This week I have had a slight decrease in energy. My muscles have been sore and they feel heavy. Such a strange feeling to try to get my legs going and my arms to do weights. I’ve kept doing my routine however, not letting this slow me down too much. I’ve noticed a difference in my heart rate. I am recovering faster now, meaning that when I am running, my heart will go to around 155, then I slow down for the walk portion of my interval and I recover to around 135 faster. My resting heart rate has also slowed. This is a good sign of progress.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Heart Rates and Extreme Hunger
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Plan for Week 5 of 52
This past week I thought about how awesome it would be to get down to 200 pounds for my 2nd wedding anniversary trip to Pagosa Springs Resort. We are going March 28th - March 31st. I have a lot of work to do if I want to drop 22 pounds in 9 weeks. That would be the equivalent of losing 2.5 pounds a week. I am averaging that in just these past two weeks. I would definitely have to get a new bathing suit then. Oh too bad!!! I really need one badly, I don't want to wear the same suit I've been wearing the past three years. It's nice, but when I'm 20 pounds lighter, that suit may not fit. I think it's pretty realistic and safe to lose 2.5 pounds a week.
My focus is going to HAVE to be on the cardio portion of my workouts. I can't just do three days of this per week and hope to lose weight. I am going to have to up it to five days a week, no questions asked. Now, I'm not a gym nut and if I start to feel overwhelmed, I can get a bad attitude about working out. I'm going to keep this in check and remind myself of the benefits of losing weight and that working out is NOT A PUNISHMENT. Staying positive about it is most important to my progress.
Along with fives days of cardio, it is important to keep up with the free weights, lunges, stretching, and yoga. I love yoga, the way it makes me feel and the stretch I get deep into my inner core of my body and my mind. Here's the plan for the week. Since it's snowing and cold, I won't be riding my bike. I am increasing my run time to 3 minutes and decreasing my walk to 2 minutes. The other day at the rec enter I noticed I was running longer than 2 minutes without evening noticing, this means I need to up it because I am getting healthier and need more of a challenge.
Workout plan for the week:
My focus is going to HAVE to be on the cardio portion of my workouts. I can't just do three days of this per week and hope to lose weight. I am going to have to up it to five days a week, no questions asked. Now, I'm not a gym nut and if I start to feel overwhelmed, I can get a bad attitude about working out. I'm going to keep this in check and remind myself of the benefits of losing weight and that working out is NOT A PUNISHMENT. Staying positive about it is most important to my progress.
Along with fives days of cardio, it is important to keep up with the free weights, lunges, stretching, and yoga. I love yoga, the way it makes me feel and the stretch I get deep into my inner core of my body and my mind. Here's the plan for the week. Since it's snowing and cold, I won't be riding my bike. I am increasing my run time to 3 minutes and decreasing my walk to 2 minutes. The other day at the rec enter I noticed I was running longer than 2 minutes without evening noticing, this means I need to up it because I am getting healthier and need more of a challenge.
Workout plan for the week:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday: Run/walk interval 30 minutes (Walk 2 minutes at 3.5mph and Run 3 minutes at 5.0 mph), free weights, stretch 15 min, 12 side lunges, 12 front lunges, 20 crunches, 5 push ups
- Tuesday and Thursday: Yoga 45 minutes and elliptical or arc trainer 30 minutes
- Friday: 30 minute brisk walk with Jorge
- Sunday: AM yoga, walk/hike outside 3o minutes or more
- Sunday: Mexican bean bowl with basmati rice and taco seasoned ground beef
- Monday: Salad with ham, cheese, tomato, spinach, red pepper, vidalia onion vinaigrette
- Tuesday: Salad with red pepper, cheese, tomato, spinach, asian peanut vinaigrette
- Wednesday: Grilled chicken drumsticks with brussel sprouts
- Thursday: Salad with turkey, cheese, tomato, spinach, asian peanut vinaigrette
- Friday: Going out to dinner for our 11 yr anniversary so we're not sure yet
- Saturday: Grilled pork chops and green beans (tentative)
Reflection on Week 4 of 52
Sunday Weight In: 222.2
Last week was kind of a crap shoot. I feel like I didn't do very well and that is definitely all in my head. I need to give myself credit because I did lose 1 pound. Was it only water weight? I don't know. I think I made good food choices and took in less calories, maybe too few and my body didn't know what was happening? Probably not though, since I did take in chocolates all week, maybe like two Dove dark choco-minis a day and I had a glass of wine every night. I'm trying to think of what I can do better and being mindful of this and not overly concerned is the best option. It was my Aunt's birthday yesterday so we went out to eat and also had dessert so that was probably not a good idea, however you have to indulge sometimes. I'll make up for it on another day and get in extra cardio. It's a simple equation: burn more calories than you take in, safely.
