Hello!
Well, following my checklist of what to do last week paid off! I am down 2.2 pounds today, losing the weight that I gained last week plus a little extra. I've been focusing on working out almost everyday (five days this week), drinking a lot more water, and staying under my 1500 calorie limit each day. We even had a splurge day- Tim and I went to Applebees Monday after our lunch shift. We went for the $5.99 burgers, and happened to hit happy hour as well. We went a little crazy, and got burgers, mozzarella sticks, and I had a margarita. It was wonderful after a rough shift at work, and nice to not think about the calories for a little bit.
I was immediately filled with guilt after we splurged. We also aren't used to having that heavy food anymore, so we promptly passed out when we got home. After the nap, I hit the gym for the second time that day, doing 35 minutes on the bike in the morning and 25 in the evening. To top off the day, we went for frozen yogurt (we did walk there- about 1/2 mile). Total calories for that day were very high, about 2400! I burned about 800 at the gym, and serving averages about 150-230 calories burned per hour, so I ended up breaking even. Still, it is crazy to think that used to be a regular day for us- without the exercise. Now, when we go over on food for the day, I make sure to make up for it. I'm ok working off the food, as it allows me to break the healthy food cycle every now and then. Days like that also serve as a reminder to how easy it would be to slip back. 2400 calories is about 2/3 of a pound. If we didn't work out, I could easily have gained about a half pound (theoretically) in one day! I also recognized how terrible I felt after eating. We fell asleep almost immediately after returning home- I felt so sluggish, and had to make myself go back down to workout again. I have gotten used to feeling better everyday, and I don't want to give that up for burgers!
This week, we are planning on trying out this recipe I found on Women's Health Magazine for a healthy version of Arroz con Pollo. We will also be walking to the frozen yogurt place down the street a night or two this week. As long as we don't pile on the toppings, an 8 ounce serving only has 110 calories, and it's delicious! This coming from a girl who loves ice cream- got hooked on it from a young age. This is just as good, and we walk there and back, so it's not a terrible treat to have!
I am hoping to be officially down a size within a month. I can fit into one size smaller jeans, but they are a little snug for how I like the fit. I have lost three inches around my waist (so it looks like I am curvy), an inch around my hips, belly and boobs, and about a half inch each from my neck and arms. That's a total loss of seven inches!! Sadly, I haven't lost anything from my legs yet, but I'm really looking forward to it!
I hope this is helping some of you get motivated to be healthier! If I can manage to lose weight without feeling like I'm suffering, I know anyone can! Feel free to ask any questions, or comment any tips of your own! I still haven't worked out with the website how to comment anonymously from smartphones, but hopefully that bug will be worked out with blogger!
(you may be able to if you go to the full site version on your phone)
Have a great week!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Perks!
Hey everyone!
Sorry I missed yesterday, I try to write every Wednesday after my meetings and weigh-in, when everything is fresh in my brain. I had to meet with my bank yesterday because they kept calling me... to help me avoid my monthly service charges. Never had a bank do that!! It was awesome. The woman also helped show me where I can start saving, paying off debt, and improving my credit. Thanks Wells Fargo! Because of that meeting, and because I'm one of those weirdos who loves making budgets, lists, and plans (see fitness goal), I spent the three hours after the meeting, before work, working on financial planning. I am now set up to either be extremely poor or extremely stable- money-wise.
To move into weight-loss talk, I have to admit that I gained a pound this week. 1.4 pounds to be exact. I stayed under my calories, but instead of working out everyday, I did three 1 1/2 hour sessions in the gym. I did a lot more strength training than normal, doing full circuits of weight-lifting followed by about 35-45 minutes of cardio. Each session burned about 700-800 calories.
We also worked less hours than normal last week, as we had just paid rent, just got our student loan rebate, and had an opportunity to take three days off in a row- so we did!
Because serving burns a lot more calories than I factor in, I ended up gaining a bit back. I know that some of it is muscle weight, and I'm ok with gaining, as long as I'm losing more often (which I am). Gaining some weeks is completely normal! They tell me at TOPS, "no one loses every week." When I do gain, I make a list of things I'm going to focus on this week, including: staying under my calories everyday, balancing out a hard workout (cardio + strength) with a day of just cardio, not giving away any shifts all week (which will keep me burning calories all day), and drinking more water than I did before. Gaining doesn't make me feel frustrated, I use it to get more motivated. I want to win my biggest loser dollar next week!
