Major League NSV

I fit!

For years now, I've been so upset that I couldn't fit in the seats at Wrigley Field. The first time Brent came to visit, May 2010, I could scoot back a little but couldn't actually sit. Then, I gained 40-ish pounds, so in September 2011, I couldn't fit AT ALL. I spent the entire game on the very edge of the seat with my knees mashed against the seat in front of me. We ended up standing at the back of the section, which hurt my feet, so I spent the entire game in pain no matter what we did. I was absolutely miserable and kept crying because I felt like I was ruining our day.

Then, we went back in July 2012 when we took my dad, and I'd lost 10 pounds, but of course I didn't fit since I was heavier than the first time we went. We sat at the front of the section so I could scoot forward without any knee pain. We also wanted to make sure my dad had a ton of leg room, and that was the official reason, but the secondary reason was because I was too fat.

As you can see, I've been obsessed about these seats for quite some time. ;)

So, this time, I was about 15 pounds smaller than the first time we went. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to fit yet, but I did! Not only did I fit, I was comfortable. :) I could sit all casual and laid-back like Brent did and didn't feel stuffed in. I even wrapped a thick blanket around myself at one point (it was freeeeezing) and still fit just fine. I felt like a "normal" person, someone who can just go and see a ball game and not worry about something as silly as the seats. This is one of those things that so many people take for granted before they're obese. If you've never wondered if you'll fit in a chair, consider yourself lucky and make sure you lose weight before you get to that point, because it's hell to live that way.

I was going to have Brent take a picture of me sitting in the seat, but the angles were weird and we were in a high-traffic area, so he couldn't get a good shot. I do have a picture of the seats, though. They're those really old-fashioned seats designed for butts from the 1930s. See?


We also got a picture of us, after I'd wrapped myself up in a blanket.


Fitting in the seats at Wrigley Field was an item on my 101/1001 List, and it felt SO GOOD to hit that one out of the park. :)

OMG OMG OMG YAY!

Image courtesy of Ampersand Seven

Down 1.2 pounds to 299.4! I'm finally under 300 pounds! Yaaaaayyyyyy! /happy dance

Part of me can't believe it. I haven't seen a 2 on the scale since 2008, and even that was fairly short-lived. I got down to 265 that summer and went right back up to 300 the following January. The last time I was under 300 pounds for any length of time was 2003. It's been a long ten years, and I hope I never, ever see 300 on the scale again. Good riddance.

Weigh-in & Chicago

Image courtesy of Ampersand Seven
Oops! I missed yesterday's weigh-in. I had Monday off, so my brain has been on the wrong day all week.

Anyway, I'm down a pound to 302.6! Just a couple more pounds to 300. :) It's amazing how a couple pounds can feel so close yet so far away. I remember thinking I'd be under 300 by Thanksgiving and then seriously disappointed when I didn't get there by Christmas or even New Year's Day. It's gone much slower than I imagined it would, but then I remember being 350, 340, 330 and it doesn't seem so bad. I got stuck between 310 and 320 for a few months, but 310 - 300 has been sailing along at an average pace of 1-2 pounds per week. :)

-=-

As I said, I had a personal day on Monday. I took it thinking I would need a full three days to finally recover from bronchitis, but it cleared up Sunday night. I felt restless and stir-crazy Monday morning, so I decided to go to Chicago.

I was a bit too late to make the second morning train from Kalamazoo, so I figured I'd drive. Driving gives me more time in the city anyway, since the last train from Chicago to Kalamazoo leaves at 6:00. I wish they had an 8:00 train.

Anyway, there was a bit of a snafu on the way, as the toll road no longer accepts MasterCard debit cards. I told them they could run it as credit, but they had a fit. I had to shut the car off and run across six lanes of tollway traffic to the McDonald's in the toll plaza. I used the ATM then ran back to my car. My coat is purple, and traffic wasn't heavy, but I still worried about getting hit. I stayed near the toll booths, though, where traffic was stopped, and everyone let me through. It's kind of hard to miss a fat girl in a purple coat. ;)

Once I got to Chicago, I parked in the economy lot at Midway and took the Orange Line into the city. I wouldn't normally park that far out, but taking the Orange Line from Midway into the Loop completes one step of my goal to ride every CTA line from end to end. :) I'm also SUPER close to completing the Red Line; I only have three stops to go. They're on the far south side, though, so I'll have to do that during the day and sit behind the conductor, just to be safe.

I had a good time in the city. I mostly just walked around and looked at buildings. I saw The Rookery and Chicago Board of Trade in the financial district on LaSalle. Then I went to Hershey's to get a gift for Brent and the gift store in the Hancock Building. They used to have really nice pictures and posters of Chicago, but I didn't see any this time.

