Saturday: Introducing the Dupa Project

As promised, here was my weekend wear. I am splitting it into 2 posts because I wore so much!

Saturday -- first there was a workout.



I've finally decided that my dupa has hit its limit. I haven't run since my birthday 5K in March, and while my job change has been great, it trashed my diet and exercise goals. Or, rather, *I* trashed them. Anyway, I can't take the size of my dupa anymore, and I'm ready to do something about it. I started walking with a girlfriend a few weeks ago, but we were only doing it once a week and I obviously need more than that. So I've been walking every morning now, just a half-hour to an hour a day, and getting myself back into a rhythm of regular exercise.

I'm calling it The Dupa Project. Sure, I would like to lose weight, be a different size, be a different number on the scale. But most of all, I want my ass not to horrify me when I glimpse it in the mirror. This is the motivational conversation I plan on having with myself when I reach the day when I don't feel like working on the project:

Me: I don't feel like exercising today.
Other Me: Do you like your dupa yet?
Me: No.
Other Me: Then get off it.



George is on board with The Dupa Project!

Details:
turquoise Champion top, Target
cropped Champion running pants, Target
New Balance sneakers

Then I hosted a "baby shower BBQ" for a girlfriend. Since this was her 3rd or 4th shower, we went casual.



I've never actually worn a neutral top with a neutral-ish pants like this before. Usually on weekends I go black or white on one part and a bright on the other. I liked pairing the dark umber shorts with the mushroom tiered top. But I couldn't go all neutral, so the bright coral sweater added just the punch I was looking for.



Details:
coral pointelle sweater, Old Navy 2009
mushroom chiffon-tiered tee, Ann Taylor 2010
dark umber cargo shorts, DKNY Nordstroms 2010
bronze BOC sandals, Famous Footwear 2009

The party was a huge hit! I was so relieved.

Birthday Review and 5K Run

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I had a fabulous weekend in every respect. I spent time with good friends, had a wonderful time with my husband, got to watch my favorite city celebrate its favorite holiday, ate a ton of delicious food, dressed up in pretty clothes, did some browsing-shopping with a girlfriend, and then ran a 5K race and went home and collapsed in a heap. What more could anyone want for turning 42?

I have decided, based on all the food and drink that I freely and unapologetically enjoyed this weekend, that I am giving myself a birthday present and NOT getting on the scale until next Monday. I need a week to recover and get back into the Medifast rhythm, so that's what I am giving to myself.

Here are a few fashion-related shots of the weekend. Didn't get all the outfits documented, sorry!

Friday night: Drunken grin at Weber Grill. This was my work outfit as well: the brown-and-white Alfani dress, a pearl necklace on brown string, black cascading cardigan.


Saturday night dinner with Hubby: Black Target moto jacket, maroon scoop Loft tee-shirt, black knit Loft dress, gold locket necklace, black patterned hose, plum patent La Canadienne rainboots. Did I mention it was rainy and cloudy all day?



The amazing capper to the best meal of my life at Sepia. Hee!


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Onto the big news: my first 5K! Hubby was only there for a few minutes before he took off to go fish, so there is only one photo of me, and the rest I took while I was running. :) The theme was St. Patrick's Day, so again there were lots of people dressed up in costumes. I stuck with just a dark green top (peeking out under my running jacket).



It was really freakin' cold out. So glad I had invested in all the cold-weather gear; I wore every single thing! We also got a t-shirt for signing up, and I added that to the layers as well.

The race was at Diversey Harbor. It's too soon for any of the boats to be in yet, but it's still a pretty area. We lucked out; the rain and fog that had permeated the area broke up in time for the race, so it ended up being a really nice day!



People getting ready:




Then we were off! It was pretty muddy with lots of puddles on the path, so it was slow-going in spots as we all navigated through narrow running areas in a large group. I think next time I will try to get a spot further up in the crowd; I know I ended up running with the slower people around me, but we were very far back and it was almost all walkers behind us. That actually doesn't do well for my motivation because it makes me feel even slower than I am, if that makes any sense.

The two mile mark (the time is from when the race started, not my actual time):


I averaged just under 13 minutes per mile. Not bad, not great. It gives me lots of room to improve as I keep racing! I won't lie; I did stop and walk 3 times during the race, for short stints. I'll be looking to improve on that too.

