Time flies....

Ah! It has been almost a week and a half since I have posted in here! I can NOT believe how busy I have been! Boot Camp has been going great, not only do I love getting through the class myself, the participants are just full of energy, and it’s amazing to see the dedication! It really is about THEM, not me! But a secondary gain- I am getting a pretty darn good workout myself! I can’t believe I have actually gotten out of bed two weeks in a row (on a Monday, no less) at 4:30am to teach Boot Camp at 5:40am! This is totally not something I am used to! My workout schedule has continued to be the same- teaching 5 classes per week (2 days of Kick and Pump, 1 night of PiYo Strength, and 2 days of Boot Camp).  I cycle for about 15 minutes before each Kick and Pump class as a little something extra, this Sunday I ran a 5K (and finished with my WORST time every: 28:59) Yikes! But I have to say, I am a bit sore from boot camp! I do get on the treadmill occasionally, and continue with a strength training régime.

I really try not to go past 2 hours per day of working out, so on Thursday’s when I teach my 2 classes, that is it for me, I don’t do anything extra on those days! I do have to mix things up though because my body is so used to teaching the classes, even though I sweat, I hit plateaus quickly!

As a reminder, when I hit a plateau I always use FITT as a reminder to change things up:
F  requency (days per week I work out)

I  ntensity (if I am walking on the treadmill at 3.5, maybe I’ll go up to 4.5 for a few minutes)

T  ype/ Mode (I do so much Kick Boxing that when I am not teaching it, I do other things, jog, cycle, elliptical, etc).

T  ime (Increase the amount of time on the activity- bump up from 30 mins to 40 mins)

 

As far as goals: I can do more push-ups than I have been able to in a while- still not where I was last summer/ fall- but getting there. Eating has definitely been a lot better. And I am currently at 153.0 for my weight- so I have had a total loss of just over 4 lbs. Nothing crazy for almost 3 weeks- but it is within a healthy range of 1 Lb per week.

Stay tuned... One month progress pics are next week, May 3rd!

Rainy Friday, bitter sweet

April 12, 2013

Rainy Friday

This week has been SUCH a challenge, so many stressors going on at work, and at home! Our dog got extremely sick this week… (Wednesday) and is still recovering. I really couldn't take time off of work , except for a few hours yesterday morning.
 
I was able to get 2 workouts in yesterday since I teach the classes (I really had no choice), but I am trying to make my "classes" not my normal workouts. My body is SOOOO used to teaching them, that it almost feels like it doesn't count as a workout anymore!
 
Today is another extremely busy day, back to back meetings all day, taking care of the dog after work, cleaning the house, and having friends over.
 
On top of that, I teach my first round of Boot Camp at the Y tomorrow morning, and I am beyond unprepared. When will I find the time today to be able to prep for the boot camp, clean the house, have friends over, and possibly squeeze a workout in! The thought of all of this overwhelms me!
 
I took 5 mins to scroll through instagram this morning while sipping on my morning coffee. I read a quote from Bodesquad: "One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day"
 
What can be my positive thought or thoughts?
1) Dog is getting better
2) Thankful that it is Friday
3) I can be organized enough to get what I need to get done today.
 
And on a last positive note, I have a new weight to share: 154.8 (loss of 2.2), with a  rough week, I will take the loss! Looking forward to starting boot camp, continuing my strength training and running, and hoping to get to my goal by summer!

Monday Morning Motivation

 
Well, you can guess what day of the week it is by my title.  I usually dread Monday's, as the start of the work week. I recognized something new today though… productive/ healthy weekends= happy Monday's. I love a clean house!
 
The weekend went pretty smooth (with the exception of Friday Night)- going out for dinner, and grabbing a few drinks with friends. If you refer back to my prior posts though, I have stopped letting those bad meals/ days get to me. I am not allowing them to ruin my main goal. Saturday went well as I tried out the new boot camp class I will be teaching, and I am pretty certain it is going to be a success, as I was super sore on Sunday.
 
