VIDEO: week 26 ( week 9 for team challenge)

so the other day - someone put cake in front of me.

i was so strong!!!!

look how much i ate!!!

mmmmmmmmm Costco cake.....

none. nada. zip. zilch.  

i didn't even take a nibble. didn't even lick the icing!!!  i did not touch this cake.

and i was fine!!!

BUT NOW ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS CAKE!!!!!!!!!!

seriously - for all this time i didn't want any cake - and even the thought of sugary sweet icing made me sick!   and now?  NOW I WANT CAKE!!!

but..... when you are serious about kicking butt in your team challenge, and someone hands you a piece of cake, (even when it's freaking Costco cake - like... ughhhhh best cake in the woooorrrrrrld!!!!!)    you do NOT eat it.  you do a double workout. 

 (after you whine for half the day)

hey.  whine all you want.  and then go workout. and then workout again.   

but i still want cake.

Swimming in fabric

When do you REALLY begin to accept that you're a smaller size?

I have pajama pants that are so loose, they fall off my hips within 4 steps.  It's so ridiculous that I really should just toss them.  But they're so comfy!  LOL    But come on!  When you're walking around your house with one hand holding them up???  It's time to say sayonara to the jammies.

I love comfy sweatshirts too!  But again - lately?  I'm practically swimming in all that extra fabric!!!

Today, I asked my 15 year old what size sweatshirt he was wearing.  Medium.  and he has grown so tall - it's silly that he's still in medium!

and well, whatdya know!  I have an XL that I've been wearing

Today we switched sweatshirts.  (it's the same sweatshirt, just different sizes)

It's still big on him - but he's growing like a weed!

And my new medium?  well - i'll let you see for yourself!

a picture is worth 1000 words!!!!  That XL sweatshirt looks absolutely ridiculous on me.  Not only that - i look frumpy and shlumpy and so much older!!!  LOL  You can't even see the weight that I've lost!!!

so let me encourage you - if you're still hanging onto those old sizes - stop!   Put on a smaller size and celebrate your new weight!!! :)

I'm thrilled!!!!!!!!  

pain in the butt - literally

murphy's law:  if anything can go wrong - it will go wrong.

lele's law - if it's a rare, random, strange and painful sydrome - i will develop it.

Had a migrane for 5 days once, when it finally went away - it left me with a strange spot in my vision. Went to the ophthamologist - discovered I had some really rare disorder in my eye.  He made 5 additional appointments for me to come back.  After not seeing any change in my condition after the first 3 appointments (but noticing more and more ophthamologists joining us for my "treatments") I asked - soooooo.... when am I going to see some improvement?

The doctor actually spoke these words to me.  i kid you not.

"Oh!  We can't do anything to treat your eye.  But this is so rare - we have only seen this in text books.  We're just studying it!"

I .....wish ......you could have seen my face. 

it was a cross between:

1.  do i have "specimen" tattoed on my forehead?
2.  i guess they give degrees for ophthamology AND narcissism - because YOU, sir, have Ph.D.'s in both.
3.  AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO DAT!

right!  so......  no more appointments were kept by me. I didn't even bother to call and cancel.  I assumed Dr. "let me charge you to study you" would figure it out!

  But apparently they have lovely pictures now of the back of my retina.  Who knows - my retina is probably famous by now.  And isn't that what's most important, folks?  I ask you! 

THE POINT IS.....

weird things happen to my body.  this is not uncommon for me.  and i have a new one.

it's called "pain in the butt" syndrome.

hey Bart - I need a butt cast too!!!!! LOL

LOL no - it's not really.  It's called "piriformis syndrome".  and like my retinal disorder, and like the unicorn, and like the zero-calorie caramel apple...... it is apparently rare and/or non-existent.   A syndrome that doctors and researchers can't even agree on or compile universally agreed-upon criteria.  

well!  hallelujah for me. 

i can assure you.  it is real.

