Winter Break (& beyond) Workout Plans

It has been far too long since I’ve made (and stuck to) a true workout plan.  Since I have these next two weeks off from work, I definitely wanted to get myself back on track in that area.  Plus, after two weeks of solid workouts, I’ll be in a nice routine.  That way, I can begin the new year (and go back to work) with a nice little system set up. More on this week’s workouts in a minute.

I have been writing about it a lot lately, but for some reason as soon as I get overwhelmed, the first thing to go is my workout plan.  And it shouldn’t.  If anything, I should hit the gym more.  Because nothing helps me de-stress like a good workout.  It helps me clear my mind, release any frustrations, and feel so much better about myself (and maybe even the stressful situation).

The main thing is to make it a priority, even in the midst of a busy schedule with lots of other responsibilities.  I was talking about this with my sister last night and with her help, I’ve decided that I have to change up my “plans” during the winter, when the days are so short.  The main issue is getting home from work in enough time to take Sofi for a walk while it’s still light outside (because it’s still dark when I leave for work).  I have to also factor in getting more daily grading done. Because this year has been really tough on me in that area.  Having 3 honors classes (and the workload associated with them) is killing me, and by the time I get home I’m so mentally exhausted from the day, that the last thing I want to do is grade essays.  Which gets me behind, which stresses me out, and so on.  So, here’s what I’ve come up with.  It’s a very realistic, workable plan that will allow me to get everything I need to done and not feel like I’m letting any one area of my life slip.

• On my “early” days:
• 12:10-2pm: grading/planning
• 2:30-3:30 gym time – elliptical or the bike for 45 minutes
• 3:45-4:15 (or so) – walk Sofi
• On my “late” days:
• 2:25-3:00 (or so) – grading/planning
• 3:30-4pm: walk Sofi
• 4pm-5pm: workout DVDs/Wii
• Saturday:
• 10am: Zumba
• 11:30-1pm: Clean the house
• 2pm: Walk Sofi
• Sunday:
• “Rest” day
• Walk Sofi
• Grocery shop
• Meal plan

My sister made me put in a set rest day, because as she pointed out, if I don’t, it’s way too easy for me to fall into the bad habit of just saying, “oh, I’m tired, today will be my rest day.”  And then continuing to do that for 3-4 days.

You’ll notice that the plan doesn’t have any of the classes that I love taking.  That’s because the ones that I can go to are in the evenings, and when I’m tired from working all week, and it’s dark outside, I am more than likely not going to be motivated enough to go out into the cold night and go to them.  If I decide to hit a class every now and then,  great, but I wanted to make a plan that would be very realistic for the way that I know my life is.

Since I won’t be going to my favorite classes on a regular basis, I want to make sure to fit them in these next two weeks, so here’s what I’ve come up with:

Monday, 12/19: 5:30pm – Zumba
Tuesday, 12/20: 10am – Yoga
Wednesday, 12/21: 6:30pm – Aqua Aerobics
Thursday, 12/22: 9am – Workout DVD/Wii  at home
Friday, 12/23: 10am – Yoga
Saturday, 12/24: 10am – Zumba

Monday, 12/26: 5:30pm – Workout DVD/Wii  at home
Tuesday, 12/27: 10am – Yoga
Wednesday, 12/28: 6:30pm – Aqua Aerobics
Thursday, 12/29: 9am – Workout DVD/Wii  at home
Friday, 12/30: 10am – Yoga
Saturday, 12/31: 10am – Zumba (w/Kim!)

I haven’t taken yoga at the gym before, but the teacher at 10am on Tuesdays/Fridays is my favorite Zumba teacher, and I’m sure she’ll make yoga just as fun.  She’s really good at giving directions and showing the moves, and that will be helpful in yoga, too. I’ve really enjoyed the bikram and yin yoga class I’ve taken at the studio, and since 24 Hour Fitness offers this yoga class as part of my membership, I might as well take advantage of it.  Yoga is a great de-stressor, and after the last month, I need all the help I can get in that area.  Look for a post about my thoughts on this yoga class later in the week.

This schedule works around plans that I’ve already made with friend, and I’ll make sure to work any new plans around this schedule. It’s just that important, and I want to look at my exercise time as MY time; a way for me to treat myself well and take care of myself.

Getting intense workouts in consistently is the final piece (and what has proven to be the most difficult aspect) of what it will take for me to lose the weight toward my goal(s).

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

I’m Beginning to DO!

Ever since my sister and I went to the gym on Saturday, I’ve had a fire within me that is amazing. I’m feeling inspired, renewed, and invigorated. And better yet, I’m ACTING on it. I’m not just “making plans,” but I’m completing them.

