06/10/2009 19:41
Last Day of School!
After a dreadful year, both personally and professionally, I am almost surprised to discover that today was the LAST day of school! WOOO!
Let the rejoicing begin!
Let the walking and racquetball continue, increasingly!
Let the dancing, pilates, and hiking begin!
!!! Too many exclamation points for an English teacher, that's for sure, but I am exclaiming my JOY at this moment. The talent show is finished, the classroom is clean, and the buses have all just pulled away. Thank you, JESUS!
:)
Will report back from NOT at school about progress...
05/31/2009 17:29
Yard Work vs. School Work
Yesterday I spent probably a total of 7 hours doing work outside in my yard and around the house. Some of it was at church, but most was just for me.
I mowed, weed-eated, cleaned the gutters, raked the "whirly-gigs" off the roof, hosed down the vinyl siding (which I'd been meaning to do for about a year), changed the treacherous front-portch lightbulb, pulled weeds, etc. And this was all after already helping out at the church for an outside maintenance day. Shew!
I was covered in dirt and grime from face to feet, sweaty, tired, and sore, but it was so much more gratifying than school work usually is. Strange that I spent most of my life doing work that doesn't feel like it ever has tangible results--at least not results that are immediately tangible. I teach my heart out for weeks, give a test, and watch them show they're learned nothing; but give me an hour in a garden and the results will be impressive and immediate. It just feels good to accomplish something and see the fruits of my labor--literally and metaphorically.
Both types of work do have something in common, though: they never end! No matter how much school work I do, I'm pretty much never, ever finished. Even over the summer when I'm technically "done," I'm alwys thinking about next year and wondering how to do things better. And with yard work, though the day's accomplishments feel good, I know I'll just have to do it again to some degree in less than a week.
I love the job that I get paid to do: teaching. But I love the work that I don't get paid for: gardening. And one of those two definitely burns many more calories!
05/27/2009 15:12
Rainy Morning Re-Start
Yesterday, after my revelation to re-start, I decided to implement a mini-version of the "Biggest Loser" competition with my parents and a couple friends. We weighed in this morning (each at our own homes), and we're going to weigh in again on June 1st, then continue each week until August 1st. Each of the six of us will contribute $3 per week (or $30, total). After those 10 weigh-ins, we will declare a "winner," and the 2nd place winner will earn $50; the 1st place winner will earn $130!
Pretty good deal, huh?
It's not about the money--though a little financial incentive wouldn't hurt. It is, however, all about the motivation and accountability, which I think we ALL need. And though it was my idea, I think it's going to be great for everybody involved.
So, in honor of a fresh start, I also started walking again this morning. Early, too early, but it was good. Even though it was drizzling--and then MORE than drizzling after I was about a mile out from the car--the walk was quite pleasant. My alarm went off at 4:50 AM, and by 5:15 AM I was walking on the path down by the river. I walked about 2.3 miles, and was back in the car by 6:00 AM, just in time to take a shower--though I was certainly wet enough to have already had one--and get ready for school.
My students thought it was ridiculous that I went walking in the rain early this morning, but I told them it was "just a thing I'm doing now," and that was it. I pray that I will able to maintain my motivation, especially since I am NOT a "morning person," by any means. Will keep updating...
05/26/2009 19:44
Took a Detour...
I am so embarrassed that I have not only made NO progress with my weight-loss since starting this blog, but I have even GAINED weight!
This past school-year has been so terrible, and I just totally lost my way. The blog was not the only thing I didn't keep up with for the past 9 months. I lost my focus, my boyfriend and pending marriage prospect, my self-esteem, and at least a small part of my mind while dealing with middle school students. I lost some dreams for the future--or at least had to re-evaluate them and change them--and I even lost hope for a little bit; thank God, though, that's back.
It seems that the ONLY thing I didn't lose over the past several months was any WEIGHT!
But, I have found renewed motivation and am going to try again. Part of my motivation comes from just not being happy with my body right now, and as summer approaches, I look forward to having time off, but NOT to having to put on a bathing suit! My 10-year high school reunion is also this summer (AHHHH!), and I just don't feel good enough about myself to go, so I'm hoping that this re-started effort will change that. Also, I'm partly motivated by being "cheap," since after cleaning out my dresser yesterday, I realized that I'm going to have to either lose the weight or buy new shorts.
Praise the Lord for second chances (and 3rd, and 4th, and 10,000th...). Though I am quite ashamed to have let myself stop losing weight and instead even gain back what I'd lost a few years ago, I am not going to dwell on the past. I am, however, going to re-start. And though I also considered just totally abandoning this blog and acting like it never even started, I decided against that, too.
I'm sure there are bound to be some teachers out there who get to the end of the school year and discover they've been living in denial about their weight gain, so... if nothing else, this blog is to remind us that we're not alone.
The Road to Nakedness just had a more-than-slight Detour, but I'm going to get back on track. I'll let you know! :)
08/26/2008 14:49
A long road to nakedness...
I have decided to start trying to lose weight, AGAIN, but differently this time. This time--as oppossed to all the other hundreds of times I have started this journey--I actually have a goal date in mind. It may not be realistic to lose 50 pounds in only 3.5 months, but I at least wanted to set a goal. The "real" goal I have in my own mind is somewhat less, say 30lbs in 3.5 months, but I wanted to set my sights a bit higher at first.
I've never, EVER weighed less than 200lbs, not since the 7th grade. I remember stepping on the scale in the spring of my 7th grade year, tipping it at 203, and never getting smaller than that. About three years ago, I weighed 265, lost down to a fluctuating 198-202, but then after a couple years of graduate school and working toooo much as a teacher, I let my routine slip, my good eating habits wane, and my weight rise highter than I was willing to admit.
So, there's no hiding it now. It's online. I start this blog at almost 230lbs, 27 years old, and otherwise quite healthy. Low blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I play racquetball, walk the dog, hike, swim, and even do some weight-training from time to time. I'm "healthy as a horse," as they say; I just don't want to weigh as much as a large pony!
People always wonder WHY someone starts losing weight; who does he/she do it for? Well, I do have a boyfriend, who I met a little over a year ago and who loves me regardless of my size, it seems. So I'm not losing weight "for him." I'm mostly doing it becuase I want to get married, I want to look gorgeous and comfortable in my wedding photos, and I want to, well... I want to look good naked! I'm not ashamed; I want to have lots and lots of shameless, comfortable, beautiful nakedness in my hopefully-soon-to-be-married future, and I can't wait until I get engaged to start setting goals. So... I start now.
I want to look good naked!
I'm not conceited enough to think that my "story" will help inspire anybody else. Quite the opposite, actually. My hope is that by writing this blog and keeping detailed records (just like I have to do as a teacher on all my students' achievements) I will not try to fool myself anymore, be aware of when/where I need to improve, and just be held accountable during this entire journey. I always tell my students to WRITE when they have something to express, something to achieve, a goal to set. So, here's my writing to help achieve my goal. It'll be interesting to see what happens...
