I had one of THOSE workouts.........

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!

I felt like I was floating on air. I ran 7 miles using a run:walk (9:1minutes) technique and still had an average pace of 8:50 per mile. I couldn't believe it!! I knew I was having a good run because every time I looked down at my Forerunner my pace read in the 8:30 range. I did not feel like I was going that fast.

When I do my long runs, I just let my body choose the pace. I don't really shoot for anything in particular I just let my legs and my breathing let me know how fast to go. I just can't describe how awesome today was.

I also realised something while I was running. The miles just fly by when I use the run:walk technique. I pretty much focus on smaller 10 minute segments and before I know it, I'm more than 1/2 way done the workout. I think it is also helping my legs by adding in the walks. I could feel some fatigue toward the end of the workout but when you only have a mile or so left you can mentally just push yourself through the rest of the workout. Besides, if I didn't feel some tiredness it wouldn't be a sufficient workout - you need to constantly push yourself just a touch if you want to progress.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I'm off to enjoy this feeling I have. Reality will hit again tomorrow - trying to avoid all the sugar that will be flying around. At least 2 Easter egg hunts and 3 baskets each for the kids. I really need my leverage to keep me on the straight path right now!!

Pre-exercise Check-In 4/7/07

Today is my long run and I will be leaving for the course in a few minutes. I took my NO-Explode and am just giving it a few minutes to settle into my system. I am very pleased to say that I'm actually starting to see the scale move. I'm down to 138.5 this morning! It is amazing what a good leverage can do!! Do YOU want to know more about leveraging? If the answer is yes then please check out the LL site and the LL book. It will be so worth your time effort and money!! I started with Body for Life and still think it is a good starter program but LL is just plain better. Coach David isn't afraid to tell you the truth - the entire truth - about weight loss and getting fit. It is a lot of work and it is just plain hard at times! The the feeling you get when you are doing the program correctly is AMAZING! I'm not at my current goal but the feeling I have right now is awesome - I can't really describe it but I just feel great and so can you!

There is my shameless plug for what I consider the best program around!!! I'm off to get dressed and go for my 7 mile run. Writing all this has gotten me so psyched - I can't wait to start my run!! LATER!

Week in Review 4/6/07

This week has been pretty good on the exercise front. I've gotten in 9.5 miles of running (with another 7 on tap for tomorrow) plus 2 more days of cross-training. Today is supposed to be a rest day but I think I'll try to get out for a walk or something a little later - nothing super strenuous but I still want to do something.

My eating has been better the past 2 days. I decided or a leverage for my current goal (I think I wrote about it on a previous post) and it has already started to pay dividends. There were a number of times yesterday when I wanted to go trolling but stopped and thought about my check being sent to an organization that I despised and having to tell my husband that the group would now have our name and address. It stopped me right in my tracks - I will make my goal!!

The added benefit is that I've actually started to see some drops on the scale. I know that I've definitely started to feel better and carry myself in a more positive way since I've gotten back into the groove this past couple of weeks. As a nice little reward for myself, I'm actually taking the time this morning for a nice little hair color touch-up. I'm not really one to do things for myself so it always feels kind of weird when I do take the time for me. I know that is not a good way to be but it is what it is. I've tried to make those goals of doing something for me but then I look at the money it would cost and I wimp out and don't do it. I know there are "free" things I could do but such is life I guess. The weird/sad part is that my husband wouldn't care if I went out and spent some money on myself - it is all on my shoulders. I'm doing it to myself.

I took a break while writing this to finish my hair. It looks good but it is probably a shade too dark. I don't like hair that look like there is an abrupt change. Also when you go too dark it looks "fake" - yes I know it is fake but you don't want it to look that way! Next time I touch up my hair I will definitely go a shade lighter.

I'm really looking forward to the next week. We are on Spring Break! We don't have a lot planned but we are going to take the kids to the Baltimore Aquarium. I haven't been there since I was a little kid and am really looking forward to it as well. Speaking of kids - I hear mine starting to stir so I will end this entry.

Saturday 3/31/07

I had a great 6 miler this morning. The weather was cold but not bitter and windy. I don't mind running when it is cold but I hate running in the wind! The best part was the beautiful sunrise I was able to witness. Words can't really express (at least not mine) how beautiful it was. I happened to pass a gentleman, coming toward me, right after I really noticed how pretty it was. He was just starring at it too.

I was also pleased with the effort of the run. I started out using the run 9 min/walk 1 min technique but then finished the last couple miles just running. My pace ended up being about 8:50/mile for the 6 miles - even with the walking bouts.

Then I ended up spending about 1.5 hours helping clean up one of the local baseball fields. My kids Tball league was having a field clean-up day. I worked my butt off this morning - I have the blisters to show for it. I ended up eating too much as a result (I felt super hungry all day long) so I will definitely have to buckle down this week.

I set a goal, at Club Lifestyle, of losing 6 pounds in 7 weeks so I have my plan all printed out. I need to sit down and create my specific meal plans but I'm feeling good about the direction I'm heading. There is a 10K I want to sign up for and I still need to pick my charity for my leverage but I definitely feel like I'm making progress.

Time to get ready for bed!

My computer has been tied up

I haven't been on as much as I would have liked because my hubby has been logging some major computer time in the evenings. He is downloading music onto our computer and it is taking a long time to complete the job.

Even though I haven't been on, I've been doing pretty well this week. I've completed all my workouts and have even been able to start back with a little bit of lifting. My eating has also been a bit better the past couple of days. I've decided on a pretty good leverage: I'm going to write a check, about the cost of my marathon registration (I can't seem to find exactly how much the registration is going to be so I'm guessing), and if I don't make my weight loss goal a friend will send the check to charity. If I make the goal she will send the check back and I will have the money for the race. If I don't make it I will basically be paying double just to run in the race. I also need to decide on a charity - preferably one that I don't particularly like so that I will be more focused on reaching my goal!

Tomorrow is my long run for the week (6 miles). Today was supposed to be an off day by my son wanted to go on a hike so the whole family went out to the trails in a local park and walked/hiked for just under an hour. I'm really proud of how well the kids did. We went up a couple of really steep hills and they buckled down and made it up with just a little bit of help. It was really cool to watch them be so determined to get up the hill!

Speaking of the kids - time to get them to bed!

I think I added a ticker

I just added in the code for a ticker at the top of my blog and I'm hoping that after I post this message it will still be there.

Here it goes!

OK, it was still there so it works - YEAH! I wish I could center it on the page but I'm not going to worry about that. It was too hard to figure out how to get it there in the first place.

Sunday 3/25

I had a really good run this morning. I went 6 miles and my pace was around 9:25 /mile. I'm using a run - walk technique on my long runs. My friend Katrina uses it and we are planning on using this technique when we run our marathon. We want to run it together so I'm trying to get used to the technique. We are using a ratio of 9 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking. It is somewhat hard to adjust to the slower paces but I have a feeling it will be better for my legs in the long run. I've decided that I'm not going to use it for any runs shorter than 5 miles.

Nutrition has yet again been a struggle today. I can't figure out why I'm having such a hard time staying away from the CRAP! But, tomorrow is another day and I will continue to strive for a better day.

If there is anyone out there who actually reads my blog & knows computer "stuff", I have a question for you. I would like to add a chart to my sidebar where I can update my running mileage. I think it would be cool to watch my mileage change over the course of a year. However, I can't figure out how to get one on the sidebar. Also, I never know where to add things in the code so that it doesn't mess up the rest of the screen. Any help would be appreciated!

Trying to be more consistent - with everything!

As the title suggests, I'm going to try and write more consistently and stick to my program more consistently too. If there are any regular readers out there, please feel free to check up on me and demand regular check-ins. I love the accountability!!

This morning didn't really start the way I had planned - I forgot to set my alarm so I woke up about 45 min. later than I had planned. I had decided, last night, that I would do my Drill Max DVD instead of my bike so when I got up I went down and did my workout. I finished about 50 minutes of the DVD before my son and husband came downstairs. I had originally wanted to get 60 minutes completed but I didn't think it was fair to them to have to sit there and watch me exercise to a DVD.

This particular workout combines cardio and some weight training. It was the first weight training I had done in a while because of my arm. So far it feels pretty good so I'm really hoping that I will be able to get back into my lifting soon. The arm is not completely healed - still have some discomfort on and off - but I'm encouraged by the progress.

I've been trying some new supplements lately - by BSN and they taste very good! I've been using the NO-XPLODE (not sure how much of an effect it makes). It is a pre-workout energy igniter and the literature states that you will feel the energy and the focus is about 30 minutes. However, most of the time I don't really feel much change. Not sure if I need a bigger dose or if it just doesn't work for me. I'm not usually affected much by things like caffeine so there is a good possibility that it just won't do much for me. However, the product I'm most excited about is their protein powder Syntha-6. Yesterday I tasted the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor and it was out of this world! I also have sample packets of Chocolate and Strawberry and am very excited to give them a try. I'm also hoping that they make variety packs of these but I have a feeling they don't. If they don't, I have quite a bit of protein powder to finish up before I get anymore. However, when I do finish them I will definitely get some of the BSN flavors.

