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!

Day 46

*Off-time, Day 4*

Wow, super-late post tonight! Forgive me, yall, I was busy up until like 15 minutes ago.

I tried a couple of the many water aerobics courses offered at the Y today. I went only intending to take Kickstep at like 8:15 am, and LOVED it. It was like aqua-kickboxing: jab, cross, sidekick, repeat! I was so jazzed afterwards that I stayed for the deep-water sculpt class immediately afterwards. I had intended to do Kickstep, then go home and crawl into bed; instead, I stayed hyped all day! And was insanely productive!

Essentially, from 3:30 pm til about 1:30 am, I was cleaning/organizing/rearranging my apartment. I was only gonna clean out my closet, get rid of stuff that's too big or out-of-date, and then go see some of the improv shows at the IFO festival. Instead, I went from my closet to my dresser to doing laundry ... I kept making leaps in tasks, and ended up going ahead and moving my chair to its new spot, relocating the shelves to the hallway, and commandeering Nate to help me drag the couch to the guestroom and dismantle the guest bed. I am quite exhausted now, but my apartment is on its way to its new incarnation!

Also got the guest bed's mattress stacked onto my bed. I now sleep on the tallest bed in the civilized world, bar none. I had to climb a bit to get where I am now ...

Ugh ... so not only is it a late post, but it's also gonna be a short post. Sorry guys - more tomorrow, I swear! Longer post + Sunday rundown: count on it.

Day 45

*Off-time, Day 3*

Today was fantastically productive. Got my GA paperwork turned in, my admissions issue resolved, and made some plans to re-structure my apartment - the plan is to dismantle the guest bed, scoot that mattress under my mattress to give my short bed some height, move the uncomfortable couch into the guest bedroom, and make myself a study. I plan to add a bookcase and a better desk chair to make it functional, and the room can still function as a guest room if need be; I also plan to pick out a new, comfy couch for the living room. I also plan to send the shoe chair back to Little Rock (it's funky, but it's outlived its usefulness) and put a small kitchen table and chairs there instead. Maybe even get a screen to partion off the dining/living areas. I'm majorly excited, this is a totally workable plan that doesn't rely on Traditions' cooperation to make my changes.

I also hit one of my favorite jewelry stores, Milano, today; it was their one-year anniversary, and I picked up several pairs of earrings. I also tried on a sexy black-and-white tie-dyed dress at Antique Garden that was almost a really great look, but I didn't get it. Figured I can think on it and go back tomorrow if need be.

I did get a morning workout in, a pretty intense sculpt class that has had me sore all day. Definitely considering it as a regular class to keep my strength training up. I had to make some careful food choices today, what with two meals out, but I feel like I did pretty well. For lunch, I ate half a sandwich before going to the restaurant and just got a cup of soup, and for dinner I went with Chase/Bite (my academic gaming group) to Chili's and ate off their Guiltless menu. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite; it'll definitely work when I don't care to spend a free meal there.

I'm so sure I had more I wanted to write about, but I'm really really tired, and this bed is really really comfy. G'night, my blogees!

Day 44

*Off-time, Day 2*

So, I kind of ended up a redhead today. I didn't go in intending to do so - I just wanted my red streaks touched up. Now normally, I also get golden-blonde highlights to set off the red a bit, but to save some cash I opted for just the red.

Well. Without the extra-bright blonde to cut it, the red streaks take over my haircolor. It's crazy! Not a bad look, although I can tell it's killing Mom (she swore she'd never have redheaded kids, and was quite shocked when I was born a redhead - to her relief, it faded quickly). It does make my eyes REALLY blue, which I love. I know it'll fade after a few washes, and being in the sun will bring out more of the blonde ... part of me does love the look, though. I always was tempted to try going red ...

I had the WEIRDEST salad for lunch today. We went to a great sandwich place called Bison Wiches, and I ordered chicken tortilla soup and a side salad. Now, the side salad claimed to be spring mix, carrots, etc; what it actually was? Shredded iceberg lettuce. Not even like torn into bites - shredded into strings. It was SO odd, but I managed about half of it. Now the soup? Mmm. Heavenly.

So I ended up angry this afternoon; first, it came out that I wasn't gonna get to move to a new apartment for several reasonable, practical, but wholly unsatisfying reasons, and then I found out that OU no longer has a record of me having enrolled for fall classes. Now here's the interesting bit - instead of either crawling into bed and napping or making dinner plans to vent, I put on my workout clothes, walked to my complex's workout center, and did angry cardio. And angry cardio, my friends, is GOOD. I worked my butt off on the treadmill and came back feeling far better. Starting to worry I might end up picking fights to facilitate angry cardio, haha.

We've got a gorgeous storm blowing in as I write this, which means I'm gonna sleep like a rock ... not like I need the help, sleeping in my own bed again is wonderful. Much-missed, much-needed. G'night all!

Day 43

*Off-time, Day 1*

Late post, sorry guys ... 10:40 pm showings of HP6 tend to keep one up late.

Okay, so the craziest thing happened in water aerobics today. I was kinda bobbing around the shallow end, acclimating to the water before class, and I put one hand on my hip ... and it felt wrong. Usually when I put my hand on my hip (especially in my swimsuit), all I feel is tightly-stretched material and thick, solid flesh underneath. Today, the suit was loose, and the hip was soft and shapely and kinda firm ... I thought I'd put my hand on someone else's hip for a moment! I can't remember the last time my swimsuit fit like anything other than a second skin; it was fascinating! Even around toward my butt was firm and fit rather than solid and buoyant. Remind me to wear my swimsuit more often ...

