Day 43: My 2013 MN Twins Weight Loss Challenge - Links, Lunch & Weigh-In Day

A few good articles...
This week, I ran across some links that I thought were fantastic. I wanted to share them with you.

• Couple loses 500 pounds - I rarely find extreme examples helpful, I think that I have a desire to be the best or to bust. So, if something is beyond my needs or abilities, I end up quiting. However, something about this couple's story struck me as inspiring, not intimidating.
• Don't believe everything you read about weight loss - This article happens to be a "Yahoo!" article, but it reiterates diet "myths" I've run across in several (more reliable) sources lately. What I've learned is that losing weight and/or maintaining a healthy weight requires solutions as individualized as each unique person. This is not a concept that is easy to accept, when all one has ever wanted is to be accepted. That doesn't change the fact that taking care of oneself is the most important part of this process.
• Sometimes losing weight isn't all it's cracked up to be - This is one of the best articles I have read. Ever. Ignore the comments at the bottom. Too many of the commenters don't understand the individual nature of weight loss/body image, and that another person's experience might be vastly different than their own. (See bullet immediately above.) Author Jen Larsen's experience and self-view as a fat person was so honest and raw. I've encountered few, if any, others who articulate my Fat Girl outlook any better. Her assessment of her life after she fast-tracked her way to being a Skinny Girl might just be the most important "Come to Jesus Moment" of which I have ever been on the receiving end. Being fat is a symptom pointing to things I need to deal with.

Lunch: Why make it complicated?

I've been determined to eat a healthier diet. I've also been convinced that removing processed (and, therefore, convenient) food from my diet is required. This week, I finally realized:

1. Yes, I need to remove processed foods from my diet, particularly to remove excess salt and sugar from my diet. This requires a lot of time.
2. It is impossible for me to continue cooking complicated made-from-scratch meals and meal ingredients. It has been a point of pride that I continue to make soups from scratch, pack salads with a variety of vegetables for lunch, or make my own sandwich meat. This is madness.
3. Why in the world do I spend 30 minutes or more each evening preparing fresh food for me to take for work. (I always take breakfast and lunch, and I sometimes need to bring supper as well.)
4. During the school year, my workplace has a salad bar full of fresh and health fixings (a larger variety than what I have on hand at home at any given time), available for less than $4.00 a meal. Why have I tried to duplicate efforts at home and stress myself out each evening?

Week 6 Weigh-In Results
Last week's cumulative total: -14.0 lbs
This week's total: -1.0 ls
Total weight loss: -15.0

I'm almost embarrassed to admit I lost any weight this week. I wasn't completely out of control, but I was pretty close. I feel a bit like God said, "Look, this week was a mulligan. I got it. Go out there an try again."

One thing I found challenging was using the iPad app "My Fitness Pal". It's a very popular app, and it was recommended to me by five or ten different people. Just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't help you. (See the article above about individual needs in dieting.) The app was so specific. In the last six weeks, I've made pretty significant changes in my eating and exercising habits. I recognized that more changes would be needed down the road.

However, using My Fitness Pal, I was constantly reminded of what I wasn't doing quite right. It had me in a bit of a tizzy. For example, I almost through away my red apples so I could replace them with the green apples I'd just purchased. Why? My Fitness App constantly showed me how much sugar I was eating and the calories I was consuming, and I could save a few calories by switching from red to green. I was about double in the amount of sugar I should consume (according to the app), and yet almost all of it was coming from fruit.  But, I felt like a failure and threw tracking out the window. It wasn't pretty.

I realize now that eating healthy meals and snacks are habits that are going to take a long time to ingrain in my head, and on their own, they'll be incredibly helpful for a long time. When I eventually plateau, I'll be much more prepared to give up something more to take me to the next level. For now, just keep plodding on slowly.

Nifty weight chart for the week:

Day 36: My 2013 MN Twins Weight Loss Challenge - I RAN, Pope Francis & Weigh-In Day

Check-Up
Well, I'm closing in on the Spring Training phase of my challenge. My goal was to be down 20 lbs by then. I don't think I'll quite make it, but I'm not going to be upset with my progress. Speaking of progress...well, you'll have to wait until the end.