Speaking of the exercise, I stayed on track this past week for the most part. Monday and Tuesday were awesome. After riding my bike on Tuesday, I didn't want to get out of bed Wednesday morning to do the run and walk interval. Instead, Dan and I walked Jorge for 30 minutes and then I did my stretching and weights as planned. Thursday I did my yoga and we walked 30 minutes. I didn't ride my bike because it was supposed to get colder and windier. Since I didn't get my cardio in on Wednesday, I went to the gym Friday and did 45 minutes of the run/walk interval and 15 minutes on the elliptical. Saturday we went for a 45 minutes walk and I did the stretching and weights as planned. I didn't get to ride my bike though, no biggy, it was way cold.
Today, Sunday, I skipped the yoga. We ended up joining a new gym Friday night so we went there today. I did this new machine called the arc trainer for 30 minutes and the elliptical for 30 minutes. I like this new gym because there are no kids running around and playing on the machines and also because you usually get the machine you want. Plus it's open 24 hours, which is nice since I like to go early in the morning and don't have to wait for it to open. The way they can keep it open 24 hours is that everything is done on finger prints. There is no card, they scan your finger. It's like a gym for James Bond, ha!
I have really decreased my intake of salt. Every time I grab for it, I think about if I really need it. I've also decreased my intake of cheese, which has helped my digestion. A couple things I want to focus on this week is laying off the glass of wine every night, limit it to like 4 nights and also lay off having two pieces of chocolate every night. Ok, well, I usually have two dark chocolate pieces, I will go with only one. Baby steps, rights? LOL!
Last week was kind of a crap shoot. I feel like I didn't do very well and that is definitely all in my head. I need to give myself credit because I did lose 1 pound. Was it only water weight? I don't know. I think I made good food choices and took in less calories, maybe too few and my body didn't know what was happening? Probably not though, since I did take in chocolates all week, maybe like two Dove dark choco-minis a day and I had a glass of wine every night. I'm trying to think of what I can do better and being mindful of this and not overly concerned is the best option. It was my Aunt's birthday yesterday so we went out to eat and also had dessert so that was probably not a good idea, however you have to indulge sometimes. I'll make up for it on another day and get in extra cardio. It's a simple equation: burn more calories than you take in, safely.
Speaking of the exercise, I stayed on track this past week for the most part. Monday and Tuesday were awesome. After riding my bike on Tuesday, I didn't want to get out of bed Wednesday morning to do the run and walk interval. Instead, Dan and I walked Jorge for 30 minutes and then I did my stretching and weights as planned. Thursday I did my yoga and we walked 30 minutes. I didn't ride my bike because it was supposed to get colder and windier. Since I didn't get my cardio in on Wednesday, I went to the gym Friday and did 45 minutes of the run/walk interval and 15 minutes on the elliptical. Saturday we went for a 45 minutes walk and I did the stretching and weights as planned. I didn't get to ride my bike though, no biggy, it was way cold.
Today, Sunday, I skipped the yoga. We ended up joining a new gym Friday night so we went there today. I did this new machine called the arc trainer for 30 minutes and the elliptical for 30 minutes. I like this new gym because there are no kids running around and playing on the machines and also because you usually get the machine you want. Plus it's open 24 hours, which is nice since I like to go early in the morning and don't have to wait for it to open. The way they can keep it open 24 hours is that everything is done on finger prints. There is no card, they scan your finger. It's like a gym for James Bond, ha!
I have really decreased my intake of salt. Every time I grab for it, I think about if I really need it. I've also decreased my intake of cheese, which has helped my digestion. A couple things I want to focus on this week is laying off the glass of wine every night, limit it to like 4 nights and also lay off having two pieces of chocolate every night. Ok, well, I usually have two dark chocolate pieces, I will go with only one. Baby steps, rights? LOL!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
You Know You're Out of Shape When............
You know you’re out of shape when a runner catches up to you on your bike ride to work.
Tuesday morning I geared up and headed down the trail to work. I road about a block or two and then all of sudden I heard foot steps behind me. I looked around and there is a man dressed all in his running gear catching up with me. I turned back around and thought “What the H$#&!” I tried to speed up a bit and let me tell you, in Colorado on these foothills at 5700 feet above sea level the phrase ‘Speed Up’ does not exist.
I pedaled and pedaled and I got about a block in front of him, but after 2 miles of him following me, I looked around and he wasn’t there anymore. I had arrived at a major road so he must have turned around. It didn’t scare me, it just frustrated me. Why couldn’t he have just backed off a bit instead of running 8 miles per hour to stay with my bike? I secretly think he was trying to prove something, I could almost here his gitty laughter watching me try to pedal harder to get more in front of him. That’s the problem here in this county: Exercise Maniacs. These people are hard core and any challenge that is presented they take it. This county is none for it’s professional athletes and there’s this stigma about being out of shape.
I tell ya. Next time, I’ll slow down, get behind him and follow him. Let’s see how he likes that! Ha!
