Diet is nice, but exercise?

So I've figured out one of the reasons I've struggled to lose weight lately.

It's exercise.

Now, to be clear, I have lost weight; I just tend to lose it, gain it, and back again. My diet is mostly in tune, but I have a tendency to eat high.

Why?

Because I'm simply not satiated on less. I will never be able to function on 1200-1500 calories. My current range is 1400-1700 or so. This suits me, for the most part, but without exercise, I have to eat at the bottom of the range to do more than just maintain (which is what I've done since my 3 lb loss. It has stayed off, though!)

The secret, for me, is exercise. With exercise, I can eat more. When I work out, I like the balls-to-the-wall classes, like kickboxing. The more I exercise, the more I can eat! I am pretty good at getting lots of protein, so I don't need massive quantities.

Exercise has more benefits than an increased calorie range, though.

When I exercise, my moods are SO much better. I'll ride the high from a tough class for at least a day, and just feel fantastic. I ache less, and my arthritis bothers me less.

I understand that not everyone can join a gym. Not everyone has to. Maybe your exercise of choice is a video, or even a walk. I don't really think the kind of exercise you do is nearly as important as enjoying the exercise you do.

One critical component of exercise is strength training; without it, your program is incomplete, and you're abandoning the most important thing you can do. Strength training boosts your metabolism, and helps you look and feel better in the skin you're in. I love to lift weights, although I do keep a set of resistance bands at home. Not to mention, if you're not strength training, as much as 25% of your weight loss can come from lean muscle... which *drops* your metabolism. To preserve it, you need to hit the weights! (Or body weight exercises, or resistance bands. You get the idea.)

The point is, while you can lose weight by diet alone... it's so much harder. Exercise provides more than just weight loss benefits... it has incalculable benefits inside and outside of your body.

Best of all? It gets you away from this computer. ;)

Look ma, I haven't forgotten!

I wasn't going to blog today, because I didn't feel like I had anything to say, but I realized well, I do!

Today has been a pretty good day. I actually did an 8 minute interval training video (the one linked on the first day of the January Jumpstart fitness challenge) and it was fun! A lot more intense than I expected. I've been concerned about my ankle, and that's been holding off activity, but I haven't had much pain beyond when I sit on it (I sit indian style a lot) and such, so I figure it's time to start testing.

I couldn't do any jumping, so I modified things, but my heart rate was definitely up (should've worn my HRM!)

I managed to hit almost every nutritional goal today, too. I stayed in my calorie range (just barely over the minimum, actually) and hit all my nutritional targets on the nose. The only one I didn't get was sodium: I NEVER hit the sodium targets. I was much lower than normal (I average 4-5k, today was just over 3k) so I'll count that as a win.

I'm going to keep moving forward, babying my ankle, but I know I need to MOVE if it's going to get back where it was. It's been almost a month now! Don't worry, I'm not straining it, and I'm paying close attention.

Anyway, things are going well. I just need to keep exercising every day. I'm aiming for 10 minutes while my ankle's still not 100%. I'll build back up to 30 later!

Exercise makes my whole day better.

Getting to the gym for a workout sets me up for a successful day from right in the beginning.

It gets me up early so I'm available to do the things I need to do. I'm a night owl by nature, and am happiest staying up until 3 AM and sleeping until 11 AM.  This is not, however, conducive to productive daily living.  When I go to the gym, I'm back home by 10:30 at the latest, and ready to work. Often, I'm home earlier than that and get more done before folks at HQ are even awake (I'm on the east coast, and work for a company on the west coast.)

It makes me more likely to make better decisions later.

I eat better. I'm not going to come home flush from a workout and stuff myself with sugary cereal or junk food. I'm going to have a protein shake, or make myself some turkey sausage.  It also makes me more mindful of the things I put in my body so that I'm refueling properly.

I move more. I'm more likely to do something active AFTER a gym workout than before.  Today, I rode the half mile to the nearby Fred's on my bike, instead of driving.  No reason not to, and I was already awake and functional. Lately, I've been driving to the store.

I sleep better at night. When I'm active, I just plain sleep better. I sleep more quickly (normally I'm up for an hour or more trying to fall asleep) because I've used my body, and it has more need of the rest.

