Day 54: Back On The Wagon

Hey Folks!

My Oh My, what a month!

After my last post, I DID put my nose to the grindstone and work my butt off.  The rest of that week, I managed to walk for 30 minutes every single day and was especially careful about what I ate, which put me at 340.3 for my next weigh in.  Sadly, my phone was dead that morning and I was running late, so I don't have my normal scale picture...unfortunately, you'll just have to take my word for it.

However, in the process of helping out my mom and dad, working full time, trying to eat right and struggling to get in my 30 minute work out every single day, the stress began taking a toll on me.  In my effort not to eat the wrong things, I began coming in too far under calories and either binging to bring my calories up before going to bed, or going to bed on an empty and very unhappy stomach.  The sudden change in my work out regimen was giving me shin splints, backaches and neckaches and the stress of it all was totally screwing with my sleep.  I think there was a week that went by where I was only able to sleep about 10 hours all week.  I was completely exhausted and I am STILL paying for it.

So, this week - I'm realizing that as much as I want to lose weight, I have to wise about the way I go about it.  I want to be HEALTHY...not risk my well being just for a drop on the scale.  So, I've been as smart as I can about my meal choices - eaten light and healthy whenever I'm at home or have the ability to pack something and then just trying to tweak the things I order while on the run - sticking with basic hard tacos because they are only 200 calories each, or requesting whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.  It's not as good as I WAS doing, but it's not as bad as I could be doing, either.  As for exercise, I've been getting my walking in, even if it's only a few minutes at a time - up and down hallways at the Rehab facility, around the block while my mom and dad visit, walking laps at work while I take care of the Liquor Store or offering to put back the groceries that are out of place so that I can keep myself moving for a half an hour to an hour.  Standing at my register or watching the front door while doing lunges or just bouncing in place.  It's little things, but it's still more than I was doing when I started.

I don't know how my weigh in will go for the month.  I'm more confident in the number of work outs I did in September than I am in the actual amount of weight I was able to lose.  But either way - effort was made, improvements were made and this time is behind me - all I can do is move forward and do better.

As of this afternoon, my Dad is home from Rehab and able to walk without assistance.  My mom has been walking a little without the boot and can do most things without my help now and for the first time all month, I am allowing myself a night to go out with my friends and have some fun!  Tomorrow, life will begin to return to a more normal pace and I can turn some of the focus off of my parents and back onto my own health and wellness.

And, just a nibble of what's going on in my social life...I've recently been really hitting it off with someone that I've met on a dating site.  We talked online for a while and in the past week and a half, we have started texting and chatting on the phone every day.  We will meet for the first time tomorrow morning as he takes me for a day of adventure in the Florida Everglades.  :o)  I am very excited and, if nothing more, I am incredibly glad to have a new friend that I have so very much in common with.  I don't know how much I will be talking about that on my blog but, as it is something that may or may not affect my eating and work out habits, I thought it was worth a mention.  So, there you have it, all!  I really, sincerely hope that I can get back on track now and be done with these petty excuses for doing anything less than my absolute best!

Kisses and Squishes!
Your ChuChi