Day 28: Wednesday weigh in (on a Thursday)

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

I laid in bed last night, not able to sleep, knowing that I was missing something important. This morning I realized I had completely forgotten my weigh in post! Oh well, here we are now. 

There's not too much to update you on because we're still on the same routine and doing the same thing every day. It can get boring sometimes, but at least this particular plan is only four weeks, and we're halfway through. Let's see how it's affecting our weight...

My progress: I have maintained since last weigh in for a total of 44lbs lost.

I'm now at 182lbs.

Shane's progress: He has lost 2lbs since last weigh in for a total of 45lbs lost.

He's at 264lbs.

I'm not too disappointed by my lack of progress this week, just because I feel like I've been losing and gaining the same 5lbs for months and months. I am still really proud of Shane, because he's the one keeping us motivated, especially with the meal prep. I feel like our motivation goes in waves...he's strong and motivated to cook when I'm weak, and I'm able to keep him running laps when he's getting a little tired. It's when our laziness syncs up that we're in trouble!

Bonus: here's a shot of us enjoying a post-workout protein shake on our back porch yesterday. I'm so excited that the weather is getting nice and we'll be able to relax outside regularly :) 

Day 27: HOMEWORK...it never ends!

Today's post is going to be really short since I've just finished the massive amount of math homework I've been working on for two days straight and I need to go to SLEEP! 

I don't mean to procrastinate and put off homework, it's just that spending weekends with Shane instead of studying is just so much more fun and relaxing. 

As I mentioned in my last "going back to college" post, even when I don't put off homework, sometimes it seems like I could spend several hours each night on assignments. I guess that makes sense, because for every one credit hour of classes you're taking, you're supposed to spend 2-3 hours studying each week. I'm taking 11 credits, so that's 22-33 hours of study/homework time each week. Did I mention that I'm a perfectionist? So if I get a question wrong on the online math homework, I keep clicking "similar question" until I get it right so I can get 100%. Yeah, it can take forever. Don't even get me started on my sometimes tricky computer programming assignments, or my biology study guides. 

I don't think I've studied this much or put this much work into school EVER. The most I can remember working was elementary school, when it seemed like we'd be sent home with piles of packets and the occasional mystery picture (aka busy work). I remember once, 5th grade maybe, when my backpack was so heavy with school books that I literally toppled over backwards while sliding the door closed on my mom's van as she dropped me off at school. I laid there, scraped up from the gravel driveway and kicking like a turtle flipped on it's shell, waiting for my mom to come pick me up off the ground. As it so happened, she was still in her pajamas that day. 

It's amazing how much you forget when you go through the class saying "when will I EVER use this?" I have forgotten a lot of basic algebra and geometry concepts that would make my time in precalculus and beyond so much easier. Now that I'm seeing more of the possible applications, I'm hoping the knowledge will stick around a little longer this time. 

I may never 'get' math perfectly, but hey, Google won't judge me for how many times I have to search for stuff like "how to divide fractions", and for that I'm thankful. Even if most of the sites that come up are obviously for young children. That just means they explain it better, and likely with pictures. 

Day 22: Wednesday weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

Shane and I are trucking right along with our new diet and exercise routine. I'm proud of us, because I totally didn't think we'd stick to the diet part. Not when our St. Patrick's Day treats aren't chocolate coins but instead are things like this green monstrosity...

That's a whole packet of tuna, avocado, a little mustard, and Ezekiel bread. I'm super picky, and the only part I really liked was the mustard. The good part is the bread is so dry and grainy and wholesome that it's taste/texture mostly camouflaged the other junk. 

Ultimately I have to remind myself that we're trying to learn better eating habits by introducing better-for-us foods with portions to match. Plus we're also trying to lose quite a bit more weight, so we eventually won't have to be as strict on ourselves. 