The piriformis is a small muscle that stretches from the back of your pelvis to your femur, and you would never know it existed - until it announced its existence to you.  Piriformis syndrome is related to sciatica..... but it's not sciatica.  cuz carrying my three children during pregnancy introduced me to sciatica - and its NOT sciatica. but the two are intertwined.  sometimes the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle - which gives you more FUN symptoms.   

it is literally - a pain in my butt. LOLOL   and that tiny little muscle can get irritated on certain people, especially those who run.

and yesterday i ran like the wind, Bullseye! I was running like an Ethiopian marathon runner.  hair was flying in the breeze. music in my ears. stride - fully extended. pace - amazing.   i probably looked like i was going to DIE. but in my mind's eyeeeeeeee (*ahem* ALL that is important)..... i was Flo Jo.

and while you're running - you feel great! maybe you feel a teeny tiny bit of rubbing - but nothing that warrants stopping - i mean... you're recording your pace!!!!  if there's no crying in baseball - there's no stopping in running.  the end.   

until you cross the finish line.  the crowd roars.  you wave to your fans.... and then -  AYE!

all of the sudden - its like your hip bones - or something - has rubbed through the muscle and through the skin and is poking out of your body and just staring at you.  like - "oh hey Le!  am i supposed to be outside of the body like this?  it's a little chilly out here.  can you push me back in?"

yes, i certainly will.  as soon as the burning hot poker that is searing my flesh abates.  i'll get RIGHT to that.

SO yep!  my piriformis muscle is a jerk.  i didn't have this problem before my pregnancies - so i really do suspect that as my hips moved during pregnancies (and lovely little things that they are - decided to NOT move back - thanks hips!)  that piriformis muscle pulled tighter across the back of my pelvis.   which makes me think that stretching - especially after a run when my muscles are warm -should help significantly. which i will do.

when i walked my 1000 miles (another fun journey!), I developed plantar fasciitis.  which was the EXACT same burning hot poker pain - but in my heels.  (another RMI - repetitive motion injury)  and i learned some really good stretches and eased off all that walking for a bit.   - and it's NEVER come back.  

and i'm so glad - cuz that was AWFUL. 

but i suspect i need to give running a break for a while.  and that's ok.  I'll be stretching in the meantime and trying to make that muscle a little bit more pliable and happy!  happy happy piriformis.

i have questions for you!   

1.  ladies who have had 3 or more pregnancies.  (because i hear that it's after the 3rd pregnancy - your hips rebel and decide they will not return to pre-pregnancy width. LOL)   is there absolutely ANYTHING that you can do - at this stage (my last pregnancy was 13 years ago) to make your hips go back?!? hahahaha  and though part of this is definitely because.... who doesn't want smaller hips!?!?!  the OTHER part of this is - i really do suspect that this new syndrome of mine is because that muscle is being stretched across a wider hip width. and while normal walking all these years hasn't triggered any pain  - i think my newfound journey into running is triggering it. 

and 2.  anyone else suffer with this?  After doing research - it seems that everyone's experience with this is so varied - which is why i suspect it's hard for doctors and researchers to nail down the symptoms and the treatments.  But i would LOVE to hear if anyone has this - WHAT HAS WORKED to alleviate it??? 

Thanks!!!!  you don't have to comment - you can send me a private email (there is a contact form up top)  but comments are great because then other people who have the same problems can read what worked for you and add their own suggestions!

VIDEO: Week 25 weigh in (Week 8 Team weigh in)

4 more weeks to go.
27 more days to go.

and then.... the team challenge is overrrrrrr.

i can't believe how fast 2 months flew by.  I was just looking back over my old blog posts and reading about how summer had just started - and now its almost the end of October! sheesh.

ok - enough chit chat.  here's the vid!  I just got back from a run and i was tired (as you can clearly see from the video) and my hair is crazy and i have no makeup on.  not only that - but i seriously made so many mistakes in the video - i had to actually edit in corrections as subtitles because i was too tired to record it again. hahaha  body tired - brain tired - i think i need to add sugar back into my life ;)  kidding.  i just need a vacation!

so!  now that you're thoroughly prepared..... be kind LOL

muscles ON FIRE.

FIRE.

like.... sore to the touch!

as in - who knew SITTING could produce this much pain.

Last night, the "muscles" were beginning to get sore - but I knew... i kneeeew. today.  Today would be fire and brimstone.

and - that would be correct.

but it's a good kind of burn.  cuz it's the kind that you get riding horses!