Nutrition has been my biggest problem. I've been making my plans but not sticking to them. I have been munching during the afternoons and that needs to stop. It hasn't been bad food but the volume ends up being too much and I'm not losing any weight. I've actually been staying pretty consistent at about 138. I need to really try and get serious and get myself down to 135. Hopefully, I will then be able to maintain that weight - I think I will feel better there. I know 3 pounds doesn't sound like much but it can make a difference in my clothes.

Time to get the day started.

Last night was a great run!

Jen Rhines

Yesterday morning was not a good morning energy-wise. I felt exhausted so I decided to not go out and exercise. In some ways, I think it was a big mistake I agree with Coach David when he says that if you just don't feel like exercising you should probably go anyway - you'll feel better afterwards. But on the other hand, I think it is also important to listen to your body. It can make for a rough inward dialog!

Anyway, I knew that I needed to make a point of getting out for a run. I'm looking to run in a 10K next month and then my normal 15K and hopefully the Marine Corp Marathon in October (hopefully some others over the summer as well). I've been doing a lot of bike training and need to start getting some miles on my legs. Well, after letting dinner settle, I got myself out on the road and felt really good. I ran my scheduled 3 miles at a pace of just over 8 min/mile.

I've also started my strengthening exercises for my arm. It was a bit sore yesterday but feeling pretty good today. I called the MD to get a refill on my Naproxen prescription just to make sure that I totally wipe this thing out. I'm hoping that I will be able to start some really lifting next week. I will start light and work my way up.

Today has been OK - it is a cross training day so I did just under 30 minutes of Taebo this morning and will get on my bike a bit later today. Eating has been OK so far today too. This is the area that I've been struggling the most with. My body really wants to stay at my current weight - about 138. I'm trying to decide whether I want to stay here for awhile or whether I want to push my way through to 130-135 and then try and stay there.

I'll try and update later on how my 2nd workout went.

Addendum:

Well the evening completely got away from me. I ended up finishing up my homework instead of getting my 2nd exercise session completed. To be honest, I'm not sure where my priority lies with those two choices. I am learning a great deal with my class and I need to have the credits for my job (so I need to do well). The problem is, there is a lot of homework involved with the class - lots of reading a writing article reviews and observing children in different situations with write-ups. It isn't really "hard" work but it is time consuming and right now we are in the meatiest section of the course - Child Development. I'm not happy that I didn't get the extra workout in but I'm content with my decision. Tomorrow's workout will depend on the weather. If it is not raining, I'm going for a 6 mile run. If it is raining I will do a 60 minutes Cross on my bike.

Inconsistent

The title is perfect for not only my posting but also for my fitness program. I have been dropping lots of bucks to my hubby because I haven't been following my program. For every goal I don't check off. on my LL list, I owe my hubby $5. There is a bunch of dollars not going into my savings fund because of my inconsistent performances. I really wish I could put my finger on the reasons for my problems. I've been struggling with them for quite some time now. A couple of times I thought I had it all figured out only to find myself struggling again in less than a week. But, as I posted before, I will never give up so if you look at the big picture I'm ahead of the game. Now all I have to do is get the smaller picture in better focus.

The positive for today has been my workout. I was supposed to run 5 miles today but we had a descent ice storm yesterday so the roads were a mess. I decided to sleep in a bit (I slept until 7am and I can't remember the last time I stayed in bed that late - it felt GREAT! I think I needed it.) and then did a bike workout in the afternoon. I really busted my butt for 55 awesome minutes. It also appears that the roads have cleared enough for me to run tomorrow morning before church. I may have to do a lot of little loops in my neighborhood but I need to start getting those miles in on my legs. My cardiovascular conditioning is pretty good (at the MD's the other day my heart rate was 56 bpm) but I need to get my legs used to the pounding of running.

My friend Katrina runs her 1/2 marathon tomorrow and I can't wait to hear how she does. We are planning on signing up for the Marine Corp Marathon in the fall so she has a great base under her already. I know I wouldn't be able to cover that distance right now. However, I can usually get up to speed relatively quickly if I can get out on the roads consistently - I am SO ready for the weather to get warmer and stay warmer!

Update

Maybe in some small way I'm being rewarded for my efforts today. It appears that the car had a battery problem. The tow truck driver got the car started and told my husband that the problem was most likely a dead battery - no guarantees mind you. Nevertheless, my husband put in a new battery and it started like a dream. Now let's all keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way!

I'm on my LAST nerve!!

I'm really trying to be good and not turn to food like I usually do when I'm stressed - so I'm writing instead. It all started (well maybe not "all") first thing this morning. I got up about 4:45am so that I could wake up a bit and then go out for a run. Well, at about 5:10am my 4 year old son comes walking down the steps. Needless to say, I wasn't able to get out for my run first thing. That wasn't too bad because I just went a bit later when my husband got up. The bad part is that my son's behavior is awful when he doesn't get enough sleep - everything is a major catastrophe and tears flow at the drop of a hat. After a while it REALLY grates on your nerves!

Then, just as we were leaving the local fire station (picking up new batteries - don't forget to change your smoke detector batteries and your clocks) the van decides to just stop working. It is some sort of electrical problem but it just isn't something I want/need to deal with right now. My husband is trying to figure it out right now but my gut is telling me I'm going to be without a car for a while. Not having a car would be a major problem come Monday! The car has acted funny the past week or so, so I guess it is our own fault but the problems were with things like the windows. One of the power windows wouldn't work and then all of a sudden it worked. I thought it was a motor problem in the door at first but now that this has happened I'm thinking the problems are related.

Then, after running home to get the other car (got me some extra exercise - I guess that is a plus) we got home and my son had yet another meltdown and got sent to his room. Then, not 5 minutes after I let him out of his room he has another one. I try to keep telling myself that it is because he is tired and because he is 4 years old. But, it isn't making it any easier to deal with!!

Well, I guess this has helped a bit. I'm still very frustrated but I don't I'm going to raid the frig. Plus, "my Flyers" just scored a shorthanded goal to go up 3-1 over the Boston Bruins. I just wish the Flyers were having a better year!

I'm Famous!

Not really but a friend of mine interviewed me for her husband's fitness website. I thought it turned out pretty well. Hopefully, I don't come off as too much of a dork - but even if I do it is who I am and I'm proud of me!

Hope you enjoy the article and even get some useful information from it. By the way, the website is pretty new but I know they are working very hard to get some really great info on it. Enjoy!

http://www.osxfitness.com/cheryleinterview.html

Just a quick note

I finally got out for a run this morning. I added some fast paced walking and was able to get out there for about 50 minutes. It felt good to be out and running again. I am going to look up some 10K training programs and go for it.

My eating has been great today. I've had 4 of my 6 meals and they have all been according to plan.

I don't plan on owing my husband any money again today!!

Peace.

Today has been great so far!

I had some eye openers today. The first one happened while I was watching "Handy Manny" with my son (that's a TV show by the way). The show was talking about making mistakes. I realised that was what was going on in my fitness plan - I was making LOTS of mistakes. However, one positive thing about the situation is that I'm not giving up in any way shape or form. The other positive point is that I am trying to learn from this time in my life. I know that if I just keep working at it I WILL reach my goals. It may not happen tomorrow but it will happen!

The other eye opener was when I put my jeans on today. They were a pair that not too long ago were quite loose but not anymore. They were tight everywhere - the waist, the seat and the thighs. I really hated that feeling. Right now I'm at 140 and I need to be between 130 & 135! The really funny thing is that even though I knew what the scale said, I kept telling myself that 5 pounds isn't that big a deal and yes, a couple of outfits were a bit more snug than they used to be, I still look good in my clothes and I'm probably a lot better off than most of the population. WHAT STINKIN' THINKIN'!!!! I'm heavier than I should be or want to be and I need to make some changes and make them NOW!!

I had an awesome Cardio Coach workout (vol. 6 is great)! It lasted about 50 minutes and it was really challenging. I've also got a leverage system working thanks to Allie over at LL. I'm using my checklist and for every item that I don't mark off at the end of the day, I will give my husband $5. That can become VERY expensive if I don't follow through. I'm also trying to save for a special present for myself and every dollar that goes to him doesn't make it into my savings fund. I love this for a couple of reasons: 1. The leverage is a daily event and not something that I can skip today with the thought "I'll make it up tomorrow" & 2. It is taking me further away from something I really want. Something that I want badly enough that I've started to save a year in advance for it! I am going to use this leverage system until the end of March and see where it takes me - if all goes well and it is a system that works for me I may very well continue it!

