Fabulous, Dahling!

Thanks to PTG who nominated me for the Your Blog Is FABULOUS award. This post is going to be a short one because I'm getting ready to head out of town for the holidays. Don't worry... I'll be posting less, but I will be posting over the next few weeks. I think I'd go crazy without my blog support. So, who do I want to pass this award onto (and mainly give shout outs to)?

1) Kelly over at Choosing Losing: Her motto pretty much sums up what this journey is all about. She's my Miz Fit match buddy, and even though we've both been slacking in the whole communication update department (I blame finals.... I think K does too!), we've been reading each other's blogs and keeping tabs on the other. I'm hoping that now that we have a few weeks, we'll get our emails back in order :)

2) Angie over at Angie Eats Peace: I found Angie's blog through another fitness board that I used to frequent. I love to read her blog about her running, her adventures with her family, and her struggles to eat vegan in a omnivorous world. She makes me wish I lived closer to a Trader Joe's with all her yummy food posts!

3) KK at Running Through Life: The more and more I read her blog, I realize that we both have similar time constraints on our fitness/blogging/me time due to work. I love all the little tidbits that KK's been sharing with us lately by putting up links to fun workouts and advice. Hopefully you'll get some me time over the next few weeks!

4) Jason at Recast in Iron: Jason and I are coworkers, and I was happy to see that he found my blog and has freely given his advice on my running goals/training. It's been really helpful! He is such an inspiration to those of us who are still pushing through our weight loss/fitness goals. I figure if he can train for an Ironman, I.... er, I guess I could too, but I don't think I'm into self-inflicted torture :)

5) RooBabs at Work Those Lower Body Curves: Little does RooBabs know, but I keep her "I'm a Runner" bracelet that she sent me in my desk drawer. It's a little reminder to myself that as I'm pushing through a day of writing and research, I need to take some time for myself and go out and enjoy the day with a little bit of running. Because after all.... I AM a runner :)

What Have You Done Today To Make You Feel Proud?

Biggest Loser Spoilers Ahead!! Stop reading now!!!

I have to say: for all the tension and excitement that went into this season, and especially this finale... everything happened according to plan. Well, except Heba's win, but that's another story. Some general comments before I get started. Wow-- did Ali Sweeney pop or what? Even in the last week, I kept thinking to myself, I thought she was prego, she certainly doesn't look all that prego... but tonight she certainly DID look prego!!! Holy cow! What about no one cheering for Vicky's part of the intro? That was hilarious! It was pretty obvious that the crowd was behind Michelle 100%. I think everyone was sick of the negativity that this season generated. At one point, Ali also said that they spent 102 days on the ranch and 122 days at home before the finale. So, basically, the contestants had about seven and a half months to lose this weight. Sure, it's accelerated, but it's not as bad as it is sometimes portrayed.

First thing first: Who was going to be the "third" finalist? Heba or Ed? They both looked fantastic, although I'm going to be a bit catty. I thought Ed looked old. And yes, Heba needed a more supportive bra than the one she was wearing. As someone who now has some saggy boobs due to weight loss, a supportive bra does EVERYTHING for an outfit. The dress looked great, her boobs didn't. Ali tells us with 84% of the vote, ED is the finalist. HAHAHA. I'm so glad that 84% of the voters were in the same mindset at me!

Next, they bring the kicked off families off in order: Adam and Stacey (who looked FABULOUS), LT and Tom (who weren't as heavy as they were... but still looked big), Jerry (AWESOME!!!) and Coleen, Shellay (hot mamma!) and Amy C., Phil and Amy (I'd vote them for best looking couple!), Brady (eh), Renee (looked good, but didn't really like her hair), and of course Heba. I thought the $100K at home prize weigh in was the most interesting! The lead jumped around: first, it was Stacey in the lead, then Jerry, Shellay, and Amy C in quick succession. Philip weighed in and lost 151 pounds. His wife Amy P. weighed in, lost 105 pounds... and captured the lead with a 45.85% loss. At this point, I was like YES!!! I've always liked the Red Team, and I wanted them to stick it to the Four Musketeers BIG TIME. Brady weighed in next, and although he lost 117 pounds, he didn't have the percentage to beat Amy (YES!!!). Renee lost 106 pounds, but also didn't have the percentage to beat Amy. It came down to Heba. She needed to lose 134 pounds to beat Amy... and she lost 138. Grr. So, now I was worried about H&E walking away with $350K.

