Lights...

You k ow when you're dealing with things and they just start to "get to you" and it throws everything off balance? That's me and that's happened. I have been working out three to four times a week but I've felt distracted which has led me to not put forth 100% effort during the workouts. 

Last week marked a mental turning point and, let's face it, if you're not there mentally, nothing else truly is either. I finally said to myself to just get out of the funk I've been in and get back to it. It just clicked after a few "down" months. 

So, just like everyone else, I'm back in the saddle after taking a mental hiatus and it feels good. No one can do it for me. No one can do it for you, either...

Treadmill, jog, random, 195 cals, 1.78 miles, 25 min. 

Not So Great Workouts

This morning's workout wasn't so great... 

To back up just a smidge, this past Friday's workout was a doozey though I didn't know it until Saturday morning when the soreness began to kick in.  Everything was starting to ache--along the outside of my body, from the outsides of my knees all the way to my armpits, my hips, my abs, my pecs...

Sunday was the "second day after", which has proven to be worse for soreness for me.  It was started with two Motrin and mainly consisted of relaxing on the couch.  Yes, we sort of overdid it a bit on Friday.

This morning was like night and day from the weekend.  A few minutes of moving around to worked out the lingering stiffness.  I was excited to get to the gym and get in a light workout.  The plan was to get in a long, slow jog.  Nothing crazy, just something to ease back into the week's worth of workouts.  I started off with my usual five minute walking warm-up then started to jog.  About 15 minutes into the workout I could feel a tightening in my left shin.  As the progressed the tightening did also.  I knew that feeling--shin splints.  Dang.  I had to dial it back a good bit and ended up just walking on a bit of an incline.

I'm sure you've been there, an air of disappointment surrounding something.  It could be a meal that you took time to prepare only to have it taste bland at the end.  It could be a project or craft that didn't quite turn out the way you saw it in your mind's eye.  Maybe it was an event you meticulously planned for a loved one only to have things go awry.  "That" feeling.  You know the one...

When things go wrong sometimes you get discouraged but that's not always a bad thing.  Think about something you enjoy doing even though it didn't come naturally.  Do you remember practicing, training, and repeatedly doing the same thing over and over until it became second nature and you just... "got it"?  That feeling when things just clicked and all of the effort was worth the hard work to get to that point?  How you react to these setbacks really is what will determine whether or not you'll be successful.  Either you want "it" bad enough to keep at trying until you get it right OR you shrug your shoulders, hang your head, and allow it to defeat you.

Anyway, I look at workouts the same way.  Sometimes you're going to have good ones (like last Friday's) and sometimes you don't (like today).  Regardless of how poorly the workout went it's still better than doing nothing.  It's always better than doing nothing.

This mornings workout:

Treadmill, manual, 228 cals burned, 2.18 miles, 35 min, walked and jogged but had the start of shin splints, so slowed down to prevent them from hitting full force.

While it was far from a great workout for me, ultimately it WAS an extra two miles that I wouldn't have gotten in otherwise.  That alone makes me happy!

10.24.13 - cardio

Treadmill cardio today since I'm by myself. Manual setting.

281 cals

35 min

2.71 miles

Feeling good!

A New Week!

I've been working out with one of my members on the days she's off of work, and we have been having fun! I haven't logged those workouts aside from generic info in My Fitness Pal. 

My goal for this week is to get my water in. I haven't been doing very well, but every day I try again, so I figure at some point it will happen!

Cardio and a little weight work (legs) today. Got shin splints starting on my left leg when I tried to jog a bit, soooo, I brought it back to a walk, but still on an incline. 

Treadmill, hill setting, 93 cals, 1.03 miles, 18 min. 

Leg press

20 x 70 lbs (quick)

10 quick x 110

10 with pauses at the bottom x 110

20 x 130

10 x 190

10 x 230

Out of time!

9.23.13

Treadmill, hill setting

2.12 miles, 213 cals, 33 min

Some jogging on the hill setting does a body good!

9.18.13

Hill setting, cardio with Noelle, 30 min, 1.61, 127

9.5.13

I'm having a difficult time getting back into the swing of things after injuring myself a little over a month ago or so.

Treadmill sprints (3.2 & 8.0)

35 min

219 cals

2.32 miles

Feeling pretty good though a bit winded due to not watching my breathing well enough. It's all good though! One day at a time!

No Neck Pain?

For time first time in several weeks, I have completed a cardio session without any neck pain! Very happy about that!

Elliptical, level 5, 30 min, 277 cals burned

Fingers crossed that I'm able to go through the rest of the day pain free...

Injury

A few weeks ago, I had an extremely difficult workout.  SO difficult, in fact, that I injured myself.  I managed to pull something on the left side of my neck.  I took a work trip the next day or so, and have yet been able to return to my regular workout routine.

Sometimes we just have to listen to our bodies, and while I've been forced to take this time off, I definitely feel it.  My energy level has decreased.  My desire to get up and moving in the morning is on hiatus.  My balance is slipping.  I'm much more irritable.  It's funny how all of these things come together simply due to lack of exercise, huh?

I tried early this week to run and, while I was able to get in a decent workout (sprints!) and it started off on a great foot, toward the end of the workout my neck started to hurt again.  I guess maybe I carry too much tension in my shoulders/neck while I run?

Either way, I'm going to try again next week.  I'm laying off of lifting weights until my neck no longer hurts, which stinks, but I know it's probably the best thing I can do for the time being.

I hope everyone understands that minor setbacks like this happen, sometimes even more frequently, but the thing of it is that once you get over the setback, to you continue to allow it to be a setback or do you try to overcome it?  Do you work through it or do you let it thoroughly work YOU into a place you sometimes have to fight so hard to get away from?

Life happens, people.  It's how you react to it that will make or break you.  It's how you react to it that will determine if you're successful in the long run.

If you fall down, get right back up, as soon as you can.

Dust yourself off and try again!

Light walking cardi

Worked chest yesterday, feeling good today with only a little soreness.

Treadmill, random, walking at 3.2-3.8 mph

1.98 mi

187 cals

35 min

Sweaty but feeling good. 

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday...

I trained hard yesterday, to the point where my forearms and triceps made it difficult to lift my arms... I smiled to myself while I was walking into the grocery store to get milk. Lifting the milk was a challenge (to say the least) and I chuckled out loud. 

Today was all set to be a killer cardio session (in my head) but when I got to the gym I wasn't so sure my body was going to agree and do what I was asking of it. My iPod is my lifeline when doing cardio and of course, it was dead. I made do with my phone

Treadmill, hill setting, level 6, walked for 10 min, slow jogged at 5.0 for 20 min, 5 min cool down. 263 cals, 2.4 miles, 35 min total. 

Sweat is pouring down my head, chest, and back. It feels great. 

Bad Habits

Another week has gone by and I must have been pretty focused since I didn't even make time to blog!  Haha!

Yesterday's workout was a doozy and I'm definitely feeling it today.  Tomorrow should be fun!  Oy!

Weight still holding steady BUT that should be changing soon...

After reading a post on Facebook (one of the many health and wellness related 'friends'), I decided on Sunday that I no longer wanted to drink energy drinks.  This coming from someone who wakes up and has one then has ANOTHER one around lunchtime!  Yikes!

I started my Monday off on the right foot with my final energy drink and as of now, I still haven't had one.  not to say that I don't want one.  Yeah...  I want one.  LIke, BAD.  I've copied and pasted the below post from the Girls Gone Healthy Facebook page:

Question from one of the GIRLS ~ 

"What is the number one thing you did that helped you lose weight?"

There are so many things. One of the most important was getting the diet drinks and diet items out of my life. They are so full of chemicals and preservative and were really holding my metabolism back. Additionally they were harming my body! For the week it took me to detox from soda - yes, detox. I had intense headaches and felt physically ill. That in itself shows you how horrible they are for you. Trust me - I did not want to get rid of diet soda. I thought I had every right to it and held on to it like a life preserver for years. The week after I gave it up not only did my mind feel clearer but I lost 10 lbs - I would say a total win.

I've heard enough about kicking the aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.  I've had enough of working hard and allowing something so minor to possibly be tripping me up.  Would you give up your favorite food or drink if you KNEW you'd drop 10 lbs?  I sure as heck would!  And I have.  Obviously, I don't know that I'll lose even ONE pound from not drinking energy drinks, but I DO know that it sure won't hurt to try it and get healthier in the process!

What unhealthy habits have you successfully stopped or changed?  I know you feel better for it and would love to hear all about it!

Magnificent Monday!

Happy Monday!

I had a nice weekend with the family despite not feeling 100%.  Got some kind of weird jaw pain going on and I'm not sure what's causing it...

Anyway, I still made it in for this morning's Tabata style workout.  It was tough but good, and I know I'm sure to feel it tomorrow!