The three mile mark. I got a good hard run in after that, with my final burst of energy:


My final time was 39:26, my pace was 12:44, and I came in 815 out of about 1800 participants. 37 out of 48 of my division (Women ages 40-44), and 457 out of 545 for my gender overall. Not that any of those stats really matter, except as a personal baseline so I can see my improvement as my 5K year progresses.

They were serving bananas and green bagels to runners afterward. Ha!



Instead, Hubby and I went out for pancakes. I love pancakes after a run; that's a tradition I think I will keep.

If you are interested in seeing what went on at the Dying of the Chicago River, check out my photography blog for the scoop.

Now it is time for reality to start up again. Back to work!

Walk or Run?

As I've discussed before, one of my New Years Resolutions is to run 5Ks this year. I am working through the Couch-to-5K program for the second time, getting my lungs and my legs back in shape to run 30 minutes at a stretch; I am on Week 5 now and it's going very well.

But my new co-workers/long-time friend was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and she asked me (and others) if I wanted to do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which is a 2-day event where you walk a marathon one day and a half-marathon the next. She ran the Chicago Marathon last year, and does triathlons and other events regularly. I was intrigued of course, not just because I want to do something for my friend but also because one day I will walk or run a marathon. That's in the long-term picture, and I wondered if there was a reason why it was coming up sooner than I anticipated.

I have been considering it; if I agreed, then I would need to start training immediately after the St. Pat's 5K, and for the next three months, work on long walks and probably not do 5Ks at the same time. Which meant my New Years resolution probably would not be achieved. I would still be exercising and it would be a new challenge to accomplish, but it wasn't my original plan. But my friend would be thrilled, and I found out another friend was also planning on doing it and we could train together. The appeal was pretty strong.

Still, I felt like I was letting myself down. Walking a marathon for breast cancer is a noble idea, and I know I would have a lot fun doing it and it would be great exercise and a good discipline lesson etc etc etc, but deep in my gut I was disappointed. Jessie and I talked about it while we were out on Saturday, and she pointed out that I do very well with a series of small mini-goals, as well as just having a competitive nature; running a bunch of small races fit who I am much better than training for a marathon. I realized that it isn't right for me right now; right now I want to be a 5K runner.

So that's what I am going to do. I will donate to both my friends who are walking, and I may even join each of them for a couple of miles that day, but I am doing to stick with my 5K plan. I feel better already about my decision.

And there are SO many to choose from! The heart of the season looks like it is in the summer months, but I can find at least one race every month all year long. I am definitely signing up for the St. Paddy's Day 5K Run/Walk and Leprechaun Leap on March 14th; that's my birthday weekend and we will be staying downtown already. Ooooh, that is the weekend of the Dyeing of the Chicago River and the parade; I love being part-Irish and being born 4 days before St. Patrick's Day. It has always been "my" holiday.

After that, I will coordinate my races with local fishing holes that Hubby may want to explore, and see if we can't find reasons for both of us to go to various small towns around the area.

Yeah, I like this plan a lot. It's right for me.

13-in-13 Challenge: Week 4 complete

The hardest part of issuing self-challenges like this is facing up to it when you haven't been trying. Blah, blah, okay it was the holidays, but if I had really wanted to work at this, I could have. I didn't.

But I went to my WW meeting today, knowing full well the damage was going to be huge, and I paid her to tell me how much I gained. It was as bad as I thought. The receptionist (who is also the leader at the Thursday meeting) drew a line above today's weigh-in, and said it was a fresh start. Just move forward, stay on plan, and keep going. So that's what I'm doing. It's a new year, and I've got 9 more weeks left in this challenge; I can make real headway if I work at it. And I want to work at it.

1. LOSE WEIGHT.
Weight: 186.2
GAIN: 6.2

In 3 weeks, oh boy. Okay, onward!

2. Eat one vegetable-based meal a day.
I was lucky when we were at my in-laws to get any vegetables in the meal at all. Yikes! But I am making a concerted effort this week to follow this. We've stocked up on salad fixin's (which we love), spaghetti squash and sauce, and I just picked up a bag of shredded cabbage and mushrooms today. That makes the best stir-fry...

3. Do at least 2 different types of exercise each week.
I completed the first week of the Couch-to-5K plan this week, Monday Wednesday and Saturday. I'm glad I'm starting from the beginning, because it's not easy!

I did have to miss my Friday workout because I was, um, hungover after New Year's, but I made sure to get there today. Next week I will get my C25K workouts done during the week, and Saturday after my WW meeting, I will hit the pool! Looking foward to that.