And I’m proud to tell you that yesterday I went to the belly dancing class on my own, by myself; not because my sis was joining in, because she wasn’t able to come along.  I enjoyed myself and I can feel that great muscle soreness today, which is no doubt a combination of the Zumba on Saturday, the belly dancing on Sunday, and the two long walks each day.

A quick picture of me before belly dancing.  The hip scarf really helped me get in the mood.  It’s actually purple, not blue, and I think it’s beautiful. I figure that if the people behind me have to look at an “ample” butt (to put it mildly), at least it can be nicely decorated, right? 😉  I definitely felt more “official” by wearing it.  The class was fun and I was confident throughout it.  I may not have had all the movements down exactly right, but I felt as if I was able to keep up well even though I was the largest person in the room.

I love it when I can actually feel myself changing mentally. I turned a corner this weekend, and I have unlocked something within myself that means I’m going to move out of the “planning” stage into the DOING. (Bella Does Life!)

With that said, I’ve asked ScaleWarfare to keep me accountable from here on out. I sent her my workout plan and I’ve asked her to call me out if she doesn’t see that activity on my daily log. And then I thought that I should really make it public so that you guys could help out with the accountability checks. If you’d like, follow me on Twitter so that you can tweet me a kick in the pants this week.

Workout Plan, Jan. 23 – Jan. 28:

Sunday – dog walk*, SharQui Belly Dance (done!)
Monday – dog walk, Pilates**
Tuesday – dog walk, Wii Zumba
Wednesday – dog walk, Intermediate Step or Aqua***
Thursday – dog walk, Physical Therapy
Friday – dog walk
Saturday – Zumba, dog walk

*The dog walks have been about 30-45 minutes and a fairly good clip. I usually burn about 180 calories, which is decent.

**Tonight’s Pilates class will be my first one ever! I’m nervous about it, but I’ve been curious to try it and the only way to find out if I’ll like it is to go to it. Any suggestions you can offer before I take the class would be much appreciated.

***Which one should I do? I’ve never tried that particular step aerobics class, but I love doing step aerobics. (Fun fact: I had to take PE in college, and one of the classes I took was step aerobics). I also love the Aqua class. Decisions, decisions… help me figure this out and vote in the comments.

Read Full Post »

Fabulous Four-Day Weekend Update

I’ve had four fantastic days off and I feel so rejuvenated!  It’s weekends like I just had that make life good.  And I really needed a wonderful weekend, because there’s been quite a bit of stress in my life lately (some big, some small, but all annoying), and it was nice to just leave that all behind and enjoy myself.

Friday – Semester  Break
I am so thankful that I did what I needed to in order to finish my grading (and record my final grades) before I left school on Thursday.  I was there a lot later than I expected to be, but I actually put together a really cool mini lesson for the first week of our new semester.  I left on Thursday afternoon feeling really organized and “free.”

On Friday I really didn’t do a whole lot of anything.  I was online for a while, I read for a while, I watched some t.v..  Later in the afternoon when my parents brought my nieces home we all went on a long walk and enjoyed the sunny, cool day.  The girls stayed at my house catching up on their favorite Nickelodeon shows until my sister arrived around 5:30.  They  ended up staying for dinner – my sister heated up leftovers for her and the kids and I had one of my Lean Cuisine meals.  It was nice to be able to share an impromptu meal together without having to put in too much effort on either part.  I’m sure we’ll do that more often.

As Friday nights go, this one was pretty tame, but that’s ok.  I just needed to take the day and relax.  Plus, I’m not 20 anymore, so it’s ok not to have major plans on a Friday night.  Eventually I would love to have some dates to go on or other social engagements, but while I’m in “forced hibernation mode” I’m perfectly content to keep things quiet.

Saturday
I had a busy morning planned on Saturday.  We began with a “whole crew” (my sis, nieces, Lulu & Minnie) walk at 9am.  My older niece led the way on her bike, the younger one was on her big wheel, and my sister and I pulled up the rear with our dogs in tow.  It was sort of chaotic (at least for me) and we had a few near misses with dogs’ leashes and big wheels, but it all turned out fine.  I’m sure that once we get the hang of the bigger group it will go more smoothly.  I do think that Lulu and I need to start taking our normal solo walks again, too, because I like our head clearing/bonding time.

Then it was time for me to take both dogs to the groomers, and boy did they need it, especially Minnie.  They came out later that evening looking like (almost) new dogs, and I swear that Minnie is strutting around with a new sense of purpose now that she looks cute again.  🙂  While I was out doing some errands, I brought a big garbage bag full of old clothes, and 2 boxes of books to a local charity, thanks to the Daily Challenge.  I’d had the stuff waiting in my garage for a couple of weeks, but the Daily Challenge made me put the stuff into the car and donate it to one of my favorite charitable organizations, and it really didn’t take any effort at all.  I can’t tell you how good it felt to get that stuff out of my house and on to someone else who it can be of more use to.  If you haven’t gone through your closet or bookshelves recently, I highly recommend I CHALLENGE you to do it; you’ll get rid of some clutter and do a good deed all rolled into one.