I hurt less. The less I move, the more I hurt. My back will start aching from poor posture, my joints start to hurt from the arthritis (I'm only 33.)   In short, exercise makes me just plain feel better.

I'm in a better mood. This means I yell at my kids less, they behave better, I snap at my husband less, and overall, this whole family is happier.

If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

I love to move. I love exercising. I love being active. I never want to stop!

Change your way of thinking

It's funny how we get ourselves into a rut. We think about doing things one way not because it's the best way, but because it's what we're used to. We run the same path, we do the same exercises, we eat the same things, drive the same way to work... everything we do is habitual.

Right now, it's 82 degrees in my house. It's 90 something outside. I wanted to go for a run, but frankly, it's just too damn hot, and I don't want the sun in my eyes anyway.  So I was wallowing on the couch, hand over my eyes (no, seriously. Completely like the melodramatic stuff you see in the movies.) Moaning about how I wanted to run, and couldn't.

"Honey?"  My husband comes in the room.

"WHAT?" I snap crankily.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to run, but it's too hot. I wish I had somewhere to go running inside."

"Don't you have a gym membership?"

"Huh?"

"You know, gym? Treadmill?"

I stare at him like he's grown an extra head.

The funny part? I go to a gym a couple miles down the road for my classes, but the company recently bought a satellite location close to my house.

How close, you ask?

.25 miles. No, that's not a typo. I can actually get there in less than 5 minutes, on foot, without crossing any streets. As the crow flies, it's probably like .1 miles.

*headdesk*

I didn't think of it, because, well... I don't run inside. I like to run outside. In my defense, I was thinking of something like an indoor track. But I want to run, and I have access to a gym. With treadmills.

So after my meeting here in a minute or two, I'm going to go to the gym, and run in 90 degree weather. On a treadmill.

So when you think you can't do something, or you're in a rut, try thinking outside your self-defined box. Maybe you'll think of a solution you didn't before. Maybe the answer is staring you in the face. Talk it over with someone... even someone who isn't into the things you are. Maybe they'll think of something you didn't.

Like that gym membership you haven't used in a week.

Have I mentioned I love my husband?

Photo by FindingFlora

Zombies, Run! + C25K Free = Perfect Combination?

If you haven't heard about Zombies, Run! yet, and you're a runner (or a walker) then you need to go right now. It was recently released for Android, and also works very beautifully on iPhone and iPod Touch. I run it on my iPod Touch, since I'm not quite wealthy enough to own an iPhone. ;)

I've been walking on and off with Zombies, Run and frankly, I love it. It's good motivation. You get to listen to your own music, interspersed with tidbits of story from your mission.  The premise? It's after the zombie apocalypse, and you are a runner working for Abel Township. Obviously, with fuel at a premium, it makes more sense to send runners out for various tasks! You're uncovering the mystery of the zombie apocalypse, learning about your town, and more.  While you run in the real world, you pick up supplies in the game, which can then be used to build up your town and unlock more missions.

The really fun thing about this is that it's not just an audio book you run to... if you're lucky, you'll get hit with a random zombie chase!  You have to speed up a certain amount, or get caught by the zombies and have to drop supplies to escape them (you don't die.)  I've never had a random zombie chase. At first, that was an iPhone-with-GPS-only feature. They've released accelerometer chases for those of us not blessed with a GPS... but I think you have to run at least at a certain speed to trigger them, since I usually walk it, since I haven't experienced one yet.

Now, since I started running again, I haven't been using Zombies, Run as much, because I'm following a Couch 2 5k program, and need audio cues, since trying to stare at my watch and time it is... hard.  I'm just not that coordinated.  I downloaded the C25K free app, which lets me play my music and tracks the intervals I need to run with an announcement.

I discovered that C25K Free runs in the background!  This means that I can use Zombies, Run, and still use my C25K to actually run.  I did a quick test here in the house, and while the audio from the C25K app, is quiet, it lowers the volume on the Zombie app, so I can hear the cue. I don't need to understand it, because it's pretty obvious... if I'm running, the cue is to stop running, and vice versa.

After giving it a quick, five minute indoor test on my couch, it's time to break out the armband, and give it a real try while actually running. This will be my first time actually running with Zombies, Run. For me, it's been Zombies, Walk. I'm assuming these aren't very fast zoms.