I'm too sexy for my helmet, too sexy for my helmet.  LOLOL
I'll do my little turn on the catwalk. (song will be in my head all day now. grrr)

been a while - but we got some new horses in, and so we volunteered to see how they would do on trail rides.  and the trail ride was gorgeous, low key, lovely!

Sorry the picture is a little shaky.... i was on a moving animal. LOL

But seriously - how pretty is this?

Loved it.  I absolutely love riding horses!








I love how the sunlight was filtering through the trees and catching all the dust particles!

and by dust particles - i mean dirt and dried manure kicked up into the air.

nevermind that I inhaled half of that into my lungs....

just LOOK at the beauty and enjoy, please!!!!! LOLOL



then, after our trail ride - we had some extra time.  So we got to ride around the ring.  but who wants to WALK around the ring???

"Not I!" said the duck.

So we got to TROT!  I haven't been on a horse in a few years.  maybe 3?  i love horses.  love riding.  but you can get rusty!  LOL

it's like when you haven't gotten a bike in a while - and you think - wait.  did the seat always fit this way?!?!  exactly WHERE am i supposed to feel the cushion?  cuz... i'm not.

well - saddles aren't as painful as bike seats - they're actually comfy to me.  but trotting.  LOLOL every OUNCE is BOUNCED.   Now, i used to have semi-decent form - so..... i wanted to work on it.

...for 10 minutes.

LOLOL  if you think trotting on a horse isn't good exercise - go.  see. feel.

especially the next day!  Feeeeeel.  just.... wake up and get off your bed.  tell me if you feel soreness in muscles you didn't even realize you had.

you're squeezing, and tensing, and holding, and balancing.... yep.  good workout!  I had been wanting to work those inner thighs too. i can check that off the list!
(forever.)

but it was SOOOOO worth it!  i want to go back and do it again VERY soon.  but maybe i'll get to canter next time LOLOL

......or wrap my netherparts in bubble wrap.

either/or.

:)

Brie, bacon, and bombs of fat!

Ok.  so.  If you've been following me at all - you've seen a change in my face! LOL  and my body!

and right about this point in my past weight loss attempts - i would have been counting down the moments until I could stuff my face again.

oink.

Because that's what losing weight is really all about, right?  like.... juuuuust slimming down enough - so you can start porking out again!   hooray for food!  oink oink squeeeeal!  LOL


joking!  (but not really joking.)


In the past, I've lost weight - but it's been so harrrrrrrd!  cuz losing weight HAS to be hard - no??? It's been all about denial, and stomach growling, and drooling as everyone around me eats ..... WHATEVER THEY WANT.

I would dip my rice cake into low fat peanut butter and pout, convincing myself how delicious my snack was.  (ever tasted cardboard with sticky, bitter paste?  no?  try rice cakes with low-fat peanut butter. pretty unforgettable.)  sad days!

So what's different now?  I have no magic pill.  I have no slimming serum.  I watched a few movies - did some research - found some cool websites (there is no website better than Craig's website:  www.ruled.me)  and I switched to keto.

Now, when I say - i "switched" to keto - i should qualify that.   I toyed with it.  I tried it for a few days and then spooked myself off of it for a few more days, then dabbled back into it again. (over and over)  I kept waiting for it to make me gain weight.  and it did not. i lost it..... without hating life.

But - for  a while now, I've been pretty consistent with the concept of it.

I say concept - because.... sugar.  yeah - got it! eliminated that.  you remember these faces???

and low carb - yep! understand! got that too.   so - imagine those faces above... times infinity.  i'm a carb lover.

hmmm no. wrong word.  carb addict?

not quite addict, per se.  probably more like  - hmmm is there a word that describes - "touch my carbs and i'll stab you between the eyes with my fork?"   YEAH! that's it!  That's how i feel about my carbs.

