Endomondo Cycling Workout

Endomondo Cycling Workout: was out cycling 12.18 miles in 1h:21m:54s using Endomondo.

Strange...

So, for about a month now I've been stalled and have been bouncing around between 177-179 pounds.  Several times this last week I had said to myself "I just want to see 175...175 something, 175.9 even, but 175 something!"
This morning, guess what the scale said?  175.0.
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!
Going to try to get some miles in on the bike this weekend again with the hubby and perhaps a ride with the kids too.  I've also been doing stomach crunches while sitting upright a lot lately, whenever I think about it and it seems to be making a difference.  That's one area where I've been weak, so all the help I give it is goooood.
One good sign for me was that one of my co-workers had been on vacation for most of the month of August, and while my weight hadn't changed much at all, she said she noticed a big difference in the appearance in my hip and thigh area.  She even said I am looking skinny.  Another good sign; my clothes are fitting much differently.  I'll be heading to the resale shop for some size 12's soon.
Long story short; I love my sleeve.  It has helped make my body healthier, lifted enough weight from my body so that I could start doing things I had lost the confidence to do, made me see how people of a normal body weight eat, helped me realize that food is not the axis upon which my life spins, and has actually helped me work through some emotional stuff as well.
At the same time, my sleeve has caused me much physical pain, from the moment I came back from surgery to barely being able to get down water the next day.  The following months were a trial and error, with pasta, bread and soda being the enemies (which used to be my lovers.)  It has also caused emotional grief.  My love affair with food is not over, but is no longer allowed to monopolize my life because I simply cannot indulge the way I once did, practically getting 'high' off of my binges.  I realize now how much I counted on food to pick me up when I had fallen emotionally, and when I was just plain bored.
Question is, would I do it all again?  ABSOLUTELY.  In a heartbeat.  No question about it.

Butt pain

Ok, so the butt pain isn't resolved.  I haven't exactly eased back into cycling, so I guess it's to be expected.  What is continuing to plague me is the numbness in my toes.  It's worse on the right side than the left.  When I get off the seat and stand up for a bit, it goes away.
I purchased a new seat yesterday, because the one that came with it was definitely too narrow.  I'm will be experimenting with foot positioning, shoes, and the pressure in my tushie (are padded shorts really a good idea?)
Anyway, I am definitely sore this morning and think I need to cut back on mileage till I get these issues resolved.  Daily rides are probably fine as long as they aren't over 10 miles until I'm accustomed.  Cycling is definitely my passion however, and I WILL figure this out!

Plateau broken?

I think I've broken my plateau.  I was stuck at 179.2 for a while and stuck between 177-179.2 for a month now.  I upped my protein intake and it started moving within 1-2 days.  As of today, I'm at my lowest weight of 176.8.  Which means I've lost 103 pounds.  So I think I've broken the plateau.  It obviously helps that I've also dramatically increased my level of activity.  Yesterday was about 15 miles on the bikes.
My wonderful darling amazing husband bought me a used Trek Pilot 5.0 that is utterly AMAZING yesterday.  It fits me like a glove and it's FAST.
Now to get a good helmet so I don't crack my noggin on pavement.

Today we rode...

Today, my BFF and I went cycling.  8 miles in about 50 minutes.  She had already run 3 miles this morning, and she still outpaced me.  My excuse was "I've spent the last 5 years getting unfit!!!"  I have a LOT of catching up to do.
We had a blast and made a memory.  And I will take burning 398 calories anytime.
I am still stalled with the weight loss.  Yes, it's starting to grate on my nerves.  I am in a VERY pissy mood right now and want to punch something.  Where does that come from?  I should be overflowing with feel-good hormones right now.
And, I'm starting to punch my laptop keys a bit too hard, so I guess I'm done blogging for the day!

Just for fun

Working out is working!

Yesterday and today I got out my bike.  Yesterday, with the family, and today with the hubby for a trip to the grocery store.  We haven't been able to be active on our bikes recently with the unbelievable heat we've been having.  80-85 degrees feel like heaven even if it's a bit humid.
Usually, I try to keep my gearing such that it isn't too difficult to pedal.  Yesterday and today both, I kept it in a very high gear so that I was forced to really work, and man did it feel awesome!
Up until the very last time I rode my bike, I had been having extreme pain in my sit bones every single time I ride--and numbness in my toes and fingers from the pressure in that area.  The last couple of days, however, my butt hasn't hurt during the ride at all.  This morning, my sit bones were sore from the ride yesterday, but it's usually the pain DURING the ride that makes me stop short.  So, today when I got back on the bike with minimal discomfort it was a real treat.  I can only attribute it to the reduced weight from my body pressing down in that area...I had even gotten padded bike shorts from my mother as a gift so I could ride without so much pain!  Now I can get them out for the really lengthy rides and know that they will work!
Tomorrow I will probably get a ride in and perhaps a yoga workout.  Working out is acting like my anti-depressant (which I was recently able to quit taking after 10 years of struggling to stop taking!)  

