Trouble with the Curvy

I want to start this entry out by talking about how much I love my Momma. I am about to give the impression she scarred me for life and this couldn't be further from the truth so to eradicate any concerns that I have Mommy issues I want you to know that my mother means the world to me and without her and her strength and sense of humor, I'm not sure where my life would be. So much of who I am I learned from her including my "people person" skills, my work ethic, and my quick whit. I am so proud to be her daughter and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I know I have mentioned before that she also obsessively cleaned our house all the time. There was rarely a time when you could walk into our house and find it anything but spotless. She was meticulous and her standards were high. Along with this came a certain set of "rules" that, for most of my life, I just thought were common sense. Rules like "before you do anything fun, your 'chores' ne

My favorite teacher in High School was my English teacher Sophomore year. Back then Lucien Holmes was an eccentric, charismatic, thirty-something that played the banjo, wrote poetry, and had a way of engaging every student... even the ones that hated school and made it their mission to make teachers lives hell. I sort of idolized him and couldn't wait to have adventures of my own that he would tell us about. It's been about 12 years since he was a consistent presence in my life and I miss him and what he was able to coax out of me in terms of creativity. I wish we could meet for coffee and just talk about writing, music, and life the way that people who appreciate "deep" ideas and thoughts do. He lives clear across the world now though so unless Skype comes up with a coffee shop I don't think I'll get the chance anytime soon. I've been thinking a lot lately about that time in my life. As part of his class we had to do a lot of writing and he left the t

In the past week I have walked at least 21 miles. I think it might be more than that but 21 is all I can really be sure of. Someone said to me today "How are you doing? You just seem like you don't have as much enthusiasm the last few weeks." While this is a nice sentiment I feel like the person was really saying "I used to get more out of you and now I am just not feeling like I get enough so could you go back to when I owned you?"  This person was right. My "enthusiasm" level probably isn't up to where it used to be when I didn't have a dog, grad school, and exercise routines and a huge work load to keep up with. I'm finding that enthusiasm is really only the byproduct of being fueled by life and right now I'm running on fumes.... like all the time. It also hasn't been good for me to not write a daily blog post. While it is definitely just something else I have to check off a to do list, it is really the only thing on those list

I genuinely have no idea how many, if any, men read this blog. If you have a penis and you're reading this. Thank you! You're amazing. However, much like the shark week post where I go into the perils of being a woman, I feel you deserve a warning before continuing through the rest of this post. If you have lovely lady lumps and a beloved (albeit completely inconvenient) vajayjay then I think you'll relate to what you are about to read and don't worry, this one won't be nearly as graphic... I don't think... While having hormones raging through your body isn't exclusively a female experience, have estrogen as the main hormone pulsing through your body is a special kind of torture. When you perceive yourself to be a strong, independent woman, that is tougher than a boiled owl and then you cry at the most inopportune time, the reality is hard to face. Sometimes I can't control my emotions and I'm pretty terrible at managing my moods. I tend to inter

I've been trying really hard not to be overwhelmed lately but it hasn't worked even a little bit. It has been more than two weeks since I've written a post and everything Pre-Brutus is different. My friend Kim once told me that when you have kids that you just get used to the new routine and you rise to the occasion. I still don't know how she does it and I have only a tenth of the experience of being responsible for another living thing.  I have to be very clear that I don't regret my decision to adopt a dog. This is something I've wanted for at least the last decade and I waited until I was in a position to do it and do it right. I knew it was going to be a lot of work and I knew it would change my whole life but I still don't think I was prepared. I'm not sure any first-time puppy people can ever be prepared for what it does to your life. Ben and I are used to be calm chill people and just about everything we do is pretty low key. I knew we'd h

