What I'm Doing This Month

February 2012

Well, my February official weigh-in is in the books - and it's early and good. 158.4 on Feb. 5. Yay, me. That's a keeper number.

Last month, after a tough stretch in December, I had to bust ass until Jan. 28 to get down to a number that A) I was comfortable submitting to Weight Watchers and B) was back in my goal range.

This month I would love to hover more around 155 than 158, just to give me more breathing room from the upper limit of my goal weight range, 160.

To be honest, I don't know if 155 is attainable - or sustainable. I have a lot of loose skin around my abdomen, thanks to pregnancies and years of gaining and losing weight. It's so considerable I'm a good size larger (10) around my midsection than I am in my thighs (8). If you see me in person, my pants are always baggy in the thighs because I need a larger size to actually, you know, zip them up.

One thousand crunches a day for the rest of my life won't get rid of that skin, it's like an elastic that's been stretched out too many times and has lost its ability to snap back. Only surgery would alleviate it and I pray, seriously, that one day that's an option I can exercise (and afford).

This is what complicates the actual number on the scale. I have a good 10-15 lbs of loose skin on my torso. While I'm trying to get down around 155, my body already thinks it's well below that number. I can just hear it: "WTF? You weigh, like, 145. I'm not dropping you lower."

Still, I will try, but if the upper 150s is where it's at for now, I'm OK with that. It's just mentally difficult to inhabit that neighborhood. I feel like I have very little room for a dinner out or an off-plan meal. Rationally, I know I do, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around it sometimes, so I don't feel the flexibility I should.

So, that's the scale update.

On the activity front, I've moved from 2 days of bootcamp a week (Wednesday and Friday) to 3 (M, W, F). Loving it. I am an awesome shuffle - low center of gravity, quick feet. Seriously, I can shuffle like no one's business. And sprint? Usain Bolt, y'all. When the board says "sprint", I sprint. And lat pulldowns? Pffft, strong like bull.

And, thank God, I'm rehabbing on the running front, running 3x a week (Tu, Thu & Sun) to rebuild my base, endurance and legs so I can start racing again next month (March 11) without reinjury.

Six days of high-intensity activity. That's, um, intense, right? But, see, here's the deal: I love it. I absolutely do. Five out of those 6 days I get up at 5 to run around in the freezing pre-dawn dark or drive off to bootcamp in weird shoes and pants to get stronger and more agile. And I really, really love it.

I know, I'm surprised, too. I never thought I would be the person who loves hard exercise as much as I do. Maybe it's the challenge of it all? I'm just really happy I can be back on track with exercise. I'm still babying my back and glute, stretching, strengthening, warming up and cooling down, pushing just enough up not too much so I can keep doing what I love without injury.

I'm down to once a month at the chiropractor, who keeps reminding me I can only do the best with what I have: occasionally spazzy lower back, balky right glute and tight hips. Gotta remember to enjoy and work with what I have and not mourn what I don't, which when you get down to it is not a bad motto for life.