Anyway, I generally run at night; it's quieter, and in the heat of south Georgia... much cooler. We're talking 73 vs 85 here!  I grabbed my dog's leash, started Zombies, Run and hit the start button on the C25K app.

Overall, I think it worked well as a combo.  The only problem is that the announcements for C25K are VERY quiet... difficult to hear over the music from Zombies, Run.  There were a few moments of confusion when the announcement for items picked up muted the music a bit, so if I had any tip for you, it's to turn off the item pickups. That way, when the sound mutes, it's to announce a run or a walk.

I didn't miss any cues, though, and completed my run successfully! The app also pops up a message when in background mode on the screen, which was a visual cue for me in the dark. I'm still not sure how fast you need to run to trigger random zombie chases; even though I was running for a minute at a time, I was unable to get one.  I'm probably not running fast enough, and well... they do say that accelerometer mode is in experimental stages!

I completed this run much more easily, because I was enjoying the narrative/music of the game without constantly checking the app. I think I'll continue to use these in conjunction. I wish I could turn the volume up on the C25K app, but for a makeshift solution until Zombies, Run implements their kickstarter-promised C25K options themselves, I think it will serve nicely.



Photo courtesy of savageblackout.

I'm not weak. And neither are you.

A lot of times we berate ourselves for not being strong enough to do certain things. Women are the worst, too; we can't do many "boy" pushups, or a pullup... we call ourselves weak, and plan to be strong.

Here's the thing about that: YOU ARE NOT WEAK.

Weak people don't even try to do a pull up. Weak people don't care if they can't do a real pushup. Weak people don't make a plan to be able to do new things.

Weak people don't challenge themselves. Weak people don't try to make their lives better.

Weak people are content to live in their own misery. I'm not. And I doubt you are, either.

Yesterday while doing Boot Camp, our instructor had us do a lift where we held our barbells out straight, lowered our arms, and raised them again to head height. (I don't know what that's called.) It's really hard, especially for women, because those muscles are generally "weak" in women.

I was annoyed with myself because I was only able to do 10 of the first set, had to pause, and finish the last 3. It was a total of 16 reps for everyone else. I don't like not being able to finish reps... I pride myself on my strength, and love that I can do it.

Everyone else raised their eyebrows, and the instructor said "I'm surprised you did that many!"

You see, aside from the instructor himself... I had the heaviest weight in the class. Everyone else was using 2 1/2 or 5 lb weights on their barbells... I was using 7 1/2.

That, my dears, is not weak. I put more effort into my routine that anyone else had in that moment, and I kept fighting. I only missed 3 reps.

That, my friends, means I'm strong. NOT weak. STRONG.

And so are you. So don't look at what you can't do, and decide you're weaker for it. Look at what you CAN do, and realize just how powerful you really are.

Visible progress

I've been feeling a little down today, because while I'm making tons of great progress, my "I'm not pregnant, just fat" belly still persists. It's frustrating because I'm doing everything right; I know that I can't spot-reduce trouble zones, and I eat well. I'm steadily losing weight, even if the last couple of weeks has been tougher and I probably gained a couple of pounds with all the stress eating.

It's just that this gut is what people see when they see me. THey don't see the toned calves, the growing biceps, the strong forearms and narrower hips and shoulders.

They see the massive gut. They think "fat and lazy."

It's not true, but my patience is running thin. So today, I decided to finally share my before pictures, and my current (as of an hour ago) progress photos. Taking my progress photos has made me feel better, because *I* can see it!

This is me on September 8, 2011:

And this is me today, March 16, 2012.

I have muscle definition, especially in my calves and arms. My back looks so much better. I feel better. I just have to keep reminding myself that my faux-preggo gut WILL go away. It's not permanent, and it's also very susceptible to me eating. It swells when I eat. :)

Most importantly, I can see my feet.

I'd say I look a whole lot better.

I just. have to keep my eye on the prize. I CAN do this. I know I will. I'm doing it already. Little setbacks like the last week are still that; even after a week of eating out and not counting ANYTHING, I still look better than I did 6 months ago!

Although that laundry pile hasn't improved one bit... sigh.

Tai Chi and Trying to Recover

So this week put me face-to-face with my nemesis: School breaks. See, my routine during the week is to drop my kiddo off at school, then head straight to the gym, where I work out for 1-2 hours, depending on what classes are available.