So, then they brought out the finalists. Of course, they all looked great. Vicky tried to claim that she only lost 2 pounds in seven weeks, with working out four hours a day. YEAH RIGHT. C'mon. We already had seen Ed, so, Vicky came out wearing a great looking dress (although Amy P was still best dressed... that red dress looked HOT on her!). But, she couldn't move in the dress at all. And the stage was super slippery. But (being the evil kikimonster that I am) I was disappointed that we didn't get to see her fall. Bob was such a gentleman that he caught her and walked her to the front of the stage. Then Michelle came out and WOWEE!!! She looked FABULOUS.

Because Michelle had won the last week on campus, she chose the weigh in order: First, Ed, then Vicky, and then Michelle. Ed lost 139 pounds, with a 41.49% weight loss. He held onto first place when Vicky weighed in and lost 101 pounds, with a 41.06% loss. Ali tells us that to win, Michelle needs to lose 100 pounds. Seriously, at this point, I don't know how that girl kept a straight face. Her starting weight was 242 pounds, and looking at her, you KNEW she was under 140, easily. She weighed in at 132, with a total loss of 110 pounds, with a 54.54% loss. MICHELLE WINS!!!! I'm so glad this season ended on a positive note.

Although, I'm curious if we have the same commercials nationwide. Right after Ali cut to commercial, when we were all waiting with baited breath for Michelle's weigh in, NBC ran a Coco Chanel commercial starring none other than Keira Knightley. Yes, that twig of a girl. Seriously, NBC... bad timing? Someone with a bad sense of humor working the commercial desk? I just found it odd. To me, anorexic people aren't inspiring. Sorry Keira.

And what about the new season which starts January 6th? (NBC, I sure hope my check is in the mail for all this free promotion!) They're bringing in the HEAVIEST contestants ever, the OLDEST couple, the HEAVIEST woman, and the HEAVIEST CONTESTANT EVER. PERIOD. I think this is going to be a mess. I think we're going to move from being completely bitter to feeling sorry for all these people. What was up with showing the "oldest" man passing out? I seriously almost cried at that point. Sure, inspiration will be shown, but to me, sometimes, this is just torture. We'll see soon enough!

On a final, personal note, I had a hard time moving today. I was snowed in, and I spent most of the day in front of my computer, stressing over an article that I'm coauthoring with someone who works in the UK. My coauthor and I went back and forth over email for much of the afternoon until I sank into total frustration at the state of this article. I wanted it to be done by the end of the week, and that's just not going to happen. It's like we're so close to being done, but yet, because of the holiday, so far away. So, I didn't work out. However, while I was watching the finale, I couldn't help but get up and MOVE. I ended up doing SparkPeople's 30 Minute holiday workout, which someone (KK? Cammy?) had posted on their blog right before Thanksgiving. IT WAS AWESOME. There are seven exercises that you can do with NO equipment, and you do three circuits with 15 reps of each exercise. I feel great because I moved my body today. That's what I did today to make me feel proud :)

Are You READY to RUMBLE???

The highlight of my day will obviously be the Biggest Loser finale tonight. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Michelle, who is my one and only choice to win. At least last season, I was pulling for Ali and Kelly (both of their before and after pictures are on my fridge!), but this season, it HAS to be Michelle. I can't wait to give you all a rundown tomorrow!