Saturday night, I wrote a post about starting a new plan from the Fitness RX magazine. That started yesterday. I did the 21 minute circuit. That felt pretty good, the hardest part were the push-ups. Today will be all legs in the gym. I am going to pair it with a 4 mile run at some point.
 
I felt great after eating well all day Sunday. Meals consisted of:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Lunch: Egg whites, Ezekiel toast, turkey bacon.
Snack: Almonds (100 calorie pack)
Dinner: Caliuflower pizza, loaded with veggies, fat free cheese. Orange Julius (Blueberry slim for life green tea, ice, frozen mango (50 calories), 1/2 banana, and splash of lite orange juice) blend.
 
Snack: 50 calorie vita muffin/ peanut butter, and sleepy time tea.
 
Back to check-in after my lunch "lift" routine. I ended up combining 2 days into one. I know that is probably not ideal, but it is the only way it will work for my schedule. I don't think I can get to the gym more than twice in a week during lunch time. So today was a lot of Leg's, and delts/ shoulders. There were three leg exercises I determined I can do at home (Barbell squat, deadlift, and one-leg squat). I have a barbell at home, so this shouldn't be a problem. I also need to complete 2 more sets of the seated side lateral, and frontal raise, and will also need to do the rear delt raise at home. I was a little short on time, after fumbling with the equipment on the first day. Next week, it should be much more time-efficient!
 
I have about 20 minutes of lifting to do at home, and am still hoping to squeeze in my 4 mile run (it is beautiful out, so maybe outdoors)??? We'll see!
 
Meals for today:
Breakfast: Shakeology
Snack: Rice Cake/ Almonds
Lunch: High Fiber Oatmeal, Ezekiel toast 1/2 banana
Snack: (post gym) apple
Snack: pre-dinner orange
Dinner: Egg Whites, Orange Julius, turkey bacon, Ezekiel toast
Run/ Finish lift
Before Bed: Sleepy Time tea/ chocolate vita cake & pb

Late night ambition...

I should be in bed, especially since I kind of feel like I am catching a bug. Granted, I have not been sick in almost two years, but I am blaming this on my busy schedule. Anyway, my mind is running (thanks to my recent purchase of the newest Fitness RX magazine). This episode features and entire guide to lifting, plus a 21 minute circuit. I have decided to commit to doing the 21 min circuit 2x per week, run 15 miles per week in some capacity, and start the training calendar. My goal is to at least do this for three weeks, starting tomorrow. I know my diet will improve, as it usually falls into place with a structured workout plan. My boot camp classes that I will be teaching start next Saturday, so I am hoping for some decent results by memorial day weekend! Here we goal!:)

Week 2... Dreaded Before Pics

Week 2:
 
Morning!! I didn't check in over the weekend due to the holiday, being busy, and just life in general… but I'll fill you in.
 
Thursday evening (which was basically my Friday seeing I was off on Good Friday), I taught my two classes at the Y (Kick and Pump, and PiYo). I blogged earlier that day, stating I had a plan to deal with my long days of teaching back to back classes. Well, I didn't plan too well, and didn't have time to grab something healthy to eat before my two classes. I came home, and once again was STARVING!
 
My husband was home, and since it was our "Friday" we kind of wanted to just get out of the house. We made a plan to go to our local pub down the road, and I figured I could at least get a salad (and possibly one glass of wine) J Unfortunately, by the time we got to the pub, they were closing (which is odd, because usually they are open pretty late). So, we made the treck to Applebees which is about 10 minutes from our house. Chris wanted to share something with me, so instead of my plan for a salad, we shared a trio (unhealthy bite- sized temptations). I also ordered a "skinnybee margarita" which actually only has 100 calories, so I was happy with that decision. The trio came, and we munched away.
 
