I'm one workout away from being halfway through this 5K training program The big run is on April 20th. And since it's a color run, I don't see "speed" as much of a goal since it's more about looking colorful and messy at the end.
Having said that, although I was already exercising, I decided to do a legit training program for two important reasons:
1. I wanted to be able to breathe and walk after 3.1 miles; and
2. Given what my body and mind has gone through the last couple of months, I needed some structure to my workouts, which compliment my weight loss program.
This last workout this week (which will probably take place on Wednesday), is a doozy:
Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5-10 minutes.
I'm not used to running for long time periods. (and by "running" I mean what you probably consider "jogging" - 5.0 mph; but don't judge, remember that I'm only 5'2.5")
So on Friday when I had to do: Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 minutes, walk 5-7 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5-7 minutes.
I was quite scared. But I made it through, slowing down to 4.8 mph for the last 5 minutes of the second 10-min run. I was happy that my legs felt good and had finally caught up to my heart and lungs, but now it seems the tables have turned and it's not my cardio endurance that needs to reach the next level. I'll do some cross-training tonight, take tomorrow off, and then see how Wednesday goes.
I'm glad I've done a training program because I'm a lot further along than I would have been on my own for 3 weeks. I'm also glad because it exposed me to the fact that I was wayyy undertraining. I was not prepared for this level of mileage per week, and would have never done this much mileage on my own. I'm obligated to 4 days of exercise a week, but those days are LONG; most if not all workouts have clocked in at over an hour. My legs did not have that kind of strength, so I've seen drastic improvement. I get so easily bored by the long walk workouts, but am doing them because they are part of the program, and have seen really good results in my pain level and in my leg strength. I think I'll definitely incorporate long walks as part of a long-term routine.
I'm starting to toy with the idea of a 10K race in August in California, and/or a half marathon in the fall in the Philadelphia area, but I think I'll wait until after the April race to make any decisions.
On a related note - I've officially lost the weight I gained in February, plus a bit; in fact I'm just under the weight I was at before the holidays, which is a nice accomplishment. I have some short and long term goals associated with that and I'm currently on track. I've clearly lost inches - I was able to fit into my "next size down" pants this morning, and although they aren't quite ready to wear yet the fact that I could button them was exciting!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
What a difference a few weeks make
We finally weighed in on Saturday - it turns out what I suspected was true - I had gained at least 5 pounds in about a month. For months the weight had been slowly creeping up but that was quite drastic - no wonder I was feeling horrible.
I weigh in again on Saturday and expect to have already lost at least a few of those pounds. Those of us with some experience know that if you gain weight fast you can lose it fast, and vice versa.
The timing has worked out because we also signed up for a 5K color run on April 20th and so I immediately started on a 6 week 5K training program. I'm glad I did because after completing the first week of training yesterday (it's a 4 day/week program), I realized that as much as speed and cardio endurance is important since I was out of shape, the bigger issue was that I hadn't done that kind of mileage in years, so my legs needed to be stronger. (Since college I had transitioned from a 3 mile walk/runner to a 2 mile walk/runner, in part to save time - now that I'm older that 3rd mile is a challenge!) This training is VERY WALK INTENSIVE. In fact, it's really testing my patience because I don't like to just walk on a treadmill (which for me, I have to do most of the time to ward off allergies), it bores the heck out of me.
For example, last night my training was: Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 seconds, walk 1 minutes) in the last mile.
I did a 1/2 mile with Curtis and Kenny outside, then went in the gym, did 1.5 miles walking and the last mile as instructed, with intervals. I just don't have the patience for any more walking with that. So I'm going to use my 5th day of training this week to add a few miles on to my week total and enjoy some freedom from the training program (meaning more running less walking for a shorter distance). Thursday will probably be an off day or elliptical, and week 2 starts Friday.
I can safely say I already feel better than a did just a few weeks ago - I'm eating really well and my clothes already fit properly again. This week I opted to not count activity points in an effort to drop the weight a little faster, so I'm excited to weigh-in on Saturday and looking forward to continuing this 5K program.
I weigh in again on Saturday and expect to have already lost at least a few of those pounds. Those of us with some experience know that if you gain weight fast you can lose it fast, and vice versa.
