to get my apartment in order, cooking time/space/gear has been slim to none. I've been able to keep to healthy quick-fixes (sandwiches, chili, tuna, etc) to save me from myself. I've also gotten some hardcore workouts in - Saturday morning Kickstep and Deepwater Weights nearly ended me. I also tried Aqualates (aquatic pilates? Eh? Eh?) and loved it; I was even able to do the advanced moves! Very gratifying.

I promise to add on the measurements, once I repossess my tape measure ... and I'll be sure to get next Sunday's post up on time! Also, I have three other blogs for your consideration, all friends of mine pursuing similarly healthy lifestyles: Wendi, Chris, and Tami. Wendi's working on cooking cheap and healthy food, Chris is working to improve his life all around via introspection and positive thinking, and Tami's doing a program very similar to my own; click their names to check it out! See yall next Sunday (with pictures, perhaps)!

Day 61

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 2 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 3/4" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (1 1/4" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 47 3/4" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Thigh: 27 1/2" (3 5/8" lost total)

Bicep: 14 1/2" (2 7/8" lost total)

Wrist: 6 1/4" (1/4" lost total)

It's done, guys! Done! Over 8 weeks ago, I swore to do everything in my power to get myself below 200 pounds before the end of HFFC, and here, on Day 61, I have officially done it. For the first time in I-don't-know-HOW-long, I'm back below 200 pounds!! I'm ... floored! I'm ecstatic! I'm so glad, and so relieved - part of me was terrified I'd put in all the time and effort and bust my butt, only to shave off ten pounds or so. It's so gratifying to know it's been worth it, and that it'll continue to be worth it. It's like I always say about Mom and Dad ... they're fit because they put a lot of time and effort into staying fit, and the same potential's always been in me. Just took me this long to try and tap it.

So here's the plan for this blog, following the conclusion of HFFC. I'm no longer going to do a nightly post, since there's only so many times yall will enjoy reading the same routine over and over. Instead, I'm going to do a weekly post on Sunday nights. I'll post the rundown - weight and measurements, perhaps a pic - and talk about the challenges I've faced throughout the week: learning to cook for myself every meal, resisting temptation (both foodwise and getting-my-butt-out-of-bed-wise), and keeping myself going even on the sucky days. I feel like I'll need this continuation for some accountability, to you guys (and of course my parents, whom I know will be the first ones to call me up and inquire about any weight re-gained, haha) as well as to myself. I'll start these posts on August 16th - I'll be traveling all day next Sunday coming back from my celebratory NYC trip, so I'll have no chance to weigh and measure.

I am eternally grateful to everyone who has been a part of this. Everyone who's read this blog, cheered me on, offered me tips or asked for advice; everyone who's helped me celebrate the wins and commiserate the losses; everyone who's called me, IMed me, or messaged me just to check in and see how I'm feeling and how I'm doing; everyone who's had a hand in spurring me on to where I am now. Thanks especially to my brother, whose pre-HFFC phone call was so sweet and supportive it left me in tears, and to my parents, who have endured two months of doing hardcore workouts and eating even the nastiest diet recipes right along with me. I could not have gotten here without all of you guys backing me up.

One of my favorite tips I read this summer (out of the mountain of diet books living on our kitchen table) was in the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart book; it said simply, "Choose your team wisely." Make sure the people around you will be enablers, helping you move forward no matter what. In starting this blog and making public my weight loss efforts, I managed to rally the most supportive people possible around me. You guys have been an amazing team; thank you for everything you've done, and everything you'll do as i continue to work towards total health. I've lost nearly 40 pounds, but I've got 50 still to go. This time next year, guys - 150 lbs! Let's make it happen!

Day 60

One day of HFFC left ... a lifetime of workouts ahead of me, true, but only one day of the bootcamp. After this, getting a workout or two in a day is gonna be an absolute breeze, haha.

The weather was incredibly dreary today, so I wound up with all indoor and freestyle workouts. Cardio, strength training, and yoga. Felt really good to stretch out, apparently my calves were kinda kinked up. Also meant I got everything in before noon again, so another afternoon off! Wh-hoo. =) Ended up chilling pretty seriously - read a book, watched some tv with the fam, and took a pretty hardcore nap. Very relaxing.