Today is Miracle Treat Day! One day every summer Dairy Queen donates $1 of every Blizzard sale to the Children's Miracle Network. I've been waiting all summer to have a S'more blizzard and today was the day! I think this is so awesome that every year I take a big group order from work and it is always such a big hit. This year the kindness got spread a little further because Day's Jewelers is raising $100,000 for Jewelers for Children and we are doing a "100 Acts of Kindness" campaign. So this year, I told everyone who ordered that I would donate a dollar to the JFC campaign and if they wanted to beef up the donation they could donate the change from their Blizzard. I ended up raising $29 for the CMN and $50  for JFC! It is such a good day and I had Ice cream for lunch. I probably shouldn't admit that in a "fitness" blog but dear readers, you know me and you know this is barely a fitness blog. ALSO yesterday was a big day for me! Yesterday

The last time that Discovery Channel's Shark Week hit the airwaves, I weighed 200lbs. In the past year the world has seen the addition of Sharknado 2- The Second One, a puppy, and the return of Snuffy. What is maybe more important, it also saw the loss of almost 30lbs from the chub bucket. Back then I talked about making great meals and giving up french fries and also about the bloody process that is ladyhood once per month. Whatever changes I made back then have really made a difference. I could still cut back on some fries because I average having them about once per week. Once per month would be way better. That is a good goal to have going forward. I also am just as crazy when ladyhood shark week rolls around. What's funny this year is that they are overlapping... that's got to mean something right? I am down to 173lbs and I have Brutus to thank for my progress as of late. Unfortunately he is also an additional stressor when on top of riding the crimson wave, taking

I spoke yesterday of "my new life." I can't stress enough how much I really mean that my whole changed overnight. It has changed for the better for sure but it really amazes me how much my habits have changed so fast. Ever since I got back from vacation I have been little miss lazy bones... and if I'm being honest even before then I had a way of talking myself into laying in bed longer, skipping a workout, justifying food that's bad for me, and other things that made me 212lbs to begin with. My days staying in bed longer and skipping workouts out of laziness are officially over thanks to Brutus.  I also had this habit of over-thinking every little thing and working myself up to the point of frenzy. It is no secret that I'm a little neurotic but I think Brutus is even making a difference there. I am generally the kind of person that has to have my house clean before I can relax... to the point that I can be really annoying and get irritated if little things

Last night, just as Brutus and I were about to head out for our evening walk, it started to pour. So instead of our traditional route we headed to Coburn Park for some play time in the rain. The park has more grass and less mud than our walk route and it turned out that we had the whole place to ourselves. This turned out to be a really good thing because I found myself in a pretty embarrassing situation... Like a dummy I thought "I'll just go in jeans and a sweatshirt and I should be just fine." There are a few things I failed to identify: 1. When you lose weight it is good to wear a belt if you'll be running around because jeans that were once snug, don't stay that way. 2. Jeans in the rain get heavy... really heavy... 3. Jeans in the rain with poop bags, dog treats, cell phone, and keys in the back pockets are extremely heavy 4. Trying to play with a dog and running around while wearing extremely heavy jeans without a belt means they aren't going to s

Something had to change. When your workouts feel lonely that can't be good. A huge shout out to Holly Rae for keeping me company through texts and support and to Lindsey for reaching out to me and to everyone else that so kindly offered ways to help me out of my lonely workouts. The truth is, no substitute beats a walk buddy that doesn't care if I also listen to my book when we walk. Those are special walk buddies and I am so proud to announce that I have found one. Ladies and gentlemen may I proudly introduce Brutus. He's a Pulldog (Pug/Bulldog), only 3 months old and already the love of my life... Sorry Ben, you're a very close second (you don't walk with me remember.. that's how he edged you out....). You know that you've made a sound decision when you're not even a little bit irritated when you have to get up at 3:30am for an outside pee break, pick up poop, and continually clean the carpet when accidents happen. Housebreaking a pup truly is the

I fancy myself as somewhat of a photographer. I love being behind a lens and shooting. I love looking at the pictures but I really suck at sharing them. Honestly it is because I'm a little lazy. The fun part for me is taking them and when that's over I'm more focused on what I can photograph next instead of doing anything at all with the ones I've just taken. I want to be better about that so when we got home from our DC extravaganza I took some time to go through and print some of my favorite shots out. In the process I remembered I really liked some of the shots from my trip to Texas last October so I went through those too and came across this one. It was taken on the "compound" at the Wizard Academy in Austin. The big yellow thing next to me is t he hot air balloon from "Lost" where they find Henry Gale who we later find out is Benjamin Linus. The guy next to me is Roy Williams who runs the Academy.  I couldn't believe how I look in thi