Lele's visual interpretation of my life without carbs. fairly accurate, I must say.

aye.  tis true.

and so you can guess how excited I was to initially try this keto diet.
step 1.  say goodbye to bread, pasta, and cereal.
  *Leah looks around for sharp fork to puncture nearest forehead* 

step 2. say goodbye to sugar.
 *pffft.  if i can say goodbye to carbs, sugar will be a cakewalk.*

step 3.  eat lots and lots of fat.
 *say what?*

My mind immediately imagined my funeral 4 weeks from that moment - death by bacon.
"Oh what a lovely girl, but the bacon  - it surely did her in."

and then - the success stories.  story after story.  picture after picture.

so i tried, and i lost weight.  but - i could not bring myself to pushing the fat that much.  and yet..... i still lost weight!

and then i hit that plateau.  and i heard from more people who also hit plateaus.  how did they get out of the plateau?  upped their fats.  grrrrr STOP SAYING THAT!!!!

I've been dipping my toes in the keto pool, so to speak.  and i can say this with absolute confidence...I HAVE CUT MY CARBS, REPLACED WITH FAT, AND HAVE NOT MISSED THEM.

scroll back up and look at those faces.  those faces were absolutely reality.  i am not kidding. i actually had to warn my children for days of the approaching moment when their beloved mother would turn into a soul-devouring dementor.  they knew how to pray with zeal and fervor when i would plan to cut out carbs and sugar.  (don't believe me?  ask them!!!!)

but replacing the carbs with healthy fats has made me this girl..

so now.... eeeeeeeeee.  i'm gonna do it.   i'm gonna dive head-first into the fat vat, with the "up my fats" keto peeps and see what happens.  I know it makes sense on paper.  i got it.  but now - diving in. really really gonna do it.

so brie for breakfast?  sure.
and double peanut butter fat bombs for snack?  why not!
(um. made them on saturday and they're pretty divine! Craig ROCKS)

and you just can't go wrong with bacon. LOL

don't worry - it's not just fat from bacon.  it's avocado, grass-fed butter, olive oils, nuts, coconut oil..... 

By the way, I have 4 weeks left in this team challenge (through HealthyWage.com - if this is your first time reading my blog - it's an amazing site!!!!) and the team that loses the most splits $10,000.

oh - and as far as my individual challenge? I'm getting oh-so-close to winning $2150!!!! yeah!!!!!

cracking up at her face!!!! LOL

so....  fingers crossed? For the last 4 weeks of this team challenge - I'm gonna give it all I got.  Exercise.  Carb-shunning.  Fat ingesting.  (and hopefully fat burning!!!!)

 BUT - i think it will take some time to really see the results, so.... i'm holding off on posting videos and weight change. I might even hold off until the very end! (Nov 20!!)  I'm not sure yet.   I don't want to spook myself out of really giving it a true shot - so i'm going to just keep going one day at a time, and praying (seriously praying hard!) that this works!!!

This keto baby is ready to grow into an amazingly fit keto toddler.

Solid, baby.  yeahhhhhh.  ;)

VIDEO: Morning terror, View and говорю по-русски :)

I had to drag my butt out of bed today.   

I was sooooooooooo tirrrrrrrrrrrrred.

My daughter came into my room at 6:30, asking if we were walking.

saw this on facebook the other day, and I'm pretty angry that someone snuck into my bedroom and took this picture of me.  cuz.... yep.  exactly like this.  Why does the child always look at you like you should be EXPECTING to be terrified as soon as you open your eyes.  And why is the gentlest whisper really the scariest way to be awakened???

After i can breathe again,  I ask her every time - WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING LIKE THAT!!!! 

 LOLOLOL 

She's like - "well!  I tried to wake you gently!"

gentle like a psychopath, maybe.

sigh.

  Anyway!!!!  after the music from The Exorcist stopped playing in my brain.... and i was able to clearly see the irritated look of my daughter's face....  (really!  really?!?!! SHE is irritated?!?!)

I was able to answer her.   Well, I think I clearly answered her in my mind,  "of course. It's morning. we walk."  

but.... i don't think anything came out of my mouth that was really understandable except "half hour longer"

*30 minutes later*  which felt like 1 second later, i was sitting on the side of my bed - mentally willing my body to respond.  