The main thing I was excited about on Saturday was that my high school alumnae food & wine group was going to be  going to a Passport Saturday.  Passport days are amazing!  You buy a passport for $40 and it entitles you to one free tasting at any of the participating wineries within the Santa Cruz Mountain Winemakers Association, and there are 51 wineries that participate!  The passport never expires, and they have passport days every quarter – in January, April, July, and November.

Originally there was a good group of alums who were planning on going to the event, but it ended up that just my friend Ms. AD and I went.  And really, it worked out perfectly.  This way she and I could really catch up with each other without having to worry that we were excluding others from our conversation (because there’s nothing I hate more than people who leave others out of the conversation with a lot of inside jokes, talking about people others don’t know, etc.).  Ms. AD and I headed off in my convertible (the weather was unseasonably and gloriously warm at 70 degrees) and hit three very local wineries.  The original plan was to go into the mountains a bit more, but I didn’t want to challenge the windy roads of those mountain wineries.

Our first stop was a winery that I used to be a member of, Flemming Jenkins.  Yes, as in Peggy Flemming.  What started out as a landscaping project at one of their mountain estates turned into a really profitable wine business. Their wines are very good, albeit quite pricey, but it was nice to begin at a winery that I knew I liked.

From there we headed about a mile down the road (actually, up a hill) and came to Testarossa Winery, which is one that I’d never been to but had heard amazing things about.  Testarossa was a 19th century novitiate (training center for Catholic priests) before it was a winery, and the grounds are truly beautiful.

This last photo is from their website, but I’m using it because it shows the dramatic tasting room with it’s gorgeous, old-world ceiling and walls.  When you’re in the room you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time and are in an underground crypt somewhere in Europe, rather than just a mile off the main road of a bustling town.  It was so nice that I know I’ll have a party here at some point in the future – maybe even my rehearsal dinner (a girl can dream). Oh, and the wine, the wine was delicious and very affordable.  I’m going to make sure I always have some of this on hand to share with good friends.

Our last stop was a winery that I had heard such good things about, but which was the least favorite of the afternoon.  Maybe it was because I had enjoyed our time at Testarossa so much that in comparison Cinnabar couldn’t quite make the grade.  Or perhaps it was because no one told us anything about the wine they were pouring.  It was fairly busy in the tasting room, but it seemed as if the people working that day couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to potential customers.  Which is a shame.  And with that, I think I’ve already spent too many words talking about this place.

The rest of my Saturday was spent doing a few errands, but it ended nicely enough with a good dinner that I made for myself.  Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the doggies look like after their grooming appointment, I couldn’t resist snapping a few photos to share with you:

(My mom bought them matching sweaters for Christmas, and I couldn’t resist having them match in the last photo).

Sunday
The day began as all Sundays do – with the Sunday paper and a nice, hot pot of coffee.  But I was also expecting a visit from Comcast.  Luckily the tech arrived at 8:30am (the window was from 8-2).  I’ve been having nothing but problems with my OnDemand service every since I moved, and I finally wanted to get to the bottom of it.  I’ve had 2 other technicians out here, and placed countless phone calls (I think I average 1 every other week), but it wasn’t until today that the cableguy (who was here an hour and a half) realized the problem was that they gave me an old, obsolete receiver box when I moved in.  Not only that, but I’ve been paying for a more expensive receiver this whole time.  I’m relieved that I finally have the proper equipment, but you’d better believe I’m going to be on the phone on Monday demanding my money back plus compensation for my trouble. It goes to show that it attention to detail and not stopping until the job is done really does pay off. Let’s just hope that Comcast cares about their customer enough to do the right thing.

The rest of Sunday was fairly lazy. Some reading, some time online, some t.v. time, a walk with Lulu, some light housework and laundry.  Nothing especially exciting, but nice just the same.

Sunday evening my friend Ms. AD (whom I spent the day before with wine tasting), was having a Just Dance 2 party, and I couldn’t wait.  What a great idea for a party, right?  It’s like those old-fashioned dance parties in the 50s.  Only this time we all brought our Wii remotes and tried to match moves with the computerized choreographer.  I have Just Dance, so I was used to it, although I will say I like the graphics a lot better on Just Dance 2.  Plus, it so much more fun to “play” with other people, instead of just dancing around my living room by myself.  I did so much better than I thought I would, and I was consistently the top or 2nd highest scoring player.  And it sure didn’t hurt that Ms. AD made some killer sangria and we each brought some “tapas” with us.  It was a fun time, made even more so because Ms. AD made sure we came in our comfy clothes and knew that we could be as silly as we wanted to because there were “no boys allowed.”  Although after about 5 dances/songs, lots of the girls sort of pooped out and we moved from dancing to chatting, which was good too.  I’m definitely going to take Ms. AD’s lead and have one of my own Just Dance 2 parties.