My first blog (on Myspace.... #throwback...) didn't show many how many people read my posts. Blogs have come a long way since then (and hopefully so have I....) but now I can see just how many eyeballs land on the words I put on here. It fills my heart and makes me feel nothing but grateful. I was just reviewing the number of views for each post and noticed a funny pattern. When the title of the post is "edgier" there are more views. Specifically using "!@#$%^" and keywords like "wedgie" really seem to get readers fired up. Clearly you like me angry... :) Sadly, if you want angry you'll have to visit a Fox News blog because this girl runs out of piss and vinegar pretty quickly. Last night I receive a host of really nice messages of encouragement and "don't feel lonely I love you and I'm here with you!" messages. See there? It is you, my amazing beloved reader that snaps the angst right out of me and replaces it with warm and fuz

I couldn't decide weather to call this post "Piss and Vinegar" or "I Don't Care." Either way the sentiment is the same. I wish I could say the "after vacation funk" has subsided but it really hasn't. I don't want to put the energy into it and therefore I could easily slip back into old habits that made me fat. I really feel, quite literally like I am full of Piss and Vinegar. I want to care again though so P&V it is. I'm hovering around that 180lbs mark and I know it is because when I feel like I've had success it kills my drive. When I am feeling good like I've accomplished something I just don't care if I break the rules. If I could scream at myself without looking like a crazy person yelling at themselves I'd drill some sense into me. Instead I am just quietly fading off into chubby oblivion. I couldn't even motivate myself to go to the grocery store. All I want to do is shut myself off to the world and pi

The past two days have been kind of a blur. Yesterday was our work outing on the Corey's sailboat. It was a blast but a long day that left me kind of drained. To be fair Tuesday is the day that the energy drain actually began. Katie Cone and Walter Tuesday was the Day's and Darlings Ice Cream Truck for a Cause Tour at Day's in Auburn, So. Portland, and Brunswick. My day started early with a brain intensive project then I drove to Auburn where I underwent the transformation and became "Katie Cone." I spent the rest of the day dressed as an Ice Cream Sundae and dancing myself silly to attract people to the truck. The Darlings Ice Cream Truck for a Cause goes around the state of Maine handing out free ice cream and collection voluntary donations for their host's cause. Tuesday Day's was the host and the Day's Jewelers for Children $100k Challenge was the cause supported. By the end of the day I felt pretty loopy and pretty tired from all my sweet d

This blog keeps teaching me things about myself that I never knew. I always thought I was someone who was motivated by success. Last week made me realize, however, that I am actually someone who is made lazy by success. When I started this blog I was 212lbs. I didn't necessarily have a poor body image of myself but I knew I didn't feel good in clothes I liked and I always felt tired. At the start of last week I was 178lbs. I am considerably happier and when I go to my closet I am excited to find something to put on. I'm excited that I've worked so hard to shed the pounds and I kept the mentality while I was on vacation that I'd earned the fun I was having and earned straying from my routine.  Last week I should have been back in full force but I just couldn't find the gumption. I didn't want to leave my house. Every project at work seemed to just keep bashing my head into a wall, and by the time I got home I just couldn't bring myself to do anything b

I wish losing weight was more like an addictive drug and less like a friend who makes you feel guilty when you don't want to hang out. I'm having another one of those weeks where I can't seem to get out of my own way. My body still thinks it is on vacation... as a result I can't seem to get my ass out of bed in the morning to go play with the sunshine on my walk route. I can't seem to stay motivated and I can't seem to stay hydrated. Before this past excursion, I hadn't been on vacation since 2009. Having a week off was really awesome but it broke the habits in my head. I thought going to an awesome Zumba class would make me crave it again Wednesday but it really didn't. I don't know what my problem is this week. That being said it wasn't a complete failure of a week. I had a great Zumba session, walked Tuesday and Wednesday nights and I hope to get a good walk in tonight with Nancy before we commence out card playing. I also passed on cake T

