So today I attempted to work out during lunch. I think it's something I may start doing every other day of the week. I got up this morning, determined that no matter what I was going to hit the gym. So I packed my bag of workout clothes, some baby wipes, all the essentials, and headed out the door. I got lucky and was able to snag a sandwich to eat before my workout and then headed out in the middle of this hot, disgusting 100 degree day at about 1:40.
I decided to wear my new Nike running shorts and a coolmax shirt since I'd be running to the gym. I believe it's about half a mile to the gym from where I work. Maybe a little less. But running in this heat was no fun at all. By the time I got on the elevator to get up to the gym, I was slimy from sweat.
Today I decided to a little bit of circuit training since I've been running so often. I did 3 sets of 15 crunches on the inflatable ball. I then did 3 sets of 15 of side obliques on the back extension, plus 3 sets of 15 back extensions. I did 3 sets of 15 bicep curls and tricep curls and 3 sets of 15 rows for my back. Then I cooled down a little by doing 3 sets of 30 side crunches with an 8 lb medicine ball. Then I high tailed it back to the office.
I honestly feel really good and am so glad that I went to the gym during lunch, especially since I knew I wouldn't be able to work out today after work because we have puppy class with Dexter.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who feels awful by about mid afternoon. Usually right about now during the day (3:30) I'm fighting to keep my eyes open. But I'm feeling pretty good. Yes, my hair has to stay up in a clip and no amount of baby wipes can make me feel as refreshed as taking a shower would, but honestly I am proud of myself for making the effort. I'm going to try this again on Thursday and Friday and see how it goes.
My work outs aren't near as long as they would be if I was going to the gym early in the morning or late at night, but just knowing I got about a 30 minute workout into my day when I could have poo-pooed it off. So go me!
As for last week, it was another hard week of trying to be motivated...though I was successful and worked out. I can't remember what I did last week but I do remember Sunday and yesterday's work out. Sunday I ran 5.25 miles and walked another .25 on the treadmill since I managed to procrastinate all day. I do want to add that I did that about 2 hours after eating Freebird's and boy howdy! Let me tell you what! That burrito and guacamole was like a brick in my stomach...I felt terrible and I kept belching up nasty avacado/garlicy stuff.
Monday before my teaching interview I went to the gym to burn off some steam. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical machine with a 5 minute cool down. When I'm on the elliptical 100% of the time I choose one of the "cross training" options. I put the resistance at an 8 and tried to keep my pace at about 160. I think I managed to do about 5 miles and burned about 575 calories.
Later on that night, I met up with my friend, Brandi, and we ran 3 miles. I think we ran it in 34.18 minutes with an average pace of about 11.24 minute miles. According to my RunKeeper we burned about 343 calories...but if you ask me, running in that heat I'm sure we burned more than that!
So there's that...I'm going to sign up for the Tour des Fleur 20k that's held in September. Last year I ran the 10k and by the time September comes around the 20k should be a piece of cake. It will also fall on the weekend of my 2nd anniversary with my husband! So that's exciting! Other than that, that's all I've got. I've been tempted to sign up for the 2 hot 2 handle in July as well but I may wait and see on that.
So for anyone who's keeping up with me, that's what's going on. More later!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Another Week ...
I don't know why I tend to fall off the wagon so quickly. I guess the good thing about it, is realizing I fell and getting back on track.
I've indulged too much in wine for a week and too much in sweets (lots of it ice cream). I'm sure I've gained some weight. Hopefully, a change will allow me to lose the weight (and bloat) that I've gained quickly and I'll be back to where I was pre-laziness.
Last week I was horrible about working out, so today is the day I get back on track both with my working out habits and my eating habits.
Today: 3 mile run. I'm meeting a girlfriend after work at the 24 Hour Fitness on Harwood. I've got puppy class at 7:45 and then hopefully my husband and I will make it to bed early enough to get up and go work out on Wednesday.
Wednesday: gym-45 minutes on the elliptical machine. 3 mile run in the evening...sometime around 8:00.
Thursday: gym-30 minutes elliptical with some inner/outer thighs and ab work thrown in. maybe another 3 mile run for good measure.
Friday: gym- 30 minutes elliptical
Saturday: run- 4 or 5 miles. I'd like to also go to a class at 24 hour since I haven't been able to go to one in over a week. There's a 24 Hour LIFT class that starts at 9:00 that I'd like to go to after I run. Could be an interesting way to start my day.