The timing has worked out because we also signed up for a 5K color run on April 20th and so I immediately started on a 6 week 5K training program. I'm glad I did because after completing the first week of training yesterday (it's a 4 day/week program), I realized that as much as speed and cardio endurance is important since I was out of shape, the bigger issue was that I hadn't done that kind of mileage in years, so my legs needed to be stronger. (Since college I had transitioned from a 3 mile walk/runner to a 2 mile walk/runner, in part to save time - now that I'm older that 3rd mile is a challenge!) This training is VERY WALK INTENSIVE. In fact, it's really testing my patience because I don't like to just walk on a treadmill (which for me, I have to do most of the time to ward off allergies), it bores the heck out of me.
For example, last night my training was: Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 seconds, walk 1 minutes) in the last mile.
I did a 1/2 mile with Curtis and Kenny outside, then went in the gym, did 1.5 miles walking and the last mile as instructed, with intervals. I just don't have the patience for any more walking with that. So I'm going to use my 5th day of training this week to add a few miles on to my week total and enjoy some freedom from the training program (meaning more running less walking for a shorter distance). Thursday will probably be an off day or elliptical, and week 2 starts Friday.
I can safely say I already feel better than a did just a few weeks ago - I'm eating really well and my clothes already fit properly again. This week I opted to not count activity points in an effort to drop the weight a little faster, so I'm excited to weigh-in on Saturday and looking forward to continuing this 5K program.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
In retrospect, I probably should have seen this coming...
After a busy/chaotic/traumatizing fall season, followed by a really nice Christmas, followed by two nasty colds/awful weather/a reasonably fun mardi gras season, I was feeling pretty awful last week.
My body basically hit rock bottom, to the point that I think it was calling out for help.
I soon realized that I had gained about 10 lbs overnight - we're talking about 4-6 weeks. I had completely lost my athleticism and had no strength OR conditioning, and, what really spoke to me, was that my stomach for about 3 days was in a state of pain, bloat, etc. etc. (and it wasn't that time of the month). I was simply uncomfortable, at a level beyond the typical, my clothes don't fit as well as they did before, way.
So, I made changes gradually: I tried to cure the stomach issues first, because it was actually really disruptive and made my daily life rather miserable. I ate less junk, more healthy food, more fruit in particular, and was able to resolve those issues in a few days.
Then, on Saturday, I went to the gym and did a tough 1 mile. I had gone a few times in 2013 (including in the last few weeks), but those two weeks I was essentially in bed really changed the game for me - I was starting from square one with the running. [It almost feels better to tell myself that I'm recovering from an injury and because of that I can expect to have challenges in building up my conditioning]. In fact, after the 1 mile, Curtis and I went to a Chili Cook-off in town, and after that, I could barely stay awake I was so tired and worn out from the activity. It was BAD.
To make matters worse, this is probably the worst allergy season on record for me. I'm known to have a bad week where I'm out of commission, but I literally have laryngitis this week from my allergies. So I basically have to live in a bubble and with each walk to the gym, pray that I don't inhale TOO many particles that my immune system will attack. But enough complaining ...
This week I'm trying to work my way back to both a weight-loss diet AND an exercise program, but to be honest, I'm having trouble staying motivated on the former. But the stomach issues have at least convinced me to eat whole, healthy foods, even if I end up eating more of them than I should. I'll start tackling that issue for real on Saturday after my weigh-in.
I think the biggest issue for me now is the mindset with the food. It's something that will, sadly, always be there with me. I have three ways of eating:
Obviously, the fact that I am not 300 pounds indicates that #3 is not a state I'm in very often. But it is the demon that raises its ugly head every once in awhile, and it presented itself this past month. #2 is the ideal, and probably the state that I'm in most of the time, and is a happy place. #1 is what I should be doing now, since it's a truth that I'm overweight and have a significant amount of weight to lose to no longer be overweight. (Although lets be honest, what amount of weight is NOT significant?)
There are a few things I can be happy about today. I did not gain all of the weight back that I lost last year. The weight I lost I was actually able to keep off for about 6-8 months before this recent slip. And, most importantly, I emerged from this setback with an understanding of why it happened in the first place, and am grateful that I hit rock bottom last week and not 2 months from now.
I, like many other people, am not good at handling "unstructured time." The more regimented my life is, the better I am in all aspects of it. And both my work life and personal life these last 2 months has been the epitome of "unstructured." After the flurry of August-December, when I was planning my life in 1-2 week increments, I literally entered 2013 with no short term life events to plan and prepare for. Mardi Gras could have been that motivation, but frankly, it just wasn't. I still don't have any short term life events to plan for. But now that I know that, I can try to work around that to create some structure and facilitate a return to the healthy lifestyle that I had taken for granted this time last year.
