Free Time

Coming up this week, I am going to see Wicked and have a birthday party to attend. I asked for the 2 days off from the part time job. Guess who has the whole week off???

Not sure how that works in their mind but OK. My only issue is that usually work Friday and or Saturdays which is how I get the new schedule. I refused to join the Facebook group and haven’t exchanged phone numbers with any of my coworkers yet. I will have to make trip to pick up the schedule next weekend. Good thing it is less than 10 minutes away from home.

Not sure what I am going to do with all my free time. Although if I was smart, I would use the time to get back on the exercise bandwagon. I went shopping yesterday with Princess and the multiple mirrors in the change room are very unforgiving. Plus my tight pants don’t lie. LOL

Last Thursday, I broke out an oldie and not so goodie, Ripped in 30 by Jillian Michaels. I thought I was going to die. That 30-ish minute workout took me over 45 minutes. There were many pauses. I was and still am very sore. I walked yesterday to try to alleviate some of the soreness. It didn’t work as well as I would have liked it to.

Going to try to work out in the morning and then go for a walk in the evenings all next week. I am really in need of a lifestyle change. This has gone on long enough. Going back to tracking my food on My Fitness Pal. I also see a cleanse in my future. I usually do one in the spring but didn’t this year so it might be time to make drastic measures in the short term … after cake day on Wednesday of course. 😉

In other news, I am in the process of renegotiating my mortgage and the number of spelling/grammatical errors in the emails from the bank representative is hurting me. I’m concerned about her abilities and kind of question all her “advice” now.

I booked my plane ticket to visit my cousin in Portland, OR. I’m starting to get very excited about the trip. My cousin is recommending I bring hiking boots. Luckily for me, another cousin just got back from her hiking trip and we are the same shoe size! No need for me to purchase something I will probably only use once. Winner, winner!!!

Any suggestions on what to do in Portland are greatly appreciated.

 

 

Well that didn’t go according to plan

Last week other than a few days of the ab challenge, I only worked out once. 😦

On Thursday, I came home from work at a decent hour and no one was home so I had no excuse not to do something. Not wanting to work out, I figured I’d do one of Jillian Michael’s 10 minute workouts.

OMG, I am still feeling my muscles. If I don’t get some exercise in today, the next time I will have time will be Tuesday.

Friday morning, I took my van to get an oil change and they noticed that the tire arm(?) on the front passenger tire needs to be replaced and then an alignment would need to be performed. Since I got the van from my Dad, he had mentioned that his mechanic had issues fixing the alignment. Hopefully my mechanic can get it corrected.

Yesterday, Diva & I went to an open house for one of the universities she got into. It is a very picturesque. Class size is nice and there seems to be a lot of possibilities there. It is in the city so she could live at home. Right now, she would like to have the residence experience and I think that is a great plan. My only concern about her staying in the city is that it would be too easy for her to get distracted from her studies. Staying in the city would allow her to keep her part time job. Pros and cons everywhere. A decision needs to be made soon. I think she will stay in the city since in her mind that university is better than the away from home one …

At work, all our outside sales reps are coming in for the week, so fingers crossed that will all go smoothly and not require any extra time from me. So far there has not been a team event planned. I hope it stays that way.

Next week, I will be taking the van early Monday morning to be fixed. I am working Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Some other day other than Tuesday and Thursday, I need to fit in some exercise.

I also need to figure out my summer travel plans. A lot of people I know are traveling this year and I have travel envy. There is no real reason, I shouldn’t travel except my renos. The same ones I keep putting off. I need to make a proper plan. As I need a little fun in my life.

Any and all ideas are welcome.

Gotta get back on the wagon

My exercising has fallen off recently.  I was working out daily until last Friday.  I can’t say what made me stop but I did feel like I was phoning it in more often than not.

Today I took a walk to the store and it felt great to move again.

 

In April I saw the above videos at my local drug store and decided to treat myself to something new. The Jillian video is exactly what I wanted a video, one that would just target one area at a time.  This video has 3 workouts; upper body, lower body and core. The reviews said the quality of the video was not top notch but I didn’t notice anything significant.

