Time to talk food!

Yesterday I talked about exercise. I can’t emphasize enough how important I think exercise is in terms of overall health and fitness. Early on in this journey, my goal was simply to do SOMETHING every day.

Having said that, WEIGHT LOSS OCCURS IN THE KITCHEN, NOT IN THE GYM. You can exercise like crazy and undo every single calorie you just burned with one brownie. That’s why I hate shows like The Biggest Loser. They like to show people working out until they puke. And then they don’t show what they have for dinner. It’s completely misleading. Not only that, but it’s not a sustainable way to lose weight. Who is going to be able to exercise 4-5 hours per day, 6 days a week, for the rest of their lives? Pretty much no one. On the other hand, exercising an hour a day and eating right? That’s the way to be fit and thin forever.

So I’m going to talk a little bit about what I ate early on. Some of this is the pattern I retain now, and some of it is different as I’ve learned more and found out what works for me. You have to find out what works for you. For example, I did, and still do, eat a fairly small breakfast and lunch and a large dinner. Other people like to divide their meals equally. Still other people need to eat 6 small meals a day.

I started out with small changes. I went from drinking 2-3 Mountain Dews per day to 2-3 per week. I drank my last soda in May 2010. I could not longer justify drinking those calories. Since then I RARELY drink any calories except skim milk. I have 1-2 glasses of skim milk per day and other then that, it’s WATER, WATER, WATER. I have water with me all the time and make sure to drink. Did you know that research has show that when people think they feel hungry they are actually mildly dehydrated? By drinking water all the time, you keep that false feeling of hunger away.

One thing that I am good at is research. So once I decided I wanted to eat healthy, I SCOURED the internet and found out what is healthy and made these changes. What were some of the rules I established for myself?

- No soda

- No fast food

- No crappy sugar laden snacks - like the packaged Little Debbie Snacks

I switched COMPLETELY over to whole grain bread products and cut WAY back on breads in general. At the beginning I didn’t calorie count. I instead focused on portion control. I would make my plate with less on it then I previously ate. I didn’t go back for seconds. I began looking for law fat, low calorie alternatives. Like "reduced fat" wheat thins rather then regular. I began buying broth based rather then cream based soups. I switched to low fat salad dressings. I eat a ton of salads. People think they are eating healthy when they eat salad, but then ruin it by putting 200 calories of fat laden ranch dressing on it. On the other hand, lite balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing has 25 calories for 2 tablespoons! I also used less or went without. For example, I no longer slather my corn on the cob with butter. Corn is delicious on it’s own. I don’t put any butter on it any more.

I also had to focus on eating SLOWLY. Most of my family inhales their food - even the thin ones. I had to then - and still have to now - FOCUS when I eat. I chew my food thoroughly. I used to have huge chunks of food in my mouth and would wash it down with my milk. I now don’t need to do that, because I don’t attempt to swallow until the food is completely chewed up. I don’t stuff another piece of food into my mouth until my mouth is empty. Not only is this healthier, but I find my meals more satisfying. Plus it takes your brain about 20 minutes to register what you just ate. So if you can make your meals last 20 minutes, you’ll know if you are full or not and can make decisions about whether you need to continue eating.

Your body instinctively knows how much to eat. It is our brains that fuck us up. My stomach tells me the truth, my brain is a big fat LIAR. I am getting better at knowing who is really talking. I listen to my stomach and ignore my brain when it comes to food!

So I was asked for specifics of what I eat. Here is today’s menu:

Breakfast: 2 organic farm fresh eggs, fried, coffee.

Lunch: Pre-packed deli chicken slices (1 serving = 5 slices), 1 slice of Sargento’s Colby Jack Ultra thin sliced cheese, on an Arnold Sandwich thin (whole wheat) with a leaf of Romaine lettuce, 12 baby carrots, 2 stalks of celery and a banana. Water with a packet of 0 calorie Propel flavoring.

If I am hungry, as a mid-afternoon snack I will have 10 Almonds

Dinner: ½ cup brown rice, ½ cup wild rice, large piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast, assortment of vegetables (squash, green beans, collard greens) steamed, glass of skim milk.

Evening snack: Dannon Lite N’ Fit Yogurt (Strawberry Banana flavor).

A visit to the beginning...

I received an e-mail from Cathi asking me to talk about the very early days of my journey - specifically about exercising and what I ate.

