Thursday, October 22, 2015

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Kickboxing

Last time I did my kickboxing video was about three weeks ago. The first time I  did it it was Hard! It was the workout that pushed me and frankly, triggered some anxiety. Today it was a good and challenging workout, but it felt easier. I really see my endurance improving!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Tuesday weigh-in: determination (and a little faith)

The scale had been stuck at 142 for the past week. 141 today!

This was the point wherein I tried not to get discouraged.  Exercising and eating right,  but no weight change. Instead of giving up, I dug in and had faith that the plan would work. Why did the scale stall out? I knew that the rapid weight loss would slow down as my body got used to increased exercise and less crap food. It could be that I'm replacing fat with muscle. I just know that if I keep it up, my body will continue to change.

I did see other signs of progress in the past week. I gave away two pairs of pants and a bra that were too big. And, last night during The Firm Cardio Sculpt, I noticed that push-ups no longer make me say bad words!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday Buns-day

Just finished today's workout. 55 minutes on the bike, 5 minutes of weighted lunges, and 20 minutes of The Firm Body Sculpt Lower Body. Good day!

Friday, October 16, 2015

Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Firm Body Sculpt

I did not have a great workout today, but I still did it. Last time I did this video I did 10 min. Today I committed to 25 and did just that. I wanted to quit around minute 17 but kept going. I thought I had strong legs until this video! I was distracted though, by a rough day at work, so I felt I was not fully focused. Oh well! I still did it, and tomorrow is another day.

Five Weeks Down, aaaand GO!

I do not write as prolifically as Rachael (as you can obviously see). I contemplate my ideas and wait until something is fully fleshed out to post it. I have a new gym schedule and have set some new goals for myself-

I am currently going to the gym 6 days. Here's what my week looks like:

  • Sunday: 30 minutes on the treadmill for Couch to 5K (yep!), 9am CrossFit, 4pm Restorative Yoga
  • Monday: 5:30pm Yoga
  • Tuesday: 30 minutes on the treadmill before work
  • Wednesday: 6am CrossFit
  • Thursday: 6am Yoga
  • Friday: 30 minutes on the treadmill before work
On Saturday I rest, but I get antsy, so I will often throw my yoga mat down and do a little stretching... feels so good!

I am not shedding pounds like crazy, but a few people have told me I look trimmer. My yoga instructor told me this morning that I look "lighter"- I love this, because part of my goal in all this was to reduce stress and improve my mental health overall.

Yesterday at CrossFit, a large part of our WOD was running, which is still not a strong suit for me, but I was out there and while other people from my class were zooming past me I realized that 5 weeks ago (just 5 short weeks) I would not run 4 feet, now I can run 400 meters and recover within a couple minutes. Also, I love CrossFit- all those people zooming by me were also cheering me on, and their encouragement reminded me that I have already come so far- I will continue to improve.

Let's talk Couch to 5K- I am in week 3, so the running time is getting a little longer, rests and walking a little shorter. I started this program partly because I'd like to run a 5K, but my ultimate goal is Spartan races. A Spartan is first and foremost a 5K, so if I am going to make it through one, I need to get my Cardio function in shape. I have to simultaneously improve my ability to successfully complete a set of burpees- this is not a "one thing at a time" kind of challenge- I have to crush it all!


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Wednesday workout

No video tonight - I did a full hour on the bike! Feeling pretty sweaty now, so it was a good workout!

Tuesday weigh-in and catching up

I skipped a few days of posting, sooo....
Monday night I did Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown level 1. It is not normal yoga, but an 'aerobicized' version, so one gets calorie burn and strength training. I committed to 15 minutes and did 20. I really felt it!

Tuesday weigh-in in: 142. 3 down for October, 2 to go! I can do it!

Tuesday night I did the entire Firm Ab Sculpting. It was a good workout and I felt my abs, but after a string of Jillian Michaels workouts, it felt like a walk in the park!

Noticing my pants getting looser. Yay!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Friday, October 9, 2015

Friday weigh-in

142.5!!

Halfway to my October goal. I think I will make it!

Trick or Treat

It's the time of year wherein baskets and buckets of candy randomly appear. I overheard Casey ask someone today, out of curiosity, what they are eating. The response: "Candy. I have no self control."

This really got me thinking about our attitudes toward food. Food is an object. It is a tool to keep us strong, healthy and energized. Food is not imbued with the forces of good or evil.

I've been changing my attitudes toward food. I don't think about food in terms of what I can't eat (except in the case of my allergies). I'm not even thinking about what I should eat. Instead, I've been looking at food as what I choose to eat. If I thought of the candy bucket as a forbidden temptation to avoid, it would haunt me all day. Instead, I look at the candy as something I can choose to eat, or not.

I have a certain calorie goal for the day, and I try not to exceed it. I can choose to make candy part of the calories I consume for the day. But I have found that I choose not to. Not because candy is bad or forbidden, but because I'd rather have something else.