My nutrition has also been great today. I've stuck to my plan without fail and haven't had any "cheats". I've even decided to forgo my usual "splurge dessert" because I've had way too many splurges this week as it is. Also, by skipping the splurge, I will make sure that I complete all my checkoffs for the day.

I downloaded some more music today and I want to go out and try it. It was a podrunner podcast and he puts together mixes according to heart rate. I actually got 2 downloads at different speeds and want to try out each both while I'm walking or running and also on the bike. I figure if I can supplement my main workout with the podrunner material it will only help my cause.

One bad thing is that I think I've developed some tendinitis in my right elbow. It has really been bothering me lately. I'm going to take the week off from lifting and see how it feels. The world can't be all roses - right?!

Boy has it been a long time!

I have had the darnedest time finding the time to get everything I like to do done! As a result, my blog has been neglected lately. It's funny, not too long ago I seemed to be able to get everything I wanted to do done. I was exercising (many times multiple sessions), taking care of the family, doing my prep work for school and doing a little bit of house cleaning (notice I said a LITTLE bit - I really don't like to clean the house so it's always last - LOL). Even with all that, I was still able to keep up to date with my LL logs and keep my blog up to date. Now, I'm struggling with most of that list.

I have been trying to evaluate why things are the way they are and I don't seem to be getting anywhere with it. I feel like I should be able to just flip that switch and get back on track but it isn't turning out to be that easy. My main focus today was to make sure I got in a good workout first thing this morning and I accomplished that! I did 30 minutes of Drill Max. I wanted to try and get a bit more in later but the day didn't work out that way - lots of errands to get done. I am happy with that part of my day though. My goal was to get the workout in early and I did that. Food was so-so, mostly because I forgot to bring both my snack and my lunch to work. I really could have kicked myself!

Tomorrow is another day and I will again make a goal of exercising first thing in the morning. If the weather is nice I will be trying to get out for a run. It has been a long time since I've been on a run, mostly because of bad weather. If the weather doesn't cooperate I will do Vol. 6 of Cardio Coach on my bike.

Wednesday 2/21/07

Something happened today that told me I'm getting back into a good groove. I have had one of those nights where you get so mad and frustrated that all you want to do is curl up with a nice bag of junk food and eat the whole thing. However, I did not succumb to this feeling! Instead, I went out to my bike and did my Cardio Coach workout. This act is very good for me - I also gave up sweets for Lent so sitting down with the junk was not an option.

Here is a question though: why can I give up sweets for Lent, without much difficulty, but during the rest of the year I struggle to go 1 day without the junk? I don't understand it.

Well time is short and I have lots to do.

My New Team Has Started!

I joined a team over at LL - the teams can be a great motivator because there is lots of support. There is also the responsibility to not let your team down. The team leader actually wrote and posted a team contract which I thought was a great idea. I printed it out just to remind myself of the promises I gave when I signed up for the team. Too many people make promises with no intention of keeping them - I don't intend to be one of those people. I promised to be a part of this team so I will:

1. Do my absolute best to stay on plan every day.
2. Take responsibility for my own actions and not make excuses.
3. Be honest and give support to my teammates and cheer their success as they will do the same for me.
4. Not drop out!!

The team started yesterday and so far I've had 2 good days (today isn't over but I DO NOT plan on messing it up). I've had to deal with some bad weather (ice/snow storm so no outside exercising) but yesterday I completed and hour exercise tape and today I've completed my lifting session. I still want to get in about 30 minutes of CV, which I will do shortly.

I'm feeling better about things right now. My attitude has been better - I'm afraid it is still going to be a battle for a while but I'm hoping that by being on the team I will have the extra motivation that will get the ball rolling. I honestly believe that if I can get a couple of really good weeks under my belt, I will get into a good groove and be able to follow through with all my plans. I really need to make sure to keep the crap out of my diet and do a bit of a detox on my system. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if that was a huge part of my overall problem.

Here's to an awesome day 2 of our LL team!

Change in Focus!

I've continued to try and evaluate what in the world has been going on with myself. It really isn't like me to be in a funk this long. What I came up with is that everything started spiraling out of control when I tried to back off on my distance running in order to try and build more muscle. When that is occurring, a different mindset is needed in regards to food. When I try to make this switch, something in my brain tells me that I can eat anything and everything I want. I know that isn't true but it is still what happens in my head.

What I've decided to do is to get back to what I know I do best - distance running. I'm not going to give up my lifting (still shooting for 3 days per week) but my focus is going to swing back toward the running. I've pulled off 2 10K training programs from Hal Higdon's site. One of them is an intermediate program and the other is an advanced program. I think I'm going to do them back to back (intermediate and then the advanced) which will give me 16 weeks of good consistent mileage.

A friend of mine from LL has spoken about doing a marathon together in the fall. I'm really considering taking her up on that challenge as well. I'm thinking that the 16 weeks of 10K training will give me a good base to then begin the marathon training. My hope is that this whole plan will allow me a nice gradual build up and that it won't wreak too much havoc on my body or my life.

Today was a nice easy 3 mile run with a 3/4 mile walking cool down. I was very cold out (16 degrees F) but is felt great to not only get out and run but to also know that I have a plan. Now all I have to do is work the plan and I'll reach my goal.

It feels really good to know that I have a plan and some direction again. When I started my muscle building phase I thought I had a good plan but when I look back I now have to wonder....but, at least for now I feel like I have focus and purpose and that is an awesome feeling!

Enough is Enough! - update

My day has continued to go well. There have been a few times when I saw something that I wanted to eat but I told myself NO! It isn't on your plan and you will stick to the plan!!!!

So far it has worked but I will admit that I'm feeling a bit hungry even though I just finished a meal. It is probably psychological but it feels real enough. However, I am not going to go off plan. I'm taking this one day at a time and today I will not stray. It may seem extreme but I have to break the cycle and if I have even one little bite I just know I will lose control. So here's to the plan and sticking to it!!!!

Enough is Enough!

I've decided that many of my problems have been caused by my head being up my butt. For some strange reason, I've been feeling sorry for myself and not doing the things I need to do. I'm not sure exactly when or why it started and frankly I don't care. The only thing that matters is that I get my butt up off the sofa and do all the things I need to do!!!!

I WILL be journaling every day, I WILL be performing all my exercise sessions, I WILL be planning all my meals and I WILL be sticking to my plan!

One of the excuses that I've been using is lack of time. It is true that I'm quite busy but so are many other people and they are doing what they need to do. One person I truly admire for this type of situation is Julie B who I met over at LL. Julie runs in the ultra distance races and has to put in lots of miles. I'm not quite sure how she does it with a husband and a family. Julie, if you happen to read this, you are an inspiration to me and many others. Oh, just in case anyone was wondering, she doesn't just run these distances, she runs them VERY well. Well enough to have gotten a sponsor last year. Awesome job Julie!!!

Today has been a good day so far. I got out for a run, even though it was only 11 degrees F. It "was only" 3 miles but it felt great! I didn't worry about the pace, I just wanted to get out and do it. I also made a nutrition plan for myself last night and have been sticking with it so far today. My plan is to just take it one day at a time for now. I will worry about setting longer term goals after I get myself back on track. I know I will be signing up for some running races - maybe even a marathon this fall with my friend Katrina.

I will try to post again later updating the rest of the day.

Week in Review 2/3/07

Well, it was a good week and a bad week. Good in that I got a lot accomplished this week. I was able to get a lot of stuff together for the upcoming month at school, I was able to get all my school assignments finished and I was able to get some of the house straightened up. I've also had a couple of really good conversations with Coach David. He opened my eyes to a few things going on with my life.

The bad part was my exercise and nutrition. I actually lost some weight this week but to be completely honest I'm not feeling very good about my program or my consistency right now. I'm having lots of highs and lows with no in between consistency. I've also come to realize that I'm not really feeling good about myself either. Coach David suggested that I really need to find something for ME because I'm worth it. He is right, I am worth it, but that isn't something that I hear much or say to myself much. I'm trying to come up with something that I can do just for me. Right now I'm leaning toward trying a massage - it is something I've never done and have always wanted to try. If it goes well, I'm going to look into maybe trying to schedule one a week or maybe every other week and then use it for my leverage.

As I said in the beginning - good and bad week. Hopefully it is one that I can learn from and start moving forward in a positive direction. I feel like I've been treading water and going nowhere for a very long time.

I feel like I'm swimming upstream and not making any progress!