We had a good workout at the gym today, and even made some new friends! We usually go early morning or at night, but today we went around 10:00 am, just in time to catch a 92 year old walking laps around the track. She was so cute walking in her little sweater set with her hair perfectly fixed. We also chatted with a few older people waiting for the Silver Sneakers yoga class. Shane got compliments on his owl tattoos and me on my purple hair, with one lady saying it made her day! 

We tried a new HIIT routine after our weightlifting today. I figured why not mix it up? We certainly don't have to do the same sprint routine every time. A quick google search game me this routine below. 

I don't know how ANYONE can do this whole routine in 20 minutes. Maybe our endurance isn't great, because we only made it through the lunges (item #6) and did a couple laps around the short track by the time limit. Oh, and I totally thought I was going to die. I even cheated on a lot of it (example: they wanted 30 burpees, I half-assed my way through about 8 total).

We didn't do a weigh in last week because we were eating terribly and I gained around 6lbs. We're back though, and our new diet plan seems to be helping already.

My progress: I have lost 1lb since last weigh in for a total of 44lbs lost.

I'm now at 182lbs.

So now that you see my 1lb lost, you know I also had to lose the other 6 that I went up before I went down. 

I'm extra proud of Shane this week! 

Shane's progress: He has lost 5lbs since last weigh in for a total of 43lbs.

He's at 266lbs.

He's doing great, especially because he's a picky eater too and doesn't even really like plain grilled chicken, but he's been eating it every day anyways. 

Slowly but surely, we'll get there. 

Day 21: Motivation Monday

Shane and I started a new diet and workout plan today, and whoa, the diet portion is rough. We're talking lots of eggs, which I'm iffy on, and Shane kinda hates...tuna, ick...avocado, also ick...raw, unsalted almonds...lots of foods that I have texture issues with, basically. I've always been a picky eater, and thankfully over the past few years I've been able to expand my food horizons a lot. I'm hoping that this diet change will help expand them even further. They'd better, because we've got a ton of eggs in the fridge and a box of tuna packets in the pantry. 

The workout plan, well that's a different story. I love it. We'd been doing a routine (Ice Cream Fitness) that works with building lots of muscle through low reps using high weights. That means that I'd be bench pressing 80 lbs (whoa!) but only doing 5 of those at a time. The new plan has a lot more variety, with a little lower weight for more reps, and also short rest times to keep your heart rate up. It also has HIIT (high intensity interval training, like running intervals, etc) built in. HIIT and shorter rest times help you cycle through the important fat burning and cardio endurance phases. 

With the joint diet and exercise plan, we should be able to still maintain the muscles we have (and maybe grow some more) while shedding some fat. I'm not gonna lie, tonight's workout was tough and I'm going to ache in the morning, but it also made me feel exhilarated that my body could do these awesome things, like interval sprints. I am pretty nervous about Saturday's Core and Circuit day though. Reading over the routine had me thinking "I'm definitely gonna barf"...then I realized that was just one time through the circuit, you have to do the whole routine 5 times through. 

I decided that maybe it'd be a good idea to do some more motivational posts to keep myself, and any of you who are also trying to make changes, on the right track. The diet may be tough, and the workout may have me dripping with sweat and hair dye, but it's just one more step on my journey. I may not have to deal with orcs, ringwraiths, Gollum, or any other evil Middle Earth inhabitants, but if Frodo and Sam can carry that ring, I can certainly eat an avocado and do some jumping jacks. 

p.s. If you're interested in our new diet/exercise plan, we found it through Instagram (@instafemmefitness), or you can go to directly her website to get the guides (annavictoriafit.com).

Day 13: Wednesday weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see our whole weight loss journey, click here.

This week has been a rough one due to the fact that I got my wisdom teeth out on Friday. Besides spending the weekend in a Vicodin haze, it totally screwed up my food and fitness plan. Did you know that you're not really supposed to exert yourself or lift anything heavy for like a week after a tooth extraction? Dry socket is serious business.

I made it through Monday by doing the elliptical for 30 minutes plus a just few weightlifting things. Don't worry, I went way down in weight and only benched 65lbs instead of the 80lbs I was supposed to be doing. Although I have pushed it a little bit, and so far so good, I was still too nervous to take any of the classes at the gym like I'd planned. 

