Back On The Wagon.

That picture has nothing to do with this entry; I just like it. It was taken a couple of weeks ago. That was a good weekend.

Today's weight, and my official weight for August: 164.5.

Could it be? Am I going to spend a lot less time in the sixties than I did in the seventies? That'd make me very happy indeed.

This is definitely one of my least-deserved weight losses. Last week was a double whammy of PMS and a stressful family situation. My mindful eating went right out the window, to be replaced by "Me want food. Want food NOW. What me cram in piehole next?"

For everything that went right this month, I have to give some credit to SparkPeople (and thanks to Nicole for first writing about it). I like having the ability to track calories, exercise, daily goals, and even water-drinking in one place. Even though my recent calorie consumption has been way over the cutoff that SparkPeople set for my daily goal, my calories burned via exercise have also been considerably over my weekly goal. That's probably what saved me this month.

The nutrition articles that SparkPeople sends every day don't tell me anything I didn't know and the food tracker isn't all that extensive (and it's fairly US-centric), but I've picked up some cool strength-training exercises from them. And I like the daily racking-up of SparkPoints; it's silly, but it's got my interest anyhow. On the whole, the site has definitely helped me to get focused and motivated again.

I had a brilliant swim on Saturday morning; save for one quick break to chug down some Gatorade, I did laps for pretty much an hour straight. I must be fitter than I think I am because even after I quit for good I felt as if I could have kept going, although my legs and arms started tiring out by the end.

Then I came home and watched a swimming competition on TV. I wish I knew how to do the butterfly stroke; that's the only stroke I was never taught and I love watching it. It looks so powerful. I've tried to do one, or what I think looks like one, but I've come to call my rendition the "Drowning Butterfly"; my arms don't even clear the water the way they're supposed to when the butterfly is performed by swimmers who know what the hell they're doing. I'm surprised the lifeguards don't fall out of their chairs laughing at me. Good thing that I'm mostly over this whole "Fear of looking like an idiot in public" business.

Apropos of nothing, I'm so glad I'm not Michael Phelps. I suppose the six Olympic golds and the attendant fame and fortune might be nice, but yesterday the commentators were behaving like he'd wasted everyone's time if he didn't set a new world record every time he swam. Never mind if he'd won the competition by a mile. Sheesh. No pressure there.

Finally, to start off the workweek with a laugh, check out Matt Dinniman's "The top ten stupidest 'As Seen on TV' products." Not surprisingly, stupid weight loss and fitness aids are represented pretty well on the list. My personal favorite? The vomit-scented plastic you're supposed to sniff in a very desperate attempt to kill your appetite.

Gross. (And that thing sold for $49.95!? Sweet merciful crap -- I need to quit my job and get to inventing!)

Comments

[Kim]

I am so glad you are out of your funk. Your weight has got to make you feel good about everything! That is wonderful! You are gave me a push off my sofa today! Thanks.

[Marla]

Speaking of as-seen-on-tv, have you seen THIS???
http://youtube.com/watch?v=svYtD983qts

apparently it's real.

[NicoleW]

Hee, yeah -- I forget where I saw that, but it's too funny. That commercial is just so wrong!

[Kristin]

Growing up a swimmer, I remember the day I "got" the butterfly. I struggled with it for about a year and a half and then one day everything just clicked. It's such a syncopated and difficult stroke that getting the rhythm and the hard work you're doing to align can be difficult but it is a joyous thing when it works. :)

[Lily T]

I would love to learn the butterfly stroke also.

[lme (little miss ess)]

You're going to be in the 150's before you know it!