Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Perhaps a new career...

On vacation again and went to my friends studio today...

First I should say I ran hill intervals on this bitch of a hill...

Then I knocked out 3 miles.

Then I went to Studio S (www.studiosfitness.com) for 'Beginning Pole Dance' which is exactly what it sounds like. This time, I got both feet off the ground!




Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I used to carry that around every day...

First things first...I AM ON VACATION!!! I am at our family home in Northern Michigan and I am so so so happy. This is my bliss. While I drive north from the airport, I feel all of my exhaustion/tension/stress all melt away. 

But, I had an amazing epiphany in the airport parking lot. I was walking out to our car (we leave one here all summer and trade it off in the airport parking lot) and I was schlepping a small carry on bag, my purse and my golf clubs. About half way to the car I had to pause. I was wiped out and everything was so damn heavy. I did the math in my head and realized that all of those bags added up to about the amount of weight I lost and I almost lost it right there in the parking lot of Cherry Capital International Airport.

How the F*** did I get from point A to point B when I was carrying all that weight all day every day?! Just, unreal.

So tonight I knocked out 5 1/2 miles run/walk...well more walk than run. But I kept admiring the scenery...






Monday, July 29, 2013

A day off as I prep for 'vacation'...

I was way too swamped to work in two workouts or even one today. I know, it isn't an excuse and I could have probably done it. I am going on vacation for the rest of the week. My goal is to knock out lots of working out this week and relax. It will be nice to just focus on this and not work or other obligations. But for now I find it hilarious that my 'vacation' packing involves a lot of workout clothes and not a hell of a lot of other clothes.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Not shin splints, and salty sweat in my eye is annoying...

My legs, though sore, are feeling better. I think it isn't shin splints as earlier thought just a case of 'Crap what are you doing to me' from my legs.

In other news, today was Circuit Circus class. I LOVE this class. The regular instructor was out and that was a bummer and there were a TON of no-shows (like we only had 15 people where normally there are 30-40). The class is great. It is a guaranteed 500 calorie burn. Here is how it works:

There are about 15 'stations'. At each station there are 2 exercises. You generally have two people at each station so one does one exercise while the other does the other...then after 1 minute you switch and after each person has done both exercises at the station, you rotate. By about station 4 you are working up a pretty good sweat. Today was no exception. While in plank, sweat was streaming down my face and into my eyes so I finally had to just close my eyes and deal with it. Sometimes at the end of the circuit we knock out 10 minutes of abs. Today, every few stations, our substitute instructor would stop us and have us do something painful...deep squats, deep lunges, lengthy planking etc.

If you can make it through this class and/or Switch Up on Wednesday nights then you are a damn hero in my opinion...which means I have a pretty high opinion of myself.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

So yah that was a 5K well more...

This morning I got up and it was a crazy gorgeous day weather wise. We never have this kind of weather at the end of July. I was scheduled for a 9:15 Fusion class so I decided I needed to get a run in. So, off I went. The goal was to walk a minute, run a minute and repeat for 45 minutes minimum.

I started out on my usual route and a funny thing happened. The running felt good. I felt fast, I felt free I felt like somehow I was to be envied. And rather than turning left, I turned right and went further and further and further....

I should mention I use an app on my iPhone called 'Map my Walk'. You can use GPS with it so I usually start it when I start my run/walks and figure out my distance at the end.

...back to how I was going further....

If I didn't have a 9:15 class I would have kept going. But, I had to turn towards home so I could eat some protein before class. I attacked the hills between where I was and my house. And I kept running! And then, I got home and stopped my mapping app. I about died when I saw. I knocked out a 5K! Well, actually I knocked out 5.5K! And I wasn't miserable. I was warmed up and ready for class!!!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Oh no...oh no...is this the start of shin splints...

So I am enjoying running, to a degree. I mean don't get me wrong it isn't my favorite. But there is something immensely satisfying about putting on my workout gear mid day and walking out of the office across the street to run around the lakes. I like walking past folks heading out for fast food...I like feeling the sun and the sweat...I love watching my heart rate go up then down during intervals.

