Go A-Weight

I've been on this kick to lose weight for two whole years now, derailed by loss of shower and dressing room at work, injury, harsh diagnosis and re-injury. Temporarily forced into changing my lifestyle, I didn't bother to alter my eating habits.

Ouch.

Now I have even more to peel off. When I first began writing this post, I had less than 60 days to prepare for Ride the Rockies and lose what I hoped would be 20 pounds. At least. That was last year!

Once the snow stopped collecting in vast amounts in the spring of last year (after an abnormally dry winter, of course), I began taking predawn training rides, focusing primarily on climbing as opposed to distance, my normal motivation for the last ten or so years.

Then, last year, instead of dry cereal to munch on in the mornings, I tried to morph over to fresh fruit. My blood sugar has been good for four whole years now, and I had been cheating a little more than I should have. Last year, I cut out almost all of the cheating until Ride the Rockies. (Chocolate. Deep, dark chocolate. Bittersweet decadence.) We also did some serious cross-training by pulling all the grass out of our front yard and installing our very own xeriscaped rock garden. Talk about elbow grease! All this, and I was still doing 50 crunches every morning because that prevents back pain from being unmanageable and intolerable.

Further motivation was provided last year by my closet. I couldn't fit into some of my favorite spring clothing that had been packed away for months. Most alarming was a particular dress of which I couldn't fit my arms through the sleeves.

It's SO hard to loose underarm flab!!! But I wanted to wear that dress again. I do NOT want it to become part of the quilt scrap pile!!!

I did pretty good and probably lost 15 pounds before Labor Day, when I reinjured my back because I felt so good I did something I shouldn't have done. (I ran too much too fast and in too close of intervals.) I got grounded again. And again, I didn't change my eating habits.

Ouch again.

It didn't take long for the extra weight to find it's way right back to places I did not want it.

Our new dressing room and shower at work was scheduled to open in November, just about the time I was allowed to get back on my bike. However, winter set in early, and the new dressing room was not ready until February.

I rode to work again the first time since last June in March. I waited until I would have daylight downtown because The Lizard didn't feel comfortable with me riding downtown in the dark. It took me 45 years to find someone who cares whether I get home safely each day, so I'm giving him that.

The new shower at work is the most awesome thing since sliced bread! There is a setting that actually feels like a back massage! If there's ever a day I don't feel like riding, all I have to do is imagine that thick beam of hot water pummeling my back. Aaaaaaah...

However, I had a bit of a slight wardrobe problem AGAIN. I have to work to be able to fit into my cycling clothes AGAIN. What a drag! But I am not re-investing!!! I am not moving up to the next size, even though that seems easier. I WILL lose the weight again. This time, I'm not going to let it grow back!

And then there's that dress again... the one my arms wouldn't fit through last year...

I'm wearing it today. I can fit two fingers between the sleeve and my arm! I still have a few pounds to go, but I am on my way!

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