After that, I went to Gino's East for dinner. I'd kind of hoped they sold pizza by the slice, but the smallest deep dish option was four pieces. I can barely eat two, so I skipped the pizza and ordered pasta. To be honest, I didn't like it, but I was pretty full from the chicken nooodle soup I got as an appetizer (which was very good), so it was no big deal.

I took the #151 bus to the Sears Tower, as I've always wanted to see The Ledge. The wait wasn't too bad, even though the express elevators were under maintenance. I waited about 30 minutes to go up and then 30 minutes again to go down.

The Ledge was awesome! I kept offering to take pictures for couples while standing there, and one of them offered to take my picture in return. I don't like my glasses (they're my old pair), but I love that you can see the city all around me.





It was quite an adrenalin rush. It was a lot of fun, but every time I looked down, I had to fight my brain's urge to push me back onto the regular floor. I could literally feel the muscles in my legs trying to turn and move back, even though I was fine. It was pretty funny and a very good lesson in biology/psychology.

After my fun on The Ledge, I took the Orange Line back to Midway, picked up my car, and drove home. I took I-94 instead of the Skyway this time, to avoid more shenanigans with the tolls. I had cash on me at that point, but I was still miffed about the earlier trip. Plus, the tolls have gone up quite a bit, so I don't know if the Skyway is worth it anymore. It used to cost around $2.80, but now it's $6.40. Someone suggested getting an I-Pass, since tolls are 50% off and you don't have to worry about carrying money, but you have to pre-load it with $50. I don't know if we'll drive to Chicago enough to make up for that. The only time we drive is when we're going just for the day; otherwise, we take Amtrak. So we'll see.

I really enjoyed my day to myself. I love wandering around Chicago and feeling anonymous in the big city. I'm so sick of Kalamazoo; I can hardly stand to even drive to work anymore. I need a change of scenery in a big way. Brent suggested going to Chicago as often as possible so I can get a break. I used to go almost every weekend, but that stopped a few years ago. Now that I've paid off my debts and have some extra "play" money again, I might do that. I have next Friday off since I'm working this Saturday, so I might head over there again. There are lots of things I like to do that Brent doesn't (like The Ledge), so I can use that time to do the things I like. He says he doesn't mind if I do stuff like that when we're there together, but I'd hate to make him wait or drag him to something that bores him. So these little day trips will be good for me, and then we can do the big stuff we both like during our trips together.

New Shoes

I had a doctor appointment yesterday. It was just a check-up to see how my weight loss is progressing and how I'm doing on the metformin and progesterone. So far, so good. We had a long conversation about how I get scared every time I eat, even if it's fruit or vegetables, because I'm convinced I'm going to stall or gain. He said that's common when coming off a plateau and suggested I see a counselor if it continues. I told him I was happy that I don't turn to food for comfort anymore and that I'm happy I don't sit there every five minutes planning an epic binge later that night, but now I've gone clear to the other side of the spectrum. Food isn't evil, and I need to convince myself of that. (I assured him I AM eating and not becoming anorexic; he did get worried for a second.)

We discussed the pain I'm having in my left foot and left knee. He didn't seem too concerned, thank goodness, and didn't recommend me to an orthopedist or podiatrist. He said the crunching feeling and sound in my left knee is common when a joint starts to wear and that it should ease up as I lose weight. He said to make sure I stretch, avoid anything with impact, and take ibuprofen and ice/roll my knee after working out. I told him it used to be much worse when I was 357 - I couldn't even get out of my recliner - but now it's just when I sit in a chair (like at the movies) where my hips sink down lower than my knees. He nodded and said that makes sense since it's like doing deep squats (which I'm forbidden from doing). He told me that if I have no choice, to try to put all of my weight on my arms and push-up, just like I've been doing but more exaggerated. He mimicked a pregnant woman getting out of a chair, which was worth the price of my co-pay. ;)

As for the foot, he told me to go to a running store and have them watch my gait, measure my foot, and get fit for some proper shoes. I'd been meaning to do that for a while; it was a no-brainer. The relief was when he said it was probably just arthritis developing in my foot from stress on the joints. He said that would also clear up with further weight loss and proper shoes. Phew! I really miss walking. That was my chief exercise the last time I lost weight. Plus, I'm getting really tired of babying my foot halfway through the Turbo Jam video.

I got my tax refund today (yaaaaaay), so I went to Gazelle Sports to get fit for shoes.

A really sweet young lady named Dana had me take off my shoes and roll up my jeans. Then she had me walk back and forth while she watched my stride. She said my left foot pronates a little, probably a habit from when I was bigger and had to waddle around my thighs (my words, not hers - ha!) She also measured both of my feet (right = 8, left = 8.5) and had me go up to a 9, which was weird, but she said it would be better since my feet need room to move as I walk. She said if I wear an 8.5, the front of my left foot is going to get shoved against the toe box every time it hits the pavement. Duh. I can't believe I didn't think of that.