I don't like the hurting. My shins have started to really bother me in the last couple days. I will ice them but yah, I am afraid I am starting to get shin splints. Until now I was running on the indoor soccer field mostly with the soft cushion. I only occasionally ran outside. I have a goal to make a dent in this couch to 5k program, but this could be a different sort of challenge with regards to pushing through the pain or knowing when to stop. Time will tell, I'll keep you posted.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

And all of a sudden its 1995...

My company went jeans casual. I hate it. Don't get me wrong it is cool to have the option, but, when you are losing a lot of weight clothes are expensive. And, jeans don't look good when they are too big. So I have put off buying jeans. I figure it is Summer so it's too hot for jeans.

When I left the office today, I decided I wanted jeans that fit. Just one pair. So I had some time to kill before an event so I went to a store. I don't want to 'advertise' for them so I will call the store 'New Army.' There is a lot about this trip I want to share.

First, 'New Army' is next door to one of 2 stores I could generally shop in before that carried my size. I used to walk in and glance at 'New Army' and think, 'Man, it would be nice to go in there and try things on.' Instead I would walk into the 'Big Girl' store and buy clothes I didn't love and walk away frustrated. Today I walked into 'New Army' without even thinking twice about the old store next door.

I made my way to the jeans, a foreign section to me. they have different cuts based on your body type and apparently I am a 'skinny' jeans girl. So I grabbed a pair in a number I knew should fit and just for kicks grabbed a pair a size down from that. With the jeans in hand I trekked to the dressing room.

Dressing rooms for me used to be a place to get in, get out, don't linger, don't look, don't care. If it buttons buy it, if it doesn't run away! Today, I lingered. I pulled on the size I knew would fit and well while they buttoned and zipped no problem they were baggy. I noticed this because I looked in the mirror. And then, I looked down at jeans that were a size smaller. Shrugged my shoulders and thought, 'Why not?'

I pulled em on and damn if they didn't fit. Oh my gosh they FIT! And they felt good...That is when the mental math started happening and I realized that the last time I was this size was about 1995 or 96. Talk about a Throw Back Thursday!

As I shrink out of clothes they get kicked out of my home. But, I kept one pair of my largest jeans so I can always remember where I was and where I never want to be again!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I can almost be described as a runner....

So my new favorite thing is to put on my shoes and running skirt at lunch, walk across the street to that other office park and run around their man made artificial lakes. I see other people, I spend time in the sun and all of a sudden I am running. Remember how I felt back in January? You don't, well check out this post...'And just like that I was running...'

That was just sprinting across a soccer field for 30 seconds. Here I am 7 months later and I am not only choosing to sweat during the workday (resulting in yet another shower) but I am RUNNING! I am running in public! I am the person who runs past people walking. And while I am still doing a lot of Run/Walk combos ie: Run 1 min Walk 1 min ...I AM DOING IT!

I have to go back and re-read those really early posts. I am having trouble remembering that girl and even though I didn't look or feel good, I want to go back in time and hug her. I want to thank her for picking up the phone and making a call that started this whole new life!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

On not letting the excuses derail you..

Today was one of those days. The kind where you wake up and you have so much on your to-do list that you want to pull the blanket over your head and sleep on through the day. This is where the new me kicks the old me's ass.

Not only did I tackle my to do list, but I managed to work in two workouts. You can see em here if you don't believe me. The second one (at lunch) was fun because I discovered the fun of hitting the walking trails across the road from my office.

It is easy to get derailed, believe me I know. It is easy to say 'Oh XYZ happened so I can't work out today,' or 'I don't have time to make a healthy choice so I will run through the drive through.'

Guess what, there is absolutely NO REASON you can't squeeze in at least 30 minutes of a workout. I am trying to get in 120 minutes a day of a workout during this project so surely 30 minutes are available in everyone's day somewhere.

And, surprise, it takes almost the EXACT same amount of time to drive to a grocery store and get a salad as it does to drive to a fast food drive through. The only difference, you have to (OH MY GOSH) get out of the car and walk a few hundred feet round trip.