Tuesday morning I geared up and headed down the trail to work. I road about a block or two and then all of sudden I heard foot steps behind me. I looked around and there is a man dressed all in his running gear catching up with me. I turned back around and thought “What the H$#&!” I tried to speed up a bit and let me tell you, in Colorado on these foothills at 5700 feet above sea level the phrase ‘Speed Up’ does not exist.
I pedaled and pedaled and I got about a block in front of him, but after 2 miles of him following me, I looked around and he wasn’t there anymore. I had arrived at a major road so he must have turned around. It didn’t scare me, it just frustrated me. Why couldn’t he have just backed off a bit instead of running 8 miles per hour to stay with my bike? I secretly think he was trying to prove something, I could almost here his gitty laughter watching me try to pedal harder to get more in front of him. That’s the problem here in this county: Exercise Maniacs. These people are hard core and any challenge that is presented they take it. This county is none for it’s professional athletes and there’s this stigma about being out of shape.
I tell ya. Next time, I’ll slow down, get behind him and follow him. Let’s see how he likes that! Ha!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Plan for Week 4 of 52
This week is going to be somewhat similar to last week. I don't feel like I want to increase my interval times on the run/walk and my weights just yet. I feel like I am still getting a good workout on the weights at the amount I am at. Since it's going to be so nice out this week, I am thinking I will ride my bike to work on Tuesday and Thursday after yoga.
Last week I was very conscious about the amount of salt and cheese I was taking in. Every time I would go for the salt at lunch and dinner, I would make myself take a taste of my meal again. Did I really need that added salt? Nope. I passed. Also, I would usually have a string cheese per day, maybe two, nope not this week I passed. I had two string cheeses last week. I thought about my poor intestines every time I went to add cheese to something. I cut my salad cheese intake to half the amount. I didn't feel deprived, if anything I didn't feel bound up and that's what matters. Plus I noticed I didn't wake up last week feeling as thirsty due to the decrease in salt. Good observations for me this week! I will keep it up next week, I have cheese planned for almost every meal, however I am going to limit it.
Workout plan for the week:
Last week I was very conscious about the amount of salt and cheese I was taking in. Every time I would go for the salt at lunch and dinner, I would make myself take a taste of my meal again. Did I really need that added salt? Nope. I passed. Also, I would usually have a string cheese per day, maybe two, nope not this week I passed. I had two string cheeses last week. I thought about my poor intestines every time I went to add cheese to something. I cut my salad cheese intake to half the amount. I didn't feel deprived, if anything I didn't feel bound up and that's what matters. Plus I noticed I didn't wake up last week feeling as thirsty due to the decrease in salt. Good observations for me this week! I will keep it up next week, I have cheese planned for almost every meal, however I am going to limit it.
Workout plan for the week:
- Monday and Wednesday: Run/walk interval 30 minutes (Walk 3 minutes at 3.5mph and Run 2 minutes at 5.0 mph), free weights, stretch 15 min, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, 10 crunches, 5 push ups
- Tuesday and Thursday: Yoga 45 minutes and ride bike to work (45 minutes), 15 minute walk with Jorge
- Friday: 30 minute brisk walk with Jorge
- Saturday: Run/walk interval 30 minutes (Walk 3 minutes at 3.5mph and Run 2 minutes at 5.0 mph), free weights, stretch 15 min, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, 10 crunches, 5 push ups, Ride bike to workout center 35 minutes round trip
- Sunday: AM yoga, walk/hike outside at least 3o minutes
- Sunday: Hamburgers on the grill with bacon, 1 cheese slice, avocado, tomato on whole grain bread
- Monday: Salad with grilled pork, avocado, almonds, cheese, tomato and carrots, vidalia onion vinaigrette
- Tuesday: Salad with turkey, cheese, garbanzo beans, tomato, carrots, asian peanut vinaigrette
- Wednesday: Tilapia fish, roasted almonds and peas
- Thursday: Steamed veggies and basmati rice
- Friday: Black Beans, basmati rice, cheese, pepper
- Saturday: Not sure yet!
Reflection on Week 3 of 52
Sunday Weigh In: 223.8
Bust: 48.5"
Belly: 44"
I've decided to put my 'Sunday Weigh In' on my reflection post instead of the planning posts now. As you can see I lost 4 pounds this past week! I also took measurements and lost an 1.5" from my bust and 1" from my belly.
This past week has really opened my eyes. I went to the gym three times, which was nice to use a treadmill. I like the treadmill showing me the exact distance I have gone and also my heart rate. When I'm outside exercising, I don't always know those two things. I found a cool website which I added the link to on the right hand side called Map My Run. This can tell you distances of certain routes in your city that people have run. That way I can pick one, run/walk it, and know the exact distance I am going. This is also good for bike riding.