The next day, I remembered my plan… I wasn't going to let a bad meal screw up my next day or next meal, or week for that matter. I had the day off, and was going to make it a good day.
 
I started my day with a 20 minute ab / core workout from the Turbo Fire collection. I was determined to get some cardio in by the end of the day. My husband was fishing, so I had the house to myself. I got caught up on some of my favorite shows, did some laundry, and before I knew it, it was 8:30pm! I was completely stuck on watching "Fashion Star" which ends at 9pm. I decided to finish the show, and get the treadmill ready for a good late, run. That is EXACTLY what I did… and I had such an amazing run at 9pm. I ran 4.5 miles, 45 mins. I felt amazing. I took a nice hot shower, tried out some new organic sunless tanner that I had purchased at Wegmans (it is funny how when you start becoming more conscientious about what you are putting in your body, you also become more aware of what you put ON your body).
 
Saturday was a wonderful day as well. I started the morning off with a 1 hour cycling class with a friend, and a coffee/ chat date with her after. I ordered a strawberry / banana 1/2 scoop protein smoothie at wegmans. Later that day, we went to Erie, PA to the mall to get my wedding band fixed. Chris and I were craving some salads, so we went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner. We both got the salad bar, and I also got spaghetti squash (and took more than 1/2 of it home)!
 
Sunday was quite the day (started off great as far as evening), but I kind of picked here and there at Jelly beans, chocolate, etc…. it was Easter.
 
Monday- another "okay" day. Started the day off great, but neither Chris or myself felt like cooking a meal for dinner. I picked up a rotisserie chicken (not entirely bad), some red potatoes (not so bad), and garlic bread sticks (okay, THOSE are bad)!
 
Tuesday (yesterday) always seems to be great days, since I know I have to teach class later. Started the day off with my Shakeology, had a healthy lunch, and taught class. After class, I was motivated for a short run with one of my co-workers. We ran for about 20 minutes on the treadmill at the Y. Dinner was probably one of my better dinners: Egg Whites with reduced fat cheese (scrambled), 3 slices of turkey bacon, a slice of Ezekiel toast, and a green tea smoothie.
 
Recipe for smoothie: Steep 1 bag of (I use the Yogi brand blueberry slim for life green tea) in mug of hot water for 4-5 minutes. In blender, add: frozen mango (I get 100 % mango purree frozen bars, I use 1/2 the bar), 1/2 banana, ICE, 1/2 or 3-4 oz of reduced sugar vanilla yogurt, a splash of Trop 50 orange juice. Add tea water, and blend until smooth.
 
Today was weigh in!!! Current weight: 154.4. Loss of 3 lbs!
 
Tonight, I am taking a "before" picture (dreading this), but I know it is worth it, and helps me stay accountable! I am going to start teaching a 6 week boot camp class at the Y, and my new re-commitment, combined with that, I can not wait to see the results!
 
Don't forget to take some sort of "before" picture, even if it is for your own record

Day 2: Solutions to barriers

Day 2-

Good Morning! I am feeling quite tired this morning. Yesterday, I have to admit was a rough day. Not because it was my start to re-commitment. That part of the day was just fine. Things were difficult emotionally- personal stuff, and I didn’t get a good night’s sleep OR a chance to work out which really wasn’t a great start. However, the eating part (which is my biggest struggle anyway) was pretty good. I’ll give myself a 7 out of 10.

My meals yesterday:

Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology with unsweetened almond milk (vanilla) and a ½ banana. (250 calories)

Snack: Special K Protein Bar/ Coffee with sugar free creamer (150 calories)

Lunch: Weight Control Oatmeal w/ ½ banana (I choose this “instant” brand because it has a higher protein count than others). 1 slice of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast with a few sprays of butter (290 calories)

Snack: Grapes & carrot slices with hummus (200 calories)

Dinner: Homemade Guacamole (1/4 of a guacamole with chopped red onion, cilantro, garlic salt, lime juice), black beans, reduced fat cheese, hot sauce, and non-fat plain greek yogurt in a whole wheat wrap (300 calories)