Tonight, as I write this, I'm exhausted. AquaFit was a little more tiring today than usual, and I think I also need to put the blame on myself for having a very late, way too long conversation with a good friend last night. But, it was a long time since we've caught up, and his advice was very timely and wise. So, it was worth it to me, and your stuck with a rambling post.

More than likely, you'll find the occasional Minnesota Twins blog post here in the upcoming months. The aforementioned exhaustion is not unique to tonight. That's been the feeling lately. Because of that, I regretfully resigned from Puckett's Pond, at least for the time being. I will, of course, have opinions about the Hometown Heroes this season, so you can expect to find me venting here.

I RAN!
More than likely, no one else quite understands what a big deal it is that I ran for five minutes on a treadmill after work on Monday. (Before you think I'm really strange, I did spend more than five minutes on the treadmill. I just walked before and after my little run.)

It is not an exaggeration to say that I haven't run for five minutes together ever in my life before. Seriously. I've run the bases in softball, or down an elementary school gym for basketball or dodgeball, or even around for a volley during a racquetball game. I walked when we did the mile in elementary school. Seriously.

On Monday, my plan was to run for a minute, slow down, and maybe challenge myself to do it again. I was thinking baby steps. Then, as I ratched up the speed, for some reason, I changed my mind. I decided to give five minutes a go; I figured there was an emergency stop button for a reason.

Now I know how Gimli felt.

What I'm learning from this: 1) AquaFit (plus treadmill days in between) is slowly improving my cardiovascular endurance, and 2) I've only really challenged myself physically once in my life. That's when I climbed up a (mini) mountain in the UP with a few friends just over a year ago. It was fun with those friends. That experience was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Probably, I should do things like that more often.

Habemus Papam Franciscum!
Pope Francis seems to have taken the world by storm...in pretty much the most humble way possible. Today at work, I was reviewing his Angelus message from Sunday (3/17/13) to share some nuggets with the Jr High kiddos tomorrow night. I pretty much wrote a great blog post response in my head. But that's just not happening tonight. Instead, you're getting just a brief note in commentary. (See "exhausted" above.)

My brief note in commentary: I was really, really struck by his conversation with the Nonna about God's mercy. (It's quite good. You should read it yourself.) I'm also pretty sure I'm better at receiving mercy than giving it.

Week 5 Weigh-In Results
Last week's cumulative total: -12.5 lbs
This week's total: -1.5 lbs
Total weight loss: -14.0 lbs

I have just under two weeks (Opening Day is April 1) to reach my goal of 20 lbs. I'm pretty sure that's out of reach, although I'm not ruling it out. However, if I keep moving forward, I'm going to be quite happy, even if I'm a little short of that goal. I definitely feel like I deserve the reward of going to (the ridiculously cold, possibly snowing, likely Twins loss that will be) the Opening Day 2013 game at Target Field. Also, if things project out as they're starting to seem, I may not need to lose quite as much to meet or beat the 2013 Minnesota Twins. I've been hearing for a few weeks that Vegas has the over/under on wins at 67. I was projecting a lofty 78 when I started this crazy deal. Thanks, Reusse.

I'm also toying with the idea of adding a massage to my Opening Day Game reward. (Probably not on the same day, although I might need some help relaxing after the shellacking the Twins are going to get from Verlander. I predict complete-game shut-out.) A massage sounds like such a fantastic idea. I think I'll ponder that for a week...

Nifty Weight Chart for the week:

Day 29: My 2013 MN Twins Weight Loss Challenge - Wisconsin Retreat Weekend & Weigh-In Day

Wisconsin Retreat Weekend (weigh-in info below)

This week is Spring Break for the school district my parish is located in, which means I did not have my normal weekend work commitments. Yahoo! So, of course, exotic Wisconsin was my spring break destination.

It's a five hour drive to the small town environs I love to visit. The rural drive, though long, is so beautiful. I chatted on the phone with a close friend on the drive down on Friday, and she was headed off to a retreat. In hearing her talk about what she hoped her weekend would be like, I thought to myself, I need to schedule a retreat. On the drive home on Monday, I realized that I had been on a retreat this weekend as well. Skeptical, are you? Let me explain.