But oh my gosh, it must be January 2nd. The gym was PACKED. There was a line waiting to get into an exercise class next to the indoor track, and the pool water was splashing up on the sides there were so many people in there. I have to get there early or I'll be irritated.

4. Limit my sweets/dessert/treats to 3-4 per week.
There were Christmas cookies, and I got 4 different chocolate/candy gifts from co-workers. This was hopeless.
But I did throw away all the cookies and most of the candy now, and the few that are left are put aside for my 3-4 treats per week. Even those might get tossed in a day or two...

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I'm not going to include them as part of a challenge or anything, but there are a few new habits I am trying to form now, to firm up my eating plan and really pushing myself to lose weight instead of continuing to gain.

-Eating a bowl of fruit with breakfast every morning. I read this new habit that What A Splurge had developed over last year, and it sounds like a brilliant idea. I have a platter of excellent fruit that I picked up for New Year's, and it's a great way to start the day!

-Tracking my food. I cracked open my WW journal again, and am even counting points this week.

-Eat more unexpected varieties of vegetable soup. I love soup, but when I think of "vegetable soup" I think of the cubed carrots, green beans, peas, zucchini and tomatoes that are in traditional vegetable soups. I hate all those veggies, especially together. So I bought a light Maryland crab broth soup, some light French onion, and a spicy black bean for this week's lunches. I'd like to make a non-creamy mushroom soon, and maybe a squash-tomato. They're still all vegetable, they're just not "vegetable soup".

-I've got to find a good dinner roll. With Medifast last year we gave up all bread and carbs, and that's not what I want to do this year. But I do want it in moderation, thus the dinner rolls; they're great with soup or to sop up the last bits of salad or spaghetti squash and tomato sauce. Natural Ovens used to have a great one but I haven't seen it in stores lately.

That's it for now! I have a good feeling about this week. Mainly because I CANNOT GAIN MORE WEIGHT. Argh!

Resolution: I will be a runner.

I was remiss this week on posting about the 13-in-13 challenge. I don't want to do it, even now. I really am tired of discussing my failures in losing weight, in eating right, in blowing off exercise. I'm tired of feeling fat and ungainly and like a failure.

It's time to change. Coincidentally, it's also coming time for New Year's Resolutions. I love New Year's, when the year is fresh and new and full of promise. I like looking ahead, imagining the person I want to be when the year ends again, and setting goals to become that person. Last year, I made a commitment to lose weight, and I accomplished that. I lost a lot of weight, and changed the way I looked at myself and the way other people looked at me. I also began a long obsession with dresses, started this blog, ran a 5K, swam laps at my lovely little secret town pool, and joined the online fashion community. It was a really good year.

So, what do I want to accomplish this year? What person do I want to be when 2010 is over? I've got many dreams percolating, about finishing losing this weight, about maybe going back to school for process engineering, about finally getting a new haircut that I really like. But mostly I dream about being a runner.

I like running. I'm terrible at it, and I hate myself about halfway through and I want to quit/die/curl up on a ball on my couch, but I still like it. I like that's it just me and the path in front of me, no expensive equipment save a good pair of running shoes, a chance to tune in my iPod and shut out the world and run. I like what it does to my body, the way it firms up the flabby parts on my dupa and my hips, the way the deep breathing reminds me it's only been 5 years since I quit smoking, and I never thought I would be able to do that. I like wearing cute tops and shorts in the summer, and yoga pants and sweatshirts in the winter. I like running.

So that's the goal: to become a runner once and for all. I don't have dreams of a marathon or even a 10K, not quite yet. I want to run 5Ks, lots of them, all year long. I plan on signing up for as many of them as I can this summer and fall. Until then, I have started the Couch-to-5K plan again; it's been so long since I ran regularly I might as well start over from the beginning. This time I plan on completing it in 9 weeks, which will be just about when the 13-week challenge ends, just before my birthday. (Hey, maybe there is a St. Pat's 5K I can sign up for! I will check that out.)

I started Day 1, Week 1 this morning. It felt good, but no lie, it was hard. The indoor track at my park center has windows on three of the walls, and at 6am there's nothing to see except one's reflection in the glass. It was hard seeing that, seeing things jiggle that haven't jiggled for a while. Accepting that this is the same size body I was dragging around the same track last spring, that all the work and weight loss of the summer was gone and I had a lot of ground to cover again.