I'm having to modify this week's training since I know I won't be able to make it into the club in the mornings again until Friday.  Instead of allowing it to throw me off course (I've been doing SO well!), I'm going to plan out my workouts tonight and simply stick with it just like my morning appointments with myself during the week.  The exact same morning routine, except without burning the extra gas.  Haha!

I weighed this morning and was up about two pounds (like I am every month around this time).  I took my BMI and bodyfat measurements and am curious to see how they compare.  I feel SO much better, man!  My balance and flexibility have both improved though, outside of a handful of stability-focused exercises,  that has not been my primary focus.  I actually noticed it on vacation.  I was getting dressed and, being the less-than-five-feet-tall shorty that I am, I like to wear platform wedges.  (What?  They make me taller and elongate my legs!)  While I was changing, I easily bent over to adjust the strap on my shoes.  It wasn't anything difficult or amazing, I was just able to bend over without having to hold my breath and adjust my shoe.  And it was nice.

It was nice not to have to worry about finding a surface that was just the right height.  I just bent over and did it.

Sometimes it's just the simple things that make it worthwhile...  

Friday Finale!

I've gotten to the gym as planned this week. We managed to break my suv's front passenger window. Well, break sounds like an understatement. It was completely shattered...

Because "my time" is in the morning and with our having to drop off my SUV early to have the window replaced, I planned on doing something at home yesterday morning. I ended up knocking out some burpees. Didn't get all crazy sweaty or anything, but I did SOMETHING (which is always better than nothing). 

Today's workout was very challenging but it was awesome! I'm actually updating this as I walking the treadmill. It took me a good 10 minutes to catch my breath afterward. 

I have noticed in the past few months that I've made some good changes. First and foremost, I've gotten back in the routine of my weekday morning workouts. After being out of it for six months!!!, the challenge of working with trainers was exactly what I needed to make that happen. Now, my mornings don't feel complete without them. 

I've noticed that my clothes all fit again. I feel overall tighter and firmer -- legs, arms, midsection. My balance and flexibility have both improved, which is something I use on a daily basis. 

I'll be doing my second Spartan Race in October this year, too, and can't wait to see how well it goes now that I'm actually in a shape other than 'round'! Haha! 

Additionally, taking a break during our vacation was a good way to hit the reset button. I've come back refreshed and able to see things in perspective a bit better than before we took it. Taking breaks here and there are a good thing. A lot of the guys that come in have worked themselves to a point of burnout, so when they take a week or two off and come back in after having rested, they find themselves actually making gains on the gym that they weren't expecting. It's nice to hear them tell me about it!

Walking on Treadmill, 30 min, 1.38 miles

Anyway, I need to go wrap things up for the week. I hope you guys all have a great weekend! 

Cardioing!

Biked it today! 

35 minutes, 210 cals, 7.91 miles

Shoulders are sore from yesterday and now I'm all sweaty. Feels so good!

One Step Back

One step back always leads to two steps forward! I have worked out hard for three days--twice with weights, one hard cardio session--so after not stepping foot in the gym for 10 days, muscle soreness kicked in with a vengeance! The nice thing about having stopped and started working out several before is that I know to expect the soreness when getting back into my workout routine. 

Choosing to work through the soreness (and not allowing myself to use it as an excuse), is part of what I know is going to be the difference between success or another failure. I'd much rather add a notch of success to my belt, wouldn't you?! 

WALKED, slowly at 3.0, 35 minutes, 1.66 miles, 151 cals burned. 

I'm Back!

I've had a crazy busy few weeks that peaked right at time for me to take a vacation! Man, it came at the right time!

Now my vacation is over--one that also included a break from my workouts, but not completely from watching what I was eating a I enjoyed myself though not to an extreme.

I worked out on weights yesterday (Monday) and am feeling it today though I'm not surprised. Haha! Today was cardio. I wasn't sure what is be up to doing, so I just jumped on in!

Treadmill, hill for warm up (10 min at 3.5 mph), sprits for 20 min (3.2 jog speed, 8.5 run speed, mostly one minute intervals), 291 cals, 3.26 miles, 45 min total which includes a 5 min cool down. Feeling overall pretty good!

According to the scale I did gain 2 lbs over the vacation, but I'm sure a good bit is from water weight, so I'll up my water intake to try to flush that out. 

The vacation was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and I'm ready to get back to it!

Selfie!

Just because today is Memorial Day I didn't want to let anything get in the way of my workout. Yes, I think it's safe to say I've gotten into the swing of things and have (re)started my healthy habit of working out daily.

Have I missed a workout here and there? Yes. Have I cheated with my nutrition? Yup. Have I allowed it to derail me? No. 

Today, after a 10 minute walking warmup ( 0.53 miles), I did three rounds of:

25 kb swings (20#)

25 jump squats

25 push-ups

25 squats on the bosu

I got sweaty and I drank a lot of water (always a good sign for my workouts). I had to take breaks between some exercises. I felt it went by pretty quickly with having my iPod playing, though I probably should have done one more round. Overall I'm proud I didn't allow having the kids out of school for the holiday be an excuse for missing a workout! Yay for small victories!

I do believe, however, that I am the type that needs a trainer. Did I workout today?  Yes. Was it a great workout? No, it was just... Eh. Would a trainer have pushed me to do that one more round? Of course! It's like they almost know me better than I know myself in that sense, that they can tell I've for juuuuust a little bit more gas on the tank. So... Working out on my own versus REALLY being pushed? There really is no comparison. Am I surprised? Nope!

With a vacation coming up, I'm going to try to see if there's any way I can stay on my workout routine. It may be at the hotel, it may be at the local Anytime Fitness (yay for access to ANY AF gym), but who knows! I know I'll be making the best nutrition choices I can and regardless of how the trip goes? I'll be back on my workout routine as soon as I get back. Period. No excuses. 

Just'a Butt Kickin'!

This morning's workout was good.  Justa' big ole bag a butt kickin'!  Haha!

Seriously, warming up with moderate sprints, lots of reps (between 5-20) and sets.  Working every muscle to exhaustion.  Dripping sweat and feeling SO good!  After Wednesday's mentally difficult workout, and last Friday's difficult workout, today was like night and day.  Even though my muscles were begging me to stop, they were listening to me unlike Wednesday and last Friday when they wouldn't.  They were ready for a break, but I still tried to push through.

Anyway, today's finally FRIDAY!  Yay!  After the last seven days, it feels like a new start to a new week.  LOL!

I've continued to shifting my nutrition to decrease my carb intake, which has been key in the past, and so far I'm doing pretty well with getting over the sugar cravings.  This past weekend I sort of went crazy with them, kind of like I had to purge myself of them or something?  I don't really feel the need to feed the sweet tooth, but when I do, it's still something pretty low-carb.

That nutritional shift is the ticket.  It's the difference between just hard work and hard work that gets results.  And that's not something you can get from magic shakes or pills or extreme diets.  Do the shakes and pills and diets work?  Yes, they do, until you go back to the real world after losing the weight.  Then, the weight comes back on.  Then you have to diet again.  Like a carousel, around and around, up and down...  That, in a nutshell, is the definition of yo-yo dieting.  Making a true lifestyle change is where it's at.  Stop dieting and start living a healthy, more satisfying life!

A Walk In The Park!

Cardio today was a walk in the park. A very hilly park at that!

Treadmill, incline set between 3.0 and 10.0, 174 cals burned, 1.77 miles in 30 min, 3.8 mph except for the cool down. 

Dripping with sweat and feeling pretty dang good!  

I had my measurements done and I've lost another half of an inch on my waist. I must be getting closer to where I need to be with the numbers slowly changing. No complaints! Weighed this morning and am down two pounds since yesterday. So I'm guessing I was holding onto some water weight from this weekend, before I decided to really focus on lowering my carb intake. 

All In My Head...

This morning's workout was rough.

Like, I wanted to quit kind of rough.

I mean, the exercises and trainer were GREAT as always, but... my head just wasn't in the game and it caused me to have a huge mental block.  I couldn't will my body to do what I wanted it to do.  What it NEEDED to do.  And I pushed.  HARD.  It was very frustrating and about 10 minutes into the workout I just wanted to throw in the towel and leave.

Terrible!

I pushed through the frustration, frustration that had turned into anger by the end of the workout, but I didn't like it.  I'm not sure exactly what it was that triggered it.  I mean, I think I know, but am not quite sure.  It was likely a series of things--a lot of stuff on my mind, seeing results but wanting to see even more, not eating properly last night, Monday's workout pre-exhausting my muscles...

On a much lighter note, I can definitely feel everything tightening up.  My clothes are fitting so much better.  My energy level is so much higher in general.  I've noticed that I can move more easily in my regular day-to-day activities.  I can easily swoop down and tie my shoes without having to take a deep breath now.  Haha!  Sometimes it's just the little things, right?!

I'm due to get measurements this week.  I'm hopeful that I've made some changes with as hard as I've been working out.