In light of the traveling, I only got the one workout in today, but that's to be expected. This trip is my chance to sort of test-drive how I'll be living once I get back here for good. It's kind of odd being back here ... my apartment doesn't smell like mine anymore. It smells like it did when I first moved in - sterile and uninhabited. It's so strange; I wonder what it is about someone living here that make such a difference in how it feels. Ah well - regardless, it's good to sleep in my own bed for the first time in 43 days =)

Food was straightforward, although I did do my free meal for the week tonight - Service Station, my favorite burger place. It was so good to be back there, and so good to see my guyfriends again. It wasn't until they walked into the restaurant and gave me a huge hug that I really felt like I was back home.

Tomorrow's a busy day: early hair appointment, showing Mom the apartment I'm hoping to move into, dropping off my GA paperwork, and chilling with the guys in the evening. I'll be sure to get a post in, though - earlier, too!

Day 42

Six weeks, six weeks, holy crap I've been doing this for six weeks ...

You know, originally HFFC was only intended to last six weeks. The longer Mom and I planned it, though, the more days got tacked on, haha. I kind of resented the loss of that much summertime at first, but now I'm grateful for it; I feel like I'm gonna need these last few weeks to learn how to cook the recipes and pare off the last few pounds to get me to my goal.

So, I cheated and weighed today, I'm a bad person. But! I'm down another pound from Sunday! Which puts me at a full 30 lbs lost. Thirty pounds in six weeks, guys. Who'd have guessed? Now I'm only 7 lbs shy of my goal for this program, I'm so psyched! This is definitely an incredible start. I can't believe I'm coming back home 30 lbs lighter!

We had major-league rain again this morning, so I didn't waste time going to the LRAC. I just drove to CCC and knocked out free weights and free cardio on the treadmill, then did free yoga at home, then free cardio in the afternoon at the LRAC. This is the first day I haven't done a class of some sort, and it's a relief to have a day like this and still feel like I've worked myself hard. I was beginning to worry only exercise classes would make me feel like I'd made a difference, and not every day's gonna accommodate a class. Gotta be a balance, y'know?

Food today was pretty basic, since we're trying to knock out some leftovers before my little trip home. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch, tilapia with green beans and cous-cous for dinner. Basic, but tasty. I've also started typing up the recipes I liked best to bring back to Norman with me. Mom insists that I won't make the time to have people over for dinner, but I don't see why not. Most of the recipes are for 3-4 people anyway, and not everything will reheat nicely. I think so long as my friends are willing to chip in a few bucks for ingredients and maybe help me cook, I could host dinner one night a week - both to keep me on track and to help my health-conscious friends discover some of the recipes that have helped me so much.

So tomorrow, I have a plan. I've got an 8 am dentist appointment, I'm gonna get a few workouts in right after that, finish packing, have lunch, and as soon as Mom's back from her hair appointment, we'll be on the road. Norman's less than 24 hours away, I'm so excited!

Day 41

Agh ... it's Monday. And you, my loyal readers, know what Monday means ...

... spin class.

Now imagine that phrase, but like 6 feet high and with metal spikes. There we go. Everyone kept telling me that the fifth time you take a spin class, everything falls into place and the class becomes fun. Well, today was my fifth time, and while today may not have been as hard as the last few times, it was by no means fun! Especially since like every couple of turns would catch the heel of my left foot and jar my injury (no bleeding this time, thank god!). Carla did play more music I knew, though, which meant I sang again ... cooled down singing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," haha.

Other than that, workouts were fairly low-key; water aerobics was cancelled due to giant crazy thunderstorms, so I only did a single sculpt class this morning; I worked in yoga and a free cardio later. Managed to do an hour-long cardio, even after having done spin class - I timed my workout to coincide with a re-run of my favorite trashy Rock-of-Love-spinoff, and that's easy entertainment. The minutes flew by. ^^

Breakfast was amazing - blueberry pancakes, diet-approved! They were small, like palm-sized, and kinda green from the blueberry coloring, and had some sugar-free syrup on them. I kid you not, they tasted like the real deal! Better, even, because they weren't too fluffy or sweet. So good. Lunch was a stir-fry, good but familiar (and MUCH-needed, after spin class). Dinner was what we've termed a valiant effort: pizza meat pie. Sounded good, looked good, but it wasn't quite what was expected. Not inedible, but not worth the 400+ calories per serving. So I ended up making a peanut butter half-sandwich instead, and Mom opted for soup. Dad just ate it anyway - to him, food's food. Sorry, Normanites, but don't expect pizza meat pie anytime soon.

Got to chat with my brother on the phone tonight, and it put me in a great mood. He's so excited about my progress and promised we'll go shopping and find something amazing for me to wear out on the town in New York next month. I guess I never told yall about the phone call I got from Alex on my drive out here, did I? He made a point of calling to talk to me before the program started so that, before I'd even done a single workout, he could tell me how proud of me he was and told me to call him anytime Little Rock or the program became too much for me. It almost made me cry, getting that kind of die-hard support before I'd lifted a finger. It's support like that from my family, and my friends, and especially you blogees, that has gotten me through this as easily as I have so far. <3.

I am so excited - I can't believe that in two days' time, I'll be home for a visit! The quick trip home seemed SO far away when I left town June 1st ... I actually teared up driving out of town when I realized I'd be gone for so long. Never knew I could miss a town so much, although I miss the people in the town just as much as expected. I can't wait to see yall - 48 hours, guys!

