The Skinny on Me

Guess what?!?!?!?! Operation Vegas is working! And, for week 2, I’m changing the name of the game a bit.

Lauren meet Operation Vegas/Operation 150’s. Operation VEGAS/Operation 150’s meet Lauren. Be afraid, be very afraid. I’m here to dominate.

WIW — May 16, 2012

SW: 176
LWIW: 167.6
CW: 163.1
Difference: -4.5
Total: -12.9

Wait for it………… BOOM!

I’m officially back to my lowest weight, and it’s only going to continue to go down from here.

Vegas/Tucson/150’s, here I come!

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 165.6
• CW: 167.6
• Difference: +2
• Total: -8.4

Operation VEGAS

In two weeks, I’ll be in Tucson to spend some quality time with my grandmother (who’s been in and out of the hospital). In two and a half weeks, I’ll be in Vegas. Originally, the plan was was simply have a layover in Tucson, but the opportunity presented itself, so now I’ll be spending a few days at home before the crazy shenanigans ensue. 

This means that, I have 2 weeks to get my ass in gear with Operation VEGAS. 

What is Operation VEGAS, you ask? Well…

• Run 4x a week 
• No snacking on work snacks
• No (repeat, NO) bagel Thursday
• Agua, lots of ague

Yesterday (Day 1 of Operation VEGAS) I knocked out 5 miles after work. Today, I’m hoping for 3-4. Plus, I’m bringing my running gear to work to hopefully squeeze in some walking time with a coworker over lunch (we’ve been trying for the last week and have yet to actually head outside). 

Today’s Food:

Breakfast — 230 cal

• 1 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Patty (60 cal)
• Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal (170 cal)

Snack — 140 cal

• Open Nature Blueberry Greek Yogurt (140 cal)

Lunch — 377 cal

• Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers (2 halves, 342 cal)
• Baby carrots, 10 (35 cal)

Snack — 135 cal

• String cheese, light (60 cal)
• Celery + PB (75 cal)

Dinner — 343 cal

• Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas (343 cal — with ground beef not turkey) 
• Red wine

Total: 1225 cal

Now … to figure out when to squeeze time in for my run. My number one pet peeve is running after eating. Maybe I’ll have my roomie take over in the kitchen, while the enchiladas are in the oven (30 min), while I go for a quick 3-miler. 

Yesterday, I wrote this: 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about love, romance, hearts and flowers, and well, more. (Yes, I’ve been reading the Fifty Shades trilogy.)

Like most women, I want that. I want the guy who’s willing to change his ways, who’s willing to give me more. And like most women, I haven’t found him yet. Unlike most women, I’m too ______ to try. Scared? Intimidated? Inadequate? Self conscious?

Yeah, that sounds about right. I’m afraid to try, because I feel like no guy would ever want me. 

… I obviously have a long way to in this journey. 

So how do I do it? How do let go of the fear and insecurities so that I can give love a chance again? 

And though I know I’m not 100% out of the fog/funk, I know I’m better than I was yesterday. Yesterday was a low point on so many levels. For a while there, it felt like I could not catch a brake. From work dilemmas to personal woes, it all just piled on. 

Today, though, is a new day. And who doesn’t love new days, especially when it’s WIW and you’ve got a good number to report back with. 

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 172.6
• CW: 165.6
• Difference: -7.0
• Total: -10.4

As a reminder, I gorged myself on sushi last week, and my weigh in the next morning didn’t deny that. Since then, my body has simply worked through the “sushi bloat.” 

Note to self: don’t all you can eat sushi (especially on Tuesdays)

That time is coming around where I really need to grocery shopping. The wine is running short, and the shelves are turning bare. 

Luckily, I stocked up on lunch items Monday (money spent on lunches this week: <$10). For the last two days, I split up a six-inch turkey and ham Subway sandwich. For the rest of the week, I have two tuna salad kits and a Healthy Choice pasta bowl (280 calories). 

The main problem is going to be figuring out dinner. I’m down to the last serving of Dreamfield’s, and once I’m done with that, I won’t have much left around the house. 

There are a couple of recipes I’ve been hankering to try:

• Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas via Cooking Light (343 cal) ** sub with ground turkey
• Black bean, avocado and brown rice burritos via eMeals 
• Tomato, Avocado, Shrimp Salad

With the warmer temperatures this week, I’m really in the mood for something fresh. I busted out some frozen shrimp for my pasta dish last night and remembered just how much I love light shrimp dishes this time year. 

Oh yea, I guess I forgot this:

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 166.9 (April 4)
• CW: 168.4
• Difference: +1.5 lbs
• Total: -8.6 lbs

Goals:

• Avoid sweets and treats at work
• Run Friday (today), Saturday, Monday and Tuesday
• Cook TWO meals at home (leftovers!)
• Re-implementing TWO drink rule
• Work on getting back to > 10 lbs lost

It’s been a wee little while since my last WIW. I’m going to start getting on track again, and I’m going to make this work. It’s the beginning of April; I’m just shy of two months until my Memorial Day weekend getaway to Vegas. I will be in the 150s by then, mark my words. 

SW: 176 
LWIW: 166 (Feb. 21)
CW: 166.9
Difference: +0.9 lbs.
Total WL: -9.1 lbs.

This weekend, I’ve registered to run the Bunny Rock 5k. Though I haven’t been running consistently since mid-January, I’m excited to get into it again. I might (keyword: might) even go ahead and pre-register for the half-marathon in June/July, just to get myself motivated.

