A Little Bit Of This, And A Little Bit Of That...

My "look" for this entire summer.

It's 8:15 AM on what appears to be another muggy, sweltering, sweat-drenched, summer day here in northwestern New Jersey. Josh and I just returned from a 75 minute walk and we were both dragging this morning.  Somedays I am up and at 'em - but today, I could have used a few more zzzz's and skipped the walk completely. Thankfully, I didn't....but the desire was certainly there to do so.

I'm finally recouping from the beat down I took at the gym on Tuesday. My lats, upper arms (both my bi/tri-ceps), shoulders and back felt like royal hell yesterday. Sure I could move, but not without a steady stream of whining and moaning over the soreness I felt. Sometimes I think I'm a total sissy when it comes to pain. In addition to the pain inflicted on me by my trainer, the running (even though it's such a small amount right now) is not being a friend to my knees, either. I'm so afraid that the arthritis I have in them is going to deter me from running. I need to do a bit of research as to what I should be doing with my condition. Of course the doctor that gave me the MRI's after my wedding told me I should NEVER run....too much impact on my joints. But I'm choosing to ignore that advice for now. If my knees should start to scream out, then I'll decide what I need to do - but for now, I'm going to trudge forward.

I don't have too much going on today except grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking. Ah, time to channel my inner Domestic Goddess! We are having a block party planning committee meeting tonight at our house and a few of our neighbors are coming over, so I need to make some snacks for them. Last night I baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and yes, (don't judge) I had one - because you certainly don't serve your guests something you've not tasted, right?????
Verdict: It was good - but not good enough for me to feel obsessed about wanting more, which is what I was afraid was going to happen when I made them. Thankfully,  that one little indulgence didn't have me spiraling out of control. And, if you must know, Aunt Flo is visiting, so the fact that I'm NOT inhaling those cookies right now is nothing short of a freaking miracle.

I need to come up with a couple of other healthier options for tonight's meeting. I'm thinking homemade pita chips and crudite with white bean/garlic dip and maybe some petite toasts with chive/dill cream cheese and smoked salmon. Cookies for dessert, maybe a fruit tart if I get really ambitious...and coffee. My husband keeps reminding me that people aren't coming over for a dinner party...but the entertainer in me kind of wishes they were.

I'm up on on my weight today by 3/4 of a pound. Not surprising with the arrival of Aunt Flo and a rather carb-heavy day yesterday. I was still within my calories and I burned over 600 calories yesterday, but I guess my body is just hanging onto something. I'm not stressed over it at all. I'm still down on the week over all, weight-wise and I am finally comfortable with fluctuations in my weight from day to day (although recently I have been steadily losing each day so on days like today I do tend to grumble when I see the scale). I know that for the first time in a long time I am doing this weight loss thing the correct way, and I'm not in a big race to the finish. I take each day as it comes and am trying to be mindful each day of what I eat and how much. My food scale and CalorieCount.com have been constant companions and I credit them with helping me be honest and accountable for what I am consuming. I'm finally Ok with this new lifestyle....I know I can do this for life.

Before I sign off here, I want to thank those who have been leaving me words of encouragement on my blog - especially where the running/ C25K is concerned. It is so nice to have others share their personal experiences with the program and provide inspiration for those of us just embarking on this new exercise path. Those comments go a long way in terms of providing me with belief in myself and motivation to push past those "you can't do it" walls that I have built up over the years. It is comforting knowing that others have trudged this path before me, have felt what I am feeling, and have proven that it does in fact, get easier - as long as I stay committed and persevere!

That's all for today. Kind of a hodge podge of thoughts if you will. Time for another cup 'o' joe and a quick breakfast....then this house needs some serious TLC.

Hope everyone has a good day.....stay cool!