You know what, for every excuse I hear I try to silently come up with a response. I don't always say them out loud. I do this not to be judgmental of others but because, well, there isn't a single excuse I could hear that I haven't used in some form. By formulating a response to these in my head I find it easier to not make those excuses.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Somethings up, and it's not my heart rate...

I've felt strange all dang day. My heart rate has been really slow. I could attribute it to low blood sugar, but I've been eating so maybe not. All I know is I tried to hit it hard and do 2 back to back workouts tonight at the studio. I couldn't get my heart rate up. I don't know if it is because I was tired so I couldn't push or what. So I will accept that today wasn't the best. I will go to sleep and get up at 4:45 and try again. No use beating myself up.

And then, I rest...

Sunday was a great day. It would have been my Grandmother's 100th birthday. So I got up, got 3 miles in and went with my father down to the family cemetery. It was about a 3 hour round trip. We had a nice talk about the work I've been doing and how I've changed. My dad is always a good one to chat with about change and goals. When I asked him if he remembered that first day and how awful I felt (so much so I threw up) and whether he thought to himself that I couldn't do it, he responded..."Nope, I knew you were committed so I knew you would keep going." I believe him. He's always believed in me so that was a good chat.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

God bless you 1-a days...

This round I switched things up a bit. I am trying to push to get 2 workouts a day Monday thru Friday so Saturday and Sunday I can just do one nice long workout. The last two rounds I would try for 4 in a weekend and that was hard.

So today I slept in and enjoyed it. I spent the afternoon on a 6 mile walk. It was really relaxing, especially checking out streets in my town I've never been down.

Friday, July 19, 2013

And that makes 10...

Oh my goodness I am exhausted. 10 workouts in 5 days. Tomorrow morning I will hit an 8:30 am class then possibly a run. I have to get one workout in on Saturday and one on Sunday and I did it! 12 workouts in my first week back on track. For now, I am gonna rock a couple Ibuprofen and go to sleep. No no, don't be jealous....

Thursday, July 18, 2013

I forgot how hard this is..

Last bootcamp, well,  I kind of slept through it. Don't get me wrong I lost weight. I got in better shape. But, in all honesty I did not give it 100%.

This round is different. I am pushing myself to get after it. It is now 4 days in and I have 8 of my 12 workouts for the 7 days done. Don't believe me? Check out my log here...

I'm recording everything. I'm writing every day and I am pushing. Already I have seen the scale start dropping. I should mention, that yes I do get on the scale every morning. But, I do not get on and only smile if I've lost. I get on first thing in the morning to remind myself where I am, where I am trying to go and I almost always step off and regardless of the number I marvel at where I was on January 6, 2013 (the night before I made this choice).

I'm working out, I'm drinking a ridiculous amount of water and I am eating constantly. Wait, what's that? YES I am eating constantly. Almost every 2 hours I eat. But, I am eating whole foods (save for the occasional treat that does get counted). I eat every couple hours for a couple reasons.

1. It keeps my blood sugar from dropping down and making me devour anything I see.
2. In order to get 1200 calories of food (when I am eating whole foods) I kind of have to eat every couple hours... 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and then a small snack/dinner after my workout.

My mind is never far from this mission that I am on. I am reminded every time I have to eat. I am also reminded every time I sit/stand/lift my arms/try to tie my shoe etc. Cause yup, I am in PAIN. Not 'Ow I injured myself' pain but a 'WOW, I haven't felt that in a while who knew I had muscles there...' pain. My friend F who did this in the first round with me said to me today "That's good! It means you are breaking through your plateau." God, I hope she is right!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Oh my goodness I'm one of 'those people'...

Let's start with how my morning started...snooze BUTTON.....Yah no morning workout. Instead I went to switch up tonight and sweated my ass off. Then, I cam home and hit my neighborhood for a 3 mile run/walk. The result... 1000 calories burned in a little over 2 hours. 

While I was out in my neighborhood at dusk, I realized it is a different world. It is the summer time late night excercise people They are everywhere. I can see in people's living rooms and see what they are watching on TV and I think why aren't they out doing stuff...

Then, I realized it... I'm one of 'those people'. The people I used to see pass by my house in the dusk of the heat of the summer and think to myself, 'What the F$$$ are they thinking? God made A/C for a reason!' 

