Thursday, October 21, 2010

A Tale of Two Buttcheeks

I didn't realize how much you use your gluteal muscles when running. Or walking. Or any of the mundane tasks one does throughout one's day-to-day activities. Well, you do. And the day after a run, they talk to you.

So do your quads. And your shoulders. Yes, running works it all, and over the days that follow, your muscles let you know. Sometimes, loudly.

It's been a good week, all things considered. Sure, I almost had a meltdown earlier this week when I shamefully got on the scale on a day other than Thursday. Sure, I had a margarita last weekend. But I didn't fall off the wagon. I didn't even really lose my footing. Wagon and I, securely together.

I weighed in today, and came in at 221.5. This is the lowest number my scale has seen in at least eight years. I am proud. That number represents a total of 18.5 pounds (or 74 "knee pounds") lost since I got back on track on August 24. (My sister and father remind me now and then that every pound lost is four pounds of pressure off my knees, so "knee pounds" ... like "dog years.") This also puts me at 5.5 pounds away from my first reward, because at 216 I will have lost 10 percent of my weight. Rock on!

Just Because You Can Zip Them Doesn't Mean They Fit
I have this gorgeous pair of black pants in my closet. They have been there for three years. Wide-leg trousers, crafted of a fabric that feels very expensive, although the pants really weren't. Anyway, they've been there, waiting for me, for literally years. I put them on this morning, just to gauge my progress.

I pulled them all the way up, and I zipped them.

Now, I looked a little bit like a moose wearing a banana peel, but the point is I got them on. This is cause for celebration, no?

Did She Just Say "Skinny"?
At the gym on Tuesday night, I saw my friend Jennifer. She's awesome. About five-foot-nothin', and totally sweet. She's an athlete and a dancer, and I just love her. She hasn't been at the gym much lately, because she's on a softball team and that takes up a lot of her evening workout time. Well, she walks up behind me prior to class, peers at my face and says, "Oh my God, that is you!" And I'm like, well, duh, and she says, "When did you get so skinny? I didn't even recognize you!"

Shocked, I was. But so totally gratified! I mean, I have a long way to go, but it felt so good to have someone refer to me as "skinny", even if it was just by comparison.

That's What it's All About
No, not the hokey pokey. Variety. I love that I am getting such an awesome variety of activity into my life these days. There's running mixed with walking, there's walking on my lunch hour, there's the elliptical trainer after work, there's salsa/funk, there's weight training ... it's cross-training at its best. I realize that if I focused a little more on running, I would probably be better at it, and maybe I'd be able to run the whole race. But here's the thing: I love the variety. It really does keep me engaged, and happy with the routine. Probably because it's anything but routine.

And there's variety in the diet, too. From other people's leftovers (blissful fajitas!) to homemade soup (I am a good cook!) I'm getting a lot of color in my food, and a lot of really delicious, nutritious food. As long as it keeps working, I'm totally fine with that!

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