I have a short term, 10 week goal. I'm still working on the reward for if I'm successful. But I took a giant step in the right direction this week and for that, my body and mind already feel better.
(It also doesn't hurt that this period of time on the Gulf Coast/legal calendar contains the least amount of imbibing*, thank goodness for that! ;-) ).
*For those of you not familiar with the Gulf Coast and/or legal "imbibing" calendar - here's how I see it:
Mid-February: Mardi Gras
May-June: Summer Clerks are in town
July-August: it's just really hot
September-February: Football season/Holiday season
February - May: (relatively) dry season.
My body basically hit rock bottom, to the point that I think it was calling out for help.
I soon realized that I had gained about 10 lbs overnight - we're talking about 4-6 weeks. I had completely lost my athleticism and had no strength OR conditioning, and, what really spoke to me, was that my stomach for about 3 days was in a state of pain, bloat, etc. etc. (and it wasn't that time of the month). I was simply uncomfortable, at a level beyond the typical, my clothes don't fit as well as they did before, way.
So, I made changes gradually: I tried to cure the stomach issues first, because it was actually really disruptive and made my daily life rather miserable. I ate less junk, more healthy food, more fruit in particular, and was able to resolve those issues in a few days.
Then, on Saturday, I went to the gym and did a tough 1 mile. I had gone a few times in 2013 (including in the last few weeks), but those two weeks I was essentially in bed really changed the game for me - I was starting from square one with the running. [It almost feels better to tell myself that I'm recovering from an injury and because of that I can expect to have challenges in building up my conditioning]. In fact, after the 1 mile, Curtis and I went to a Chili Cook-off in town, and after that, I could barely stay awake I was so tired and worn out from the activity. It was BAD.
To make matters worse, this is probably the worst allergy season on record for me. I'm known to have a bad week where I'm out of commission, but I literally have laryngitis this week from my allergies. So I basically have to live in a bubble and with each walk to the gym, pray that I don't inhale TOO many particles that my immune system will attack. But enough complaining ...
This week I'm trying to work my way back to both a weight-loss diet AND an exercise program, but to be honest, I'm having trouble staying motivated on the former. But the stomach issues have at least convinced me to eat whole, healthy foods, even if I end up eating more of them than I should. I'll start tackling that issue for real on Saturday after my weigh-in.
I think the biggest issue for me now is the mindset with the food. It's something that will, sadly, always be there with me. I have three ways of eating:
- Eating with an eye towards losing weight (counting, weighing, measuring, restricting, etc);
- Eating with an eye toward being healthy, but not to lose weight, ideally to maintain (but have a little fun in the process); and
- Eating with an eye towards being self-destructive, which naturally results in gaining weight quickly
Obviously, the fact that I am not 300 pounds indicates that #3 is not a state I'm in very often. But it is the demon that raises its ugly head every once in awhile, and it presented itself this past month. #2 is the ideal, and probably the state that I'm in most of the time, and is a happy place. #1 is what I should be doing now, since it's a truth that I'm overweight and have a significant amount of weight to lose to no longer be overweight. (Although lets be honest, what amount of weight is NOT significant?)
There are a few things I can be happy about today. I did not gain all of the weight back that I lost last year. The weight I lost I was actually able to keep off for about 6-8 months before this recent slip. And, most importantly, I emerged from this setback with an understanding of why it happened in the first place, and am grateful that I hit rock bottom last week and not 2 months from now.
I, like many other people, am not good at handling "unstructured time." The more regimented my life is, the better I am in all aspects of it. And both my work life and personal life these last 2 months has been the epitome of "unstructured." After the flurry of August-December, when I was planning my life in 1-2 week increments, I literally entered 2013 with no short term life events to plan and prepare for. Mardi Gras could have been that motivation, but frankly, it just wasn't. I still don't have any short term life events to plan for. But now that I know that, I can try to work around that to create some structure and facilitate a return to the healthy lifestyle that I had taken for granted this time last year.
I have a short term, 10 week goal. I'm still working on the reward for if I'm successful. But I took a giant step in the right direction this week and for that, my body and mind already feel better.
(It also doesn't hurt that this period of time on the Gulf Coast/legal calendar contains the least amount of imbibing*, thank goodness for that! ;-) ).
*For those of you not familiar with the Gulf Coast and/or legal "imbibing" calendar - here's how I see it:
Mid-February: Mardi Gras
May-June: Summer Clerks are in town
July-August: it's just really hot
September-February: Football season/Holiday season
February - May: (relatively) dry season.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Quad Injury
(or a lesson in how NOT to come off a gym break)
Life has been quite busy lately. After pushing to get to a certain weight before Juls' wedding, I (well, we) took a several week break from running and focused on work and on our visitors. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't gone cold turkey.