Dessert: (I am a sucker for dessert) 1 vitabrownie with natural peanut butter (100 calories)

TOTAL: 1290 calories

Today I have to teach TWO back-to-back classes at the Y tonight. This is where I really struggle because it completely interferes with my ideal dinner time. J I leave work at 4:30pm (I suppose I could eat a little light dinner at this time), my first class starts at 5:30pm-6:30pm. The next class is from 6:45pm-7:45pm. After my drive home from work, I am home around 8:30pm (wayyy to late in my mind for a dinner).

Here is today’s plan: I will have a 200 calorie meal around 4:45pm. When I leave class, I will carrots and hummus to munch on during my ride home. When I get home, I will have something really lite (Ezekiel toast or some popcorn).

1st Barrier solved! (FINGERS CROSSED- I’ll fill you in tomorrow on how it went)… Okay, so yesterday, you identified your “WHY”… today list some potential “road blocks” or “barriers” that would pop up that would prevent you from hitting your goal

Journey to re-commitment after a LONG winter....

 An out of shape aerobics instructor:

Yes, it has been one hell of a long winter. However, I am not one to make excuses for what has occurred this winter. November 2011, I changed my lifestyle, made really healthy changes (no dieting) just eating cleaner, counting my intake, and exercising more. I also began strength training. I went from 171 lbs to 138 lbs by July 2012. That is a loss of 33 lbs. I had never felt better!
 
This past winter of 2012/ 2013, my exercising continued pretty faithfully, but my eating habits slllloooowwly declined. I made one poor choice after another. I learned a lot about myself. When I want something that I know isn't good for me, I really can't just have one serving, or one "piece" of the "pie", or "slice of pizza", or "cake". Okay, maybe, only one slice of cake (I don't have a HUGE sweet tooth), it is more of the pizza, wings, subs, or chips that tend to get me in trouble. I think to myself… "crap, I ruined today, so what is one more slice?" I also say, "hell, what is the point of working out today? I already ate like crap"… Can you relate? Or am I completely alone on this? J yeah, total irrational thinking.
 
If I want to be honest, my current weight is 156.6 lbs (as of this morning). I am a huge believer in- not focusing ALL on the number on the scale, but checking how clothing fits, how you feel. Truth is, I do FEEL okay, besides a belly ache on the days I eat horrible J I can still run a 5K in pretty good time, and my strength is still in good condition. Clothing is a different story. My work pants are tighter, truth is, I want to wear yoga pants to work! The worst of it is, I teach aerobics (3 classes per week) at our local Y. All I can think is, HOW EMBARRASSING, they MUST be seeing my body changing… I am smack dab in the front & center in the mirror every week, all eyes on me! I am supposed to be setting a good example, right?
 
Every week, I go through a phase, where I do great a few days in a row, working out, eating clean… then I go through a few days where I completely (not just a little) BLOW it! I finally told myself, ENOUGH! I need the better days to out weigh the bad, and if I have a little "screw up", I refuse to let it ruin my ENTIRE day. See, there is a difference… I need to expect to have days that might not be perfect, but I need to watch how I react to that… and be careful about not letting it ruin my whole day.
 
So today, 3/27/13… starts my re-commitment, back on my journey to health and fitness. This girl has GOALS… (which I will define momentarly) that make re-committing totally and completely WORTH it.
 
I totally believe in creating a "WHY" goal. WHY is it so important to recommit? What am I doing this for? What am I working toward… Here are my WHY's:
 
1) Fit better in those work pants!
2) Get Healthy / and fit before considering to have a family/ pregnancy
3) Run my best 5K time
4) Set a good example for my aerobic students
5) Complete the Tough Mudder in July
 
Want to join me in this journey? Jot down some of your WHY's… and be sure to check in every day, as I will post up-dates, tips, progress, etc.