Failure

weight: 224lbs
days left: 0

FAILURE! so, i think the biggest problem was the lack of a set schedule. i am a person of routine, and this summer definitely wasn't it! i had each of my 3 siblings over for a week and couldn't leave them alone to go riding. i ate too much of who-knows-what. and i really regret it.

when i get back from london and start school again, i will be able to set and keep a routine and i sure hope my next goals will be accomplished.

Phase 1: Failed
better luck with Phase 2!

Day 21

weight: 219lbs

days left: 26

today: 0mi

total: 124.3mi

the family came down to visit and pick up my brother. of course we had to go out to eat, but i think i did well in splitting a meal and having a little bit of salad. for breakfast i had 1 pancake with jam and later had a fiber-one bar and trail mix for snacks. dinner was healthy, had the last of the chicken with gravy and corn.

the extent of my exercise today was running around cleaning the house like crazy so that my mom and grandmother wouldn't think my brother and i were slobs.

i read in the woman's guide that bikes made for women and really worth it, they fit our bodies better with shorter top tubes, higher head tubes, and wider saddles. in the idiots guide, he had said that women's bikes weren't really different enough to go hunting down, but i'm assuming that technology has advanced since the idiot's guide was written in '99. the woman's guide was published in '08, so yea. if i ever get a new bike, i'll try to hunt down a good fitting woman's bike, they are still hard to find.

my 9yr old sister is staying with me for the rest of the week. tomorrow evening we'll be going roller skating and i hope that we'll be able to get in enough exercise and not too much food. i have to try my hardest to be good, i can't spoil myself like i spoiled my brother with all the ice cream and root beer!

Day 20

weight: ?

days left: 27

today: 0mi

total: 124.3mi

my brother and i got back from camping today, therefore i did not write a blog last night. it was really great, we had a lot of fun hiking, camping, and hanging out in front of the campfire. yesterday we hiked through canyons for 2 hours and again today, hiking through canyons and up waterfalls and over creeks. it was really beautiful and the weather was perfect. this afternoon when we got home, we hung out in the pool and had a good time for about 2 hours.

food, hmmm, let's see, it actually feels like we ate too much, for camping anyway. yesterday we had.....ice cream on our way there, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and trail mix, beef brats, marshmallows, ice cream bars, and root beer. today we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate muffin, and chips. when we got home, we went over to my friends' house to watch the final World Cup game and enjoyed some snack foods such as chips, popcorn, little chocolates, etc. afterwards we went to have dinner at a drive-in, where we had hot dogs and root beer. it was so delicious! so yea, over the two days, it feels like we ate a lot.

i'm just hoping that the amount of food didn't exceed the amount of calories lost to hiking. we'll see how the scale shows up tomorrow!

Day 18

weight: 218lbs

days left: 29

today: 0mi

total: 124.3mi

didn't do any riding today, i took my bike into the shop to get a tune up, they said that it would take a week! what i don't get is why they won't let me bring my bike back then, they have to keep it there this whole time. makes no sense. whatever though, i'll be spending all my time with my brother and starting monday i'll be with my little sister.

i'm glad i haven't gained any weight, but i'm kind of tired of seeing the same number every day. how can i finally drop to 217?? i'm hoping that camping this weekend will do the trick, a lot of hiking and only hot dogs to eat!

today we walked a lot around the Tippecanoe Battlefield and then went swimming. better than nothing!

breakfast was bagels and cream cheese, snacks were cherries and granola bar, and early dinner was left-over chicken. was that really all i ate today?

Day 17

weight: 218lbs

days left: 30

today: 24.2mi

total: 124.3mi

ok, so i haven't blogged in a while because life has been chaotic and there was nothing to blog about. i haven't ridden, i've eaten too much, and i've only read a little. so yea.

but, i'm back on track now and i hope to stay there! luckily i haven't gained any weight despite all the food i've eaten, so i'm happy about that.

my 13yr old brother is staying with me this week, great time for bonding. today, our first full day together, we went for a long ride. he was able to keep up really well! we went all the way south in order to enjoy some ice cream at the Lindy Freeze in Linden, IN and it was totally worth it! the hardest part of the ride was when the country roads turned into nothing but gravel for about 4 miles. it was really interesting to get the feeling of riding in gravel for so long, i think i learned a lot about keeping balance and not getting scared. luckily i had just read a chapter in the idiot's guide about riding on rough terrain and that helped. the key is to let your front wheel go wherever it pleases, let it wobble it's way trough the gravel, don't keep the bike stiff. so now you know! but the book never mentioned anything on how to avoid inhaling dust that big farm tractors kick up!

we got hit with a giant thunderstorm and crazy winds so we weren't able to ride back. after eating yummy ice cream, we headed over to a nearby gas station and hung out there right before the rain started. it was a very accommodating station with tables and such, so we had a good time hanging out for 2 hours before my friend picked us up. it basically rained for the rest of the day.

when we got back home, my bro was exhausted and he just wanted to hang out and do nothing, so he let me go play volleyball. it was kind of sad because 2 of our teammates left us, they are moving to New York. good for them! we were able to find some substitutes and i had a good time playing for 2 hours.

i'm trying to read the woman's guide more since it's a library book and i have to return it, eventually. i like how it really relates everything to feminine things, like designer jeans and make up, haha. but it's a lot less detailed than the idiot's guide and there are not pictures. so it's good that i'm reading the idiots guide, that way i know what the heck she's talking about. but, so far, so good.

i got my membership package from wrcc. it's really cool, there are some pamphlets on bicycle safety and the indiana laws and a little booklet describing all the basics you know to know about riding, with a lot of pictures and diagrams. more stuff for me to read!

for breakfast we just has some scrambled eggs and a slice of toast with butter. for lunch we had an ice cream and boscos sticks. and dinner was delicious! this morning i got up early and prepared a whole chicken for the crock pot. this is the first time i've ever cooked a whole chicken, it was so interesting. and it came out great! lots of left-overs for lunch tomorrow!

tomorrow i'm taking my bike to get a tune-up, so i probably won't be able to ride for a few days. i'll just be spending time with my bro, i'm sure we'll be active enough to keep off the weight.