Week 1 Recap

Well it was not my best effort but I am doing better than before. I worked out too hard on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday and I think it was too much. 😦

Since I’m not working out as much as I would like, I took control of my eating. Not eating after 8:30 pm and less eating out. I am in a water challenge with one of my coworkers. Unfortunately she was off for most of last week, but I was still trying to keep on track.

I went for a massage yesterday with a new therapist and it was everything a massage should be. Not overly painful and she gave me some stretches to do to loosen up my neck. Turns out all my sitting at a computer is not having a good effect on my shoulders. I was instructed to spend time stretch the front of my body as my neck muscles in the front are tight and shortening which is why my shoulders are hurting. Who knew?

This week I plan to get back into swing with “easy” workouts. Body weight exercises and walking. I forgot last week how far off the fitness wagon I had fallen off. But I am focused and determined.

Since I gave away/shared most of my Leslie Sansone videos, I will be putting my favourites on hold at the library. Along with a couple of Tracy Anderson videos. No/low impact for the win.

Day 1 – #6,652,277

I’m sure you must be tired of hearing about my Day 1’s almost as much as I am tired of writing about them.

My chiropractor recently told me she doesn’t know any one who starts and stops exercising more than me. 😏

But as long as I have more starts than stops, I think I am doing OK.

I went to the gym today for the first time in what feels like forever. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror and was horrified. I have put on some weight. I do not like it. It is not a total surprise as my pants are getting more uncomfortable. But it is now time to take action.

No more eating after 8:30 pm.
No more snoozing the alarm in the morning, it is time to get moving every day.
No more meals without veggies.
Less takeout meals, no more than twice a week. This includes lunch bought at work.
More water, at least 2 liters a day.

I think that’s enough for now.

I am going to hurt tomorrow.

No pain, no gain; right?

156

Oh how I wish this was the number on the scale. Instead it is the number of days in a row that I have exercised. While I feel stronger and am becoming more toned, the number on the scale remains relatively unchanged.

Starting Thursday I am going to start watching what I put in my pie hole. I would start today but I have several good-bye lunches to attend. I will go back to tracking every morsel of food in My Fitness Pal.

I am also going to maintain my early morning get up time and work out in the morning since I will be starting 90 minutes later than I currently do. I love getting my workout done first thing so I can truly relax when I get home. Or throw in a second workout if it’s been a particularly calorie heavy day.

Last night we watched The Legend of Tarzan.

And to get into that crazy shape, the actor who played Tarzan gave up sugar, gluten, wheat, dairy and alcohol … Sounds about right.

For a foodie, this sounds like torture but short term pain for long term gain, right?

PGH – 2/3/16

I bite the bullet and weighted myself on Monday. 4 lbs gone!! 🙂 AND more than 1 inch lost around my waist and hips. 😀

I’m not going to lie I was hoping for more. But given my pig out fest on Saturday, I’m not completely surprised …

Last month I tried a few new to me workout DVDs. Some I liked. Others not so much. At one point I had borrowed 15 workout DVDs from the library.

First up an oldie, but goodie Buns of Steel.

This is not my mother’s Buns of Steel. I borrowed it only to see if anything had changed. It was an “okay” workout. Nothing to write home about. There were six 10 minute workouts and 3 workouts.

I was hot and sweaty at the end of Sculpt & Burn. This workout makes me realize I need to up my cardio game. There are four 10 minute workouts and a 5 minute warm up and cool down. You can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Jackie, where to start with her. The personal training video consists of two 25 minute workouts, an upper and lower/core. Both are pyramid style where you start with doing 1 rep of 2 exercises moving up to doing 10 reps. This is one circuit. There are 6 circuits. Jakie showed me how weak my upper body is. Both workouts were very challenging to me.

This DVD was more my speed, three 20 minute workouts, upper, lower and core. 🙂 Each workout consisted of strength training and cardio. The cardio broke up the intensity which I appreciated.

I loved this DVD. As in I put in a request for it the day I returned it and am patiently waiting for it to come back to me. Three 20 minute workouts, upper with weights, lower body with weights and a fast walk. The music is very upbeat which I really enjoyed.

  

I have nothing nice to say about either of these DVDs. Both were hard to follow along as the instructions were either missing or unclear. I was surprised as I liked her other videos and will stick to them.

 

I have a few more on hold at the library and will let you know if I find anything worthwhile.

PGH – 12/8/15

Added a new video to my routine. Do you remember her from her Buns of Steel fame?

I really like these 10 minute videos. Very easy to convince myself to do one and most times I do a second one once I’m warmed up. 🙂

I’ve re-started my love affair with myfitnesspal.com. I have been on point all month … lol … with both my tracking of calories and working out. 8 days and counting.

My body actually felt like it needed to move yesterday. 🙂 Strangest feeling ever!

It might just be all in my head but my legs and arms feel stronger. I think they look leaner too. Even if I am delusional I’ll take it as it is motivating me to continue.