About a month ago, I finally got the motivation to get back to the gym, and did too much too soon. On the one hand, I went hard because my level of athleticism hadn't fallen off as much as I had feared - I was so happy that I could still run at the times and distance I could three weeks earlier, that I did way too much and my legs were not ready. On Day 3, after doing 5 miles in two workouts on Day 2, I felt some unusual pain in my right quad. I knew it was bad but finished my workout, knowing that it would be my last for awhile. I put some ice on it and took some advil, hoping it would be ready to go again in a few days.
Well, it turns out, quad injuries are difficult to heal, because we use our quad so much when we walk. In the morning it would feel fine but at the end of the day it hurt (and I don't have a job at which I'm on my feet much), and running was out of the question - it was obviously strained. It reminded my of my (probable) stress fracture back in 2009 - where most activity was out of the question.
A week later, without any improvement, I decided that I would basically have to take a weekend and stay off my leg to the extent possible, wrap it and apply ice every few hours. I'm not sure if it helped, but by that next week, it was feeling much better. 2 weeks post-injury, I did 20 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the treadmill without pain. But I knew that I should probably go easy on it because the muscle felt weak.
So now here I am - trying to start up again and avoid another such injury. I did a mile on Saturday and 2 miles last night, and am hoping to get back to 3-4 days a week training until I feel like I can up the intensity again. I'm also brainstorming ways to get some weight training in, both to help prevent another like injury and to fix this hip problem I've been having for months when I run. But I'm happy to be past the injury, and happy that I didn't gain much (if any) weight in the interim.
Update: going to try these exercises tonight.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
So what's new?
- Work is super busy. I will be there for part of the afternoon today.
- Curtis and I will be in the Bay Area next weekend for Juls' wedding. I'm very excited to be back and to see friends.
- The weather here has been AMAZING. As in, 80 degrees and sunny, but not too humid. We're crossing our fingers for another month of this before the humidity kicks in.
- I officially dropped a pant size, have lost just under 20 pounds, including 10% of my starting weight, feel comfortable wearing shorts for the first time in years and am feeling good, strong and healthy. Looking forward to losing the next 25-30.
- I just bought a foam roller a few weeks ago and have been using it after most workouts, particularly on my legs and lower back. I think it has really helped mitigate the day-to-day pain.
- I just bought a foam roller a few weeks ago and have been using it after most workouts, particularly on my legs and lower back. I think it has really helped mitigate the day-to-day pain.
Have a good week!
Friday, March 16, 2012
How have I been exercising lately?
Some of you may be curious abut my workout regimen, now that I'm in a weight-loss process. Especially given the fact that I was diligently recording my Jillian Michaels workouts last year.
Well, I can't do as many of those videos these days, because of our neighbor downstairs. I may speak on that in a separate blog post later, but we are so annoyed with her, it's hard to put it into words (hint: she's a nurse that thinks that everyone else should be quiet during the day while she's sleeping). So, once a week or so, Curtis and I look out the window, see that her car is gone, and put in a video.
I actually just got a new JM Video - Kickbox Fastfix. Curtis wasn't crazy about the kickboxing, but I loved the fact that it is only 20 minutes (from warmup to cooldown), and gets you a decent sweat. Each workout on the video focuses on a muscle area, one lower body, one upper body, and one abs. I've only done the abs so far but am looking forward to trying the other workouts, tomorrow perhaps.
The other days of the week, we go to the gym.
Thankfully, our gym has 5 cardio machines, and it isn't hard to get a free treadmill, which is both of our workout of choice for the moment. I am focusing on decreasing my 2 mile time. I try to go 4-5 days a week (this week I went Monday-Wednesday, and tonight (Friday), and plan to go a lot more while Curtis is away).
I don't exactly remember where I started, generally anything under 28 minutes (for two miles) I'm happy with. But the last two times I attempted it I was able to get just over 25 minutes, or 12:30/mi. I'm quite pleased with that. I'll likely try to keep under that time, and then do another push in a few weeks after I've lost a little more weight. Running has always been something difficult for me, and it's nice to have a good routine and something that I now look forward to. I have ideas of a half marathon next year on the horizon, but right now I really need to focus on getting into a healthy weight range, and I still have a long way to go.
