Forgive me LoseIt, I have sinned...

I would like to think that something is wrong with my metabolism. That somehow, genetically, I have been created to collect fat and not disperse it. But this past week I started to take inventory of my intake versus my out take. And guess what? I eat too much.

I started to use the application for the IPhone, Loseit. I am able to track all my calories, make friends on the LoseIt forum and see how they are doing. In other words, we have our own confessional where we can confess our sins (when we indulge) or our praise reports (when we eat within budget). It is my first day with friends so I can't tell you how it is going. But I can tell you it is scary. For someone that struggles with eating, letting someone see how I am doing is like airing your dirty laundry for everyone to see.

While taking inventory, I discovered that I eat about 300 calories too much per day to lose weight. And this is when I am trying to be good. I have my LoseIt set up to lose 1.5 pounds per week. So I am allowed 1888 calories per day. If that is all I take in and don't work out then I will, in theory, lose 1.5 pounds per week. However, since I am going over about 300 per day (on average) I realize I am just maintaining....unless I start to work out.

I didn't do much last week after my calf injury. It was an excuse and not a reason. I could have done other things but I CHOSE to do nothing. I know that . There, it is out there. I CHOSE to do nothing. I can't blame painting my daughters room or too many things to do. I CHOSE not to take the time.

But I am a data person and this LoseIt gives me data and it is encouraging to know that if I eat like I have been and add biking or running, I will lose weight. Oh and there is one more thing. I can't stop at Donalds Donuts after church and eat four donuts and a bacon/egg croissant. I didn't eat them all at once but we brought them home and I ate them all day long. Four donuts are 1389 calories! That is crazy! and so not worth it. But now I know. And knowing is half the battle...go Joe! (sorry..unless you ever watched GI Joe, the cartoon, you have no reference for GI Joe).

Did you know there is a show called Biggest Loser?

Well, I knew. Well I knew there was a show on some channel at some time about fluffy people losing weight. That is all I knew about the show. Every once and a while, when flipping through channels, I would catch a sound byte. And then move on. I didn't know who these people were and since I didn't watch for long, I had no emotional connection to them.

Well last Sunday I was trying to record a show on HGTV on my DVR and I couldn't. Apparently, I had no disk space. Say what? The only thing I record on a regular basis is Glee. So I went to my DVR and noticed that somehow, someway, I was recording the whole season of Biggest Loser. I erased Week 14 and then I decided...well I will watch one show.

Four days later, I am hooked. I am inspired and I want everyone of them to win on Biggest Loser. I felt connected to them...except for Melissa. I didn't start watching until mid season...when Lance went home. I didn't realize Melissa had been a contestant, I just knew she was his wife. It was something in her mannerisms with him that I got a weird feeling about her...I saw darkness. Well, next show when she comes back and I am introduced to her for the first time....I was right.

Anyway, it has inspired me. Some are more fluffy than I am...and some were but now are a heck of alot lighter. So I can do this...but the food is killing me and I know it. I acknowledge it. So now I watch the show and at commercial breaks instead of fast forwarding on the DVR I grabbed my step stool for my kitchen and I did steps. And every once and a while during my day, I would do some more. Well last night, I did it and I did something wrong. I felt a tear in my calf. Thank goodness it is not too bad. It is still sore but no where as sore as it was yesterday.

So this week I will let it heal and just do upper body work outs. Oh and by the way... I erased week 14 and now I wish I hadn't because now I don't know what happened.

Dear God, I don't feel like running.

I didn't want to run this morning. I was tired. My alarm went off, I hit the snooze button and just started to stare at the wall. All these thoughts were going through my head. "Why do I have to get up? It is probably too hot. Do I have anything to wear? What if I do it in the evening? Is that a spider on the wall?" The music started to blare again so I hit the snooze button again and continued to contemplate running. "I know, I will run tomorrow. I am really tired, running while I am this tired is pointless...I won't get anything out of it. I should spend time in prayer each morning and not running....God, why did you give me such a slow metabolism? Father God, I am asking for favor in this situation. Please just miraculously make the fat disappear. If you can part the Red Sea, you can part my flab. I am claiming it now. When I step out of this bed, I will be thin and I will tell everyone how awesome you are and it will be done for Your Glory. Hallelujah Amen!