Sunday: Walk. I think it would be a good day to go for an early morning walk with my husband or maybe even ride bikes.
As far as food is concerned....I'll go ahead and list out that to keep me on track and accountable:
Today:
Breakfast: grapefruit, skinny vanilla latte, lite and fit yogurt with strawberries and flaxseed granola.
Lunch: Progresso chicken noodle soup, Yoplait raspberry yogurt, 4 saltine crackers
Dinner: Grilled chicken, potato salad, mixed greens salad with light raspberry vinaigrette, and asparagus.
My breakfast and lunches are generally the same every day. Minus the skinny vanilla latte. That was a surprise from a coworker :)
Wednesday dinner: tilapia, brown rice, squash, bell peppers, mini corn bread muffins
Thursday dinner: Not sure. I have a jewelry party I'm going to. So maybe I'll be eating dinner over at my in-laws.
Friday dinner: jalapeno and cheddar hot links with mac and cheese. Maybe a beer. It's Friday. We usually treat ourselves to something quick, easy, and comforting :)
So that's me. The imperfect training and schedule me.
I've indulged too much in wine for a week and too much in sweets (lots of it ice cream). I'm sure I've gained some weight. Hopefully, a change will allow me to lose the weight (and bloat) that I've gained quickly and I'll be back to where I was pre-laziness.
Last week I was horrible about working out, so today is the day I get back on track both with my working out habits and my eating habits.
Today: 3 mile run. I'm meeting a girlfriend after work at the 24 Hour Fitness on Harwood. I've got puppy class at 7:45 and then hopefully my husband and I will make it to bed early enough to get up and go work out on Wednesday.
Wednesday: gym-45 minutes on the elliptical machine. 3 mile run in the evening...sometime around 8:00.
Thursday: gym-30 minutes elliptical with some inner/outer thighs and ab work thrown in. maybe another 3 mile run for good measure.
Friday: gym- 30 minutes elliptical
Saturday: run- 4 or 5 miles. I'd like to also go to a class at 24 hour since I haven't been able to go to one in over a week. There's a 24 Hour LIFT class that starts at 9:00 that I'd like to go to after I run. Could be an interesting way to start my day.
Sunday: Walk. I think it would be a good day to go for an early morning walk with my husband or maybe even ride bikes.
As far as food is concerned....I'll go ahead and list out that to keep me on track and accountable:
Today:
Breakfast: grapefruit, skinny vanilla latte, lite and fit yogurt with strawberries and flaxseed granola.
Lunch: Progresso chicken noodle soup, Yoplait raspberry yogurt, 4 saltine crackers
Dinner: Grilled chicken, potato salad, mixed greens salad with light raspberry vinaigrette, and asparagus.
My breakfast and lunches are generally the same every day. Minus the skinny vanilla latte. That was a surprise from a coworker :)
Wednesday dinner: tilapia, brown rice, squash, bell peppers, mini corn bread muffins
Thursday dinner: Not sure. I have a jewelry party I'm going to. So maybe I'll be eating dinner over at my in-laws.
Friday dinner: jalapeno and cheddar hot links with mac and cheese. Maybe a beer. It's Friday. We usually treat ourselves to something quick, easy, and comforting :)
So that's me. The imperfect training and schedule me.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Training the first few weeks
So I guess I'll put in my stats for training so far.
I'll start with last week. Starting with Memorial Day.
Monday, May 31st: Run 3.6 miles. I don't have the time for it but it took me a while and I broke it up into 2 different runs. It also didn't help that I decided to run at the hottest part of the day 11:00 and 12:30. :/ The second I got home I went out back, turned on the water hose and doused myself with water.
Tuesday, June 1st: 24 Hour S.E.T class. Seriously an awesome class! I did put too much weight on the barbells and ended up having ridiculously sore arms for about 5 days afterwards. Not cool. Lesson learned.
Wednesday, June 2nd: 3 mile run. Don't remember how fast it was...but I know I had to stop about 2 times for a walk break. It's effing hot out there! And hills are the devil.