Day 40

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 208 lbs

Weight lost this week: 1 lb
Total weight lost: 29 lbs

Bust: 43" (0" lost since last week, 3 7/8" lost total)
Waist: 38" (1/4" lost since last week, 2 1/2" lost total)
Hips: 50" (0" lost since last week, 2 7/8" lost total)

Okay, so not a total plateau. A semi-plateau. Downward's downward, I suppose ... although I had hoped to have another 3-5 lb week since this one's gonna be all out of whack with my brief trip home. Good news, though - the pound I dropped this week dropped from the right areas. My waist (a tiny bit) and my upper arm/upper thigh. I've actually been taking measurements of my upper arm, upper thigh, and wrist as well as the three y'all see each week, but I figure there's only so much weight-loss minutiae I can submit you to. Suffice it to say, I droped 3/4 of a inch from my thighs and half an inch from my arms! Progress. =)

So Dad's proposed hike on the Ouachita trail went fairly well this morning; it was about 3-4 miles roundtrip, and for the most part it was pretty low-key. Very flat, very winding, lovely scenery - like a hallway made of trees in most places. There was just one big downhill, right at the head of the trail. So that means, coming back, there was a big UPhill right at the end of the trail. And it was going alright, until I felt this sharp pain right on my left heel. Now, I did rub a little blister there hiking last Friday, but I'd put a bandaid over it before we left. I figured all was well and kept climbing. Then I got home and took off my sock ... and the heel of it was soaked and blood-red. Apparently my bandaid got rubbed off, as did a good chunk of the top dermal layer of that heel ><. Nasty-looking stuff. This is what, minor-but-obnoxious injury #4?? Geez.

So, physically and mentally whipped, I went back to bed for a few hours. Thank god I'm a professional sleeper or I'd never have the energy to do this thing. It'll be a real boon once I get back to Norman; even after a late night, I can still get my butt out of bed early, knock out a workout or two, and then go back to sleep for a bit if need be. Gave me plenty of time to get up, grab lunch, and knock out a free cardio and a yoga/stretch class.

Dinner tonight was an interesting dish - mexican lasagna. I didn't watch Mom make it, so I can't say for sure what was in it. There was ground beef, tortillas, salsa, cream cheese, and a vast array of peppers. It was pretty tasty, definitely helped give me my mexican food fix. I was kinda craving On the Border again, but I'm absolutely saving my free meal for while I'm in Norman. Service Station, you and your ranch burger will be mine.

For some reason, I was in an escalating bad mood today. I felt pretty good when I woke up, but as the day wore on my mood slid downhill. Could be because of my new sting-y heel injury; could be the ever-present headache that I can't Advil away because it conflicts with one of my medications; could be that I'm tired outta my mind. I'm feeling much better now that I'm settled in bed and getting ready to crash, thankfully. Hopefully I'm cheerier tomorrow ... I'm so close to finishing this program, and I need to do it with my mental health and happiness firmly intact!

Day 39

Agh, waking up this morning was hard ... apparently I slept restlessly, I woke up tired and with my blankets all askew. Sleep-running, perhaps? In any event, it means I got a bit of a slow start this morning. Made it to water aerobics (barely), but we had a substitute instructor. Not my favorite class. Then I did a free cardio, then went back to the LRAC later and did something different: swam laps. It wasn't bad; a little dull, compared to some of my others, but a pretty good workout. I topped it off with ten minutes each in the steam room and sauna (and, seeing as it was late and nobody was at the club, I let my swimsuit sit those out and wore a towel instead. Liberating!)

So for breakfast, I got to have something totally crazy.

I know, looks kinda messy. It's a breakfast banana split - sliced banana halves, chopped strawberries, sugar-free vanilla yogurt, a sprinkle of Grapenuts, and sugar-free chocolate syrup. It's like what a 3-year-old health nut would demand for breakfast! It was tasty, but didn't keep me going as long as my other breakfasts do. I booked it home around 11:30 and made my own lunch - leftover hamburger, cous-cous, and green beans. Dinner was a pretty cool enchilada-chicken dish, with an amazing cheesy jalapeno rice dish on the side. Totally making that for people some night soon.

Today, I decided to make sure my shirt fit at Belk the other day wasn't a fluke. I went to Target, grabbed about a dozen different shirts (all L, rather than my usual XL) and tried them on. They fit, 12/12! I bought a couple, even, for something nicely fitted to wear when I want to look a little less baggy. Also bought a big satchel-style purse so I'll quit getting crap about the little wristlet wallet I've been carrying for the last few months. I need to ease up on the retail therapy after this, though - the point of this summer was for me to come out having saved money, not sitting on broke.

Okay - I realized another upcoming perk of being in shape. Two words: Halloween costumes. This year, I won't have to worry about dressing to conceal - I can dress up like whatever the hell I want! And I think I know what I might go for, provided I have the time to make a costume again like last year and feel like geeking it up. I've always wanted to dress up like Ayla, from the game Chrono Trigger.

I mean, obviously I'd take the skirt a little lower, for propriety's sake, but other than that? I could do Ayla right! No being self-conscious about showing so much leg or belly, and no tweaking the costume to hide my less-than-fit parts (Ayla's not Ayla if she's got a fur dress rather than a fur wrap). Wa-a-a-avin' my geek flag ... but I love it. =)

Tomorrow's gonna be another early day, Dad wants us to check out a section of the Ouchita trail that loops the Pinnacle area. Not even gonna bother asking him how long a walk it is this time, haha ... just so long as I don't get bug-assaulted again. G'night all!