I AM adjusting my nutrition and that could be some of it.  Sugar is addictive.  Evil.  And I could simply be going through some withdrawal from that...  I dunno.  I DO know that I am NOT going to let one bad workout ruin my week.  It's behind me now and the next workout will be better.  Period.  I won't accept anything less and I won't stop.  Stopping won't help anything.  Stopping will not help me reach my goals.

Just like everyone else, I wish I was already 6 months down the road in seeing my results.  I want to see results NOW!!!  (Patience has never been my strong suit as my kids can attest!)

Anyway...  While I'm waiting for my awesome, fitness model results to start being much more evident (yeah right!), I'm just going to keep plugging on along!

Been a little while...

I've been crazy busy for the past two weeks, but am very proud to say that I never missed a workout!  My nutrition wasn't all that great over the weekend, but that's all been reigned in and I didn't allow it to throw me off track for any longer than that.

I definitely didn't feel like going out the door this morning--I was cuddling on the couch with my pups--, but once I got out and got to the gym? It was all good! I had planned on hitting the elliptical, but felt inspired to do some sprints on the treadmill instead. I'm really glad I did, too! It was pretty tough but I pushed through it and ended up having a great workout!

Treadmill, speed interval setting, 25 mins total (5 min walking warm up and 5 min cool down, so only 15 min of sprints), 1.89 miles, 187 calories.

I'm due to be measured again at the end of this week and am cautiously optimistic that I'll be seeing some more positive changes. Nutritionally, I've shifted to eating fewer carbs, so that should help somewhat.  I've found myself making an excuse for eating extra bread and chips lately, so I've cut back on buying them because I can't stand the temptation being around me like that!  Haha!  Everybody's got their thing, and now you know mine!  I think you just have to figure out what your sticking point is and hit it head on, you know?

Cardio

Feeling some shin splints coming on so I scaled back a bit. Definitely need to replace my old running shoes because these street shoes aren't cutting it.

30 min, hill setting, 2.05 miles, 223 cals burned

Cardio?!

In attempted to run sprints today, but with my iPod being dead and having the long cords coming off of my iPhone, I had to change the plan. I was able to get in two minute-long sprits before the flapping earbud cords got the best of me. Am I the only one that drives crazy?!

Ended up staying on the treadmill, hill setting, between 5 and 13 incline, speeds between 3.0 and 3.4. I'm still sweating pretty good and it definitely it my heart rate up... 5 min warm up, 20 hard minutes, 5 min cool down, 1.68 miles, 194 cals burned.

Phew! The iPod will be charged and ready to go for Thursday, and I plan on killing it!

Wednesday Workout and Thursday Cardio!

Yesterday's training session was awesome! Lots of body weight exercises, i think the count was 600 reps? Oy!

Today's cardio was on a stationary bike, 35 min, 8.85 miles, 223 cals. My shins are feeling the sprints I did Tuesday and the workout from yesterday, so no running today... Feeling the burn in my legs and bum!

4.30.13 - Sprints

Sprints on treadmill 5 min walking warm up. Must not have set the time correctly. Bummer. .26 walking warm up, potty break, reset for sprints at 8.2 and 8.5 mph. Tread kept slowing down around the 10 min mark? Dumb.

Have to go take The Boy medicine at school anyway, so I'm taking it as a sign.

Final sprints time 20 min, 1.38 miles, 139 cals. Eh.

So Good... 4.24.13

Yesterday I did some intervals on the bike.  I left feeling good, sweaty, and my muscles were exhausted!

30 minutes, 8.33 miles, 221 calories burned, resistance varied between 3 and 10

This morning's workout was really tough!  Not as tough as last Wednesday's workout, but it was right up there.  It feels so good to push hard like that!  It was even nicer to see that when I got on the scale today and saw that there was a change there...  Won't say how much yet, don't want to jinx it, but will share that soon!  I've really been working on cutting back my portion sizes.  I'm still getting full, but am not leaving the table feeling overly stuffed and ready to take a post-Thanksgiving type nap.  Haha!

Monday Beatdown!

This past Thursday marked the two month point of when I started training, but that minor milestone was overshadowed with the Boston aftermath to the point that I completely forgot about it...  I'm glad that the crux of the ordeal is over, though there's still a very long way to go with the healing...

Anyway, to keep things on a much lighter note here, I won't elaborate on that any further.

SOOoooo, now, back to your regularly scheduled program!

OK.  So, two months ago this past Thursday, I hit my two months of training mark!  Woohoo!  Oh my GOSH, I feel so much better than I did when I first started this assignment!  Like, night and day different!  My sluggishness has been replaced with energy.  I no longer feel like allowing the world to pass me by, I look forward to being a part of it.  I look forward to getting up and simply embracing the day because after my workouts, I feel like I can handle ANYTHING that will be thrown at me.

Well, almost anything...

OK.  Mostly anything.  Haha!

No, the scale still hasn't moved much, but I'm still OK with that because I feel so much better and can see the physical changes happening.  Surprisingly, the workouts STILL don't feel like they're getting 'old' like they have in the past when I've worked out on my own.  I walk in and never know what to expect workout wise, though I DO know that at the end of it?  I'm gonna feel like I got in a great workout!  I'm going to be sweaty.  Tired.  Glowing.  Accomplished.  Empowered.  STRONG!

I really can't think of a better investment of time, money, and energy.  And while it's only 30 minutes, it IS enough time that I don't feel guilty in leaving my phone in the car and focus solely on doing something for ME.  I am worth so much more, but time-wise, this is what I've got to work with so I'm going to make it work.  I mean, I can only do so much with the 1,440 minutes I have each day, just like you.  I know it's not very MUCH time, but it's MY time doggoneit!

So, new changes...  I have started buckling down with my eating, with making sure I'm eating well and giving my body the nutrients that it needs to function properly.  Like, I still had some cheats here and there this weekend, but not like before.  My Friday cheat meal--pizza, always pizza--turned into a cheat 24 hours which turned into two cheat days, which turned into a cheat I'm-going-to-eat-whatever-I-want-from-Friday-to-Monday kind of thing.  I mean, to workout THIS hard and not supporting that with the right amount and types of food?!  That's plain dumb.  What I'm NOT going to do is bother beating myself up over not making that change right from the getgo because anything that happened yesterday doesn't really matter anyway, right?  I mean, it's not like I can change anything from yesterday anyway.  Hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it...

What does that mean?  That means I'll eat better now.  Not next month.  Not "maybe sometime next week".  Not next Monday.  Not tomorrow.  Not even after I eat lunch today.  I'll focus on giving my body what it needs and I'll focus on that right now.

There's really never a "perfect time" to do anything.  You just start.  NOW.

Been a long week

This week started off on a terrible foot and has been quite a roller coaster...

The Boston Marathon bombing, ricin lace letters sent out, a terrible explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas, a manhunt for the Boston bomber then the city going on lock-down... It's been a terrible week for runners nationwide, for law enforcement, for EMT personnel, for the families of everyone that has been affected nationwide...

I ran on Tuesday in honor of the Boston Marathoners, I worked out Wednesday, and Thursday, and today... Here it is, Friday, and my legs are pretty sore after Wednesday's workout... I still worked out and pushed myself despite wanting to be glued to the TV to watch this story unfold.

Anyway, all of that rambling to say that despite everything going on like it has, I made myself complete each and every workout! Such an awesome feeling, knowing that I did what I need to for the week!

Even though I have been losing inches and feeling great, I'm ready to amp up my results. Next step for modification? Nutrition. Noooooo!!!! Haha! I think the nutrition portion of things is likely the largest hurdle for people to overcome. I mean, let's face it, food tastes good, amiright?!

People really don't realize that nutrition plays such a key role when you are on your health and wellness journey. And you'll notice I don't say "diet". Saying "diet" makes it sound, to me at least, that you can't have anything that tastes good, you have to restrict yourself, etc. Just an overall sense of negativity. Saying "nutrition" feels like an overall healthier, more achievable approach and take to food. Kind of like when you fertilize a plant. If you give it the proper fertilizer, it WILL grow strong and healthy. I want my body yield the same results. Give it good food and it should give me good results. Sound easy enough?

I'm tracking my nutrition on MyFitnessPal. If you haven't downloaded it yet and aren't using anything, I totally recommend it! A newer feature they added makes it nearly dummy's roof. Simply scan the food's barcode and be accurate in the amount of food you eat. How easy is that?!

Now, I'll be honest. I have tried to track my food before but haven't been successful. And not only have I not been successful, but I haven't been successful several times. Yup. It should make you feel better to know that it happens to everyone, even gym managers aren't perfect. The difference is that those who never try can never succeed. Sometimes it takes more than once or twice or ten or twenty times, but if you want it enough, you'll try until you're successful!

