Still no joy.

Today's weigh-in (clothed) 229.2

Still haven't lost weight.  Still haven't eaten right.  Still haven't worked out.  Still have the small goal of losing 2 lbs each month, and ultimately of losing 20 lbs by the first day of summer break.

So, I'm starting small.  I have three small goals for this week:

1) I will either walk or ride my bike to school three days this week.  That means there are two days that I can drive--I will probably have to use one of those because I will have to get cash from an ATM to pay the sitter on Friday.  Maybe I can do it on Wednesday and walk/bike the other four days.  But I'm only "requiring" thee days this week.

2) No coffee runs, either to the coffee shop or to the coffee cart at school.  I have a fridge at school, so I either need to keep nonfat "diet" "creamer" in the fridge and sweeten the regular teachers' workroom coffee with SweetNLow, or just not have coffee at all.  I can always get Diet Coke to keep in my fridge, after all.

3) I need to do some kind of workout.  I have several possibilities.  I've found an online video called Tony Horton's Pay It Forward (Tony Horton does the Beach Body workouts--I own some of the videos--including Insanity, and this one is geared towards people who are seriously overweight and out of shape, to get them started working out.  Guess that's me).  I also found a couple of workouts thanks to Pinterest.  One is called the Summer Arms Challenge, and it has exercises designed to tone the arms, plus a quick cardio workout added in.  Since it's mostly arms, I could probably do it during my prep period or my lunch time at school and not end up all sweaty, or at least not TOO sweaty, afterwards.  The same site, Skinny Ms, also has a Beginner's Workout.  I have hand weights and a kettle bell, so I should be able to come up with something.  If all else fails, I can always do one of the Leslie Sansone walking videos. 

When it comes to working out, the two biggest challenges I face are energy and time.  Energy is a "duh"--after all, I'm probably only getting maybe six hours of broken sleep, not restful.  But I think since Ian is getting a little better at sleeping, I might be OK.  Plus, if I start working out, maybe I'll sleep better when I do sleep.

As far as time goes, that's where I may or may not be making excuses for myself.  I currently shower at night so I don't have to do it in the morning.  I get up at 6, do my makeup and hair and get dressed, and generally give Ian a bottle.  Then I pack up the boys' diaper bags, if I didn't do so the night before, and get Brendan's milk so I can wake him up.  I wake Brendan at 6:40 or so, get him dressed and take the boys to the sitter's house at 7:00.  Since I'm not getting a lot of sleep, I really, REALLY do not want to get up any earlier than I already do (that's why I shower at night).  Ross is getting up with Brendan at night since I'm getting up with Ian; I don't want to force him to get up any earlier either, and since Ian could start stirring early, I just don't think working out in the morning is feasible. 

I've already identified a possible workout time during my school day.  I need to try it a few times to see if it is realistic.  If I use my planning time to work out, I need to make sure I'm using other time during the work day to guarantee my planning and grading gets done. 

Working out between the end of work and when I pick up the boys is not possible.  I have to stay at school until 3:30, and I have to pick the boys up at 4 most days.  If I walk or even ride my bike, I don't have enough time to squeeze in anything else.  Tuesdays I stay until about 4 because of my club, Wednesdays perhaps I will be going to the ATM to get cash to pay the sitter on Fridays, and Thursdays I stay until almost 5 because of my club.  None of those days could harbor an after-work workout. 

It would be difficult to do a "real" workout in the afternoon between the time I get the boys and the time Ross gets home.  I can't leave the boys unattended.  Brendan wants to play or be read to, and Ian usually needs to eat and wants to be held (afternoons and evenings are often his colicky periods).  Since I can't guarantee any time that I wouldn't be holding a kid, I can't say I could work out.  If Ian is calm, I could probably run around and play with Brendan, but that's about it.  And I really SHOULD use this time, assuming the boys let me, to start preparing dinner for when Ross gets home.

Once Ross gets home, we need to eat dinner, and then we have some family time.  Again, the boys require attention.  I COULD leave the boys with Ross and go downstairs to use the elliptical or do some other kind of workout, but he's tired after a long day at work, and I still have limited time with Brendan before he goes to bed.  Doesn't seem fair to spend less time with him so I can work out.  Besides, if I go downstairs without him, he'll get upset. 

Brendan typically takes a bath around 7 and then goes to bed between 8 and 8:30.  We still have Ian to deal with at this point--it's a good idea to keep him up so he'll go to sleep around the same time we do--but I could leave him with Ross and do a workout.  However, this is part of what little time I have to spend with my husband before we go to bed at about 10, and I hate losing any of that.  But if I'm going to work out away from my work day, that's the only chance I feel I have.  The other problem with this time is that I am afraid my getting myself all adrenalized and pumped up, I will have a harder time getting to sleep at night.  No way of knowing if that's the case until I try it, I guess.  At least I shower at night, so I won't go to bed all sweaty.

So, that's my dilemma: when to work out.  This week I'm just going to try the small, easy, beginner-type workouts, and stick to my planning period or lunchtime.  And I will walk or ride my bike at least three days this week.

Cross your fingers.  If I can't figure out a way to do this, I'm doomed.