I'm kind of obsessed with  "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me"... The NPR News Quiz. A couple weeks ago they invited Rick Schwartz from the San Diego Zoo to play their game called "Not my Job." They asked him about Zoooooomba (they invite notable people on the show to answer questions on a topic they probably don't know much about). The last question was this: SAGAL: One of the most successful Zumba teachers ever was Alexis Wright of Maine. She made over $150,000 in one year. How did she bring in all that cash? A - she taught self-defense Zumba, which taught people to disable attackers with their hips. B - she happens to be a dead ringer for actress Scarlett Johansson so her classes were known as Sco-Jumba, or C - she was a prostitute. If you're from Maine you have undoubtedly heard of Alexis Wright's modified Zumba technique. She got caught because there were so many people... Men... that frequented her "Zumba Studio." This made sense to

 Last week I was sooooooo excited to report that I LOST weight on vacation. Who does that? To be clear that was NOT the goal but when I weighed in after vacation I was almost flabbergasted to realize that I was a pound lighter than the last entry before vacation. Subconsciously all of that excitement lit a fuse to several calorie bombs I would ingest over the next week.  Success had a numbing effect on my hyper awareness of the choices I make every day that have helped me to lose 34 total pounds in the past year. On vacation the only thing I did was try to keep my choices reasonable. If I knew dinner was a big event one night then I modified my day meals so I wasn't overdoing it. It felt more like habit than anything. I've trained myself to be mindful of what I eat and how many calories I am burning throughout the day and it worked! Last week all of that went out the window. There was booze, cheeseburgers, fast food, more booze, and then there was the S'more cake... S'

I remember complaining about how I couldn't walk because there was snow and danger and how it would all be better in the summer time. At the time, I failed to remember how hot it gets. That's easy to do when you live in the moment... I haven't been to Zumba in about a month due to vacation mode and doing other exercise activities in it's place. The Zumba studio gets extremely hot even when it isn't 90degrees outside so I haven't been real excited to try it out when the weather is sweltering. This week was the week to get back into though and I've been itching to start losing again instead of just maintaining. Tonight will be night two of "Walking with Nancy." Bigelow Hill has a couple of really challenging hills and the work out is extraordinary and it feels so good to be outside, even in the heat. The best part? Afterward we can jump in the pool and cool off properly. We would probably do races and stuff in the pool for a workout but being the f

 Vacation is officially over. What a depressing way to start my first post in 13 days huh? Its ok though because vacation may be over but this is a short week and it looks more and more like the weekend is going to be amazing. Weekends are a lot like mini vacations at the end of every week. See what I did there? I turned depressing into amazing. My specialty... So many adventures have crossed my path since the last time I put some thoughts to digital paper. I went on the best road trip with Ben and I know we really dig each other because we didn't even fight after being stuck in a car together for a total of about 30 hours. A good 12-14 of those hours were consecutive... I think that is the real measure of whether a relationship is going to work out or not. Can you stick two people in a car together for hours on end and if they still like each other at the end, they can find a way to make anything work. At least that's what I like to think. The Stephen Kellogg Family BBQ wa

...when things are not going well. Unfortunately for this post, I feel like things are going extremely well and I'm so excited! The week of vacation is finally here! We embark on Thursday night for the Stephen Kellogg Family BBQ! He doesn't care we aren't family by blood and I will happily pretend for the weekend that we are! The suspense is really getting to me though... I feel like a kid on the Monday before Christmas vacation and the teacher really wants me to learn something but I just can't! I'm too stoked for what I'm waiting for...I realized today that I have not been grocery shopping in about 3 weeks. I really stocked up the last time so this is the first time I've run out of yogurts for breakfast and lean cuisines for lunch. The last couple of weeks seem like they have me off my routine anyway but I've noticed something else too. When we order out for lunch or get something at home for dinner for take out, I'm not over doing it. It doesn&#