My Boston Run

After yesterday's horrific events at the Boston Marathon, I made up my mind last night that I'd run today. I woke up sore from yesterday's workout, but was determined to push through it.

Treadmill, hill setting, level 5, .63 and 1.88 miles, 63 cals and 223 cals respectfully (had to take a potty break mid-run about 10 minutes into it), BUT I finished what I set out to do.

Physically, I'm feeling good, sweating up a storm... Beads of sweat running down my back, chest, chin, and forehead...

Today, I ran simply because I could.

Monday Monday...

My workout this morning was really good. Lots of rep--bench press, rows, deadlifts, and pushups. Oy. My arms are SO fatigued! You figure one round was 10 reps of one exercise followed by 25 reps of the other. Five times. The other was 15 reps of one exercise followed by 15 reps of another. Ten times. Tomorrow should be fun... Haha!

I'm not going to bother weighing till next week. This isn't a good week for focusing on the scale, not that there ever really IS a good time to focus on the scale, BUT this week in particular for me. Ahem.

Moving on.

So, I've found that my appetite has increased which is good and bad. Good, because my body is burning calories but bad because I'm having difficulty controlling it, primarily at night. Big dislike on that one! I'm working on eating healthier in general. Less starches and carbohydrates, more water.

I've also started taking a multivitamin and a post-workout supplement. I've had difficulty finding a vitamin that won't upset my stomach after I take it, but my husband picked one up for me and I haven't had any problems with it yet. Yay!

Outside of that, in going to keep on plugging away with the workouts!

Finally Friday!

I did a little cardio this morning. 30 min, 7.5 miles on the bike, 185 cals burned. My legs are feeling yesterday's sprints... Glad I didn't do anything too intense today, but had to keep moving to keep that soreness from setting in!

Thursday cardio

Yesterday's workout was a good one! Very challenging. I did clean and presses, the leg press, planks, crunches, and rows! OMG! I'm felt all nice and relaxed after i recovered from the workout. All 550 reps of it...

I had measurements taken this morning after having had gotten dressed to head to the gym and a shirt that used to be tight? Wasn't. My traps are sore after yesterday's workout, but I woke up feeling great! It's been several months since I've woken up feeling just plain good, so I knew some numbers had changed. Nope. No changes except I lost another 1/2 inch off of my belly, and I actually got measured a week earlier than I have been. So, I'm nearly two months deep into these workouts. Excited to see even more progress!

Today's cardio? Sprints on the treadmill, 20 min, 1.77 miles, 169 calories, 5 min cool down. Walking/jog speed 3.2 mph, run speed 8.5 mph.

Sweating bullets in my Police shirt. LOL!

Monday Funday!

Worked with a trainer this morning and had a good one! We only did a handful of exercises but they were to exhaustion with each.

I was trying to figure out how many weeks I've been training and couldn't remember. Maybe 6 or 7 weeks now? Either way, doing an an exercise that we did in the past, I could tell a good change. I went from doing the single set in reps of five each. So, to do one set of 20 reps, I'd have to do 4 mini-sets of 5. Talk about disappointing and embarrassing. Today, though, I was able to knock out all 20 at once! BAM! We did 4 sets of 20 and it wasn't until rep 14 of the third set when I had to take a second to recover to finish the set. I love seeing marked changes like that!

Post-weight cardio, treadmill, random, 30 minutes, 1.77 miles, 172 cals burned

Keeping At It

In my opinion, those who keep at anything will be successful.  It may take some time and it may take some help, but I think just about any realistic goal can be achieved.

I've been plugging away at my workouts and not really thinking about whether or not I'm just spinning my wheels or actually making progress.  I know that it won't happen overnight, so I just take it all a day at a time and keep plugging away...

Not only was I feeling sore from my Monday morning workout, but I feel like I'm trying to fight off a cold and I feel my energy starting to dip a bit.  I decided to listen to my body and skipped yesterday's cardio. I think I may be coming down with a sinus infection?  Not sure, but I'm going to try to amp up my Vitamin C and water intake.

The scale has crept up a bit BUT I feel like I'm taking up less space overall, so I'm cool with it.  I feel like things are tightening up all over.  Abs, back, arms, thighs, booty...  Speaking of my booty, it feels like it's plumper if that makes sense?  The bottoms of my jeans and slacks aren't quite as loose as they have been, but again, I'm not complaining.  Um, to have a J-Lo booty in time for summer?  Yes, please!!!!

I'll see about getting my measurements taken again when I hit the 8 week mark with my workouts.  I'm curious to see where those numbers are...  

Monday Madness

I came in this morning and got in a booty busting workout, but when I tried to do cardio, some shin splints told me a big fat, "Um... NO."  So, no cardio this morning BUT I still got in a great workout.  Lots of back and legs.  LOTS of squats, rows, and pullups!

I can tell that everything is tightening up very nicely even though my weight is up a few pounds.  Strangely, I'm not disappointed in that, either...  My midsection still the same, but my legs are looking good and I am starting to see some decent definition in my arms, so I'm going to keep at it! I know that the changes will continue to come as long as I continue to workout, so that's exactly what I'm going to do!

Thursday cardio!

Sprints on the treadmill, 30 min (includes 5 min cool down), jog/walk speed 3.2, run speed 8.2, 2.17 miles, 199 calories burned.

Feeling like I maybe should have done 8.5 mph since I feel, overall, pretty darn good. The last 5 or so sprints were difficult, but doable. The sprints are 30 seconds long, with the treadmill taking nearly 15 seconds to get up to speed and 15 seconds to slow to the walk/jog speed.

Despite running a bit behind since i took the kids to school (Roo had to bring a cake!), I made a concentrated effort to get to the gym. Now I'm all sweaty and feeling great!

Now What?

So, now that my month of personal training has wrapped up, now what?  Where do I go from here?  What's the next step?

Well, for starters, I don't know.  Haha!  

What I DO know is that I'm not where I want to be yet.  Mentally, I'm there.  I 'get' it.  I know I feel good when I workout.  I know that working out makes my stress level drop exponentially.  (It's hard work running a business, taking care of a home, taking care of a family!)  I know that I AM going to continue to workout.  Really, I mean, that's just a no-brainer.  I'm back in the routine, so it really doesn't make much sense to stop at this point does it?  Seriously.  Why in the world would I stop when I've got such a good thing going?!

I am still trying to figure out a good, concrete goal for myself though...  That's the next step, really.  Setting another concrete goal.  I'll sit with one of the trainers when they get a few minutes and have them help me set that goal.  You know, it's like running a race and seeing the finish line ever so slowly coming up on the horizon...  The last thing you want to do is STOP right when you're about to finish, right?!  Seeing that finish line is the motivation to push just a weeeee bit harder, just a little longer....  

I've crossed my first finish line of getting back into the routine of working out.  Now, I'm in the process of picking my second race, setting my next goal...  I'm going to strike while the iron is hot!  Not over-thinking things, just doing them!

(Oh, and my birthday was yesterday so I took the day off from working out and ate pizza with the family.  Do I feel guilty?  Nope!  Everything in moderation.  :)  AND today--even though I'm technically a year older--I feel BETTER than I have in the last 6 months or so!  Bam!)

3.19.13 - cardio

Elliptical, level 5, 35 min (includes cool down), 3.90, 314 cals.

I did the elliptical but changed it up a bit by focusing on sitting back on my heels. It forced different muscles to work and it made it feel SO much harder for some reason! And not just "I'm working some different muscles, eh *shrug*" kind of difficult, but "I don't think I can make it five minutes" kind of workout. Whew!

Final Numbers!

So...  I finally got my measurements and the results are in!

In four weeks I was able to...

... shave off 0.4% of my body fat
... lose a quarter of an inch on my arm
... lose half an inch off of my waist
... lose two and a half inches off of my thigh

So, of the locations measured, I lost a total of 3.25 inches.  Assuming I lost the same amount from each arm, that's a half an inch lost from my arms and FIVE inches off of my thighs?!  Bam!

The scale doesn't show that I've lost any weight, but I know I've gained a good bit of muscle.  Yes, I'll take losing fat over smaller numbers on the scale.

My clothes are fitting again, which is nice.  After the holidays, a few of my favorite pairs of pants felt so snug that I was uncomfortable wearing them, made me feel restricted.  Just plain uncomfortable, you know?  This morning, I put on a pair of pants that I haven't worn since I took an out of town trip.  Six MONTHS ago.  Every time I'd put them on, they'd feel too tight in the stomach or legs and I'd worry about splitting some seams or something!  Yeah, like I need to be at work and have my pants split in the butt because I'm not working it [my butt] off?!  Negative!

Anyway, what's even more exciting is that I KNOW I'm going to continue with my workouts, so I will get my measurements again next month and the month after and the month after that...  I'm curious to see where I am at when summertime rolls around.  I know that I'll be better off than I am right now, just gotta stick with it!  I can't wait!

