CELEBRATE! I've lost 20 pounds!!

I really can't believe it. On the one hand, I feel like 20 pounds is not that much, considering the amount of fat I want to lose. On the other hand, holy shit! TWENTY POUNDS! I haven't lost this much weight on any diet or lifestyle change I've tried in about 20 years. And trust me, I've tried them all. The last time I remember losing this much fat was when I was about 16.

Has this been difficult to lose? Yes and no. I started with a personal trainer back in December, 2011. I figured that with the additional exercise I was doing, regardless of what I was eating, that I should lose weight based on simple math - more calories burned than calories coming in = caloric deficit. That premise doesn't work for my body. I think I lost 3 pounds.

At some point I decided to put into practice what my trainer had been trying to get me to do, which was eat less carbs. I was kinda freaked out about what to eat, but eventually figured it out. When I was ready, I took the next step to lowering my sugar consumption to 12g or less per meal. As my trainer and I continued to talk about nutrition, I started looking up some of the stuff she was talking about, mainly The Paleo Diet. I knew she ate a lot of meat and few carbs, but I wanted to know more. Somehow I found myself over on Mark Sisson's blog about The Primal Blueprint, and it resonated with me. I bought the book (The Primal Blueprint) and gave it a good read.

The things Mark talks about in his book really make sense. While it wasn't easy to give up sugar, I've found the lifestyle fairly simple to maintain. What I'm struggling with now is how to get my kids on board. What makes it especially hard is one of my kids is egg-allergic, which takes away a great source of fat, protein and other micronutrients. Getting creative with alternatives for egg has been fun, but I also want to keep the carbs down, so it's been a little iffy too.

Something else that has been interesting is seeing what foods my body likes and doesn't like. For instance, when I eat cheese, my weight loss stalls. But I can eat guacamole and sour cream with no problems. 

Anyway, I feel great. My energy level is high, I go to the gym or walk outside pretty much daily and I can't wait to see my Dr. in August.

I actually feel as though I can continue living like this indefinitely, and can watch the fat continue to disappear.

I've actually met 2 goals - 1 to lose 20 pounds and the other to start getting off all the meds I take because I'm fat. I got rid of my Metformin (which I took 2x a day) last week. 

I was out.

Do you know what that means? Here's a hint. I was out = I spent money in Jodeyspeak.

You're saying to yourself that you know I spent money on only things we need, not on things we want.

YOU would be wrong. I don't NEED the beading shit I got today. I wanted it. Ok, we did need some food for the kidlets to eat, so the $100+ I spent at Trader Joe's is ok...course it wasn't all for them, but whatever. We all have to eat. Even us fat chicks.

Speaking of which: All the way home from TJ's I was thinking I'd take a bike ride before I get the kids from school. For some reason, I just don't think that's gonna happen. I walked inside, got a bagel and cream cheese out of the bags I just purchased at TJ's and started eating lunch while putting groceries away. Now I'm all full of bagels and don't want to do anything but sit on my fat ass and make jewelry.

Granted, I need to make jewelry...but I also need to exercise. It's really quite annoying. I LOVE riding my bike, but for whatever reason, I've started thinking of it as exercise instead of joy. I hate exercise. It sucks. But I love riding my bike. So why is my brain doing this?

Maybe I should just tell my brain to STFU and go ride.

Argh. I hate fighting with myself. Especially over something I'll feel guilty if I don't do.

Ah well...gotta go put the cream cheese away. :D

Shit.

I haven't ridden in over a month...I've barely looked at the bike. I've been so busy doing other things - jewelry, house, kids, etc - that the bike took a back burner position.

I decided this morning I would ride. Trails at Harris are closed due to wet conditions, so around the neighborhood I went. Fuckin' 2 miles before I was toast. TWO FUCKING MILES! I guess I shouldn't expect to be able to ride a normal 10 mile ride if I haven't ridden in over a month...but 2 miles? Jesus. That's just embarrassing.

And the funny part is that it wasn't my legs that made me quit. They were fine and probably could have gone another few miles. It was the pain in my side that made me stop.

Oh well...I'll just have to get back to that level by riding more. I can do it...and even though this ride was pretty much not fun, on some level it was still enjoyable.

Check me out!

10.1 miles today! 62 minutes. 9.76mph

Aren't you proud of me? 33.8 miles in the past 6 days.

I would have gone further, but the sun was starting to set and I don't trust the Fuquay-Varinians to see me. Hell, I almost got hit by a fucking semi standing at the corner of Ennis and Main. And I was OFF MY BIKE to cross the road!

Mother's Day

It was a nice Mother's Day...I got to sleep in until 10:30 this morning. I've been sleeping A LOT since we got back from vacation. Guess my internal clock is all screwy or something.

Took a shower and the four of us went to TGI Friday's for lunch. I was STUFFED. They gave all moms a free half brownie/ice cream or cupcake. I had the brownie and it was GOOD. I think brownie/ice cream has to be one of my favorite desserts.