I started taking a class a couple of weeks ago and boy has it really messed up my schedule. The class is on Monday nights and is scheduled to end at 9:30 pm. Now, that may not sound very late but I normally go to bed between 9 and 9:30 each night. This past Monday, we didn't end class until about 9:45 and then I still had to drive home. I have felt exhausted all week. I'm sure it will get better over the next couple of weeks but in the meantime I've been struggling with getting my workouts done.

Overall, I'm just plain frustrated with myself. I've been able to drop my weight a bit over the past few days but I just don't feel good about myself right now. I spoke with Coach, at LL, the other day and he said something that really made me sit up and take notice. We were talking about leveraging and how hard it can be to come up with a good strong leverage. He listed many things that the "normal" woman might engage in and I don't do any of them. They were all things that someone would do just for themselves - make themselves feel better, prettier, more relaxed etc and I don't do any of them. I don't do things for me and it isn't because my husband won't let me or anything like that.

Why doesn't a person do things for themselves? Is it because they, deep down somewhere, don't like themselves? Don't think they deserve it? I always thought I liked myself but now I'm starting to wonder. I could just write this whole thing off and just go do something for me but will that really solve the problem? Is there a problem? Does anyone out there have an answer? Because I'm not sure I do.

Saturday 1/27/07

Well, I hit my exercise minute goal this week and I hit my weight loss goal (early in the week) but since then the weight has gone up. As I posted yesterday, I'm really struggling with food and today won't be much better I'm afraid. Tomorrow is my 12 year anniversary and Bill and I are going out to dinner. I know that my celebrations shouldn't be based on food but we are going without the kids and it is our day so I'm going to eat without worrying about it and I will probably have dessert. As I sit here and type this I'm not really sure how I feel about this idea.

It has been a few hours since I started typing this post. I've decided that I will not go nuts at dinner. I'm going to enjoy the dinner and have dessert but I'm really going to try not to stuff myself - maybe only eat 1/2 of what is given to me.

I'm also toying with the idea of trying to just maintain my current weight for a while. I'm just a couple of pounds over my high school weight and I know that I look pretty good. I'm trying to figure out whether I'm frustrated right now because I truly want to lose weight or whether I'm just struggling with the concept of getting out of weight loss mode and into maintenance. In some ways, I feel like I need to continue to challenge myself but on the other hand I need to determine whether my weight is the challenge I need to deal with right now. There are many things going on in my life right now and maybe it would be a good time to concentrate on other things and then just work on maintaining the weight.

Coach Dave, at LL, has a program called ELITE. It costs a fair amount of money and I don't have it right now. I was thinking about saving my money over the next year and applying for the program next year. My thinking is this, if I can maintain my weight for the next year I will have a really good base at my current weight (since most people put all their weight on in the first year after losing the initial weight). My body will be used to this weight, and if I get into the intensive program my hope is that many of the "demons" I'm fighting now will not be as big a problem.

Boy am I of 2 minds about all this. I know I really need to find some sort of event or goal to shoot for. The problem hear is that I'm of 2 minds about that also. I've always been an endurance type athlete so I decided a while back that I would try to shift gears and go for muscle growth instead of a lot of distance running. The problem here is that there really isn't an event to train for (I don't have any desire to get on stage). I guess I could go back to training distance and I may do that as the weather gets warmer. A friend of mine from LL suggested that we could train for the same marathon and then run it together. I have to admit that running a marathon has always been a goal.

Boy have I done a lot of rambling here - lots of different thoughts. That is pretty much how my brain feels right now. I've got lots of ideas and thoughts and none of it is really messing together right now. I'm not really sure where all this is leading or where I'll end up but I will keep plugging along in one form or another.

I'm Frustrated!

Let me start with the good - my RT workouts have been kick-butt! I'm stronger right now than I've ever been and I'm really striving, each and every workout to surpass what I did the day before. My CV workouts could be better but that usually happens during the winter months - it is so much harder to get motivated to go outside when the temperature is 12 degrees like it is this morning. I can accept that part because I know my CV will really rev up when the weather starts to warm-up a bit.

The bad part is my eating. It has always been my weaker point - I love the taste of junky food. I could easily sit and eat crap all day long. Yes, I plan my meals most days and even take meals to work with me. However, there are days when there is food at work that I eat (off plan) and days when I grab stuff at home (off plan). The worst part is that I know that I'm doing it and I do it anyway. Some people talk about having just a little nibble of "something" and before they realise what has happened - all of the "something" is gone. That isn't what is happening with me. I know I'm eating something I shouldn't and I tell myself: I don't care I'm going to eat it anyway. The problem is that I do care and I don't want to continue this cycle.

One side of me (the side that has written my current "why") wants to prove to myself that I can do something EXCELLENT. I would love to have the look of a cross between a fitness and a figure competitor. They both have such beautiful and sexy bodies. I love aspects of both of them. To do this, I'm sure I'd need to get my body fat down in the 13ish percent range. This would truly be EXCELLENT for me. But, the other side of me is telling me: "you're just a couple of pounds over the weight you were in high school & you look good in and out of clothes. Why do you want to put yourself through all the trouble of trying to get down that low - it's too much work...." yada, yada, yada.

I have this fight, in my head, each and every day. Add this too everything that I've got going on in my life right now and in many ways it is wearing me down. Who knows, maybe that is part of the reason that I tell myself that I don't care. I really don't have any answers here, I'm just babbling I guess.

The best part though is that I know, deep down in my soul, that regardless of what the answer is I will never stop living this lifestyle. I love how I feel when I'm working out and working out hard. Will I always have this struggle with food? I don't know but my gut says probably. This seems to be a very abrupt end to this entry but when you don't have any real answers is there any type of good ending?

Wednesday - Thursday (1/24-25)

Wednesday's are very busy these days. Immediately after work, I'm training a co-worker. She had pretty advanced arthritis (along with other physical challenges) and wants to get stronger so that she will be better able to play with her grandkids. It's been a while since I've worked with clients (I used to work in a fitness club/physical therapy clinic) but I'm LOVING it! It isn't bringing in a lot of money but it is a start. I would love to have a few more people to work with and maybe it will be a reality someday.

Anyway, after getting home from that, there was a lot to get done in a short amount of time. I was able to get my workouts finished but I had to do it in spurts. I did a couple of CV sessions on the bike and then did my lifting session, also in a couple of sessions. There just wasn't enough time, in a big chunk, to get it all done at once. I figured anything done, even if it had to be in small blocks of time is getting me closer to my goals.

Today is turning into the same type of day. I got a 20 minute run in this morning but had to come back to the house because my dh had to leave for work early (he had to be there at 6 am). I will try to get another session in this afternoon. The only thing that makes that hard is that I have a picture session at church for our directory. That appointment is at 5:50 pm so I'll really be scrambling around after dinner to get everyone ready. I have no idea how long the session will take - hopefully not long.

I've got to run and pick my daughter up from school. Later!!

I've been so busy lately!

I can't believe how crazy things have been lately. I've been doing well with my exercise sessions and my eating. I've gotten my weight down to 135.5 and am very pleased with my progress.

Hopefully I will be able to get on and write more later.

I'm still moving forward!

I had a rough day the other day but I didn't let it get me down or off my game. I just admitted that I slipped and got right back on my LL program the next day (slipped at night). I kept very clean the next day, drank all my water and had a great workout. The next time I got on the scale I had dropped 2 pounds. I'm now down to 136.5.

My days have been very busy and they are about to get busier. I'm starting an evening class on Monday. It has been quite some time since I took any classes so I'm a bit nervous but also a bit excited. It is a class I need for work and I've been told that it is going to be a lot of work. However, I'm hoping that it will really help me be a better teacher. The big down side to it is that it is going to last 20 weeks.

Speaking of busy - I've gotta run!

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN GOING GREAT!

I have been having an awesome week so far. I took this past weekend and worked on coming up with some very aggressive goals. Then from those goals, I was finally able to come up with a WHY that means something to me. I've even written some affirmations and put them on some 3x5 cards so that I can carry them with me.

I started my lifting program on Monday and will lift 3 times per week. My cardio will consist of mostly running. Since I want to try and gain some muscle I'm trying to run more interval sessions. My legs are pretty sore and tired so I don't know if I'll be able to do the intervals tomorrow but my goal is to do interval runs on Tuesday and Thursday and then do a moderately long run on Saturday. Since this is my first week I may ease off on the runs a bit this week and then pick up another interval session next week.

Tuesday's run was very intense. I ran for about 15 minutes or so and then did 10 hill repeats and then finished it with a 5 minute cool down. My legs are still quite tired and a bit sore (I'm sure from a combo of the running and the lifting). That is the main reason why I think I may just run tomorrow without intervals - I'll just wait and see how I feel tomorrow.

Eating has been very good too. I've managed to drop 2 pounds already and I'm feeling great about the whole situation. I have been a bit hungry the past couple of days. I'm not sure if it is because of the workouts or because my body is adjusting to the decreased calories. I don't know how many calories I was eating each day over the past couple of weeks but it is a heck of a lot more that I'm eating right now.