The trouble is money. I may say I want to run it, but when it comes down to those gosh darn registration fees, my motivation goes out the window. I should start a run fund. Or maybe, when I move, the money I save on taxi cab fare (to but mostly from bars) can be put into the piggy bank reserved for running. 

Just a thought. 

What do you do to save up for race registration fees?

Although I did weigh in last week, I was too discouraged to post it. I gain an insignificant amount of weight (as in a little over a pound). To me, though, it seemed like a ton.

You get like that, dear reader, don’t you?

WIW: Feb 1, 2012 

• SW: 176 
• LWIW: 166.4 
• CW: 163.1 
• Difference: -3.3 lbs.
• Total WL: -12.9 lbs.

I was blown away by that number this morning. It’s safe to say I was not expecting 3.3 lbs to magically be gone.

To top that off, I went for a run today too! (how awesome am I?). Unfortunately, my toe is hurting badly again (it may be a little infected). Meaning, I probably shouldn’t have run tonight. :-/

Oh and by the way, I totally failed at the month challenge. Oops. 

January Recap

• Jan 1, 2012 (er… Jan. 2): 169.1 lbs
• Feb. 1, 2012: 163.1
• Total Jan. WL: 6.0 lbs

Six pounds? I’ll take it! To recap, I lost about two pounds in November and about five pounds in December. Though I’m not losing 10+ pounds a month, that’s perfectly all right with me. Slow and steady. I’d rather lose it slowly than continue down the lose/gain cycle. 

January Goals

Looking back, it doesn’t look like I set any … oops. 

February Goals

• Continue cooking one new recipe a week
• Complete weeks 3-7 of the half-marathon training program
• Lose 5 pounds (I wanna see 150’s dammit!)
• Now that I’m employed (i.e., earning money), register/run 5k
• Remember my 2-drink rule!

First of all, happy birthday Grandma! I hope you have an amazingly wonderful 85th year!

Second of all, WOO HOO! (see below)

Weigh-in Wednesday, January 11 Edition:

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 167.3
• CW: 165.3
• Difference: -2.0
• Total WL: 10.7 lbs

I’ve lost ten pounds! I’ve lost ten pounds! *Happy Dances Around Kitchen/Living Room*

All right, you’ve got this. Get ready to take the next 4.7 pounds by storm and hit that first goal weight OUTTA THE PARK!

Ever the inconsistent blogger I am. Though, I do have a legit reason for not posting yesterday. Why, you ask? Well, because my fantastic Wednesday weigh-in set the mood for a fantastic Wednesday. Period. 

Not only did I manage to lose about two pounds last week. I also got a job offer, followed by a kick-ass interview (for a different job) I was already on my way to when I got the offer. Then, I made a truly scrumptious dinner for the roomie and I, and we finished the night off with glasses of Apothic Red (our fave), a few episodes of The Vampire Diaries and Dirty Dancing (because, well, no one puts Baby in a corner). 

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 169.8
• CW: 167.3
• Difference: -2.5
• Total WL: 8.7 lbs

Like I said, AMAZING day. 

And the news is…… I AM IN THE FREAKING 160’s!!! Boo yah, take that 170’s, Christmas, peanut butter overloads and whatever else the world has to throw at me! 

WIW - Wednesday, Dec. 28 (Day 59)

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 170.2
• CW: 169.8
• Difference: -0.4
• Total WL: 6.2lbs

Now… let’s see how I did with the mini-goals I set for the week….

• Finish Week 8 of C25k: 1 run down, 2 to go!  Yeah… I ran twice…. i think. 
• Sign up for the Polar Dash 5k (January 14) Too broke to pay
• Throw out that damn bag of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• Have fun (but no too much fun!) Yeah, that didn’t happen. 
• If (not when, but if) I fall of track, get back on it right away. 
• Exercise video it up (as much as I love running, that’s not what it’s all about) Yeah, that didn’t happen
• Start the month-long push up challenge (see next post) Started… but not consistent

Mini goals for this week?

• Sign up for the Polar Dash 5k
• Get consistent with the push up challenge
• No mid-week drinking, saving all those calories for NYE
• Have fun at NYE
• Run at least three times 

Good morning! Normally, I hate waking up at 5am, period. For some strange reason, however, today I found myself wide awake at 4am. Of course, for an hour, I fought it and tried desperately to go back to sleep, before accepting my 4am wake-up call and reading the news.

Ultimately, I blame it on my pork tenderloin roast thing I had crock-potting over night. It smells so good! More on that later because …. it’s WIW.

Seeing how there’s only one more Wednesday after today left in 2011 (oh me, oh my), we’re down to the wire. Will I make my goals? Will I not? As of right now (and t-minus 11 days ‘til 2012), I am quite confident I will break into the 160s. Lucky for me, we’re not really doing much of a fancy feast for Christmas. This means, no pies, no cookies, no extravagantly delicious, but horribly bad for you sweats and treats.

WIW - Wednesday, Dec. 21 (Day 52)

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 172.4
• CW: 170.2
• Difference: -2.2
• Total WL: 5.8lbs!

First of all, I LOST 5 LBS (You gotta get excited over the little stuff too). That’s about 1/3 of the way to my first goal weight (160lbs). Secondly, I’m only .2lbs away from entering the 160s. I’m going to make it by the end of December! Wootsy!

I’ll sign back on later to check out others’ WIW progress, as well as to update y’all on things like low points over the last few days, my new running buddy and my updated 5k plans. TTYL!