Food was straightforward too, although dinner was nice - my final free meal. We went to Chenal, and I got to indulge in some seriously spicy poblano pepper soup, a tuna sandwich, and a rare treat: french fries with sea salt. Mmm ... I ordered a rum and Diet Coke too, but it was like ALL rum. Ended up not drinking too much of it. Some nights, that drink goes down so smooth; others, not so much.

It seems that the closer I get to the end, the less I can come up with to blog about, haha. My first few weeks, it'd take me half an hour to compose a post at the end of the day; now, I'm knocking them out in five, ten minutes flat. I feel bad about it, but there's only so much to tell now before I begin repeating myself. Tomorrow should be a more promising post, though ... the final Sunday Rundown of HFFC, the final day of HFFC, all that good stuff. Not long to go now, guys!

Day 59

Two ... days ... left! *bum-bah!*

Today was a ridiculously fun day. I got on a serious roll this morning and knocked out all 4 workouts in 4 hours. From 8 am to noon, I was working out end-to-end. A walk, some weights, a cardio, and then yoga/stretch. Means I was able to come home and actually clean up and wear real clothes before dusk, and run errands all afternoon guilt-free!

We got a ton done - picked up a few more pairs of properly-fitted jeans, got my new furniture from Pier 1, and did a little extra retail therapy in between. I found an amazing scarf at a store called Rue 21, and spent like 5 minutes this evening kneeling in front of the webcam, trying to properly pose with it.

I know, kinda desert-sheik chic, but it was the best way I could figure to show off the colors at such close range. We also stopped back by a few furniture stores where we'd pre-shopped, and I did a fairly adult thing and purchased some fine art!

How cool is that?? It's the one I told you guys about in Tuesday's post, and I went back and bought it! As soon as I saw it, I was smitten - spirals are my favorite shape, and black and white is so simple and timeless that this piece can go with me when I move, even if my main decorating scheme changes. I'm so excited to have it; just gotta get it to Norman in one piece, now. I'm so paranoid it'll get broken, haha!

I also made one more retail-therapy purchase, right before this post. It was a silly sort of impulse, but it occurred to me that there was an easy way to get me excited about cooking: costumery. I've always loved getting to wear something unique, different, or costume-y (not to excess, of course, but when I get to go, I do go all out!). Having something special that I only wear when I cook is a total sell for a former drama geek like me. And I found the perfect thing: a sexy apron. 

Not like a nasty-tiny lingerie thing, but an actual functional apron that's just a flirty pattern and fabric so it looks cute, not clunky or spinsterly. I didn't expect to find one so easily, but I ran a Google search on "flirty aprons." First result? Flirtyaprons.com. Win! I can't get the site to load on my laptop so I can post a pic of the one I bought, but if you're so inclined you can see it on the site. I got the black-and-white one about halfway down the page. Can't wait til it gets here!

Tomorrow's workouts are currently in limbo, until such time as the weather determines itself. I'm crossing my fingers that the rain holds off so I can get one more walk in (Saturday night's gonna pour, so Sunday's right out). Guess I won't know until tomorrow morning ... ah well. Gonna watch some gratuitous violence (Planet Terror!) and call it a night. Later all!

Day 58

So I ended up having to do my backup plan for workouts this morning ... it seriously rained curtains most of the day. Had to do CCC cardio and weights instead of a good walk. Not the same, but still pretty good.

Food wasn't anything too different today; a peach smoothie for breakfast, tuna for lunch, and pork tenderloin at the Sterns' for dinner. Dinner was incredibly fun: 3 of the Sterns, 3 of the Healds, and 2 of the Rogalas made for a hell of a dinner group. I might've gotten an extra workout in from laughing so hard. It's kinda cool to be able to have that much fun with family, I know that sort of thing is rare.

Today, we decided I needed a new pair of jeans for New York. Y'know, something that isn't a few good shimmies away from falling right off me. The jeans I have here are 4s, by Lane Bryant's size system (not sure what that relates to in regular sizes, but I'm sure I'd be shocked). I went in planning to squeeze into a pair of 3s ... and walked out in a perfectly-fitted set of 2s. I've never been an LB 2! Also picked up a few cute, simple shirts at Old Navy - nice to have a few outfits that flaunt what I've got a little bit.

You know, everyone talks about how you can buy anything and wear anything when you're in shape, and you always go, "Yeah, yeah, I know." But the truth is, until you're fit enough to just grab any style or color off the rack in a flattering size, put it on, and make it look good ... you have NO idea how incredible that feels. I never would've guessed it'd feel quite this good. So for my equally fitness-minded friends, trust me - it's so worth the work to be able to slip into anything you want to.