I did my first YMCA group class last Wednesday. I was invited by my friends Haley and Becca and I'm so glad they asked me to tag along :) I've always been intimidated by the classes at our gym because they look so intense. I wasn't wrong! Boxing was really tough, and the teacher didn't stop for the whole hour. By the end we were all thoroughly exhausted, and I had a sweat towel full of purple hair dye. 

Hopefully I'll feel more confident in my recovery and will be able to catch some classes next week. There's a great variety at the Y, and I think it's going to be a good way for me to shake up my routine and get out of the slump. 

Now here's what you all came for...

My progress: I have lost 2lbs since last weigh in for a total of 43lbs lost.

I'm now at 183lbs.

47.7% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He has gained 3lbs since last weigh in for a total of 38lbs.

He's at 271lbs.

30.8% of his goal complete. 

I honestly think I caught a lucky break when I had to step on the scale this morning, I have no idea how I managed to lose 2lbs. And I take all the blame for Shane's gains this week. If I had better willpower, my sore mouth foods would be stuff like applesauce and oatmeal, but instead it was a lot of mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding, jello, and frozen yogurt. And if I get to eat it, it's only fair that he does too! 

It'll be interesting to see our numbers next week as we've got plans for pizza with family on Friday and a wedding on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for us! 

Day 8: College, take 2

Tonight's post is going to be a short one because I have six ridiculous chapters of biology to cram in by my test on Tuesday, and a couple sections of precalculus homework to catch up on when I find time. 

I enrolled at Nashville State Community College last fall and took two online classes while working full-time. I already have a Bachelor's degree in Merchandising and Design, but job options here in Nashville are extremely limited in that field. You either have to be really fashionable (I'm not), highly experienced, or willing to work retail management forever. Employers are getting really specific now on what degrees they're willing to hire. And the ones who are just looking for any sort of Bachelor's, those seem to all be sales jobs, administrative jobs like I had, or handing out flyers at the mall. Yep, I've been on that interview. It was listed as "entry-level marketing," which I've learned is always mall flyers or door-to-door. 

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up my experience at Tennessee Tech for the world. Those were some of the best years of my life, and I made some lifelong friendships. And while taking classes, I loved my degree! The classes were fun and cool, but out in the real world, I'm realizing that I should've pushed myself in a different direction before I used up my one degree's worth of Tennessee lottery scholarship money. 

This time around I decided to go for a more versatile choice, and I'm majoring in Computer Science. I'm no computer whiz, which is a shame because a lot of people work their way into jobs like I want with experience alone...but I'm at least computer literate. I am really enjoying my Computer Science 2 class and I am doing better than expected. I am hoping that with enough determination, I can learn anything I set my mind to.

Precalculus 2 also seems to be going pretty well so far. I admit, even after Precal 1 last semester there are a lot of times I google "how to multiply fractions" and other algebra basics because it's been a while since I've touched any of that stuff. My new favorite thing is the online homework system. You get immediate feedback on which questions you got wrong and you can even have it walk you through the solution. There's really no reason to get less than 100% on any homework assignment because you get unlimited chances to get every question right. 

Biology...it's a bit rough. It's a joint lecture and lab for three hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a lot of times the teacher will talk for two and a half hours, leaving us to squeeze in lab real quick right at the end. She is a nice lady, but it's so hard not to zone out. Our tests are exhaustive and basically our whole grade. It's also a Biology for biology majors class (stupid MTSU gen. ed. requirements) so it gets into detail. 

I wasn't sure what to expect out of community college and was hoping I wouldn't be ten years older than all of my classmates. In reality, there is such a diverse mix of people and I have a feeling that teens are in the minority there. 

Also, I don't know if it's just because I've been out of school for four years or if it's because I'm actually pushing myself, but I am working harder than I ever have before. Throughout high school and college #1, I got good grades without even really trying. Now I spend hours and hours each week on homework and general studying. And I am making study flashcards for the first time in my life. 