This week has been kind of tough for me, exercise wise. Sunday, I went to spinning for the first time since the beginning of the month. Holy cow! I felt so out of shape it was unbelievable. I made it through class, but my legs felt so heavy while I was spinning. I felt that there was no ease or lightness to my spinning. It felt like work, not something that I enjoyed. Yesterday, I did a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session on the elliptical, where I went full out for 30 seconds and then had a recovery period of 90 seconds. I did a five minute warmup, a 20 minute HIIT session, and then cooled down for another five. It felt great. However, my abs and shoulders are super sore. I think my shoulder is more of a factor from my mattress. Brand new mattress... but I turned it from top to bottom for the first time. So, my little nook is now at my feet, which makes me sad. I also can't find my spot just yet. Grr. I think on this snowy day, I'll be working from home, and working OUT from home. I'll dig some of my favorite videos out and have some fun for 60 minutes. Now, which ones should I choose....

Speaking of choosing, I've decided to do some shoe shopping while I'm home. For you runners out there: Do you buy one pair of sneaks for running and then another for gym workouts? I was thinking that if I do this, my running shoes will last longer, and therefore, I won't have to shell out money for good running shoes more often than not.

Ruffles Galore!

The past three weeks of my life have been like a circus (and yes, Britney, I blame you for putting all your new songs in my head... and myself for adding them all to my workout mix). Between end of the semester grading, finals, and then grading finals, I finally got a chance to breath. E and I went out to dinner tonight. Here's a pic of my infamous Ann Taylor size 12 outfit :) I love the satin pants and the ruffle-y top. And I apologize to my friends who are going to see me wearing this EVERYWHERE this holiday season. Sorry... but it's a great outfit and I love that I look great and FEEL great in it. I'll be back to my regular fitness (soreness) posting tomorrow!

Weekly Weigh In: Weighing In

Sorry for the late weigh in... this week has been killer. I've been doing so much work, trying to play catch up with the semester (not to mention the guilt that comes with taking the next three weeks off) that I didn't weigh in yesterday morning. I also woke up with this horrible sinus headache/migraine that had me laying around the house all day. All in all, it wasn't a good day.

However, this morning was a different experience. Not only did I sleep for 10 hours and woke up with my headache gone, but the scale also told me that I lost a pound this week. WOOT! On Thursday, I had a conversation with one of my work colleagues. We started at the same time, so we've pretty much had the same experience within the department. One thing he complained to me about is that he's gained 20 pounds since he started the job and he racks it up to being unhappy. I had to shrug at him. I gained about 15 pounds my first year on the job, and now, I've lost 50 of those unwanted pounds. His response is that some people lose weight when they are unhappy. I laughed: I wish it had been that easy to blame my divorce and my early dissatisfaction with my job. Unfortunately, a lot of sweat, tears, and frustration has gone into losing those 52.4 pounds.

On a happier note, this week was the first time since HIGH SCHOOL that I have worn a size 12 in public. I know, I know, high school wasn't that long ago for me. But seriously? I think the last time I wore a size 12 was 1996. TWELVE YEARS AGO. E gave me a bag of her dissertation clothes (and a big WOOT to E for fitting into some smaller sized pants this week too!!), which contained a bunch of size 10s but also one pair of size 12s. I figured that since my Ann Taylor shopping spree over Thanksgiving where I bought a pair of size 12s, I might actually wear them in public one day. I figured Wednesday was a good day for that. I can't believe it. I'm sure I walked a little taller that day, just because I knew what number was on my label. Monday night is the debut of the Ann Taylor outfit, which is when E and I are going out for a big end of the semester survival dinner. I'll be sure to take some pictures :)

Taking Care of Me

Yesterday, I finally made it back to the gym after a full 10 days without it. It's funny how easy it is to slip out of your routine. When I was at home for Thanksgiving, I was more willing to stay snuggled up in my bed rather than get up and go for a run in the morning. Now, getting over my cold, it is so much nicer to stay in my warm house in my sweatpants than to go out in the wet cold weather to drive to the gym and spend 30 minutes on an elliptical. Plus it's finals week. Sure, the students are stressing, but so are the faculty. I have a ton of mini projects that I need to get done before I leave for my break, because, trust me, nothing gets done when I'm at home. So, this morning, I found myself entering data (one of my mini pre-break projects), and wondering when and if I should go to the gym. I'm having dinner with some friends tonight, so yes, I should go work out. But I REALLY should finish this data before my dentist appointment in two and a half hours. However, the data will still be here tonight, where my motivation to put on my sneaks and get to the gym may not be. So, I'm heading off in a few minutes. Gotta take care of me first and then I can focus clearly on my work.