With financial planning, and since we've been eating healthier, Costco has become our new friend. We buy all our meat in bulk, freeze it, and try to make dinner at home. We went today and got 20 dinners worth of meat, 10 pounds each of taters and onions, 2 dozen eggs, and a gigantic bucket of cottage cheese for under a hundred big ones!! We are set up for healthy eating for a while again.
One of my biggest reasons for not losing weight in the past is that I didn't want to lose out on cooking. We love to cook. We eat at home almost every night, and cook as much as we can. We both come from families that sat down to eat together every night, which was weird to do when I was in grade school. We do it now. The surprise of losing weight and trying healthier things, is that we get to try a lot of new recipes. We experiment in the kitchen a lot more, and have found some healthy staples. I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of our favorite dinners we rotate through:
I haven't been missing out on cooking, we have just been finding different things to make. I definitely miss making fried chicken, homemade pizza, and snacks that we always refer to as "super bowl food." But, when we get a craving for them, we try to make healthier versions, or just make it in smaller amounts. Eating healthier hasn't deprived me of kitchen time, we've just gotten craftier in there.
The last perk I want to talk about is energy. I've mentioned before how much more of it I have. And, something that our leader at TOPS said got me thinking: he mentioned that he doesn't like to workout because he wants to have time to relax, or just kick back on the couch. I used to think the same way. Why would I want to waste an hour at the gym, and an hour showering, when I could have two hours on the couch? It sounds like a bad deal. After working out regularly, I realized I'm not losing one hour of feeling better by not exercising. The hour of exercising sucks- but I feel good doing it. I feel powerful, and awesome. I do not feel those things on the couch. Plus, the exercising gives me a good feeling the rest of the day. I've accomplished something, and made myself better. I get all those hours in the day of feeling strong and healthy. I'm not losing an hour of relaxing, I'm getting a day's worth of awesome. I'll trade that hour in the gym for that satisfied feeling every single time.
Hope everyone has a good week!!
Sorry I missed yesterday, I try to write every Wednesday after my meetings and weigh-in, when everything is fresh in my brain. I had to meet with my bank yesterday because they kept calling me... to help me avoid my monthly service charges. Never had a bank do that!! It was awesome. The woman also helped show me where I can start saving, paying off debt, and improving my credit. Thanks Wells Fargo! Because of that meeting, and because I'm one of those weirdos who loves making budgets, lists, and plans (see fitness goal), I spent the three hours after the meeting, before work, working on financial planning. I am now set up to either be extremely poor or extremely stable- money-wise.
To move into weight-loss talk, I have to admit that I gained a pound this week. 1.4 pounds to be exact. I stayed under my calories, but instead of working out everyday, I did three 1 1/2 hour sessions in the gym. I did a lot more strength training than normal, doing full circuits of weight-lifting followed by about 35-45 minutes of cardio. Each session burned about 700-800 calories.
We also worked less hours than normal last week, as we had just paid rent, just got our student loan rebate, and had an opportunity to take three days off in a row- so we did!
Because serving burns a lot more calories than I factor in, I ended up gaining a bit back. I know that some of it is muscle weight, and I'm ok with gaining, as long as I'm losing more often (which I am). Gaining some weeks is completely normal! They tell me at TOPS, "no one loses every week." When I do gain, I make a list of things I'm going to focus on this week, including: staying under my calories everyday, balancing out a hard workout (cardio + strength) with a day of just cardio, not giving away any shifts all week (which will keep me burning calories all day), and drinking more water than I did before. Gaining doesn't make me feel frustrated, I use it to get more motivated. I want to win my biggest loser dollar next week!
With financial planning, and since we've been eating healthier, Costco has become our new friend. We buy all our meat in bulk, freeze it, and try to make dinner at home. We went today and got 20 dinners worth of meat, 10 pounds each of taters and onions, 2 dozen eggs, and a gigantic bucket of cottage cheese for under a hundred big ones!! We are set up for healthy eating for a while again.
One of my biggest reasons for not losing weight in the past is that I didn't want to lose out on cooking. We love to cook. We eat at home almost every night, and cook as much as we can. We both come from families that sat down to eat together every night, which was weird to do when I was in grade school. We do it now. The surprise of losing weight and trying healthier things, is that we get to try a lot of new recipes. We experiment in the kitchen a lot more, and have found some healthy staples. I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of our favorite dinners we rotate through:
Spicy chicken with cumin, over brown rice with cilantro, lime, avocado. With sautéed green beans with garlic.
