My complicated relationship with gravity.

Just when you think everything is easy peasy and you can't lose (or can...as the case may be)...you go up.  Gravity sucks.

Weigh-in Wednesday #53 was on January 22nd, 2014 and I went up - first weigh-in of year 2 on the programme too!

Went up 5 pounds.  Exactly.  Not good.  But, not the end of the world either.

It sucked.  And, I don't know why it happened.  But, I do know this:  I worked out hard, I ate properly, and I gained weight.  It happens.

So what next?  Well, business as usual of course...and by that I mean hitting the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre hard and eating healthily.  No emergency juice cleanse for me, I don't believe in that.  Only thing fancy cleanses do is clear out your wallet.  Perhaps I should amp up the cardio a bit...morning and night workouts, do something that I haven't been doing lately...enter indoor and outdoor cycling...and public speaking.  That'll make me sweat.

I was invited by a certain amazing friend to attend one of his Weight Watchers meetings last Saturday.  Hadn't been to a group session since I lived in Montreal.  I remember my first weigh-in in that creepy old building on Ste-Catherine's, I cleverly wore a thick leather studded belt with my jeans and checked in at 226 pounds.  The following week, I wore leggings...see what I did there?  Haha...9 pounds gone and all I had to do was change my clothes. 

Even though I was up 5 pounds as of last Wednesday, I didn't feel like a failure at the meeting.  I went in feeling confident in the knowledge that I had lost 142 pounds...and no one could take that success away from me.  Sure, I wasn't at 147 pounds lost like the previous week, no...but I was still a loser!  I will not let one single weigh-in define me.  And, I still had tonnes of insight and experience to share with people on a similar journey to my own.  That's one thing I love about Weight Watchers meetings...there is an almost overwhelming sense of community.  There we were all fighting the same fight, and ever story that was shared was relatable.  Very inspiring!

Okay, piping up at a WW meeting last Saturday isn't exactly public speaking...but I have been invited to talk about my health, fitness, and weight loss experience again today.  It seems that there are groups of people all over the place trying to shed a few pounds and adopt a healthy lifestyle...and one of those groups gets to hear my musings at 3PM today - I even got "Special Guest Speaker" status in the email that was sent out.  Now that just got my heart rate up...I didn't even have to step on a treadmill!

Wish me luck.

I'd like to make a toast...

...to me.  

Realistically, I would like to make some toast for me...but bread is so 2012.

I am raising that proverbial glass in celebration of 1 full year of healthy lifestyling.  It was exactly 52 weigh-ins ago that I started this journey, and what a ride it has been!   

Starting weight:  292.1 - January 16th, 2013

1st weigh-in:  286.8

2nd weigh-in:  280.1

3rd weigh-in:  276.4

4th weigh-in:  274.1

5th weigh-in:  270.6

6th weigh-in:  266.2

7th weigh-in:  262

8th weigh-in:  261.4

9th weigh-in:  257.7

10th weigh-in 251.4

11th weigh-in 247.3

12th weigh-in 243.6

13th weigh-in 241.7

14th weigh-in 235.4

15th weigh-in 235.4

16th weigh-in 227.7

17th weigh-in 223.5

18th weigh-in 223.5

19th weigh-in 221.6 

20th weigh-in 221.6

21st weigh-in 215.6

22nd weigh-in 213.2

23rd weigh-in 207.9

24th weigh-in 206.6

25th weigh-in 200.1

26th weigh-in 199.7

27th weigh-in 197

28th weigh-in 191.3

29th weigh-in 189.9

30th weigh-in 180.7

31st weigh-in 183.4 

32nd weigh-in 186.4 

33rd weigh-in 186.3

34th weigh-in 174.8

35th weigh-in 174.8

36th weigh-in 170.1

37th weigh-in 169

38th weigh-in 170.2

39th weigh-in 174.7

40th weigh-in 166.4 

41st weigh-in 162.8

42nd weigh-in 159.9
43rd weigh-in 166
44th weigh-in 161.7
45th weigh-in 158.5

46th weigh-in 156.5

47th weigh-in 154.1 

48th weigh-in 153.4

49th weigh-in ???