Biggest Loser: VOTE FOR ED

Okay, this is going to be a total BL post, so stop reading (MIZ!) if you've Tivo'ed it.

Can I just say how disappointing last night was? Sure, I was super excited that Michelle kicked ass at the weigh in, that we finally saw Jillian cry (I love her), and that America decides the fate of the final three. However, more and more this season, this has been about playing the game, not making choices that will change the lives of the contestants. For example, take Vicky: Bob asked her what she learned from the whole BL experience. She said, "I learned about exercise and nutrition." And Bob asked again: "What did you learn about YOU?" Vicky: Mmm... nothing. I love when Bob told the Blue Team about the guy who won in the first season (total game player) who has now gained back all his weight. I feel bad for Bob. He has a team of game players, and you can see that it breaks his heart to know that he's working so hard at supporting them, and all they're getting out of it is how to win the game, not how to change their lives. And yes, I think this goes for Heba and Ed too.

So, let's go there: Heba and Ed. They work as a unit, which is good in some respects, but HORRIBLE in others. Heba totally half-assed the challenge because she knew that Ed could win it for both of them. Ed completely threw his weigh-in so that Heba could make the final three, but that turned out not to work anyway. And then their "plea" videos (which you can see here)??? As soon as Ed started talking about how we should all vote for Heba, I got turned off. Ed, don't you want this for yourself? To me, this just shows what a slackass he is (geez, guys, sorry for all the cussing, but last night really ticked me off). He never wanted to work out, he already went home, and to me, this just all says that he's not that into continuing with the hard work once he has gone home. Obviously, Heba is going to come back looking great because she's going to continue working hard at home. But, again, what has sunk into their heads about this? NOTHING. To me, they have taken nothing away from this.

Which brings me to my point: Vote for Ed. Screw these game players big time. I've been struggling with eating right all week, due to my cold, finals stress, and just being cooped up in my house due to the previous two issues. To me, it kind of sucks to have gained some weight this week, but you know what? I've learned so much about food, about myself, and about what I can do on this journey over the past year. And I refuse to gain the fifty pounds that I've lost back. To me, it's not about having a negative movement on my weight tracker. That's great, but I know that it's not going to happen every week. I lost close to 30 pounds this year. Would I have liked to lose more? Yes, but at the same time, weight loss is not a contest. I used to find this show so inspiring, and really, I credit the first "couples" season as being a huge motivator in my exercise challenges to myself. But now, I'm getting as jaded as all of you. And Bob's pleas last night for Vicky, Heba, and Ed to realize what this show is all about is too little too late. I'm just hoping that next season isn't as cut throat as this season, or NBC will be losing another viewer.

Ever have one of those days....

Where you feel fat, bloated, and ugly? That's me today to a T. I literally retreated from the office to come home and put my sweatpants on. But I found a little pick me up in my mailbox from Dove. Excuse my dazed/I have a cold look:

Consider yourself hugged... because y'all are beautiful!!!

Thoughts on a Cold

Found on active.com:
Here are some common sense tips for resuming workouts after being sick:

Don't rush it -- make sure you are FULLY recovered before you return to your exercise routines. If you have been sick for over a week, allow a few days of good health to pass before starting up again.

Avoid vigorous cardiovascular activities immediately after recovering from a cold or flu. Increased breathing may irritate and weaken your respiratory system.

Reduce intensity level and duration of your first few workouts after recovering from an illness. Do not attempt to make up for lost time by overdoing it.

Finish medications. Do not restart your exercise workouts until you have finished any prescription medicine or over-the-counter medications. Consult with your doctor if necessary.

Stay inside, especially in cold weather and avoid outdoor cardiovascular exercise. The increased stress on your body will weaken your immune system and lead to a relapse.

Stay warm. Hooded sweaters and fleeces are great for keeping your head and neck protected and your defenses up.

Listen to your body. If you are unusually tired, sense a return of any symptoms or just don't feel "right," ease off from your workouts and rest.

