Feelin' good, people, feelin' good! I'm wearing my super-comfortable gauchos, pain-free brown boots, and less weight than I did this time last week. Miracles, they do happen.
LAST WEEK'S WEIGHT: 138.6
CURRENT WEIGHT: 137.2
POUNDS TO GOAL WEIGHT: 12.2
I'm not really sure HOW I lost the weight, since I pigged out on TGI Friday's beef brisket and a Pot Belly's roast beef sub within a twelve-hour timespan, but when faced with a miracle, it's in one's best interest not to ask questions.
Unless those questions are about a costly gym membership. Luke and I have discussed this on and off for the last few days without coming to any real conclusion.
In theory, we're both serious about wanting to commit to a regular fitness program. The Y is a seven-minute drive from our apartment; unless we decide to shack up in the facility's parking lot, you can't get any better than that. The branch is less than a year old, so the equipment's top notch. At the end of our work-out, we always feel better than we did coming in. What is the problem?!
The problem is reality. In reality, we function better at night and stay up too late to put in sufficient time on the treadmill before breakfast without wanting to crash after dinner. In reality, at five o'clock we're more excited about coming home to each other and our pajama pants than spending another hour at a place that isn't home. (OK, so I'M the one who tosses the work clothes aside for pjs. The SexyBack giveth, and the SexyBack taketh away.) When push comes to shove, we're mentally burned out.
But there's something about the gym that keeps us holding on. As long as we continue to renew our membership, there's still hope that one day we'll fulfill our half of the bargain and actually use the machines we pay to access. Continuing our membership gives us motivation to get our squishy asses off the couch. Being open to even the possibility of swiping that plastic card at the Y's front desk means we're not failures.
One option we've talked about is eliminating the Y from our budget and paying for an annual state park entrance permit instead. It's way cheaper--just thirty-six dollars for the whole year--and we'll be paying for an activity we truly enjoy. The majority of our weekend trips revolve around hiking, camping, and frolicking at the beach, anyway, so this would just encourage that.
What do you guys think? Are we awful for giving up before we even really get started, or does it make sense to axe the Y and explore different ways to get in shape?
In other news, the crown is back in my mouth, held into place with temporary cement until the dentist can see me again in February, at which time he'll fit me for a new, permanent piece. Since I was so busy reading through yesterday's entry for typos, I didn't get out of work until forty minutes before my scheduled appointment, which means I didn't have time to pick up my old one on the way. I called the receptionist twice to make sure this wasn't a problem, and twice she assured me it wasn't. That is, until I got to the clinic and waited an hour and fifteen minutes to be seen for my "emergency" fit-in, only to be chastised by the denist for not bringing in the original crown. If looks could kill, some funeral director would be pumping that woman's limbs with embalming fluid as we speak.
Since it would've taken another hour and a half for me to go home, pick it up, and come back, I did what any married woman would do--call her husband and beg him to make the drive himself. Which he did, bless his white little heart, and the doctor took all of four minutes to stick the thing back on tooth number fourteen. By this time it was seven o'clock and we were about to eat our own arms for nourishment, so we hopped over to Bennigan's, home to The Best Spinach Dip In The Universe. I planned on ordering that and nothing else, fully content to bask in the glory that is spinach and artichokes on seasoned flat bread.
Imagine my surprise, then, upon learning that the dip had been removed from their appetizer menu ONE DAMN YEAR AGO. I almost burst into tears right in front of the waitress.
A perfect ending to a perfect day.
That Potbelly's roast beef sandwich is heaven on a bun. I like to get them at O'hare Airport just before getting on the plane and make all my seatmates drool.
Unless the Y has an "initiation fee" that you don't want to pay twice, I say lose it. You can always get it again later. I'm all about positive reinforcement these days, not setting ourselves up for feeling bad.
Join the parks!
Also, consider buying a couple of cheapie bikes for when the days get longer. Then you can be outside and frisky and still hang out together. Vaguely Urban has a fun post about getting bikes with her husband last summer. They've been everywhere on them.
http://www.vaguelyurban.com/2006/08/cabbage_patch_w.html
Posted by: TasterSpoon | January 17, 2007 at 05:45 PM
I'm curious, in checking for typos were you generally concerned with spelling, or slips of the tongue, or rogue, commas, everywhere? If you were more spelling oriented then I suggest making the move (if you haven't already) to Firefox 2.0 (getfirefox.com)...it has a built in spell checker that works swimmingly!
Posted by: David McNelis | January 17, 2007 at 06:07 PM
As I read your paragraph about Bennigan's having the best spinach dip ever I thought to myself, "Hmmm. We got that Bennigan's gift card for Christmas, and we don't really like Bennigan's. But maybe we can use the gift card for spinach dip. Yes. That is what we will do, because that sounds delicious."
And then I read the next paragraph and my heart broke right along with yours.
Posted by: Audrey | January 17, 2007 at 06:56 PM
"The SexyBack giveth, and the SexyBack taketh away."
