The Road to Farley is Less Traveled

I bet you thought I forgot about my personal challenge. Ha! Fooled you. Though my life continues to get in the way of of work outs, eating right all the time, and blogging, I haven't forgotten my ultimate goal. My much...MUCH... MUCH  anticipated vacation is now just 42 days away. Even though I have been radio silent for the past 84 days, I've made some progress, though slow. I am down 12.5 pounds. All in all, I guess that's not too terrible. I saw an article online tonight that said people who drink diet soda lose more weight than people who drink water. This further solidifies that all this diet crap that permeates the TV, magazines, weight loss programs, and grocery stores is just that...a bunch of crap. I'm so over it. All I am trying to do now is eat normal food...nothing packaged or frozen (well, except frozen broccoli florets - I do eat a lot of those). And ice cream. That is one of my indulgences. You seriously can go crazy making your way through the maze...

Mardi Gras! Fat Tuesday! Ummmm, yeah, nothing screams FAT like this photo of me. Oy vey. This pic was taken about 11-12 years ago at a company golf outing. I remember that it was ungodly hot that day, something like 105 and humid. (Hot...remember what that feels like? I've kind of forgotten this winter...but, I digress).  I am pretty sure when this photo was taken I was at my fattest ever. I hate to admit that at the beginning of this year, I was actually close to that weight. I look awful, right? I am happy to report that since the first of the year (not just my "fitness challenge"), I have dropped 11.5 pounds. It's only scratching the surface, but keeping this picture posted on my mirror inspires me.  I'm continuing my run/walk 5Ks and can report that this morning I completed the 5K in under 50 minutes. That's even 3+ minutes faster than I did in the real 5K I claimed to train for back in 2011. That was the last time I seriously tried to be a ...

Today I ran for 5 minutes. Seriously. That was an accomplishment for me. A couple of years ago, when I sort of trained for that 5K, was the last time I did any significant running. So, the 5 minutes today interspersed with my usual 5K walk on the treadmill felt good and exhausting at the same time. It's only been a week, but with a few more yoga workouts than normal and some targeted stretching and resistance training. I feel better already. Now that I think about it, maybe I feel better thanks to that root canal last Thursday! You get so used to a dull pain that your forget what it's like not to have it.

Well, let me tell you, for Day 1 of my 142 Day Fitness Challenge, I am feeling pretty damn inspired. Here is the rundown of my day:  Up at 5 am for a quick walk with the dogs.  Off to the gym for a brisk 3.5 mile walk on the treadmill, while rocking out to John Mellencamp and reading "The Husband's Secret." (A nice little chick-lit set in Australia...so it reminds me of the buckaroos.)  Intake of food for the day -- decent. Breakfast: coffee with fat free creamer, Greek yogurt, and a string cheese. Lunch: Glass of dark chocolate almond milk and an apple with peanut butter. Dinner a big "clean out the refrigerator" salad plus 2 small squares of dark chocolate with sea salt.  Brisk 1.5 mile walk with the dogs after work to enjoy the 50+ degree temps and sunshine. (Downside: Their paws and bellies were very sloppy by the time we got home.) De-stressed with 40 minutes of yoga.  Got inspired by Sharon Stone. Yes -- that Sharon Stone. I saw an interview with h...

I am throwing down the gauntlet to myself, along with some potential public shaming. I realized today that my summer vacation and the first of three nephew weddings occur in 142 days and counting. The thought of being the fat American at the British Open or the fat aunt at the destination wedding in Colorado is not appealing. That gives me about 20 weeks to lose about 100 pounds and get fit enough to run a 5K. Ok, I am not aiming quite that high, but you get the point. 2013 was not kind to my body for a whole lot of reasons. This dreadful winter is not helping, either. I will report progress regularly. Wish me luck people. At the very least, I need to fit in my summer clothes!

I am not really sure when it happened, but I think sometime in the last 12-14 months. Don't get me wrong, I like to think I still got it going on like I did in my late 20s or early 30s. It ain't happening. I find myself reaching for the Aleve on a regular basis to dull all these aches that weren't there last year (shoulders, hip, feet, elbows, neck). Sympathy cards seem to be the ones I send most frequently these days. I feel sluggish the morning after drinking just two beers. I can barely stay awake after 8 pm, yet I have no problem waking up at 5 am. The cold and snow...I used to wish for more of it when I was 17. I just want it to go away now. My fat is now firmly entrenched in my gut. I can't read small print even with my progressive lenses. I used to love going shoe shopping, but who can get excited about sensible shoes? I have bad feet, people! I love the wisdom, independence, and the "I don't give a crap what you think" confidence I gain as each y...

Besides my Bailey's and coffee, one of my other favorite Sunday morning rituals is a trip to the dog park. After the polar express or vortex or whatever it was we had earlier this week, it was good to get out for a little fresh air. The only thing I dislike about the dog park is the humans. I have certain "pet" peeves every time I go. 1. The crappers - the uncool people who don't pick up their dog's poop. 2. The talkers - the people who want to become your best friend because your dog is sniffing their dog. 3. The stalkers - those people who constantly are 2 steps behind you on the trail. My dogs are herders, people, they get anxious when anyone or anything walks behind them. Go around! 4. The loiterers - the people who mill around the entrance/exit gates for no apparent reason. Get the eff out of the way. 5. The jackholes - I classify anyone who brings an aggressive dog into the park in this category, particularly if they don't monitor their dog. I...

There is nothing better than a fresh haircut to boost your self esteem. I used to be one of those people who got my hair cut every four weeks...like clock work. I can't even remember when life started getting in the way, and I was canceling more appointments than I was keeping. Today, for example, was my first haircut since September...when I got my hair cut and colored in Hattiesburg, MS of all places. In keeping with my theme of making 2014 the year of taking my life back, I am not going to go more than six weeks between cuts. Next up - a refresh on that color!

2013 was kind of a blur to me thanks to an extremely hectic year at work. I logged over 43,000 travel miles in a little over six months, I worked the equivalent of 17 months, and spent the equivalent of 3 full months away from home. What's that quote? They were the best of times, they were the worst of times.  Needless to say, I'm glad the year is over.  I plan to get my "normal" life back in 2014. I'm lying on the couch with my girls as I type this. Truthfully, I hope to spend many more nights like this in 2014.  As noted at the top of my blog page, I have many things to look forward to in 2014. Some of it, though, is bittersweet. My "breakfast crew" is locationally breaking up. Katie moved to Missouri in July 2013 and Liz is off to Northern Virginia in a week. Our regular Saturday/Sunday morning breakfasts at Perkins will take a little bit more coordination going forward. I'm happy for both of them as they've landed great positions with ne...