Don't forget your vitamins! Boost the immune system by increasing your vitamin C intake.

Don't panic that you have become out of condition because you weren't able to exercise while you were sick. Your health is much more important at this stage.

I am so FRUSTRATED!!!!!!

I'm still sick as a dog, but now my "cold" has progressed to the point where I think I have a sinus infection (intense headache? check, rainbow colored boogies? check, ran through two boxes of tissues in a week? check). Therefore, I haven't been to the gym in a week. It's really driving me crazy, because I want to get on the elliptical, I want to go running, I want to get back to my spin class. It's also affecting my work. I have so much to get done in the two weeks before I leave for Christmas break, but I seem to have the attention span of a chipmunk (well, wouldn't you be the same way if you were either blowing your nose or coughing every 90 seconds?) I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow, where hopefully she will bless me with a script for a Zpac, my lovely $10 cure all antibiotic. I guess when you are taking better care of yourself, much more than you have in a decade, you don't expect to be knocked completely flat on your butt by something like a sinus infection :(

One of my only little shining lights of happiness coming out of this misery (I'm waiting the hour before it's okay to take some excedrin again) is that it's clementine season... and I LOOOOOOOOVE clementines. It makes me especially sad when they are 1) ridiculously expensive or 2) you buy a crate only to find that there are four at the bottom that are mushy. But I love them because they are portable, sweet, juicy and delicious. Kroger had a great sale on them this past week, so go buy yourself a crate ASAP and enjoy. Build up that Vitamin C so you don't get sick like me :)

Weekly Weigh In: A Welcome Gain

So, remember how earlier this week, I said that I had gained a ton over Thanksgiving? Well, y'all were right in that it peeled off of my body this week. Officially, I have a gain of 0.4 pounds for the week, but that's soooooooo much better than the 4+ pounds that I was showing last Friday. And, what makes me more grateful is that since I couldn't go to the gym this week, I still was able to lose that weight without exercise and just watching my diet. WOO. I think that sometimes I fall into the trap of exercising so I can eat more, which is not the best mentality. But I think this week helped me get back on track for the rest of the year :) Hope you have a good weekend!

I finally figured it out!!

I'm feeling a wee bit better today. My nose has somewhat cleared up (not running, just congested) and I have a bit of a dry annoying cough (do I sound like a cold medicine commercial or what?), but that's better than how I felt yesterday. However, I'm really disappointed that I didn't go to the gym at all this week (except for spinning on Sunday afternoon) and that I won't be able to run my 5K on Sunday. I kind of wish there was a Turkey Trot for Christmas... so I started googling. My hometown sponsers a First Night celebration and a part of it... wait for it... is a 5K!!!! I can't imagine a better way to 1) blow out a successful 2008 and 2) make sure I don't completely pig out over the holidays. Even better is the fact that I just registered for it. I checked out the course, and it's something that I can completely do. I think I'm going to concentrate on some hill running as soon as I'm completely over my cold because the middle section is a bit of hill running. But I'm so excited about this!!!

excuse me while i go back to my regularly scheduled coughing and nose blowing....

Biggest Loser Recap: Crazy Crazy Vicky

Greetings from sickly Kiki. I ended up spending the day in my pajamas, grading away. No gym for me. Also, not really much sleep either (stupid cold). I'm actually feeling a little worse today... seems like my cold is now migrating into my throat/chest area. Lovely. So, it'll only be a matter of time before I call my doctor for my wonder drug (ZPac please!) I've also decided that there will be no 5K for me on Sunday. Mad props to y'all who can run while having the largest sinus headache of your life, but me? I've been taking it easy this week, and I want to get over this cold. There will be more 5Ks in the future, and you KNOW I'll be there.

SPOILER ALERT. STOP READING NOW.


