April 10, 2020

Day 1 of 3

Thank you all SO very much for the comments on yesterday's post. It sounds like so many of us are in the same boat! Gaining weight just plain sucks after spending so much time and effort to take it off. I will try to reply to comments tomorrow.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to do a three-day plan to just make myself feel better in general. I've been feeling terrible about myself lately, and I think these things will help. I started them today:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

Today was Day 1 of 3, and and I have to say, going into it knowing that I'm only shooting for three days helped a lot! So here goes...

First thing in the morning, I woke up and dressed in my running clothes. My body isn't used to drinking a full 32 oz bottle of water first thing in the morning anymore, so I drank half of it and saved the rest for after my run.

I headed outside for my run (one of my unspecified goals was to do my runs outside rather than on the treadmill). I'd put on just a t-shirt, but I was freezing, so I went back inside to change. I don't have any long-sleeve tech shirts that fit me right now, so I put on a sweatshirt.

I got about a half mile into my run before I realized I hadn't turned on my music. I was wearing ear pods, but listening to nothing!

I ran at what felt like a semi-comfortable pace (it was hard, but I didn't want to die, so I just ran at a pace that felt kind of hard but do-able).

I know a perfect two-mile lollipop route, so I did that. I didn't check my Garmin the entire time, because I really didn't want to know what my pace was. I just wanted to get in the distance, and that's all I cared about.

I felt so good afterward! My day hadn't even started yet, and I'd already accomplished something :)



It wasn't actually 6:52 when I started. It was 7:52--forgot to change the watch forward. I was actually kind of surprised to see that I ran at a 12:00/mile pace. I expected it to be slower.

After my run, I jumped in the shower. Then I got dressed in jeans and a gauzy sweater top rather than my black stretchy pants and a big sweatshirt.

I can't even tell you the last time I blew my hair dry or curled it or anything like that. I ALWAYS wear a messy bun! I was a little irritated about taking the time to do my hair and make-up (it felt like a big waste!) but I'd promised myself I'd do it and I knew I'd feel better about myself.

So, I blew my hair dry, and while I was waiting for my curling rod to heat up, I put on some make-up. (Now, I am not a make-up artist by any means, and I don't do contouring or use a million different brushes or colors or anything like that--I keep it super simple!)

Once my make-up was done, I used the curling rod to add some soft curls to my hair. I have to admit, I felt a LOT better about myself when I looked in the mirror. My weight hadn't changed, obviously, but I think I looked better and it gave me a little mental boost.


(I totally didn't intend to match my shirt to my couch, haha!). The necklace I'm wearing (I never wear jewelry!) was a gift from Jerry--it's a squirrel inside of a heart. I love it :)

I spent the afternoon cutting down some boards that my brother gave me--I think I'm going to build some shelves for my bedroom with them.

Later, I took Joey for his two-mile walk. I liked the thought of listening to a podcast while walking. We walked to my parents' house, where I stopped and chatted with them in their driveway (keeping a good distance away).

Then I walked down the street to a park that has a boat launch--Joey loves to run in there and wait for me to throw rocks for him *eye roll*. I just wasn't in the mood to throw rocks today, so I kept walking. I let him off leash at the park because nobody was around.



I could see a couple heading toward us with an off-leash dog (who looked like it was a black lab or a lab mix) and I leashed Joey before the other dog noticed us. Joey was DYING to play with him. I asked the couple if their dog was friendly with other dogs, and if they could play together. They said sure, so Joey made a friend today!



When I got home, it was time to start making dinner! I decided to make Italian-Style Lentils & Rice. This is a different take on the Taco-Style Lentils & Rice I shared the other day. You can find this recipe here: Italian-Style Lentils & Rice.


It may not look like much (I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, which makes it look mushier, but that's what I had on hand), but it's SO good! Jerry and I both love this dish. My kids don't like Italian sausage, so they aren't into it. But this is a must-try if you like Italian sausage (I like the hot kind).

I counted my calories all day--I'm still going to have a snack in a little while, though. But I did great with that!

The only think left on my checklist today is to do something to keep my hands busy this evening. Jerry and I are about to watch a show, so I'm going to get out something to knit while I watch.

I'm pretty impressed with myself for making through the day and getting everything checked off! Feeling positive for day two tomorrow :)

13 comments:

  1. Glad you had a good day!

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  2. Great Job! I'm going to start my 3 day challenge tomorrow!

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  3. Way to go. I am having motivation issues. Thank you for your blog.

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  4. This post helps so much. It inspires to do something, anything. You truly look amazing. I know it's no use hearing it from someone else when you yourself don't feel like that. But you are really beautiful.

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  5. Yay you!! It sounds like you kept yourself too busy to overeat!

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  6. It’s hard, but I didn’t want to die!! I love that... and it can apply to so many things in my life right now. I might be using that quote a lot in the coming weeks!! Thank you for continuing to share with us. You are truly an inspiration to many. Happy Easter!!

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  7. Great day! You introduced me to the Half Size Me podcast through your blog...I joined the community because I have also gained some weight (our current weight is very similar) and I find it supportive for the place I'm in right now.

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  8. The three-day goal sounds like such a great idea! I might try this for some of the changes I've been trying to make to my routine, with different levels of success. I love how creative you are in finding out what works for YOU. Plus you look so pretty in that picture! I've also been doing my hair and make up and putting on clothes every day. We may not be going out much, but the people closest to us still see us (on video call in my case).

    I still wanted to respond to that previous post too—life and weight can be dynamic, and you don't have to feel embarrassed about the weight gain. It happens. Your weight doesn't determine your worth!! I think it's great to get back into habits that make you feel good though. Sending my support!

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  9. Completely unrelated to this post, but I saw this today and thought of your squirrel feeder! It's in your neck of the woods, too.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/guy-builds-an-entire-tiny-restaurant-for-animals-in-his-yard/ar-BB12snYR?li=BBnbcA0

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  10. Awesome job for day 1!!! Its amazing how getting dressed and fixing your hair can make you feel so much better.

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  11. My husband veganized the Italian Style Lentils and Rice recipe tonight - SO good! Thanks for sharing!

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  12. You are simply stunning. That.is.all.

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  13. This is a great list and good job on the first day! Might suggest being a bit more mindful if you do the journaling - not multi tasking it while you eat, but dedicating even just 5 min listing something you are grateful for, something you are proud of accomplishing the previous day, something you want to accomplish today (even if nothing else were to get done you'd feel good about having done) and maybe just a sentence or two about how you are feeling in general. Really taking that few minutes to tune into your "now" and not letting it be something you do while you are doing other things. I say this with all due respect and love and knowing that I do a terrible job of it myself. I might adopt your 3 day challenge because I'm needing to feel better about myself too!

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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