Thursday, June 3rd: Turbo kickboxing. By far one of the best classes I've ever taken. It's so hardcore. You don't stop moving for an hour. I'm literally pouring sweat within 20 minutes. It kicks your A$$. Benji, the instructor says at the beginning of class that it can burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories if you really put yourself into it. I always hope that I'm one of the people who's lucky enough to burn 1,000 calories! :)
Friday, June 4th: Off Day
Saturday, June 5th: 4.51 mile run. My friend Brandi and I are kind of torn on whether this was really a 4.51 mile run or not. We initially set out for just a 4 mile run but when I hit the "stop" button it said we went further. Supposedly, we ran 4.51 miles in 46.45 minutes with an average pace of 10.22 (not buying it) and I burned a total of 460 calories. Looking at the map, it looks like my Run Keeper freaked out on me and added in a half mile at the end of our run which probably contributed to the "10.22" pace. I'd say it was closer to a 11.45 minute mile. It was already burning up and we started at 6:30. I'm thinking I may need to start running at 5:30 to make up for it since we're training in the heat of summer.
Sunday, June 5th: Off Day
Monday, June 6th: I got lucky yesterday and was able to have the whole day off. Since I was at home and needing a distraction from trying to clean my whole house, I went up to the gym and did 45 on the elliptical machine. I did one of the cross training options on a resistance of 8 for 35 minutes and 7 for last 10. I think the total "distance" was 5.0 miles (that was with the cool down) and total calories burned was somewhere around the 568 mark. I flipping love the elliptical machine. I always leave feeling like I pushed myself.
After that, I came home and chilled out. Cooked dinner for my husband and then went for a 3 mile run at 8:00. I did 3.02 in 35.13 minutes. Average pace: 11.39 and I burned 357 calories. Every time I look at my run keeper I always think I have the worst pace ever. I need to work on that.
Tuesday, June 7th: Today is the S.E.T class again.
Wednesday, June 8th: Usually there is yoga but I'm not sure if the instructor is going to be at work. If that's the case, I'll probably just do another 3 mile run at 8:00. I'm even tempted to push it another 30 minutes to 8:30. It's just so hot out there...
Thursday, June 9th: Turbo kickboxing. Yes!
Friday, June 10th: Run. Probably 3 miles.
Saturday, June 11th: Run. I'm guessing either another 4 mile run or a 5 mile run.
Anyway, I guess that's it! Lots of training! Lots of working out! Gotta keep it up! I was thinking yesterday when I was running how much it sucks. I mean, seriously. It sucks training. It sucks being hot. It sucks not being able to breathe. It sucks not being able to just sit on my couch and watch my Netflix DVD of Friends all night. It sucks when sweat gets in my eye every 5 seconds. But you know what doesn't suck? The feeling I get when I finish that run. It doesn't suck when I look in the mirror and see that even though I've only been training for a few weeks I can see improvements in my legs. It doesn't suck when my husband can't keep up with me! :) It doesn't suck when a lady watering her yard asks me if I need to "cool off" and hoses me down with water (I told her "thank you" about 10 times...it seriously felt so good). It doesn't suck when I think, "I could have done nothing tonight. I could have sat on my a$$ and done nothing and felt totally awful but instead I kept my running date with myself and ran".
So as my dad would say, "And that makes me the winner!"
I'll start with last week. Starting with Memorial Day.
Monday, May 31st: Run 3.6 miles. I don't have the time for it but it took me a while and I broke it up into 2 different runs. It also didn't help that I decided to run at the hottest part of the day 11:00 and 12:30. :/ The second I got home I went out back, turned on the water hose and doused myself with water.
Tuesday, June 1st: 24 Hour S.E.T class. Seriously an awesome class! I did put too much weight on the barbells and ended up having ridiculously sore arms for about 5 days afterwards. Not cool. Lesson learned.
Wednesday, June 2nd: 3 mile run. Don't remember how fast it was...but I know I had to stop about 2 times for a walk break. It's effing hot out there! And hills are the devil.
Thursday, June 3rd: Turbo kickboxing. By far one of the best classes I've ever taken. It's so hardcore. You don't stop moving for an hour. I'm literally pouring sweat within 20 minutes. It kicks your A$$. Benji, the instructor says at the beginning of class that it can burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories if you really put yourself into it. I always hope that I'm one of the people who's lucky enough to burn 1,000 calories! :)
Friday, June 4th: Off Day
Saturday, June 5th: 4.51 mile run. My friend Brandi and I are kind of torn on whether this was really a 4.51 mile run or not. We initially set out for just a 4 mile run but when I hit the "stop" button it said we went further. Supposedly, we ran 4.51 miles in 46.45 minutes with an average pace of 10.22 (not buying it) and I burned a total of 460 calories. Looking at the map, it looks like my Run Keeper freaked out on me and added in a half mile at the end of our run which probably contributed to the "10.22" pace. I'd say it was closer to a 11.45 minute mile. It was already burning up and we started at 6:30. I'm thinking I may need to start running at 5:30 to make up for it since we're training in the heat of summer.
