Victory Beyond the Scale

Sometimes I think we place too much emphasis on the scale.

This Saturday I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my oldest sister for her October wedding. We had gone before, and I was in a - gulp! - size 18. (Wow, never thought I'd put that in print.) I went in this time, grabbed the same size, and started trying. And lo and behold, they were falling off of me! Score!!! So I dashed out and started grabbing 16's. I felt SO good. Granted, it's not a size 8, but any loss is a good loss, I say. Now let's see how much we'll need to get this sucker altered before the big day!

I don't have a picture of my dress yet, but I'm wearing David's Bridal separates in chiffon - the long skirt and the draped one-shoulder top. I am obsessed with the Tarzan look this year, so I'm SO excited to wear this.

What a Week!

Whew, what a week it has been! Last week, I lost my job. For the first time in 8 years, I don't have to get up and go to work. Now THAT is a crazy feeling. But I have a lot of mixed emotions right now. On the one hand, it's scary. But on the other, it's liberating. I was very unhappy, and things were taking a toll on me. Now I have a chance to regroup while I'm looking for a new workplace home. What's more, I get to spend the days with my baby boy - I can't ask for better than that! And now I have literally NO excuse not to blog more regularly!

On the upside, I lost 1.8 pounds last week! I have always heard that cortisol, the hormone that your body creates under stress (or something like that - help me out science types!) can cause you to hold on to weight. But I never really believed that stress was keeping me fat. But now that I am significantly less stressed, I see a big loss on the scale, despite consoling myself with my friends Ben and Jerry. It's definitely something to think about...

Still a Resident

...of Frustration City, that is. This week posted a gain of 1.6 pounds. I know my problem: I'm an emotional eater. I have been under a lot of stress lately due to some personal issues, and when I get home at the end of the day, I want comfort food. "Bad day at work, I need McD's Chicken Nuggets." "I'm sad, let's have wine and pasta." "Stressed out, don't feel like cooking - let's go for Mexican!"

No, it won't. I don't need those, I want them. And do I really think I'm going to find solace at the bottom of a basket of chips and queso? Um, negative.

So why do I do it? Why are my emotions inextricably linked with food? Does fun food = feeling better?

Wow, that sounds so Biggest Loser when Jillian helps the people work through their deep-seated issues. Maybe that's it - I need a Jillian Michaels in my life! :-)

Frustration City, Here I Am!

I know I didn't blog last week (don't worry, wrist already slapped), but I lost 1.4 pounds. Yay! Made up some of the ground I lost the week before.

This week - up 1.7. Sonofabitchthissucks!!!!! When I look back on my week, I know I didn't eat as well as I should have. I didn't eat as well as a linebacker should have! And my exercise consisted of carrying the munchkin up the stairs for baths, diaper changes, and bedtime. So did I put forth the effort I should have? Absolutely not.

The hardest thing for me now is recovering from the slip-up and getting back on track. I eat bad one week, and not only do I gain, but I remember just how good that bad-for-you stuff really tastes. So the next week, I start the cycle all over again. This week I started Monday in the hole Points-wise by about 23. So it's up to me - keep going down this path and see more poundage on the scale next Monday, or put a stop to it once and for all now. My hope is to get it together - get some exercise and eat better. Double whammy. Let's see how it goes!

Holy Inspiration, Batman

The Pittsburgh Marathon was today, and it was so motivating. I've never run a race in my life, unless you count the Gino's Intracity Track Meet when I was in 4th grade, but just watching all of those people cross the finish line after accomplishing something so amazing is so inspiring.

I've heard some people say that, with the advent of ultramarathons, that the traditional 26.2 is no longer the accomplishment it used to be. I wholeheartedly disagree. Whether you're finishing at the front of the pack or are the last across the line, you went a distance most of us only do in our cars.

The power of the human body, when you put your mind to it, is astounding. It makes me wonder - could I ever be that strong?