The other issue is injury management and prevention. I'm trying to go easy on the treadmill because often it doesn't take long for things to go wrong. I'm a little concerned about shin splints, as well as my right Achilles ankle. Tonight for example I walked the two miles instead of running/walking them, so that I can do some speed over the weekend hopefully without straining it. I don't mind the daily aches and pains (well, I do actually, but the alternative of not exercising isn't great either), but I've been lucky to avoid major injury so far and I'd like that to continue while I'm losing weight, since exercising is a crucial physical and emotional component of my life.
I'm also considering joining a local crossfit gym for a segment of my weight loss. It's expensive, and I think if I do it I'd only commit to 6 weeks at first, it's open Monday-Friday for classes that I can go to after work. I'm trying to decide when to start, probably mid-April at the latest, otherwise I'll have to wait until after summer, since I have a lot of after-work summer events at the firm this summer. But it is something that I have at the back of my mind. Right now it's just nice to regain a running stride and have my clothes fit better.
I weigh-in tomorrow morning and am hoping for a good loss! Will update my sidebar after I find out.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Weight Loss - 10 (11) pounds!
Many of you already know that I started back at Weight Watchers in Mid-December. Curtis is also doing it, but his news is not mine to share. I decided in December that I would not keep my progress off the blog, but that I wanted to be able to report something substantial. So I decided that I would post once I lost 10 pounds.
Well today we attended a meeting and I have officially lost 11 pounds! I still have a long way to go, but it's great to be more comfortable in my own skin.
I also thought to take my measurements when I started and have seen some results after the first 10 pounds:
-3 in the bust
-2.5 in the chest
-2 in the waist
-2 in the hips
And other smaller changes in my legs and arms. I have some short term goals that I'll hold off on reporting, but I am looking forward to running/walking a 5K in March, and I look forward to posting my progress as I go along.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Back in the Saddle...
Side note: I actually saw two guys riding horses around my neighborhood - strangest thing!
When I first arrived in Spanish Fort, I immediately went to the gym that weekend and got two good 2-3 mi treadmill workouts in. Then I got this nasty cold, and Curtis got it. So finally today I felt like it was a good day to start working out again.
In the meantime, I ordered Jillian Michaels' new video:
I just finished Level 1 - which was crazy tough - since it's been about 2 months since the time I was really in JM Shape (meaning I could get through her advanced workouts 4-5 days/week). Lets just say I'm not in the shape I was before. But I'm looking forward to getting back to it, and it was definitely a fun workout.
One problem however, is with our neighbors downstairs. I've seen the sign on their door which says they sleep during the day and work at night. Well they called the office and complained that they heard me working out. Curtis got the call and called me - I moved the rest of my workout to another room with the hopes that by moving maybe I wouldn't be right on top of them - and perhaps I will change up the way I workout - before I was thinking I'd do the video in the morning and cardio at night, I think tomorrow I will do cardio in the morning and the video at night, and maybe that will work better with their schedule. As much as I want to do what I want in my apartment - I don't want our neighbors to hate us.
So, I'm starting back up with the workout log, while I have been extremely active these last two months and have miraculously maintained my weight despite all the post-bar partying, it's time to buckle down again - I have two goals that I'd like to meet by the end of September:
1. Get into a workout routine and make a short term, 2-3 month goal (like a certain number/level of videos, or a race, or a time that I want to run/walk 3 mi in, etc.)
2. Decide how I am going to lose the weight - I'm back and forth on whether I want to go back to WW again, whether to do it online, whether to do another program online, but I'm giving myself by Oct. 1st to decide and then I will start it. In the meantime I'm trying to eat well and control portions, but cutting myself some slack as I get back into the workout routine.
When I first arrived in Spanish Fort, I immediately went to the gym that weekend and got two good 2-3 mi treadmill workouts in. Then I got this nasty cold, and Curtis got it. So finally today I felt like it was a good day to start working out again.
In the meantime, I ordered Jillian Michaels' new video:
One problem however, is with our neighbors downstairs. I've seen the sign on their door which says they sleep during the day and work at night. Well they called the office and complained that they heard me working out. Curtis got the call and called me - I moved the rest of my workout to another room with the hopes that by moving maybe I wouldn't be right on top of them - and perhaps I will change up the way I workout - before I was thinking I'd do the video in the morning and cardio at night, I think tomorrow I will do cardio in the morning and the video at night, and maybe that will work better with their schedule. As much as I want to do what I want in my apartment - I don't want our neighbors to hate us.