I have most of my college trajectory planned out in detail, and with luck and determination, I'm hoping to make it through with my second (and hopefully last) Bachelor's degree in another three-ish years. It sounds overwhelming to think that it will take that long to finish, but for a better chance at a fulfilling career -- with better than minimum wage paychecks -- it's a small price to pay. 

Day 7: Wednesday weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see our whole weight loss journey, click here.

On January 16, 2014, Shane and I committed ourselves to a healthier lifestyle and drastic diet overhaul. We were sick of the way we looked, the way we felt, and the impact our poor choices could and would have on our current and future health. 

On March 10th, 2014, I shared my first weight loss post with all of you and revealed I'd lost 9lbs from my highest ever recorded weight of 226lbs. Revealing my actual weight for the whole internet to see was the scariest thing I'd ever done...until today.

Today I am sharing my first ever full body progress pictures. I've shared update pictures before, but never any as revealing as these. I dress carefully to camouflage my shape and am super picky about what gets posted. But I've been having a rough time with weight loss recently, and this is (hopefully) the kick in the ass that I need. It's going to be really hard to push "publish" on this post, but it's for my own good.

Our problem isn't a lack of exercise. Shane and I have gone to our local YMCA 3+ times a week for an hour or more each session for a year now. We've built a lot of muscle and I'm really proud of that progress. But losing weight and getting in shape is about 80% diet, 20% exercise. And what I'm not proud of is how far we've backslid into poor eating habits. We're a great team, but it goes two ways. We either motivate each other, or we co-enable our bad habits. We ate a ton junk food while we were snowed in last week. It all tasted so good, but felt so terrible. 

We have recommitted to ourselves to healthy eating habits and back to tracking calories on MyFitnessPal. If you're looking to get healthy yourself, you should join MFP and friend me! Find my profile here: Lehorner6. I've set a goal of 1500 calories per day for now, which may be subject to change based on how it affects my weight loss and energy levels. It's been three days since I started tracking again for real. I'd forgotten just how nice it feels to want a chocolate chip cookie and actually have room in your daily calories to eat one! I'm pretty much eating cookies and losing weight, which is the best of both worlds.

I've procrastinated enough, it's time to share the pictures. 

My progress: I have lost a total of 41lbs...I'm now at 185lbs.

45.5% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He has lost a total of 41lbs...he's at 268lbs.

32.8% of his goal complete. 

In case you didn't pick up on it...Shane and I each lost 41lbs. Crazy, right? 

I'm nervous and excited about this next phase of our transformation. We have had a great first year of our new healthy lifestyle, with 6-7 months of solid weight loss, and a whole year of exploring exercise. We've also been through our first plateau, about 6-7 months of weight fluctuations with no real loss (although we have been building muscle and losing fat, our bodies haven't really gotten much smaller). I'm hoping we'll get over that plateau very soon. 

I plan on posting regularly again to keep us accountable with our progress. We've both got a long way to go on our weight loss and fitness goals, and ultimately it will be a lifelong process. But if I could feel better about my beach body this summer, that would be fantastic.

Day 3: Life goal updates

A few years ago, I wrote a life goal list in lieu of making New Year's resolutions. I was reading over that list the other day and realized I've checked off quite a few since then! Here they are: 

1. Build a birdhouse from scratch

I have always been crafty but never got comfortable around power tools, especially our circular saw. I'm working on that one, but in the meantime, Shane helped me with a few steps of this project. This one definitely counts as a Flashback Friday, I made these over a year ago!

Did you know that you can buy a single cedar fence plank at Lowe's for $2-3? And one plank is plenty of wood to make a birdhouse, and maybe have a little left over? Cedar is amazing for outdoor uses, and you don't have to worry about poisoning your little bird family with icky pressure-treated lumber chemicals. 

