A devistating blow

It fits.

Early Sunday morning I received devastating news that one of my good friends passed away, from what we now know was a brain aneurism. I was completely heartbroken.

Chris was by far one of the healthiest people I know. He ran 5+ miles a day, ate right, didn’t smoke and didn’t drink much. It just didn’t make any sense. He should have lived until he was 110.

He was also one of my biggest sources for help when I started this weight loss journey. Even though he lived 100 miles away from me in St. Louis, several times a month he would make the trek out to Rolla to work out with me, he would listen to me when I got frustrated and needed to vent, and was a constant source of motivation. Those first few months would have been so much more difficult without his support.

Of course, he was also one of the biggest reasons I was so sore I couldn’t move in the beginning as well. I’ll never forget getting in my car after doing his prescribed arm workout for the first time on my own. I was instantly so sore, I could barely move my arms enough to turn the steering wheel. His solution to me, “If you’re too sore to drive home from the gym, walk.”

Ugh.

He was constantly telling me how proud of me he was, and that really meant a lot to me because I knew he meant it. Days before I moved home to Massachusetts he gave me a new, red St. Louis Cardinals tank top. It was skin tight and not even close to fitting. I packed it away in the back on one of my drawers and forgot about it. Yesterday I was looking for something to wear around the house and came across the tank top. I decided to try it on again. Tears started streaming down my face when I realize that this time, it fit.

I felt like he was cheering me on one last time, letting me know that I can do this.

I know I need to keep doing this now, not only for myself, but because he would want me to finish my goal. For right now though, I just need time to be sad.

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I think I may have died

If someone could help me up off the ground, that would be fabulous.

Between half an hour at the driving range and 90 minutes at the gym, I think I may have died today.

I’ve been finding it pretty difficult lately to find motivation to eat right and exercise lately. Today, something finally clicked and I am feeling much better. Hopefully my new motivation sticks around for a while.

I have gone to the driving range a few times since I have been back in Massachusetts (golfing is one of my very favorite things to do). Now that I have lost a bunch of weight, my golf swing is drastically improving. I can’t wait to actually hit a round rather than sticking to the range.

I went and hit a bucket of balls this afternoon on the way to work out (the range is conveniently located less than a mile from the gym). Well, it was 95 degrees outside and by the time I was done with the bucket, I was a hot mess. I don’t think I have ever been that hot and sweaty walking IN the gym doors.

After having a miserable cold and not being able to do much cardio all week, I was feeling better today so I hit the dreaded treadmill. I managed to run 5 minutes straight two different times (with 5 minutes of walking in between.) Then I did 15 minutes of walking uphill at max incline. What felt like a million squats, a good core workout, and the 30 day ab challenge later, I’m already sore — but a good sore.

It will be a miracle if I can walk tomorrow.

Six month update

Despite being stuck for the last six weeks or so, in the last six months I have managed to lost 60 pounds.  I’m also down 8-10 clothes sizes depending on the store.

Hopefully I can get off this stinking plateau soon because I am starting to get pretty discouraged. Hopefully if I start blogging more again it will help. If nothing else, I guess it couldn’t hurt.

Here are my pictures from March. I still wish I took some at the very beginning of this process.

Forty pounds to go to reach my goal for 2013.

Beginning of March, 2013