Anyway... BL. Ali tells them to pack up and that they're heading to NYC for their huge makeovers that they're going to debut on the Tyra Banks show (another crazy who I love!). Sounds good until Christian Siriano shows up. As a Project Runway fan, I have to say Christian has become the most overexposed caricature of any of the winners. Seriously, he has to go. BRING TIM GUNN BACK!!! And while people seemed to be raving about all those dresses he picked for the ladies, I'm sorry... hippy girls + pockets on dress = more attention drawn to the hips. My favorite dress that I bought over the summer had flimsy little pockets, but these were just big and bulky. Vicky's hips looked ridiculous with that belt (even I felt bad for her) and I just don't think that Christian had any idea what he was doing dressing a fuller figured woman. Tim Gunn is much more experienced at that. (DID YA HEAR ME NBC???? I WANT MY TIM GUNN!!!!!) Getting to see their families was cool, especially Michelle and her dad (aren't they adorable?) but like Jillian and Bob reminded them in Times Square, they were there for a reason: to lose weight, not to be all glammed up.

Okay, back to the ranch and the challenge for this week. At first, I thought it was the combination of my cold and grading, but the challenges are getting dumber and dumber as the season goes on, no? Here's a plexiglass box. Wedge yourself up in there and stay the longest. Then you get to go on a two week spa vacation. Um, what? NO SENSE. Also, if they can't hold themselves up, they have to drop down into the pool. Vicky stays up there for all of two seconds and then she sits on the divider between her and Michelle, refusing to fall. At this point, Roses by Outcast started playing in my head... you know, the last part of the song where they just keep repeating "crazy crazy b!tch"... yup, that's what I was thinking about Vicky. What on *earth* was she trying to prove by doing that? I loved how Heba was getting mad at her and telling Michelle to push her in. Eventually, Michelle won (rock on!) and they had to sit there for another 10 or 15 minutes before Vicky decided to drop in the water. Then she gave this little speech about how she doesn't trust herself, blah blah blah. It might have been sincere, but seriously, Vicky is like the boy who cried wolf. No one wants to deal with that crap anymore.

Last chance workout.... Jillian's freaking out because she's nervous (she's just a bundle of nerves this season, no?).... weighins: Ed and Renee fall below the yellow line and OF COURSE Vicky votes to keep Ed (you have to say when she puts her mind to something she does it). Renee goes home but looks fabulous! Girlfriend is a size 8. Wow!!! But we know next week is when the final three get to move forward. And just like last year, the public gets to choose who out of the bottom two moves on. Oh, please, let Vicky be in the bottom two. I'd love to vote her off. Me. Vote her off. You too.

Time for more tissues and a hot shower. Toodles!

All Vicky Haters!!!!

You must watch this video... all the way to the end. The last 20 seconds are priceless!!!
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3994492/10822908

As for me, I'm busy grading and fighting a cold. I'm going to spin tonight, and then sit my butt in front of the tv and grade some more while watching BL. Hope you enjoy the video!

Holiday Season: 1, Kiki: 0

When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was less than happy. I seem to have gained a ridiculous amount of weight over the Thanksgiving holidays, although part of it is from my good ol' PMS bloating. I promise not to moan too much about it, but here on my thoughts on how Thanksgiving one upped me.

I don't understand how I am able to eat right and exercise regularly when I'm at home, but when I go to my mom's house, it's like everything I've done has gone out the window. I did this over the summer when I took my month-long vacation there, and it happened again last week. What's the solution? I can't not visit my mom (and it isn't her at all)... it's me. It's treating the holidays like every other day of the week. Or maybe, instead of treating the holidays like a week long treat or a month long treat (depending how you see it), allow myself to indulge on just that one day instead of having a week long feast on homemade truffles (which I made), fresh French bread from the bakery down the street, bagels with cream cheese (there was Fiber One cereal in my mom's pantry, but I *wanted* that bagel), etc.

I am a bit disappointed in myself. And I think I'm a little scared about the upcoming Christmas/New Years combo. I feel like I never really learned self-control regarding my eating because my rule is to not buy things that I know I will pig out on. But when I go visit friends and family, and they have that stuff (which, duh, they're allowed to), I have no self-control. So, that is what I need to spend the rest of this month preparing: my self-control. I seem to have a stressful three weeks ahead of myself as the semester winds down, so self-control will come into play a ton over the next few weeks. I think it'll be a good test for Christmas break.