One year ago today I wrote my first Trouble with the Curvy entry. I said I was on the brink of something smaller and with 365 days of hard work (that's at least 19% accurate) I am not on the brink anymore. Let's celebrate with a heartfelt song from Fred Flintstone: Thanks Fred <3 Means a lot Dude! When I started this journey I was 212lbs. Today I am 178lbs. That is a grand annual total of 34lbs. I have 3 more pounds to go to reach my first weight goal! I think I'm going to nail it :) This past year was all about making changes to my life for the better. When I look back I don't feel like I sacrificed anything at all. A few less crispy chickens from Burger King and a little more walking and shaking my tail made a huge difference. This year was about making good choices and knowing that I really wanted to actually accomplish something. Losing weight and keeping it off is friggin' hard. Especially when you are a lover of all things you can eat... well most

Last week was really weird. Ben worked late every night and, in theory, that should have given me plenty of time to write my blog. That's not how it worked though. Instead I got up early, walked each morning, then did Zumba twice, then walked in the evenings and got down to 176lbs at my lowest weigh in. I also didn't eat a formal dinner any night last week because it wasn't an occasion like it usually is. It made me realize that I like the art of sitting and breaking bread with someone more than just indulging in actual food. I think there is something to that and weight loss success or failure but I haven't quite figured out how I can use that to improve my progress. When I am thrown off my routine I am ecstatic to know it doesn't seem to effect my workout schedule. If anything, it motivated me to work out even more. I figured if I can't hang out with my favorite person I might as well do something active. It did not do my blog writing any favors though. The

Today is kind of a milestone. I have finally broken into the 170's. I have 4 more pounds to go before I reach my vacation goal of 175! As a reward for my progress I broke down and bought a new bathing suit. I saw one I really liked and I couldn't help but get it. For the first time ever I will feel completely comfortable in a bath suit! This is pretty huge. It is one thing to feel comfortable in your own skin but feeling comfortable in a bathing suit is a whole different ball game. I'm not a fan of the string bikini kind of suit (and that wouldn't change even if I weighed 110lbs). I am simply not the kind of girl that will run around in her underwear so why would the fact that it is made for the water make a difference? I prefer something with a little more coverage. Traditional bathing suit bottoms are glorified underwear and I would never feel comfortable parading around a swimming hole like that. The suit I found is more like a pair of shorts. They don't hug

I have come to learn from doing this blog that I don't do stress well. When I'm stressed I'm not myself and I'm pretty miserable to be around. Yesterday, with a research paper staring me down, I let myself get worked up and stress got the better of me. On my last day of a wonderful 3 day weekend, I was... well... a shrew. I don't think I'm alone though. I think we all have our moments that we look back on and feel a deep shame for being so absolutely ridiculous. Certainly sometimes it is warranted but, for me, when I get like that I'm usually being pretty absurd.... like "How come you're not reading my mind and just do what I think you should be doing?!" I should also note that I'm one of those people that when I'm all pissy I can't help but slam things around. Anything I touch, I touch with force. I'm not proud of that but I can't seem to help myself. Luckily for me, the love of my life has the patience of a saint. In m

Last week I wrote about how I needed some help in the willpower department. Many thanks to Theresa Beauchamp and Jen Porto for their advice and feedback. They both provided some really helpful things that changed my way of actually looking at willpower. First, I would never, ever, punch someone in the face for any reason (Cuz I'm a lovah not a fightah) but I did wonder if the way I characterized meditation may have been a little closed minded. I didn't mean that I don't value meditation just that I don't feel like I have time for that "feel good" stuff that doesn't actually help me do anything but waste more time. As Theresa pointed out, you can't knock it until you try it because you may be surprised. The article she recommends was pretty enlightening. It discusses taking some time to think about your food.. even just the first bite... and making the experience mindful however you see fit. As I was reading it I realized I kind of do that already witho