It's another short post, I'm sorry ... but if I don't crash soon, I'm gonna regret it. (Also: 3 days of HFFC left! Still counting ^^)

Day 57

Getting my counting out of the way early ... four-days-left! (I can't stop. Accountants for parents. What can a girl do?)

Today was EXHAUSTING. At breakfast, Dad reminded me that today would be the last guaranteed non-rainy morning, and I needed to take advantage of it. So instead of two LRAC classes, I convinced (read: all but dragged) Mom out to Pinnacle to hit the base trail one last time. And I'm not gonna lie ... it kinda sucked today. Humid as all get-out ... and toward the end, I so nearly stepped on a snake. 

I'm not kidding - my right foot was in the air, about to come down, when I realized that the dark streak in front of me was not a shadow, but a two-foot-long black-and-white spotted snake. I kid you not guys, it was too close for comfort. If I'd still been out of shape, there would have been no way I could've checked myself in time. As it was, I had to use my whole core to reverse my step and nearly fell backward into Mom. I was FREAKED; the snake was not pleased either. It coiled up super-fast and started doing its tail like a rattler, even though it didn't have a rattle. We had to slip kind of off the path to get around the damn thing. Nothing gets your heart rate up like being half a footfall away from four puncture wounds in your calf. ><

And then, after my big, long, humid, stressful, snake-inhabited hike, I remembered it was Wednesday .... SPIN CLASS. After 3.5 miles in the heat - spin class! I came so close to bailing, but in the end I hauled my butt out there anyway. And it was actually kinda fun today, oddly. One of the songs they played was Sandstorm, one of my favorite techno songs and a guaranteed club hit. So my lower body was pedaling like mad to the beat, but my upper body was in a club. I was dancing as best I could, and I wasn't the only one. The last ten minutes still sucked (especially since I forgot the seat pad), but I made it. Squeezed in some weights and some yoga, then spent the whole afternoon in bed playing video games, napping, reading, and watching the rain pour down. Gotta love it.

Tomorrow's gonna take some exercise-finagling to deal with all the weather, but I've got a backup plan. Y'know, in case the first one breaks down. Later all!

Day 56

Day 56, guys. Eight weeks in Little Rock busting my butt. Eight weeks down, 5 days to go (yes, I'm still counting ><).

I had a theraputic sort of walk today - it was overcast enough to shut down the golf course, so I took Rafferty for a looping walk around the path. It was very relaxing, although she's an old enough dog that I needed to drop her back at home about 1/3 of the way through. And I kid you not, the minute I stepped onto the path without that dog, it started sprinkling. Little pinprick drops, nothing huge ... but by the time I got home, I was DRENCHED. Changed into pajama pants and did some yoga right afterward, and that helped take some of the chill out.

It's weird - ever since I've started losing weight, I've been so temperature-sensitive! Used to be cold didn't bother me; I keep my apartment super-cold, if only to make my bed feel that much warmer when I curl up to read or sleep. But today, we went to Juanita's for a sort-of-free lunch, and I was freezing my butt off! Mom and Dad said it was a little cool, but I was straight-up shaking! Guess the weight I've lost so far was all insulation.

I did a little more shopping today - bought a super-sexy corset-styled top at Forever 21 that does awesome things to my bustline, and did a little preliminary furniture shopping around town. I found this amazing art piece I want to buy at one store: it's a cream-colored canvas divided into 20 or so squares, and each square has a black spiral squiggled into it. I've always loved spirals, and it looks so much like me that it killed me to leave the store without it. I may have to go back ... it's pricy, for wall art, but I may have to suck it up and shell out. I want it so bad!

I'm torn as to tomorrow's workouts ... it's gonna be the last sunny day for awhile, and I've gotta choose between water aerobics and hiking the base trail. I really want to spend some time in the water, but I can't do the base trail after Sunday - not totally safe for a young woman to go hiking off alone. I guess I'll see what I'm feeling tomorrow ... goodnight all!

Day 55

Day 55, only 6 days left ... ugh, not counting down is hard!

Anyway, today's the first day of the last week. Woke up feeling pretty good, due to all the encouraging messages I got from people who saw the Sunday Rundown. Then I remembered I had to do spin class. God, spin class ...