But that's okay; I've got my running shoes on, my iPod has some new playlists, and I am ready to go.

13-in-13 Challenge: Week 2 complete

Good Lord, this is embarrassing. I did even worse on week 2 than I did on week 1.

Let's review the goals:

1. LOSE WEIGHT.
I'm not gonna lie, I used the No-Weigh-In pass this week. It was a rough week: 3 holiday luncheon parties and my womantimes started up. I knew from my own daily weigh-ins the news was not good, but I just could not handle seeing it written down on my WW card. So I didn't.

I won't be able to attend a meeting next week as we'll be traveling so the next one won't be until around New Year's. But as I said at the meeting, this week was really the worst for me in terms of parties. Christmas will only be one meal, and I can survive that.

2. Eat one vegetable-based meal a day.
My mistake here was not preparing that spaghetti squash earlier in the week to have throughout. Too easy to have a sandwich for dinner after a big luncheon, and it showed.

3. Do at least 2 different types of exercise each week.
Um.

At least my running shoes came yesterday? And I took them out of the box today?

I've been thinking about this today, as I frantically worked on all the last of my Christmas preparations. New Year's is in 2 weeks, and I usually try to spend some time thinking about the achievements and failures of the previous year, and making goals for the upcoming one. Last year was a success: my goal was to lose weight, and I did. I'm not finished with that, obviously, so it's definitely something I will continue to work on.

But this year...this year, I really want to make exercise a regular part of my life. I tend to go in spurts; I run or swim or do yoga consistently for a few months, then it fades out for a month or two before my motivation kicks back up again. I'm in a lull right now, as much as I am trying to pretend I'm not. I need consistency, a regular routine. I like exercise, and I love what it does to my body; I like the definition in my arms, when my dupa gets firmer and less wide. I like feeling strong and healthy and invincible.

Consistent exercise is the goal for 2010. I'd like to be running 5Ks when it's 5K season again, so I think a do-over of the Couch to 5K plan is probably in order. Last time, I did it rather haphazardly, ending up finishing the 9-week plan in about 20 weeks. Adhering strictly to the 9-week length will be a great start at getting myself into a routine.

What's nice about making New Year's Resolutions early is that you can get a head-start on them. I'll be bringing my running shoes to Detroit this week!

4. Limit my sweets/dessert/treats to 3-4 per week.
I am going to be so happy when Christmas is over. That is all I am saying about that.

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On the good news front, I brought the last of our fat clothes to a donation place yesterday. I've given away some to friends and family, and I had already donated all of our coats to a charity drive they were doing at a friend's church. Between me and Hubby, we had 15 boxes of clothes that I brought to the Home of the Sparrow. Fifteen! Because I am going to write it off for taxes, I counted everything in the boxes. This was pretty much everything in our closets, under the bed, in storage boxes, all seasons. Going from 18-20 to 10-12 means a complete and total turnover in one's closet. Luckily, we were able to still fit in our shoes!

The tally, MEN'S version:
Dress pants = 17
Jeans = 13
Sweaters = 14
Button-down shirts = 15
Vests = 5
Casual shirts = 18
t-shirts = 45
short-sleeve polos = 29
turtlenecks = 3
shorts = 15

The tally, WOMEN'S version:
Suits = 2
Dress pants = 19
Skirts = 10
Jeans = 18 (many were hand-me-downs from friends over the last year)
shorts = 3
Capri pants = 7
short-sleeve t-shirts = 24
long-sleeve t-shirts = 25
turtlenecks = 5
long-sleeved sweaters = 34
short-sleeved sweaters = 17
dress tops = 16
button-down shirts = 21
tanks/camisoles = 41
workout tops = 6
workout pants = 9
shoes = 9 pairs
belts = 6
purses = 5
blazers = 7
dresses = 8

Plus 7 men's coats and 14 women's.
And the two boxes I sent to my sister, the two boxes I gave to friends, and the jumbo-sized two boxes Hubby gave to his brother.

Okay. We had a lot of clothes. Still do, just smaller sizes now!

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Shopping Friend gave me 5 bags full of clothes that she was going to donate, thus bringing the circle 'round again. My closet is busting from the seams again, now with clothes in two sizes: what fits me now, and what I want to fit me in the next few months. I've already started a new type of donate pile; not just clothes that are too big, but things that just aren't going to work. It's tough work rebuilding a closet from scratch, and I've made plenty of mistakes along the way. In those bags that were donated yesterday were already some losers from purchases this year.

