slackin!

Life is crazy, and this blog stuff takes time. It's hard to get in the habit of posting everyday, and feeling like you had something worth posting daily. BUT....

I started this so I could keep track of my progress, and as I look back at a year of personal training, (where I didn't apply myself like I should have and didn't meet my personal goals), I felt it was time to give this blog a second chance.

This past month has been a bad one for me when it comes to exercise & diet. I plan to change that next month. I have taken a few positive steps. I've joined a running group for beginners with Melissa. Last weekend I participated in the Making Strides 5k in Tampa. It was a blast, and I loved all the pink!

I've got the couch to 5k app on my phone and plan to start using it, and working on my runs at least 3 days a week. I'm also participating in Pile on the Miles 2012. I log my miles traveled every week, and the goal is to pile on more miles during the holiday month. I plan to walk to boys daily to increase my daily mileage. They got their miles in when they all escaped this morning, and traveled the neighborhood. I snapped a photo of the cuddles I got when I got home tonight, who'd ever think these crazies would want to leave me. 

Excuses, excuses, and more excuses

Some days it's hard to ignore those negative thoughts. I did not train hard this week. My food choices were poor. There was a wedding last night, and I gave into the yummy pasta bar, and had some soda. It was a blast, and I did dance so I burned a few calories. I gave into the rainy weather, today was a great day to lay around.

I've made a training calendar for the rest of the month.  Here's this week's schedule:

Monday:

AM: Off (weekly weigh-in)

PM: Training with Moses, followed by Cardio

Tuesday:

OFF

Wednesday:

AM: 5K Training (begin with 5 min brisk walk, then alternate jog for 60 secs/walk for 90 secs for 30 mins)

PM: Strength training, followed by Cardio at the gym

Thursday:

OFF

Friday:

AM: 5K Training (same as above)

PM: Cardio at the gym

Saturday:

AM: Bootcamp with Moses, or 0930 mat pliates 

PM: 5K Training (same as above)

Sunday:

OFF

Now I have it posted, and plan to stick to it this week. Hope you can stick to your goals this week and make some progress!

Week 3 Weigh-in

                                                         (This was how I felt this morning)

 

This week’s weigh-in was moved to Wednesday due to Labor Day. I was pumped to have extra days to hit my goals, but then “George” came to town and put a kink in all my plans. Cravings, cramps, fatigue were hard hitters this week, and it was hard to stay focused.  I had a few scheduled sessions with Moses, so that helped keep me accountable on my worst days this past week.

This morning I was planning on a gain. I stepped on that scale and was shocked! I lost 1.4lbs. It still was not my goal, but it definitely gave me a more P.M.A. (positive mental attitude).

Week 4 will be a short week, and then it will be time for a monthly re-cap.  There’s a wedding this weekend, and tons of family in town. There will be temptations, but I have to keep my eyes on the prize!!

The monthly blues

It's that time again, and man is it killing me this month. I'm tired, dehydrated, and suffering from PMS. I thought this morning’s gym session would help, but it seemed to increase my symptoms. 

I'm happy that I had a session with Moses today; otherwise I don't think I would have made it to the gym. I didn't even want to cardio, but I committed to 30 minutes. This is about all I have accomplished today. I haven't had cramps and fatigue this bad before. It seems like whatever energy I had I used for my workout.

I planned on starting the couch to 5k training today. I'm hoping that tomorrow I regain my energy.

How do you combat your monthly symptoms, and find the energy for your day and workouts?

TGIF

I love Friday, except this Friday. I am excited for the three day weekend. I need some rest, but I have to get through today first. The boss lady and the receptionist are on vacation, which means our little admin dept is half staffed. This equates to a super stressed day for me. I hate those days. It's hard to have time to care about my diet. I make poor decisions because I'm stressed, and there's no one there so it's easy to hide if I'm bad.  

I've been really good all week. So I'm hoping I can stay strong today. Monday through Thursday I made it to the gym every evening. Tuesday through Thursday mornings I went for two mile walk before work. Fridays are typically my day off, and with the stress of today I'm debating if I should have walked this morning.