Workouts were straightforward classes, most of the day. Sculpt, water aerobics (in which my octogenarian fan club was super-excited to see me back), and the dreaded spin class. It's odd - I think I'd like spin class more if I got to pick the music. This instructor's tastes flip-flop between techno and (ugh) Nickelback. Very odd combo. Then I rounded out the day with a little free yoga, and was done by like 2 pm. Pretty nice, to have the afternoon off. I got a little online shopping done, although online retail therapy is not as satisfying as real-world retail therapy. It's all the money spent, and none of the stuff shows up for days. I did buy some good stuff, though - a poster for my apartment, a bolster pillow for yoga, and a birthday gift for a good friend of mine. Dented my bank account a bit, but worth it.

Food was super-simple today; I didn't even cook dinner, since Mom had some new recipe she was dying to try. It wasn't even for me - it was herbed chicken, but with a mango-watermelon salsa that was so not on my diet. Instead, she converted my recipe to herbed chicken parmesean ... and it was pretty damn good! I even got to have some whole-wheat rotini with parmesean cheese, which I have so missed.

So tonight, a big raincloud has parked itself over Arkansas and is gonna dump rain on us for a week or so. Means my plan to double-loop the base trail tomorrow (a seven-mile trip) may be called on account of rain; I'm okay with just hitting CCC if need be, but I'd so rather go for a hike. It wouldn't be safe with the downpour that's coming in, though ... the rocks would be slick as hell and the little creeks the path drops into will be roaring. Definitely a recipe for Meg-washed-into-the-Arkansas-River ... ah well. We'll see!

Day 54

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 201 lbs

Weight lost this week: 5 lbs

Total weight lost: 36 lbs

Bust: 42 1/2" (3/8" lost since last week, 4 3/8" lost total)

Waist: 36 3/4" (1 1/4" lost since last week, 3 3/4" lost total)

Hips: 48 1/2" (1" lost since last week, 4 3/8" lost total)

Oh my god, guys. Oh. My. God! I'm a pound away! Only one pound to go in the next seven days to hit my summer weight loss goal! I can't believe it! Not only that I'm down to the last week, but that I'm so, so close to where I wanna be!

Workouts were simple today, but sorta brutal. In light of the huge lowering storm overhead, Dad suggested we do the six-mile Chenal loop rather than Pinnacle ... totally forgetting that I'd done the six-mile Chenal loop once already this week. But, we did it anyway. Made decent time, although the last half-mile was killing me. I could see the house - I just wanted to blink to it and skip the last bit. Also hit yoga/stretch this afternoon, which is essential considering how crazy the other yoga class has been as of late.

I did do some cooking again this evening - Mexican Lasagna. It's still an evolving recipe, a little too sauce-y and too heavy on the cilantro, but it should only take a little tweaking to get right. Breakfast and lunch were very basic - a CLIF bar, to save time getting moving this morning, and leftover chili for lunch, because I'm an addict. Don't laugh til you try the chili, guys.

I embarked on a fun (to me, anyway) project today - I decided to dig through the boxes of books we have in the attic and find some of the stuff I read in high school. I knew I wanted to find the Everworld series, but I was also after a book trilogy which I could not recall the title, author, anything save for the fact that it was about a supernatural board game and the description of one of the main antagonists. Running a Google search on "board game, Julian, demon, white hair, blue eyes" wasn't turning up squat, so I decided I'd dig through the attic and see if I couldn't find them. I crawled through the creepy, tiny attic with a flashlight tied to my robe's sash, pulled out the first dust-encrusted box I found, opened the lid ... and there they were, right on top. Easy as could be. It's the "Forbidden Game" trilogy, by L.J. Smith - "The Hunter," "The Chase," and "The Kill." Totally cornball supernatural teen fic, but I'm so excited to have them back!

Tomorrow starts the last seven days (I know, I'm still counting, I can't stop). It's kind of surreal to think that I'm this close to the end ... so I'm not gonna dwell on it quite yet, haha. Instead, I'm gonna settle into a hot soak with my awesome/cornball supernatural teen fic and unwind a bit before bed. G'night, my blogees!

Day 53

Damn this almost-cold and its just-inconveniencing-me-enough qualities!

Woke up feeling like I'd been hit with a stick. I did manage to rally up and hike the base trail ... and I made some damn good time! I couldn't stop thinking back to Day 5, when it took everything I had to put one foot in front of the other. Today, I was just strolling! Like I was walking down the Oval and not climbing up and down a rocky slope. It felt amazing, that kind of progress.