So, I'm starting back up with the workout log, while I have been extremely active these last two months and have miraculously maintained my weight despite all the post-bar partying, it's time to buckle down again - I have two goals that I'd like to meet by the end of September:
1. Get into a workout routine and make a short term, 2-3 month goal (like a certain number/level of videos, or a race, or a time that I want to run/walk 3 mi in, etc.)
2. Decide how I am going to lose the weight - I'm back and forth on whether I want to go back to WW again, whether to do it online, whether to do another program online, but I'm giving myself by Oct. 1st to decide and then I will start it. In the meantime I'm trying to eat well and control portions, but cutting myself some slack as I get back into the workout routine.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Ripped in 30 Update
UPDATE 4/29: Obviously if you've been following my log, I had quite the break. Long story short, I had a little too much fun at the 3L Law School Gala last Friday night*, and spent two days recovering (I think I lost 3 lbs in about 3 days because of it...seriously), at which point there were some other personal issues that came up and I had to set aside my workouts for a few days to regroup and focus on finals. It didn't help either that I really didn't enjoy Week 3. But, I've watched Week 4 and I can't wait to start it tomorrow because as challenging as it looks, I love the moves! I tried to start it today but my legs were having none of it...
So, My new end date, barring another day off (which I might take if my body starts breaking), is next Thursday! I haven't yet decided for sure what to do next, but I think for the week leading up to my graduation, I'm going to mix it up and do a different JM workout each day from both videos. Then when I start bar studying, I'll start the Six Week Six Pack!
*I'm beginning to think that I just have a really sensitive stomach, but I suppose some personal accountability is always advisable.
I can only imagine how hard this workout would feel if I wasn't coming off of 3.5 months of intense training...
In other news, Curtis and I entered the drawing for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco in October. You can enter until Friday, so if you're interested, let me know and I'll give you our group code. It's expensive, but you get Nike gear and a Tiffany's Necklace!
Will do a post on my DC trip soon, but I'm getting into Finals Season (which will be immediately followed by Bar studying... ack!).
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
1 More day of 30 Day Shred, then on to Ripped in 30!
Tomorrow is my last JM 30 Day Shred Workout. SOO HAPPY!!!
I have seen SIGNIFICANT CHANGE in my waist, as well as toned up legs and bottom. My upper body is O-K, probably better than 8 weeks ago when I started, but I still need work.." (my cousin Courtney put me to shame when she busted out a set of push-ups when we did the video in PA)
With my first video, I set the goal of doing 30 workouts in 5-6 weeks. That turned out to be extremely difficult, probably because I was tired and hurting for much of it, so it was hard to be motivated. Plus, I was coming off of essentially NO fitness routine, so I had a hard time diving in. Now that I've done the workout most of the last week, I'm feeling better about pain management and endurance, as well as fitting the workout into my schedule (since my hair it not the kind that I can just wash and go with, and I generally HAVE to wash my hair after this workout). And, looking back on the last 8 weeks, I realize that I am in better shape than I've been in for a few years, and am patting myself on the back for working out at least 3 days a week for the last two months.
But, now, I am setting a new, much more ambitious goal! I start "Ripped in 30" on Friday, April 1st. My goal is to finish the video by May 4th! (why May 4th? Because I'll be in Washington D.C. for four days in the middle of April, and want to take a rest, not to mention the fact that when you visit D.C., you're on your feet most of the day anyway). (UPDATE 4/1: end date is now April 30, as I can do 24 workouts in that period of time, with an extended break for DC, which works well b/c I can then start the 6-week six pack on May 1st)
This video has 4 levels, with one level for each week. Jillian wants you to take a day off each week for each level, so I might set the goal at 24-27 workouts, instead of 30, but we'll see. (Now that I've done the first workout, I see that she wants you to do 5-6 workouts each week, so I am aiming to do 6 workouts for each week/level) To get me motivated right away, my goal is to finish week 1 and 2, level 1 and 2, before I go on my trip, which essentially means that I will have only 1 day off in 13 days. We'll see how it goes. (The first day was not easy, but not impossible either, at least as compared to how hard it would have been in February. Week one for six days straight should be fine)
I have seen SIGNIFICANT CHANGE in my waist, as well as toned up legs and bottom. My upper body is O-K, probably better than 8 weeks ago when I started, but I still need work.." (my cousin Courtney put me to shame when she busted out a set of push-ups when we did the video in PA)
With my first video, I set the goal of doing 30 workouts in 5-6 weeks. That turned out to be extremely difficult, probably because I was tired and hurting for much of it, so it was hard to be motivated. Plus, I was coming off of essentially NO fitness routine, so I had a hard time diving in. Now that I've done the workout most of the last week, I'm feeling better about pain management and endurance, as well as fitting the workout into my schedule (since my hair it not the kind that I can just wash and go with, and I generally HAVE to wash my hair after this workout). And, looking back on the last 8 weeks, I realize that I am in better shape than I've been in for a few years, and am patting myself on the back for working out at least 3 days a week for the last two months.