Heh, I should do a photo post of 'gone but not forgotten' pieces. Whaddya think?

16-week Commitment Challenge: Week 15 complete

Getting near the end of my challenge. I stumbled hard this week, and part of it of course had to do with the holiday but also I think I am ready to start concentrating on new goals. Also, I need to start LOSING WEIGHT. Why is this so impossible for me to accomplish? I don't know, but I know I am fed up.

Anyway. Let's look at my weekly goals.

1. Attend WW meetings every week without skipping any.
Made it to Saturday's meeting, and I wore jeans! That's living dangerously, LOL, and naturally I did gain weight. Enough! Enough, enough, enough.

2. Exercise 4 days a week minimum.
The Turkey Trot was filled up, but I got at least 4 days on the Wii in. I also went for a run on Thursday morning at the indoor track, and I got the rude awakening that it has been a long time since I ran, and it is time to replace my running shoes: my knee got so stiff about halfway through I had to switch to walking only. Yikes! New shoes will solve that...

3. Count my points in my Tracker.
Yeah, no. It didn't happen, and I'm not sure why. But that's two weeks in a row, and that's worrisome. I'm back to a full week at work this week, and that should get my routines back to normal.

4. Cut back on the alcohol to 1-2 drinks a week.
There was a lot of wine all Thanksgiving weekend. I wish I could say I regret it, but I don't. It was worth it.

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OH! And I got my haircut! It wasn't exactly like Katherine McPhee's, but it was closest to this one. My stylist can see now that I like longer layers and less volume than she usually gives me when she blows it out. I love it!







Love it! So much better than the last cut.

16-Week Commitment Challenge: Week 7 complete

This was definitely my worst week yet.

1. Attend WW meetings every week without skipping any.
Done.

2. Exercise 4 days a week minimum.
I ran the 5K on Sunday, and then I did absolutely nothing all week. Ugh! Why do I do that to myself?

So I committed to a MF buddy that I would commit to 3 days a week running for the next month, and further I would do it on set days of the week: Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Both the commitment and the set days were a good idea, as I wanted to blow off running all day today but knew that I could not. So I got it done, hurray!

3. Count my points in my Tracker.
Hahaha. No.

4. Cut back on the alcohol to 1-2 drinks a week.
Hahahahahaha! Oh, goodness, no.

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I don't know why or how I fell so completely off the rails, especially since last Sunday I was feeling like I was starting to turn things around. But I felt and was out of control all week. I am just lucky it didn't impact my weight worse.

This week will be a challenge as I will be driving a lot next weekend and eating out on a trip away with my mother-in-law. I've set it up so small, easy meals will be available at home before I go, and I will stick with my running commitment. And I read that the hotel has a really cool pool so I will be checking that out, for sure!

Thursday: Backup plan

I wanted to play in today's challenge, I really did. But none of my browns were working together and I needed to be dressier than what I could cobble together. So I bowed out of today and wore a little-worn Loft LBD with a short-sleeve cranberry cardigan. I don't know why I don't wear this more often, but I love it. It's the first size 10 dress I ever bought. I almost cried when I realized that was my new (and final) size.



I think I don't wear it a lot because it's almost more of an evening dress than a day one. Pairing it with a sweater brings it down enough to be appropriate for work. (It's kind of funny how much effort I put into wearing appropriate work clothes when almost no one else in my department does.)

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In exercise news, I signed up for a 5K race on September 27! Still two more weeks to go to finish C25K, and I think I will be ready. I'm not the fastest runner but taking my time getting through the program has been good for me; I'm consistent, I move my feet now, and frankly, I'm pretty amazed still that I can do this.

I also brought out the Wii Fit yesterday and did a round of yoga. It had been 104 days since the last time I used it! Yeesh. I was better at most of the poses than I had been before, but I realized how flabby everything has become since I stopped doing it. It really made a difference in my core and waist, and I want that leanness back. So back to regular yoga workouts it is! This is a good thing; I've been struggling to find another cheapo workout on my non-running days. Swimming is great, but I don't have time for more than one workout a week. I can do a yoga workout in the morning before work.

I will get 4 workouts in this week, yes I will. Monday was running, Wednesday was yoga, today was running again. Hmmm, yoga will be tomorrow, and I'm hoping I can get a run in Saturday. Ha, I might even make it to 5!