I have a few things I'd do differently next time, like make it just a smidge taller (turns out my interior height was a little too short for most birds) and actually use wood glue in my nail holes (seasonal changes made the wood expand, nails pulled out, and the thing fell apart). 

If you're interested in building a birdhouse of your own, I highly recommend this pattern by Martha Stewart. It's Audubon Society approved, which means birds will love it, and you can customize the entrance hole size for your local birds. 

19. Actually give up Dr. Pepper for a while. And no cheating. 

Seriously, that stuff is diabetes in a can.

I'm honestly still surprised that I accomplished this one. I'm proud to say that I have been Dr. Pepper free for around a year now and have no plans of cracking open a can anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dr. Pepper as much as anyone else with working tastebuds. Unfortunately the negative health effects are undeniable, especially when consumed in mass quantity. Since I have no self-control with the sugary goodness that is soda, it has been indefinitely banned from the Horner house. 

Banning the good doctor was one of the first steps in our fat to fit weight loss effort and probably one of the most important. It was a really hard step, but we've held strong on it, and I'm so proud of us. My new best friends are our under-sink water filter and my Nalgene bottles, they serve me well. 

20. Dye all of my hair pink. (and also blue)

Back in December I quit my job to go back to college full-time (more on that in a future post). Since I wasn't working for 'the Man' anymore, I decided it was time to go crazy with some all over hair color! Life's too short for boring hair anyways. 

The plan was always to go pink as soon as I could. I've had pink highlights before but never had the guts to go all the way. Once I got to the Sally's hair color aisle though, I had a moment of panic. They didn't have my preferred brand, and none of the pink options jumped off the shelf at me. 

So I went for blue! With a brief stop at Draco Malfoy blonde, thanks to the bleach. Since this was December, a time when a lot of red is worn, and my hair was that perfect shade of turquoise, I looked like Thing 1 for a while. 

Sadly, after nearly two months with no touchups, the blue was looking a bit janky. Especially around the roots. I looked like I was going bald. So with a little more bleach and a new dye kit, I went pinky-purple! I got it all over my face, neck, and scalp. Once at the gym I sweat so much during my run that my whole neck turned drippy hot pink, which I'm sure was entertaining for everyone in the row behind me. 

I'm not too sure about the brand of dye I used, because it has faded a LOT in the week and a half it's been on. I've got half a bottle of my favorite brand dye in a dark purple and there's a good chance it'll be in use real soon. 

22. Run a 5k (Done!). And maybe a marathon (We'll see).

This year we didn't just run a 5k, we ran FIVE 5ks and a 10k! I never thought I'd see the day when I could run for more than a minute without having a heart attack. I am really proud of this accomplishment and I really do hope we are able to keep it up. There is a such a magical feeling when you cross that finish line. 

From the big picture and then clockwise, we've got: 

1. Maryland Farms YMCA Firecracker 5k - first time I ran an entire 5k without stopping once :)   (read more here)

2. Color Me Rad 5k - ran this one with our friends and had a great time!  (read more here)

3. East Nashville Tomato Arts Festival 5k - who knew tomato art was such a big deal? Or even a thing?

4. Ugly Sweater 5k - we can't run in sweaters so we went for ugly (but actually cute) t-shirts instead. 

5. Farm Bureau Holiday 10k - I ran for an HOUR! Okay, there were some walking bits thrown in there, but it's not my fault the route was super hilly.  (read more here)

6. The Great Pumpkin Run 5k -  this was honestly my least favorite race this year. Turns out it's really hard to run through a corn maze, because you're constantly worried about slipping, the turns are nauseating, and corn stalks are pretty sharp.  (read more here) 

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And for scientific purposes, here's the full list! I'd say 4.5 goals complete is pretty awesome progress. 

This is just what I've got so far, I plan on adding lots more fun stuff to this list in the future. Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas to add to the list!