50th weigh-in 151

51st weigh-in 148.7 - January 8th, 2014

52nd wiegh-in 146.8 - January 15th, 2014

In celebration of this accomplishment, what did I do?  Well, I'm not going to lie, if there is a treat to be had - though nowadays it is usually something like 100g of red meat with chimichurri sauce for dinner rather than an an assortment of classic savoury junk food to be had throughout the day- I'm going to indulge on a Weigh-in Wednesday.  So, what did I Weigh-in Wednesday do?  Well, I Weigh-in Wednesday went to the gym.

I power walked from my place to the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre...searched out the other ninjas-in-training who had already worked out, chatted for far too long (long enough to cool down completely), and then caught a really bad case of lazy.  My internal monologue went something like this:

Why do I have to work out on a Wednesday, of all days, that should be my day off...shouldn't it?  What if I took today off and then worked out on Saturday (which actually is my 1 day off a week).  I have already worked out, I have walked...and walking is cardio, I mean I was sweating when I got here.  And I'm hungry now, I've run out of carbs.  I can't work out right now...but I could power walk home and then have some lunch.  Tha'd be an hour of working out...though I wouldn't be doing it at the gym...but it still counts, right?  

And then I remembered a habit I adopted back in Montreal when I was going to Marc Gagnon's (speed skater Olympian guy) gym...I made a promise to myself that come Hell or highwater, I would always go to the gym.  I would go, and I would do 10 minutes of working out...and if that was all I could muster, then I would allow myself to stop and do whatever else it was that I needed to do.  But, you know what?  More often than not, if you do 10 minutes, you can do an hour, and if you can do an hour, then you have just tricked yourself into completing a cardio workout...so that's exactly what I did.  It may have also helped that I met a wonderful woman yesterday who stopped for a wee chat as soon as she recognised me from the TC.  Her name was Verna, and she told me that she and her friends had been following my progress.  She then proceeded to call me a goofball and said that goofballs could talk their way out of anything...including exercise.  Little did she know what was going on in my head...so then I really had to work out.  Can't let Verna, who was shopping around for an appropriate rec centre in which to work out herself, down...could I?

No.

In the morning I posted my Weigh-in Wednesday results on Twitter (@suziespitfyre):

Weigh-in Wednesday #52 -1 year later- I am down to 146.8 from 294, that's 147lbs lost! Feeling #healthy, #fit, & #fabulous. #yyj @MIJOSport

Then I posted this:

Now, how am I going to celebrate my 1 year anniversary? Well, by going to the gym of course..still have 10lbs to go. No rest for the wicked!

Then I had one of those "A-ha" moments:

Lightbulb: I just realised..I now weigh less than the amount of weight that I have lost. Whoa. #weightloss

 

Which lead eventually to this:

2 celebrate my being 1/2 the size I used 2 B & my 52nd weigh-in..I ran 6.6K in a row..without stopping. Yup, I know how 2 party.  

And with that, I say...PARTY ON, good time girl!  (By the way, when I raised my glass earlier, it was full of water.)

 

Weigh-in Wednesday #...well, the last 7 weeks worth…woops.

Well, when it comes to writing about my weigh-ins…I have seriously been slacking off - sorry about that.  Perhaps it’s because they have been a bit more uppy downy since my knee injury and that makes me feel a little like I’m not very versed in losing lately.  At least the uppy ones make me feel that way.  The downy ones still make me feel great.  Especially since the last 7 weigh-ins have taken me into the 50s…and I dig that era, and that weight.  47 weeks ago I told the ninja that I eventually wanted to be 150 pounds…and I certainly did not expect to get down to 154.1 pounds in 11 months.  That’s pretty wicked.  That’s 138 pounds lost according to me, and 140 pounds according to Jonathan, as a million years ago he weighed me in on a random Monday and I was up 2 pounds from my initial Weigh-in Wednesday…but he wins because 140 sounds more impressive than 138.    

