This is so tough to write...

Last week was more fun than you can possible  imagine. It was also fraught with food, wine, Bourbon and more food. I debated putting it all in writing, but here goes.

I only went to the gym on Monday and Tuesday last week. I know. I vowed to make it 4 days and only made it two. It went downhill from there. Wednesday I had a semi-work-related wine and food tasting thing at my local winery. There were several caterers showing off their stuff. Oh my. The bacon caramel corn and collard green wrapped sushi. The build your own bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and olive oils. And cupcakes. We sipped wine and tried everything. Somethings twice. Luckily they ran out of bacon caramel corn before I could go back for a third. When we wrapped this even up, we went to my local watering hole and I had a couple of shots of Bourbon. And, even though we didn't need it, we ordered two small pizzas and some deviled eggs. By the time the winery staff showed up the kitchen was closed so we wandered across the street for some Mexican food. I thought I would get a small burrito (there were two larges sizes on the menu) and it turned out to be enough to cover a platter. It went home with me and became breakfast. I woke at 4 am with severe GERD and almost throwing up. Two doses of baking soda later...I managed to get back to sleep. Then at noon, Sarah (who had been with me last evening) stopped by and held up a note which said, "I need grease." So, instead of a healthy lunch at work, we opted for grease next door. A patty melt, fries and vanilla milkshake later, I was comatose. Dinner that evening was at Scott's Seafood Restaurant. Nothing like more Bourbon and popcorn shrimp to top off a binge. During dinner, I kicked off my shoes. When I tried to slide them back on, they barely fit. My feet were swollen from all the salt. I tried detoxing on Friday and Saturday and did pretty good. But I was up in Sacramento and across the street from Marie's donuts. I needed coffee Sunday morning, didn't I? Well, Marie's apple fritters are off the hook. So are the glazed old-fashioned donuts. Don't forget the buttermilk bars. I had one of each with my coffee. In an effort to even out the fats, sugars, etc., I had a pint of blueberries for lunch. All followed by sushi for dinner.

I did not have the guts to get on the scale throughout this binge. This mornign I faced the music. All that food, no gym. I was prepared to throw myself off the bridge for having undone all the work of the past 6 months in one week. I was down 1.2 lbs from my previous low. I hadn't even seen my previous low in a month. I don't know what happened. I'm just going to take it as a gift. Rather like the cop not catching me speeding.

I bought them...

Two pair of the next size smaller jeans are now in my closet. OMG, they're tight but I can zip them up. I may have to wear them once before I could sit on a plane all night with them. I certainly can't put them through the drier before vacation!!! It doesn't matter; they are mine and they zip.

Slowly....

My massage therapist stopped over last evening. I skipped the gym for a massage. I'm trading massages for marketing advice.

Ralph does a fabulous job. I hadn't had a really good massage for months and he was almost afraid to touch my back. I have had legendary knots in my back. I used to commute 80 miles each way and spend 10 hours at my desk. No exercise of any kind. I was held together by the knots in my muscles. He was SHOCKED at how my back was almost knot free. I highly recommend him.

And I still don't hurt from the crunches. Hm. I suppose that means I need to do more of them. I am NOT going to do an hour of them. I'm thinking I will add one more machine every week to my routine. Slowly. By the end of 2012 I should be really fit.

There's this guy at the gym...

I don't know who this guy is, but I watch him. Stalker. He's about my height and stock/muscular. He gets onto the ab machine and spends an hour. AN HOUR OF DOING CRUNCHES!!! Psycho. He goes non-stop. A smooth hour of crunches. I would like to see what's under his tshirt. Oh, sorry, I drifted off there.

So, yesterday, while you all were eating Cadbury eggs, I went to the gym. After my 90 minutes on the bike, I got on the ab machine and managed 4 sets of 10. It took me 2 minutes. I don't feel the effects yet, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm going to add a new machine every week now. Build up slowly.

I made a comment to a personal trainer yesterday that I will never be a Thoroughbred, I am more of a Clydesdale. He said, "Thoroughbreds tend to have weak ankles and have to retire early." I could kiss him!

I have set a goal. I am leaving on the 28th for New York and want to drop 10 lbs before then. I want to buy the smaller jeans before I go. As of today, I have 9.6 lbs. I can do this because I can deny myself anything for three weeks.

On track...

I had to have one of those meetings in my head this week. You know how it goes. "Susan, you've been doing so well. What happened this week?" I answered, "Well, there was the dinner out. Twice. Oh, and lunch at work was really good so I ate it instead of my packed lunch. Oh, then there was the breakfast/brunch with Sarah. I guess I shouldn't have had the hash browns and toast with the omelet." There was no real damage done, but there was no weight loss. In spite of going to the gym 5 days. It's time to straighten up again.

I also had not been utilizing my software efficiently. Yes, I still did the daily weigh in, but I wasn't always putting it in the software and I had been skipping entering all my meals. It's so easy to have more if you're not accounting for it. Always the accountant. It's no different than not entering data into my ledgers at work. Reconciling the accounts is a bitch if you don't keep track. So, I entered all my meals yesterday and probably cut my calorie intake by 500 because I had to account for it. I thought about a snack at 9 pm but knew I would have to write it down. I chose to skip it.

I also had not been having my 8 glasses of water while I was at work. I was maybe doing 4. Tsk, tsk. 4 is not enough. If I finish one 32 oz glass just before lunch, I eat less. If I knock back another during the afternoon, I eat less dinner. Duh. It's so simple.

The payoff...

Okay. I had a follow up doctor's appointment on Thursday and had my blood work redone on Friday morning. My doctor was very pleased with me. Then the lab work came back. TADA!!!! Everything had improved! I am no longer prediabetic. My cholesterol is under control. My kidney functions have improved. There might just be something to this diet and exercise thing. Maybe. I feel so much better than I did 6 months ago. So I need to reward myself....

With a  trip to New York City!!! I take the red-eye on Saturday, April 28 and return a week later. I'll be staying with a friend in Brooklyn and exploring on my own all week. How cool is that?

I have to work extra hard this month to get even more fit before I go. Yes, I will be walking a lot, but I will be away from my own kitchen and my gym. I can't allow this to derail me now. Go, go, go!