Sunday, June 5th: Off Day
Monday, June 6th: I got lucky yesterday and was able to have the whole day off. Since I was at home and needing a distraction from trying to clean my whole house, I went up to the gym and did 45 on the elliptical machine. I did one of the cross training options on a resistance of 8 for 35 minutes and 7 for last 10. I think the total "distance" was 5.0 miles (that was with the cool down) and total calories burned was somewhere around the 568 mark. I flipping love the elliptical machine. I always leave feeling like I pushed myself.
After that, I came home and chilled out. Cooked dinner for my husband and then went for a 3 mile run at 8:00. I did 3.02 in 35.13 minutes. Average pace: 11.39 and I burned 357 calories. Every time I look at my run keeper I always think I have the worst pace ever. I need to work on that.
Tuesday, June 7th: Today is the S.E.T class again.
Wednesday, June 8th: Usually there is yoga but I'm not sure if the instructor is going to be at work. If that's the case, I'll probably just do another 3 mile run at 8:00. I'm even tempted to push it another 30 minutes to 8:30. It's just so hot out there...
Thursday, June 9th: Turbo kickboxing. Yes!
Friday, June 10th: Run. Probably 3 miles.
Saturday, June 11th: Run. I'm guessing either another 4 mile run or a 5 mile run.
Anyway, I guess that's it! Lots of training! Lots of working out! Gotta keep it up! I was thinking yesterday when I was running how much it sucks. I mean, seriously. It sucks training. It sucks being hot. It sucks not being able to breathe. It sucks not being able to just sit on my couch and watch my Netflix DVD of Friends all night. It sucks when sweat gets in my eye every 5 seconds. But you know what doesn't suck? The feeling I get when I finish that run. It doesn't suck when I look in the mirror and see that even though I've only been training for a few weeks I can see improvements in my legs. It doesn't suck when my husband can't keep up with me! :) It doesn't suck when a lady watering her yard asks me if I need to "cool off" and hoses me down with water (I told her "thank you" about 10 times...it seriously felt so good). It doesn't suck when I think, "I could have done nothing tonight. I could have sat on my a$$ and done nothing and felt totally awful but instead I kept my running date with myself and ran".
So as my dad would say, "And that makes me the winner!"
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Officially Training
Well, it's official: I signed up to run in the Dallas White Rock Marathon in December!
Offical date: December 5, 2010.
I will be running 26.2 miles! I can't believe it and I'm honestly scared about it...but I've got six months and I've got a plan to follow and I believe in myself.
If you've followed my blog in the past you know I've had issues even getting to the half marathon...I signed up for two last year. Both of them I was unable to participate in. The first one, I had just gotten over the flu and the second one, I had severly sprained my ankle about 2 weeks before. I'm hoping and praying nothing like that happens again. On top of not wanting to waste the $$ it cost to enter a race, it's heartbreaking when the hard work, dedication, and hours of training go wasted.
Offical date: December 5, 2010.
I will be running 26.2 miles! I can't believe it and I'm honestly scared about it...but I've got six months and I've got a plan to follow and I believe in myself.
If you've followed my blog in the past you know I've had issues even getting to the half marathon...I signed up for two last year. Both of them I was unable to participate in. The first one, I had just gotten over the flu and the second one, I had severly sprained my ankle about 2 weeks before. I'm hoping and praying nothing like that happens again. On top of not wanting to waste the $$ it cost to enter a race, it's heartbreaking when the hard work, dedication, and hours of training go wasted.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Winner, winner!!
My goal to go to the gym last night and do fartleks was attained! Here's what I did:
3 minute walk (3.5)
10 minute run (5.5)
1 minute (6.5) x's 10
1 minute (5.6) x's 10
11 minute (5.6)- I even finished the last 90 seconds of the run at a 6.0
7 minute walk to cool down
I burned over 500 calories and ran over 4 miles. I'm really proud of myself. I paused the treadmill every 10 minutes or so to take a big drink of water and just calm myself down for about 20 seconds and then started back up again. I felt amazing.