Exercise this week was awesome, Monday and Wednesday I did as planned. Friday I didn't however, we just went for a 30 minute walk with Jorge, HOWEVER I did do Friday's exercises on Saturday. We rode our bikes to the rec center, worked out and rode home. It was awesome. Tuesday and Thursday went as planned with yoga and walking. Today, Sunday, we walked around Waneka Lake (which is very beautiful with an amazingly clear view of the Rocky Mountains), stretched ,and did some of the exercises they had along the 1.2 mile trail. Took about 30 minutes. I also had Dan do AM yoga with me this morning, which is only 15 minutes, but it provides a good stretch and meditation to start the day. I definitely accomplished my exercise goals for week 3.
Did I say that they are doing a wellness challenge in my department at work? At first I was skeptical of it all, I admit that I don't really want people to know I am working out and stuff. Weird huh? To me, it's like admitting that I have a problem, like telling people you take drugs. However, my opinion has changed a lot towards that. After everyone was talking about gaining points (that's our challenge, we get points for certain activities or life style changes), I got more motivated. We all talk about what we do, when we do it, how we do it, etc. I like to hear about everyone's accomplishments and their struggles, it's a nice support group. This one woman has a trainer and she comes in everyday talking about what he teaches her, free tips for me! One thing she did talk about is how hard it is for her to reach 1600 calories a day. She is tiny and never eats. She's just quit smoking that is partly why she never ate, wasn't hungry. Anyway, to make a long story short, now that she quit, she is scared she will use food as a substitute and is watching that she doesn't. I started to wonder how many calories I am taking in. If she can't make it to 1600 calories a day, I thought then that I must be eating like 4000 calories a day.
I did an experiment this weekend. Saturday I counted all of the calories I took in, no restrictions and no diet plan. I just ate and drank what I would usually have for the weekend, because I was very curious. I am not a calorie counter and don't want to get obsessed with it. However I was very interested. So I did it. For Saturday I had 2,747 calories. Ok, that is a lot, but there were some things I had yesterday that I usually never have, for example Bailey's Liquor in a coke (tastes like a milk shake), that is 550 calories right there! I also had 1/3 cup of a Tecate which was 35 calories. I haven't had beer in like 4 months, so after I had a little of it, I felt sick and gave the rest to Dan. So really, I would say my average day would be 2200-2400 calories normally. I am going to count the rest of the week and just see though.
This has really opened my eyes. I found this cool Weight Maintenance Calculator and wanted to see how much a 225 pound woman would need to eat to maintain 225 pounds (not that I would want to, I just wanted to see it and other examples too). With moderate exercise, I would need to consume around 2600 calories. Interesting, because I do consume just a little less maybe than that and I have been maintaining my weight. Then I read a little further and it said this:
2. Burn 200 calories through activity, to result in a 2000-calorie diet!
After reading that, it gave me more insight into how many calories I need to consume and how many I need to burn. I'm going to look at this week's food choices and calorie counts and just see what I could eliminate, what I can substitute and so on. Cutting 300 - 500 calories should not be a problem. By using the Get Moving Calculator, it gave me an idea of how many calories I am burning with different types of exercises. I liked these website links above because they are simple to read and simple to understand (they are all added on to the right). I must have been doing something right last week. One thing I never want to do is deprive myself because I'll just want that item even more. I believe in balance and not cutting out whole food groups from my diet, that wouldn't be very smart. I want to eat healthfully and make good decisions. I know that by decreasing calories consumed and increasing exercise, burning calories, then I will lose weight. I also know that losing weight needs to happen at a healthy pace.
My tree of knowledge if growing. My tree of life is getting healthier.
la Sirena
Bust: 48.5"
Belly: 44"
I've decided to put my 'Sunday Weigh In' on my reflection post instead of the planning posts now. As you can see I lost 4 pounds this past week! I also took measurements and lost an 1.5" from my bust and 1" from my belly.
This past week has really opened my eyes. I went to the gym three times, which was nice to use a treadmill. I like the treadmill showing me the exact distance I have gone and also my heart rate. When I'm outside exercising, I don't always know those two things. I found a cool website which I added the link to on the right hand side called Map My Run. This can tell you distances of certain routes in your city that people have run. That way I can pick one, run/walk it, and know the exact distance I am going. This is also good for bike riding.
Exercise this week was awesome, Monday and Wednesday I did as planned. Friday I didn't however, we just went for a 30 minute walk with Jorge, HOWEVER I did do Friday's exercises on Saturday. We rode our bikes to the rec center, worked out and rode home. It was awesome. Tuesday and Thursday went as planned with yoga and walking. Today, Sunday, we walked around Waneka Lake (which is very beautiful with an amazingly clear view of the Rocky Mountains), stretched ,and did some of the exercises they had along the 1.2 mile trail. Took about 30 minutes. I also had Dan do AM yoga with me this morning, which is only 15 minutes, but it provides a good stretch and meditation to start the day. I definitely accomplished my exercise goals for week 3.