Here’s what you know already:

Starting weight:  292.1

1st weigh-in:  286.8

2nd weigh-in:  280.1

3rd weigh-in:  276.4

4th weigh-in:  274.1

5th weigh-in:  270.6

6th weigh-in:  266.2

7th weigh-in:  262

8th weigh-in:  261.4

9th weigh-in:  257.7

10th weigh-in 251.4

11th weigh-in 247.3

12th weigh-in 243.6

13th weigh-in 241.7

14th weigh-in 235.4

15th weigh-in 235.4

16th weigh-in 227.7

17th weigh-in 223.5

18th weigh-in 223.5

19th weigh-in 221.6

20th weigh-in 221.6

21st weigh-in 215.6

22nd weigh-in 213.2

23rd weigh-in 207.9

24th weigh-in 206.6

25th weigh-in 200.1

26th weigh-in 199.7

27th weigh-in 197

28th weigh-in 191.3

29th weigh-in 189.9

30th weigh-in 180.7

31st weigh-in 183.4

32nd weigh-in 186.4

33rd weigh-in 186.3

34th weigh-in 174.8

35th weigh-in 174.8

36th weigh-in 170.1

37th weigh-in 169

38th weigh-in 170.2

39th weigh-in 174.7

40th weigh-in 166.4

And, here’s what’s happened on the scale in the last 7 weeks:

Oct. 30^th, 2013 - 41^st weigh-in 162.8

Nov. 6^th, 2013 - 42^nd weigh-in 159.9

Nov. 13^th, 2013 - 43^rd weigh-in 166

Nov. 20^th, 2013 44^th weigh-in 161.7

Nov. 27^th, 2013 - 45^th weigh-in 158.5

Dec. 4^th, 2013 - 46^th  weigh-in 156.5 

Dec. 11^th, 2013 – 47^th weigh-in 154.1

The day after WIW #41 was Hallowe’en, and I trained at the gym as a zombie…and thanks to my MAC make-up and mad make-up skills people just thought I was just a bit ill…with pink eye.  

Right before WIW #42 my bestie, Delfine, came to town.  Always so amazing to see her, and also to weigh-in in the 50s on Wednesday...even after a dinner party and drinks.  YAY! 

The Saturday before WIW #43, I was training with the ninja, testing out the knee, and then the bloody thing gave out on me again.  So, that's the reason for the 6.1lb gain anyway...fluid retention...or it could have been the fun that was had in Courtenay on Thursday and Friday. Stéphane, Delfine, and myself headed up to the Kingfisher Oceanfront Resort and Spa for a bit of R 'n' R.  Seriously great massages on the Thursday, fabulous fancy dinner, libations, snacks, and amazing conversation.  The following morning, we visited the Pacific Mist Hydropath, which was quite the experience.  8 stations, including Swiss showers, mineral massage pool, 5 different kinds of waterfall massages, a eucalyptus filled steam cave, glacial waterfall (10 seconds of freezing water - I was able to endure the entire 10...yay me!), river walk (warm and cool sides), sea mineral soak, and finally tidal baths with seaweed salt scrub.  I hardly made it to the gym after that, and when I did...my skin was so slathered in green tea moisturiser that I nearly slid off the treadmill and could hardly hold onto the dumbbells, but I did get a workout in after the hydropath and before the most relaxing pedicure in the world.  Lovely to see my Montréal bestie, sucky to gain 6.1 pounds.

WIW #44 saw me lose the weight I had gained...or at least 4.3 pounds of it.  Time to pull out the salads for lunch, soup for dinner trick again, I guess.  Gah!  How long is it going to take me to lose this weight!?  Not so stressed out though, because I had to take a couple days off after injuring my knee again.  So the next week I can add some more exercise into my week.

WIW #45 - So only 2 weeks to lose the gained weight...not too shabby.  Plus an extra 1.4 pounds on top of that...lowest I've been in about 16 years, I'd say.  I think I was about 180 when I got back from Ireland, so pre-Ireland, I would have been maybe 170 or 160 something.  Not too shabby going into the holiday season in the 150s.  Gods help me to resist the temptations that this season brings...fortunately, I always say no to sweets, but it's a lot harder to say no to another glass of prosecco with Elderflower liqueur.  Mmmmm...