But now, I AM one of those people. Jury is still out but I think I like being a person walking by rather than the person in the living room.

Don't forget to check out my workout checklist here...

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Man I've missed this...

Everyone seemed to think that having 2 weeks off had to be awesome. I'm not gonna lie, it was. It was nice to sleep in and take a break. But I forgot how much I missed the structure of a program. I think being forced to plan out my entire day around working out and healthy eating makes me so much more productive.

For example, today's schedule:


TIME ACTIVITY
04:45 Wake Up
05:00 Out the Door
95:30 - 06:30 Bootcamp
06:30 - 07:10 Get Ready and Leave for work
07:30 - 11:30 Morning Work
11:30 - 12:30 Lunch meeting with a co-worker over lunch on a personal project
12:30 - 17:00 Afternoon work
17:00 - 17:15 Commute
17:20 - 18:00 Couch to 5K Run (in 94 degree heat)
18:00 - 18:20 Shower and change for meeting
18:30 - 20:00 Philanthropy dinner meeting for Alumnae Organization (I'm the President)
20:00 - 20:20 Take care of my brother's dog
20:30 - 21:30 Laundry, blog and random chores
21:30 LIGHTS OUT
I get so much more done when I have to plan out every single minute of my day. But, I love it. I can put my head down at night and know that what I did today was productive and full of good choices.

Don't forget you can follow my daily workouts here...

Monday, July 15, 2013

Bootcamp 3.0...setting some goals and coming back from a backslide..

Ok, so 2 weeks off was much needed...it was also VERY dangerous. I backslid a LOT. To the tune of sloth and gluttony. Didn't work out nearly enough, didn't log food, didn't drink water...so yah I GAINED...quite a bit of weight. So now I am back, I am focused and I AM READY!!!

Since this is my 3rd round through I had to think about my goals for this round.

Goal #1: I think the last round I slacked a bit on getting all 12 workouts in so that is my first goal. To help me do that I am going to record on here the different workouts that I do.

Goal #2: I am recommitting to this blog. It helps keep me accountable and apparently (based on emails and texts I get this blog helps others).

Goal #3: RUN a full 5K. Here is the deal. I run for bootcamp. The sprints are nothing but the long distance jogging...yah that blows. So I started up with the Couch to 5K program. I'm hardly starting from the couch but I am following the program exactly.

Goal #4: Weight Loss...My easy goal is 20lbs my HUGE goal is 30lbs. Given this is a shortened session and the fact that I backslid so much I really want to hit that 30 but I have to keep my goals realistic and love my effort.


So there you go...those are my goals...and in keeping with Goal #1:

Workout 1 of 96
   Got up Monday morning and Ran/Walked the Couch to 5K at 6:00 am. Did Week 1 Day 2 of this workout and completed it successfully so I can move on to Week 1 Day 3.

Workout 2 of 96
  Went to the Monday night class at Fusion InTENse. It was my first class back in a couple weeks and OWWW...but I burned a lot and felt good.

I will maintain my workouts on this page which you can see over there in the side bar...




Monday, July 1, 2013

Results are in...




Well after 6 months of working my ass off here we go...

The number everyone focuses on is pounds lost so let's get that out of the way... I'm down 53 lbs.

The other number is inches so ya that is a big ole -30 inches....

The numbers I LOVE are these...they demonstrate how far I have come with regards to my fitness. That is what I am most proud of.

  January 7, 2013 June 27, 2013
Active Heart Rate 168 128
Resting Heart Rate 86 55
Push Ups in 1 minute 9 on Knees 50 on Toes and 5 on Knees
Hold Plank 24 seconds 1 minute 30 seconds 
Mile Time 17 minutes 30 seconds 10 minutes

And how did I get here? Math. I count every single bite that I eat and every stinking calorie I burn. I plan every single move meticulously and have given up A LOT. Sacrifice is the key to this whole program. You have to give up short term pleasures for long term gain. 

So now I 'rest' (which means only workout per day not two). And, I mentally prepare to hit it again in 2 weeks. I'm already missing my bootcamp workouts.