But, now, I am setting a new, much more ambitious goal! I start "Ripped in 30" on Friday, April 1st. My goal is to finish the video by May 4th! (why May 4th? Because I'll be in Washington D.C. for four days in the middle of April, and want to take a rest, not to mention the fact that when you visit D.C., you're on your feet most of the day anyway). (UPDATE 4/1: end date is now April 30, as I can do 24 workouts in that period of time, with an extended break for DC, which works well b/c I can then start the 6-week six pack on May 1st)
This video has 4 levels, with one level for each week. Jillian wants you to take a day off each week for each level, so I might set the goal at 24-27 workouts, instead of 30, but we'll see. (Now that I've done the first workout, I see that she wants you to do 5-6 workouts each week, so I am aiming to do 6 workouts for each week/level) To get me motivated right away, my goal is to finish week 1 and 2, level 1 and 2, before I go on my trip, which essentially means that I will have only 1 day off in 13 days. We'll see how it goes. (The first day was not easy, but not impossible either, at least as compared to how hard it would have been in February. Week one for six days straight should be fine)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Workout Update
As I said here - my goal was to do 30 workouts of the 30-Day Shred Video. I tracked my progress both on the sidebar of this blog, and on the whiteboard on the refrigerator (I'll post a picture when I finish). I have 8 more workouts to go before it is over. I wish it could have gone faster, but it goes to show how hard it can be to be motivated to workout, and I can see that the end is near!
I just took my longest break to date, but I got back on it today and did Level 3 from beginning to end for the first time. I hope that the new level will give me enough mental stimulation to keep me going to the end, because I could feel the boredom set in on Level 2, and my body was getting used the movements.
Level 3 is no joke. Most of the movements have modifications to make the move easier, and I had to use those modifications for at least a quarter of the movements. But in doing Level 3, I also saw that my cardio is SO MUCH BETTER than when I started, it's amazing. I just wasn't dying like I was when I started Level 2. So, there was much to be happy about, and much that will present a challenge as I finish this DVD.
The good thing is I was smart enough to realize that I would get sick of the 30-Day shred, so I already have two more Jillian Michaels DVDs to try: The 6-Week 6 Pack, and her brand-new video - "Ripped in 30." My next goal is to do "Ripped in 30" in 30-40 days, and I hope the fact that it's 4 levels instead of 3 will help.
The real exciting thing for me, is how much I've seen results. The fact is, my stomach is much smaller and flatter than when I started. I can feel my abs, and my butt is more toned. Level 3 has a lot of movements that will work my quads and hamstrings so I'm excited to see some more tone in that region. And, I just feel fit, more able to move around, and more healthy. Walking around NYC was so easy last week, and I know that is because of this fitness plan. I hope to focus more on weight loss when I start "Ripped in 30," which comes with a meal plan (because, lets be honest, I have a significant amount to lose), but I am making progress in converting fat to muscle which improves my metabolism, so all things considered, progress has been made :-).
After I finish the 30 Day Shred, it's doubtful that I'll want to look at it again for awhile. My mom has a copy of it as well, so if anyone wants to try it, let me know and I'd be happy to send it to you! It's also available at Wal-Mart, Target, and on Amazon for a good price. All you need is 3 lb weights, and it's only 30 minutes. I think it's extremely effective and encourage anyone to try it.
I just took my longest break to date, but I got back on it today and did Level 3 from beginning to end for the first time. I hope that the new level will give me enough mental stimulation to keep me going to the end, because I could feel the boredom set in on Level 2, and my body was getting used the movements.
Level 3 is no joke. Most of the movements have modifications to make the move easier, and I had to use those modifications for at least a quarter of the movements. But in doing Level 3, I also saw that my cardio is SO MUCH BETTER than when I started, it's amazing. I just wasn't dying like I was when I started Level 2. So, there was much to be happy about, and much that will present a challenge as I finish this DVD.