Music begins to blare again. I run my arms down my sides across my hips and thighs...nope, still flabby. Let's face it...if God removed my flab, I would celebrate with a huge wonderful Coconut Cake. I love coconut cake. I can eat a whole one in one day by myself. And God knows it. And if he changed my metabolism or miraculously removed my flab, I would just do more harm than good by celebrating with food. So I get up and run.

It was not eventful. I did it on the treadmill and I took some advice from an article from Active.com 4 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Workouts Fun. I put the TV on HGTV, strapped on my Nike+ and my HRM and started the treadmill. During the show I put the treadmill on incline of 5. During the commercials, I dropped down to an incline of 2. It was not fun but it was different and challenging. When you live in flat Seabrook, any bit of incline feels like Mount Everest. I am not kidding. If you want to do hill work around here, you have to run parking garages, run the Kemah Bridge, or travel to central Texas and find some real hills. We are so use to flat runs that a local running club hosts the Toughest 10K in Texas which is a course that loops the bridge twice. Yeah, I won't be doing that anytime soon.

Wisdom from Sue Sylvester

Yes, you got that right, Sue Sylvester. If you are a fan of Glee, you will know who I mean. If you aren't, what are you waiting for? Sue is the Cheerios (cheerleaders) head coach. She is self-centered, shallow and very goal driven and she will run over anyone and everyone to get to her goal. But as crazy as it may sound, during her fits of selfish narrow mindedness, she has these amazing moments of wisdom. Last week, the Olivia Newton-John episode, was one of those times. She was in the midst of being laughed at by other teachers and for once in her life she felt weak and less than. Have you ever felt that way? I have and recently. Well, Sue decided the cure for her ill feelings was to help others. That the best cure for her own problems was to focus on other's problems.

And isn't that the truth? When you start helping others you in fact help yourself? All of a sudden your problems take the back seat and no longer keep you from reaching your full potential. So yesterday, while I ran, I realized that for all my praying for wanting to be quiet and not blog or share (I really spent too much time on the computer) that I was cutting off my life line...you guys. I love sharing with you. I love telling you about my runs and how I hated it or loved it. I love the comments that pick me up or make me laugh. I love sharing about new products that I love or ones that I hate. I love sharing my life with you guys. And according to Sue, that is not a bad thing.

So I am back because I need it. I need that sense of community. I need you. (Ok, now I am beginning to sound like an AA meeting.) I'll sit down now.

So what have I been doing? Running and biking. It has been a few weeks since I ran but I have started riding my bike a few times a week. My husband prefers to bike and we did this great Bible Study, His Needs Her Needs, and one week our subject was recreational activities. We were to rate over 200 activities between 5 and -5. 5 being love it. -5 being hate it. We are trying things that we both love. So we bought a nice camera (photography) and we got our bikes out of the garage. We love riding to the water and back.

I realized that my month of biking helped me with my running. When I ran yesterday, I was amazed at how strong my legs felt. Riding the bike really worked out my thighs and that helps my running. I have to admit that I was leery about running yesterday. I started with my 5 minute warm up. When I started to run, I told myself I would just run one minute. When I hit that minute, I added two more minutes, then five then twenty and before you know it, I ran the whole time. I was so amazed at myself. And I no longer felt bad for not running for weeks and only biking.

On a side note, towards the end of my run, I see my husband coming towards me on his bike and he is not wearing his helmet. Apparently when he arrived at the house from work and couldn't find me he panicked. He searched the house several times to make sure I wasn't dead and then took off on the bike to make sure I wasn't kidnapped. He took off so fast that he didn't take time to put on his helmet. His reason for panic?.... I left my IPhone at home and I NEVER leave home without my phone. Silly man.