I also found out today that I got into the class I need for work. I didn't find out about it until late and when I called there was already a waiting list. Fortunately I was second on the list and got in. The class starts Monday and from what I understand it is going to be a lot of work. But, I'm looking forward to it!

Rambling Thoughts 1/12/07

As I sit down to start to write this entry, I’ve just gotten back from an exercise session. It wasn’t super intense – a fast paced walk – but it was a step in the right direction. It was also good for my head because I did a lot of thinking. I must also mention that this may be a bit long as well as scattered in flow. I would love to be able to just sit down and write the whole thing in one sitting. However, I have 2 kids and we all have to go to school (I teach at their school) so I’m writing this in segments.

For the past 7-8 months I have been in an Action Phase (described in more detail in the LL book). I dropped my weight down to the same weight I was in high school. During this period, I also had some immovable goal dates to shoot for. I didn’t realize, at the time, just how motivating they were. In October, I had my 15K race with a pretty ambitious time goal and shortly thereafter, I had my 20th High School Reunion that I wanted to look fabulous for. Then came November, these 2 dates were gone and the Holidays (which also happen to include the birthdays for both my kids) were right around the corner. I found myself without much in the way of goals and I was entering into the Maintenance Phase. This can be a very difficult phase as I’ve found out.

When I was in the Action Phase everything seemed to come so easily. Getting out to exercise was a snap and making proper food choices were no problem. I had my goals, they excited me, and I was going to reach them no matter what! Then came the Maintenance Phase. During this time, I had parties to go to and other parties to plan and throw. I was up late and not eating well. In short, I got out of all my “good” routines. It was at this time that I could really feel myself starting to lose my motivation and drive. I have been struggling to get it back ever since.

My weight has gone up to 140 (5 pounds over my high school weight) and I haven’t been able to really find a goal that excites me. In the beginning, it was all about getting rid of the weight (I started more that 20 pounds heavier than I am right now). I knew I was heavy, I knew I didn’t look good and I knew my clothes didn’t fit. All these things together were enough to light the fire and keep it burning bright! It’s different now. Yes, I’ve gained weight – there only 5 pounds to lose instead of 30 pounds – but since I’m not feeling as bad as when I first started, weight loss alone doesn’t seem to get me going.

I’ve also decided that I have a very hard time dealing with more than one major goal at a time. When I was in action, I pretty much focused on that and not much else. As a result, my house started to get messy and cluttered. Add on all the Christmas “stuff” and the house needed a lot of work. So, about a week or 2 ago, I started getting the house under control – that seemed to be the goal that was firing me up. See the connection? As I was getting fired up about my goal (the house), I was really struggling with the other goal (my fitness). I need to find a way to balance these 2 areas of my life.

Last night, I sat down and started to re-read the LL book – specifically the section on the phases of change. As I read, I decided that right now I’m in the Contemplation Phase (please see the LL book for further explanation – it is well worth the read!). I also came across some really great quotes:

“Action creates motivation, not the other way around.”
“Energy does not precede your Lifestyle choice. Energy succeeds your Lifestyle choice.”
“You have to start. Quit procrastinating!”
“If you want to change your body, start with a change in behavior.”
“It is important that you at least start the Lifestyle. Even if you are not totally ready in your mind.”
“…you don’t have to have the perfect plan to get going.”
You truly must act your way through the stages of change.”

Do I have everything figured out? No. Do I have everything set up and in perfect order for me to get started? No. I did however get out for some exercise this morning and my eating has been better today. I still have to find a goal that really excites me – something more than “just losing weight”. I also feel that I need to get a good handle on my “Why” – more on that to come.

Pictures, stats and other stuff

Wt = 137.5

% Fat = 15.8% (thigh: 13mm; Hip: 14mm; Tricep: 9.5mm)

Fat weight = 21.8#

FFM = 116.2#

I'm not sure that these numbers are completely accurate (I just don't feel like I'm as low as 15.8% fat) but it is a place to start. Measurements that are taken in the future will be taken in the same way so I will be able to compare the numbers.

I've had a good week of exercising. I finished all my max lifting sessions (I won't be lifting for the next week, as per the program, but I will do my CV sessions) and had some really good CV sessions. I got my Cathe DVD (Drill Max) and got to do part of that as well. I think I got through about 3/4 of the DVD. I'm hoping to do the entire workout tomorrow.

I've decided to try and get back to basics with my mental status. I'm trying to "start over". I've made myself a new journal and will really try to journal...STOP I will journal every day. I will plan every day and I will then follow that plan every day!

Today was going really well until this evening. A bunch of things happened and I gave into some stress eating. I'm also going to a friends house tomorrow and there is always a bunch of food when we go so I'm going to need to be VERY careful.

Off to make my plans and write in my journal!

Wednesday 1/3 - RT

Today was my 10 rep max test day. It was really tough, I even got stuck on my decline bench press. I realized after trying my first rep that there was no way I was going to be able to lift that weight. Unfortunately, at that point I was having a VERY hard time getting back up off the bench. The only other person in the house was my 4 yo son who obviously couldn't help. Then the phone starts to ring - figures doesn't it! Long story short, I got up without any major problems and dropped the weight down 5 pounds. I also wasn't able to do as many reps as I would have liked on most of my exercises. It was still all I had but there were a lot of sets that I couldn't even get to the 10 rep mark.

I will be having a spotter on Friday when I do my 5 rep session. That means that I will have to lift in the afternoon so that my dh can help me. I will post my session tomorrow - getting late.

Tuesday (1/2) - CV

Boy did I have a tough time getting going today. Luckily, I didn't have anywhere to go this morning so I took my time and got out when I had a bit more energy. I ran for about 4 miles and my pace was 8:11/mile. I'm pleased with the effort especially because I didn't feel like going out in the first place and because there was a lot of wind which always makes the run harder.

I'm not super sore today which surprises me a bit. I do "feel" it a bit in a couple of places - especially my hamstrings - but I thought it would be worse. I'll probably be sore later on in the week though because the reps go down and the weight goes up.

I'm going to take some pictures and some measurements today or tomorrow so that I have something to compare to later on down the road. I'll be interested to see what the numbers are because I haven't taken any in a while and I haven't been eating all that great over the holidays. I'll try to post them after I take them.

New Year - New Workout!

Today I started my HST program. Today's workout was a max test day for 15 reps. It was pretty hard but there were a couple of exercises I thought I could have done a touch more weight. Tomorrow will be a cardio day. My workout was as follows:

Dumbbell rows: 25# for 18 reps (need more weight here)
Barbell rows: 25# for 18 reps (using EZ curl bar with 25s on each side)
Decline bench: 35# for 15 reps
Incline bench: 30# for 15 reps
Lying tricep ext.: 15# for 18 reps ( using EZ curl bar with 15s on each side)
Dumbbell bicep curls: 25# for 13 reps
Dumbbell squats: 45# for 18 reps (45s in each hand)
Dumbbell stiff-leg. deadlift: 45# for 17 reps (45s in each hand)
Standing calf raises: 50# for 18 reps

I'm pleased with the effort and am really glad to have this program part of the Muscle Professor (MP) program at Club Lifestyle. The MP takes care of planning the workout and progresses the weights according to how I did on the previous workout - AWESOME!

Weekend workouts

I took a day off yesterday. I don't do that very often but I just felt like I needed it. I was not an uneventful day though. We were very busy and didn't really stop much.

Today's workout consisted of a fast-paced walk. We are also planning of getting to our local State Park for a hike with the kids. I haven't done that in so long - I am REALLY looking forward to it! I am not going to lift today because I am starting my HST ( Hypertophy Specific Training) program tomorrow. It consists of an all out max testing session (15 reps). I can't remember if I've discussed this or not but it is a program that Coach Tom at LL recommended to help me build muscle and maintain some cardio fitness at the same time. The program I will be using is a full body workout 3 times per week. I've also spoken to others at Club Lifestyle and everybody gives it great reviews. I'm excited to give it a try. I will say that I really enjoyed getting back to the POF routines and will definitely get back to them some time in the future.

Have a Happy New Year everyone!!

Friday - Biceps & Fast Walk

Today's lifting session was EXCELLENT! I really felt strong today - I lifted in the afternoon versus early morning which may have made a difference. I felt really strong and was able to, in some situations, increase both weight and reps. Here are the numbers:

Modified superset
Standing curls x10 @25#; x6 @ 27.5#; x8 @ 27.5#
Concentration curls x10 @ 17.5#; x8 @ 20#

Drop set
Incline curl 1x12(10) @ 17.5/15#; 1x 11(6) @ 17.5/15#

Aftershock superset
Incline hammer curl x11@ 15#
Standing hammer curl x11 @15#

This morning I went out for a 30 minute fast walk. It felt good to just get out and enjoy the morning! My weight was 137.5 this morning. No drop from yesterday but I'm feeling good about the way the week is going. I've been discussing my next move with Coach Tom at LL and I will be switching programs soon to Hypertophy Specific Training (HST). I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve!