My Life Goals

1. Build a birdhouse from scratch. 

2. Drive a manual transmission car on the interstate and in city traffic. 

3. Knit a sweater that is cute, actually fits, and wear it in public. 

4. Watch a French movie without subtitles. 

5. Change a tire. 

6. Wear a bikini to the beach and not worry about how I look. 

7. Make an awesome music video (like this one). 

8. Actually make the wedding scrapbook I promised on our first anniversary. 

9. Learn all the words to an epic rap song. 
Or just write my own. 

10. Make 100 hats to donate to charity. 

11. Make a YouTube video with 10,000+ views 
(and I don't even mind if I'm doing something embarrassing in it!)

12. Learn to speak with a convincing British accent. 

13. Be vegan for a month.

14. Get my scuba license. 

15. Shoot a gun. (Did that one here)

16. Perform something, anything, in front of an audience. 

17. Develop my own style of drawing. 

18. Start my own business.

19. Actually give up Dr. Pepper for a while. And no cheating. 
Seriously, that stuff is diabetes in a can.

20. Dye all of my hair pink.

21. Finally learn how to do a cartwheel. 

22. Run a 5k.  And maybe a marathon. 

23. Write a book, even if it's self published.

24. Bench press 100+ lbs.

25. Join a protest for a worthy cause.

26. Do a handstand.


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What's on your list?

Weekly update: Catch us if you can!

To see our whole weight loss journey, click here.

Today Shane and I did something that I NEVER thought we'd be able to do...

WE RAN A 10K / 6.2 MILES!!!!

Shane and I participated in the Farm Bureau Holiday 5k and 10k put on by the Robertson County YMCA. It was the third race in a three-race bundle we purchased through the Y. We had originally planned on doing the 5k but decided at last minute to go for it and do the 10k. Our training plan had us doing a 6 mile run this weekend anyways so it really worked out. It was quite a drive to get there, but the course was really pretty, so that made it all worth it. 

Just two weeks ago I was struggling to run a 5k, but the marathon training has really helped. I'm not going to lie, when I have to run my next 3 mile training run on Tuesday, I'm probably still going to struggle a bit. I'm not a great runner by any means. It's just like that time I took a couple hot yoga classes...it's hard to motivate yourself to go, and it's really rough to make it through, but you feel magical after it's over. It helps to think back on past successes to help motivate yourself through the next run. I'll just have to remind myself that I've done it once and I should be able to do it again. 

I tried using an iPod Shuffle for music today instead of taking my phone. I normally stream Pandora and GPS track my run, but that's a lot of unnecessary data usage. The Shuffle worked out nicely, except I realized that most of the music in my library is way too slow for running. I'm going to have to do some major iTunes shopping before next time. 

Our finish times were amazing (for us). Shane finished in 1hr 3 min / 5th in his age group and I finished in 1 hr 12 min / 7th in my age group. The winner finished the run in 38 minutes which is just insane, but I'm also kinda jealous and hope that's us someday. It would be nice to at least place because they're always giving out goody bags that look fun. 

We're already super excited for our next run. There's a Santa themed run we're thinking of doing in December with some of our family and it looks pretty festive and fun. We're going to have to opt for a 5k for this next race, since we're not quite ready for a 1/2 marathon yet. Instead of distance, we'll get to work on our speed. 

I'm really excited to see where this marathon training takes us. It's not going to be easy, and we're probably going to have some setbacks. But we're going to try, and that's what counts. 

Weekly Update: The Training Begins...

To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

You're only young once, right? So what better time to train for a marathon? 

Shane and I went through the Couch 2 5k training program months ago but haven't really kept up with our running as much as we should. The last 5k we attempted was The Great Pumpkin Run at Shuckle's Corn Maze. While a run through a corn maze sounds exciting and fall-ish, it's a little more tough than we planned. I mean they don't just set you loose in the corn and expect you to find your way out -- the path is clearly marked -- but it's hard to keep going when you are twisting and turning around and around a hundred thousand times. 

I was seeing mostly-straight by this point. 

Shane was an insane person and chose the Tough Pumpkin option. See that larger pumpkin in his hands in the photo above? He had to carry that throughout the whole course. 