(Speaking of which, this house has such a great layout for entertaining that I want to make sure to have some parties.  I’m going to have Lulu’s 1st bday party in early February, and I also want to have an Oscar party, but beyond February, what are some ideas for themed get-togethers that I can have? I’d love any and all ideas).

Monday
Today is going to be all about enjoying this day off. The weather started out really foggy again, but once it clears (around noon yesterday), I’m going to take Lulu out on another walk.  This time the goal is go explore a new street in our neighborhood and walk for at least an hour.  Other than that, I’m going to be doing laundry, organizing my food for the week, and watching t.v. and doing some workout DVDs.  I feel like staying close to home today, but I am going to go to a group exercise class at the gym – either Zumba (@ 5:50pm)  or aqua aerobics (@6:45pm); I’ll decide which one depending on what the rest of the day shapes up to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s been an absolutely amazing weekend, free of stress and filled with fun and friends.  I need to try to have at least 1 weekend a month exactly like this one, because it’s good for the soul.

What did you do this weekend?

Read Full Post »

BP Machines, TDAPs, and X-Rays, Oh My!

Yesterday I went to the doctor, and I walked out with more than I’d bargained for.

The initial reason for my visit was because I’d been having fairly severe lower back pain as well as numbness in my right arm, from my shoulder to my fingertips.  After examining me, the doctor said that she wasn’t at all concerned with my back (the pain had significantly subsided in the last couple of days) and she thought that the problem was a muscular strain.  She said that I could ice it and take Advil if the pain returned. That unless I got numbness in my lower extremities,  it was really nothing to worry about. I agreed.  The arm numbness, however, was a concern to her (and to me).  She said that it could be caused by several things – carpal tunnel or an issue with my neck or chest.  She had me move my shoulder and arm several times and saw that I didn’t have any sort of strain or pain in that area.  She ordered x-rays of my neck and chest, and said that she’d also like me to start wearing a wrist/hand brace day and night to see if that offered any relief.   If it does, then my problem is most likely carpal tunnel. If not, or if the x-rays show something, the problem is more likely a disc or pinched nerve or something.

I tend to think that this is  being caused by some sort of disc or pinched nerve because the numbness has been occurring much more frequently and often comes on when I’m sitting.  It happens in the car when I’m driving to and from work.  It happens when I’m sitting at my desk or at the kitchen table for too long.  And it happened yesterday while I was sitting on the examining table.

The x-rays themselves were very awkward.  I had to wear the “old-fashioned” type of gown (two of them – one facing front, one facing back) to make sure I was covered.  I cannot wait until I’m “normal sized” and don’t have to worry  or be embarrassed by my hugeness. I didn’t like being without a bra in an x-ray room with just the x-ray tech.  He was a very nice person, and he was completely professional, but it was so strange having him move me into these various contortions so that he could do the imaging.  I felt uncomfortable and self-conscious, which is never a great feeling.  But, if the x-rays show something, it will be worth it.  I should know more in the next couple of days, and I’ll definitely keep you updated.

Since I was there, I asked my doctor if she’d order a TDAP for me, because my surgeon requested that I get it before the weight loss surgery.  A TDAP is a vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping couch) and mine had expired long ago.  Since we’ve been experiencing an outbreak of whooping cough in my area (especially with those who deal with little children), I figured that was a good vaccine to get anyway.  I’m trying to get all my ducks in a row so that once these 30+ lbs are gone, I will have nothing standing in my way to get on the list for surgery.

The last bit of health news wasn’t good.  My blood pressure is high again, although part of it might have been caused because the first blood pressure machine I went to wasn’t working, so the assistant ushered me down the hall to the next one.  We didn’t walk really quickly, but maybe quickly enough to get my blood pressure up?  Honestly, though, I’ve been going through quite a bit of stress at work lately and things at home have been so out of the norm that I’m sure that’s throwing me off, too.  My doctor seemed extremely concerned about the blood pressure and told me that I really had to calm down and not get so stressed out.  So I am taking that to heart.  I really need to remind myself that the parts of my job that frustrate me are small things that don’t matter in the scheme of life.  Sure, this has been a challenging year with two of my classes, but so what?  I can’t take it all so seriously.  Plus, I have taken steps to alleviate some of the burden, so that should improve.  And in terms of things at home, I’m sure once we all get used to this new routine of watching my nieces and helping my sister I will feel calmer and more relaxed.