Then we went to the bike shop in Apex...The Bicycle Chain...so hubs could try out a Gary Fisher bike (and I scored some black spoke nipples!). We're debating whether to get him a mountain bike. Right now he has my Dad's 20 year old Diamondback...and for what he uses it for, it's fine. But the geometry is all wrong for him. He can ride my GT Avalanche, and likes it, so we went to Performance last week and tried out the 09 model. He likes it a lot - and the price is right...a little over $400. The components aren't top notch, obviously, but it's not like he's gonna be out there catching air, hitting rocks, etc. If he gets to that point, we can upgrade. But I told him that he HAD to try other bikes before he decided on the GT, because you never know if you don't try. So like I said, today he tried out the GF..can't remember what model..and said it didn't feel much different from the GT. Then we went to Cycling Spoken Here and had a great time talking to Lucas. Hubs tried out a Trek 4300 and a GF Wahoo. He liked both. I was surprised that he liked them because they ride way more upright than my GT...when I was trying bikes out, I specifically remember trying out the Trek and thinking it felt like a cruiser. I like the feeling of leaning over my bike and having it under me as opposed to having my arms extended so far and my back straighter. But as with everything, it's totally personal preference. I do remember the GF wasn't as tall feeling as the Trek.

The kids started getting squirrely, so we came home after that. I decided I was going to take a bike ride - a longer one than usual. Just felt like it. So I got out and did the first 3 miles that are always the hardest. After that I just kept pedaling wherever I felt like going...and ended up having the most wonderful ride on a gorgeous day - smelling the honeysuckle and feeling the sun on my face. I logged 13.1 miles in a about 87 minutes - that's an average of 9 mph - way faster than usual. So I'm willing to entertain the idea of leaving the increased pressure in my tires from when hubs rode my bike and didn't release all the pressure the other day.

It's been a pretty nice day.

Sometimes you have to prove things to yourself

and today was one of those days for me. I haven't ridden any length worth mentioning since April 7...today is April 26. Something is wrong with the air conditioning in the house and it's like 87+ degrees outside, thus hot in the house...and moods were flaring around here. So I took that as a sign to get my big ass out of the ass and on a ride. I was going to do my normal 8+ mile ride around Fuquay, but really really wanted to see if I could do 10. I knew if I challenged myself I could probably do it.

I got around Fuquay and back to my neighborhood with no problem - in fact, I purposely passed my street entrance and went to the neighborhood behind mine because I wanted those extra miles. I got to 8.6 and thought I was gonna fall off my bike. So I stopped, drank some water (I drank close to 100oz of water on my ride today - it was HOT and I was sweating like the cow I am), and rested for a couple minutes, then went on my way. 8/10 of a mile later, I was telling myself that "I can't do this...I really can't do this"...then it was "shut up and ride bitch! You can do this!" So I rode up the hill toward my house...another 1/10 of a mile and really really considered giving up. But I didn't. Instead, I rode around at a nice pace for the last 7/10 of a mile and was thrilled to see TEN MILES pop up on my cyclometer.

I rode for over an hour...it may not sound like much to some, but for me, it's a marker in my riding showing that I CAN ride 10 miles - and it wasn't all flat.

I'm proud of myself. And fucking sweating my ass off!

On a side note, I've got a good farmer's tan going and some really cool tan lines from my Keens on my feet. Pictures coming soon. :P

Wow...it is WINDY out!

I decided to take another "long" ride today and was going to do the same route I did yesterday by making a loop around Fuquay. I knew it was supposed to be somewhat windy after 1pm today, but I didn't realize HOW windy. Good grief! I almost got knocked off my bike a couple times.

Anyway, I got out on the road, had one car pass me and said "no thank you" - I'll just ride around the neighborhood. There's actually a neighborhood behind mine that's fairly large, so I logged just over 5 miles. Aside from the wind, it's beautiful out. A little on the chilly side, but that was ok with me. I had 2 layers on top and 3 on bottom...well, biking shorts plus tights and capris. My ass was nice and warm. :P

One thing I noticed was that toward the end of the ride my left calf muscle, right near the knee, was tight and sore. I've not had that happen before. Not sure if it's from riding 2 "long" (for me...don't laugh :P) rides in a row or if it was from fighting the wind so much. I had my seat higher than when I ride on dirt, just like I usually do.

Anyway, it was a good ride...even with me cursing the wind every so often. :)

Today's Ride

So I took M out to Harris again today and we did the beginner trail 2x. We were going to go for number 3, but stupid me hadn't eaten and I was out of energy. D'oh!