My dearest college friends are Brewer fans, Packer fans and Cheesehead neighbors. I love 'em anyway. (You should see me grit my teeth and look excited when the four-year-old tells me excitedly about her Brewers shirt and her Brewers birthday cake.) Actually, I'm lucky if I get to see any of these friends a handful of times each year, and it's always a treat to be with people who you can just be with.

I typically stay with Angie (whose blog you should follow here), her husband Kurt, and their three little ones. It was fortunate that we visited Sacred Grounds for coffee with our other good friend Rachael and her girls on Saturday morning. Our remaining plans for the weekend got derailed when Angie's two-year-old started throwing up. And kept throwing up. Frequently.

The poor girl had to have thrown up 14 or 16 times in less than 24 hours. She was so much more patient than I would have been in similar (miserable) circumstances. And so, no one (except the blissfully ignorant, adorable baby) got much sleep on Saturday night, and the weekend 'o fun was spent much more quietly.

I read stories to the girls, kept (tried to keep) the baby happy when Mom or Dad was tending to the middle sister as she needed the bucket once again, taught the four-year-old how to knit (she's got a knack for it!) and snatched a game of scrabble with Angie when we could. Oh, and Angie and I got the giggles trying to blow eggs out with syringes and nostril suckers for the kiddos to decorate with their friends at "Gym and Art".

I also stayed Sunday night with my good friends Ken and Emily, who recently moved back to Wisconsin from the Twin Cities. I enjoyed the distinction of being among their first guests, although it was more fun to see the farm and simply catch up with them.

Visiting all of these friends was so life-giving, and we didn't really do anything special. Or do much at all. That's what made it the best weekend I've had (maybe with the exception of family hockey weekend in Sioux Falls last month) in a really long time. Driving home, I was as rejuvenated as I would have been if I would have attended a spiritual retreat. I don't mean that as a knock against spiritual retreats; I spend a significant part of my job explaining to Confirmation candidates why they are fantastic.

I just think we are blessed if we are given people to be the presence of God for us. That's what these friends are for me. I've heard people talk about "Thin Places", a place they've been where they are closer to God than anywhere else. For me, whenever I am in the company of these friends, I experience a "Thin Place". It's less tied to where I am than who I am with. And that's why this weekend was not just a vacation, but a true retreat.

I did get a little vacation-y on my way home, though. On an impulse, I decided to stop at one of the many Wisconsin cheese shops and bring home some treats:

I always think of Rachael when I see cheese curds because she taught me about "squeaky cheese". I gave up alcohol for Lent and am looking forward to enjoying a glass of wine on Easter; I thought I'd remember the people whose presence is a "Thin Place" for me by buying a bottle to open on Easter. The beer was an impulse buy at an impulse stop. Ken and Emily had Spotted Cow at their wedding reception, but I didn't like beer at the time. I think it's time to try it! Emily also sent me home with the venison sausage from their deer hunting season. Jealous? Invite me to a party before someone else does! Oh, and the seasoned cheese just looked tasty.

Week 4 Weigh-In Results
Last week's cumulative total: -10.5 lbs
This week's total: -2.0 lbs
Total weight loss: -12.5 lbs

Honestly, after last week, I was so worried about today's weigh-in and having to write about it, I was tempted to lie if I had stayed the same or gone up again. Don't worry, I wouldn't have. (At least, I don't think I would have...)

On the drive home from Wisconsin, I started to mentally tick through my "To Do List" and think about all that was left for me to do when I got home. In pondering all of this, I had a mini epiphany. (I'm quite certain you are wiser than me, and that this will seem quite self-explanatory to you.)

I don't have to fix everything all at once.

It's clear that I need to work on discipline in many (all) areas of my life - health, finances, time management, etc. Lately, I've been overwhelmed by all the faults I recognize in myself. Then, I began to think about how I tackle any other undertaking, whether it's my tasks at work, cleaning my house or getting ready to host one of my "epic events of mini proportions". Invariably, in these situations:

1. I focus on one task or area at a time, unless it is necessary to shift my focus.
2. If I run across something that is not a part of the current focus, I move it to a pile of related items or write it on a to do list for later, unless it is necessary to address it immediately.
3. I don't worry if tasks or areas outside of my focus are untidy, as long as they are not in the way. I'll get to them soon enough.
4. When I start trying to multi-task, I get overwhelmed and I freeze. Things grind to a halt until I regain focus on one area. So, I prioritize and start moving forward again.