Doing that run and doing it with energy to spare really encouraged me. I have felt pretty down about my running ever since I sprained my ankle and now I'm starting to feel like it's coming back to me.
I'm going to take it easy today but if I manage to squeeze in a workout tonight, I'll be really proud of myself.
Tomorrow morning I'm waking up early and going for another run. Hopefully I'll manage to go 5 miles or so. I feel really confident that I can do it.
I haven't said anything but I've been tracking my food intake and my calories burned this whole week to see where I stand and what I've been doing. It's been a really good tool for keeping me accountable. I'll probably push "Publish Post" on it on Monday, so it will be far down on the list, but I may start doing this more often so that I can look back on what I did for the week and why I did or did not see a difference in weight or my level of energy. I've noticed I may not be consuming enough calories throughout the day, especially when I do hard workouts...but I honestly don't feel like I've been depriving myself. I have a snack when I feel hungry and I listen to my body when I'm full.
My parents are in town this weekend so it will be nice to see them and spend some time together before they head back to Wyoming. And of course it's Super Bowl Sunday!! I still haven't decided who I'm rooting for. I mean, football was over for me 3 weeks ago when the Cowboys got slaughtered by the Vikings...and then I was *kind of* rooting for the Vikings to whoop the Saints since I figured this was probably Brett Favre's last hoorah (I mean, the dude got run over by the Saints defense that last game...I bet he's still recovering). So I'm just not sure who I want to win. Usually I go for the underdog. In this instance, I don't think there is one. Both the Colts and the Saints are amazing teams and have done awesome jobs this year in every game they've played. I'm leaning towards the Saints...but either way, it's not my Cowboy's playing so I'll only be half interested in the game.
Who are you rooting for on Sunday? Do you even care? :) What is a milestone or accomplishment that happened for you this week that you're really proud of?
Happy Friday and have an amazing weekend!
3 minute walk (3.5)
10 minute run (5.5)
1 minute (6.5) x's 10
1 minute (5.6) x's 10
11 minute (5.6)- I even finished the last 90 seconds of the run at a 6.0
7 minute walk to cool down
I burned over 500 calories and ran over 4 miles. I'm really proud of myself. I paused the treadmill every 10 minutes or so to take a big drink of water and just calm myself down for about 20 seconds and then started back up again. I felt amazing.
Doing that run and doing it with energy to spare really encouraged me. I have felt pretty down about my running ever since I sprained my ankle and now I'm starting to feel like it's coming back to me.
I'm going to take it easy today but if I manage to squeeze in a workout tonight, I'll be really proud of myself.
Tomorrow morning I'm waking up early and going for another run. Hopefully I'll manage to go 5 miles or so. I feel really confident that I can do it.
I haven't said anything but I've been tracking my food intake and my calories burned this whole week to see where I stand and what I've been doing. It's been a really good tool for keeping me accountable. I'll probably push "Publish Post" on it on Monday, so it will be far down on the list, but I may start doing this more often so that I can look back on what I did for the week and why I did or did not see a difference in weight or my level of energy. I've noticed I may not be consuming enough calories throughout the day, especially when I do hard workouts...but I honestly don't feel like I've been depriving myself. I have a snack when I feel hungry and I listen to my body when I'm full.
My parents are in town this weekend so it will be nice to see them and spend some time together before they head back to Wyoming. And of course it's Super Bowl Sunday!! I still haven't decided who I'm rooting for. I mean, football was over for me 3 weeks ago when the Cowboys got slaughtered by the Vikings...and then I was *kind of* rooting for the Vikings to whoop the Saints since I figured this was probably Brett Favre's last hoorah (I mean, the dude got run over by the Saints defense that last game...I bet he's still recovering). So I'm just not sure who I want to win. Usually I go for the underdog. In this instance, I don't think there is one. Both the Colts and the Saints are amazing teams and have done awesome jobs this year in every game they've played. I'm leaning towards the Saints...but either way, it's not my Cowboy's playing so I'll only be half interested in the game.
Who are you rooting for on Sunday? Do you even care? :) What is a milestone or accomplishment that happened for you this week that you're really proud of?