Now to step on the scale …

7 minutes

In what I can only describe as a fit of madness, I decided to run to the closest Tim Horton’s (doughnut/coffee chain) … at 11 pm tonight.  This is what happens when you ate more that you intended to and didn’t exercise all day.

Diva who is always up to go outside agreed to accompany me.  I would like to say it was mainly because she wanted to spend time with me but the doughnut I agreed to get her might have played a bigger part than I would like to admit. lol

So we walked down the stairs and once we got to the street, we started to jog.

I have walked to this particular Tim’s before and it felt like a reasonable distance.  Not tonight.  Part way through I wanted to stop and looked at my watch to learn only 4+ minutes had passed since we left our apartment. 😦

So I keep trucking.

At one point I slowed to a walk then decided I was so close to the finish that I should just suck it up and keep on going.

It was not as bad as I thought it would be.  I think I will be hurting tomorrow.

According to google map the distance between the two traffic lights is about half a mile. It took me 7 minutes and 22 seconds to get from my front door to the second traffic light.

Now I’m motivated to try to cut the time down.

In an effort not to overdo it, we walked home.

Bob tried to kill me today

I don’t know what I was thinking but Bob & I are not on friendly terms right now.

I have been using the weekends to get longer workouts in.  Bob doesn’t seem to do 20-30 minute workouts so this is our only time together for the week, which might be a good thing.

Totally Ripped Core was a challenge. I yelled at Bob more than I think I have ever yelled at Jillian. More times than not, I told him I didn’t want to do whatever it was that he was doing.  I did it, not always well but I did do it.

OMG, I was a hot sweaty mess by the end. Tomorrow I think I will be feeling my muscles.

Unfortunately  Yeah I was able to renew Totally Ripped Core and Yoga for the Warrior another week so tomorrow I will be doing the yoga video again. And next Saturday I will be fighting Bob and my core again.

This getting fit thing is work.  It really is.  I would like to say that I was mad at myself for letting myself fall off the wagon but I’m not.  Those were some great meals and I had lots of periods of inactivity.  It was inevitable. Plus the working out gives me something to do and I am feeling stronger.

I will get there.

Look what I dusted off

So I will admit I am not the sharpest crayon in the box all the time.

Sunday night I slept badly and woke up with an achy shoulder.  I still did my 30 Day Shred on Monday morning … like a crazy person.

Tuesday morning I woke up, sore shoulder still present.  Again I do the 30 Day Shred.  Then I went to the gym last night expecting to go a yoga class but instead we did some kind of cardio dance class which was not what I at all what I would have signed up for.  I should have stopped there but there was a 15 minute ab class and since we were already there I thought why not.

BAD DECISION.

We spent about 7 minutes in various forms of plank which aggravated my poor shoulder.

This morning I at least had the good sense to not do 30 Day Shred.  But it wasn’t until I was getting ready for work did it occur to me that I could just walk.

Leslie Sansone … we have not spent any time together in much too long.

So tonight when I got home I went searching for her.  I pulled out the Walk Away The Pounds video that I got from my secret sister The Hawaii Planner and just did a quick 1 mile.  I can’t believe I forgot all about Leslie.  It was a low impact workout which still had me feeling like I did a workout.  Until my shoulder starts to feel better I think I will be spending more time with my old friend Leslie.

No gym for me

As I said I would, I stepped on the scale Sunday to see a gain of 1 pound!?!  I don’t understand it but it is what it is. 😦 I think I ate relatively well.  I did my work outs.  ARGHHH!!!  Just keep swimming right? I do feel stronger and think I look slimmer.  That counts more that some stupid number.

Since I needed to get a work out in yesterday, I agreed to go to a BodyFlow class at the local gym with my BFF.  BodyFlow is a combination of yoga, Pilates and tai chi.  It was an hour-long and definitely had me breaking out in a sweat.

My BFF is trying to convince me to join the gym with her.  I am not sold at all.  The only class she’s interested in is BodyFlow and it is scheduled 2 days a week.  The gym we went to is right beside her work place and I pass it on my way home but $48/mth to do 2 classes a week seems a bit much.  There are other classes that interest me but the timing is not working for me.

There is another gym a little more out the way that is offering $10/mth but that only gives you access to the free weights and the machines.  And since BFF is a class taker that’s not going to work.  To take classes increases the price to $30 but you can only go to that location.

Tomorrow is the other BodyFlow class.  We shall see if she’s really interested in going.  We have 3 day passes that expire on Wednesday but I don’t see us going to the gym again.  I am satisfied with my morning workouts with Jillian.

I survived the One Week Shred

OMG.  I am stubborn and the will to just get it over and done with was very strong.

I got up this morning and decided that I did not want to spread out the workout “joy”.  So I downed a Greek yogurt, some cheese & a banana then tackled both the morning strength and the evening cardio.

I am a hot sweaty mess but it’s done!!

I am so glad. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Tomorrow when I get up, I will step on the scale and hopefully all my hard work will not be in vain.

Now to put some real food down range, shower and start this day.