Today I’d like to talk about exercise. I talk a lot now about my running and doing things like P90X, but back at the start of this journey, I was obviously not fit at all. I was pretty active, so I had some of a base, but I found out quickly how out of shape I was!

In late 2009 we bought a Wii and were having fun with the games that we were getting. In January 2010, they were selling a fitness game online called EA Sports Active for dirt cheap as an after-Xmas sale. I thought it looked fun so I bought it. It involved lots of different structured exercise routines. I did a basic routine and I think it called for 2 sets of 10 squats. My quads hurt SO BAD the next day I thought I was going to DIE.

But I kept up with it. And pretty soon I was able to do the basic workouts pretty darn well. As winter turned into spring I made a commitment to walk the dogs. We began taking the dogs for a walk every night when I got home from work. I began by walking slowly and only would go about 2 miles. But it was good for me and the dogs.

As summer came upon us, between exercise and eating better, I had lost about 30 pounds. I heard about Zumba. This was the first exercise DVD that I tried. I liked dancing and latin music, so I figured this was right up my alley. I think I made it 7 minutes the first time I tried it and was WORN OUT and turned the DVD off.

Once again, though, I kept with it. Soon I could make it through the 20 minute Zumba "express workout". So I moved on to the 45 minute Cardio Party. I began looking for new and different DVD’s to do. I like dancing the most, so those are the DVD’s I stuck to. I have to enjoy it to keep at it.

As summer turned into fall, I knew I would have a harder time being active as I wouldn’t be outside as much. So that’s when we bought the treadmill. We set it up so we could watch TV while using it. I also began using my lunch hours at work to do some simple Pilates and Yoga exercises.

I’ll give you the good news and the bad news about exercise. The good news first - exercise will help you lose weight! In addition to the calories you burn while working out, the fitter you get, the more muscle mass you have. Muscles BURN MORE CALORIES at all times over fat. So when you are fit, you burn more even while you are sleeping. Also, exercise releases all kinds of feel good chemicals in your brain. This means that you will be in a better mood, you’ll feel less tired and more motivated when you exercise. Also, you won’t be looking for UNHEALTHY food, packed with sugar and fat, to get a brain high - you’ll have it from exercising. Trust me, it will come IF YOU STICK WITH IT.

Here’s the bad news. Exercising when you are fat and out of shape SUCKS. It HURTS - really, really, really bad. I started running at 289 pounds and every bit of my body hurt. If you are doing it right, you will be grunting in pain and exhaustion. Your heart will feel like it is going to come out of chest and roll around on the floor. It isn’t easy. But if this were easy, EVERYONE would be fit and thin. So how bad do you want it?

Now some people have actual medical problems, and if you do, you need to work with your doctor.. BUT, most people don’t. I hear people all the time saying they have "knee problems" and that is their excuse why they can’t do this or that. BULLSHIT. You have a being fat problem, just like I had. OF COURSE your knees hurt. They are supporting 2X as much weight as they were supposed to take. My knees used to ache all the time. Now I do squats holding a 20 pound kettlebell and my knees don’t bother me at all. And I go "ass to grass".

I’ve said it before - Being fat is hard. Eating right and exercising is hard. CHOOSE YOUR HARD.

For Cathi and anyone else out there reading this, I’m sorry that I can’t give you an easier answer. You have to make a commitment to do this if you want results. That’s the way it works. But, you’ll have to trust this former 344 pound chick - it CAN be done and it does get easier.

I wish anyone who is feeling discouraged could get into my head and body for 5 minutes to see how GREAT it feels to be fit and thin after being fat forever. That feeling can be yours!! For a price, and you have to be willing to pay that price.



What do you want?

Ok readers, this blog gets at least a couple hundred hits a day, so I know some people are out there reading.  And only a couple make comments, which is totally fine.

But now that I've hit goal, I want to ask anyone who is reading this - what do you want?  I have been very self-centered on here - it's all about me.  I've told you all before - I don't see myself as anything special.  BUT, if there is anything I can say or share that helps someone else lose weight and feel great, I want to do it!

So up at the top of the main page, there is a CONTACT tab.  If you fill that out, I'll get an e-mail.  Please let me know if there's anything you want me to cover in my blog.

If not, I'll just keep blathering on about myself!  

Like now - Marc and I rescued a starving mama cat and her 4 kittens.  Even though we are already crazy cat people and have 9 cats, we decided to keep one of the kittens.  So here is our newest addition - Spock!

An overwhelming morning....