900 calorie burn caught my attention right away.  I must confess that it took me a while before I even took the plastic off.  It just looked intimidating.  I have done all of the workouts and they are challenging. Ashley does not yell or scream like Bob or Jillian but she still gets a place in my bad book.  I kept thinking I can do anything for 25 minutes and I was wrong some days.

Sunday I will dust off my videos and start over again. I have lots to choose from. 🙂

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.

One Week Shred

Be careful what you ask for.

My quest to lose weight get in shape before my next birthday is coming along.  The last time I put One Week Shred on hold at the library it took some time to get to me.  This time not so much.  The universe has spoken. 😥

I have worked out every day since Jan 1.  Yes I know it’s ONLY Jan 4 but still … small steps. 🙂

I picked up One Week Shred yesterday and decided to start it today.

It is 2 workouts a day; a 30 minute strength workout in the morning and a 30 minute cardio session in the afternoon for 7 days.

Oh My Word! I struggled through the strength part this morning.  I am not looking forward to the cardio later.

I just keep repeating that it’s only 7 days and I can do anything for 7 days.

Since I stepped on the scale this morning I think it will be easier to get up and get going.  It was not pretty.

Now to get my chores done so I can do my second workout for the day. *crying silently*

Back on the wagon

For the past week I have been trying to motivate myself to eat the frog.  For those of you new to the party, “eating the frog” is doing the activity you most don’t want to do.  For me that is usually exercising.

I even put a Jillian video in the DVD player so I had one less step to do.

It didn’t work until today.

I got up this morning determined.  I would like to get myself in shape before my next birthday in 3 months.  It might be a bit of an over reach but if I don’t go big I tend to not go at all.

30 Day Shred,which used to be “easy”, had me puffing today.

I have also resurrected my My Fitness Pal account to keep myself accountable.

I will use the next 4 days to get back in the swing of things.

Project Get Healthy is back!! 🙂

Just do it

Nike has it right. 

I am starting to feel sluggish.  I stepped on the scale recently to confirm a slight increase in weight.  It could be “water weight” but it’s still additional pounds I do not want.

I read Theodora’s account of becoming someone who works out in the morning and decided I really didn’t have a great excuse not to join her.  So last night I set my alarm 30 minutes earlier and said “let me just do it.”

The alarm went off this morning and I would be lying if I told you I jumped out of bed like a bunny rabbit and went to work out.  I pressed snooze and then crawled back into bed.  Thing is in my head I was thinking “you don’t feel tired, so what excuse are you going to use today?”  Yes sometimes I talk to myself in 3^rd person.

Anyhoo … I could not come up with any real reason to stop me from working out.  I even bargained with myself by offering up 30 Day Shred as a “quick” 20 minutes and I didn’t have to follow the advance workout; I could play beginner. LOL

I was out of bed and ready to work out within 10 minutes of the alarm going off.  I was mighty impressed with myself.

At the end of it I was a hot sweaty mess but so glad that the workout monkey was off my back. 

I am feeling a little sore ALREADY!?!

The true test will be tomorrow morning.  Hopefully this starts a brand new routine. Especially since winter is coming and I have a very hard time getting up when it’s dark outside.

PGH – 5/26/14

I have to workout this week.  I went to all you can eat on Saturday and today and will be going again on Thursday.

Huh, say what!?!

At lunch today, the bosses encouraged gluttony to ensure they got their money’s worth.  I must admit I obliged.  We went to a new restaurant so I felt “compelled” to try out things I haven’t tried before.

When I came home, I put on my workout clothes and pulled out Ripped in 30.

OMG I am so out of shape.

I am already sore and I was following the “beginner” workout.

*sigh*

I did it!

I got up this morning and dropped Diva off early.  I came back home and instead of returning to bed, I put 30 Day Shred in my DVD player and hit play.

I broke down over the weekend and bought 3 lbs weights.  I find 2 lbs too light and the 5 lbs too much.

I used the 3 lbs today.  I am feeling my muscles already. 🙂

Tomorrow I am going to get up and do some yoga or stretching, so I don’t seize up.

I am hoping this is the start of a new routine.