Monday Mix Tape

Hi! It's been a while since I've done a Monday post!

My weekends have turned into just another part of the work week lately - I still try to make time for the weekend-y things I like to do which leaves very little time for the weekend-y things I HAVE to do. Plus the weather has been so wacky it's really hard to plan much in advance!
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Saturday I did a freezing cold (22 degrees) 6 miler with a good friend followed by a yummy, warm breakfast. I'm starting to enjoy making plans with friends to run. I'm not a talker and I listen to music when I run but it's still nice to have someone to meet and hold you accountable - especially in the dead of the coldest winter we've had since the 70s. *disclaimer for my northern friends - the cold - it's all relative and I know that y'all have it way worse and I think of you every time I'm out there shivering. Chicago is my favorite city in America and there's a reason I don't live there :)

Cold run on the Atlanta Beltline! Shoutout to Darin :)

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Sunday I emptied out my closet for what I'm hoping will be the last time. Both my sisters are making out BIG on this round. I'm officially a 2 or a 4 depending on the brand and an XS on top. I'm not planning on getting much smaller than that and it's nice to buy things now I know I will have for a while. I did find this gem while I was at it....

I wish I had put some makeup on but this is REALITY people!

This shirt is from the 3rd grade - an homage to our championship men's and women's high school basketball team in Little Falls, MN. I remember getting it like it was yesterday - the iron on letters were a new thing back then! Luckily my mom held onto it all these years and gave it to me a few years ago - I'm sure never intending for me to fit into it!

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This morning was absolutely gorgeous out so I took advantage and did my standard neighborhood 10k route. I'm going that distance every other day right now and it's just amazing to me that running for a solid hour is "normal" now. I chose the worst winter to become a runner but it might have just toughened me up a little (*see disclaimer). Stuff that already hurts just hurts more in the cold and the constant nose running and spitting is not the part of the lululemon clad, bouncy ponytail, runner chick image I like to maintain :)

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So today in the high 50s and tomorrow is snow and teens. I'm extra thankful for hot yoga on my non-running days. I'm getting pretty darn good at it but yet there's so much room for improvement. I think that's what I love about it. I can really tell a difference in how sore I get from running if I haven't been to yoga at least twice a week!

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My dog Sophie who's 12, had to have a really large tumor removed from her chest. She's recovering very well but it's been an every other day visit to the vet for bandage changes. I'll be happy when this is done but she's going to be okay so it's all worth it. It's not a cancer that spreads but it may have to be removed again down the line. I could totally feel the blood drain from my face when the surgeon told me the price so let's hope we're done done with this!

They always take the time to make her bandage pretty! And yes, she's wearing a boys Hanes tshirt to keep it clean ;)

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FINALLY, this Wednesday is ONE YEAR since my surgery. Amazing how much can happen in 12 short months. I'm putting together an extra special blog post with pictures and updated measurements etc. I'm hoping to have it up on Wednesday but for sure by the end of the week!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

A first

I'm sitting in the bar at a seasons 52 while on a business trip to Cincinnati when I suddenly realized I walked in here and sat down by myself without even thinking about it. As much as I've traveled for work over the years, I have never eaten in public alone - I guess I never wanted to look like the lonely fat girl eating by herself even though I wasn't (well I was fat but not lonely)! I did happily eat whatever I wanted, alone in my hotel getting fatter by the minute. 

This is a new level of confidence for me that was kind of unexpected. I've always thought of myself as confident, even at 250 pounds, but as I experience this I realize that it wasn't real - I used it to try to fool myself into thinking I was fat and happy.  Some people are but I'm just not one of those people. 

My dad was a frequent business traveler and I just can't stop thinking about how proud he would be of me right now!

That's my lobster flatbread, beet salad and a glass of wine. Eating alone with a small stomach means lots of leftovers!

Heading home tomorrow! I have a feeling this year is going to be full of fabulous firsts!

My success story!

My official success story! I'm so proud of this - and (in case you missed it!) have since gotten to my goal of 125! Thanks Piedmont Healthcare for sharing my story and saving my life.

Watch it here!

Friday weigh in - 11 month update!

Happy New Year! And what a year it's been! At least once a day there's a moment where I can't believe I've come so far in 11 months.

So far, maintenance has not been easy but I wasn't expecting it to be. As you'll see by the weigh in, I overdid it a little (okay a lot) over the holidays and I'm posting my first gain in 11 months. I had too many cookies, a lot of alcohol and cheese and crackers were made a meal on more than one occasion.  My maintenance plan is to give myself a 5lb margin within my 125 so I don't obsess about it but keep it in check. There's no way I'm going back but I can see how it can happen and it's really scary.

This is the first New Year that I can ever remember where losing weight wasn't on the resolution list. I always put them in writing so here's the list for 2014

1. Run all 12 track club races. (There used to be a prize for this but of course now that I'm doing it there's not but I'm doing it for me!)
2. Read and write more (I want to stop watching Breaking Bad so I can blog more and read more blogs...and books)
3. 4 minute plank (3 minutes is the most I've ever done)
4. Practice yoga both on and off the mat. (i.e. be less judge-y with myself and others)

Okay time for the weigh in. I've put it off long enough!

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2
June 7 - 177 -7  
June 14 - 177 -0   
June 21 - 175 -2
June 28 - 171 -4
July 5 - 167 -4
July 12 - 167 -0
July 22 - 165 -2
July 26 - 159 -6
Aug 2 - 158 -1
Aug 9  - 157 -1
Aug 23 - 154 -3
Aug 30 - 150 -4
Sep 6 - 149 -1
Sep 13 - 146 -3
Sep 20 - 146 -0
Sep 27 - 144 -2
Oct 4 - 143 -1
Oct 18 - 138 -5
Nov 1 - 136 -2

Nov 11 - 134 -2

Nov 18 - 131 -3

Nov 25 - 131 -0

Dec 6 - 131 -0 

Dec 13 - 127 -4  

Dec 20 - 125 -2 

Jan 3 - 127 +2

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

 Not too much difference in the progress pics from last month to this month but I continue to gain muscle and it's definitely showing. I officially feel tiny now when I put on an xs shirt or my size 4 lululemons.

In other news, I had my first under-an-hour 10k on New Years Day!

 

New years eve dinner. I learned early on in running that 10k's and hangovers don't mix!

Starting the new year off with my running heroes!

I love a finish line!

huzzah!

I NEVER thought I would see 9's in front of my miles. That is so amazingly fast for my little legs - so fast I almost threw up but whatever ;)

Hope the new year is off to a great start for everyone. As stated in the resolutions, I plan on being around here a bit more. I'm at the end of season 3....