WIW #46 - 4 days after Stéphane's work party...and down another 2 pounds!  That, my friends, is awesome.  A fancy affair at the Union Club is how Genivar celebrates the holidays...seafood appetiser buffet, fancy cocktails to start, gorgeous dinner buffet, wine on the table, and top it off with 83497328943789 desserts.  So, what did I eat?  Well, I filled up 1/2 my plate with spinach salad, skipped the fatty dressings and opted for a couple wedges of lemon, picked up a deviled egg, and then had a slice of roast beef with some horseradish...because even though everything looked delish, I'd rather not have party guilt the next day.  I have a nasty habit of having 1 of something and then it opens the floor gates for another 1..and 1 more after that, and if I've had a couple glasses to wine, 1 turns into 5 very easily.  Better safe than sorry, so no cocktails, no appetisers, no mashed taters or Yorkshire puddings from the buffet, no bread and butter, no Christmas puds or cookies for me.  No, and because of that I still fit into the party dress that I bought specifically for the occasion!  Don't ask me how much wine I drank...on the plus side, I got some cardio in on the dance floor.

WIW #47 - 4 days after 2nd Christmas party of the season, another weigh-in.  And this time, I was suffering from "tried a few things from the buffet" guilt.  I know it's perfectly normal for other people to pick and choose a few nibblies to enjoy while drinking eggnog and chatting to other party goers, but I can't.  I have to eat before hand so that I don't begin to covet the gorgeousness that only a chef and pastry chef can make.  Around midnight, I may have sampled a handful of things...but Jägermeister Rudolf quite possibly had something to do with it, what a bad influence.  Check out Heather's delicious treats here www.VIN COCO.com.  Needless to say, I was feeling a little "fluffy" after that evening.  And, was surprise weighed-in on the Tuesday before WIW...I don't like it when my suspicions are confirmed not only by an impartial scale, but a rather observant ninja who also noticed my fluffiness.  160 to 154.1 in 1 day?  Well, it just goes to show how weighing in at the same time each week is the way to go.  I'm sure my weight fluctuates during the week, but if I were to check the scale throughout, I would go mental (more so that usual) and probably psyche myself out.  Why would I let a scale have that sort of power over me?

Having said that, I go into WIW #48 blind as Odin's bad eye...but knowing that I have worked out like a viking all week, Valkyrie Suzie that's me.  My diet has been spot on, except for a dinner party don't on Sunday when I guesstimated how many Wisecrackers I had with an approximated amount of antipasto, and I have stepped up the exercise this week.  Finger's crossed for tomorrow this full mooned Tiw's Day!  Though, I suspect hard work and a strict diet trumps luck every time.         

Run for your life!

Generally, I hit the gym in the morning before my brain has time to figure out what I'm doing.  It's a good tactic, you should try it.  Also, when I start early, my workout burns fat rather than fuel.

Yesterday, 10 minutes after starting on the treadmill...I employed the same kind of strategy and broke into a run.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I started running...and nothing, absolutely nothing, was chasing me.  

There was a time when I could not run...and that was only about 10 months ago...so now, running feels like freedom and makes me feel really alive.  Wow, I never thought I'd say that.  Could it be that I actually like to run?  No, that can't be it.

This past Saturday, I ran for 20 minutes in a row, and so of course yesterday I had to go faster and further.  I cranked the speed to 10 KM / hour and I gave 'er for 30 minutes.  I ran 5K!  I ran 5K...for reals.  Did I mention that I ran 5 whole kilometres in half an hour?  Well, I did.  And, it felt great!  Until the ninja appeared from out of nowhere, surprised me, and I dropped my MP3 player on the moving tread which then shot it off the end and landed it at his feet.  I nearly did the same, until I grabbed a handrail and steadied myself.  Woops.  Classic Suzie.

Run 5K = Winning.

Drop iPod, make fool of self = Par for the course.

And yes, I do believe I like running.  But, don't tell anyone. 

Ask me why I haven't been blogging lately...

lack·a·dai·si·cal

adjective \ˌla-kə-ˈdā-zi-kəl\

Definition of LACKADAISICAL

 : lacking life, spirit, or zest : languid

— lack·a·dai·si·cal·ly adverb

See lackadaisical defined for English-language learners »

See lackadaisical defined for kids »

Examples of LACKADAISICAL

1. His teachers did not approve of his lackadaisical approach to homework.
2. <feeling particularly lackadaisical in the summer heat, they lazily tossed a ball back and forth>

I don't know why I keep drinking water at the gym, it just seems to pour right out of me as soon as it's in.

When will I ever learn?