After that, I basically camped out in bed for like six hours: played some WoW, watched a couple of movies, napped ... finally rallied again enough to squeeze in a cardio and some weights before I had to get ready for dinner. We cooked at the Sterns': cilantro-buttered tilapia, steamed broccoli, jalapeno rice, caprese salad, and some WONDERFUL bread (that I did have one tiiiiny piece of!). It was a really tasty combo, and kinda fun to cook en masse like that. Definitely something I wanna incorporate back home.

I'm so sure I had more to say, but I'm fading fast. Supposed to be up early - gonna do Pinnacle again. Over this time, not around - up the hard side, down the easy side. Weather depending, of course - there's a chance of rain every day as far out as next Monday. Could really put a wrench in my last week ... like I'm not already anxious enough about the Sunday Rundown tomorrow. Agh ... wish me luck!

Day 52

Today ended up being sort of a day off - I woke up feeling lousy, even after a full 12 hours of sleep. Ugh. I did get one workout in, though: stretch class. Much needed, after the weirdness in yoga earlier this week. Doing free yoga in my "studio" (read: Alex's spacious bathroom) is not the same as doing it in a proper class.

So, in light of my time off, I don't have much to report today. Food was all repeats, for ease as much as comfort food. Peach smoothie for breakfast, homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch, and CHILI for dinner (love, love, love chili). Still short on calories for the day, though, need to do something about that.

I did, however, get some major shopping done for my apartment. I bought the table I picked out (on sale, even), a pair of dining-room chairs, and a bookshelf (like the little one in my bedroom, but two shelves taller).

Not bad, right? The table's a bit darker, in person, and the chair's not so dark in person; the table can be big enough for six people, or small enough to function as a sofa table should I ever need a different table for my dining needs. They should fit my apartment pretty nicely, although I won't know for sure 'til I head back in August. I was kinda hoping to wait until Norman to do my shopping, but the sale was on now, not later. Guess I just get to do some heavy lifting when I pack up. (PS - my Normanite guys! Wanna help me unload some stuff when I get back to town?)

Tomorrow, I am determined to feel better - as far away as my return to Norman seems, I'm actually quickly running short of time to hit my 200 or less goal. I've gotta bust my butt, regardless; only 9 days to go.

Day 51

Agh, long day today. Woke up feeling lousy, but dragged my butt outta bed and threw myself into my 6-mile walk. I managed it alright - used to be able to knock it out in 15-minute miles, an hou-and-a-half walk, and today it only took me about an hour and 40 minutes. Not too bad. I was BEAT afterwards, though ... contorted myself through 30 minutes of yoga, took a quick shower, and tried to grab a nap. No dice; gave up after awhile and just went on about my day. I did another cardio and some strength training later, but my heart wasn't in it. I feel pretty lousy - tired, sore, no appetite, headache. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm so over it.

I ran really low on my calorie count today - only 700 total. I was in such a hurry to get on my walk that I only did half an apple for breakfast; lunch was a Cooking Light recipe for chicken noodle soup that turned out really tasty; dinner was a broiled hamburger patty and some nasty bag-n-steam-style veggies. Guess I'll have to make a point of chopping fresh veggies - frozen is right out. The low calorie count is concerning, though; I'll need to work in a late-night snack after I finish this post.

I feel bad, that all my post are such downers lately. It's not that I'm tired of the program, or tired of being around my family, or anything like that - this has been some amazing quality time, and it's allowed me to reinvent myself. I just miss the familiarity of Norman ... I mean, ever since I first went away to college, I haven't come back to Little Rock for more than two weeks at a time. Now we're coming up on eight weeks, nine by the time I actually return home. It's so hard to focus my mind on the program when it's so busy looking ahead to seeing my brother in NYC, and to being with my friends at the Symposium on Tuesdays, and beginning my new lifestyle back in the comfort of my own home. I'm trying not to count down, but after all the counting I've done this summer, it's a hard habit to break.

Ah well. I'm trying my damnedest to push myself twice as hard, not only for the added progress but also for the distraction. I'm so close to the end of the program and so close to my weight loss goal ... I can't let myself slow down now. Not yet.

Day 50

So spin class nearly ended me today. 

In many of the exercises we do in spin class, Carla tells us to stand up in the pedals and pedal upright for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Now, until today I haven't made a strong effort to do so - as soon as I would stand up, it would feel like I was putting myself in serious danger of a sprain or a twist, and I'd drop right back into my seat in a few seconds' time. Well, today I decided I was more fit and needed to make a stab at it.