I tried on three pairs of shoes: Brooks, Asics, and New Balance, and the Brooks Ariel '12 definitely won.

Image courtesy of BrooksRunning.com
As you can see, they have a toooonnnnnn of cushioning in the arch and heel, right where I need it. She also said they have "motion control" which will help keep my left foot straight. They wrap around my heel perfectly, and they make me feel like I'm standing on a pillow. I told her I could have stood in them all day. She nodded and said most people with high arches buy those and love them. I'm really happy. I kind of want to wear them all the time, even with skirts and dress pants. :) She recommended I try to wear them around the house (whine - I hate wearing shoes at home) so my foot can start to heal. I kind of wanted to wear them out of the store, but it's all gross and slushy outside.

I did ask if they came in different colors, since I love those funky purple/yellow/pink/turquoise shoes runners wear, but they only came in white/turquoise. Rats. ;)

They were $140, which is right around where I wanted to be. I knew a good pair of shoes would cost $100 - $150. I really didn't care, as long as they were good. I see it as an investment in my health and happiness. Also, I'm sick and tired of being in pain.

I'm going to wear them tonight during my workout to see how they feel and if my foot feels any better afterward. I'm so excited!

iPhone

I am very excited.

As a reward for my weight loss and overall awesome-ness, Brent bought me my very first iPhone. I've had this dinosaur phone that takes crappy pictures and doesn't have a touchscreen, apps, or any other cool stuff (I can't even browse the web) for years. iPhones were always out of reach, and when my Sprint contract was up for renewal two years ago, I still couldn't afford one, even at the discounted price.

This year, however, I got a $150 discount for renewing, and they had a $350 online markdown on the iPhone 4S (16GB). 16GB is more than I'll ever need, so I was super happy. The grand total was only $149! I'm so freaking impatient to get this thing. UPS has it on the truck right now. I already have a huge list of apps to download. ;)

I'm all about instant everything, so it will be nice to be able to take a picture from the train on the way to Albuquerque, upload it to Facebook, and say, "Good morning from Colorado!" or, "Having dinner in Missouri - look at this gorgeous steak!" It will also come in handy whenever I see something that absolutely must be shared with my best friends, like the kid with a mullet driving a John Deere tractor toy the other day.

Brent also has a dinosaur flip-phone, so he decided to buy himself a smartphone while he was getting mine. He can't stand Apple, so he got a Samsung Galaxy (whatever the new model is).

-=-

I have my follow-up doctor appointment on Wednesday. He hasn't seen me in four weeks, so I'm excited for him to see how much weight I've lost. I was 342.4 pounds at the last visit, and I weighed in at 327.4 this morning. That's fifteen pounds on the nose!

We're going to review my blood work as well, and I'm a mix of excited and anxious to see the results. I know that no matter what the news about my cholesterol and all that jazz, everything can be treated with diet, exercise, and medication. I'm really hoping to avoid diabetes, though. I had an A1C done a little over a year ago, and it was perfectly normal, but things may have changed over the past year. I suppose we'll see in a couple of days.

101/1001 Tracking

I'm going to back-date this so it doesn't pop up in everyone's feed. If it does show up, sorry. ;)

I'll never be able to keep track of these if I don't post the lists here.

Ride every line of the Chicago 'L' from end-to-end

Stops I've been to are crossed out with the corresponding train color

Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet

A - Almost Famous
B - Benny & Joon
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H - The Help
I - Inception
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P - Point Blank
Q -
R -
S - Sinister
T - Tower Heist
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -

Watch 50 of IMDB’s Top 250 movies that I haven't seen before

12 Angry Men
Schindler's List
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Inception
The Dark Knight Rises
City of God
It's a Wonderful Life
Sunset Blvd.
Memento
City Lights
Citizen Kane
Toy Story 3
Vertigo
The Avengers
The Lives of Others
Cinema Paradiso
L.A. Confidential
Some Like It Hot
Metropolis
All About Eve
Raging Bull
Unforgiven
The Apartment
Batman Begins
Up
The Maltese Falcon
Strangers on a Train
It Happened One Night
Notorious
Into the Wild
Dial M for Murder
The Graduate
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Howl's Moving Castle
District 9
Rocky
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A Streetcar Named Desire
Roman Holiday
Harvey
Shadow of a Doubt
In the Name of the Father
Mystic River
Let the Right One In
Shutter Island
In the Heat of the Night
The Searchers
Ed Wood
His Girl Friday
The Philadelphia Story