Day 38

Actually made Pinnacle this morning, wh-hoo! It was broken up a bit oddly; we put Mom's car at the base of the West summit and mine at the base of the East, then took the 1.5 mile portion of the base trail back to Mom's car. The reason for the weirdness is we brought Rafferty along, and although she still acts like a giddy puppy, 3.5 miles is too much for her. So, after a mile and a half, Mom and Raff jumped off and I got to hike on my own! 

It was so theraputic, just me and the woods and a family-size bottle of bug spray ... although after all Mom's worrying, every single rustle in the leaves made my brain go, "serial-killer hillbilly!" In spite of (or maybe because of) that, I managed the two miles up and downhill in about 35 minutes. It was HOT, though ... I walked out of the woods soaked from the crown of my head in a V down to my breastbone. I looked like I'd been competing in a wet t-shirt contest rather than exercising, and seeing as my white shirt is tissue-weight when dry? It was about as concealing as Saran wrap by that point. Thank god my sports bras cover so much ...

Even after my superfast serial-killer-evading hike, I still had to get three more workouts in! I managed it, though - yoga/stretch, free weights, and another cadenced bike ride. However, I opted for an upright bike ... and I forgot to bring my seat pad. Oops. The first 25 minutes? No problem. The last 5 minutes? I felt like my butt was going to fall off. I mean, I'm here to work my butt off, but only in a figurative sense. Let's stick to that.

A food challenge tonight: the Sterns wanted us to come to dinner with them before they go on vacation tomorrow, and they wanted to go to Buffalo Grill. Yeah. My FAVORITE place ... and I'd already cashed in my free meal for the week. Balls. So, I compromised - I ordered a half turkey sandwich rather than a hot dog, ordered chips instead of their amazing fries to avoid temptation then gave away the potato chips, and indulged myself with a *little* cheesedip. I swear, if I could only eat one thing forever, it'd be that cheesedip ... mm.

So I can now (finally) report some sad news. Last week, we had to put our old dog Tucker to sleep. He was an old guy, we'd had him since I was in middle school, and we named him for my favorite childhood stuffed animal - a brown dog, just like him. It was tough to do, but it was something we knew we needed to do and something we saw coming. It just finally reached the point where his discomfort outweighed his quality of life.  And that's why I was so down for part of last week, but I couldn't say why. I was waiting for Alex to get word of it; Mom wanted to be the one to tell him, and she wanted to be sure she was emotionally steady when she did so. Rest easy, Tucker ... the church can tell me that pets don't have souls all they want, but I know my dogs go to heaven no matter what anyone says.

Tomorrow should be pretty low-key; Mom and I unfortunately have a major wrench in our proposed Terminator marathon, however. The new movie's out of theaters now, damn everything; I only got to see it once! I vote Transformers 2 needs to gtfo and gimme back my fandom (and Anton Yelchin, for that matter ^^), please and thanks. Sunday weigh-in's coming up pretty fast, and I'm crossing my fingers for good news ... we'll know soon enough, I guess!

Day 37

So, uh, Pinnacle totally didn't happen this morning ... I got up, got dressed, stepped outside ... into nasty, humid, buggy nonsense. I stood there for a second, then walked back inside, got undressed, and got back into bed. The hell with humidity; if it's gonna be gross out, I'll just do my workouts indoors, tyvm.

Instead, I grabbed another hour of sleep and made it to the LRAC in time for water aerobics, then a quick cardio. I rounded things out with a CCC cardio/strength training combo later in the day. I actually tried something different on the recumbent bike: I listened to my iPod instead of reading or watching TV, and whenever a song reached the chorus, I rode cadence (which essentially means your feet match the beat of the music). Some songs, like Cake's "Never There" and Britney's "Womanizer," made for good slow-burns or to spin out after a fast song, while Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad" and The Veronicas' "Untouched" just about made my legs fall off. OUCH. Effective though, and good interval training. Definitely need to make a habit of this.

Breakfast today was something new and different - I finally put my foot down on the eggs-n-bacon repeat. I mean, my breakfast has been egg-based since this diet began; if I eat another egg, I may just turn into one. So today, I had a breakfast parfait: blackberry yogurt, chopped blackberries, and a sprinkle of Grapenuts. It was pretty tasty! Didn't tide me over as long as the protein-heavy eggs do, but it was fantastic for a change. Lunch was downtown at EJ's again, another fantastic and diet-approved tuna sandwich. Dinner was pork chops (not bad), steamed broccoli, cous-cous, and salad. The pork chops weren't my favorite ... the texture is what I imagine human flesh is like, and it creeps me out. Takes a lot of work to put it out of mind and eat it. ><

Today, a milestone: I went to a department store and, for the first time in months, tried on clothes. Not just any clothes, either - I grabbed the funkiest-looking top I could find in a size smaller than my usual (smaller than I've worn in two years, even), and marched right to a dressing room to try it on ... AND IT FIT.

Not only did it fit, I think it looks kinda rockin' on me! A little bondage-y in the neckline, but still pretty sexy-looking. Now, seeing as the pricetag was something bordering on obscene, I didn't end up buying it; I did pick up a far simpler black-and-white t-shirt for something cute and different to wear. If the funky tribal bondage shirt goes on sale anytime soon, though ... I might have to go back.