Happy Friday and have an amazing weekend!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Hard Part
The hard part of working out and staying consistent for me is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This morning I had every intention of getting up at 5:00 to work out but my body just wasn't ready-much like it normally never is at 5:00 in the morning. But I'm just so tired. In fact, I'm so tired today that I've finally decided today's the day for coffee. 2 1/2 weeks and I'm finally having a cup of Joe.
So since I didn't get my lazy a$$ out of bed this morning, I'm going to go tonight. I'm doing a fartlek session today again. Here's the goal:
10 minutes-5.6
1 minute-6.4
1 minute-5.6
(alternating 10 x's)
10 minutes-5.5
Monday was pretty decent but I'm hoping to do better this time on my speed work. It's really hard and I may have to stop for a minute but I'm determined to finish.
Also, with the give and take of working out and making sure a good meal is prepared my husband has thankfully agreed to cooking our dinner tonight (chicken cordon bleu-minus the ham because I totally forgot to buy any at the grocery store so it's just chicken and bacon with swiss cheese) while I go to the gym and get my sweat on. I love that he's being so encouraging of my goals and wants to see me succeed. He tells me every day that he's really noticing the changes in my body and that's so good to hear.
Ever since my weigh in on Monday I've been feeling a little frustrated about the scale and while I know it's muscle that I'm building I don't like to the number I see. I know it's all a head game and I've just got to get around it. I don't want to get too discouraged because then I'll let myself slip up and I don't want to do that.
I've got to keep my eye on the prize...which is to permanently change my lifestyle. I can't keep being lazy and eating whatever I want and drinking too much wine. That's counterproductive and making me unhappy with myself. I'm also considering joining a yoga studio. After doing these yoga sessions at work every Wednesday, I feel inspired and I really want to do more. I enjoy it so much and while I know yoga classes are offered at the 24 HR Fitness I go to, I would really like to go to a place with people who are trained in yoga and know what they're doing.
There's a yoga studio about 3 miles from where I live and just down the road from my gym that I'm considering trying out. They have a special for new comers 10 days for $10. I need to crunch some numbers, see where I can cut back on some spending and obviously talk to my husband but I feel really inspired to start up. I've already got a schedule written out for when I would go do yoga and when I would go to the gym.
So anyway, my point of this whole post is that right now I'm struggling. I know I feel better and have gained muscle and lost some weight, but sometimes it gets agonizing how I don't see the results as fast as I want to. And late in the week is when I get tired and don't want to wake up in the morning or come straight home from work and put on comfy clothes and veg in front of the TV.
Not tonight though! Tonight is the gym. And tomorrow morning is tae bo and 30 Day Shred. I can do this and I can find the energy!
When do you struggle? What helps you stay on track or what helps you get back on track?
So since I didn't get my lazy a$$ out of bed this morning, I'm going to go tonight. I'm doing a fartlek session today again. Here's the goal:
10 minutes-5.6
1 minute-6.4
1 minute-5.6
(alternating 10 x's)
10 minutes-5.5
Monday was pretty decent but I'm hoping to do better this time on my speed work. It's really hard and I may have to stop for a minute but I'm determined to finish.
Also, with the give and take of working out and making sure a good meal is prepared my husband has thankfully agreed to cooking our dinner tonight (chicken cordon bleu-minus the ham because I totally forgot to buy any at the grocery store so it's just chicken and bacon with swiss cheese) while I go to the gym and get my sweat on. I love that he's being so encouraging of my goals and wants to see me succeed. He tells me every day that he's really noticing the changes in my body and that's so good to hear.
Ever since my weigh in on Monday I've been feeling a little frustrated about the scale and while I know it's muscle that I'm building I don't like to the number I see. I know it's all a head game and I've just got to get around it. I don't want to get too discouraged because then I'll let myself slip up and I don't want to do that.
I've got to keep my eye on the prize...which is to permanently change my lifestyle. I can't keep being lazy and eating whatever I want and drinking too much wine. That's counterproductive and making me unhappy with myself. I'm also considering joining a yoga studio. After doing these yoga sessions at work every Wednesday, I feel inspired and I really want to do more. I enjoy it so much and while I know yoga classes are offered at the 24 HR Fitness I go to, I would really like to go to a place with people who are trained in yoga and know what they're doing.
