End of the academic year

Well, it's that time again...the end of the academic year.  What does that have to do with losing weight?  Well, increased stress and celebration lunches/dinners and decreased time to fit in a workout.  Strangely, I'm actually feeling a lot more motivated recently.  In the past few years, it's about this time that I struggle to finish all the work I have to do because my brain is just fried.  Perhaps my earlier struggle with motivation paired with my mental renewal in Florida have combined to make this a strong end for me.  There's tons of work to get done, but I feel like the stress is much more manageable than usual.

Now, that's not to say that it's going to be easy...the sheer number of celebrations at the end of the year (most of which have amazing food at them), is a little daunting.  I'd already had two before this week and I had a reception yesterday, a dinner tonight, an etiquette dinner tomorrow, plus a luncheon next week.  Now, my bank account is certainly thankful for the free delicious food, but it means less control over how that food is prepared.  I'm managing my best by trying to make good choices, being realistic about if I WANT or NEED more food, and trying to behave when it comes to dessert.  That certainly doesn't mean avoiding them altogether...it means limiting how much and making sure that I get in workouts to help make up for them. 

Thankfully, I was able to get in my run on Sunday - 5 miles!!  It got interrupted a few times by duty calls, but thankfully nothing too serious that I wasn't able to just answer a few questions then pick my pace right back up.  My lungs were a little angry with me immediately after, but that's something they've got to get used to if I'm going to be running outside more.  It's certainly much more interesting than running on the treadmill.  It's strange that when running outside I don't feel like I'm running any faster than on the treadmill, but the last two times I've done it I've logged my fastest mile and my fastest 5k...maybe it has something to do with not having to alter my stride to match the treadmill.  I don't know, but I'm certainly not complaining!

Check out how I managed this week...

Initial weight: 257.2
Week 66:-2.2
Total weight loss: -57.4
Current weight:199.8 (and I'm back under 200!!)

Putting my money where my mouth is

I've mentioned several times over the last few months that I was going to do the 2014 Disney marathon...well, the time has come to put my money where my mouth is...or should I say, "where my feet are".  I am officially registered not just for the marathon, but for the Goofy Challenge.  "What's that?" you're probably asking.  "The sure sign that I need a psychiatrist..." I answer.  It's a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday and a full marathon (26.2 miles) on Sunday.  I have yet to decide if I'm going to walk or run the half...I'm sure that I will change my mind a million times between now and then, so I'm going to leave that decision until I see how I feel closer to January.  But, I am non-refundably registered so there's no turning back now!

That definitely means that I need to get my butt back to the gym.  However, it's also allergy season and I was off my meds for too long so I developed a sinus infection.  I spent all of the last two weeks battling that and it's settling in my chest now.  Here's to hoping that I can hold off the bronchitis I developed with the last two sinus infections! So far, I've been pretty successful, though I do have a pretty chronic cough right now...thankfully, it's not too bad.

 This week I've been able to get out running at least once - my hope is to go again tomorrow, but being on duty for work does make it a little more challenging.  I went running outside for the first time in a very long time and it felt so good!  I struggled a little to get started, but after everything that happened in Boston on Monday with so many people who couldn't finish their race, I couldn't justify not running for just half an hour.  I ran a little over three miles in 33 minutes and logged my fastest mile as well as my fastest 5K!  My hope is to get in 5 miles tomorrow, but we'll see if I can fit it in with work.

Initial weight: 257.2
Week 63: I didn't weigh in...but my own scale said that I was up by quite a bit :-(
Week 64: +2.4  it was listed as a gain, but still less than what my scale said the week before
Week 65: -0.4  at least it was a loss!
Total weight loss: -55.2
Current weight: 202.0

I feel like I've been so much more on track and motivated this week already - less tempted by desserts and continuing to remove pop from my life and increase my water intake!  I feel more energized and crave it a whole lot less...there just may be something to this!