Hovering

My weight is still hovering between 177-179.  Buy as I mentioned earlier, I'm not so concerned about the weight loss now as I am about getting healthy, both with my diet and exercise.
I've definitely amped up the fruit/veggie intake as well as the fitness aspect. I am feeling absolutely fantastic and strong these days and have never been happier with my sleeve.
I do have an admission to make: yesterday we made one of my alltime favorite foods-hummus. I was so upset at the tiny amount of food I was able to eat that I had a complete meltdown. I had to leave the table and bawl. It was the first real meltdown I've had since this journey began in January this year. I guess I knew it would happen, and its probably a good thing I let it out. I felt much better after letting it out.
Not much else to report.  Thanks for reading!
Lisa

Being there while getting there...

I've been working hard on my mental and physical fortitude as of late.  I think it's paying off.  Every moment of every day is reason to celebrate life, and I am doing that more effectively recently than I ever have.  I am meditating, reading and have started practicing yoga again, and with all of it together, I am realizing so many things.
We've gotten back to juicing with our fancy-dancy juicer we bought a year or two ago...there's something that happens to me when I drink the juice of fresh fruit and vegetables.  It seems to make me happier, more energetic, and just vibrant in a way that I almost can't describe.
The same is true of yoga.  When I'm doing it, it kicks my ass.  But when I'm done, I feel utterly amazing.
My weight loss has stalled recently; I am hovering at about 178-179, which is 100 or 101 pounds lost.  I'm not so concerned with the weight loss anymore; I feel like I'm entering phase 2 of this journey which is maintenance, building strength and overall health and well-being.  By doing what I am doing, I think I will pick up a few more pounds along the way.  If I reach my 150 pound goal, I will have done more than I could have expected.
One of the things I'm realizing as I mentioned in the beginning of this post is that there is no "getting there".  Reaching goals is not the main purpose of my life, rather, finding true happiness in every step of the way.  Which is what they mean by "Being there while getting there".
 So many of us have spent the greater part of our lives like the proverbial hamster in the wheel...reaching, striving, wanting more.  While the real trick to loving every moment, is just that...love every moment.  Don't take anything for granted; just love and be.
I am a human being, not a human doing and that's that.

100 Pounds Lost...

and I thought I'd have some monumental words to share about how great it is to be only 29 pounds away from my goal weight...but I don't.
Yes, I am very happy and feeling fabulous, but I guess today I'm just feeling a bit lackluster.  I am blogging today simply for posterity's sake.
I promise to write something inspired when it happens (which is when I usually write anyway).
Thanks for reading this very uninspired blog post today.  :)

Generosity

I'm writing today to talk about generosity.
A funny thing has happened to me since I had my Gastric Sleeve Surgery on January 24th this year.  I have become more generous, and yes, it is a direct result of the surgery.
For some strange reason, I have always had an intense fear of ever being hungry.  That is why when I go to work, I pack more food and snacks than I could ever eat in the course of a day.  Yes, I still do this now, even with a stomach the size of a hi-lighter pen.  So, you could say that I am a food hoarder.  I don't keep food in my room, or hide food (although I have done that before).  But you could say I was very...stingy with my food.
I always had my eye on the serving bowl to be certain that noone had taken the last of anything, and if it looked threatening, I would gather more onto my own plate to be sure I didn't miss out.
This has been a huge revelation for me.  I still have the feelings that I might miss out on some of the food fun, but now, I'm forced to be happy with what I have.  And let me tell you, that lesson spans over a person's entire life.  Be happy with what you have.  Quit always wanting more, that little bit extra that you believe will make you happy.
So when I look at my plate, I now realize, "I have the same exact stuff I would be having as before, the flavors are all there...so now, just enjoy every single bite because that's all you get!"
I'm getting to the generosity part.
Being a bit of a selfish person (I'm realizing), it is an entirely foreign concept for me to give away food that is on my plate that I can't eat.  And when I do, holy cow.  It sets off such a wonderful rush of emotion in me that is hard to explain.
Who knew that sharing my food with others would or could make me feel like such a generous person.  The cool thing about that is, it inspires me to want to be more generous in all areas of my life.  I am inspiring myself.  What????
I want to be a better person.  And so I shall be.
xoxoxo
Lisa
P.S.--I'm down 97 pounds.