On my drive home last night I did get a bit depressed about the situation.  I wasn’t thrilled with the number I saw on the scale, especially when I compared it with the last number I saw several months ago when I was there.  But I did remind myself that in those 5 months I’d given up a terrible habit – smoking – and it was the holidays, so some weight gain should be expected, if not accepted.  And that’s just it.  I don’t accept it.  I want it gone, and I need to make sure that I’m taking the steps so that it is.

It’s so obvious that working out will help me in all areas – not only will I be able to burn calories, but I’ll also be able to relieve some stress.  Now that the doctor cleared me to workout, nothing is stopping me.  Last night instead of wallowing in self-deprecation, I did steps on the Wii for the first 45 minutes of BL.  (Thank you to HealthyLoserGal for tweeting that you were going to do this, because you inspired me).  And even if I wasn’t burning that many calories, I definitely burned more than I would’ve just sitting on the couch.

Doing the Wii steps was something that was so, so easy to do, and I felt really proud of myself for doing it.  I didn’t even track the exercise, because I did it more for the act of moving than for worrying about the calorie burn (last night, at least).  So from now on I’m going to do the Wii step for at least 30 minutes each night while I watch t.v. (this is in addition to whatever else I do for activity during the day).  I always watch t.v. for a little while at night, so doing the Wii step while viewing will be a really good way to make sure I’m doing something active each and every day.

Read Full Post »

2011 Goals

I love this image because it represents exactly how I’m thinking of my 2011 Goals.  They’re more than just resolutions that I’ll make one day and break the next.  They’re more than just ideas that are difficult to achieve in reality.  They’re aspirations, intentions, objectives.  Things that give me hope, focus my energy, and a target to meet.

I believe in them so much that I’m going to post this on a page and put it on the top of my blog.  Then every month on the 3rd (since I’m a little late with this post, due to unforeseen circumstances), I’ll check back in with them and see where I stand.  I’m sure there will be some tweaking along the way, but these are the things I want to accomplish in 2011.

I’ve given these goals a lot of thought, and I want them to be realistic for my lifestyle, my level of ability, and my priorities.

1. Write at least one comment per day on one of the blogs in my blogroll (and hopefully many more than that).  I get so busy sometimes that I lose sight of the best part about being a weight loss/health blogger – the community.  And that community is a give and take.  I can’t expect to get support unless I give it.  And the fact of the matter is I get SO MUCH from reading these blogs.  I owe it to myself to take some time to do it everyday.
2. Complete the TheDailyChallenge from MeYouHealth.(I hope you’ll join me in this one).  Join other challenges to keep myself motivated, remembering that I’m one busy lady and I don’t want to get overwhelmed.
3. Keep my closets organized and snap a monthly check-in photo to post on this blog for accountability.
4. Walk in a 5K by the end of summer.
5. Make my 40th birthday a time to remember!
6. Revisit C25K once I feel strong/light enough.
7. Travel more.  Visit at least one friend whom I have to get on a plane to see.
8. Be more social.  Have more people over.  Go out more.  Live a little.
9. Curb unnecessary spending without sacrificing my lifestyle.  Life is meant to be enjoyed.
10. See more movies.  I absolutely love movies, yet I never seem to find/make the time to go out and see them.  Even if it means I’m just watching Netflix, I want to make sure I see more movies in 2011.
11. Above all, I want to lose weight. Plain and simple.  That’s what this entire blog has been about for years, and I want it to FINALLY happen in 2011. Most of the other goals on this list revolve around this one.
    • Lose the 36 lbs needed to qualify for the next step in the lap band process.
    • Keep my calories within 1400 per day most days (rare, truly special occasions allowed, because this is real life).
    • Log my calories with LoseIt daily – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
    • Email my food journals to daily to ScaleWarfare.
    • Drink more water.
    • Move my body daily. This includes walking the dog, playing the Wii, doing a workout DVD, going to the gym for resistance training, riding my bike, swimming, taking a class (yoga, belly dance, zumba, spin, etc).
    • Weigh myself often (daily) to notice trends, stay on track, and keep motivation high. Record my “official” weight weekly.
    • Film bi-weekly YouTube videos about my journey so that I can have a visual record of myself and my progress.

I’m really looking forward to these goals, because they’re going to make me a happier person by the end of 2011, which is what life is really all about, isn’t it?  See you on February 3 with my first check-in.