On weekends, and when my daughter is out of school, I find it very difficult to get up in the morning. See, I work from home, and pretty much crawl out of bed when I like, and hit the computer. I'm not a morning person, and tend to not go to the gym if I don't go first thing. There's always something else going on to distract me.

So my daughter had three days off this week. So that meant I didn't go to the gym for three days this week. I'm already planning for the summer, though; I've made a friend at the gym, and I've already told her that when summer gets here, she's getting my number, and she's to text and nag me to come to class with her.

This SUCKS. I'm already gaining weight from not tracking my caloric intake (I've been good today, actually tracking my food, but I've been BAAD for several weeks, and gained back almost 9 lbs.) The stress level in this house has been catastrophic lately, too. My husband has been very sick. He ended up in the ER yesterday thanks to a nasty seizure last night. He slipped a disc, fractured his foot, and dislocated his jaw a bit. He's been sick almost constantly for weeks, and my stress level has just been through the roof. I think that's part of why I gained weight; I snack when I'm stressed. I'm trying to be more mindful, and have made sure to stock HEALTHY snacks.

Now, in more fun news: My daughter LOVES Tai Chi. After watching Kung Fu Panda 2, she wanted to try Tai Chi, and since I have a Tai Chi video, I put it on for her, and we did Tai Chi for 20 minutes while supper was getting ready. She loved it (she's 6) and it was good for me, too. I think we're going to start doing it more often, because she was so relaxed. She's a bit hyperactive, so anything that calms her down is good. I think Tai Chi would be good for her, too, because it gives her an awareness of what her body is doing, where it is, and how to make it do what she wants. She needs better balance, too. She's starting soccer this weekend, so I think being able to follow instructions and focus on her body will be extra good practice for soccer.

Tomorrow it's back to the gym, and I'm going to bust my butt to make up for the effort I've wasted this week.

Working out sucks when you're a mom

And not for the reasons you think.

It's the little known horror of the aerobics class. Jumping jacks are your bane. And if you're smiling or nodding, you already know what I'm about to talk about.

Let's start with this morning. It started out as many of my mornings do; dragging out of bed some 30 minute after the alarm went off (I know, I know, I'm working on that. My snooze button gets overused.) I took the kid to school, and raced to the gym to catch the first class of the morning. It's a boot camp class, one of those "who the heck KNOWS what's coming next" sorts of things. We ran, we lunged, we generally grunted and groaned.

Then, the instructor told us WE would pick the next set of exercises. We stood in a circle, and took turns leading the group (about 6) in an exercise. Squats. Burpees. Windmills. Then... my bane of banes. Jumping jacks.

Not just a few, either. FIFTY jumping jacks.

Now, I'm hardly a newbie in the fitness world; on the technical side of things, jumping jacks aren't difficult. I have the physical capability of.

No, my friend, my problem with jumping jacks is Mom's Bane. My bladder.

Oh yes. I peed ALL OVER myself. This was, sadly enough, only 30 minutes into this hour long class. I usually wear protection, but this time I'd forgotten, and wasn't too worried about it since we usually do weight training in this class on Thursdays.

Fate has a funny way of treating you. I was thankful I'd worn a long t-shirt instead of my usual -torso-hugging workout shirt. It hid the worst of it, but I was about to die of embarrassment. This was a mixed class, with guys and girls. The girls know... and one friend shared my horror with sympathetic frowns when I told her.

I decided to finish, but then I intended to go home and change out my wet pants for something less... toddler-accident-ish.

But you know something? After the class, I was ready to flee in shame, and I realized something.

No one cared. No one stared, commented, nor looked. The only one who knew was a classmate who has the same problem. So instead of skipping out on my next class, an hour-long weight class, I said screw it... I'm staying.

So I did. And I even told the instructor, and she was proud of me for sticking with it. The other ladies in that class (all the guys chickened out, they think that our 5 and 7 lb weights are girly) sympathized and told me in conspiratorial tones they had the same problem.

So I finished my class, and my biceps are screaming. I could have run home, but I didn't.

So what if they had noticed. No one cares. Everyone's generally polite enough that even if they did notice, they're certainly not going to say anything. So if you worry about people laughing at your thighs, or looking like a dummy in Zumba or not knowing what to do in that spinning class... remember me. Remember my urine-soaked panties and gigantic wet spot, and know that if I can get through an hour and a half of gym class with that, you can manage to look a little silly.