This is what I saw when I stepped on the scale this morning.  This means I have lost a total of 225 pounds and have hit my goal.  I cannot describe what that felt like.  I immediately had tears spring into my eyes.  It is totally overwhelming.  I NEVER EVER envisioned myself being able to lose 100 pounds on my own.  Even when I had lost a lot of weight, I still thought that entering the "teens" would not be possible.  

I also took my measurements this morning.  I remember when a FULL seamstress tape measure of 60 inches - that's 5 freaking feet! - wouldn't fit around my hips.  I have a 28" waist and 32" hips.  

Now I know that the real work starts now.  But today we're having family over to celebrate Marc's father's 94th birthday.  I want to have fun and enjoy the moment.  

Right now I am almost in a state of disbelief.  I never thought that this would hit me so powerfully....

3 month visit to Dr. DeRoberts...

Today was my 3 month (actually 14 week) check up with Dr. DeRoberts.  He is extremely happy with the results and told me that the incision looks great.  I thought that it did, but I have nothing to compare it to!  Dr. DeRoberts said that he could now pull up a little more skin in the back if I wasn't happy but there is no way that I would go through being cut open again for my butt to be an inch higher!!

He spent a lot of time looking at my belly button and talking to me about options.  What he thinks happened is that when the umbilicus was re-attached, some of it died.  So he could cut into it a little at the top and try to get it to sink down a bit, but it would be a minimal change.  He will do whatever I want.  I'm not so sure that it's worth the effort for a minor change.  It ain't perfect, but it's not terrible either, so I don't know that I'll have anything done.  For now, he once again lasered it and also injected the with Kenalog - a steroid - to try to make it collapse some.  That takes a while so I won't know if it worked until later.

While we were there he commented on how thin I was.  He also took some more pics and was looking at my before pics he had taken and said that he had forgotten how much extra skin I had.  Earlier this week I had said to Marc that while I certainly don't have a 6 pack, I am starting to notice some ab definition.  Marc said that he could see it, too but I wasn't sure if he was just humoring me.  Without me mentioning anything to the Doc, he was like "Wow!  Look at those abs!"  Can you guys see it in this pic?

 Ok, so here's what I was really excited about.  He lasered the incision again, BUT he also lasered off my port-wine stain birthmark!!!!  Those of you who know me IRL have certainly seen it, and anyone who reads this blog has seen it in pics.  I have always HATED it.  It doesn't look so bad in the summer when I get tan, but it looks AWFUL in the winter.  It is right on the top of my chest and up my neck.

Here's a before:

Now here's the thing - he believes the whole thing will be gone with this one treatment.  However, it turns black and blue first and looks all kinds of messed up - so I'll be going to work tomorrow looking like this:

Does it look like it hurts?  WELL IT DOES!!!!!!!  But I am so excited to see what it looks like when it heals!

10K race over and done.

Ran my first 10K race today. My goal was to finish in under 52 minutes and I finished in 52:08, so I just missed my goal. We ran in Cape Vincent along the St. Lawrence, so it was pretty windy.

I made the mistake of assuming that they would have food for us before the race, which they didn't. So I was pretty hungry given that the race started at 10AM. The mistake that I DIDN'T make was taking off like a bat out of hell when they said GO. So many people did that and they were totally burned out less then a mile in because they had taken off at a sprint. There is a tendency to get caught up in your adrenaline and take off, which I started to and then backed off.  

I did have the disappointment of getting up this morning and saw the scale still sitting at 121.  I really thought I would be down this week.  But I did take 3rd place in my age group for women and got a ribbon.  For someone who never ran a mile straight until last year and is 13 weeks out of surgery, I guess that's not too bad.

Special thanks to my niece Heidi, her husband Rod, and her son, Eli for showing up to cheer us on at the finish line.  That was very cool!

So what do you eat?

I've been getting a LOT of people contacting me about this.  So I'm going to tell you.  This is what worked for ME.  Not everyone agrees about eating these things.  But I have lost 223 pounds so far, and this is what I have done.  I hope it works for you.  I have done a TON of research over the past 2 years.  So I do know what I'm talking about a little.  Some of these things are obvious, others you might not know.

First off, I don't believe in "evil" groups of food.  Sugar is not evil.  Neither is fat.  Carbs are not the enemy.  Everything in moderation. 

Fruits - they contain a lot of sugar but fruit is incredibly good for you!  Weight Watchers gives people fruit free of points.  I don't agree with that, because fruit calories CAN add up.  Bananas have about 100 calories and your average apple has 70.  So these can add up fast.  Berries are very low in calories and have tons of benefits.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries - Eat them while they are in season!!