Roasted veggies. Just toss a pan full of vegetables with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for about 40 mins. Some nights this is all we have for dinner. It's that good.
Spicy pork chops (we use cumin a lot) with sweet corn, and our favorite veggie: the green bean with garlic. Seriously- eat it.
I love pierogis (best recipe I've found for them). However, they are problematic: 1. They are a ton of work. 2. They are not good for you.
This is a healthier, faster version of them. I still use a mix of dry cottage cheese and egg for the filling, but stuff them in wonton wrappers instead. You can cook them with just a little bit of oil or butter, no need to boil first with these (or make the extremely temperamental dough).
I haven't been missing out on cooking, we have just been finding different things to make. I definitely miss making fried chicken, homemade pizza, and snacks that we always refer to as "super bowl food." But, when we get a craving for them, we try to make healthier versions, or just make it in smaller amounts. Eating healthier hasn't deprived me of kitchen time, we've just gotten craftier in there.
The last perk I want to talk about is energy. I've mentioned before how much more of it I have. And, something that our leader at TOPS said got me thinking: he mentioned that he doesn't like to workout because he wants to have time to relax, or just kick back on the couch. I used to think the same way. Why would I want to waste an hour at the gym, and an hour showering, when I could have two hours on the couch? It sounds like a bad deal. After working out regularly, I realized I'm not losing one hour of feeling better by not exercising. The hour of exercising sucks- but I feel good doing it. I feel powerful, and awesome. I do not feel those things on the couch. Plus, the exercising gives me a good feeling the rest of the day. I've accomplished something, and made myself better. I get all those hours in the day of feeling strong and healthy. I'm not losing an hour of relaxing, I'm getting a day's worth of awesome. I'll trade that hour in the gym for that satisfied feeling every single time.
Hope everyone has a good week!!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Loser! With Photos!
Hey everyone!
I'm down 16 pounds... sixteen!! I lost 1.4 this week, we cheated a bit on food. Tim was sick all week, and it was easier some nights to pick up dinner from Chipotle, or make something quick at home. We also tried a new recipe for Barbacoa, and that was pretty hefty calorie count. It was super good though. We did some experimenting in the kitchen. First we did the barbacoa, which was a new recipe for us. It was so good!! Tim had the leftovers for dinner the next day, and I'm sure that's what got rid of his cold. We also tried substituting greek yogurt for oil in a boxed brownie recipe. I love baking, and I really miss doing it. I have always liked baking and cooking, but with baking I never eat the treats. Unless it's Texas Sheet Cake. Then I'll eat the whole thing. I'll have cake for breakfast, I have no restraint or shame. But brownies, I don't really see the big deal about them, I just like to make them, and Tim eats them all. So we thought we'd try a substitution from my list last week, and we subbed out 3/4 cup oil for 1/2 cup greek yogurt and two tablespoons of oil. Tim is still eating the brownies, but I like them even less than normal brownies. They came out with a weird texture- a little tougher, kind of chewy (not in the good way) and I know people hate this word- moist. They were shiny on top. You know how brownies get that cracked top when they are perfect? Not these. And they get shinier every day. They taste more like really heavy cake than brownies. I would not recommend this substitution. Texture is a really big deal. Saving 1,000 calories isn't worth it if it doesn't taste good.
So, as you've figured out, I have TOPS meetings on Wednesdays, and we weigh in. I've been the "biggest loser" for two weeks in a row there. Sometimes I don't think it is fair- I'm competing against women 40+ years older than me. It's just easier for me to lose weight, I can do a lot more exercises than they can. Anyway, I won my dollar and change, last week for 2.8 pounds, and this week for 1.4. That's a loss of 6.6 pounds lost in the past three weeks! I've been exercising about six days a week with cardio, and I'll do a walk or yoga on the seventh day. I've also incorporated weight training two days a week- I think I gained some muscle this past week. I thought I'd include my "before" picture that I took my first week of TOPS, and show you what 16 pounds lost looks like on someone who is already bigger.
