Shopping my Closet

One of the best things about losing weight is that I've kept a lot of my skinnier clothes.  That means every few weeks I go through and try on clothes that haven't fit in years.  So it's really allowed me to save a lot of money and feel great about putting on clothes that haven't fit for a while. 

Today for some reason I decided to tackle the skirts.  Maybe it's because it's finally starting to feel like spring.  I'm going to have to do something about my shockingly white legs before I wear too many skirts though.  They are truly terrifying. 

But, in the sake of honesty.  And really because I was damn proud of myself I took pictures of all the skirts that actually fit.  I've successfully seriously expanded my spring wardrobe for free!  I just threw on a tank top to try on all the skirts with.  And my hair is a disaster since I've been at the gym today.  Also, taking pictures in the mirror never really turns out the best but at least pictures can't really get much more unflattering...

 

Black skirt (Target, Mossimo) size 18.  I bought this back when my husband and I first started dating and I had a regular office job.  Not my favorite.  It may go in the discard pile.

 

Brown skirt (Lane Bryant) size 20.  It's a little spacious.  Pretty spacious actually.  But I think it looked pretty cute on.  I may keep this and wear it for a while.

 

White skirt (Tommy Hilfiger) XL.  Holy geez this skirt is old.  I've had it for, um eight years.  I'm not sure it's super flattering but my husband likes it.  I've seen old pictures of myself wearing it and I'm just not convinced it's flattering.  Also, it matches my legs.

 

Pink polka dot skirt (New York & Co.) size 18.  This is also old and is from maybe seven years ago?  I'm kind of liking it though.  Maybe.

So, I left my closet shopping feeling pretty good about myself.  I tried on a couple of others before I started taking pictures.  A grey and yellow flowered skirt from Old Navy that I'm just not sure the length is great.  And a white embroidered skirt from Lane Bryant that I bought in college and I'm pretty sure looks like a tea towel that my mom would make so I think that goes in the "No" pile.

Weigh-In Wednesday

Let's get some order going on up in here.  My whole goal is going to be to keep myself accountable.  So, I'm going to whip up a little weekly plan for the ole blog.
Move It Monday:  what exercise have I done in the past week that I loved or hated?  Did I meet my FitBit steps goals?
Tuesday:  I got nothing.  I'm open to suggestions...
Weigh-in Wednesday:  okay, here's the moment of truth kiddies, I'm going to snap a picture of my scale.  And I'm keeping it real.  The number is not pretty but hopefully that's going to motivate me to keep going.
Treadmill Thursday:  how's that running going?  An honest answer to how my attempts at running are each week.
Food Friday:  let's be honest.  I love to eat.  Food is delicious.  I'm trying to make my favorite recipes healthier.  So I'll share recipes, both my own and others that I've found.

So, for the very first Weigh-in Wednesday...  I didn't think of this until part way through the day and I'd already weighed myself and then eaten food so...  So, today it's just a number.  239.  Can I whisper that please?  But guys, it's so much better than it was and I feel so proud of that.  So I'm okay with it.

And for fun, a picture post-workout.  Okay, after I'd driven home and quit sweating...

I feel like my face is starting to look skinnier.  And I put on a pair of jeans yesterday that I wore the day I bought my wedding dress.  I could finally tell a difference in how I look.

40 Days

Today is the beginning of Lent.  Many people give something up for Lent, often something that they see as a sacrifice to give up.  In college I gave up fast food and pop for the 40 days.  And then Easter Monday I ate Taco Bell, it wasn't pretty.  Anyway.  The closer we've gotten to those 40 days this year, the more I have thought about what I want to give up.

And I think I want to switch it up a little.  I'm giving up a couple of things and replacing them with something else.  So I'm saying goodbye to social media -- no Facebook, no Pinterest, no Instagram.  I spend way too much time on social media.  And it's just a waste of time.  I'm not accomplishing anything.  It doesn't leave me feeling improved.  I miss out on time I could be spending with my husband because I'm busy checking out other people's lives.  Not worth it. 

I'm also kissing sweets goodbye.  Man, I love my sweets.  But they're gone until after Easter.