So we hung around and M played at the playground and then we walked over to the pier and I took some pics. Then we left...and as we got up to the stop sign at the big red barn, I noticed the peacock was out and had his feathers plumped up. So we stopped. M asked if he could get out of the truck with me to go and look at the birds and I said yes. So we parked and walked across the street so I could get some pics. We're walking around looking at all the birds - they have an assortment of chickens, roosters, turkeys, peacocks, geese, and either quail or pheasants - and I start taking pictures. M starts walking around looking at all the birds a little closer. The next thing I hear is a goose honking its head off and I look over and see M with a look of terror on his face and a goose chasing him. Geese are nasty bastards and I had forgotten to warn him. He got bit - right on the ass. He was scared and cried cuz it hurt - but he got over it. His next reaction was to pick something up to throw at it in case it came up to him again! By the time we picked J up at preschool, he was laughing about it and telling people about it.

I'll add some pics once I go through them if they are any good. :)

Oh my Keens

So remember I was bitching last week about having to take my ride back to Performance to have them fix my no-gears-but-I-want-to-ride issue AGAIN? Well, while I was there waiting for the guy to finish up with my bike, I walked around and found their clearance table. On the table was a pair of Keen's Women's Commuters, in my size...but the price tag said $115, which is the regular price for them. I've been lusting after Keen's since a friend of mine talked about his and I went and tried some on - but I've never seen them on sale for less than $105. 10%? BFD. So I went up and asked the guy if the price was correct and he said yes...("Aw fuck" I say in my head)...BUT he could take 30% off the price. I'm like OH HELL YES - I'll take 'em. So I got me a pair of Keen's for $80. I don't think hubs was too happy with me since I haven't been riding much lately, but I'm getting back into it. In fact, I just got back from a 3.5 mile ride.

So how bout this? You are familiar with Terry Bicycles? If you are a fat chick like me and don't have many choices on where to buy your cycling clothes, definitely go and check out their plus size sale. Their Commuter Skort Plus is on sale for half off. So instead of $90 each, they're $45. I have 2 of them already, but they are too big, since I've lost weight. So I ordered a couple more in a smaller size. (Yay me!) Plus, if you order by tomorrow, it's free shipping. They have lots of other stuff on sale too - jerseys and t-shirts...take a peek, it might be worth your while. And even if you aren't a fat chick, they always have other stuff on sale too.

BTW, I don't leave the skirt attached to the Skort anymore - I cut the other 2 off the padded lycra shorts of the ones I have. It's too hard to mtb in a skirt b/c it gets caught on the damn seat. But still, $45 for a pair of plus size lycra shorts with an excellent chamois in them is a good deal. Shorts are expensive and these hold up well - I even throw mine in the dryer. :O

First Ride of the Year

It wasn't long, but it was long enough - 2.2 miles in 17.34 minutes.

A couple things to point out -
1. I've added mycycling log to keep up with how much biking I'm doing and where I'm doing it. You should go to mycyclinglog.com and check it out if you are looking for a good way to keep up with your rides. It's got some nice features. My username is fatchickbiker.
2. I've added a few new blogs that you should have a look at.
3. I'll be keeping a photo-a-day blog for 2009 called I See Through Glass. The link is over to the right.

Went out and rode again....

...and wow am I beat! But in a good way. The kind of tired where you feel satisfied with yourself for having done something. I'm not sure how far I rode - probably only a couple miles since it was a short 20 min ride. What was funny to me is that it took me 11 minutes to get from my house to the stop sign where I had decided I was going to turn around and took me 4 minutes to get back to my neighborhood street. Downhill was fun, uphill was a challenge during which I went into total Granny gear (blushes with embarrassment). But I did it and I'm proud of myself for doing it. Oh! I also rode a little bit in my neighborhood...downhill into the neighborhood behind mine and back up that bitch of a hill to get to my house. So maybe a total of 3 miles today.

Now I need to find something to do to keep myself occupied. I find that when my mind is left to its own devices, I tend to get a little sad or anxious. So I think I'm going to clean my closet out or do a behavior plan for my kids. I also need to do tons of work on my websites...photos, layouts, etc.

Go me!

I rode 4 hard, hilly miles at the gym today. Could have gone further, but...didn't. Mental shit.

I'm happy to go see my shrinky-dink tomorrow to report in that my (yay!) pills aren't so yay...they don't seem to be keeping the sad cycles at bay so much. I can deal with manic cycles, it's the sad ones that I have a really hard time with. We'll see what she says tomorrow. Maybe it's time for the mighty Zoloft to come back out of the cabinet. Oy...not even going there tonight.

Yay for getting stronger!

I went to the gym today and rode 4.4 miles on the Expresso bike. It was pretty easy once I got my big ass in gear. After I did that, I walked around the track a few times, then decided to try out the elliptical machine. I shocked the shit out of myself! Last time I did it, which was probably 5 or 6 months ago, I was at 4 or 5 on incline and 4 or 5 on resistance. Today, I hopped on and STARTED at 5 incline and 6 resistance! And I was almost at a running pace. Granted, I didn't do it long - 10 minutes and went almost a mile - but the fact that I DID IT at all is what amazes me...and that I wasn't about to keel over...good times...:)

Anyway, I feel sort of good tonight, so I thought I'd share my accomplishment with my 3 readers. :D

Say it with me: "GO FAT CHICK BIKER!!"