The last few training sessions with the ninja have been fairly exhausting.  My first 3 months on programme when I had a Jonathan day, I would wait until 15 minutes before it started to warm up on the treadmill or the elliptical and then enter the training full of energy...and butterflies.  The following 3 months, I switched things up by getting to the gym a couple of hours early and attacking the treadmill and then possibly hopping on a spin bike after.  The training session would then kill me, though my anxiety disappeared.  So, in the last month I have been getting to the gym a little early and then warming up by walking on the treadmill for an hour or so, having a little something to eat, a bit of a rest, before hopping on a machine for 5-10 minutes and then going into our sessions.  Here's the thing about ninjas - they are pretty tricky, so even if you have a date at 11AM, it can quickly turn into 10AM.  Bye-bye eating, bye-bye rest!

Last week just such skulduggery occurred.  After a brisk walk from home to the gym, and then an hour of hiking up an imaginary hill and then running down it (on a treadmill, obviously), the ninja came over to collect me an hour early:

"Feel like running?" he says, through a smirk. 

"I've already been running," I reply, aware that he is about to test me. 

"I was thinking a timed 800M."  His streak of evil ninjaness suddenly becomes very apparent.  His clean-cut appearance is simple subterfuge, he has always looked like the star quarterback in a made-for-TV-movie where the teenagers are all played by Hollywood actors in their late 20s.

"Um...okay," I say.  In my mind, I'm thinking he is doing this because he wants to see if I'm going to fight him, the strongest thing I can do is welcome the challenge...and beat my fastest time. 

"How many laps is it?  17?"

"No, 18."  This is the 2nd time I've had to correct him on this matter.  As a rule, I tell him when he's forgotten to get me to do a set of exercises or miscounted reps.  Perhaps I'm a masochist, perhaps it's my integrity...all I know is that when he says jump, I will always ask, "How high?" because he knows what he's doing and he gets results.   

"Why do I always think it's 17?" 

"I don't know, Jonathan, maybe it's cuz you're pretty?" I say grinning, searching his eyes for approval.  Nothing.

"Ready to go?  Go."

And so I ran, I ran back and forth focusing on my breath, trying to increase the length of my stride, and my cadence.  Pushing myself harder every lap when he called out my time, and racing against my old self.  The first time I attempted the 800M, I walked the entire thing in something like 13 minutes.  The second time I ran the course in 5 minutes and 45 seconds, that is quite an improvement, don't you think?  So how will I fair with another 50 pounds gone?  Well, I think my time was 4 minutes and 52 seconds, the ninja assured me that if I hadn't had that slip at the beginning, I would have beaten my previous recorded time by at least a minute.  I agree, and if I hadn't already done an hour and a half of walking/running before I entered the race, that would have been a great advantage too!  
 

His unpredictable training methods, keep me on my toes.  A ninja is always prepared, like every good Girl Guide, and I've been told on multiple occasions to be ready for anything...so that means wraps 'n' gloves, spinning shoes, towel, healthy lunch, snacks, water bottle full of Quench tea from Silk Road, and 2 changes of clothing in my gym bag at all times.  When I throw in my laptop and charger, that makes my bag 22 pounds or so - so not only is my walk to the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre good cardio, it's weight bearing exercise!  The changes in clothing factor into this particular workout because after a good session on the treadmill, I will be dripping with sweat, and I will change into something less pruney-skin inducing.  After being plucked off the 'mill, and thrown into a timed run...I was a sweaty mess with no chance for a quick change. 

Earlier in the week, J-Carp asked if it would be okay with me if Aaron, the lifeguard and aquafit instructor extraordinaire, could shadow one of our training sessions - of course!  He met us by the staircase on the other side of the pool.  Well, this is ominous, generally when we hang out by the staircase I am asked to run stairs as a warm-up, but that's not going to happen because I've already walked to the gym, walked and run on the treadmill, and then done a back and forth thing in the hallway, right?  Wrong.  The ninja thinks it would be a good idea to do a timed stair run.  Seriously?  Haha...do not let him see you sweat.  No wait, I'm already sweating, do not let him see that you don't want to do something, or think that you can't do something.

"Think you can do that?" he says, narrowing his eyes and tightening his jaw. 

"Of course.  How many times up and down?"  Challenge accepted. 

"Let's make it 18, same as the run."  

 I have a thing for odd numbers, so 18 doesn't sit right with me, "How about 19?"

"Then you'll end up at the bottom of the stairs."