Vegetables - eat a TON of these.  They are sooooo good for you.  Don't eat them canned!  They lose most of their vitamins and are packed with sodium.  A lot of people say eat them fresh, and we do.  BUT, they do start to lose nutrition the minute that they are picked.  So by the time they hit our grocery stores, they have lost a lot of value.  Buy fresh at Farmer's Markets.  In the alternative, don't be afraid to buy frozen.  Frozen veggies are frozen soon after harvesting and often have more of their nutritional value then fresh, believe it or not!  Steamed is the best for you.  Buy a quality steamer and steam them!

Protein - EAT YOUR PROTEIN!  Especially if you are working out.  It is essential for muscles.  Also, protein helps you feel full longer.  What are some sources of protein?  Meat, of course.  Also nuts and eggs.  Don't listen to any BS about eggs being bad for you.  They are AWESOME for you.  I am not a big organic fanatic.  But in the case of eggs, this is important.  Why?  Because farm fresh eggs from free range chickens have 1/3 less fat, 1/4 of the cholesterol and many more vitamins.  Try to find a farmer locally that sells his eggs.  Cheaper then in the store.  We actually started raising chickens because farm fresh eggs are so good for you!  And at 75 calories per egg?  A hard boiled egg is a great, low cal snack that will fill you up!  Quinoa.  I'll bet a lot of you have never heard of this.  Look it up - it's a lot like rice, but PACKED with protein and so yummy!  Seafood.  Eat seafood and fish!  Not Tilapia, though.  Tilapia is not a good fish.  They are gross bottom feeders.  Salmon is great, but I can't do salmon.  We eat a lot of Haddock, Cod and Swai.  Ahi tuna is AWESOME, but expensive.

What about protein powder?  Most people won't need to use this unless you are lifting weights.  On the other hand, if you have some calories left at the end of the day, a chocolate protein shake can fulfill your chocolate craving and is MUCH better for you!

What to drink?  I only drink 0 calorie products with the exception of SKIM milk.  I have 1-2 glasses of milk per day.  Soda is HORRIBLE for you.  Alcohol - nope, no way.  Lots and lots of calories with no nutrition value at all.  Alcohol is strings of sugar joined together.

What about artificial sweetners?  You can read all over the internet which sweetner is better, why certain artificial sweetners will cause you to DIE upon smelling it.  Whatever.  These have been around for YEARS.  Some people are sensitive to them, and in that case, if you are, you don't want to use them.  But for most of us, they are FINE to use.  That being said, I wouldn't use POUNDS per day, but a couple of packets in your coffee won't hurt.   I use Truvia in my oatmeal a couple days per week.

Carbs - Switch as much as you can to complex carbs.  They are better for you.  We use only whole wheat/multi-grain breads.  Switch to brown rice over white.  Sweet potatoes are great for you.  We still have regular potatoes on occasion, but try to stick to sweet.  Oatmeal is awesome for you.  Throw some fresh fruit in the morning and you will be full until lunch.  Beans.  Yeah, you'll fart, but beans are SOOOO good for you and another source of protein.  

Fats - Your body NEEDS fat.  Unfortunately, we often eat bad fats.  So what are some good fats?  Olive oil - switch to that from vegetable oil.  Nuts are great sources of fats, and there is some evidence that our bodies take the fats from nuts that we need and excrete out the rest so they have less calories then they seem to.  Almonds are super good for you.  As are pistachios.  They do have a lot of calories, so you can't pig out on them, but throw some almonds on a salad.  Peanut butter is a great way to get some good fats.  Avacados are also fantastic for you!  I mush these up and use them as an alternative to mayo on my wraps.  

Meats - Lean meats are better, obviously.  I've already talked about fish and seafood.  Chicken and turkey are wonderful.  But don't be scared of lean, red meat.  We buy 93% lean hamburger. 

Ok, this post has gotten long enough.  Maybe tomorrow I'll show you some of my favorite products.  In the meantime, please feel free to contact me with any questions about what I posted!

Living with regret...

So now that I'm almost at goal, I've been doing a lot of reflecting.  I realized yesterday that I am really fit.  Not only are my running times pretty damn decent for someone who has been running as short of a time I have, but between lifting weights and all the other workouts I do, I'm strong and just in good shape.  