Anxiously Waiting...

I have my partial measurements done, but am having to wait to get measured with the tape measure.  Measuring with the tape measure is technique specific, so if you have one trainer measure you to get your initial measurements, the same trainer should also be the one measuring your progress.

I know my weight hasn't changed, but I'm curious to see how many inches I've lost.  My clothes are fitting better already.  On top of that, a nice change is that my stress level has decreased.  Last week was a pretty stressful week though I was able to make it through without any major meltdowns.  Haha!  

So, while I wait, I wanted to come on here and say that I am pretty sure I've got a condition called "diastasis recti'.  Here's a good link that explains it pretty simply, though if you wanted to look into it further, you could certainly very easily Google additional information.  So, for the mamas out there who are working their butts off but not feeling like they're making any progress in the mid-section area?  I'd strongly suggest you look into it!

And the wait continues...  

Trainer #3, Workout #4

Oh my gosh.  This morning's workout beat me down!  Oh my gosh!  Yet again, 15 minutes into the workout I was whooped!  I keep forgetting to bring in my water bottle for some reason.  Like, every time I  get ready to workout, I feel like I'll be able to handle it.  I mean, it's only 30 minutes, right?!  Ha!  Yeah, no.

So today wraps up my 30 days of PT.  *sad face*  But, even in only a month (that went by really quickly I might add!), I've been able to get back on track.  I realized yesterday that I didn't even have to think twice about getting ready and getting back to the gym.  It took me about three weeks to get to that point, but now that I'm back on track, I'll certainly stay with it and will be making additional PT arrangements.

Yes, it's seriously THAT good.  That, and I know that if I keep up this pace, I will get to treat myself to a new bathing suit this summer!  Awww yeah!!!!

If you have ever thought about working with a trainer, I simply can't put into words how much I would STRONGLY recommend it.  Without a doubt THE best workouts I've probably ever gotten.  Hands down.  Some of the stuff they've had me doing?  I would have never done on my own.  Like, ever.  And all of the ab work?  Haha!

If you don't think you need a trainer, that you do perfectly fine on your own?  I seriously doubt you would ever push yourself as hard as I have been pushed this month.  There's also always something new to learn.

It was neat that the trainers all learned my body cues and would modify the weights, reps, and moves to suit what I wasn't putting in to words.  I mean, I can't be a whiny baby, right?!  The trainers have certainly made me work smarter instead of harder.  Even with my hour-long or hour and a HALF long (!!!) workouts, I would never felt this tired at the end of them and I was doing everything "right"!

So, I should be getting my measurements done later today or possibly tomorrow, and I'm curious to see how much I've been able to do.  I know I slipped into a pair of jeans that I tried on the day I started this, and they were no longer tight.  They fit just right.  And not only did they fit just right, they fit just right RIGHT OUT OF THE DRYER!  (Girls, you KNOW what I'm talking about!)

Anyway, I'll keep you posted as soon as the numbers are in!  

Trainer #2, Workout #3 & Cardio

I missed updating yesterday due to being so busy with work, so for those who checked in, sorry for the delay!

My workout with #2 yesterday was great!  Again, I had some new moved thrown at me and I loved it!  I have yet to get bored with any of the workouts I've been doing and that is definitely keeping it interesting.  I no longer dread these workouts and I find myself actually looking forward to seeing what they have in store for me.  One of the new-to-me exercises was the "clean and press".  Just, woah!  It not only made me feel like a BEAST while I was doing it, but today I am reminded that it worked a bit of everything.  That one exercise utilized so many muscles and took enough effort that I was getting a cardio workout while just lifting.  I love that.  I actually like to run on the treadmill but I love being able to get in a cardio workout AND weights at the same time.  It just feels like a better use of my time, which I don't seem to have much of these days!

My cardio workout this morning went a lot better than I was expecting.  My iPod was dead and I was worried that I wasn't going to get in a good workout due to lack of music.  I dunno, but I have to have a good beat to run to.  My feet hit on the beat and it also helps me keep my breath moving so I don't get that tightness or shortness of breath.  I feel like I can just go farther and longer.  To make myself finish out the song then I hear the start of another, favorite song, and I just keep going...

Anyway, I walked for a little less than 5 minutes to warm up.  I jogged slowly at 4.5 for about 5 minutes, and I increased to 5.0 for 5 minutes, 5.5 for 5 minutes, then three minutes at 6.0, and a minute at 7.0 then a minute at 8.0.  I cooled down for 5 minutes, then....  BAM!  Cardio was DONE!  I felt great afterward and was pretty sweaty.  I love getting 'lost in my head' when I run.  It just makes me feel so much better when I'm done!

So...  Cardio stats:  treadmill, hill setting, 260 calories burned, 2.36 miles, 30 minutes (includes cool down)

Trainer #1, Workout #4

Oh my goodness! I was expecting it to be easier today, and I guess, in a sense it was? I did more, completely new-to-me exercises today. They were SO good!

Overall, it was a very challenging workout but the few exercises we did that I have done before, seemed to take a little more work to feel them. THAT means those muscles are getting stronger, and THAT's why I'm starting to see some definition. And I have no complaints about any of that.

This is set to be my final week of training but like I said before, I'm likely going to continue. Bathing suit time is right around the corner, man. And I want to be ready!

Sunday Funday

Since I have been making myself workout, I have found that I am getting my energy back. It's funny that people complain that they don't have any energy to do active things, but they don't realize that in a sense the more they ask from their body, the more their body will respond.

Say you start a new job that requires you to get up two hours earlier than your old one. After a week or two, your body responds by adjusting your internal body clock to match your new work schedule.

The same thing happens when we exercise. You ask your body to produce more energy to make it through a workout and your body responds by giving it more energy. At first, it can be difficult. But once your body gets used to it, it becomes routine. The time changed this morning but my body clock didn't. Haha! It was SO much easier to get up while listening to my body clock versus the alarm!

It feels good to no longer be so sore after my workouts; I just had to make myself plug on through the first two weeks.

I took today off from working out, a nice and well deserved rest day. Well, as restful a day I can have with doing some heavy duty Spring cleaning anyway. I simply haven't had the energy to do a good deep cleaning and my house was showing it. The weather is gorgeous today, so I've got the doors and windows open and am enjoying the nice breeze.

All of that to say that I threw on a pair of shorts today to be comfortable cleaning, and noticed I'm getting the definition back in my legs. Nice and actually surprising! Nice because, well, it's nice to see them firming back up. A surprise because I could see definition in my midsection before seeing it in my legs when it's always been the other way around. Yay for working with my awesome trainers!

Definitely looking forward to this week's workouts and guessing what changes are in store for next weekend!

Supa Saturday

Surprise Saturday!

My assignment was to do cardio three days a week in addition to my three days a week PT, so...

Treadmill, speed interval setting, level 2 or 3?, jog speed of 3.2 mph, run speed of 7, walked 5, alternated jogging/running 1 min intervals, 2.23 miles, 30 min total, 233 cals burned.

I'm dripping sweat and outside of a little bit of breathing difficulty, it was a good workout! Feeling pumped and just about ready to take the day!

Trainer #3, Workout #3

Oh my gosh!  This morning's workout was so hard but felt so good once it was over!  I constantly felt like I was challenging myself.  Hence the name "WORKout" right?!  I had difficulty completing the last two or three (or more? I dunno, I'll have to ask #3 on that!) reps of each exercise we did.  We did some completely new things again.  It was easy to keep interested and I wasn't given the option to relax or stop.  Push, push, push!

About halfway through the workout, I could feel all of the muscles we were working starting to fatigue.  You know how it gets when everything starts to get shaky?  The reps get slower and slower?  That was me.  And I noticed that I'd get to the point where I would feel like I couldn't do any more, but had #3 in my ear telling me I could.  Encouraging me.  Telling me I could not only finish but finish STRONG!  It was just what I needed to make the last rep happen.  It was great.

You know...  Thinking about it over the past three weeks, I thought I was pretty good at motivating myself to finish workouts and work hard.  I still think that, to a certain extent, I can and do.  But, even at that, I don't push myself like THIS.  I don't see how anyone COULDN'T be successful working out like this over a good period of time.  Like, it would be impossible.

In fact, this morning after my hot shower with my yummy-smelling body wash?  I can see that I've got just a HINT of definition in my midsection!  I knew I was feeling like things are tightening up very nicely, but this?  It honestly, it nearly floored me.  I was very surprised!  So surprised, actually, that I even pulled my full-length mirror out of my dimly lit bedroom to the bright living room.  Yup.  It was still visible!  Woohoo!  No complaints from me!

So, with adding cardio back in this week, cardio tomorrow morning will be my final workout of the week.  I  stumbled across what looks like a great cardio routine on Facebook.  It's basically 30 minutes of sprints; 30 seconds running between 7-9 mph with 30 seconds of rest.  For 30 minutes.  Just READING that made me tired.  Haha!  If you've never done sprints on the treadmill (or outside), they're awesome and you end up sweating buckets.  You finish and feel GREAT!  Just ready to tackle pretty much anything!