The good thing is I was smart enough to realize that I would get sick of the 30-Day shred, so I already have two more Jillian Michaels DVDs to try: The 6-Week 6 Pack, and her brand-new video - "Ripped in 30." My next goal is to do "Ripped in 30" in 30-40 days, and I hope the fact that it's 4 levels instead of 3 will help.
The real exciting thing for me, is how much I've seen results. The fact is, my stomach is much smaller and flatter than when I started. I can feel my abs, and my butt is more toned. Level 3 has a lot of movements that will work my quads and hamstrings so I'm excited to see some more tone in that region. And, I just feel fit, more able to move around, and more healthy. Walking around NYC was so easy last week, and I know that is because of this fitness plan. I hope to focus more on weight loss when I start "Ripped in 30," which comes with a meal plan (because, lets be honest, I have a significant amount to lose), but I am making progress in converting fat to muscle which improves my metabolism, so all things considered, progress has been made :-).
After I finish the 30 Day Shred, it's doubtful that I'll want to look at it again for awhile. My mom has a copy of it as well, so if anyone wants to try it, let me know and I'd be happy to send it to you! It's also available at Wal-Mart, Target, and on Amazon for a good price. All you need is 3 lb weights, and it's only 30 minutes. I think it's extremely effective and encourage anyone to try it.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Jillian Michaels - Kicking my "you know what" in 20 minute increments
Most of you know that I have been overweight ever since college, and that it is this huge life hindrance that I've been trying to overcome. I'm currently doing Weight Watchers from home using their eTools, and have had some early success.
I've also discovered that watching people achieve dramatic weight loss on television has the effect of getting me to be motivated in my weight loss. Randomly one night, we started watching The Biggest Loser and we're totally hooked! Then, completely randomly, I saw an ad for a Jillian Michaels workout DVD. I walked over to Wal-Mart (yes, I live a block from a Wal-Mart, but we never go b/c we're a little elitist when it comes to shopping), and they had one of her DVDs, the 30-Day Shred. I bought that, plus some 3 lb weights, and put the DVD in that night.
I LOVE her workouts! They remind me of the short period of time I worked with a trainer, very similar moves and similar level of intensity. The video is only about 28 minutes, of which 20 minutes are high intensity. 7 workouts in, I'm already seeing substantial improvement in my strength, endurance, and muscle tone, and have official graduated from Level 1 to Level 2 (If I do Level 3 as well as I can do Level 1 now in 5 weeks, I will have exceeded my expectations). My goal is to finish 30 workouts in 7-8 weeks, and then move on to the "6 week Six Pack," another Jillian DVD. But I will say, they are effective and efficient workouts, and I see Jillian in a completely different way now on the TV show!
I originally planned to minimize my workouts while I lose my first quarter of weight loss, but I have to say, I'm glad I found something that I can do from home that is as efficient as this, and I am enjoying the challenge so far. The soreness is not fun, but feeling strong is :-)
Update 2/23: I just finished my 11th workout, after 3 days off the video. It was an odd mixture of easy and hard, but I am happy to be more than 1/3 done!
I've also discovered that watching people achieve dramatic weight loss on television has the effect of getting me to be motivated in my weight loss. Randomly one night, we started watching The Biggest Loser and we're totally hooked! Then, completely randomly, I saw an ad for a Jillian Michaels workout DVD. I walked over to Wal-Mart (yes, I live a block from a Wal-Mart, but we never go b/c we're a little elitist when it comes to shopping), and they had one of her DVDs, the 30-Day Shred. I bought that, plus some 3 lb weights, and put the DVD in that night.
I LOVE her workouts! They remind me of the short period of time I worked with a trainer, very similar moves and similar level of intensity. The video is only about 28 minutes, of which 20 minutes are high intensity. 7 workouts in, I'm already seeing substantial improvement in my strength, endurance, and muscle tone, and have official graduated from Level 1 to Level 2 (If I do Level 3 as well as I can do Level 1 now in 5 weeks, I will have exceeded my expectations). My goal is to finish 30 workouts in 7-8 weeks, and then move on to the "6 week Six Pack," another Jillian DVD. But I will say, they are effective and efficient workouts, and I see Jillian in a completely different way now on the TV show!
I originally planned to minimize my workouts while I lose my first quarter of weight loss, but I have to say, I'm glad I found something that I can do from home that is as efficient as this, and I am enjoying the challenge so far. The soreness is not fun, but feeling strong is :-)
Update 2/23: I just finished my 11th workout, after 3 days off the video. It was an odd mixture of easy and hard, but I am happy to be more than 1/3 done!
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