Besides, all of us started somewhere. Five months ago, I was the newbie in the class. I was the one standing in the back, embarrassed by my flopping belly and jiggling thighs.

And I'm already looking, and feeling great. And when a newbie comes in class with that deer-in-headlights look, I smile, introduce myself, and tell her that she's going to love it.

Wait a minute...

With the influx of New Year's inspired emails, promotions, and TV shows, I'm listening to a lot of the advice being thrown around, and something occurred to me.

I'm not a beginner anymore. I don't even know if I'm intermediate. I've been doing the kinds of exercises in my classes that you see on Biggest Loser in those crazy Last Chance workouts.

I've been at this for over four months now, eating right, exercising; this isn't some New Year's fad for me. It's becoming a lifestyle.

And you know something? I like it. It's cool to encourage other people that I don't recognize to join a tough class at the gym, or get to know my fellow exercisers by name. To offer to run a 5k with a friend who's been struggling with her goals.

To be offering advice to those who are just starting, trying to pursue their New Year's dreams.

Wow. I'm not a beginner anymore. That is an awesome, awesome feeling.

OUCH my hamstrings

I've been taking a lot of classes at the gym, and I'm loving it so much. I'm not losing tons of weight like I was at the beginning;I've plateaued a bit. I'm losing about a lb a week, though, although this week I gained half a pound in spite of my best efforts.

My running training is way off... I took up a couple of new aerobics classes -one known only as "Heart Pumpin'". What she should call the stupid thing is "Heart Explodin"

It's left me too sort to run. I don't mind. :) I'm getting a great workout, and I figure I'll start running when I get used to this level of exercise. I am working on an informal interval training thing when the other classes don't leave me so wiped out I can't function. Last week's was so bad Monday that after Monday's THIRTY MINUTE session, I didn't walk right until Thursday. It hurts So good. This trainer really knows what she's doing, and she knows what I can do... and she makes me DO it. I love it.

The only thing I don't like is when we go outside and it's cold. Getting your heartrate up that high in the cold HURTS your lungs.

Right now, after her class, my hamstrings and my butt hurts. I think abs might have given me some soreness, too. I picked up another great class Friday by another trainer. This one's for an hour, and it's a whole-body workout, including weight training and aerobics, core and everything. I love it! it's only once a week, though. Most of the whole-body stuff is in the evenings, and it's just so hard for me to get to the gym in the evenings, plus it's more crowded.

so even though I gained a half pound, this week, I still feel great. Noticed during a staff meeting last week that my neck looks thinner. I haven't measured anything since my first month back; I need to do that!

I haven't fallen off the wagon!

I bet you thought I'd abandoned you, since my 5k victory. :)

Hardly! I've just been so busy, I've been having a hard time finding the time to compose another blog post.

This week, I started two new things; I'm starting an informal cycling training on my interval days to cross train for running, to build up to riding my bike across the the Golden Gate Bridge when I go to San Francisco!

The other thing happened quite by accident, but has proven to be awesome. See, Monday, I got to the gym a little earlier than I usually do, and the trainer who does my ab class noticed me, and thought I was there for her 8:30 "Heart Pumpin'" class - something I didn't even know was on the schedule, and had never done. So she told me to come on in... even though I was the only one there! Well, I couldn't think of a good reason not to, and I had no idea what to expect.

Well, she spent the next 30 minutes attempting to kill me.

I ran, I jumped, I breathed so hard I thought my heart would explode.

But it felt GOOD. It was like having a real personal trainer (as in, paying the extra for one) because I was the only one in the class, but it was part of the gym membership, since it was a class!

Her ab class followed immediately after. She's REALLY good... once she has an idea what your fitness level is like, she pushes you to extend it, and even though you think you can't possibly go on another step... you do anyway, because she's there driving you along.

So after 30 minutes of hell, I did the ab class, which I've always loved. She watches each class member, and gives you weights based on your fitness level. She always shakes it up, and you NEVER know what muscle group you're going to work, nor what she's going to do.

I had no energy for my running plan after that, but she DID have me running during the first class, since I told her I was training for a 5k! I walked a mile and a half to cool down afterwards. All told, that was an hour and a half of intense workout!