Feeling pretty good this evening, a little more optimistic about the weigh-in ... suppose I can bust my butt tomorrow and Saturday anyway. Y'know, just in case.

Day 36

My finger was better today, thankfully, and we upgraded to flesh-tone tape rather than white gauze, so it was less ostentatious too. Still hurts, but unless it's like the most hairline fracture ever, I doubt it's broken. Thank god. No more tiny injuries, please and thanks-so-much.

Today was a basic schedule - sculpt, water aerobics, power-nap, then free cardio and free weights. I know - two strength classes in one day. I'll be feeling it tomorrow. I did go longer on my free cardio than intended; I got a wonderful (in quotes: "wonderful") book from the library the other day and didn't get to start 'til today. Went 15 minutes over my time limit because I was reading it on the bike. 

So the book is called, "Meg: Hell's Aquarium." I know, I know - corny as hell, but I love them. First one caught my eye because it had "MEG" in giant letters on the cover, and when I discovered it was about giant prehistoric sharks called Megalodons resurfacing to wreak havoc in modern times, I was sold. Now we're on to the fourth book and the sharks still wreak some pretty good havoc. I'm loving it, despite the GLARING errors (I mean, who makes the "you're-instead-of-"your" mistake once in the pro writing world, let alone FOUR TIMES??) and a terrible "tension-building" writing style that just involves mid-sentence dashes--

--leading to the next line, which ends in an exclamation point unnecessarily!

Ugh. If I were editing, that BS wouldn't happen. Pro writers - please prove to us that you deserve your oodles of money. Please?

I actually got a bit of a treat for dinner tonight; we went to the Sterns' place for dinner, where their just-returned-from-Rwanda daughter Sarah cooked tilapia, potatoes, and all sorts of good stuff. The tilapia had a sweeter flavor than I've tried before, but was quite good! Needless to say, my back-up dinner (a hamburger patty) remained in the fridge. Still not much of an appetite, despite the new/huge pills I've switched to, but I remain optimistic.

Actually, I just remain optimistic that they'll let me off the pills entirely. Really - my foot is FINE. A little sore at times, maybe, but far less so now that I've switched back to the old inserts. I'm even going walking tomorrow. Not just walking - Pinnacle base trail, my friends! So much for doctor's orders, huh?

I'm already kind of worried about Sunday's weigh-in ... I just don't want to have another plateau week, y'know? And while I feel good and exercised and whatnot, that's never a good indicator. Ah well; I suppose anything but up is good, right?

Edit: Almost forgot! My QC-reading friends will appreciate this. Jeph is selling prints of the "AWKWARD ZONE: DEFEATED!" panel, and I so bought one. *celebrate*

Day 35

So, apparently I'm celebrating the end of week five via a totally geeky injury.

I was reading one of the books for my Category Fiction class next semester while on the recumbent bike, a big 600 pager. I finished my 30 minutes and was getting up, and my hand hit the handlebars and somehow, between the weight of the book and the solid bar, I completely messed up my pinky finger. I dunno if it's tendonitis or sprained or (god forbid) cracked/broken, but my index and middle finger are compensating by trying to push together too. It has given me a permanent Vulcan salute. And it HURTS - Socrates (my cat) just walked in the room and I twiddled my fingers at him, totally forgetting about my fingers ... and OW. Bad times.

Seriously - could I get a few more minor but mostly obnoxious injuries? They're sooooo fun. =P

Prior to the injury, my workouts were good, although three of the four were major ab blasters. My core is so sore tonight; definitely gonna need to work it out tomorrow. I have picked up a different hat for water aerobics, however ... the visor I had been wearing was too Mom-ish for my tastes. The new one is a straw cowboy hat, feminine (if a bit Bret Michaels) and a way better look on me. I swear, every last little old lady in that class complimented me on it today. They crack me up, they're such quirky women but still so sweet.

Dinner was kind of funny tonight. Mom made a Swedish meatball recipe from the Biggest Loser cookbook that sounded a lot like beef stroganoff. I was upstairs for much of the cooking, but came downstairs toward the end to see Mom positively grimacing over the pot. She looked like she was about to be sick, but of course she covered for it as soon as she saw me. She had me taste a meatball with sour cream sauce and a whole wheat noodle ... and it was delicious! The sauce was a little odd, but the meatball and the noodle? So good. Mom just stares at me and goes, "You're kidding. I was so about to throw this mess out and just order pizza." So, we compromised - I ate the pretty-damn-good meatball dish, and Mom and Dad ordered pizza (no worries, their favorite place to order from is my least favorite; didn't bother me a bit to miss out).

More good news on the food front - the doctors switched my anti-inflammatory meds to something else. I'm grateful for the change, but ... the new pills are HUGE. They come in a bottle that looks like it doubles as a "marital aid." And I have to take each pill with a full glass of water, and I'm not allowed to lie down for 30 minutes after taking one. Weird? Yes. Hopefully they work, though. I want my damn appetite back - I'm already worried about another plateau week.