5 minutes later, i'm pretty sure I felt a toe wiggle.

ughhhhhhhhhhh..

i chose an easy route for our walk.  My daughter was happy.  My son - seemed- happy too!   Little did we know, he was plotting his revenge for this early morning walk with every step.

one mile in, he says - "hey!"  (by now - his voice is chipper and his skinny little body has energetic pep with each step)   "How about we walk up the mountain?!"

Now.....

he's been asking this for about a week now. He says... "if we have to walk - we might as well make it exciting." 

I don't really get that.  do you?   yeah. me neither.

the boy doesn't really like to walk - but he does it.  and he does a great job. and complains very little for a 15 year old.   and i've been deflecting the "surrrrrrrre, let's walk another 1000 feet in elevation! why not!" response for 7 days.   I knew I could no longer be successful at this.  

Ok!  Up the mountain.  

and..... i gotta say I'm glad we did!  it was a beautiful walk.  we ended up getting a special tour of a really cool site, and we actually felt pretty amazing after we did it!  I'm actually planning another walk up there very soon because I'm in better shape now than I have been in the last 10 years - and the walk really wasn't that intimidating! we kept a pretty good pace the whole way up - and then it was just smooth sailing all the way back down!

Enjoy the view - and you can even hear me practicing my Russian!  :)  I would say - "don't mind the mistakes"  but i don't think you'll notice them anyway!   well, i know of 4 Russian speakers that will.  LOL  but they won't tell!  ;)

bikini time???

are you crazy?  NEVER.
never say never???

NEVER!

but tell me -  what's that one thing that you've purchased?

you know what i'm talking about! LOLOL  you got it on sale..... or it was just SO cute and you were convincing yourself that in  jusssssst 45 more pounds you could wear it! hahahahahaha

yep.  i have one of those.  it is NOT a bikini.   cuz i would not, could not.
noooope. that ship has sailed long ago.  goodbye ship.

but i do have a swimsuit.  size: "ridiculous".   6 years ago, my sister told me - "be reasonable, buy size:  partially ridiculous."  LOL   she said - "sister.... dear dear sister.   it is one month before summer starts.  you cannot fit size ridiculous - but you can fit size - partially ridiculous."

and i said oh yeah???????  (cuz i love a good challenge!)

turns out.  yeah, i didn't love that challenge as much as i loved food that summer.

i wouldn't even fit size partially ridiculous that year.

and 6 years later -  it still sits in my drawer.   oh, i like to take it out, and re-fold it every once in a while.  maybe lay it out next to my sunscreen and towel and pretend. hahahaha

but THIS YEAR.
ohhhhhhhhh this year.  we are going on a cruise in April and THIS year....

size ridiculous is all mine.

what about you?  do you have a size ridiculous garment just taking up space in your drawers???

i wish i had some brave and daring readers to share their "size ridiculous" stories with me! hehehehehehe

UPDATE!  lolol  I JUST remembed as i posted this in the Healthy Wage forum - i have something that beats the 6 year old unworn bathing suit.    i actually have a dress from 1994.   it is STILL hanging up in my closet!!!!! We have moved  5 times since 1994 - and can you believe that I actually put that dress into a moving box for 21 years?!?!?!?!?!?! ROFLLLLLLLLLLL  

i am GOING  to wear it one day soon, and i am GOING to bring 1994 back in a sweet way!   hahahahahahaha  It's probably so retro - it will be cool again! hahhaha

Sitting here planning.... where and when can I debut this lovely dress! hehehe

VIDEO: Week 23 weigh in - HALFWAY POINT for Team AND Individual challenge

Yeah - isn't that crazy?!?!

I'm actually HALFWAY through both the 12 week Team Challenge AND..... halfway through my own 11 month Individual challenge!!!

funny thing is - when I finish the team challenge - I will have surpassed my individual challenge goals!!!!  - so then it's all about maintenance!!!

or..... pushing myself a little farther to my ULTIMATE goal :)   *heck yeah!*

This week was SO HARD.  By far - the hardest week that I've had throughout this entire process!

Plateaus are seriously exhausting.  They're just a full-out rebellion that your body wages against you.

your own body!!!!   traitor.