Thursday - Triceps & CV

Today was a good workout. I lifted triceps - I didn't know how the workout was going to go because I was extremely sore the last time I did this workout. Everything turned out great though. I was able to increase my reps on the modified superset but after this increase I was not able to increase the drop sets. I'm happy though because I'm really just shooting for some sort of increase each session.

Here is the workout:
Modified superset
Lying extensions 3x12 @ 20#
Kickbacks 2x12 @ 15#

Drop sets
Overhead extensions 2x8(7) @ 20/15#

Next workout: I will increase the weight of the modified superset (and decrease the reps) and try to add 1 more rep on the drop set.

Cardio: immediately after my lifting session I went out for a run. I wasn't as concerned about overall pace because I wanted to incorporate some hill work in the middle. My plan was to run about 4 miles so I wanted to place the hills at around 2 miles. I ended up putting them in at about 1.75 miles and then did 4 hill repeats (sprinted up the hill and then walk/jogged combo down). The hill was in the ball park of 1/10th of a mile long. After the hills I completed the remaining distance so that my total mileage was a touch over 4 miles. My overall pace was about 9:30 per mile (including the walking during the hills) and my max pace was about 6 min. per mile. I'm pleased with the effort.

I was also happy to see another drop in scale weight. I'm now at 137.5# and I'm feeling better every day. It feels great to be getting back on track!

Wednesday - Back/CV

Back is a tough area for me to work. I have to do all my exercises with dumbbells and tubing so it can be difficult to get a really good back workout. I'm thinking about getting a pull-up bar (one that screws into the door frame) and that would help a lot. I can't do many (if any) pull-ups but would love to be able to and I used to have a bar that I could hang over and around the door (removable) but boy did it tear up my door frame. Since getting rid of that bar I've had to try and find ways to work my back with limited equipment. However, overall I think today was a good workout. I concentrated on increasing reps today and back day, I will concentrate on increasing weights.

Here's the workout:
Modified supersets
Lat pulldowns 3x10-12 w/ blue tubing
Scapular retrations 2x10-12 @15#

Drop sets
Pullovers x10 @ 20#; x9 @ 15#
Pullovers x9 @ 20#; x8 @ 15#

Modified superset
Chest supported rows 2x12 @20#
Rear delts 2x12 @ 20#

Drop sets
Forward lean shrug 2x12(11) @ 30/25#

After lifting session, I was able to get out for a 30 minute run. The wind was making it feel pretty hard but I was able to maintain a pace of 8:30 per mile and covered 3.45 miles. It has been a while since I've gotten out for a run so I'm pleased with the time and the effort.

Side note: my husband got me the coolest present for Christmas. He saw an article about these gloves that have a light on the back (thin red strip) that you can turn on and have it either be a steady light or a flashing light. I wore it for the first time today and it worked great. It is very dark, at this time of year, when I go out for my runs so I love to have as much on as I can to help drivers see me. The gloves are also very comfortable and have nice finger grips on the inside too.

Tuesday - part 2

Little update: I was able to get in a fast walk CV workout. It was about 30 minutes long and felt good. My legs are still pretty sore after my leg workout the other day (and playing twister with my kids) so walking was about all I could muster. I'm hoping to start getting in some running in the next couple of days.

Tuesday - Chest 12/26/06

Today was a good workout I was able to make increases in all areas of the session (both decline and incline). I allowed myself some freedom yesterday because of Christmas but now I really have to get back on the program! I am going to set a weight loss goal on LL because I have allowed myself to get too far out of control.

Here is today's workout:
Modified superset
Decline bench 3x10 @ 32.5#
Decline fly 2x10 @ 22.5#

Superset
Hands together pushups x15
Decline fly x8 @ 20#

Modified superset
Incline bench 3x8 @ 27.5#
Incline fly 2x8 @ 20.5#

Superset
Hands together pushups x15
Incline fly x8 @ 17.5#

Sunday - Legs

Today was a tough workout. I have a love-hate relationship with leg workouts. There are times that I absolutely love to do leg workouts and times when I absolutely hate to do leg workouts. Today was one of those "hate" days. I just didn't want to get my butt off the couch and get started but I did and I feel good about my accomplishments.

Today's workout:
QUADS
Modified superset
Alternating lunges 3x10 @ 25#
Stage squats 2x8 @ 45#

Sissy squats 2x10 body weight only

HAMSTRINGS
Modified superset
Stiff-legged deadlifts 3x8 @ 45#
Standing leg curl with tubing 3x12 @ blue tubing

CALVES
Drop set
1 legged calf raises 2x12(10) @ 40/35#

Seated calf raises 2x25 @ 45#

Speed reps
Donkey raises 2X25 @ 25#

I don't think I outlined some of the finer points of the workouts. The modified superset is just a superset with a break between exercises. So, instead of doing the 2 exercises back to back, you take a 1-2 minute break between them (1 minute for everything except legs where you take a 2 minute break)

Also the leg workout has some interesting aspects to it. The first is the stage squat. The exercise has you squat down and do the bottom 2/3 of the rep. Then after about 10 reps, you drive up and do the top 1/3 of the rep making sure to squeeze your quads at the lockout point. The second is the sissy squat. I don't have much experience with this exercise and find it a bit awkward. The final part is the seated calf raises. I have trouble getting a weight on my legs that allow me to really feel the exercise. I ended up doing very high reps instead of doing the drop set that the actual workout called for because the weight felt so light. Also all the weights are using dumbbells and so it is the weight of 1 of the dumbbells. So, if it says that I doing a squat with 45# that means that I'm holding 2 45# dumbbells.

I won't be lifting tomorrow because it is Christmas but I'm afraid that I'm am going to be one very sore cookie tomorrow!

Saturday - shoulders

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I got on the scale this morning and it read 138. I know some of that may be water weight but I know that some of it is also fat! I have been off my LL program for long enough and today I get back on schedule. I did my shoulder workout and also went on a very fast walk. I also had a good breakfast (protein french toast) and will have meal 2 in about 20 minutes. I've also made a plan for the day - something I have been slacking off on for quite a while.

Here is my shoulder workout:
Modified superset
Shoulder press 3x8 @ 25#
Standing lateral raise 2x8 @ 10#

Drop set
Incline lateral raise 2x 8(7) @ 10/5#

I need to increase the weights/reps on this workout. The shoulder presses were difficult but the others could stand to be increased. I will definitely increase the drop set weights next time, the others I will try to increase the reps and then see about increasing the weights.

I am confident that today is the first day of my turn around!

Thursday - Rest; Friday - Biceps

I had a bad day on Thursday. The 2 Christmas parties (and therefore late nights) took it's toll and with my lingering cold, it all got the best of me. I felt like crap most of the day and then I took a 2 hour nap which helped. Then I went to bed early and slept of about 11 hours - that is something I never do but boy did I need it!!!

Friday's bicep workout was a good one. I kept most of my weights the same but tried to do 1 more rep than I did the last time I did the bicep workout. I also increased the concentration curls the second time around.

Modified superset
Standing curl 3x9 @ 22.5#
Concentration curl 3x9 @ 12/15#

Drop set
Incline curl 1x9(5) @ 17.5/15# & 1x6(6) @ 17.5/15#

Aftershock superset (brachialis)
Incline hammer curl 1x9 @ 15#
standing hammer curl 1x9 @ 15#

The incline curl was very difficult today but I'm pleased with the effort I put out. My goal next time around will be to hit the goal reps of 8 for both sets.

I also want to start getting more consistant aerobics in. I will see how my cold is doing tomorrow and see if I can add some back in.

Wednesday - Triceps

Today was a tough workout mostly because my upper body is pretty sore from my previous workouts this week. Today will be another busy day so I'm glad I got up and did my workout. Today is our last day of school for the year and we will be doing our Christmas program, then I have a luncheon to attend and our staff Christmas party tonight. Hopefully after today I will be able to get myself back onto a normal schedule and stop these bad habits that I'm starting to fall back into.

Tricep workout:
Modified superset
Lying extensions 3x8 @ 20#
Kickbacks 2x8 @ 15#
Drop set
Overhead extension 2x8(7) @ 20#/15#

It seems a lot shorter than the other workouts but it was a huge struggle because my arms are already sore from earlier workouts.