I rested the next day, which hurt SO much... but today, I did it again. On purpose, this time. :) It was so hard, I turned absolutely crimson and was wheezing like an asthmatic monkey, and I had to take a little tylenol when I got home, but I feel SO good.

And the best part? I decided that since I started this new, intense workout with the gym, that I would go ahead and repeat week one on the Rookie Running Program on the treadmill. And I did it! AND I pushed on my intervals. Since I did 60 seconds last week, I pushed it to 75 seconds this week, and tried to walk shorter intervals by a few seconds. . That last run felt SO good, I was grinning like an idiot, talking to myself... the other people on the treadmills to either side of me probably thought I was nuts. ;)

I also came home and ate a HUGE breakfast... sausage and a toaster strudel, and I've been eyeballing that banana in the kitchen. I needed to refuel! Also drank three full water bottles of water while I was working out. So there's my 6 cup minimum, and I'm still drinking. ;)

I raced in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

I *did* it. I set a goal, and I made it. I've been doing the October TRick or TReat Trot training program, and Saturday was my race!

I wanted to do a real 5k for my first time, and lo and behold, my city's annual Race for the Cure popped up. So I signed up. I didn't expect much, just to walk, go home, and be proud.

Honestly though, I found the entire experience to be electric. There were more than 4,000 runners there, and the atmosphere was just incredibly charged with emotion. I found myself randomly tearing up while waiting for the race to start, and a few times while walking, just moved by the power of the whole experience. I walked alongside survivors in their dark pink shirts, supporters, people who've lost friends and loved ones to breast cancer, and people who have been touched.

My aunt Kathy (who isn't really an aunt, but might as well be) is a breast cancer survivor.

My grandmother Ninney is a breast cancer survivor.

My great-grandmother Gamie was a breast cancer survivor.

These wonderful women were who I raced for. I can't describe the feeling I had when I was done, walking back to my car, and I saw a group of four survivors walking by. I teared up, raised my hand, and shouted, "You go ladies!" And they smiled, waved, and thanked me, and meant it.

My first 5k wasn't only an accomplishment for me to be truly proud of, it was a spiritual experience. I wasn't even done walking, and I was already plotting to RUN next year's race. Not to challenge myself, but to do more for these incredible women who were celebrating their fights and lives.

Nothing seems quite as important when you're walking behind a woman whose hair is still growing back from her chemotherapy, to revel in the power of her life as she's walking with thousands of others in a fight to make many more like her.

I raced for the cure. And I won. Sure, I was far from first, but I won something so much more special than a medal or recognition. I can't even quantify it, and I've been floating ever since. I was a part of something truly amazing, and it was nothing short of intense.

I've never lost a loved one to breast cancer, though it has touched my life in many, many ways, as it has threatened a lot of people I hold dear to me. I'm at risk myself, with a strong family history, so much so it played in to my decision to breastfeed my children (nursing lowers your cancer risk.) But I cried today for women I've never met, who have been lost to this disease. The feeling of joy and sadness was a physical thing at the race.

I've never been so proud of 57:15 in my life.

Amazing how no exercise makes you feel ick.

I didn't exercise at all this weekend; it's been a steady stream of soloing at parenting, trips to the ER (husband has been very, very sick lately) and just plain being unmotivated. I got another "are you pregnant?" comment from one of the deli ladies at the grocery store.

I got to the gym this morning feeling unenergetic, and not really wanting to go. However, although I missed my last day of week 4, it's time for me to start the final week of the Trick or Treat Trot training plan. I think I'm actually going to modify it, because it's based on the premise that I'm going to be walking Friday/Saturday in my 5k, but I joined a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k on the 15th. So I might repeat my week 4 training, since I missed a day anyway.

On the eating front, it was also a pretty bad weekend. I was stressed, so I overindulged in some empty calories (stupid sodas.)

I pushed through my workout this morning, though, even though I REALLY didn't want to finish it. About 2/3 of the way through, I started to feel better, and the last half mile wasn't so bad.

I think I might try another walk this afternoon after I pick up Elisabeth from school, so I can get our blood pumping. Depends on the temperature, though. Though technically Fall has started... it's still in the low 90s outside, and with all this (much needed) rain we've been having, it's muggy as hell.