LOL
Posted by: Liz | January 17, 2007 at 07:03 PM
See, miracles do happen. You are proof of the Messiah. Or ARE you the Messiah? I'm not sure which, but damn girl, that is some sweet weight loss!
Sucks about the dip. How could they take away one of life's most perfect pleasures just like that? Maybe you could perform another miracle...
Posted by: Lindsey | January 17, 2007 at 08:02 PM
The SexyBack giveth, and the SexyBack taketh away. OH my God that was the funniest damn thing! You crack me up.
Hooray for you and your loss! (That could be incorrectly applied in all sorts of other scenarios. I'm doubting Hallmark will come out with that card any time soon.) You did it for the Heifers, as they're saying.
:o)
Posted by: Molly | January 17, 2007 at 10:06 PM
That Y problem is a hard one. The end of the work day has little energy left. To have the goal to go during the week each or every other day has been very hard.
How about this kind of weekly timing. Try to go one night during the the week, like Wed. and when possible Sat. and or Sun. I vote for a trial of going when possible.
Posted by: daddy d | January 17, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Frema, dude, seriously.
I had a local gym membership for a while and hated having to leave home, go somewhere, probably wait for a machine and have the potential of seeing people I went to high school with. So I quit. But now, I run...outside. Well, not now when it's all below freezing and such, but most of the year, it's just me and my sneakers. Up until then, I never ran unless being chased. So really, all this babbling is to tell you to do what works for YOU!!!
Posted by: Takin Chances | January 17, 2007 at 10:59 PM
As one who has never had a gym membership (certainly not because I don't need it!!) I'm not sure if I'm qualified to answer, and to be honest I'm not sure how I feel. But the bottom line is money getting wasted, if this isn't motivation enough to go to the gym than I say cancel, and do the park pass. Save $ for shoes!
Posted by: Erika | January 18, 2007 at 07:08 AM
Congrats on the weight loss - I'm sort of doing the "at home version" of your Weight Loss Wednesdays - I've got about 20 lbs to lose thanks to the excitement and happiness of finding my soulmate (I guess it's better to be fat and happy than fat and sad!)
Re: the Y and such...not sure how big your apartment is, but have you thought about going to a second sports equipment store and looking at treadmills or like? They're pretty cheap and some can fit in a pretty small area. That way, you can exercise, save $$ by quitting the Y, AND get a State Park Membership! The best of ALL worlds! (or at least that's how it works out in my head!)
Posted by: Jessi | January 18, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Loose the Y....join the Park
Ride bikes!!! I have one hanging in the barn I will sell ya..CHEAP......haven't road it since 1994....the last time we went camping and it only has 489 orginal miles on it....
Posted by: Aunt Ruthie | January 18, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Even better than two bikes, get a tandem. Because laughing is as good a cardiovascular workout as anything.
Your Y membership reminds me of this time I felt I should become better informed and subscribed to the Chicago Tribune. Each day I'd set it aside till I had time to read the whole thing (or any of it, eventually), until I had about seventy papers piled up, still in their little blue dew bags. I felt so guilty and wasteful. And so I figured it was just better to quit and feel blissful in my ignorance - and it totally was.
(N.b. They made it really hard to quit. When I called they were all challenging - "But WHY?" Finally I lied and said I was getting married and my fiance already got the paper.)
Posted by: TasterSpoon | January 18, 2007 at 12:01 PM
No dip? I would die.
And quit the gym and get a pass for the NP. Go for it.
(and you like the outdoors? Why do I hate it so? What is wrong with me?)
Posted by: Isabel | January 18, 2007 at 12:46 PM
I was thinking more along the lines of a shitty ending to a shitty day but that's just me. :-)
As for the Y. Exercising has to be something you love to do. We are all way to busy to make time for something that we don't really enjoy but know we need. So, you have to find something that you LOVE because then it becomes a priority and you actually look forward to doing it instead of dreading it. With that said and what you stated above, I would say lose the Y and do the state park.
Or, do you and Luke get off work at the same time? If so, meet at the Y as soon as you leave work. Because if you are not going to go in the morning, then there is no way you are going to go once you get home, get comfy, and eat dinner. It's must easier to just keep going during your day than to go, stop, and and then go again.
Posted by: Silly Hily | January 18, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Definitely ditch the Y--you've given it a good effort and maybe that type of exercise just isn't what's right for you! I think if you guys really enjoy hiking and biking you're far more likely to actually do it. And enjoy the great outdoors at the same time!
Good luck with the decision :)
Posted by: Angela | January 18, 2007 at 01:45 PM
We have the family Y membership too. $75/month. If I had to exercise in the a.m., I'd never use it. I go right after work during tax season. It is harder to make myself go on normal nights since I dont' go until the kids are in bed and by then, I want to go to bed too. But we keep the membership anyway for the stuff for the kids - Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, the pool in the summer, etc. I don't know if we would keep it without our kiddos.
Posted by: CPA Mom | January 18, 2007 at 04:55 PM