Seasons Greetings from my nephew's laptop!!
During week 7, I got in four amazing workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I incorporated additional cardio and ab ripper during the week. On Friday, we packed everyone up and headed out of town. We spent Saturday laying low and taking the day off recovering and then I had a hardcore workout on Sunday with additional cardio and abs. I avoided the "road food" on Friday by getting sick to my stomach when I smelled the McDonalds grease. I decided on an extra-large cup of coffee, and luckily I had packed a half loaf of whole wheat and natural peanut butter to sustain me.
I am very much enjoying this week and being near loved ones. We are catching up on conversations, going for walks, enjoying the change of scenery, and spending lots of time together while we're away from our studies and our normal environment.
Week 6 Of Holiday Avoid-The-Poundage Blowout
And, it's done. Another semester is in the books...exhale.
This week, I had two finals and got in 4 workouts. I have to say that every one of my workouts this week was a struggle. I knew that I wouldn't get them all in, so I did the three strength training workouts and my Thursday Yoga-X. My cardio this week was lacking, but that's okay. Cardio is my favorite part, so I chose the workouts that are a little tougher for me to accomplish.
This weekend came, and I didn't want to do anything. I felt absolutely out of motivation....like a tire half flat. Saturday, we went to a cookout with some friends and today we attended a baby shower. Otherwise, I had all of my long-awaited chores that I had been putting off until after finals. Laundry. Filing paperwork. Getting the car fixed after I got rear-ended (which included the whole rental hassle which is never the same once you've got car seats to anchor-in). And, finally figuring out what I've got to get done between now and the time we leave for the holidays.
I hit a few milestones this week...I was awarded my very first academic scholarship...tears of joy!! I had my blood pressure taken as part of a physical, and it was 109/69, my pulse was 65....this is a normal reading for someone with a good fitness level and an efficient heart. That's how I know I'm getting old...when I get ecstatic about my vital signs. But, it's a HUGE accomplishment that I've worked very hard towards considering I was well over 120/80 when I began this journey 3 years ago. And, some unexpected money hit our account at the end of the week. Yeah!!
Next week, I'm planning on doing a couple of extra-long workouts in the gym where I double up a little cardio after I finish my weight workouts. I now have the time to invest, and I'm going to be spending half of next weekend driving. I feel I need to get it in while I can.
I wanted to share a Christmas Idea with you inspired by my sweet cousin. I took a gander on Craig's List and was surprised to see all of the workout gear, weights, and treadmills for sale at unbelievably low prices. Most of that stuff is just as useful if it is bought used, and it's a at a fraction of the cost of going to a store to purchase it. If you are considering New Year's Resolutions, why not ask for workout gear as a Christmas gift?
This week, I had two finals and got in 4 workouts. I have to say that every one of my workouts this week was a struggle. I knew that I wouldn't get them all in, so I did the three strength training workouts and my Thursday Yoga-X. My cardio this week was lacking, but that's okay. Cardio is my favorite part, so I chose the workouts that are a little tougher for me to accomplish.
This weekend came, and I didn't want to do anything. I felt absolutely out of motivation....like a tire half flat. Saturday, we went to a cookout with some friends and today we attended a baby shower. Otherwise, I had all of my long-awaited chores that I had been putting off until after finals. Laundry. Filing paperwork. Getting the car fixed after I got rear-ended (which included the whole rental hassle which is never the same once you've got car seats to anchor-in). And, finally figuring out what I've got to get done between now and the time we leave for the holidays.
I hit a few milestones this week...I was awarded my very first academic scholarship...tears of joy!! I had my blood pressure taken as part of a physical, and it was 109/69, my pulse was 65....this is a normal reading for someone with a good fitness level and an efficient heart. That's how I know I'm getting old...when I get ecstatic about my vital signs. But, it's a HUGE accomplishment that I've worked very hard towards considering I was well over 120/80 when I began this journey 3 years ago. And, some unexpected money hit our account at the end of the week. Yeah!!
Next week, I'm planning on doing a couple of extra-long workouts in the gym where I double up a little cardio after I finish my weight workouts. I now have the time to invest, and I'm going to be spending half of next weekend driving. I feel I need to get it in while I can.
I wanted to share a Christmas Idea with you inspired by my sweet cousin. I took a gander on Craig's List and was surprised to see all of the workout gear, weights, and treadmills for sale at unbelievably low prices. Most of that stuff is just as useful if it is bought used, and it's a at a fraction of the cost of going to a store to purchase it. If you are considering New Year's Resolutions, why not ask for workout gear as a Christmas gift?
Allowing Ourselves The Journey
So often, we look at Before & After Shots of people who have lost magnitudes of weight as they smile from the cover of People Magazine while we're in the checkout line. "Without surgery....I lost 110 pounds in a year and a half!!"
That's AWESOME, but what we don't see is the journey. Snap on "The Biggest Loser", and you'll know what I'm talking about.
In the beginning, there's shame. There's addiction. There is using food to cope with feelings of insecurity or loss. There is heavy, labored breathing when we climb a flight of stairs, acid reflux, and poor sleep. There's heart palpations, a feeling of anxiety in the pit of our stomach when it's time to shop for clothes, and refusal to wear a swimsuit.
As difficult as the beginning is, the middle is harder.
The middle is LONG. We have emotional moments on the treadmill. All of the reasons why we should finish the workout go to war with all the desires about why we shouldn't. We can get lost, forgetting why we're making a commitment to our health. We can get sidestepped when we see doughnuts or get in a fight with someone and search out a brownie. The middle is where we go awry.