Read Full Post »

HYC Update – Early Darkness = Lethargy

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I love this time of year – the cooler weather, the  clothes, the crisp air, and the early nights.  Although that last one has been proving to be a bit troublesome when it  comes to fitting workouts into my schedule.

Now that it’s darker earlier, I have the tendency to want to stay home and hibernate, rather than hit the gym and workout.

Last night, for example: I stayed at school late to help a few students and didn’t arrive home until 5:45pm.  Poor Lulu was more than anxious to see me, and so she and I headed out for a quick walk to burn off some of her energy.  (Walking her is a great time for us to bond, even if it is dark when we’re doing it.  Luckily her little light I bought helps her to be seen (think bike light, but for dogs) and the busy street I live on provides lots of light from the headlights of cars passing by).  After her walk we headed inside, and rather than changing into workout clothes and hitting the gym before dinner, I changed into lounging clothes, ate dinner, and then vegged on the couch with Lulu.  No workout, not even the Wii.

Luckily for me I usually leave school much earlier and can hit the gym on the way home and still arrive at my house just as dusk is setting in outside.  I’ve been careful to schedule my personal training appointments for 4pm so that I can spend an hour at the gym and still get home while it’s fairly light out for Lulu’s walk.  And after last night’s experience, I can see that I need to do the same thing with my non-pt workouts, too.  Otherwise they just won’t happen during the week.  I get way too comfortable and a bit lethargic once I get home and start to relax.

This afternoon is going to be another late one at school and since I know that even though I *should* hit the gym, I won’t (see above), my plan is to walk Lulu and then get on the Wii and “play” for an hour, just to burn some much needed calories. This weighing everyday has it’s benefits – I’m up from last week’s weigh-in due to a number of factors (water retention, dinner party on Saturday, lack of exercise) and if I want to see a better outcome on the scale tomorrow morning, I need to do something about it today).

How do you deal with winter workouts?

 

Read Full Post »

HYC Update: Autumn Goals Check-In #3

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Last week I finally turned the corner in my bronchial virus, and I really started to feel better as the week went on.  I went to the gym twice (Friday afternoon and Sunday am) and enjoyed it so much both times.  I also realized that I always make going to the gym into this big ordeal in my mind, when really, there’s nothing to it.  Once I’m there I always enjoy myself, or at the very least feel better about myself walking out than I did when I walked in.  What’s not to like about that?

So, I think in much the same way that I avoided the gym all summer and chose to take my workouts outside (however few of them there were this summer), I’m going to start hitting the gym 4 times a week.  Here’s what I’m thinking:

Sunday – belly dancing

Tuesday – training

Wednesday – aqua aerobics

Friday – training + elliptical/other cardio

I’ll supplement this with my walks with Lulu, the Wii, or housecleaning on the other days, so I’ll be moving my body each and every day, but doing more intense workouts 4/7 days of the week.  A good start!

Speaking of good starts, let’s do an Autumn Goals check…

Autumn Goals Check-In #3

1. Track every bite in LoseIt, whether I’m proud of the choice I made or not. Track all exercise in LoseIt, as well. 7/7 days. 🙂
   
2. Stay within 1200-1400 calories on weekdays; 1600-1800 on weekends, if needed. Most days this past week that I averaged 1400-1500 calories each day, but I ate all healthy, whole foods, so I’m not too worried.
   
3. Cook dinner for myself 5 nights a week, at least. Done!
4. Prepare breakfast and lunches the night before. Done!
5. Pack a bag of workout clothes and keep it in my car, so I can go to the gym right after school, no excuses. I’ve realized that this one isn’t a priority for me.  I much prefer getting my workout bag together at night before dinner or right before bed.  This is the last time I’m going to have this one on the list.
   
6. Take a class/workout at the gym 3 days a week. I was sick for most of the week, but I did make it to the gym on Friday for 20 minutes on the elliptical and back again on Sunday for SharQui, the belly dancing class!
   
7. Walk Lulu every day, with 2 walks/day on the weekends. We took a walk every day, but I don’t know if that 2nd walk is really realistic.  I usually take her to the dog park (plus the walk) on the weekends, and that seems to be enough exercise for her.
   
8. Supplement “gym days” with Wii workouts. Sick, not completed.
9. Keep the fridge/pantry/freezer/snack drawer stocked with healthy choices. Done!
10. Drink at least 64oz of water a day! Done! The medication I’m taking makes me thirsty, so I’m doing really well on my water intake this week.

I would say that I’m 95% better, and only really cough if I’m over-exerting myself, so the workouts are going to continue, beginning with belly dancing on Sunday and continuing with my first official training session with Robbie this afternoon at 4pm!

This week is going to be another great one!

Read Full Post »

HYC Update: Autumn Goals

You’ll remember that a month ago I made Back to School Goals, and I thought this would be a good time to check in on those and to make some new Autumn Goals.