My mini-epiphany was that I need to do exactly this with My 2013 Minnesota Twins Weight Loss Challenge. I only have so much energy, and it is strongest when it is moving in one direction. (Not like the band. Sorry. That photo is a terrible, terrible pun.) Someday, as virtuous habits develop, the area I have been working on will take less energy to maintain, and I can shift energy to another area. Currently, I'm working on two things - planning healthy meals in advance and organizing my calendar and "To Do List" tasks well to be a good steward of my time.

The organization of my calendar and tasks is helping me to discern what commitments I need to give up, and I'm not sure I'm happy about what I'm starting to realize. There will likely be more about that in future posts. In the meantime, here is my nifty weight chart for the week. The line is moving back up!

Day 22: My 2013 MN Twins Weight Loss Challenge

Weigh-in Day

Well, I knew it would happen, but I was hoping it would be later, rather than sooner. However, I wasn't surprised at my results this week. Disappointed, but not surprised.

Yup. I went up a bit on the scale. (Details below.)

It was inevitable that it would happen, and I'm really more concerned about 1) why and 2) how I deal with it than I am about it happening at all. As I'm paying attention to what is going on in me over the last few weeks, it's pretty clear that #1 and #2 are a chicken-and-the-egg kind of debate.

Although this won't post until Wednesday morning, it's actually quite late Tuesday night as I write this. Actually, it's very early Tuesday morning. That's probably the main "why" problem. I am too tired to write too many of the details here, and I don't know that anyone else is really that interested anyway, but I don't say "no" to anything I want to do or think I should do, and that's a big part of the problem.

Please don't misunderstand me; I'm not trying to play the martyr here. Yes, I have a very busy life. But so do you and so does everyone else. A lot of the busy-ness in my life is of my own choosing. The bottom line, I'm too prideful and greedy to let one of the balls I'm tossing fall. Instead, I'm not sleeping enough, I'm stressed and every so often, a bunch of the balls crash to the ground.

When that happens, it's a lot harder for me to avoid eating as a response to stress - not hunger - and to choose nutrition first and taste second when I do eat. The "how I deal" side is much more challenging when I'm this stressed. If I fail, that can lead to a new "why" and a spiral down.

Obviously, that's going to sabatoge my hope of losing weight. So. What do I do?

I've been thinking about this. Because I'm too tired at the moment to flesh these thoughts out, I'm going to make a list of a few things that came to mind, in no particular order:

• Prioritize my commitments and let go of a few so that I can keep my sanity
• Start tracking my food & exercise so I don't have to try to keep it all in my head
• Rethink how much weight I am hoping to lose by the end of the baseball season - am I stressing myself out with too lofty a goal?
• Make a list of ways I can relieve stress or distract myself when I'm craving something more substantial but am substituting food

Just thinking about doing any or all of those things is overwhelming at the moment. I'm not going to accomplish them now. However, over the next week, I think I can come up with a few things I can let go in my life and then begin to put that into practice. I honestly think one of the most important things I can do for myself is to begin to go to bed regularly at a "normal" time. I can't do that until I start saying "no" to a few things.

I'm a bit too much like Gus Gus collecting corn.

Whiney moment for the day
Aquafit was great as usual. Somehow, when I'm there, I feel like I can conquer the world. However, when I washed my suit this evening, it ripped in the wash to the point where I couldn't be worn again. I had to order a suit, and I don't know if it will be here in time for next week. I do have another suit, but it's a tankini that's got these stupid beads on it. It will be quite ridiculous if I have to wear that next week.

Your advice

I'd be curious to hear from you in response to this question: What is a healthy behavior that helps you to relieve stress when you are overwhelmed, lonely, or frustrated? What are little things that you do every day, or somewhat regularly? What are things you do once a week/month/year? I'd love to read your comments below.

Week 3 Weigh-In Results
Last week's cumulative total: -12 lbs
This week's total: +1.5 lbs
Total weight loss: -10.5 lbs

My nifty weight chart: