Literally Chasing Rabbits Now

I just got back from my nightly cardio routine. And after speaking all that fluff :) about chasing rabbits the other night, I saw one. I didn't catch it though (don't worry; I didn't try--I'm not all about traumatizing furry little cottontails :) ).

Exercised Off Over a Pound

I was logging my workout for yesterday in my MapMyRun profile. I have now burned more than 3900 calories. I looked up how many calories are in a pound. There are 3500 evidently. So since I've been logging my exercise (only a couple weeks), I have burned over a pound in exercise alone. :) That may not be much to most people, but I'm happy. It takes a lot to rid me of a pound, but I'm trying to do the work.

Also, this AM, I saw the lowest number I've seen since WLS (and since my second year of law school) on the scale: 181.9. That makes a 28.5 BMI. However, I tend to go by my average number for how much weight I've lost though (I weigh myself millions of times a day--I know, I know :) ). It is probably somewhere around 183 right now (unless it continues to go down--I'm finishing up my TOM, so there's a little hope I can shed a little more). Still, that's a little more than 20 pounds down.

To 5K or Not To 5K???

I did 3.28 miles of jogging in one interval...for the first time since I was 20 years old. YEA!!!! I also did another 1/4 mile on top of that. I am typing this before even bathing because I'm so excited...really smelly, I'm sure, but excited!!! :) :) :)

So, question: I am thinking about signing up to jog in my first 5K this Saturday. The final day to sign up is tomorrow (I think). By pushing myself to do what I believe equals a 5K in miles tonight, I am more optimistic that I can do it....so maybe I should? I am worried though that I'll get so nervous that I might not be able to make it or that all my anxieties will make me lose some steam. Also, if I do peter out on the 5K, what will happen if I begin to walk? Has anyone done that or have experience in seeing that happen with a 5K (you can tell I'm completely green in that area!)? I don't guess they'll kick you out of the race or make a public spectacle out of you, but I would still like to know. Or do they? Yikes! Any comments or help would be great!

Getting Thin and What It Looks Like: An Historical Perspective

In addition to my J.D., I have two other graduate degrees (and am working on another one right now). During my studies for one of them, I did an in-depth paper on college women's body images (and body image dysphoria). I did a lot of reading for that paper and found that there were some interesting methods of weight loss during the Victorian period.

While women came to understand some principles of dieting and would also take 'gentle strolls' to exercise early in the 1900's, prior to and even concurrent with this, there were the practices of corsetry, melting, and rolling.

Many of you are familiar with the idea of corsets. Can we say, "Ouch!"? Some of them sound VERY painful!

But there were a couple of other, possibly lesser known techniques employed by the poor, hopeful women of the Victorian period who were aiming to shed some pounds. One was melting. Women would put on a very tight rubber suit and sit in a tub full of water that was heated as much as possible (Ouch again!). This was thought to 'melt' off women's weight.

And then there was rolling. As you might guess by its name, women rolled on the floor continuously in hopes that some pounds would begin to slide right off as they did this.

Of course(t) :), maybe some of our options of weight loss today aren't always so much better: anorexia and bulimia nervosa, for example.

While I certainly share with my sisters of yore in their struggles to take off the weight, I'm so thankful that we have WLS available today. Otherwise, I too might be donning my rubber suit and heading into a watery inferno every morning. Yikes!

Oh, while I'm on an historical roll (pun intended), I also think it's amazing that time has shown such diverse standards of beauty from Renaissance to Retro.

Saying that, though, I personally want to be healthy. That may be more on the bigger side for me or more on the smaller. But I think being at my optimal level of health is what's important. People in my profession tend to pass away at a younger age because of the stressful life we lead (taking on others' problems and crises as our own is a big factor in that). There are lots of heart attacks and that sort of thing. I don't want my weight to be another reason I might cock up my toes sooner than I might otherwise.

Scars on the Brain

While it's probably been alleged that 'scars on the brain' is part of the problem with me, that is not the topic at hand. Instead, I've been wondering lately if my scar has decreased because my stomach has. I have used Mederma and bought the stuff Catherine recommended at her blog (but haven't used it yet because I moved in May and went out of the country in June/July--stupid excuses, I know). I have not been slathering on the cream as much recently though and have still noticed some scar shrinkage.

Perhaps this is a silly question. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Duh!" But at the same time, I don't think I've seen this addressed on any posts. Feel free to cross-reference and cite posts if you know of one discussing this. :)

Just in case you are interested since we are on th subject, I had the two-incision injection that some of Dr. R's other patients had. I will try to post pics of my lovely scar (and the small one, which is probably better classified as a mini-scar :) ). This I don't think I could ever do were I not anonymous...nor tell my weight...nor my BMI...etc., etc. I applaud all of you fearless wonders out there whom I'm in awe of. I'm such a fraidy chicken.

Never seen a fraidy chicken?
Here are a couple of varieties so that you can better identify us if the need arises! :)

While I Usually Put Termites to Shame With My Eating Habits....

....tonight, I only had a soup and a little of the appetizer. For lunch, I had the salad bar at a local restaurant (and didn't get much OR clean my plate). For breakfast, I had a low-fat Jello Puddng. I haven't even felt that hungry all day. I could have a messed up stomach though...I won't go into that as I think I've maxed out for the year on my lack of netiquette (I'm truly not this gross in real life, I promise). :)

I do hope I'm finally turning over a new leaf though...on second thought, is it better to be a caterpillar than a termite? This is evidently why I need a lapband: everything reminds me of food or eating! :) :) :)

Termites Versus Caterpillars
(Sounds like a sporting event)

Make Up Exercise, Etc.

No, this post is not about the proper application of make-up while engaging in aerobic activity. :) It is probably a little more on the disgusting side actually. That makes two in a couple days from me. I hope I'm not creating an association with myself as the Geerossafat Bandster??!!!! ;)

Either way, the story must be told. Today after work, I decided to do double-duty exercise since I slacked and didn't do anything last night. I would try to make up days missed walking when I was more consistently doing that a couple years back; however, it didn't really keep me motivated over the long haul or lead to super great outcomes (just aggravation), so I'm not planning to play catch-up every time I miss these days. I am seeking a 'life change' (as overused as I'm sure that phrase is in weight-loss circles, it applies to what I am after).

But as far as today's jog/walk, I was hotter than the fiery pits of the place that starts with the 'H'. I mentioned on Lap Band Labyrinth's page my desire to run through random neighbors' sprinklers. I restrained myself...this time...thoughI can't promise I won't in the future, but don't worry, I'll try to post from my jail cell if I am arrested for trespassing, ordinances against general or specific acts of crazyiness, or otherwise.

Back to the jog/walk....no fewer than a million people (I like big fish stories! ;) ) slowed down, it seemed, to stare at the poor, sweating, panting, smelly, semi-nauseous, jiggling, super slow, about-to-fall-on-her-face-from-exhaustion-and-heatstroke jogger. I also haven't shaved in about a week. I know that's gross, but as Michele, a fellow bandster, mentioned recently, we bandsters become a little more graphic what with tales of PBing, stories of gaseousness, and masterful displays of never-before seen 'before' photos (that while they would have made many of us the envied and admired well-fed women of the Renaissance, in today's world they are not really in line with the standard of beauty). But we are all GLAD that one another is sharing and telling it all/letting it all hang out (literally!) so that we can see what this process is all about.

Now, what was I discussing? I have been told that I have a stream-of-consciousness approach to writing (I am much better about avoiding this in work documents, THANKFULLY! :) ). I know that I chase a lot of rabbits...and, just as a side, if I chased them all literally, I would probably be at goal already. :)

But, back to the subject of shaving (I think it was shaving? :) ), I usually wear pants to work and run at dusk or after, so I don't need to worry with all of that on a daily basis. I also have a severe aversion to shaving too. It's annoying. I want electrolysis...but that's another, too expensive rabbit to even think to chase right now.

WAIT!!! Did my leg get detached from my body?!

At any rate, today, every single person on the street was checking his or her mailbox in unison, it seemed. I tell you, they came out in droves under the auspices of doing all sorts of yard work, barbequeing, and hoola hooping (okay, you caught me, I really didn't see a hoola hooper unless I was missing them when I was possibly dealing with heat-brought-on hallucinations about some leprechauns and dancing polar bears....hhhmmmm, they seemed real at the time...j/k) just to laugh behind my back at my legcupines, a distant cousin of the porcupine species (for all you Animal Planet peeps). Paranoid, you think? Not I! :) I do get self conscious whenever cars slow on the road when I am jogging or walking (although, admittedly, there are several speed bumps for which they MUST slow...with a new sign that says "Speed Humps" that we like to snicker about for reasons better left to the imagination). I just want all of the public world to get the heck on their merry ways and let me sweat, look completely disheveled and unsightly, and go on about my wilting of the poor plants with the terrible smells that are surely emanating from my body (yep, that's probably overkill on even bandster graphic acceptance levels).


Saying all that, I am now ashamed to admit that I myself also slow down in the neighborhood when I see someone running, dog walking, or engaging in any other variety of outside activity. I don't want to hit anyone, of course. But it goes beyond that: I'm a people watcher too. Well, at any rate, at least I'm honest about my double standards and hypocritical ways. I guess I can find some moral comfort in that.