That led me to coulda, shoulda, woulda.  What would my life have been like if I had made this decision to be thin and fit when I was in high school.  Or even college.  Or, FUCK, even 10 years ago???  I mean, I clearly have some athletic ability in me. 

Which then leads to me to be REALLY super ANGRY at myself.  I should not be 40 years old and making these discoveries.  I feel like I have wasted the best years of my life being fat and unhealthy.

I intellectually know that every choice I've made has led me to where I am right now.  And I think that I'm a pretty okay person.  But still, it doesn't feel great to be full of regret.

I'm hoping that a little ways down the road that I can forgive myself and just enjoy where I'm at now.  Better late then never, as they say.  And life, well, it's pretty fucking good today.  However, I'm not anywhere close to forgiving and accepting myself.   

Vacation is over :((

Well, it's back to reality tomorrow.  My vacation is over.  WAHHHHH!  I really could get into this not working thing.  I'm sure I'd be bored in the winter, but in the summer it's great.

This also marks the last day of what I labeled the "experiment" of not logging calories and exercise.  The result?  Broke the nasty plateau and I'm down 2 pounds.  So, I guess it was a success.  Therefore I'm extending it.  I really am at goal right now weighing 121 - I'd like to see 119, and I think I will, but after that, it's normal for the body to bounce around within a few pounds.  

I had gotten really obsessed with calorie counting, and I don't want to be one of THOSE people.  So I'm going to see how my week goes of being back to work and not logging.  Then I'll make a decision again in one week.

Oh, and guess what?  I run my first 10K race next Sunday!!!  Wish me luck!

Vacation - Day 3 - 7/11/12

We took it pretty easy today and just relaxed.  So there isn't much to report - EXCEPT this day marked exactly 12 weeks since my surgery.  So I thought I'd post some pics showing what I look like 12 weeks in.  I am almost at goal weight - I think.  What does everyone think?  Is this where I should stop or should I lose a few more?  I honestly don't know....

As you can see, the incision site looks really good, in my opinion...

But my belly button is still jacked.  We'll see what the Dr. DeRoberts says when I see him in 1 1/2 weeks.

Vacation, Day 2 - 7/10/12

On this day, we hiked part of the Interloken Trail.  We ended up going a total of 15 miles.  It was a hike through mostly wooded trails, but there was some pastures to cut through.  We all carried our own supplies in backpacks.  I have to tell you - it was an awesome feeling to hike 15 miles and I wasn't even tired!!

Here we are at the start of our hike:

Here is Chakotay cooling off in a pond we went by:

At 7.5 miles in we found a picnic area.  We all took off our backpacks and enjoyed a healthy, hearty lunch:

Vacation day 1 - 7/9/12

The first day, we drove through Montezuma Wildlife Refuge on the way down.  We love this place!  I got a couple of great pics.

We arrived at our campsite.  We can set up camp really quick.  Then, since we were all really hot, we took in some swimming:

A great sunset at our site!!

Camping vacation!

Hi everyone!  I just returned last night from camping for several days in the Finger Lakes.  We had an awesome time.  I have discovered that vacations are much more fun when you are fit and thin!  Things are just more comfortable - sleeping on an air mattress, hiking, etc.

I did pretty well not obsessing about calories consumed and tried to just enjoy myself.  We were getting a LOT of exercise as you will see in my next couple posts, so I tried not to think about it, but I'll admit, it was hard.  I did not log anything but did a lot of adding in my head despite my best efforts not to.

I didn't let it stop me though from enjoying a couple of S'Mores by the campfire and I had ice cream one day.  I'm happy to report that it does not appear that I gained anything. as my scale showed 122.4 this morning.    

I am DETERMINED to get to my goal weight and then just be a normal human being about food.  DETERMINED!  I have lost 223 pounds, damn it!  If I can do that, I can do anything!!

Yoga!

First off I am excited to report that I FINALLY saw the scale drop a pound.  After hanging out at what feels like forever at 123, I am now at 122.  3 more pounds until my goal of 119.

I did P90X Yoga for the first time since my surgery today.  I was interested to see how the removal of the excess skin would effect this exercise.  It was a bit differently then I anticipated.  Certainly most of the moves were easier.  Here I am doing the Warrior II pose.

 

Some of the twisting and stretching moves were not easier, though, because my skin is still extremely tight when I try to stretch out.

What was the MOST effected - and I was not expecting this - was my balance moves.  Apparently having the extra skin was throwing off my center of balance.  I was shocked at the difference.

This is called the Tree Pose.  I think I could stand like this for a really long time.  Previously I would fall out of the pose and have to gather the foot back up again.