Did I say that they are doing a wellness challenge in my department at work? At first I was skeptical of it all, I admit that I don't really want people to know I am working out and stuff. Weird huh? To me, it's like admitting that I have a problem, like telling people you take drugs. However, my opinion has changed a lot towards that. After everyone was talking about gaining points (that's our challenge, we get points for certain activities or life style changes), I got more motivated. We all talk about what we do, when we do it, how we do it, etc. I like to hear about everyone's accomplishments and their struggles, it's a nice support group. This one woman has a trainer and she comes in everyday talking about what he teaches her, free tips for me! One thing she did talk about is how hard it is for her to reach 1600 calories a day. She is tiny and never eats. She's just quit smoking that is partly why she never ate, wasn't hungry. Anyway, to make a long story short, now that she quit, she is scared she will use food as a substitute and is watching that she doesn't. I started to wonder how many calories I am taking in. If she can't make it to 1600 calories a day, I thought then that I must be eating like 4000 calories a day.
I did an experiment this weekend. Saturday I counted all of the calories I took in, no restrictions and no diet plan. I just ate and drank what I would usually have for the weekend, because I was very curious. I am not a calorie counter and don't want to get obsessed with it. However I was very interested. So I did it. For Saturday I had 2,747 calories. Ok, that is a lot, but there were some things I had yesterday that I usually never have, for example Bailey's Liquor in a coke (tastes like a milk shake), that is 550 calories right there! I also had 1/3 cup of a Tecate which was 35 calories. I haven't had beer in like 4 months, so after I had a little of it, I felt sick and gave the rest to Dan. So really, I would say my average day would be 2200-2400 calories normally. I am going to count the rest of the week and just see though.
This has really opened my eyes. I found this cool Weight Maintenance Calculator and wanted to see how much a 225 pound woman would need to eat to maintain 225 pounds (not that I would want to, I just wanted to see it and other examples too). With moderate exercise, I would need to consume around 2600 calories. Interesting, because I do consume just a little less maybe than that and I have been maintaining my weight. Then I read a little further and it said this:
By consuming these calories on an average daily basis, you should maintain your weight. However, if you are looking to lose weight, here are some tips:
Most health professionals recommend slow weight loss as the safest and most effective approach. A sensible weight-loss program allows you to lose weight gradually -- about one-half to one pound per week. Gradual weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat, not just water weight that can be quickly regained.
To lose one pound, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than are consumed (500 calories per day over the course of a week). For example, reducing calories by 300 per day and increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week.
Here is an example of how the calculator can help you. If your daily calorie needs were calculated as 2500 calories and you desire to lose weight, you could:
1. Consume 2200 calories. (That's 300 calories less than this example diet), and2. Burn 200 calories through activity, to result in a 2000-calorie diet!
After reading that, it gave me more insight into how many calories I need to consume and how many I need to burn. I'm going to look at this week's food choices and calorie counts and just see what I could eliminate, what I can substitute and so on. Cutting 300 - 500 calories should not be a problem. By using the Get Moving Calculator, it gave me an idea of how many calories I am burning with different types of exercises. I liked these website links above because they are simple to read and simple to understand (they are all added on to the right). I must have been doing something right last week. One thing I never want to do is deprive myself because I'll just want that item even more. I believe in balance and not cutting out whole food groups from my diet, that wouldn't be very smart. I want to eat healthfully and make good decisions. I know that by decreasing calories consumed and increasing exercise, burning calories, then I will lose weight. I also know that losing weight needs to happen at a healthy pace.
My tree of knowledge if growing. My tree of life is getting healthier.
la Sirena
Monday, January 12, 2009
Almost Used an Excuse Today
My plan for today was to start a running interval, however we woke to about 4 inches of snow on the ground and it was still snowing. I stretched in the morning and did my weights, lunges, crunches, and push ups (!). I went into work a half early so I could leave at 4:30pm so that after work I could go to the rec center. I still have 6 punches left from a 20 punch pass I bought a while ago. Even though it was super packed I found an elliptical and did that at level 5 for 30 minutes, kept my heart rate in between 145 and 160 the whole time. It felt so good to sweat and get my heart rate up.
Sometimes I hate about gyms, everyone goes in the morning before work or right after work, therefore there are never any machines available. One thing about this city rec center is that they only have 4 treadmills. Can you believe that!!?? They want you to pay $400 a year, but there are only 4 treadmills! That sucks. They only have 4 ellipticals too. Well, the YMCA is pretty good, they have like 8 treadmills and 7 ellipticals, which are usually being used, but they rotate well. We used to go to Fitness 19, they have like 10 treadmills and 12 ellipticals, which there usually was one open to use and never a wait. Working out at a gym versus working out outside, I'm always trying to find a good balance. I love being outside, but sometimes a gym is just so nice to use. When I start using a treadmill I get addicted. I really enjoy having it timed and telling me exactly how far I've gone, plus my heart rate is pretty exact. I wish I could just buy a nice treadmill to have at the house.
