Checking In...

So I blogged back at the end of May that I was done being overweight and that I was officially getting into shape and training for a marathon.  I also blogged that mistakes would be made--and so they have been.

After I posted that blog, I went about a week where I was seriously trying to work out, at least a little, every day and I tried to kick the soda habit.  Didn't work.  I got bored with the treadmill, couldn't resist the caffeine cravings and I went right back to my same old, same old.  Marathon training came to a speedy halt.  I caught myself over the next couple of weeks reminding myself of the public declaration I'd made about running a marathon and telling myself that I had plenty of time, if I screwed up for a few weeks, it was no big deal.  I was lying to myself, and what's worse, I knew I was lying to myself, yet I still wasn't getting up off my ass and doing something about it.

And then, my sister came to town.

My niece got married 10 days ago and because of that, the whole family was in town.  My sister and niece stayed with us for a few days before the wedding and after the wedding we had a few days of glorious peace because my brother and sister-in-law hijacked our kids and took them home with them for a few days.  After a tearful farewell to the youngsters, my sister and I sat in my living room trying to figure out what to do with ourselves.  After coming up with and then discarding a number of suggestions, I had an epiphany.  I looked at my sister and said: We have a gym membership.  There is a pool at the gym.  To which my sister immediately and emphatically replied: We must go swimming.  We must go swimming NOW! 

For the next three days we spent time at the pool, enjoying the exercise, the whirlpool and most especially the air conditioning (it was 100+ degrees outside each day and the AC in our house was on the fritz).  We discussed anything and everything and one of the things we discussed was how we both needed to get back into shape but were having trouble getting motivated to do so.

And then I had an idea.  An awful idea.  I had a wonderful awful idea....except there was nothing awful about it.  (And for those of you who get the reference, kudos!) We could start a dual blog, where we could both post updates about our weight-losing progress.  And admitting that we're both competitive as hell, that could be our motivation.  Because, as I told my sister, there was no way in hell I was letting her get back to being skinny and hot before I did.  She immediately concurred.  (And of course we both admitted that getting thin wasn't the goal, getting healthy was....but seriously, who are we kidding, right?)

So on July 5 we started "Fat Wars" which can be read at www.sistersfightfat.blogspot.com.  Since then I can proudly say that I have worked out 5 out of the last 7 days, I've kicked the soda habit and lowered my calorie intake.  Since posting on May 31st about starting marathon training, I've lost 11 pounds.  Down to 245 with 85 more pounds to go!

And maybe the best news of all: my brother and sister-in-law (you know, the ones who hijacked our kids) are trying to lose weight too, and after reading our blog, they've started their own competition AND their own blog about it!!  So proud of them!

For the longest time I said I couldn't figure out what it would take to motivate me to get back into shape--but apparently, my motivation is competition.  I workout every day (or close to it) cuz I can't wait to post about it as soon as I'm done...and if my sister posts first for the day, working out shoots up in my priority list.  I gotta get it done so I can post too.  And of course, it's all healthy competition--I hope that my sister is thinking the exact same way I am, cuz Lord knows, it's doing me all kinds of good.  And if we keep it up, in the end we both win.  And that's the best prize of all.  :)