I stood up, kept pedaling, my muscles working in sync like they're supposed to ... and after about 20 seconds, my left leg hyperextended, and I started to pitch sideways off the bike. And for a split second, I thought that this was it. I was gonna fall off my bike and twist, sprain, or even break something, and that'd be the end of my fitness efforts for a few weeks, or months even. Before I could fall off, I flung my weight to my right leg and kind of fell backward into the seat rather than sideways off the bike. It was so damn close, it scared me to death. Not gonna try that again anytime soon, not til I'm sure I'm ready for it.

So between sculpt, water aerobics, and spin class, I was pretty well whipped by about 1 pm. Thankfully, my afternoon was totally chill - lunch, a reeeeally good nap, yoga, and a long soak + shower. Also got some movie-geek downtime; had Watchmen playing on and off throughout the day while I was in my room, and am finishing up Coraline now as I settle into bed. People can bash Watchmen all they want, but it definitely entertains me. It's the kind of flick I'd turn on during cooking or cleaning days: good spectacle, great music (mostly) and I can wander in and out without feeling like I'm missing out.

Food was great today - CLIF bar for breakfast, leftover chili (love, love the chili recipe ...) for lunch, and free meal for dinner. I figured, why fight the classics? Pizza and beer! It was delicious, but it felt equally good to get totally cleaned up and put on something other than workout clothes or my robe. We also met the Sterns for dinner, which is always a good time - especially since we hadn't seen them in 10 days. Always a good time with the Sterns.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna get that damn 6-mile walk in, provided the frickin' weather cooperates ... g'night, my blogees!

Day 49

The weather report for July 21st, 2009: rain. Lots and lots of rain. Rain to last for days. Don't plan on gardening, there won't be any ground.

Ugh. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE a good, rainy day ... provided I can sit inside, wear my PJs all day, eat a big ol' bowl of soup, and vegg out like mad. However, HFFC doesn't come equipped with rain checks. I hit CCC fairly late (9:30 is late in the day for me; I used to sleep right past that without a blink ...) and did my strength training and a cardio. Then, as a show of good faith, I went to the LRAC to try the really-spiritual-and-hippie-esque yoga class again. BAD CALL.

One of the other yoga class members, an Indian woman, had brought in a co-worker of her husband's who is (and I kid you not) an Expert in Breathing. And for 30 FRICKIN' MINUTES, he taught us how to breathe. I swear to you, I nearly got up and walked out. I don't come to yoga to breathe through my feet, or with my bandas, or down my legs - I come to yoga to stretch and unwind. And today, it just frustrated me. We didn't even do savasanna (our 10 minutes of laying down under a blanket and relaxing). We just took Child's Pose for a minute! Let it be known: I am not. Going back. To that class again. I suppose that'll be one of the biggest perks of yoga at the Y - it's a Christian institution, and thus it should be all about the stretches without all the spirituality.

Today, a triumph: I no longer have to take my Glucophage! When they first started me on it years ago, I was told I'd take it all my life! Now, granted, I don't get to quit because I went to a check-up and my doctor diagnosed me as healed; I kinda-sorta quit taking it a while ago because it made me so sick. I just hadn't fessed up to my doctor yet because I thought I'd get in trouble and they'd up my dosage to make up for lost time. However, I finally confessed, and since it hasn't made a bit of difference whether or not I take Glucophage, my doctor has conceded that I don't have to take it anymore, provided I continue to lose weight and my monthly cycle stays regular. Whoo-hoo! Getting off the Glucophage was one of my overarching weight-loss goals, and I've hit it only 7 weeks in!

Food was also a triumph today. Well, 2/3 triumphant, anyway. Breakfast was South-Beach-approved blueberry pancakes, lunch was an attempt at potato soup (total fail), and dinner was an AMAZING chili recipe from the Biggest Loser cookbook. I inhaled my serving, and had another 3/4 of a serving for a late-night snack. Delicious stuff. I'm just imagining coming home in the winter after my super-late J-Mad class and heating up a big ol' bowl of chili. Can't wait.

It's so hard to focus on the program these last two days, my mind's already fixated on what comes after. On a new couch and a proper table in my apartment; on a semester's worth of writing courses; on my grad school duties; on seeing my friends full-time again; on living my new life. It's so close, and it still seems far away. I know if I can stop focusing on it and just live day to day, it'll get here sooner ... 

