TTT: The band isn't magic...

1.  I finally did a sub-40 minute 5k last night:

I'm still not fast (more of a jog than a run, really, though at times it feels like sprinting to me), but at least I know I could finish a 5k before they started to tear down the course.

2.  Body pump tonight.  I'm actually looking forward to it!

3.  I had my fifth fill yesterday.  Hello, restriction!  I can feel my imitation Crystal Light going down ever so slowly this morning...

4.  Here's the thing I hate about getting fills:  the waiting room.  I find it's always crowded with a bunch of people whining about how the band isn't working for them.  What I overheard yesterday:

"I should have gotten the sleeve.  My friend had the sleeve and she's lost a ton of weight.  I haven't lost anything.  *takes big gulp of sweet tea out of extra large Panda Express cup*  And I work out for 20 minutes on Tuesday nights, too!  I wish they'd told me I wouldn't lose any weight."

*sigh*  I kind of want to get little cards printed that say, "The band isn't magic.  It only works if you work it." that I could hand out at moments like that.

5.  The traditional stop at Trader Joe's after my fill happened yesterday, so I come bearing another product recommendation:

These are delicious - rich and dark chocolately, and only 70 calories for 22 pieces.  Except that by 11 pieces I'm kind of overwhelmed by the richness and I can put them away.  So 35 calories for a me-sized serving!

And they have the added bonus of being dark chocolate and espresso, which are both things that the wife hates.

6.  I have to buy candy that the wife hates because if I buy candy that the wife likes, I won't get to eat any of it.  A few weeks ago, I bought a bag of individual packs of M&Ms, thinking that I could have a pack (70 calories) every once in a while as a treat.  Over the weekend, I went looking for the M&Ms for my first "treat" and found only the empty bag.  She'd eaten the entire thing before I even had one M&M.  So low-cal candy that she hates is crucial in my house.

7.  She also hates cinnamon imperials:

So those are safe around the house as well.

8.  Lest you think that I only eat crap, I have one more product recommendation:

I really like tzatziki sauce, which is odd because I don't like yogurt or cucumber.  The Trader Joe's tzatziki is delish and low-cal - 30 calories per 2 tbsp serving.  I dipped grilled chicken in it for dinner last night.

9.  When I was a kid, my father was a runner (a triathlete, actually).  He used to take me to the high school track with him and make me run - he would pretend that we were at a track meet and we would run relays and such.  My father is now almost 70 and hasn't run in years, though he still works out every day on his NordicTrack.  I have challenged him to an 800m race when I go home for Christmas.  I think I may actually be able to beat him this time, with some training!  (Though I'm not sure there's a lot of pride in besting a 70-year-old with bad knees...)

10.  At this particular juncture in my weight loss journey, I'm glad that I live in a warm climate and that the majority of work clothes I own are dresses.  Most of the dresses that I was wearing 86 pounds ago still fit me (although they fit me completely differently) so I haven't had to refresh my work wardrobe yet.  I have been through three pairs of jeans, though, and I'm about to need a fourth.  Not that I'm complaining!