And to continue the trend of bettering myself through the Lent season, I'm going to exercise in some manner every day.  Not necessarily the gym, even though I try to do that six days a week.  But maybe even just a quick workout at home.  After all, 40 days is a pretty short commitment when you think about it.

I'm pretty excited about the next 40 days.  Well, I'm not really excited about giving up social media, but I know it will be good for me.

I was even up a few minutes early this morning to get a quick little work out in to start the day.  Nothing major at all, just some squats, push ups, leg lifts, calf raises, lunges, and sit ups.  I didn't (or I'm not yet...) really miss those extra 15 minutes of sleep.  And I feel more energetic than usual.  So hopefully that can become a daily habit.

Move It, Move It

I got back to the gym on Saturday.  My gym offers "Try It" classes every six weeks before a new session of classes start.  My friend and I decided we wanted to try Zumba.  I thought it was going to be a complete beginner class and that we'd been fine.  Um, not so much.  We lasted like five minutes before we looked at each other in horror and left.  Since we were already at the gym, we decided we might as well knock out some regular cardio.  I jumped back on the exercise for the first time in almost a month.  It was fantastic.  I still broke out some, enough that my husband freaked out, but nothing a little Benadryl couldn't fix.

I planned on getting back to working out every day on my way home from work this week.  Monday I had meetings though and had to go to the grocery store so I didn't make it.   But yesterday my butt was back at the gym.  Oh man, I didn't realize how much I had missed the gym.  I did a mile on the treadmill and then biked about 10.5 miles.  I felt great.  And even better, no hives! 

So, I'd like to say I'm officially back in the groove.  My gym bag is sitting behind my desk in my office.  I'm pretty excited about it.  And I'm hoping to start a new 30 Day Challenge here in the next couple of days for a little extra work out on top of my regular hour at the gym.  And I'm looking for a new 5K to sign up for.  I want to try running again, maybe on Monday.

Off Track

2014 has been completely kicking my butt.

I ended up in the ER in January thanks to my allergy issues.  When I followed up with my regular doctor and made an awesome discovery.  She thinks I have an allergy to exercise.  What?!  So we switched allergy medicines.  I was supposed to take a week off from the gym and then see how I did.  Well, then I got crazy sick.  And was sick for nearly two weeks.  And then we got hit with a giant snow storm.  And then I got crazy lazy and ate all the food and did none of the exercise.

So basically it's been bad.  I had officially hit 30 pounds.  Now a couple of those stupid pounds have crept back on.  I'm determined to not regain everything I've worked so hard to lose.  So, I'm keeping myself accountable.  I'm being honest.  And I'm trying Zumba this weekend with a friend.  I'm pretty excited about that.  And to get back to the gym. 

I realize that I miss the gym.  I'm so much happier when I've gotten in a workout.  It helps with the winter blahs.  It's easier to get out of bed in the morning.  And I feel so much better when I eat healthier.  I can totally tell a difference when I eat crap.  The new challenge is to find delicious healthy food that's fast and easy to pack for lunch.  I've been super unexcited by food lately.

What do you do to stay motivated?  What healthy things do you love for lunch?

The First Work it Wednesday

I used to write an occasional Work it Wednesday post on my DIY/home improvement blog.  I find myself wanting to write more and more about fitness, health, and losing weight.  So this is it.

I'm working on becoming the "After" picture.  I'm still more of the "Before" but I'm getting there.  I've lost almost 30 pounds, tantalizingly close to 30 pounds since my 30th birthday in August.  I've decided 30 is my year to get in shape and take care of myself.

So I'm doing it.  I love going to the gym.  I love doing workouts I find on Pinterest while I watch Gilmore Girls after work.  I love finding healthier ways to cook delicious foods.

Right now I'm struggling because everytime I work out, I end up with hives.  Hives that were bad enough that a week ago I ended up in the ER.  So I'm trying to get that under control so I can get back in the gym and back to my normal workouts.

I'm hoping to train to run a 5K this spring.  And then a 10K.  And then a half marathon.  I love setting goals.