There's a yoga studio about 3 miles from where I live and just down the road from my gym that I'm considering trying out. They have a special for new comers 10 days for $10. I need to crunch some numbers, see where I can cut back on some spending and obviously talk to my husband but I feel really inspired to start up. I've already got a schedule written out for when I would go do yoga and when I would go to the gym.
So anyway, my point of this whole post is that right now I'm struggling. I know I feel better and have gained muscle and lost some weight, but sometimes it gets agonizing how I don't see the results as fast as I want to. And late in the week is when I get tired and don't want to wake up in the morning or come straight home from work and put on comfy clothes and veg in front of the TV.
Not tonight though! Tonight is the gym. And tomorrow morning is tae bo and 30 Day Shred. I can do this and I can find the energy!
When do you struggle? What helps you stay on track or what helps you get back on track?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I Love Sprouts
I've been really getting into a lot of healthy blogs lately and I constantly find myself jealous of all the delicious and healthy foods they eat. Everyone is always talking about Chobani or KIND bars or rice milk...It just made me curious.
Steve and I live by a Sprouts store. We hadn't ever been inside but I was determined to go this past weekend. I know I wanted some grapefruit and Walmart doesn't have the greatest selection, so I went with the intention of getting some produce and being on my way.
Didn't happen.
That store is like heaven. I swear to you. I was so excited! I got most of my produce (grapefruit, zucchini, squash, lettuce, onion, cucumber, green onion, and of course-asparagus). My new obsession? Chobani yogurt.
This is just a stock photo...but I had this flavor last night. I really enjoyed it. I put flax seed granola in it and it was Oh.My.Gosh yum! It's a greek yogurt, so it's a lot thicker than the yogurts like Yoplait and Dannon. What I like about it, is that is has about 15 grams of protein in it. It filled me up last night and it was the perfect amount. Lots of times when I have yogurt, I still feel hungry afterwards. With Chobani I felt fulfilled and satisfied. I have a pineapple flavor waiting for me and I can't wait! I only got 2 because I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't like it...but it was delicious. I can't wait to try the other flavors!
I also bought some KIND healthy snack bars. They were $5 for 5 at Sprouts. I had also read about these bars on some blogs and thought it would be interesting to try them. Steve and I split the apricot and nut bar. It was delicious! It tasted so homemade and the flavor was intense. I enjoyed it so much more than all the other fitness bars I've tried. Most of those taste pretty terrible if I'm being honest and don't leave me feeling very good afterwards. I liked how natural it tasted and how I was able to enjoy every bite. I highly recommend trying them!
All in all, I spent $20 on produce this weekend! And that doesn't bother me in the least! Steve is convinced that as soon as we can we're going to start a garden and that we won't have to spend near as much on produce as we do now. A few months ago I would have scoffed at his plans for a garden...but now I'm getting excited and I am looking forward to being able to eat things I've grown myself.
I have noticed a lot of the blogs I follow are primarily vegetarians and it's got me wondering how hard it would be for me to forgo eating meat. My husband would never go for it. Every dinner he has must have some form of meat in it, whereas I could be just fine having a tomato basil soup. I just find myself enjoying vegetables more and the way I feel after I eat them. We'll see.
As far as my eating obsessions are concerned I've started to evolve.
One thing that I have changed in my diet, that I truly think has helped me is my drinking. I used to drink 2-3 glasses of wine on the weekends and sometimes during the weekdays...now I have one and savor it. I drink it slower and enjoy it.
I've also been cooking from scratch more. Lots of homemade salads with hard boiled eggs, alfalfa and bean sprouts, cucumber, celery, and avocado with balsamic vinegar (Steve uses the more calorie packed Ranch dressing). We have salads at least 4 times a week. I also enjoy making squash and zucchini in the skillet.
My sweet tooth has also slowed down. I have started satisfying it with small portions of chocolate or ice cream when needed. I know to never avoid it because when I do, it usually comes back with avengence. So now I have a bag of Dove dark chocolate bites that I eat one of each day around 11:30 and I usually savor it as much as I can.
