Monday, May 30, 2011

Weigh-in no. 39

I made a promise at the very beginning that I wouldn't apologize for not posting, but that I would post at least once per week with a weigh-in and post more if/when I had time.  That has definitely been the case for the last three weeks!  

I know it can get quite boring of only seeing weigh-in posts, and don't think I haven't been thinking of things that I need to post about, but as time ticks on and the completion date for my Ph.D dissertation looms ever closer, I am finding that whatever energy I have to write needs to be funneled into that rather than my blog.

I am due to turn in on 30 September.

I have 4 months from today.

4 months!!!!!

*start panic now*

It's do-able.  Between trying to hole myself up away from distractions (including cutting myself off completely from the internet) so I can hammer out the last bits and working out to try to 1) keep losing weight and not regress and 2) manage my stress, I just don't have much time for much else beyond trying to keep some sanity and some semblance of normalcy in my life outside of those two things.

However, I do have some observations that I think I want to share this coming week if I'm able to find a bit of time to just sit and write them out.  In short, despite the occasional panic that I'm trying hard to keep control of and use to motivate rather than consume me, I feel like I'm in a good place.  I'm happy with my weight loss and personal development progress.  I'm happy with what my body is able to do.  On the whole, despite this Ph.D submission malarky, life is good.  And for that I'm very thankful.

Plus, it's my 35th birthday at the end of the week and I'm going on holiday to please-God-let-it-be-sunny-and-warm Cornwall!!  It's the last hurrah before a summer of endless (well, not endless....4 months...eeek!) days in the library glued to my laptop cranking out world-changing Ph.D passable words and ideas.

So, yeah....I have some thoughts and reflections that I want to share but not enough time today.  Today is a belated weigh-in.  I did the weigh-in yesterday, but just didn't get a chance to post it as yesterday was spent with a friend whom I'd not seen in 3 years.

Anyway....on to the weigh-in....
weigh-in no. 39 (-1.6)

Starting weight:   327.0
Last week:           272.4
This week:           270.8    
Loss of                  - 1.6
Total Loss          -  56.2 lbs 

By UK weight measurements, I have now 
lost 4 stone.
 1 stone = 14 lbs.  
No idea why it's still used - I always have to do math in my head to covert it, but oh well.

Also, this past week I met one of my birthday goals: to swim 1 mile.  I went in on Friday for a swim, thinking I'd push myself and do .75 mile (48 lengths) so that I could hopefully complete my 1 mile (64 lengths) goal by Thursday of this week.  So at 9:32am I started swimming.  By 10:00am, I had done 1/2 mile and was feeling good.  By 10:20 I had done .75 mile and started thinking, "If I keep going for an hour, I wonder if I would have done a mile?"  At 10:32, I had 4 more lengths to do to have done a mile, so I kept going.....and so I did a mile in 1:06!!  I couldn't believe it.  I was prepared to take a couple hours to do a mile when I got around to doing it this week.  Not too shabby.

And I have to say I'm enjoying the muscle definition I'm gaining in my upper arms and shoulders as a result of the swimming.  It's kind of hard to take a picture of your own arm/shoulder, but hey....



I'm going to try to post more in the next day or two related to the reflections I have and mentioned above.  I also plan to weigh-in on Friday morning (3 June, my birthday) to see how I've done in achieving the birthday goals I set, although I may not get to post it until I'm back from holiday on Tuesday.  Will do what I can and, in the meantime, on to losing more and seeing more of that beautiful muscle!!

How was your weekend?  
Any reflections you've got percolating you want to share?

6 comments:

  1. Congrats on the loss and the mile!!! We don't really have a public pool close to me so I don't get the opportunity to swim. I would love to swim as a change of pace so I may have to drive the distance every once in a while :)
    I have updated my blog as well because today I reached my first goal of 10lbs. lost!!
    http://myjourneytolose120pounds.blogspot.com/

    Anyway, congrats again, you really are an inspiration!!

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  2. Totally love this: "despite the occasional panic ... I feel like I'm in a good place" That's so crucial, especially with school deadlines and other life things that never seem to go away, even though we'd love them to!

    And - great job on the swimming goal! I bought a suit but can't seem to motivate and get back in the water. I think it's because I don't actually know how to swim - I know how to not drown, but I'm not doing any fancy strokes. I swam once this month and I'll be back in tomorrow - I love it, I'm just not good at it.

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  3. Way to go Jayme! You are doing so good.

    I need some exercises for my arms. They are freakishly gross IMO. Blah!

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  4. Great job on the loss. Even greater job on being so close to defense.I know how great that feels. It sounds like you are disciplined which will get you finished. Stay strong in these last few months o you finish. The dissertation is over before you know it. You will have a number of skills, plus you will be a full fledged researcher. Keep going and don;t be too hard on yourself. Michele.

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  5. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JAYME!!!!!!!! Weeeeeee!
    I know how you feel about the dissertation...I have so much due for my grad school applicants in December, it's terrifying!

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