**as you all eye me suspiciously and wonder, “Where the fuck have you been?”**
I know I know, but hear me out fitblr fam!
So, I fell off the wagon. Hard. But it’s not the end of the world! At my highest weight I was 210 lbs., and my lowest weight, on this weight loss journey so far, was 184.2 on May 25. I weighed myself today for the first time since September 22, and my weight shot up to 199!! Holy Jesus.
And it’s very ironic, because since September I haven’t really been posting to Tumblr, but I’ve still gotten a bunch of new followers and people keep reblogging my “Weight Loss Tips and Tricks” post. Well I guess it’s time to take my own advice.
I am back on the wagon starting tomorrow. I can’t, in all good conscience, keep on living and eating like I have been. I feel terrible, I get winded going up the stairs. And it’s fucking sad, because in May I was running up the stairs at work and got my 5K time under 40 minutes!
But, shit happens. Life happens.
I fell in April and couldn’t exercise for a few weeks. I couldn’t really get back into it since then and my weight loss has been a slow demise down the toilet. My road trip over the summer kind of cemented all my bad habits into place, and the new school year was my excuse after that.
Then in October I started my before-school music groups: Strings, Chorus, and Recorders. I don’t know what I was thinking as a teacher who is still relatively new, 2.5 years teaching at the end of this school year. It;s so much of a time commitment! To get to my school by 7am I must leave my house by 6am, which means waking up by 5am, latest 5:30. That means I have to go to sleep really fucking early to be able to function the next day! And after I get home from teaching all day I am utterly exhausted.
Also, my bf lost his job. He’s been looking and applying for places for months, but hasn’t found anything yet. I have been supporting us on my meager teacher salary and I AM SO FUCKING STRESSED OUT. The budget for groceries per week is only $50. ONLY $50. That’s nothing!!! It’s hard to eat well, for two people, on $50 a week.
PLUS, I have been mega stressed at work. My admin doesn’t care about the music program AT ALL. I even took a personal day this past Thursday because I couldn’t hide my anger. There was no way I could teach and be my usual chipper self. Ugh, more on that shit show later.
Not to mention coping with the death of TWO people. Phil, who I posted about before. And Jon, who I went to high school with, who died on Wednesday. Jon was such a talented musician, like seriously talented. His thing was playing guitar in screamo hard-rock bands, but he was also amazing at the piano playing Chopin and Tchaikovsky. It’s so crazy, Jon was just 1 year older than me, and his death, like Phil’s, pisses me off. Both deaths were totally preventable. Phil’s death could have been prevented by gun law reform or healthcare reform with better access to mental health care, and then Jon’s death could have been totally prevented if we had medicare for all. It’s just so fucking sad.
I have to stop using all that as excuses to not work out and take care of myself. I mean, I’m still going to be stressed out, but I need to get healthy again. I need to be healthy, if not for me, but for those who have passed on. I need to live well and live a long healthy life.
All Green on Fitbit Everyday= 11,500 steps, 5 Miles, 5 floors, 60 active minutes.
6 Days of Exercise per week: Sunday is my Rest Day
Track all of my food AND Stay within Calorie Budget on Lose it! My diet plan is set up to lose 2lbs per week.
Weigh In Every Morning with Libra
I wanted to talk about eating well on a budget a little bit:
The one thing I have found that is AMAZING is.. dry beans! You get so much for the price, and beans are packed with protein, fiber, and iron. Soaking and cooking the beans yourself also lets you control the sodium content! Beans are definitely a lifesaver. For a while I was doing my lentil and squash curry for meal prep, which was SUPER affordable, after you make the initial investment on the spices. The only problem is the GAS that comes with beans. You will be farting up a storm!
This week I am making split pea soup for dinner, with split green peas, ham, carrots, onion, celery, onion, and potatoes. All of the ingredients are super cheap, but it turns into one hearty and pretty healthy meal that will last for a few days. I’m using low-sodium fat-free chicken broth too. I’ll also make, by the end of the week, some three-bean chili with carrots, onions, potatoes, and corn. It also allows me to not waste anything either!
MEAT IS EXPENSIVE. I’ve been eating a lot of meat-free recipes just because I can’t really afford meat. I was raised by my Polish parents too, so it’s weird not to have my meals centered around some type of meat for dinner. But you gotta do what you gotta do I guess.