Anyway, I don't know that I'll have a lengthy update tomorrow but I'll definitely be getting the workout in!  I owe it to myself!

Walls

Still trying to stay off of the scale...  It's SO hard!!!!!

*sigh*

Today was cardio today again.  WOOHOO!  (<-- please read that in the sarcasm font)  I was about five minutes late leaving this morning, but I still made myself workout.  I finally hit "The Wall".

Before I go on, please let me stop riiiight here for a hot second.

If you're saying to yourself, "Huh?  'The Wall'?  What the heck is that?!" or "Sounds like an excuse to me!" or any other negative comment...  If you've ever scoffed or rolled your eyes at someone who is struggling with their health or weight...  If you've never had a problem working out or being active...  Never struggled with finding the motivation to go workout...  If you have any other negative or less than supportive thoughts pop into your head...  If that's YOU?  Please kindly do one of two things:

Stop reading after the next suggestion and look for tomorrow's blog update.

(I swear it won't hurt my feelings and I promise to still be your friend!)

OR

Continue reading and try to put yourself in that person's shoes and 

possibly gain a new perspective 

.....

.....
..... 

.....

Aaaaand, carrying on.

So, I know I've said here before that I really, really didn't want to workout one or two mornings (or more?), but today?  Today, I really REALLY didn't want to workout.  I didn't want to get dressed.  I didn't want to go to the gym.  Even knowing I feel better when I workout, I didn't want to do it.  I wasn't feeling it this morning.  At all.

I hit that wall.

I've seen it happen time and time and time again.  I have had it happen time and time again.  I hit The Wall when I was trying to lose the weight after my second baby and several times since then.  I've gone 110% into working out and fizzled out after a week or two or three.   I used to be hyper-focused on the scale.  I wasn't concerned with anything else, just the numbers on the scale dropping.  And you know what it did?  It made me MISERABLE.  And when you're miserable, what do you do?  I quit.  I simply quit.  I just didn't feel like fighting it any more and resigned myself to feeling crappy.

That happened to me this morning.

But what DIDN'T happen this morning was I flat out refused to make it keep me home.  I refused to allow that thinking to continue to creep in.  I have worked my butt off for the past two and a half weeks and to stop now?  It would have felt like it was all a waste of time, energy, effort, and sweat.  I could have very easily enjoyed a quiet house this morning since the kids were on their way to school and my husband was out doing his job thing.  Even the DOGS wouldn't have been able to bother me since they were outside.  Instead I simply refused to let a temporary, single fleeting moment keep me from my workout.

Even with working in the health and wellness field like I do, sometimes it's easy to slip back into focusing solely on those numbers and an old way of thinking.  I have since learned that there are SO many OTHER ways to measure the effectiveness of workouts, thankfully!

Yes, it's all in my head.  I know that.  Heck, anyone who has ever hit that block knows that!  The difference between people who are successful on their health and wellness journey or successful with losing weight the RIGHT way and not with any of those shakes/pills/fad diets/insane workout programs?  Consistency.  They realize that they didn't get to where they were overnight and the results aren't going to happen overnight.  THAT's why I had to come in today.  THAT's why I simply refused to allow those negative thoughts to keep me from seeing the big picture.

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't usually pat myself on the back, but I certainly did today!  You bet your sweet bottom I did!  Sometimes it's just the little victories that can mean so much.

So, guess what?

I got to use my body wash this morning!



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Today's cardio stats:  Treadmill, random setting, walking warm up, jogged/ran (4.5-6.5 mph), 30 min total, 2.32 miles, 249 cals burned.  

Trainer #2, Workout #3

(Wednesday, 3/6/13)

Weight: ?  (I still haven't gotten on the scale again.)

Today I had a substitute trainer, Trainer #1.  I'd be lying if I said I was excited to be with #1 again after the dang beat down I got on Monday, BUT outside of a little soreness in my glutes, I woke up feeling great and ready to tackle the workout.

Instead of working the lower body like we did Monday, this workout was primarily focused on upper body.  Yay for upper body!  I'm ready to get my arms toned up for the sleeveless clothes we'll be breaking out soon...  Gotta love South Mississippi spr-summertime!  (No, that's not a type-o, that's just about how much spring we get before summer, so it felt fitting.)

Anyway, if you know a mom, you'll know that some moms crave their nighttime showers as I used to when I stayed home with the kids but I really crave a hot, post-workout shower.  My "special" body wash, to be specific.  It's not really that special, only like $2 at Walmart, BUT it's still better than just regular bar soap.  It's just a special treat to myself for making a morning workout happen, and I reward myself regardless of how tough or easy the workout is/was.  It's just a nice way to pat myself on the back for doing SOMETHING other than sitting on my butt and being lazy!

Oh My...

(Tuesday, 3/5/13)

Weight:  ?

I woke up sore ALL over, but needed to do something since being assigned to do cardio this week.  (And on top of that, we've got an event going on tonight and I need to work off some of the stress that I'm under!)  Assignment/Homework = I don't get to stay home and wallow in the aches and pains.  I made myself go to the gym and ultimately decided to do the elliptical.  I really did NOT want to come in.

Like, really really.  

Anyway, I took it easy on the elliptical and ended up burning 241 calories burned, 2.88 miles, 30 minutes total (including 5 min cool down) 

Pretty dang sweaty but feeling good!

Trainer #1, workout #3

(Monday, 3/4/13)

I confess.  I weighed today (gasp!), BUT it was mostly out of curiosity (sigh!).  No change yet.  Slightly disappointing?  Uh, yeah!  I'm a GIRL!  Haha!  I DO feel like things are starting to tighten up a bit though, which is making up for not seeing the numbers move.  It's been several months since I've been on a regular workout routine, so I expect to take at least the same amount of time to get to where I'm more comfortable.

Today's workout was really good!  I felt like I could do a little more than last Monday and while I still worked my butt off and was all wobbly at the end, I don't think I was quite as out of breath.  Definitely still out of breath, but I felt like I recovered a lot more quickly.  Sweet!  I'm fully expecting to feel this Wednesday if not tomorrow.  We'll see...

Little Things

I pulled on a pair of jeans that haven't fit right for a while and I didn't have to tug on them to get them on or buttoned.

Sometimes, it's just the little things.

Trainer #3, Workout #2

This morning I woke up a lot better off than yesterday.  I can feel that my glutes are still tight like I worked them, but they're not nut-cracking tight.

Before we even got started, I told Trainer #3 that my glutes were still pretty sore and begged for mercy on their behalf.  What did that get me?  Oh, just a 6 or 7 minute walking warmup.  I figured I could handle walking, but two minutes in?  Hahahaha!  Uh, yeah... No.

I know I've never done that type of warm up; less than 5 minutes in and I'm out of breath?  Yikes!  I know that by our next workout I'll be a bit stronger and I won't be as out of breath, but whew!

From there we did one lower body exercise, several upper body, and even a dreaded abs exercise.  Abs are hands down my LEAST favorite body part to work.  Have I mentioned that here yet?  After having three abdominal surgeries, it's just difficult to make myself work them to the point that I'd actually rather do lunges or burpees instead.  Yes, I dislike working abs THAT much.  I was forced to do them and hated every second, but I know I'll be saying a big "thank you!" later.  I can already feel that the muscles are starting to tighten up which was nice.  I can't wait to see it!

The muscles were definitely fatiguing toward the end of the workout.  They started to get shakey, so I know I was working them and it wasn't my just my head playing games with me.  My arms are pretty tired right now but they're not so exhausted that it'll be hard to drink my water, tie my shoes, or wash my hair.

I'm going to enjoy my recovery time this weekend and also focus on minimizing my "cheat" days.  Instead of 24-48 hours of whatever I want (in moderation), I'll probably just have a cheat dinner and good breakfast.  Friday night is pizza and a movie night at our house and I won't give that up since the kids look forward to it all week.  Breakfast is the easiest meal of the day for me because I'm always so hungry when I first wake up for the day.

Anyway, I leave you guys with this 'angry cat' picture.  This cat makes me smile every single time I see him and this one takes the cake today!

Aw, nuts.

When I woke up this morning, I definitely remembered I worked out with Trainer #2 yesterday.  Oh-em-gee my boo-TEE!  I swear, it feels like I should be able to crack walnuts with it.  

Like, I feel like my bum should look like this under my clothes:

Seriously.  It feels THAT tight.  And not only do I feel like I could crack walnuts, I'm also kind of walking stiffly, too.  Well, at least that's what I was told this morning when I tried to roll myself out of bed.  Nope, no hopping straight out of bed like I was doing two weeks ago.  Not yet anyway.  