Tuesday - Back

Today was a pretty good workout. The program I'm using calls for pull-ups in the first superset but I don't have a pull-up bar so I had to substitute pulldowns with exercise tubing. It isn't even remotely similar in intensity but it is the best I have right now. I had a moveable pullup bar, that fit around the door frame, but it started to completely destroy the door frame so I had to get rid of it. I'm hoping to get a bar put in the frame but I'm not sure if I will be able to (here's to hoping).

Modified superset
Lat. Pulldown 3x10 blue tubing
Scapular retractions 2x8 @ 10#
Drop set
2 hand Pullover (1 DB in each hand) 2x8(7) @ 20#/15#
Modified superset
Chest supported rows 2x10 @ 20#
Rear Delts 2x10 @ 20#
Drop set
Forward lean shrug 2x8(7) @ 30#/25#

Overall a decent workout but there are a few exercises that I want to increase next time around. I am still a bit sore from my chest workout so I'll just wait and see how I feel tomorrow.

Chest Day - Monday

I had a really good workout this morning. I'm really enjoying this POF routine. However, I'm not completely decided on whether I'm going to stick with it. I've been speaking with my LL buddy Liz, who is also a Figure Competetor and she suggested a full body routine 3 days per week. I've got some thinking to do about the subject but at least for this week I'll be continuing with the POF routine.

Here are my numbers:
Modified superset
Bench press 3x8 @ 30/32.5/32.5
Decline fly 2x8 @ 20
Superset
Hands together pushups - max(15) on knees
Decline fly 1x8 @ 15
Modified superset
Incline bench 2x8 @ 25/27.5
Incline fly 2x8 @ 20
Superset
Hands together push-ups - max (15) on knees
Incline fly 1x8 @ 15

I'm planning on some increases next time around - the weights were heavy but I think I could increase just a touch. I was really trying to concentrate on going slow and squeezing the muscles. I know that makes all the difference in your training session but it is something I don't always do.

Tomorrow is my back routine. I will occassionally get spasms in my back and neck areas so I'm a touch nervous to try and go heavy. In fact, today I could feel a muscle sort of "tweeking" so I've put a heat pack on it to try and loosen it before it can ever tighten up on me. I'm not going to get all worked up about it because it may never happen.

Saturday - a bit of cardio

I took it a little easy today - fast walk for cardio (35 min.). I have really been suffering from headaches lately. I think some of it is from sinus stuff (you know that cold that just won't totally go away - one of the perils of being a teacher) and some of it may be from the crappy eating that has invaded my life lately. I'm really tired of the headaches!! It is all sitting right in the front of my face which is what make me think it is mostly sinus related but I'm sure the food has a part in it.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want to set up my lifting routine. I'm not sure if lifting a body part once every seven days is enough but yet I want to keep the routines streamlined so that it doesn't take hours to finish the routine. I don't have that sort of time each day. I think I stick with what I have right now and see how it goes.

New Beginning!

Last night I decided to try a new lifting program. It is something that I've looked into before but never gave it a really good try. The lifting program was created by 2 men at Ironman Magazine and uses a POF style (Positions of Flexion - "the concept of working a muscle through its full range of motion"). You do exercises from a mid-range, contracted and stretched position. The 2 men that created the program developed a program that can be done at home with PowerBlocks so it fits my situation perfectly. I also decided, although I am waiting for a call back from Coach, that I would choose 1 body part per day - that way the workouts won't take as long and I can be ready for work on time and maybe get in some aerobics too. I want to gain some muscle but I also want to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Today's workout was biceps (no particular reason for starting with biceps - it was the first sheet on my pile): it uses standing curls for the mid-range movement, concentration curls for the contracted movement and incline curls for the stretch postition. The program calls for modified supersets where you combine your mid-range postition with your isolation or contracted position exercise. The program also uses drop sets to help increase time under tension to help recruite different fibers. All body parts use these basic techniques so the sessions are pretty much set up in the same fashion. Here is my bicep routine:

Modified Superset:

Standing dumbbell curls (3x8) @ 22.5#

Concentration curls (2x8) @ 12.5# & 15#

Drop Sets:

Incline Curls(2x8(6)) @ 17.5# & 15# (only got 4 reps on the second set)

Aftershock Superset (brachialis)

Incline hammer curls 1x8 @ 15#

Standing hammer curls 1x8 @ 15# (had to switch to individual arm curls in order to finish the prescribed number of reps).

The workout took about 30 minutes but is gave a great pump to my arms. I was also trying to really concentrate on (1)using a 2 second up and 2 second down count for all reps; & (2) really squeezing the muscle on each rep. These are 2 things that I generally slack off on during a workout. I'm very pleased with how the session went and am looking forward to progressing with my program. I'm also going to try and post on here daily about my workouts.

New Goals?

Well, I heard back from Coach David yesterday, and I'm trying to decide what my new goal is going to be. The two goals I've up with are to continue with my distance running or try to add muscle (mostly upper body because I workout at home and don't have access to weights that would allow much increase on the lower half). I think I'm leaning toward trying to gain some muscle because it would be something really different for me. I don't think I've ever really tried a program where the main goal was to put on muscle - I've always done weight loss programs and tried to preserve the muscle that I already have.

This would be really new ground for me. There are a few people over at LL that I want to talk with to see how different the programs are. Just try and get some tips from them. I also want to talk some more with Coach to see what he has to say about the idea. I also need to find out how to use the LL site when trying to gain muscle instead of losing fat.

I'm getting excited about trying something different! I have a feeling that it is going to be a pretty hard adjustment but I'm up for the challenge. Now all I have to do is get started!

I've been doing crappy this week!

It is time for me to wake up and realize what I'm doing to myself. I've been eating like crap, not exercising and not planning my days. I'm feeling out of control and for the first time in my life I can actually feel the affects of my unhealthy choices. I used to listen to people say how they can really feel a difference when they are not eating right but I never really believed it to be true. Sure I could feel it when I didn't exercise but as for the eating part....I never totally bought it. Well, now I do! Since Saturday morning I've been having headaches off and on and I realized that it is because I'm eating too much processed food, too much sugar, not enough protein and haven't been sticking to my schedule (ie. I've been skipping meals).

As you can see by that laundry list of problems, the week really has been bad. I've been using Christmas preparations and school preparations as an excuse. Yes, there is still all that work to be done but I've done it in the past and I can do it now too! I can get all my work done and take care of myself too.

Need to pick up my daughter from school - more on this topic later.

Out of Action Phase:-(

I have definitely moved out of action phase. My life seems to have been taken over with Christmas preparations. Not only am I trying to get my family ready for Christmas but I've also added the extra responsibility of getting my classes ready for it as well. I know that this year will be especially tough because I've never had to do it before - hopefully I will learn from this year and be better able to manage next year.

I thought I had started preparing early enough but I will definitely start just a touch early next year - with my home stuff that is. We can't really start any earlier at school in terms of doing projects with the kids. However, I am hoping the planning process will be better next year. It really is a whole new world - I love teaching but it is a touch more difficult when it is a co-teaching situation. There have been many times when neither of us were completely sure what was going to happen next. We need to find a better way of communicating what is going to happen next. We are taking it one day at a time and learning things from each other.

Anyway, with all this going on I feel like I have lost some of my "fire" on the fitness front. I'm feeling very tired and I know some of that is because I'm not on my normal routine. I need to find a way to get back in the groove. Having the Christmas "treats" around isn't helping either. I am definitely the type of person that does better when I just don't have the "treats" anywhere near me. Should I not do all my holiday baking, probably but it brings a lot of joy to the people I give them to and I love getting my hands in their and making things. I feel like it shows the people I'm giving them to that I really do care. I cared enough to spend that time making them something instead of buying it.

I guess this is just one of the cycles in life. Right now I'm definitely in a downward phase in terms of my fitness. I don't really have a goal right now and that is probably part of the problem. I'm not sure where I want to go right now. Maybe I need to talk to Coach and see if he has any suggestions.

I Made It!!

I made my leverage goal - the shoes are MINE!! The timing couldn't have been better. Tomorrow is the party that I'm throwing for my kid's birthdays. I don't want to totally go off plan but having reached the goal allows me to have a touch of dessert without guilt. It is also one less thing to worry about during a time when I've got a lot on my plate.

Holiday Chaos

Things are so crazy right now. School is extremely busy - not much time and a huge amount of things to do. Here at home there are 2 birthdays, a party and of course Christmas. I do lots of baking for presents and because of the added responsibilities at school I'm finding it hard to get it all done.

Then there is my exercising. I'm trying to really buckle down and hit my goal so that I won't have to have that hanging over my head. I really need to hit my 127 soon. I'm about a pound away and I'm hoping to hit it by the end of this week. I don't want to go crazy over the holidays but I also don't want to have the leverage hanging over my head either.

The good part is that I don't really feel like I freaking out about everything I need to do. The things that get done get done and those that don't - don't. I'm just going to try and take those baby steps and just keep doing things little by little. That's the only way to go.