Other than that, working out has also helped me with my goals. It's been great these past few weeks now that I am finally starting to see the fruits of my labor. My legs are more toned, my arms, and my waist are looking smaller. It's just really encouraging. Other than the scale here at work...which says I weigh in at 148. When I weigh myself at home though, I weigh 145. I trust my scale more than I do the one we're using here at work. I know this may sound silly but I know my body and I do NOT weigh 148. I know it's only 3 pounds but I know how I feel and look at 148 and how I feel and look at 145 and I'm definitely 145. Hopefully next week the scale here at work will be more of a friend than a foe and actually weigh me correctly. It wouldn't matter to me so much if I weren't trying to win this stupid contest. And actually, I wish I had re-weighed myself the first week when it said I weighed 145 because even then I wasn't 145. Oh well...now I sound like one of those crazy people who can't accept how much they weigh... haha
Steve and I live by a Sprouts store. We hadn't ever been inside but I was determined to go this past weekend. I know I wanted some grapefruit and Walmart doesn't have the greatest selection, so I went with the intention of getting some produce and being on my way.
Didn't happen.
That store is like heaven. I swear to you. I was so excited! I got most of my produce (grapefruit, zucchini, squash, lettuce, onion, cucumber, green onion, and of course-asparagus). My new obsession? Chobani yogurt.
This is just a stock photo...but I had this flavor last night. I really enjoyed it. I put flax seed granola in it and it was Oh.My.Gosh yum! It's a greek yogurt, so it's a lot thicker than the yogurts like Yoplait and Dannon. What I like about it, is that is has about 15 grams of protein in it. It filled me up last night and it was the perfect amount. Lots of times when I have yogurt, I still feel hungry afterwards. With Chobani I felt fulfilled and satisfied. I have a pineapple flavor waiting for me and I can't wait! I only got 2 because I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't like it...but it was delicious. I can't wait to try the other flavors!
I also bought some KIND healthy snack bars. They were $5 for 5 at Sprouts. I had also read about these bars on some blogs and thought it would be interesting to try them. Steve and I split the apricot and nut bar. It was delicious! It tasted so homemade and the flavor was intense. I enjoyed it so much more than all the other fitness bars I've tried. Most of those taste pretty terrible if I'm being honest and don't leave me feeling very good afterwards. I liked how natural it tasted and how I was able to enjoy every bite. I highly recommend trying them!
All in all, I spent $20 on produce this weekend! And that doesn't bother me in the least! Steve is convinced that as soon as we can we're going to start a garden and that we won't have to spend near as much on produce as we do now. A few months ago I would have scoffed at his plans for a garden...but now I'm getting excited and I am looking forward to being able to eat things I've grown myself.
I have noticed a lot of the blogs I follow are primarily vegetarians and it's got me wondering how hard it would be for me to forgo eating meat. My husband would never go for it. Every dinner he has must have some form of meat in it, whereas I could be just fine having a tomato basil soup. I just find myself enjoying vegetables more and the way I feel after I eat them. We'll see.
As far as my eating obsessions are concerned I've started to evolve.
One thing that I have changed in my diet, that I truly think has helped me is my drinking. I used to drink 2-3 glasses of wine on the weekends and sometimes during the weekdays...now I have one and savor it. I drink it slower and enjoy it.
I've also been cooking from scratch more. Lots of homemade salads with hard boiled eggs, alfalfa and bean sprouts, cucumber, celery, and avocado with balsamic vinegar (Steve uses the more calorie packed Ranch dressing). We have salads at least 4 times a week. I also enjoy making squash and zucchini in the skillet.
My sweet tooth has also slowed down. I have started satisfying it with small portions of chocolate or ice cream when needed. I know to never avoid it because when I do, it usually comes back with avengence. So now I have a bag of Dove dark chocolate bites that I eat one of each day around 11:30 and I usually savor it as much as I can.
Other than that, working out has also helped me with my goals. It's been great these past few weeks now that I am finally starting to see the fruits of my labor. My legs are more toned, my arms, and my waist are looking smaller. It's just really encouraging. Other than the scale here at work...which says I weigh in at 148. When I weigh myself at home though, I weigh 145. I trust my scale more than I do the one we're using here at work. I know this may sound silly but I know my body and I do NOT weigh 148. I know it's only 3 pounds but I know how I feel and look at 148 and how I feel and look at 145 and I'm definitely 145. Hopefully next week the scale here at work will be more of a friend than a foe and actually weigh me correctly. It wouldn't matter to me so much if I weren't trying to win this stupid contest. And actually, I wish I had re-weighed myself the first week when it said I weighed 145 because even then I wasn't 145. Oh well...now I sound like one of those crazy people who can't accept how much they weigh... haha
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