Here’s how I did on each of the Back to School Goals:

1. Track every bite in LoseIt, whether I’m proud of the choice I made or not.  Being honest with myself and seeing the true picture of how many calories I’m taking in is the only way I can modify the rest of the day to make sure I meet my caloric goals.  About 60%.  Many weekdays I would track and then on the weekends I’d be more lax.  Right before I moved, I stopped tracking altogether, but in the past week or so I’ve been a bit more consistent with it, and this week, I’m on target since Sunday.
2. Stay between 1200-1400 calories each day.  I’d love to be at 1200 every single day, but that’s not realistic sometimes.  I figure that if I can balance the higher-calorie days with increased exercise, I’ll be ok. 60% with this one – when I was on it, I was doing really well but when I wasn’t, I didn’t really pay attention to how many calories I was eating.
3. Bring a healthy breakfast and lunch with me each day (see Tuesday morning’s post for more on my plan for this). 95%  Even when I was at my most hectic, I brought a good breakfast and lunch.  Sometimes it was purchased at Starbucks, but at least I remained consistent on this one.
4. Drink 64 oz of water, minimum.  95% I’ve done really well with this because I’ve been working hard and it’s been hot.
5. Go for a caloric deficit of at least 1000 each day.  Realistically, if I’m getting in a good workout, the caloric deficit will be around 1500. 50% I was working hard at packing,  and I took Lulu for her daily walks, but I didn’t do any formal workouts.
6. Pack my workout clothes the night before and bring them with me, so I can go right after school, no excuses.* 0% Total fail with this one.
7. Workout at least 3 days (M-F) and 1 day of the weekend.*  0% Total fail with this one.
8. Wear the BodyBugg all day at least 1 day this week, so I can get an idea of how many calories I burn at school.  I should be wearing it every day, but my vanity gets in the way.  If it’s going to show with my outfit, I’m not going to wear it.  I usually dress up the first few weeks of school and having a BodyBugg hanging off my upper arm when I’m wearing a dress just isn’t the look I’m going for.  Oh how I wish that they made a BodyBugg that you only needed to wear on your wrist.  Once winter weather gets here, wearing the BodyBugg won’t be an issue, because sweaters and long-sleeved tops will cover it.  Did it once, but that was it.
9. Wear the BodyBugg for every non-pool workout to get an accurate caloric burn reading. 0% Total fail with this one.
10. Enter calories burned in various exercises/workouts into LoseIt each day. 25% I hardly ever entered the exercise in.
11. Cook healthy dinners 6 nights a week.  I usually go over my parents’ house on Sundays, and my mom always makes well-balanced meals, so the key there will be portion-control. 75%  Up until about a week before the move, I did this really well.
12. Blog often because the more I’m blogging the more on-track I feel. 50%  I tried to blog, but then things got busy.
13. Understand that when I make excuses for any of the above items, I’m only shortchanging myself.  Do these things FOR ME because they’ll help me get to my goals quicker. I kept this in mind, but obviously didn’t take it enough to heart.

Overall, I think I was pretty miserable at these goals.  I didn’t really set myself up for success by trying to do them in the midst of getting ready for a major move.  Ah well, a lesson learned.

I do that to myself all the time – set lofty goals that are almost too challenging to reach.  It’s worked well in my professional life, but it has never worked for my weight loss efforts, for some reason.  Even with quitting smoking it worked – I never questioned the fact that this was it – I needed to quit and there was no other possibility but success.  And that worked.  Why can’t it work with weight loss? Why can’t my single-minded determination work with the one thing that I have struggled with for so long?  Understanding that would answer a lifetime of questions.

I love the fall season because everything is crisp and new.  The weather starts changing, the clothes get more fun, and the food gets heartier. It seems fitting to create new goals for this new season.  And this time I’m going to keep them simple and check in weekly on Tuesdays.

Autumn Goals

1. Track every bite in LoseIt, whether I’m proud of the choice I made or not.  Track all exercise in LoseIt, as well.
2. Stay within 1200-1400 calories on weekdays; 1600-1800 on weekends, if needed.
3. Cook dinner for myself 5 nights a week, at least.
4. Prepare breakfast and lunches the night before.
5. Pack a bag of workout clothes and keep it in my car, so I can go to the gym right after school, no excuses.
6. Take a class/workout at the gym 3 days a week.
7. Walk Lulu every day, with 2 walks/day on the weekends.
8. Supplement “gym days” with Wii workouts.
9. Keep the fridge/pantry/freezer/snack drawer stocked with healthy choices.
10. Drink at least 64oz of water a day!