I leave for vacation on June 19th so I officially have 30 days to lose the 8lbs left to my goal. I keep hovering around the 180lbs mark and I need that to change. The plan for this week is to exercise my little heart out. I'll be walking every morning and then doing Zumba twice per week. In addition to that I need to be mindful of what I'm putting in my body to keep it performing at it's peek. Lots of greek yogurt, lots of veggies, and not a lot of bread. If I lose a quarter of a pound each day I'll make it to the 8lbs by the time I leave. I feel like that isn't really a lot and I should definitely be able to pull this off. That mentality worries me a bit because that sounds easy. If it sounds easy I'm hearing it wrong. I think my plan will work though. If at the beginning of next week I'm not 1 lb closer to my goal I'll know it isn't enough and I'll try doing a Jillian Michaels work out ever night I don't have Zumba. That's the insur

I really wish I could say that I did cave last night. I wish I could say that I went home and Ben had a delicious healthy meal ready that made me forget about my chicken burger and FF obsession. Is that what happened? No. Is that Ben's fault? No. I'm a big girl and I make my own decisions regardless of how bad they are. I talked last week about how quitting smoking was hard but you can avoid it and how weight loss is hard because you can't avoid it. I see now this was kind of a crock of s@#. When you have an addictive personality your brain processes impulses differently than those that are not predisposed to addiction. Am I saying here I'm a food addict? No. I'm saying that it is ALL about willpower. Last night I had none. My blood sugar was low. I didn't plan adequately and I gave in to a bad decision. Tonight I was researching tips to improve willpower and one of the articles recommended meditation. Really? Meditation? Where I sit and do nothing but clear

This is going to extremely short and sweet.... 1. I really, really, really want a chicken burger and FF for supper 2. Zumba starts in approximately 33 minutes and I'm still at work 3. I better put the thoughts of French Fries in my rear view as I speed off to shake my thing. 4. Wearing great workout undies today so no fear of crack choking 5. I am so close to my 175 goal for June that I can't possibly cave to the chicken burger... right?! <3 Katie Day 334 181lbs Feeling RUSHED

When I was a kid I worried that the day would come when there would be nothing left to talk about. Now that I am an adult who almost made a living on the radio I realize there will ALWAYS be something to talk about... that is until it is time to write in your blog. I'm a little surprised my writer's block hasn't hit before now. I did realize something kind of cool though as I was trying to think about what to write about. Each day when I sit to write I think "now what do I have to say that is relevant to my fitness goal? Sometimes it is food. Sometimes it is Zumba. Sometimes it is farts and wedgies (there is no accounting for class here...). I've been receiving some compliments lately on how much I've lost and when I tell people 30lbs they always ask "how are you doing it?" The last answer they expect is "I write about it" but that's the one they get. No fad diet here, I just talk my chub to death.  And I really think it works. There

Yesterday was amazing! The weather was incredible and me and 3 of my favorite Luces went on an adventure. First we enjoyed a picnic lunch then went on a couple of hikes to see some waterfalls. Just outside Bingham, in Pleasant Ridge Plantation Houston Brook Falls is less than a mile in from the road. It is a gorgeous place that we have been to often but it stuns me every time. While smaller than Moxie Falls, it seems more impressive because you can get so much closer. I felt the spray on my face as I got to snap photos and drink in everything around me.  Next up we went to Meadow Brook Falls. I had never been there before and my Luce companions hadn't been there in decades. It is a much steeper and challenging walk than Houston Brook. The whole route requires a lot of caution (for those of us that are coordinatedly challenged it is even more difficult). Once you get to the final decent into the falls though, some amazing individual has tied a rope to a tree that made the whole

Something really cool happened to me tonight. Before Zumba started I was stretching and this woman came up to me and said "I just have to say you look really great. How much have you lost?" My new friend's name is Mary and she absolutely made my day.... maybe my year. The kind words of a stranger often mean the most. She didn't have to approach me. She didn't even have to notice. But she did and she took the time to compliment me without even knowing my name. I hope that the world is graced with more people like Mary. She is pretty special. I went on to shake my thing and get a pretty good workout. My favorite instructor even made a surprise appearance. I love her routines more than any of the others. There is some flavor in hers that I really like. There were two bad things about tonight's class though that I really feel are compelling enough to share. The first is that the room was probably 15 degrees hotter than it usually is. That makes for some sweaty l