Day 48

Off-time's officially done, time to focus on the real deal. Which was really, really hard to do today, since I was apparently stricken by sudden, short-term narcolepsy. Seriously: got up at 7:15, did sculpt at 8, was asleep again by 9:30. Got up at 11:30, had spin class (ugh, spin class) at noon, asleep again by 2. Got up at 4 to do yoga and a long walk on the golf course, then had to fight the urge to sleep again so as to attempt to sleep tonight.

Today's workouts were pretty good, although I was so tired that it felt harder than usual. Doing my usual 6 lb hand-weights in sculpt had my arms shaking, they were so tired. Spin class was pretty rough, too, I was not in a good mindset for it today (but I did it anyway!). Yoga was harder than usual too; all that went right was my walk, which was totally mellowing and lovely, and thanks to all the weather, not nastily hot outside. I'm glad I managed to get all four workouts in, although I need them to feel like less of a pain tomorrow - I can't drag myself through two weeks like today.

This evening marks the beginning of my cooking dinner every night (which is taking some shuffling, since I need to learn to cook for one, but we need dinner for three every night). My first effort? Beef and broccoli stir-fry and egg drop soup. It turned out really tasty! Not garlicky enough for my taste, but so few meals are. A pinch or two of garlic salt set it to rights. I'm also working in earnest on creating my cookbook - two pages for each recipe, including ingredients, cooking instructions, nutritional facts, and a pic of the finished dish. It's taking a little work, but having a binder of recipes I typed and printed myself will help me immeasurably upon my return to Norman.

And now, for the fourth time in 24 hours, I'm going to snuggle into bed and sleep like a rock. Planning on an early walk of the Chenal Loop, provided the weather cooperates this time. I mean, I'll go walk in a drizzle, but a downpour like we had today? I'd rather not come back from working out looking like a drowned rat, tyvm.

Day 47

*Off-time, Day 5*

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 206 lbs

Weight lost this week: 2 lbs

Total weight lost: 31 lbs

Bust: 42 7/8" (1/8" lost since last week, 4" lost total)

Waist: 38" (0" lost since last week, 2 1/2" lost total)
Hips: 49 1/2" (1/2" lost since last week, 3 3/8" lost total)

Whoo! Weight loss and inch loss, even with my lesser workout and greater dining-out schedule. That's a huge relief; I would've considered the last five days pretty off-program, and I still made a difference.

Okay, so technically today was simultaneously off-time and a ton of work. Hauled a ton of superfluous stuff back from Norman, which meant lots of loading heavy things this morning, plus a 6-hour drive back. I was doing pretty well for the first half of the drive, but about the time I crossed into Arkansas, my energy tanked. Apparently the weird natural high I was on from the Kickstep class finally faded, and the 10+ hours of cleaning and furniture-moving I did yesterday hit like a brick. Not planning on a late evening, to be sure.

It was great being back in Norman, I got to see almost everyone and do almost everything that needed doing. It's just ... I didn't wanna come back quite yet! I wanted to stay in Norman, keep shopping for new couches and such for my apartment, and taking crazy-fun aquatics courses at the Y. I suppose it will be easier to focus on making the last two weeks of the program really hardcore if I'm here, but it'd also be nice to be there in my element. Oh well - two more weeks of HFFC, a week of NYC awesomeness and packing for Norman, and then I make my triumphant return home. It'll pass by in an eyeblink, particularly as hard as I plan to be working for the next two weeks ...

I didn't get an official workout today; I mean, I hauled furniture and bags of clothing much of the late night and early morning, but so far as deliberate, lace-up-your-tennis-shoes workouts? Nothing. I had hoped to get back in time and alert enough to at least hit CCC, but no dice. Oh well - I think after how hard I worked the last two days, that might be alright.

Food situation was a bit sparse today, in light of my rush to get packed and outta town. I did hit Panera Bread for lunch, and made some fairly diet-savvy choices - whole-grain bread instead of foccacia or ciabatta, veggie-based soup, and fruit instead of chips or a baguette. And a Diet Pepsi (I'm a total Coke girl, so going Diet Pepsi over Dr. Pepper is a big deal). Dinner was a re-do - enchilada chicken, black beans, and jalapeno rice. Absolutely delicious after a hard day.

My time off was lovely, but I am very much looking forward to busting my butt through the home stretch. Wish me luck, guys!