"I don't care, 19 is better than 18," I will live to regret saying that. 

"Do 18.  Go."  

Off I go down the stairs, up the stairs, down the stairs, up the stairs, and so on and so forth.  I try to be as efficient as possible, but I know I'm taking a couple of extra steps at the top and the bottom of the staircase.  I place my whole foot on each riser as I power up so as not to hurt my calf (again), and I treat the way down as my reprieve.  I try to regulate my breathing, but I am getting tired.

"How many have I done?"  I call out as I near the top, after what seems to be an infinite amount of stairs.

The ninja smiles and says, "16.  You know what?  Let's do 30 not 18, you're doing this pretty fast." 

"Huh?" is about all I could get out at that point...and I seem to use this expression far too often when I'm with the ninja.  Apparently, when I work out, I become a caveman.  Articulate speech, syntax, and vocabulary are reduced to a lexicon of grunts and monosyllabic drivel.  Not exactly the way I want to present myself in general, but then I wouldn't wear clothing this tight in real life either, so at least my neanderthal-self is contained within the gym.  

"Keep going, do 30." 

"Kay" I say doubting my ability to continue, but trusting that the ninja knows that I will push myself to go on because, 1.  He asked me to do it...and 2.  There is a witness, and I do not want to disappoint.

He counts me down all the way to zero, and then I get to rest.  Sweat, sweat, huff, puff...same old story.  When I first started running stairs 7 months ago, I did 10 ups and downs in a couple minutes...now I'm doing 30.  And apparently, I'm going to do it again, to see if I can beat that time.  Time to take out the extra steps, time to change the down from rest to the quick part.  While I feel like I'm running out of energy, I overhear the ninja telling Aaron why he includes exercises such as this in my training and it makes me soldier on.  And I do so, to the tune of under two minutes.  Yay me!  And yay ninja, because nothing makes me feel prouder than beating my previous time, especially when the challenges are back to back.  

Floor to ceilings with the ninja

Now what?  I feel like I could accomplish anything after that.  Floor to ceilings with 20 pounds in each hand,  15 of them, three sets.  No problem.  First, Jonathan spots me and explains what he's doing to Aaron.  Then Aaron takes over, and I start my last 15.  Oh, wow...this is getting heavy.  I attempt to lift the weights over my head on one of the last reps and my left arm gives out a bit and the weight comes crashing to a stop on my shoulder.  Aaron apologises for not being there, but truth be told I kinda like a "lifting bruise."  It makes me feel tough.  And, while I'm squatting then pressing those weights up and down again, I have a lifeguard right behind me and a ninja directly in front, so life is still pretty good....bruises or no.

Step-ups with weights and burpees followed, and somewhere in the middle of that Aaron looks at me taking a swig from my newly filled water bottle.

"Looks like that water is coming out of you as soon as it goes in." He smiles cheekily.

"Yes, but looking on the bright side, when I lie down on the mat to do a burpee, the cotton of my shirt wipes up the sweat that I left behind the time before," I retort.  I can be facetious too.     

This is what a push-up looked like in February

Then after my mopping up burpees it's time to stay in the prone position and do some push-ups.  These I have been practicing, unbeknownst to my ninja.  He says start with 10 full push-ups, I do 10.  He says go to 15, I go to 15.  Ha!  Practicing.  I think we all know that push-ups "exercise the pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids, with ancillary benefits to the rest of the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole."  But, what you may not know is that at 292 pounds it is very difficult to even accomplish 1 knees-down push up.  In January, my gut and boobs practically propped me up as they rested on the mat.  Push-ups were knees down, always.  As I began to lose weight, Jonathan got me to push-up first with my knees down and then lift my legs 1 at a time positioning myself into full push-up pose, then I would lower down to my belly and do it again.  He tells the lifeguard, that he has never modified push-ups in that manner but by splitting up the components, I was still able to reap the benefits.  And so I show off the benefits by doing another round of push-ups.  

The ninja smiles and says, "Remember, when you couldn't do these at all?"

"Yes.  And I'm glad you're laughing at that now and not then."  Then I attempt to go a little deeper into a push-up and promptly fall on my face.  "Woops, you spoke too soon." 

He shakes his head.