Oh! I've got a hilarious story, and I keep forgetting to post it to you guys. Dad and I were discussing the spin class, and how I just pedal at a flat rate rather than pretending to pedal hard up a hill or whatever. Dad tells me he used to take a spin class with a group of people he biked with regularly around Little Rock, and they had a handful of routes they rode regularly. He said that often, in the spin class, they'd pretend they were on one of those routes - they'd go, "Okay, now we're biking up Rahling hill, stand up and gear up," or, "now we're going through Pleasant Valley, keep your speed on the curves." He finishes this story, and it takes me a moment to occur to me: my Dad LARPed. Dad and his friends LARP (IE, live-action role play) biking! I couldn't stop laughing - it's adorable and geeky, in an athletic way. He's no longer allowed to give me grief for whatever fandoms I indulge in; he's as big a geek as I am, just in a different way.

Five weeks done, three weeks to go. Well, actually a little closer to four weeks in overall time, but between the Norman trip and the few days off before New York it should come out to three weeks of serious work. I'm still floored that it's already been five weeks - part of me feels like I just got here, but part of me feels like I've been gone from Norman for months. God, but I do miss my city and my friends ... can't wait to go visit next week!

Day 34

Ugh, long day ... I woke up feeling kinda lousy, and dragged that lousiness alllll through my workouts. It wasn't sickness, exactly, just some serious stomach cramps and a used-up sort of feeling, like I had no energy left to expend. I managed all my workouts in spite of that, though ... body, you need to stop trying to weasel out of this and get back to work! Only three weeks left to make this change!

It was very gratifying to see my sculpt instructor - she hadn't seen me in a couple of weeks, and she was floored by how different I looked. That kind of praise, knowing other people see the change and it's not all in your head, is priceless. It felt good to watch myself work out in the mirror and not be wincing at an unflattering angle or unattractive pose.

I also did the spin class again. The realization struck me while driving to the LRAC for class - now that I've managed the full hour once, I'll be expected to finish the full hour every time. I did pretty well this time though, took nearly 40 minutes before my butt went numb. Such an odd sensation. Still, everyone says that the fifth time is when spin class finally clicks, and I just finished my fourth time. Maybe next week, I'll love it?

We're back to new recipes with the food; lunch was a bit of a non-event, however, it seems like this pill saps my appetite more and more every day. I had a piece of whole-wheat bread, folded in half with two tablespoons of peanut butter spread on it ... and nothing else. Very simple, but about all my stomach was willing to handle at the time. Dinner was damn good, especially because my appetite was back - chicken capri, spaghetti squash, and steamed broccoli. The chicken capri was amazing; it wasn't quite chicken lasagna, it was more lasagna-made-on-top-of-a-chicken-breast (and yes, there is a difference). Normanites, expect that recipe to crop up around town sometime soon.

It's killing me to not have the time to go try on clothes; I don't necessarily want to buy right now, but I want to try things on and see the difference I've made. I meant to bring some of my "once I lose weight" clothes out here to help me track things, but the last day before leaving was such a rush that the clothes never made it in the bag. No worries, though - I know the exact shirt I plan to try on when I visit Norman next Wednesday, and if it fits you can be damn sure I'll be wearing it out around town.

I did get a *little* retail therapy, though ... between morning workouts and spin class, I ducked into Best Buy to pick up a lap desk for my laptop and spent a little while at home trying it out. It's awesome - holds my laptop and the mouse, very cushy, prevents overheating, and lets me compute while sitting in bed rather than at the desk all the time. Vast improvement. Does seem that all my retail therapy is geek-related lately, but I'm not complaining - I love new gadgets and the accessories that accompany them!

Tomorrow should be pretty straight-forward, and hopefully with fewer stomach cramps than today ... let's hope so, at least. Goodnight, blog-ees!

Day 33

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 209 lbs

Weight lost this week: 6 lbs
Total weight lost: 28 lbs

Bust: 43" (1" lost since last week, 3 7/8" lost total)
Waist: 38 1/4" (1 1/4" lost since last week, 2 1/4" lost total)
Hips: 50" (1/4" lost since last week, 2 7/8" lost total)

Holy crap, guys. Holy crap. Six pounds. I am psyched! I thought I'd had kind of an off week, I figured I might've lost like two pounds or so. I'm so floored, and relieved as well - I was worrying I might fall just short of my HFFC goal of 200 or less by the end of the eight weeks, but now? No doubt in my mind I'll make it.

I slept pretty well, considering that we had an Oklahoma-worthy storm going on all night. I actually woke up like an hour before my alarm went off, so I got to do some early-morning gaming. Got a cardio and some strength training in before lunch (which I didn't really eat, damn anti-inflammatory pill ...). I got to hit my yoga class, too, which was much-needed; I missed it Friday for the lake, so it felt really good to stretch out.

Food situation's odd, but I've pinpointed why - I have an appetite at breakfast and dinner because I don't take the stupid anti-inflammatory pill until after breakfast and dinner. Thus, it's lunch that gets totally skewed by my stomach's reaction to it. Granted, I'm still losing weight, but missing meals is not good regardless! And I have to take the stupid pill for FOUR MORE WEEKS ... like right on past the end of HFFC. The pills will follow me to Norman. Damn.

It really feels good to have dropped the kind of weight I have; the handful of shirts I brought get baggier all the time, and my jeans sit so low on my hips that the cuffs are getting grass-stained from dragging the ground. I'm sleeping so much better, I'm feeling healthier (most of the time, anyway), and I'm getting seriously addicted to the workouts. Even when I go on my own, unsupervised, and can choose between a good hard workout or an hour in the hot tub, I end up doing a long hard cardio and perhaps dipping my feet in the hot tub before I head home.