I know that the first two weeks or so are sometimes uncomfortable due to using muscles that haven't been used in a while or used in a new way.  I know it WILL get better and I WILL be able to look back at all of these posts and laugh at myself.

Waking up like I did and walking like I had no knee joints, I decided to skip cardio again today.  I did talk with Trainer #2 later in the morning and it was suggested that I do about 30 minutes of cardio three times a week starting next week now.  That way, my body has started to get adjusted to these workouts.  So, as I had planned on doing both last week and this week, I'll stay on my normal 7:30 am routine and will only do cardio on my non-PT days which will be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  I was actually expecting to be assigned about 45 minutes of cardio, so I was pleasantly surprised to have it be less.  (I almost feel like only 30 minutes is cheating somehow, you know?)  

That's another thing about this.  The sessions are only 30 minutes long which I figured would be a breeze, buuut... negative.  We don't waste time.  We're working the whole time, and not only are we working, but we're working HARD.  Or at least I am.  The trainers never seem to break a sweat for some reason?!  Haha! The workouts haven't been easy by any stretch--I guess they're considering me to be more advanced--, BUT it's nice to be able to get in and out in 30 minutes instead of the long hour and a half that I could easily spend trying to fit squeeze everything in on my own.  It actually helps me to streamline my daily schedule and make sure I fit in a workout.  I'm just finding that I'm spending less time working out in general.  Can't complain about that! 

Seriously though, the workouts are great and I feel like I'm hitting everything I need to muscle-wise without having to research and plan it all out first.  Nice!  Normally, by the time I finally figure out what I want to do workout wise, I've lost the motivation or time to actually DO the workout.    

Anyway, next week I start doing cardio.  I just have to get up, get it done, and be done with it.  No excuses and no flabby summertime booty!

Trainer #2, Workout #2

Confession time...  

I did not make it to the gym yesterday to do the cardio I had planned on doing.  I had some work stuff that required my attention and I ended up coming in nearly two hours early to take care of everything.  That's how it goes sometimes, but it's not something I'm going to allow to completely derail me.

Then, last night, I did not eat like I should have.  I know everyone has a different definition of not eating well (typically greasy burgers and fries, fried foods, etc.), but I don't really compare what I eat to what anyone else eats.  I just eat what I know my body needs to have.  Last night I did not do that and I feel like today's workout suffered because of it.  I'm almost positive it did.  It's kind of like giving your car gas with water in it.  It just doesn't perform like it's supposed to and like you know it can.  

Yes, it felt like a double whammy to me to not workout then not eat well on top of that.  No, I'm not beating myself up about it ('cause "ain't nobody got time fo that"! Hahaha!), but I WILL use it as a reminder that I need to give my body good 'fuel'...  

This morning I worked with Trainer #2 and before we even got started, I was informed that it was a "300 style" workout.  Yeah...  If you've ever seen the movie "300" and seen the BODIES that are in that movie?  They're like, woah!  Do a quick Google search. Seriously.   

Before I even got started I knew I would be tired by the end of it.  Haha!  I did some new things I've never tried and it was a great change of pace.  I know the trainers basically have an encyclopedia worth of workouts in their heads...  Just tons of different exercises to work each different muscle and muscle group, you know?  That book was opened up for today's workout, for sure!

I did a total of 6 exercises, 3 rounds of 25 reps with each.  Oh. My. Gosh!  Trainer #2 confirmed that it was a tough workout, so I didn't feel too wussy...  I was definitely having to push myself through each exercise -- and so was #2.  Haha!  It was really nice to have a cheerleader pushing me on, telling me I could do it, especially when I was ready to stop which was about halfway through the workout.  I was SO tired at the end of this workout!  The good, I've-just-had-a-great-workout kind of tired.

It took me a good 10 minutes to fully recover from before I grabbed my gym bag and hit the shower.  I have a yummy smelling bodywash that I reserve to be used ONLY after I've worked out (otherwise, I just use a plain bar soap), so between my special bodywash gel and a hot, shower with no interruptions?  I felt very refreshed.  #2 definitely has made me work my muscles to exhaustion in a way that I haven't seemed to be able to do myself.

You know, I don't stress too much about bathing suit season, but I AM curious and looking forward to seeing how much I can do between now and then.  That's only three good months out, so it's just right around the corner!  Yay!

Trainer #1, Workout #2

Well...  This morning didn't quite go as planned but due to last night's prep work, it didn't phase me as badly as it very well could have.  I got up to the club today and found out that there were septic issues again.  I really didn't change much about my morning with the exception that I knew I'd have to run home to shower when the workout was over.

I worked with Trainer #1 again today.  The workout was great.  We only did about 10 exercises, but the way we did them?  Woah!  My arms are nice and tired, and I'm very curious to see how everything feels tomorrow and Wednesday.

I left the gym sweating, red-faced, and tired.  The good kind of tired.  I'm not sure about my current weight but will likely weigh myself at the end of the week or early next.  I've been so busy working out and recovering that I haven't really paid much attention to it actually.  No complaints there!

Tomorrow will be a cardio day.  We didn't do much legs, so it should go well.  Definitely looking forward to it!

Lessons Learned

It's Sunday night and I've just finished wrapping up some cooking. I just couldn't seem to get ready in time in the mornings, likely because I added an extra 10-30 minutes to each morning.

What I've been doing hasn't worked like i want it to, so I had to figure out how to shave time off of my mornings.

I can't change the time the bus runs (7 am), but I CAN change the two five-minute drives I was making to the gym and back home again. I would workout, come home and eat, shower, and go to work. By bringing my packed gym bag and using the gym showers, I'm automatically saving 10 minutes a day (and saving gas, too)!

What about breakfast or post-workout meal? Last week I had scrambled eggs with sautéed veggies almost every morning. Unfortunately, I don't have a stove at work. Just a microwave. I've brought packets of instant oatmeal with me and that works OK. Protein shakes are quick and easy, but I don't feel very satisfied when that's all I have, so I've got to do something else...

I found an easy recipe on Pinterest. And when I say easy? I mean stupid easy! I am a huge fan of almost anything pumpkin, so this was perfect for me -- pumpkin muffins. How simple? Two ingredients simple. One can pure pumpkin and one box of yellow cake mix. That's it! 350 degrees for 20-25 min. SIMPLE. I did a quality assurance taste test, so I can confirm that they're good.

Soooo, for breakfast this week I'll have pumpkin muffins. For lunches I'll be having brown rice, mixed veggies, and Jamie Eason's turkey meatloaf muffins (SO good!). For snacks, I'll have a turkey muffin and/or cut up, leftover celery from the turkey muffins.

I've got everything packed and ready to go, food wise. I just made everything while I was cooking dinner for the kids. It really wasn't that much work surprisingly.

Workout wise, my upper chest is a bit sore, but it didn't got to the point of not being able to function. I'm feeling longer, if that makes sense at all? I'm not quite five feet tall, so it's always nice to feel long. Haha!

Now, to go pack my gym bag so I don't have to rush around in the morning and do it. I'm looking forward to what Week 2 has in store!

Trainer #3, Workout #1

My morning started off by waking up about 45 minutes late.  Boooo!  I seriously have NO idea how I slept through or silenced my alarm, but I knew I had to be at the gym for my 7:30 am PT appointment, so taking them to school wasn't an option since I knew I'd be late.  I had all three kids up, dressed, and ready before the bus came.  I even made it into the gym about 5 minutes early or so.  Mom of the Morning right here folks!

I'm not sure if it was from waking up late and rushing around or not, but outside of my hamstrings feeling tight, I feel so good!

I haven't bothered to weigh or measure since I got my measurements on Monday, but I actually feel leaner already.  Tighter.  No marked difference in my clothes though I'm not expecting to see that big of a difference in one week.  

I am trying to really be aware of what I'm eating, more fresh fruits and veggies, more water, less bread and sugar...  I know that if I can keep this pace up, I'll see some results.  I'll probably weigh myself early next week depending on how I do this weekend.  I know that diet plays a big part in everything, so I want to be sure I don't ruin this week's hard work with eating crap food this weekend, you know?! 

I'm going to aim to get in tomorrow morning for some more cardio to round out the week, then will take Sunday off to recover.  I'm really curious to see how much I can do in one month if I really work at it.

Car-dee-ohhhhh!

This morning I woke up and, outside of my hamstrings being extra tight thanks to the straight-leg deadlifts, all of the soreness feels like it's starting to ease.  Of course, tight hamstrings = passing the potty test.  You know what that is right?  Like, when you workout your legs so hard, it's hard to sit on the pot?  Yeah.  That.

I got the kids on the bus this morning without a fight.  I stopped moving for a minute as I watched the bus pull away and quickly remembered that my legs were sore.  Really, my butt and calves are probably the only parts that aren't sore...  I really didn't feel like doing anything other than sitting right back down on my un-sore butt and enjoying watching the news in a quiet house.  Instead, I forced myself to get dressed and drug myself out the door.  Knowing that one of my trainers would have asked me where I was this morning was just enough of a motivation to stay in the 7:30 am workout routine.