After weeks of pure plateau, i was DETERMINED to not only push through the plateau - but i really really REEEEEEEEEALLY wanted my 6% ribbon.

Especially because.... I'm at the halfway mark - I actually should be hitting 8% right now.

darn.

but - after really working hard this week..... this is what I have to show for it......

YEAH.  BABY!

and here's the video to go along with this week's weigh- in.

Enjoyyyyyyyyy . cuz i did!!!! :)

yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Invention, meet thy mother: Necessity

I had a yuck week.

Actually - that's not true.  I had an awesome week.

Until I got on the scale - and then it became yuck.

no movement.  like - at all.

A plateau is a very boring place.  It's stationary and unmoving, like a flat-line.  blah.  and it can be very discouraging to look at that flat line for too long.

Charge!!! CLEAR!!!!

Ok reasons for my flatline.  cuz - i need reasons.  I must analyze and fix this situation!

last week we were out of town for a few wonderful days.  At home, food that is AOK is readily available  - and readily cookable!  and you get used to your surroundings and your diet and it's all good.

But - then.... you're away.  and the temptations.  oh the glorious temptations!!!!  I actually did pretty good dealing with the temptations - cuz i did not GAIN weight - and that's something, right? right??

But MAINTAINING your weight in a weight loss competition?????

Agree!

so.  today.  I wanted to drown my sorrows in chocolate cake.

and so i did!

Don't be silly.  Not NORMAL chocolate cake!! sheesh.  

I made a delicious KETO chocolate cake in a mug with almond flour - no sugar - and then - aghhhhhhh where the heck is my sugar-free icing?!?!?!
(New to the Keto club?  check out Craig's recipes on www.ruled.me You WON'T be sorry!)

i am capable of eating chocolate cake without icing.  

(ummmm. truth be told, i was prepared to eat it out of the mug with my fingers- if necessary )

but no icinggggg? sigh.  only if i have to.

peeked in the fridge.  sugar free raspberry jam - and sour cream.

go ahead and judge me!!!!  i don't care LOL it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!

seriously - i was shocked.  maybe i was just starving.  maybe i was happy that i didn't have to dive face-first into a bucket of ice cream.... or maybe - just maybe - it was an awesome alternative to a Ding-Dong.  ok??? (side note:  all those convenient store cupcakes and goodies used to be like a Siren's call to me:  eat me, eeeeeeat me. Leah!!!  but now?  I'm not joking.  The thought of all that sugar and processed junk seriously reminds me of sweetened plastic.  Totally not interested in THOSE old temptations.  There are plently of OTHER temptations that are alive and well - hahaha but so glad those other ones are dead and buried!!!)

so raspberry sour cream icing. LOLOL   Necessity really IS the mother of invention - and i have a new sugar free icing option that i WILL be using again.  oh yes.  i will.

as for my weight loss.  dagnabbit.  that 6% is so mine this week.  absolutely NO sugar is going into this body for the next 7 days.  

When you think about it like..... ughhhhh 7 days.... no sugar....  fully on track... NO deviation!!!

it just seems like - a week??  really?!?!  whine whine whine, pout, mope, complain.

That's like 168 freaking hours of torture!!! come on!!!!!!

but - i'm trying something new here.

21 meals.  That's it!  Just 21 meals until my next weigh in.  and i will be scratching off those meals mentally after every single one that I do.

Hey! Actually.... there are only 19 meals left. yeahhhhhhhh!  cuz its Saturday at 2 in the afternoon right now. so breakfast is scratched off...

and you know... i just had chocolate cake for lunch.  so.  hooray for good choices.  

Nevermind that.  honestly - it FEELS worse saying I had chocolate cake for lunch than it actually is.

i know the nutritional info on this recipe and it works!  and actually, after all that chocolatey-goodness, i'm really in the mood for a huge salad for dinner.  funny how that works!

I'm happy for my ups and downs.  I know that my downs connect with a lot of you.  I like that we're all in the same boat.  I like that there is a common struggle that we all collectively hate!  LOL  i mean - you know what i mean.

i wish it was easy.  but when it's hard - i'm glad i'm not alone!

love you guys!

P.S.  video this week? nah, why.  I look the same.  who wants to see that?