I'm happy I followed through today.
Sometimes I hate about gyms, everyone goes in the morning before work or right after work, therefore there are never any machines available. One thing about this city rec center is that they only have 4 treadmills. Can you believe that!!?? They want you to pay $400 a year, but there are only 4 treadmills! That sucks. They only have 4 ellipticals too. Well, the YMCA is pretty good, they have like 8 treadmills and 7 ellipticals, which are usually being used, but they rotate well. We used to go to Fitness 19, they have like 10 treadmills and 12 ellipticals, which there usually was one open to use and never a wait. Working out at a gym versus working out outside, I'm always trying to find a good balance. I love being outside, but sometimes a gym is just so nice to use. When I start using a treadmill I get addicted. I really enjoy having it timed and telling me exactly how far I've gone, plus my heart rate is pretty exact. I wish I could just buy a nice treadmill to have at the house.
I'm happy I followed through today.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Plan for Week 3 of 52
Sunday Weigh In: 227.4
Wow, I lost a whole .2 ounces, amazing! Just kidding, that is not amazing. I know I didn't lose anything because how could I when I didn't increase my energy output very much than when I've been doing? The only thing new I added was more weights and lunges. It's ok though, I have to start somewhere. Plus I didn't change any of my eating habits. I know there are things I need to work on and this week I am going to decrease my intake of cheese and salt. I noticed last week that these two items are always present in my meals. My portion size is another thing. My breakfast and lunch are normal, but when it comes to dinner, I probably have what most would consider two dinners. Alcohol is another thing. We probably have a glass of wine or a cocktail about five nights a week. I know it's not bad to have a glass of wine, but the added calories is not good. Also, in this dry climate especially in winter, it really dries me out. I'm going to work on that too.
Dinner Plan for the week:
Wow, I lost a whole .2 ounces, amazing! Just kidding, that is not amazing. I know I didn't lose anything because how could I when I didn't increase my energy output very much than when I've been doing? The only thing new I added was more weights and lunges. It's ok though, I have to start somewhere. Plus I didn't change any of my eating habits. I know there are things I need to work on and this week I am going to decrease my intake of cheese and salt. I noticed last week that these two items are always present in my meals. My portion size is another thing. My breakfast and lunch are normal, but when it comes to dinner, I probably have what most would consider two dinners. Alcohol is another thing. We probably have a glass of wine or a cocktail about five nights a week. I know it's not bad to have a glass of wine, but the added calories is not good. Also, in this dry climate especially in winter, it really dries me out. I'm going to work on that too.
Dinner Plan for the week:
- Sunday - grilled pork loin with green beans
- Monday - Salad with pork loin
- Tuesday - Salad with tuna
- Wednesday - Salad with just veggies
- Thursday - Salad with lunch meat
- Friday - Grilled hamburgers, without a bun, with rice and beans
- Saturday - not sure yet!
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Run / Walk Interval (3 min walk, 2 min run for 30 minutes), free weights, stretch 15 min, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, 10 crunches, 5 push ups
- Tuesday and Thursday: 30 Minute Brisk Walk, AM Yoga which is 30 minutes
- Saturday: If it's nice, I would like to do an hour bike ride and then stretch 15 minutes. Walk or Hike for at least 30 minutes with Jorge.
- Sunday: Walk 30 minutes, reflection
Reflection on Week 2 of 52
This past week went really well, my plan was not that elaborate and I didn't stick too it real close, but overall, I feel like I accomplished something. My plan for last Monday was to walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights. I did this, except the push ups, but I did add 10 crunches. Tuesday I accomplished that 1 hour yoga, but the walk was only 15 minutes after work with the dog. On Wednesday I walked 30 min, 15 min stretch, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights, but no push ups as planned, added 10 crunches though. Thursday I didn't do the 1 hour yoga or walk 3o minutes, instead I road my bike to work, which was a total of 45 minutes. It's been so nice out, I decided I wanted to jump on my new bike. I haven't ridden to work since this past summer, so it was a bit of a workout. Friday I was derailed by my emotions and come that evening, just as suspected, Mother Nature came for a visit. However, I still went for a walk that Friday evening and on Saturday morning. I didn't do the 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, or free weights on Friday. Saturday we didn't end up hiking or snow shoeing 1.5 hours, nor did I do the am or pm yoga, instead we went for a 40 minute walk.
Today, Sunday we went for a 30 minute walk, we're thinking of going for a bike ride later. I ended up stretching for about 15 minutes and did 20 crunches, not too bad since today I was just going to do reflection. I think I'm off to a pretty good start. I didn't stick to the exact routine and ended up moving some things around, but whenever an excuse came up in my mind, I really recognized it. I wanted to understand WHY I using that excuse and HOW I could work through it and throw it to the side, ignoring it. Some excuses that came up this week: too cold, it's the weekend, it's Friday, I want to sleep in, cramps. Ever had these excuses yourself? Ha LOL! Most likely, huh? It's my challenge to laugh at these excuses and keep to my routine.