I'm hoping that I can keep positive, and keep a low stress level today. This weekend is full of it's share of workouts. I have boot camp scheduled Saturday, and runs with my sister Sunday and Monday. I have a hair appointment and a massage scheduled for tomorrow. I'm due for some necessary pampering.

As for diet, I don't have any cookouts scheduled to go to, so it should be easy for me to stay away from poor foods, and eat the best I can.

Hope you have the advantage of a three day weekend! 

How do you avoid the food we consider naughty at buffet style social gatherings?

Week 2 weigh-in

 

Yesterday marked the completion of week 2. I had a goal of 5 pounds, but only lost 2.4 pounds. I didn't hit my goal, but I wasn't committed to my workout schedule, and I did have a few cheats. I'm happy with the 2.4, and happy to announce the grand total is 10 pounds lost. It feels like I've been working for months to make this happen, and it's nice to finally see the scale move. Due to the holiday on Monday, my next weigh-in is scheduled for next Wednesday. It's nice to have a few extra days to hit my goal. This week's goal is 5 pounds, and I'm determined to hit it. 

Monday nights I have training with Moses. I love my workouts with him. We have a blast working out together. He challenges me, while keeping me motivated. We focused on core, arms, and back. My past two sessions we've incorporated ball planking in my training. I'll feel accomplished when I can start to feel balanced, I wiggle a lot. Here's a photo of my looking quite stable.

I had 2 super sets, both of which I had to plank on the ball. Once we completed those, there was more planking on the mat. We added side planks; it was difficult to master the form of that. I felt very awkward. I plan to do those throughout the week to work on form, and my core.

Once our session was done, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. I love working out, I always feel wonderful afterwards. Cardio is my favorite part. I think it's because I can get lost in my music, and next thing I know I've completed 30 minutes. This week I'm committed to hitting the gym every day, and I plan to hit it hard.

What workout goals have you made for yourself this week?

Weekend Part 2

Sunday was the annual Run for the Fallen. We had about 900 participants in last year's run. That was divided between participants doing either a 5k or 1 mile. This year they added the tough 10k. The last update prior to the run was that we were going to have 1800 participants, which is an amazing accomplishment for this local group. At the opening ceremonies, it was announced that 2500 people pre-registered, and based on the fact that they ran out of everything they thought they had over 3000 participants. It was amazing to see all of those people there to honor our fallen heroes. 

The track was a little confusing, and due to the fact that I received the map for the 10k, and not the 5k. They added a clock at the finish line, so that was fun to know your time. I'm not sure that I completed a whole 5k due to the map confusion, but what I did I completed in 23 minutes. Due to the weather, I left my phone in the car so there's no before pictures. They have photographers going through some 5000 pictures, if I find any with me I will post them later. I felt great afterwards, and I'm pumped for my next run. I currently have three planned for the fall, and debating the Savage Race. I think it looks hard, but as Moses would say, it's just challenging! I'm debating it, and am comforted that if you can't complete an obstacle, they have a fitness equivalent that you can complete.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of playtime with my niece Mia, laundry, and rain. I do have a roommate, but we work opposite schedules, so for the most part when I'm home it's just me and the dogs. I don't hate being single, but it does get lonely. I had a wonderful morning, but I don't have a person to share my accomplishments and plans. Therefore, it makes it so much easier to give into those comfort foods. I was craving for stuffed pepperoni rolls from Pizza Hut. They are so yummy. I debated that if I ordered them, I could run another 2 miles in the rain, and tropical storm force winds. I couldn't believe I was negotiating with myself to cheat. I looked up the nutritional information to see if that would discourage the cravings. The small order is two pizza rolls. One pizza roll has 220 calories, 580mg of sodium, and 24g of carbohydrates. All of that in one tiny little pizza roll. In the end, I stayed strong and made a salad. Another small personal triumph. I feel like I should put a calendar on my fridge and every day I have a small triumph I should put a gold star on that day. Then once the month is complete, I can see how many good decisions I have made over the past weeks. Maybe this will be something I start next month.

What events do you like to do to stay healthy?