It really is incredible how big a difference the right mindset makes. I mean, we've been grappling with my steady weight gain for over ten years. We've tried normal diets, supplement diets, Weight Watchers, exercise, personal trainers, and even a hypnotist; none of them worked. I was promised various rewards for making the effort to take care of myself; no dice. I'm not reward-motivated. I had to want this, and pursue this on my own impetus for no other reward than self-improvement. 

Thank God it worked; I feel like I was approaching a tipping point, and that before too long I would've been on a downhill slope I couldn't have pulled back from. It makes me think of a line from the Day the Earth Stood Still remake: "... it's only on the brink that people find the will to change. Only at the precipice do we change." If I wasn't at the precipice, I was pretty damn close; I'm lucky to have changed when I did.

Tomorrow, we dive back into new recipes - we're running out of time for me to try new things, so no more falling back on the quick and familiar. Nothing too heinous, I hope, but there's no telling some days (eggplant ...). Wish me luck!

Day 32

So today was an odd day, very down and then very up. I woke up kinda tired, but ground out two workouts anyway (instead of one full day off, I took two half-days off. It balances out). Then, I got home to sad news - my best friend Jules' cat had to be put down. Somehow, that was the tipping point for all the disappointing/sad things that have gone down in the past two weeks, and I just cried. I cried, and cried, and got annoyed at myself for crying, then cried a little more. I finally gave up on today and lay down for a nap, which was a good idea because the day definitely turned around from there.

I woke up, grabbed a shower, and began mine and Mom's Terminator marathon - 1st one today, 2nd one tomorrow, 4th one Monday (the hell with the 3rd one. I do not acknowledge it). I hadn't seen the first in forever, and it was so cool to see the little elements that get resurrected in the 4th flick and the TV series. Although the 80's music needed to give it a rest. Then, Mom and I got put together and headed to CCC for the 4th of July celebrations. At these celebrations, I:

• was incredibly bored at first, as I no longer know all the people like I did when I lived here
• discovered none of the food was HFFC-diet-savvy, and got annoyed
• used iPhone to google the calorie content of rum (60 calories a shot, no carbs! win.)
• ordered a rum and diet coke; received two rum and diet cokes. also win.
• prevailed on our waitress friend Terra to sneak into the kitchens and scavenge some HFFC-friendly food for me
• finished my first rum and diet coke
• Dad, the Sterns, et al arrived and things were instantly more fun
• Terra returned with tuna on wheat and a bowl of fruit ... I love Terra
• Happily ate food and consumed second rum and diet coke
• Poured diet coke and remains of two prior drinks into one glass, constituting third rum and diet coke
• Walked (in a fairly straight line) over to the driving range, where a great rock cover band called Crisis played awesome music; we set up on a blanket and danced and drank
• Water, then fourth rum'n'diet'coke (I asked them to go easy with the rum, but I suspect they did not!)
• The band played "Play That Funky Music White Boy," which requires my mom, my dad, and everyone in the vicinity to dance
• Fireworks show, with lightning in the background! Gorgeous
• Headed home (Mom drove my car, heh) to write my slightly rambling blog post

So, rum makes me chatty. But! It's great to know my poison of choice is not taboo for my current situation. Makes me so happy. It was a schizophrenic sort of day, but at least in the end I came out on top. Nothing worse than going to bed sad. Now, going to bed buzz-y? Best ever.

Blog-ees: you must promise not to give me hell for this post after the fact. I promised to be totally honest on this blog, and right now I am honestly buzzed. Underage blog-ees: drinking is BAD and you should not do it. Until you're 21 anyway. Then it's good times. G'night all!

Day 31

Agh, fast-post! Almost forgot about posting tonight; today's got me pretty properly beat.

I did squeeze in two workouts this morning, a cardio and some strength training. Then it was off to the lake with several branches of the Stern family tree, where I spent all day either in the pool or on the boat. Fantastic. Did get a *little* burned, though, but that's alright. It'll fade.

My food situation's odd again, this stupid anti-inflammatory pill messes with my system, sapping my appetite, and it also prevents me from taking Advil. Foot: heal faster! I'm still off my Glucophage, I'm terrified as to what it'll do to my system once I try to start in on it again.

It was great to be at the pool with two good-looking guys around my age and not be frantically trying to conceal my excess curves all day. I was able to just chill, talk with them, and have a good time without being self-conscious. That's one of the things I anticipate most about being fit again - the opposite sex. I know I've probably missed some dating opportunities because guys didn't find me sexy, but that is so gonna change. Count on it ;)

Ugh, I'm so sure there was more to say, but it's gone right outta my sun-baked little head. Also, the chair feels like it's rolling under me. Perhaps I'm still on a boat and do not realize it. Ah, well. Maybe it'll help rock me to sleep a bit.

Day 30

So, the life-changing, foot-saving little inserts I was ordered to wear? They do support my foot nicely. They also make my toes go numb if I exercise in them for over 20 minutes. Agh ...

I have, however, taken a new approach to the whole torn-plantar-fascia bit: a little less "forever" and a little more "for now." I have to wear these inserts and take this anti-inflammation pill ... for now. I have to give up my Southern, barefoot ways ... for now. I have to deal with numb toes ... for now. But once my foot heals? I'm going back to my old ways.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not one to ignore the doctor's orders! It's just ... for twenty years now, I've been flat-footed and content. I've done a whole range of taekwondo forms and non-contact sparring on these flat feet with no pain. I've walked all over campus on these flat feet with no pain. Hell, four years ago I trained for and went on a week-long backpacking trip on these flat feet - with no pain! (Yes, I used to be fit enough for that, and don't think I'm not kicking myself for not keeping up with that workout regimen ...) 