The meal plan for last week went really well. We had salads as planned for Monday through Thursday. Friday night we didn't end up grilling pork chops. I made a pasta we needed to use up. Tonight we're having grilled pork loin, which will provide a good amount of left overs for this week's salads. Saturday we ended up going to Olive Garden because we had a gift certificate. I think my eating habits really could have gone better this past week. I need to work on less cheese and less salt intake. I noticed I use a lot of these. I did get my 64 ounces of water in everyday, but I counter acted that with a glass of wine or a gin and tonic a few evenings after dinner. Well, baby steps is what I'm telling myself. Baby steps.
I noticed that my back felt looser and my muscles started to really relax. I love when my back cracks loosely, the pressure is gone. Like they say in yoga "Your only as old as your spine is flexible". Next week I need to do more. I can take more. I need to start more aerobic, like interval running, which I love. Dan and I talked about it today on our walk. I told him I needed more of a challenge, like when we trained for those races. The problem is taking the dog because he loves to stop and pee on everything and sniff everything. Which is not a problem when leisurely walking, but it is a problem when wanting to follow intervals of running and walking. So, we decided that we would workout without him in the morning, three days a week and walk him after work on these days instead. We like to go out to get air before dinner anyway and walk around the park, so this will work out well. On the Tuesdays and Thursday before I do yoga, we will walk him 30 minutes in the morning. This way he is still getting outside and I (well, we, Dan and I) can have some time alone getting our workout in.
That's another thing. Dan and I exercising together. I used to work out on my own until about 2 years ago when I begged Dan to train for a 5K with me. He did and he loved it. He loved it so much, we ended up training for a few more 5Ks and also for the Boulder Bolder 10K. He is really good at running, his times always improve, mine do to, but I think he would do a lot better without me holding him back. So I deal with that feeling when training with him, always thinking I am going too slow, when running really is an individual sport. We talked about that and he doesn't think he would even train unless I was with him, so that made me feel better that he didn't think I was holding him back. I am more like his motivation to get out there and actually do it. Plus it is easier for him to run because I weigh a lot more than him, so in actuality I have to work twice as hard to keep up. We'll see where this takes us. I like that he wants to workout together, it's sweet. I also like that he respects the need that sometimes I just want to go alone too though. We're going to take it week by week. Baby Steps.
Today, Sunday we went for a 30 minute walk, we're thinking of going for a bike ride later. I ended up stretching for about 15 minutes and did 20 crunches, not too bad since today I was just going to do reflection. I think I'm off to a pretty good start. I didn't stick to the exact routine and ended up moving some things around, but whenever an excuse came up in my mind, I really recognized it. I wanted to understand WHY I using that excuse and HOW I could work through it and throw it to the side, ignoring it. Some excuses that came up this week: too cold, it's the weekend, it's Friday, I want to sleep in, cramps. Ever had these excuses yourself? Ha LOL! Most likely, huh? It's my challenge to laugh at these excuses and keep to my routine.
The meal plan for last week went really well. We had salads as planned for Monday through Thursday. Friday night we didn't end up grilling pork chops. I made a pasta we needed to use up. Tonight we're having grilled pork loin, which will provide a good amount of left overs for this week's salads. Saturday we ended up going to Olive Garden because we had a gift certificate. I think my eating habits really could have gone better this past week. I need to work on less cheese and less salt intake. I noticed I use a lot of these. I did get my 64 ounces of water in everyday, but I counter acted that with a glass of wine or a gin and tonic a few evenings after dinner. Well, baby steps is what I'm telling myself. Baby steps.
I noticed that my back felt looser and my muscles started to really relax. I love when my back cracks loosely, the pressure is gone. Like they say in yoga "Your only as old as your spine is flexible". Next week I need to do more. I can take more. I need to start more aerobic, like interval running, which I love. Dan and I talked about it today on our walk. I told him I needed more of a challenge, like when we trained for those races. The problem is taking the dog because he loves to stop and pee on everything and sniff everything. Which is not a problem when leisurely walking, but it is a problem when wanting to follow intervals of running and walking. So, we decided that we would workout without him in the morning, three days a week and walk him after work on these days instead. We like to go out to get air before dinner anyway and walk around the park, so this will work out well. On the Tuesdays and Thursday before I do yoga, we will walk him 30 minutes in the morning. This way he is still getting outside and I (well, we, Dan and I) can have some time alone getting our workout in.