What a Great Workout!

I had the best workout this morning! My cold is still hanging around and making it impossible to run for long periods without coughing my lungs up. So, as I was laying in bed last night, I came up with a routine that I thought would work and I was right. I decided to alternate between running and biking. I ran for 10 min (8:26 pace); biked for 10 min (140-160 bpm); ran for 20 min (8:11 pace); biked for 10 min (140-160 bpm) and ran for 10 min (8:06 pace). My legs were really shaky everytime I'd start to run after the bike but it felt awesome. The total time was a little over an hour.

Then after this workout, I setout to get the house in order for the kids party next Sunday. I plan to do a detailed cleaning this weekend - getting through as much of the house as I can this weekend and then on Saturday I can just do a quick run through the house dusting and vacuuming. Overall there was a lot of energy expended today.

My carbs were a bit high today and I need to work on getting things a bit more balanced.

Tomorrow is a lifting day. I don't know if I'll get any CV in because of all the cleaning. That's what happened today - I was so tired as the day progressed I just kept going with the cleaning and let the extra CV go.

I'm really feeling confident about being able to reach my goal of 127. I need to buckle down a bit and I'll be there before I know it!!

I'm Feeling Really Good!

Things have been going really well lately! I finally got my head screwed on straight. A friend, from LL, told me something the other day that REALLY helped. I told her (Katrina) that when I get sick I tend to eat poorly. She told me about a conversation she had with Coach David where he said that if you are really sick you will probably lose weight not gain it. All the crappy eating was mostly you feeling sorry for yourself and trying to comfort yourself with food. BAM!! Light bulb moment! That was exactly what I was doing and I was then further using it all as an excuse when dealling with my leverage. I need to thank both Katrina and Coach for that message because it has made a huge difference. I have gotten my weight down to 130 and am really feeling great.

My workouts have been pretty good too. I'm still struggling with my cardio because of my chest congestion. If I go too hard I start coughing to the point where it feels like I'm going to get sick. Yesterday I went out for a 45 min session but combined walking and running (10 min walk followed by 10 min run and then repeated. Finished with 5 min walking). The walking was very fast paced but it is frustrating that I still struggled with it at the end. My legs feel good and really so does my endurance it is just the silly coughing that gets me.

My lifting has been awesome. I entered my routine into LL's Muscle Professor and it has been great. The program progresses your sessions and gives you easy, moderate & heavy days. I am getting awesome pumps during/after my workouts and I haven't gotten that in a really long time.

I have about 2 weeks to reach my goal of 127 and I am going to make it - I can just feel it!!!

The Day After

I made it through Thanksgiving quite well. I allowed myself to have a small taste of most things but kept my portions very small. That way I didn't feel deprived of anything and I didn't gain any weight whatsoever.

I have given myself an extra week to reach my goal of 127 because of my illness. It is still hanging on but I'm not feeling as run down. I haven't started back to running yet because of the coughing but that will begin again very soon. I've been lifting, started using the Muscle Professor at LL, and then using fast walking and cycling for my aerobics.

I have my 20th high school reunion tonight. I am quite comfortable going - I will look great and feel great. I actually weigh less now than I did while in high school. The one thing I am sort of worried about though is the food. Since it is a catered event, I have no control over the food available. Because of where I am in my weight loss journey I don't have the luxury of letting loose tonight. I just have to stay very controlled and not let this be an eating event. The other problem is that the party doesn't start until 7:30 pm which is pretty much about the time I usually stop eating. I should go and not have anything to eat but I will admit that it would be very difficult to do that. I'll just have to see how the evening goes and just keep my goals in the back of my mind all night.

Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving! On toward Christmas!!!!!

I'm sick and frustrated!

I've been sick for about a week now and I'm frustrated. I tried to exercise yesterday (a quick paced walk - nothing really strenuous) and I think it made it worse. I felt run down - big time! I hate not being able to exercise, especially because it makes it harder for me to stick to my nutrition plan. At least for me, one feeds off the other - when I'm exercising consistently, my eating is better and vice-versa. I'm also worried about reaching my leverage goal. If the illness continues and I can't exercise I don't think I'll reach the goal. I'll have to talk to Coach about what to do.

I'm On a Roll!

Things have been going really well lately! This weekend could have been a disaster but I stayed strong and it was excellent. One of my goals for this weekend was to lose some weight. I'm usually content to just maintain over the weekend but not right now. I need to lose the pounds each and every day (so to speak).

Saturday was a football day so that means tailgating but I stuck to my veggies and dip! Sunday was a get together with friends. When we get together with these people it usually turns into an eating-fest but not this time. I again brought my veggies and dip and stayed away from the pizza, brownies and spaghetti.

Today was also a good day but I will admit that it was hard. I was having cravings most of the day. I also didn't get my workout done this morning (I was feeling VERY tired). The good news is that I didn't give into the cravings AND I got my RT workout done this evening. I'm really proud of today's accomplishments!

Victory!

I sort of feel like the warrior in the above picture. For some reason I have really had to fight during this round of weight loss. I plan my days and I start out with really good intensions and then I just let the whole thing fall apart. I was starting to feel like I was losing the war. But not today, today I won the battle. The war isn't over but I won one small battle today - I ate clean and I finished all my exercising.

I think part of my "problem" is that I'm doing this purely to see how it feels/looks. It is definitely a different mindset than I had over the summer when I lost the majority of my weight. I need to view this as another challenge and get out of my comfort zone. Coach, at LL, was talking about stepping out of the comfort zone just the other day. He is bulking up for a bodybuilding contest so he is having to pretty much eat non-stop. One of the members commented about how she envied his being able to eat large amounts. Coach then said something very interesting. Change is difficult regardless of what it entails. Purposeful weight loss or weight gain is still change for the body and it is difficult - it takes us out of our comfort zone. I thought that was a very powerful thought process. Just because it is difficult doesn't mean it can't be done though - Coach is doing awesome! Now it is my turn - I need to keep taking those little baby steps and string a bunch of good days together. I will be taking one meal at a time and one day at a time and I will reach my goal! I have put myself behind the eight-ball in terms of time so now I don't have much room for error. I want to keep my shoes though so I need to step up and take control!

Where has the time gone?

Boy, time sure is flying by. Before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here. I started a team on LL about 2.5 weeks ago and I think things are going pretty well. Activity on the forum page has dropped way off but the team numbers are looking pretty good.

I was doing GREAT but over the past couple of days I seem to have slipped off the wagon a bit. I made a bit of a recovery today but it was not a "perfect" day. I had a great lifting session this morning. I really felt like I was pushing really hard because I used the weight I was lifting for 10 reps and went for 15 reps. It really showed me that it is time to up the 10 rep weights. Then I taught my gym classes today and really tried to keep moving the whole time - especially during our warm-up runs. I finished the day by running to my staff meeting. The distance was a touch under 2 miles and my pace was 7:53/mile. I was going to run home but I got yelled at by everyone because they thought it would be too dangerous. They were probably right so I decided to accept a ride home.

Tomorrow we don't have school - election day. GO VOTE! I'm not sure what my run will be tomorrow but I do have some extra time if I decide to go a bit farther than normal. I also need to really start to buckle down on the nutrition aspect of my program - I'm not really sure where I got off track. I guess it is just having the Halloween candy around. It is triggering all the bad food habits/desires that I have. I honestly believe that if I can just get 1 "perfect" day under my belt it will go a long way to getting me back on track.

I contacted a photographer today about our Christmas family pictures. I think I'm going to have them taken Thursday evening. I'm going with a different photographer this year. The one we've been using the past few years never called me back after I had left a message so I decided to go with the one who did our school pictures. She does a great job and I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Since there is no school tomorrow, I'm planning on taking the kids to our local natural history museum. Hopefully the neighbors down the street will be able to come too. It would be a lot of fun for me to have another adult to talk to and the kids love to play together too. Hopefully a great time will be had by all!!

Off to finish my nightly routines and to do my journaling for the day.

I DID IT!!!!!!

I DID IT!!!

I purchased the above shoes to use as a leverage for my present challenge. If I make 125 by Dec. 8th, I get to keep the shoes. If I don't make it, then my dh will donate the shoes. I really want/need those shoes so there is no way I won't make my goal!!

I've been feeling really good about my nutrition and my workouts. Speaking of working out, the funniest thing happened tonight. I had just gotten back from buying my shoes and my ds comes running up to me. He is all out of breath but he's still impatiently asking me if I'm going to go out and get on my stationary bike. He REALLY wanted me to go out back and get on that bike. I hadn't planned on going out but with encouragement like that, who could resist! I went out and did a good hard 15 minutes. Now it is time to start me evening routine so I'm signing off. Here's to good health and weight loss!!!