Don't we make cute farm animals?

We are now following the Hal Higdon Novice 1 - 18 week program. With any luck, we'll be ready to race a 1/2 marathon sometime around January and finished with the training in time to race a full marathon just in time for the Nashville Rock and Roll Marathon at the end of April.  

Sunday was day 1 of the training, and we successfully completed a 3 mile run!! And with a pretty decent time too, keeping a 12:30 mile pace. I honestly didn't think I'd make it even 2 miles...I am so proud of Shane and myself! After we finished the run, Shane thanked me for motivating him and keeping him going, which is funny because his running motivated me and kept me running! 

I've got two more 3 mile runs and a 6 mile run by the end of this week, so wish me luck! I never thought I'd be able to run, and I've surprised myself so far. I'm not at all sure that I'll make it a whole 26.2 miles, but I'm sure gonna try. 

We're baaaack!

To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

It has been an embarrassingly long time since my last weigh-in post, actually three whole months. I've gotten a bit too comfortable with my diet and treating WAY too much...we're talking occasional candy, cookies, breakfast from McDonald's once...it's a slippery slope, y'all. They say you can't outrun your diet, and they're right. Treats every now and then are okay, but not every single day, multiple times a day. Shane and I have been working out nearly every day, but if I don't get myself under control, I'm going to start giving in to soda cravings or worse! 

Me and Shane after an intense workout at the YMCA

The GOOD news is that even with all this food business, I'm pretty much maintaining my weight (currently sitting at 179, which is 47 pounds lost and 52.2% of my weight loss goal), and my body shape is changing! The weight lifting is working, hallelujah! I am looking better in my clothes, and I even bought a size 10, yes 10!!, pair of pants at Old Navy the other day. Okay so they are "boyfriend" cut pants so they're meant to be a little looser than regular pants, but I'm still calling that a big win. Considering I started out this year wearing a 14 but really needing a 16, I'd say I'm doing just fine. 

In other news, with the changing seasons, Shane and I have started to realize how scant our clothing choices are. Sure I have tank tops and shorts for days, but that doesn't help in 50 degree weather. A shopping trip was in order, where Shane made a big revelation: 

That he's lost a lot of weight! He even bought a couple of button-up flannels in size LARGE! It's the first time he's bought a size large since middle school, so this is a huge deal. I am so proud of him! We both stocked up on some winter essentials, and our YMCA is happy that we're bringing so many warm clothes for their winter clothing drive. I actually had to buy all new coats last year because mine wouldn't zip, and now this year, they looked like I was wearing trash bags. Shane looked like a kid wearing his dad's jackets in his. 

I'm also pretty pleased with myself for my progress from last Halloween to this Halloween. This time last year I was so resolved that I was fat and I was always going to be fat, and I'd probably get more fat and that seemed unavoidable. I even got rid of most of my "for when I'm skinny" clothes because I thought I'd never fit into them again. I WAS SO WRONG! I was acting like a blameless victim when I was the culprit. No one made me fat or shoved french fries down my throat, I was doing that to myself. This year I've worked hard to try and take control of my health, and in turn, my happiness. And instead of trying to hide my body in a shapeless Halloween costume, I went for a short dress with NO sleeves! And I personally think I looked pretty cute!

While I have slipped up and allowed more treats into my life, I don't ever want to allow those sort of thoughts back into my life. As we're getting into the holiday season, the typical "dieter's nightmare", Shane and I are recommitting ourselves to our lifestyle change. We are starting a new weightlifting routine to kick up our game and I'm getting strict on my calories again, because it works and my progress so far is proof of that. 

I'm not going to focus on the weigh-in portion so much in future posts like I did in previous posts because now that we're weightlifting, the number on the scale won't really show our progress. I will continue to post training updates, progress pictures, things I find motivational, etc. 

And if you'd like to join me on my weight loss journey, which I would absolutely LOVE!,  add me on myfitnesspal! My username is lehorner6.