I wish my 6 year old could work out with me at the gym.

Tomorrow is a DAY OFF.

I kinda overdid it today, but in a good way.

It started out slow; I was tired and sluggish this morning. I dragged out of bed (late) and went to the gym. I walked for about 20 minutes, then got on the stationary bike. That was my first mistake; I rode for 25 minutes on that, but I pushed myself a little too hard. IT felt good, though.

All day, I had trouble eating, but I ate a huge lunch (more pizza than I should have.) tonight, I took a Kickboxing class... it was awesome, but the ab portion was just impossible... after the ab class I did yesterday, my abs hurt to much to even try, and I didn't want to risk injuring myself. The instructor kept telling me to try harder, but I just couldn't.

Tomorrow, I'm going to rest, recover, and heal. I can catch up on my 2 mile walk Thursday!

I am proud to report, though, that after lunch and dinner, my total calories for the day were 2,059 (over my goal by 127.) I burned 1,469 by exercising... so I think I offset the overeating a bit. ;) I'm not going to repeat this performance, though. I really overdid it.

Tomorrow I will rest, and stay away from the gym! I will sleep like a baby tonight. And hurt so, so much tomorrow.

Weekly Weigh-in

I dropped another 3.4 lbs this week! That's probably a little faster than is strictly necessary, but I'm overweight enough that I feel comfortable with it. It's not like I'm dropping 10 lbs in a week. ;)

So I'm down to 204.6. That's just... awesome. The gym membership is really paying off. I've been seriously watching my caloric intake, which is keeping me from losing progress to inactivity.

I did an ab class today, a half hour and man, she's good. I have trouble doing some of the exercises, mostly because she's got a narrow little trainer's behind, and mine is... not. It's a good bit larger. ;) So my hips often scream at the stress. I worked up a GOOD sweat today. Walked for 37 minutes (30 minutes on the 5k your way plan, then a 7 minute cooldown walk after the ab class. I'm planning on going to the kickboxing class tomorrow night.

I feel so good right now. I really am seeing measurable results, and that's just awesome.

I hate feeling crappy

To my credit, I got up earlier than normal, took my daughter to school in time for her to get breakfast, and went straight to the gym. I haven't been feeling well since last night; my guts have been gurgly. I did manage to log 5 miles on the stationary bike before I just couldn't go on.

I hate days like this, but it could be worse. I got some exercise, and I'm sitting here snuggling my cat, who was quite angry with me last night.

Today in fitness

So today is the first day I've really been pleased with my own workout.

The first time I went to the gym, I did okay. I was struggling with my couch to 5k running plan, specifically my shins and ankle (it's a two year old severe sprain, ankle still weak), so I made the decision to take it down a notch, and just WALK. I need to build up the strength in my legs before I try running again.

I did pretty well, I think. My goal was 1 mile, and 30 minutes. I set the treadmill for 3 MPH, because that is a good, challenging speed for me without exhausting me at the end of it.

At about 10 minutes in, though, I was starting to get angry, feeling tired, like this was just too much. So I made myself a challenge. Go to 15 minutes. You haven't completed a single 30 minute session on the treadmill since you started a week ago, you can do this.

And I did. So I aimed for 20 minutes. And did. Then 25. At that point, I'm encouraging myself under my breath, saying "You can do this, just 5 minutes. Just 2 minutes. 1 more minute. Come on, now, just 30 seconds."

At exactly 30:00, I spotted the 1.4 on my distance.

1.4? Really? Surely I can go for .1 more and make it a nice, even mile and a half.

So I did.

I'm proud of that.

I wanted to try my hand at the weight machines, so I hopped on a tricep machine of some kind and did about 10 reps. It was just an experimental, "Can I do this" sort of thing, but I think I can, and I'm pleased. I got a little burn there, and I'm happy with that.

Today, my goal is to plan a weight training workout. I'm back on Sparkpeople, and have decided to try their beginner's strength training plans, that are printable. one of the things the gym personal trainer I had a consultation with said was I need to have a plan, and he's right. It just takes a bit more work and motivation when you have to do it on your own than when you're paying for a personal trainer.

I'm toying around with the idea of going in tonight for some crosstraining on the stationary bike, and maybe check out a zumba class at 6. I haven't decided yet.

Either way, I feel more productive than I have in a while.