I suspect what hurt my foot so severely was doing cardio on hardwood flooring and not on an exercise mat, doing so in an unfamiliar and thus less coordinated manner (earth-mother dancing rather than straight-up martial arts), and doing so barefoot while weighing my heaviest. I do have little feet, and they can only take so much. So once I lose some weight and promise not to dance barefoot on hardwood floors anymore ... seems to me I can go back to my bare, flat feet and be damn happy about it!

Aside from the numbness, today was pretty good ... water aerobics was Aqua Zumba today, which was amazingly fun! It was good stress relief to work out and move my body like that, and even better stress relief driving home from CCC later in the day: cranked the windows down and the music up, and sang the whole way home. Gotta love the theraputic power of shouting along to the Beastie Boys ...

Went to see Public Enemies this afternoon, which was ... alright. I really expected something different from it ... more of a rise-and-fall crime flick than a just-the-fall bio-pic. Still, Depp and Bale were absolute badasses. Had some great moments in it. Had a hard time ignoring the popcorn this time, though; they were popping a new batch when we arrived, and my taste buds totally jumped to conclusions. Had to ignore it and munch on the Clif bar I brought instead. For dinner, we hit Dad's favorite Italian restaurant, Grafitti's, and I once more had to behave myself. Grilled chicken Caesar salad and a bite of garlic bread, rather than the farfalle alfredo and lots of bread. Being good is hard sometimes ...

Tomorrow, I get a bit of a day off! I'm doing a free cardio/weights around 9 tomorrow (means i get to sleep in 'til 8!), and then we're off to join our friends the Sterns at the lake all day. We're coming back in the evening, so I'll get a post up for sure; it may be late, but it'll be there. Night guys!

Day 29

Ugh.

Today, I had an appointment with a foot doctor, Dr. Nix. He was recommended to me about three weeks ago, when my foot was hurting for those few days, and it took us this long to get in. Mom and I figured we'd just go show him the inserts we bought for my shoes, explain our situation, and be done in like 30 minutes.

Well. Ninety minutes, one x-ray, and several waiting rooms later, I finally get to see Dr. Nix. And he informs me that I have flat feet.

Um, hi. I know.

But more than that, he tells me that I've torn my plantar fascia (the connective tissue running from my big toe to my heel that supports the non-existant arch of my foot) by trying to work out in Zumba and NIA on my flat feet. That's not good. It means I can no longer work out on the treadmill, or even walk as a workout, really. It means I've gotta take extreme care not to exacerbate the situation and give myself plantar fasciitis (a chronic and painful condition). It means I have to take another frickin' medication, and wear another pair of inserts on top of the ones I already have! But most of all ... it means no more flip-flops, and no more bare feet.

Now, if you know me, you know my shoe tastes are basic, especially in the summer - a pair of Reef sandals in brown, and a pair of Reef sandals in black. Simple but comfy; Reefs mean summer to me! On top of that, I love to go barefoot whenever I get the chance! Walking across the South Oval in spring, feeling the grass between my toes and around my heels ... bliss. But no more. Now that I'm diagnosed with terminal flat feet and a torn plantar fascia, I cannot go around Reef-ed or barefooted anymore, lest I should further mess up my foot.

Sigh.

Dr. Nix recommended I get a pair of Birkenstocks, since they have a little support built into them ... but, uh, Birks often carry an attached stereotype, one that big-bodied, short-haired girls like me already have to spend a lot of time dodging. I'm not going the Birk route. Not gonna play that game. I guess I may try to look into a pair of Chacos or Tevas or something ... anybody have any good suggestions?

Fortunately, the tear doesn't mean an end to the program. I mean, we'd already tailored my workouts to better accommodate my sore foot, so things like the elliptical, recumbent/upright bike, yoga, and water aerobics are still legit. But with walking and dancing nixed (literally nixed, as the doctor's name was Nix, ha ha ><,) a lot of the variety just got sapped outta my schedule. No more Pinnacle, or Big Dam Bridge, or Chenal Loop.

Other than that, today was alright ... early morning walk, sculpt class, and water aerobics, then late-night yoga (the appointment stole most of my afternoon, and we had company for dinner so I had to look presentable). The night yoga was kinda weird, because the bathroom/home yoga studio I cobbled together has a big window that looks right down onto the street. During the day, nobody can see inside, but since it was dark and I was backlit ... I'm pretty sure people could see me and my yoga poses. Felt kinda awkward.

Food was nothing new and different; we did tilapia again for dinner, which I ate more readily than usual. I also tried a wild rice dish, but the long grains were not quite my speed. I had some more cous-cous instead. Still keeping my calorie count between 1200 and 1400 a day, so that's good ... hopefully it'll mean good news this Sunday.

So I realized something odd today. While most every part of my body has either lost inches, gained tone, or both, we've got one major holdout. My butt. Apparently, it's going nowhere, at least for the time being. So then I started thinking, what if it chooses to never go anywhere? Like I reach my target weight, and my butt's still just chilling? I can't shake that mental image - it's like a Superball, cut in half and glued to a marker. Butt: get with the program! I know you're always gonna be, you know, out there, but can't we get proportionate here?

Pfft. Apparently I feel self-deprecating tonight. I'm gonna cut this one off while I'm still feeling sarcastic; no sense delving into the maudlin. Goodnight guys!