Even though there are 10 goals, they really all boil down to this:

• Eat Healthy
• Exercise
• Track It
• Stay Organized

Or even more simply:

• Show my love for myself through the choices I make each day.

I’ll check in next week with my progress on these goals.

Read Full Post »

HYC Update: I’m Rockin’ It!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I am so thrilled with everything that’s been going on in my life lately.  I feel like all the puzzle pieces are finally falling into place and it’s all downhill (in a good way) from here.

1200-calorie Meal Plan: I’ve been doing really, really well with keeping my calories low, considering everything else that’s going on right now.  I haven’t actually stayed exactly to 1200, but I’ve been pretty darn close.  Most days my calories are in the 1300 range, which isn’t far off, and my highest day was 1600, which is right around what WW would say that I should eat, at a minimum.  As I mentioned on Twitter, in peeking at the scale, I saw a good loss so far, and I’m hoping it’s still there on Wednesday for my official weigh-in.  LoseIt! has been a lifesaver for keeping track of everything, so if you’re looking for an easy program and you have an iPhone, you should download this (bonus: it’s free!).

Quitting Smoking: I’m proud to report that as of this morning, I’m smoke free for 7 days now!  Or, I will be once today is through.  There have been times that I wished I could light up, but I made it through them with a few deep breaths or some sips of water (a good way of getting the water in).  Nighttime after dinner is still my most difficult, but I know that it will get easier and easier as the days pass.  This is the longest I’ve ever gone without smoking, so I’m in totally uncharted territory here, and I’m so happy!

Exercise: Honestly, this has been sort of hit and miss this past week.  I’ve gone walking, swimming, and played the Wii Fit.  I’ve definitely done more in the last week than I have been, but I didn’t do something each day, as I was hoping to.  I’m not going to be too upset about this, though, because so much was going on for me this past week.  Once my life settles down a bit and becomes more routine once I start working again, I know that I’ll fall into the habit of working out after work on the weekdays.

Water: I’m still not getting in all 64 oz a day, but I’m working toward it.  I always get at least 48 oz, so getting in the rest shouldn’t be that big a deal.  I just have to make it more of a priority.

Housing: This weekend I went to see the place I’m hoping (and praying!) to move into, and Monday I submitted the application to the landlord.  He’s going to look everything over, call my references, and let me know by Wednesday, so I hope to have some great news tomorrow.  Since the situation at my current location is getting worse, this will go a long way toward making my life happier and healthier, and I can’t wait.  Now if only I could figure out how to twitch my nose to get the house packed up, I’d be all set. 😉

I’m really feeling like I’m in a groove!  My mindset is completely positive, and I do feel like nothing can stop me now.   I can’t wait to see my progress.

I hope all of you have a great week!

Read Full Post »

Just Dance, I Say, DANCE!

Whew!  My heart is still beating fast after my 30-min session with Just Dance.  It was so much fun, although according to the game, I really don’t have much rhythm, which is so not true.

The way the game works is that you follow the “choreographer” that’s on the screen.  The tricky part (besides the actual dance moves themselves) is that it’s a mirror image, so while I was trying to keep up and do the same arm and leg movements they were, I would get lost because I was moving the wrong arm. I did “OK” on most moves, but the game did indicate that I “missed” quite a few as well.  On the plus side, I got some “greats” in there, too.  Most of the choreographed moves aren’t ones that I would have chosen for the particular songs that played, but then again, I’m no dance pro.  I really liked that it was challenging in terms of the moves, because that way it keeps it interesting.

I’m certainly glad I had the forethought to close the front door (I keep it open with screen locked so that I get a nice cross breeze throughout the house), so that no one outside could see me.  Because judging from the look on Lulu’s face, I looked like a complete fool while I was dancing.  LOL.  At one point she was trying to play with me by nipping at my feet, so it was “crate time” for her.  The whole time I was playing the game, she gave me the most quizzical look.  I was actually laughing at her as much as I was dancing, I think.  Poor little Lulu.

I don’t know exactly how many calories I burned because I’m having some technical issues with the BodyBugg (see the previous post), but I can tell you that I was out of breath and sweating the entire time.  I loved every minute of it.

Of the 30+ songs that are on the game, many of them are old favorites, like Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.  Others are pop hits like a cover of Womanizer.  And some are new, fun songs like Surfin’ Bird by the Trashmen which had a fun, 50’s retro vibe to it.  You can click here to see the full song list. I like that lots of the songs found on the game aren’t ones that I would normally play for myself, but they all have that upbeat vibe that I love.

For $28 on Amazon, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has the Wii and likes to Dance.  It’s a great way to get your heart pumping, fit in some extra steps, and make your workout fun.  Plus, you just might learn some new dance moves along the way.

Read Full Post »