 This one is called Royal Dancer.  Before the surgery, I pretty much couldn't hold this one at all.  It's still a long way away from ideal, but it's certainly better and a start!

So again, at almost 12 weeks post-op, I continue to discover new things!

Day 2 of the experiment...

Yesterday was my first day of trying to not count calories.  I was shocked at how difficult and anxiety provoking it was.  I normally log all the foods I eat into myfitnesspal.com.  I resisted entering the foods there, but did do some calculations in my head, even though I tried not to.  It didn't help that I had a whole bunch of errands to run so Marc and I ate at Panera Bread and we...OMG....split a cookie.  I know that the cookie is like 440 calories so I added 220 to my meal (which was a salad).  

Ok, so anyway, this morning I ran and then we spent 6 hours - yes, I said 6 FREAKING HOURS - staining our deck.  My back is killing me, but we are about to eat and I can confidently say that I think I will be able to just eat tonight without thinking about how many calories I am putting in my body!!  I may even live life on the wild side and eat some of the skin from the barbequed chicken Marc is putting on the grill right now.

So admit it - how many people think I'm crazy?  For those of you reading this that have never been fat, you won't get it.  My relationship with food is not normal.  But I'm trying, and I'm learning, so don't judge me too harshly!

 

Frustrated - time for an experiment.

When I was well over 250 pounds I would read posts from women who were a few pounds away from their goal on weight loss sites I was on and would get so angry reading their posts that they couldn't lose the last few pounds.  I would think - sarcastically - "Oh, POOR YOU!  You weigh 128 pounds and can't get down to 120!!"  Now this is the position I find myself in.  For the last 3 weeks at least I have been bouncing between 123 and 125.  It is so incredibly frustrating to be this close to achieving my goal weight and nothing is working to get these last few pounds off.

I posted something about this on myfitnesspal, and a friend (thanks Nicole!) suggested I listen to a podcast by Dr. Robert Maki.  The essence of what he said is that when someone has lost a lot of weight and is a normal BMI, the harder you work to take off the last few pounds, the more the body fights you on this and hangs on to the weight.  (Naughty body!)  

I then started thinking - for the last 2 years and 4 months, I have been constantly losing weight.  There has literally not been more then a 2 week stretch when I haven't lost at least some weight.  In addition to eating less to lose weight I have exercised.  With the exception of the time I was recovering from surgery - and most of those days I at least walked a couple of miles - since September of 2011 I have exercised every single day and MOST days I exercised twice for a total of 1.5-2 hours per day.  I'm not a doctor or any other type of expert, but this has to have some sort of effect on hormones and brain chemistry and other stuff, right?  

So, as of 4PM today, I started a 1 1/2 week vacation.  Starting tomorrow, I am going to try an experiment.  I'm going to try to not obsessively count calories.  I will continue to exercise, but will be maybe a little more relaxed.  I am going to listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry and try to just be a normal human being.  We'll see what happens at the end of this 1 1/2 weeks and what the scale says.

I am terrified that I will gain weight during this experiment, but, as they say, if nothing changes, nothing changes.  And right now, nothing is changing.  So it's time to shake it up a bit.

Wish me luck!

A great start to July!

First off, speaking of stupid questions, I went to a work-related cookout on Friday.  Since Fridays are a run day for me, it worked out well to run 5 miles and end at the cookout.  So while I was there, I was wearing all my running gear.  

These are the shoes I run in - Fila Skeltoes.  There are considered "minimalist" sneakers.

I must have been asked AT LEAST 7 times - "Do you like those?" and/or "Are those comfortable?"  What I wanted to say was "No, they are horribly uncomfortable and I hate them, that's why I run in them you effing moron."  But I was on my best behavior and didn't say that.

Anyway, I started off this month right - with my first ever double digit run!!!  I ran 10 miles in 1:28:26.  I also posted my fastest mile ever at 8:15.  I continue to be shocked at how my mile times are improving.  The first 7 miles were great, but then I started dragging.  It started to get hot and the last 3 miles have a LOT of hills, so I slowed down dramatically.   

I was low on energy but after lunch still managed to weed out 2 flower beds that I have sorely neglected this year and got a new bed mulched.  Then it was some serious hammock time.  

I've been diligently wearing my bikini, LOL, so my tummy has actually turned brown!  Vacation starts this week, and I am feeling pretty good about life in general.  It certainly feels better then the funk I was in a month ago!!