That's another thing. Dan and I exercising together. I used to work out on my own until about 2 years ago when I begged Dan to train for a 5K with me. He did and he loved it. He loved it so much, we ended up training for a few more 5Ks and also for the Boulder Bolder 10K. He is really good at running, his times always improve, mine do to, but I think he would do a lot better without me holding him back. So I deal with that feeling when training with him, always thinking I am going too slow, when running really is an individual sport. We talked about that and he doesn't think he would even train unless I was with him, so that made me feel better that he didn't think I was holding him back. I am more like his motivation to get out there and actually do it. Plus it is easier for him to run because I weigh a lot more than him, so in actuality I have to work twice as hard to keep up. We'll see where this takes us. I like that he wants to workout together, it's sweet. I also like that he respects the need that sometimes I just want to go alone too though. We're going to take it week by week. Baby Steps.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Plan for Week 2 of 52
There are 52 weeks in a year, I'll be naming my posts Plan for Week 2 of 52 and Reflection on Week 2 of 52 and so on. This way I will have a planning post for the week to come and one reflection post of the past week. Since I didn't have any goals for Week 1, which started last Thursday on the first day of year, I will have no reflection post for it.
Sunday Weigh In: 227.6
Measurements:
Bust 50"
Belly 45"
Thighs 24 1/2 "
Biceps 14"
Calves 17"
Now you know. Oh god, I feel so exposed, like I just walked naked into the airport.
Plan for the week:
Monday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Tuesday 1 hour yoga, walk 3o minutes
Wednesday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Thursday 1 hour yoga, walk 3o minutes
Friday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Saturday hike or snow shoe 1.5 hours, am or pm yoga
Sunday - reflection
Meal Plan for the week (starting with only listing dinners):
Monday - Thursday salads with tomato, sunflower seeds, meat or fish, cheese, green pepper, and maybe an egg
Friday night, grill pork chops and have green beans or peas on the side
Saturday - we'll see, honestly I'm too tired to think about that right now
Sunday Weigh In: 227.6
Measurements:
Bust 50"
Belly 45"
Thighs 24 1/2 "
Biceps 14"
Calves 17"
Now you know. Oh god, I feel so exposed, like I just walked naked into the airport.
Plan for the week:
Monday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Tuesday 1 hour yoga, walk 3o minutes
Wednesday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Thursday 1 hour yoga, walk 3o minutes
Friday Walk 30 min, 15 min stretch, 5 push ups, 10 side lunges, 10 front lunges, free weights
Saturday hike or snow shoe 1.5 hours, am or pm yoga
Sunday - reflection
Meal Plan for the week (starting with only listing dinners):
Monday - Thursday salads with tomato, sunflower seeds, meat or fish, cheese, green pepper, and maybe an egg
Friday night, grill pork chops and have green beans or peas on the side
Saturday - we'll see, honestly I'm too tired to think about that right now
Plan for the health blog
It's the new year, a time to focus on new goals. I started this health blog a while back, taking all this time to think how I wanted to approach it, what I wanted to write, what I wanted to admit or disclose. This blog will only be about health, eating, and exercising. I'm not that type of woman to count calories, I think it takes too much time, however I am seriously considering writing down what I eat during the day. I think that will make me realize what I am eating and when and make me realize the responsibility for my choices when they're written down.
Since last year I never disclosed my weight and measurements and rarely advised my exact plans and accomplishments in regards to exercise. I will be posting weekly, most likely on a Sunday evening, my goals for the week and a meal plan. I will also reflect on the past week and how I did. One thing I was nervous about was that I would put pressure on myself to write everyday, which I don't think is a good goal for me. I think writing once a week as a goal is a great first step. if I feel like I want to write an extra post about something I need to get off my chest, you know me, I certainly will. This will be a good start.
Now, I might be starting off a little slow, be warned. This might be a bit boring at first as I get my footing and see where this blog will take me. Also be warned that this might get a bit personal, I like to pour my heart out at times and being brutally honest may not be your thing to read, but hey, you're choosing to read it right? One thing I know is that I am not alone. Us women go through this a lot and I find my strength by reading other's blogs, it brings me back to reality knowing that we struggle with the same situations and we share in the same accomplishments. Go Us!
Climbing up my tree of life,
La Sirena
Now's the Time, It's 2009!
Since last year I never disclosed my weight and measurements and rarely advised my exact plans and accomplishments in regards to exercise. I will be posting weekly, most likely on a Sunday evening, my goals for the week and a meal plan. I will also reflect on the past week and how I did. One thing I was nervous about was that I would put pressure on myself to write everyday, which I don't think is a good goal for me. I think writing once a week as a goal is a great first step. if I feel like I want to write an extra post about something I need to get off my chest, you know me, I certainly will. This will be a good start.
Now, I might be starting off a little slow, be warned. This might be a bit boring at first as I get my footing and see where this blog will take me. Also be warned that this might get a bit personal, I like to pour my heart out at times and being brutally honest may not be your thing to read, but hey, you're choosing to read it right? One thing I know is that I am not alone. Us women go through this a lot and I find my strength by reading other's blogs, it brings me back to reality knowing that we struggle with the same situations and we share in the same accomplishments. Go Us!
Climbing up my tree of life,
La Sirena
Now's the Time, It's 2009!
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