Sit-ups were also a challenge, it's hard to fold yourself in half when you have the equivalent of a pillow and two throw cushions figuratively strapped around your abdomen.  Now I'm doing a sit-up with one leg straight, one bent, and a weight in one hand that I'm shoulder pressing as I come up.  I'm still not very good at these, but I am no longer struggling to keep my legs together - do not read anything into that!  I've lost a significant amount of thigh fat.  That is all.  

Planks are next, I flip over and assume the position.  I really dislike planks, mostly because I suck at them.  Why can't I hold the pose for longer than 45 seconds?  Gahhh!  Seriously, my arms start shaking, my abs want to give out, and my thighs seize up.  It's not pretty.  And, I'm all fine and dandy if I do them with my arms straight...but as soon as I go on my forearms, everything changes.  The ninja and lifeguard are discussing what we at MAC would call "style-stepping" or how you adapt the way you teach things to suit the person to whom you are teaching.  

Aaron asks, "Do people fight you?"

"Yes.  Suzie's been pretty good.  The only thing she's fought me on are planks," says the ninja coyly.

Overhearing this in mid-plank has made it difficult for me to keep my knees up, especially because I have made it a point to never fight the ninja on anything and do exactly what I'm told...and now he's said what? 

"I have never fought you!" I breath out, sweat dripping off my forehead.  "Are you trying to start a fight?"  45 seconds are up...and I'm resting on my belly.  "I have never fought you...unless you count this, and I'm fighting you on the fact that I've never fought with you...over anything...except possibly this...so it doesn't count!"

Back to planking, now I have to keep in form for another 45 seconds or I'll look like I'm fighting him.  For the record, I have never, ever disagreed with any of his training methods, I've always grinned and bearred it.  And, yes, sometimes I fall out of plank and he says get back in...and I do!  C'mon!  This is hard!  Haha...I am a model student...as much as I can be.  Why fight him when it's working?  Perhaps that's my style-stepping?  It used to be if I didn't like something, I wouldn't do it...and now, if it's hard, but I know it's going to tone my arms or strengthen my back or do something that I want it to do...well, I practice it.  Like push-ups, and don't think that I haven't been practicing planks...I have been...but they still suck.

Practice makes perfect.  And, this is training after all.

³train 

verb 

a : to form by instruction, discipline, or drill

b : to teach so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient

Weigh-in Wednesday #26 & #27

2 and a 1/2 weeks ago (Wednesday, July 10th), I dropped a colossal 6.5 pounds to 200.1  Then last week when I stepped on the scale I only lost 0.7 pounds on Weigh-in Wednesday #26, but that was to be expected after such a big loss the week before.  And yet, why am I pleased as punch?  Well, I dropped enough weight to put me under 200 pounds...a-thank you!  

So this Weigh-in Wednesday, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Lately my pattern has been 2 weeks of meh...then 1 week of YAY!  Which means I'm going to have to buckle down if I want to reach my goal of 100 pounds down.  Wednesday's scale read 197 pounds...that's a loss of 2.7 pounds, and I'm cool with that...I don't know when the last time the scale has been so low, actually.  I haven't seen a 1 at the front of my weight since probably 1999 just before I moved back to Montréal.    

Starting weight:  292.1
1st weigh-in:  286.8
2nd weigh-in:  280.1
3rd weigh-in:  276.4
4th weigh-in:  274.1
5th weigh-in:  270.6
6th weigh-in:  266.2
7th weigh-in:  262
8th weigh-in:  261.4
9th weigh-in:  257.7
10th weigh-in 251.4
11th weigh-in 247.3
12th weigh-in 243.6
13th weigh-in 241.7
14th weigh-in 235.4
15th weigh-in 235.4
16th weigh-in 227.7
17th weigh-in 223.5
18th weigh-in 223.5
19th weigh-in 221.6
20th weigh-in 221.6
21st weigh-in 215.6
22nd weigh-in 213.2
23rd weigh-in 207.9
24th weigh-in 206.6
25th weigh-in 200.1

26th weigh-in 199.7

27th weigh-in 197 

So what's the plan for this week?  So far, it's been an insane amount of cardio, strength training, and really clean eating.  I'm even skipping potatoes and rice this week.  Just a little.  Wish me luck for Wednesday, if I drop 5 pounds this week...I'll reach 100 pounds down!  The anticipation is killing me!