As you probably guessed, there is no end. There is never a day that we stop investing in health. If we do, we go right back to where we started. If we have emotional issues with food, we should consider seeing a counselor to address those underlying problems of our food addiction. We learn to make the gym part of our daily self-care regimen, like brushing our teeth. We learn to make different nutritional choices, educating ourselves properly. And, we don't stop. The key to health is consistency.
Our journey is never alone. We have fitness professionals who invest time, energy, and soul into us. They often understand us because they once stood in our shoes. Our journey is never easy, it is never cheap, it is never quick. Losing the weight properly often takes years, going for a quick fix never works because we didn't fix what was broken to begin with. Eating healthy is expensive. It requires reprogramming our relationship with food, and that takes time and confronting our demons. It requires that we change our environment, choosing no longer to belong to a food culture and instead to find a new healthy community, the same way that an addict has to change their previous environment when they get out of rehab.
Exercise is not easy. I was a collegiate scholarship swimmer and I've done some of the most difficult exercise programs known, yet I always get sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and a tingling sensation all over when I walk into the gym or jump into a swimming pool....fear combined with excitement. We know what we're about to do to ourselves, and it's normal to get a little scared. We're about to put stress on our bodies and push them to the point where they cannot be pushed any more.
I want to share with you my journey, and I encourage you to share yours. Know that although the middle is long, we're in it together. Allow yourself the journey. Know that some things really do get better with time.
September 2008
December 2008
March 2009 (left), April 2009 (rt)
October 2009 on a hike.
I started learning that I could go on a walk with a
friend or as a date instead of out to eat. I had already
begun to change the way I view
exercise and togetherness.
October 2009 (left), Christmas Eve 2009 (right)
Not only did my body change, but my hair and skin both
began undergoing serious rejuvenation. My eyes brightened,
my smile widened.
Christmas Morning 2009 - I was elated when I was given this
pair of running shoes that were expensive. They were the best gift.
Christmas 2010 - I had just finished my first round of P90X.
Thank you, Tony Horton.
March 2011 on a hike with our children, my husband, and my mother in law.
November 2011
Week 5 of Holiday Avoid-The-Poundage Blowout
Week 5 went well. It was the start of a new 30-day program that changes up the weight lifting portion on Mondays & Wednesdays. The other days remain the same: Tuesdays is plyometrics, Thursdays is yoga, Fridays is Legs & Back, and Saturdays is Kenpo (although I have been known to substitute Kenpo for another cardio activity of my choosing including a 3-4 mile run, 45 minutes of stadiums, or a Tracy Anderson or Insanity cardio workout.
I got in 6 workouts last week. I had my first final exam on Thursday, and so it was good to get out all of the exam gitters in the gym. My other two finals are this week.
I was asked some questions about breakfasts this week. Because I'm a student, I take my breakfast on the go about 2-3 times per week. Here is an awesome spinach shake recipe that I love. I change up this recipe almost every time I make it. I often use 1/2 a frozen banana & a handful of spinach. The Jackie Warner mix is great, but I'm not sure if she's still selling it. Other options include Shakeology or regular Whey or Soy Protein from GNC. I used to always use an egg, now I rarely do. Also, I use regular milk or almond milk depending on what mood I'm in. If I could afford it, my first choice would be Shakeology. I love to take my multi-vitamin with my shake for an extra bang.
Other breakfast options that I use often include oatmeal (no sugars, add raw almonds and raisins) to give the right amount of carbs, fat, and protein. Oats are a form of soluble fiber which contributes to lowering cholesterol. Another option I love is an egg white scramble (I buy egg white packages in the egg section of the store) with lots of veggies and either whole beans or a whole-wheat tortilla, or both. It's perfect with salsa....Sadie's is a fav.
Just a note on those breakfasts...we should always eat them. Failure to eat breakfast slows our basal metabolic rate and causes us to be unable to think clearly. If we're a bright-and-shiny worker-outer, we can do our workout early on an empty stomach, as long as we make sure we eat when we're done. Breakfasts should be about 400 calories, and a mid-morning healthy snack about 100-150 calories. Here, you can find info on nutrition. Remember, the less-processed, the better...and always read labels.
I got in 6 workouts last week. I had my first final exam on Thursday, and so it was good to get out all of the exam gitters in the gym. My other two finals are this week.
I was asked some questions about breakfasts this week. Because I'm a student, I take my breakfast on the go about 2-3 times per week. Here is an awesome spinach shake recipe that I love. I change up this recipe almost every time I make it. I often use 1/2 a frozen banana & a handful of spinach. The Jackie Warner mix is great, but I'm not sure if she's still selling it. Other options include Shakeology or regular Whey or Soy Protein from GNC. I used to always use an egg, now I rarely do. Also, I use regular milk or almond milk depending on what mood I'm in. If I could afford it, my first choice would be Shakeology. I love to take my multi-vitamin with my shake for an extra bang.
Other breakfast options that I use often include oatmeal (no sugars, add raw almonds and raisins) to give the right amount of carbs, fat, and protein. Oats are a form of soluble fiber which contributes to lowering cholesterol. Another option I love is an egg white scramble (I buy egg white packages in the egg section of the store) with lots of veggies and either whole beans or a whole-wheat tortilla, or both. It's perfect with salsa....Sadie's is a fav.
Just a note on those breakfasts...we should always eat them. Failure to eat breakfast slows our basal metabolic rate and causes us to be unable to think clearly. If we're a bright-and-shiny worker-outer, we can do our workout early on an empty stomach, as long as we make sure we eat when we're done. Breakfasts should be about 400 calories, and a mid-morning healthy snack about 100-150 calories. Here, you can find info on nutrition. Remember, the less-processed, the better...and always read labels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)