The hardest part about getting into a routine or habit is the actual getting INTO the habit.  You know, because once you actually DO get into a habit, it's hard to get out of it.  Kind of like brushing your teeth.  You do it without thinking (out of habit) and miss it when you don't do it.  Especially in the mornings, huh?!  (Um, morning breath anyone?  Eew!)  I know myself well enough that I know if I can MAKE myself do something for about two weeks, I'll get back into the habit.  That's it.  Only 14 days...

So, anyway, after fighting the strong (like, SUPER strong) urge to stay home, I got dressed and got out of the house.  Once I got to the gym, I eased my way to the treadmill, not really knowing what to expect once I forced myself to start moving.

I did an easy walking warming up for about 5 minutes then ended up doing a slow and steady jog for the next 20.  I chose to do the "Random" setting on the treadmill, so I would see a peak coming and force myself to at least get over the peak.  Once I was on my way back down, I figured I could jog until I got to the bottom of the peak.  By that time, I was recovered enough to make it up the next one.  Around the 15 minute mark, I felt like my legs were made of lead, but I forced myself to keep going.  I know it felt unusually difficult due to how hard I've worked the past few days, but the concrete shoes I was lugging around?  Ugh.

Anyway, my workout ended with me burning 243 calories, 2.16 miles, 30 min (including warm up and cool down).

I was sweating buckets afterward but overall felt pretty.  If I hadn't worked out, I'd have been more sore and I know I would have regretted the decision by lunchtime.

I'll be training with Trainer #3 tomorrow and have a pretty good idea of what to expect (I think?)...

Trainer #2, Workout #1

This morning I woke up expecting to be even more sore than I was yesterday.  Normally, when I hit the weights so hard, the soreness really doesn't hit me until the second day after the workout.  I was pleasantly surprised!  I was a little stiff getting going, but warmed up pretty quickly once I drug myself out of bed.    

I got the kids ready and off to school, the husband off to 'work', and got myself dressed and out the door.  I got to the gym and went straight to work.  A quick, weightless warm up, and we were off.  About 10 minutes into the workout, I could feel my pulse quicken.  Another five minutes or so later, I could feel a good pump.  Twenty minutes in, I glanced at the clock and was having to dig deep to finish the last 10 minutes I knew I had ahead of me.  By the end of the workout, my face was flushed, I was sweating, and I felt energized!  It was challenging but not so hard I didn't think I could do it.  

I've heard the saying that working out once a week with a trainer is better than five workouts by yourself, and now I totally get that.  In all honesty, I've probably worked harder these past two workouts than I ever have on my own, and I think that says a lot since I workout pretty darn hard!  I just like to push myself, but this was different.  Kind of like a weighted cardio session if that makes any sense at all?  On top of the challenging workout, being as busy as I am in the mornings, it's nice to get in and out, without having to spend an hour in the gym when I could be doing other things.

Anyway, tomorrow should be interesting to say the least!  I'll be coming back in on my own and doing some cardio, though I'm not sure at this point if it's going to be "hard cardio" OR "recovery cardio".  Haha!  

Only day 2?!

Soooo, after yesterday's workout, today it hurt to...

... Walk
... Use the restroom
... Wash my hair
... Get dressed
... Walk through the store on a hunt for balloons
... Brush my teeth
... Sneeze
... Answer my office door
... Open a letter
... Pick up my makeup applicator off of the floor
... Jog
... Reach up high
... Reach down low
... Put on my boots (so much so, in fact, that I opted for flat slip-ons instead)
... Cough
... Sit down
... Climb into and out of my SUV
... Make dinner
... Lie in bed
... Do laundry
... Breathe

The nice thing about all of that is that I know that in a week or two? I'll be doing all of that BETTER!

Day 2 - Ouch

Weight: ?

Woke up sore ALL over, but needed to do something. Decided to do the elliptical to try to work out some of the soreness.

Easy Elliptical, 241 cals burned, 2.88 miles, 30 min total (includes 5 min cool down)

Pretty dang sweaty but feeling pretty good! Ready to grab a good breakfast, too. :o)

- Amber

Trainer #1, Workout #1

This morning I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm clock was set to go off.  Booo!  I guess I was anxious and excited to see how things were going to go?  I dunno.  I just know that I got up and was wide awake before the alarm and before the kids even started stirring.  Awesome.

So, I got to the gym a few minutes early expecting to ease into a nice warm up, but my trainer was ready to go so we went ahead and got started.  I doubt I'll ever complain about getting started on my workouts early since I've got so much to cram into my morning to be able to make it in to work on time.

I was told it was only the warm up, but it sure enough felt like the start of a workout!  I had been working primarily on my cardio for the past several workouts on my own, so no weights involved except for during classes.  Even at that, I can't remember when I took classes regularly...

We started out with a few sit-ups and back extensions.  During the second set of sit-ups I did, I was already wondering what I had agreed to.  I'd say it was because I was scared, but I'd totally be lying.  After having three kids and three c-sections (meaning I've had my lower abdominal muscles cut through three separate times), my core is my most difficult body part to strengthen.

With most things I'm not good at, I push through them until I AM good at them.  Period.  So, Legs?  Beat 'em up!  Arms?  Let's go!  Back?  Yes, please!  But Abs?  I seriously just want to give up before I even get started!  Ugh.

Yes, I KNOW that it's all for the greater good, BUT given the choice to work abs or any other body part?  I'll pick the other body part each and every time, doesn't matter what it is.  So, right off the bat I can see that working with a personal trainer is going to force me to work muscles I don't like to work.  

We did a bit of abs/core work, legs, back, and chest.  Due to the type of workout I was put through, I actually did cardio work without ever stepping foot on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical.  So for those of you who don't like to do cardio, there you go!  At the end of the workout I was nearly out of breath as if I had been for a run, so I walked for a few minutes on the treadmill to cool down.  Then it was over.  I was in and out in less than 45 minutes.  Yet another perk of personal training is that if you've got a busy schedule, you're guaranteed to get in a good workout in a short period of time.

My 'before' pictures have been taken.  I have my current measurements.  Not sure if I really want to share those or not, though I do have them if I chose to share them...  I'm not really concerned with the numbers as much as I am concerned with making changes.  I DO know that my quads are already super tired, so I know that either tomorrow or Wednesday is going to be pretty rough and I'll likely have a bit of difficulty using the restroom...  (TMI?)

Tomorrow, assuming I can walk, I plan on doing some cardio.  I'll keep you posted!

In Health,
Amber

Let the fun begin!

Let me start by first welcoming you here!  I only plan on tracking here for the next 30 days, but depending on how the personal training goes, I may continue on afterward.  We'll play that by ear.

So, a quick background on me?  I've been working out off and on for the better part of 15 years.  I was introduced to running by a cousin of mine that was in the military and had come to our house for a week-long visit one summer.  At first it was hard, but I continued with it after he left and quickly became hooked!  I continued running until I started dating a guy who was into weightlifting.  I ended up joining the gym where he was a member and would hit the weights with him before I went to work.  I've been into weight training ever since.

I have taken breaks here and there over the years when I simply did not take time for myself nor did I make time for myself like I used to.  Frankly, I was just busy taking care of everyone else and didn't make myself a priority.

Now that I'm the general manager of a health club and I'm at the gym pretty much all day long, you would think that I could workout all day long if I wanted to, right?  That's a big NEGATIVE!  I still have to work so, just like everyone else, I workout as my schedule allows.  This means that I have a small window of time after the kids get on the bus and before I have to actually be at work.  I understand that not everyone can workout before work, but it works for me.

Why do I workout?  I workout for the health benefits--primarily stress relief--but it doesn't hurt that it also allows me the flexibility to not have to live off of 'rabbit food'.  (What can I say, I like to eat!)

I would imagine that you are wondering how all of this came about, huh?  First off, no, it wasn't my idea.  During a manager's meeting about two weeks ago, I was assigned the task of working out with a personal trainer for the next 30 days.  The owner thought it would be a good idea to have a personal understanding of the differences and benefits of working out on my own versus working out with an experienced trainer, and I totally agree!  I've been so busy since my trip to Chicago last year (then it was the holidays, then the flu) that I've really not focused on what I know I should be focusing on.  So, on a personal level, I'm curious to see what kind of changes I can make in 30 days if I really focus on what I'm doing by training and eating appropriately.

Anyway, I'll be meeting with three different trainers once a week, so I'll be doing personal training (or "PT" for short), three times a week.  Terrible, right?!  Haha!

I'll be blogging here in an attempt to give you an insight into what's going on, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.  I hope you find this to be helpful!

In Health,
Amber