The roommates and I used to share meals. Our meal plan for the week was based on what we received in our farm share. We've stopped doing so and now I completely control what I eat. I've only been choosing recipes and food that I love. I've found that I am more satisfied and eating less.

Eating healthy is a choice, not a burden. I choose to eat well, and choosing not to have candy during the day means I choose a beer at night!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Sore in my Core

And hips, and thighs.....

I woke up feeling stiff, but after moving around just feel sore. I think the difference between level 1 and level 2 isn't the level of exertion I feel during the workout, but how my muscles feel afterwards. I really did get a good workout last night.

In other news... weigh-in this morning. 143! Two pounds down for the month, three to go!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 2

My first time doing this level. I was nervous, but committed to doing the whole thing. And I did! It was challenging, and I got really sweaty, and I DID it!

#torchittuesday and Wednesday Weigh-in

I did NOT do a video last night, but I did 60 minutes on the stationary bike so I think that's fair.

The scale remains stable today, but that's ok!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Feeling good

I'm feeling good this morning, much less stiff and sore than I anticipated after my video. I think I can attribute it to a cold beer (hey, much more enjoyable than popping ibuprofen), a hot shower, and sleeping with four fuzzy heating pads against my various muscles  (i.e., cuddling with three cats and a dachshund).

I weighed in at 144 this morning, one pound down and four to go for the month. I've noticed that most of the change on the scale occurs at the end of the work week,  so I hope, and think, that I will see more progress by the weekend!

Also, I don't miss takeout at all!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1

Last time I did this I did 5 min. Today I did the whole damn thing! It is advertised as a 20 min video, but by my timer it was 27 min. It really worked my muscles and was good cardio. The best part is her tough yet encouraging demeanor. I especially loved when she said I could feel fear leaving my body. The best best part? I earned enough calories for a beer!

Next up is level 2. Groan!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

October goals

I am actually really pumped to start my second month of fitness!

Starting October at 145 pounds.

My October goals are to continue my healthy eating and commitment to exercise. I specifically want to push harder on the videos (see my post from earlier today), so I am going to start posting my progress on them.

The results I am aiming for this month- goal weight of 140 pounds, and build muscle and definition in my arms. I can do this!

On Exercise and Anxiety

I've been mulling this over for a few weeks and am ready to write about it. I have panic disorder, which is well controlled, thank you very much. But, my biggest challenge in working out is overcoming my anxiety. Sometimes when exercising,  anxiety raises its ugly little head. Not a full blown panic attack, mind you, but it is there in the background. See, the very signifiers of a good workout- increased respiratory and heart rates, and in challenging strength workouts, muscle fatigue or even muscle trembling  (hello side planks), can mimic the physical sensations of a panic attack and/or be the trigger for one.

Avoidance is a classic coping mechanism within those with panic disorder, and I think my lack of commitment to working out stems from this. Don't exercise hard, and you avoid those sensations.

In my treatment for panic disorder, I learned to stop avoiding and face the world. Now I am doing the same with exercise.

I find that I can push myself hard on the stationary bike and not feel anxious, probably because I am in a sitting position (anxiety is weird and irrational). I do ok with strength workouts from my magazines. But, it's those exercise videos that get me.

I have a number of videos that I cycle through, they are almost all from The Firm, Jillian Michaels, and Crunch. They are all designed to really make you work, which is what I want, but sometimes they trigger those anxious feelings. Anxiety, but not panic, which itself is a victory.

I've got my own formula for working through it. First is that I HAVE to do a video every workout day. But here's where the formula comes in. I don't necessarily have to do the whole thing. Before starting, I commit myself to a certain number of minutes. This is based on whether and how long I rode the exercise bike that day, and how much I did on the said video the previous time I did it. Once I hit that minute goal, I have permission from myself to stop, or I can keep going for as long as I want.

If I start feeling that I can't do it, I remind myself that each time I workout I get a little stronger and build my endurance a little more. Then I think about Casey pushing herself through Cross Fit and HIIT. And, I remind myself of when I went to surf camp. It was so physically demanding, but at the end of the weekend I felt like I could do ANYTHING. (except catch waves consistently, but hey, that's my main motivation in getting strong and fit).

Today I did a new video, Crunch Fat Burning Ab Attack. I promised myself 5 minutes. (I had done 40 min on the bike). I got to the 5 min mark and kept going, and going. I did the whole video. It will probably hurt to laugh tomorrow  (it really did attack my abs), but I feel great! Strong and accomplished. I really can do anything!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Staying positive

So, I weighed in yesterday and was still one pound shy of my September goal. Instead of getting discouraged, I thought about the reasons why the scale stalled out. I came up with two reasons- over the weekend was a little over enthusiastic about my favorite beer, a seasonal, being released  (extra calories), and I had my period, which can cause weirdness with water weight. I thought about what I could do better, (track those beer calories), and moved on, sticking to my plan of exercise and healthy eating.

I weighed in this morning, and, like magic (or determination),  that last pound was gone! I'm ready to take on my October goals!