I'm down 16 pounds... sixteen!! I lost 1.4 this week, we cheated a bit on food. Tim was sick all week, and it was easier some nights to pick up dinner from Chipotle, or make something quick at home. We also tried a new recipe for Barbacoa, and that was pretty hefty calorie count. It was super good though. We did some experimenting in the kitchen. First we did the barbacoa, which was a new recipe for us. It was so good!! Tim had the leftovers for dinner the next day, and I'm sure that's what got rid of his cold. We also tried substituting greek yogurt for oil in a boxed brownie recipe. I love baking, and I really miss doing it. I have always liked baking and cooking, but with baking I never eat the treats. Unless it's Texas Sheet Cake. Then I'll eat the whole thing. I'll have cake for breakfast, I have no restraint or shame. But brownies, I don't really see the big deal about them, I just like to make them, and Tim eats them all. So we thought we'd try a substitution from my list last week, and we subbed out 3/4 cup oil for 1/2 cup greek yogurt and two tablespoons of oil. Tim is still eating the brownies, but I like them even less than normal brownies. They came out with a weird texture- a little tougher, kind of chewy (not in the good way) and I know people hate this word- moist. They were shiny on top. You know how brownies get that cracked top when they are perfect? Not these. And they get shinier every day. They taste more like really heavy cake than brownies. I would not recommend this substitution. Texture is a really big deal. Saving 1,000 calories isn't worth it if it doesn't taste good.
So, as you've figured out, I have TOPS meetings on Wednesdays, and we weigh in. I've been the "biggest loser" for two weeks in a row there. Sometimes I don't think it is fair- I'm competing against women 40+ years older than me. It's just easier for me to lose weight, I can do a lot more exercises than they can. Anyway, I won my dollar and change, last week for 2.8 pounds, and this week for 1.4. That's a loss of 6.6 pounds lost in the past three weeks! I've been exercising about six days a week with cardio, and I'll do a walk or yoga on the seventh day. I've also incorporated weight training two days a week- I think I gained some muscle this past week. I thought I'd include my "before" picture that I took my first week of TOPS, and show you what 16 pounds lost looks like on someone who is already bigger.
Those are obviously my before shots... Here are my current photos, please ignore the mess, I am cleaning out our hallway closets :)
Also, please ignore the dorky smile on this side shot, I was getting a little impatient with the posing.
I can definitely see the progress this way! I'm getting there, and have a long way to go, but sometimes it feels like you're just standing still- I know that I'm losing though. My pants are now too baggy, but I'm not small enough for the next size down. My clothes are fitting better, and these used to be pants that I couldn't wear without a really baggy shirt! Now they fit nicely!!
It feels awesome to be losing! If you're looking for support, I'm here! If I can do it, you can!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Losing!!
Hello!
I hope everyone is feeling great! I've made some progress with the weight loss!! I had hit a wall for about two weeks, and am finally seeing some changes! People at work are noticing a difference, and some of my clothes are fitting bigger. I've really noticed a change in my face- it looks smaller than before!! I've lost 15 pounds total, and 8 since I've been going to TOPS meetings. I can't say how much TOPS has helped me. The support I get from all of the members, and knowing that I have to weigh in every week is a huge motivating factor. It's really wonderful to go to a group where everyone is always happy to see you, always is supportive and encouraging, and shares their tips.
I have been focusing on making small changes everyday to reach my goal. I worked on, and finished my motivation wall/center in my apartment. Here are some pictures:
I hope everyone is feeling great! I've made some progress with the weight loss!! I had hit a wall for about two weeks, and am finally seeing some changes! People at work are noticing a difference, and some of my clothes are fitting bigger. I've really noticed a change in my face- it looks smaller than before!! I've lost 15 pounds total, and 8 since I've been going to TOPS meetings. I can't say how much TOPS has helped me. The support I get from all of the members, and knowing that I have to weigh in every week is a huge motivating factor. It's really wonderful to go to a group where everyone is always happy to see you, always is supportive and encouraging, and shares their tips.
I have been focusing on making small changes everyday to reach my goal. I worked on, and finished my motivation wall/center in my apartment. Here are some pictures:
I picked up some poster board, and put this on my hallway closet door, here is a closer shot of the white board, the blue has my fitness challenge, and our local rec center's class schedules.
I hung up a couple outfits I want to fit into soon.. these aren't my goal size, but it's progress and I want to fit into them anyway!
Having these hung up where I have to see them everyday really keeps me on track. It's hard to snack on something bad for me when my jeans are staring me in the face. They're also just one size smaller, which I can fit into, but not comfortably. When I fit into these nicely, I will replace them with a size smaller until I get to my goal.
I've been doing what you're supposed to do when losing weight- nothing more or less. I've been eating better food, a lot more veggies, a lot less processed food. I've been working out everyday, taking one day a week to "rest" with just walking or doing yoga. I've been drinking a lot of water, and have cut out almost all other drinks. If I get a craving for something, I eat it- in a small amount, and move on. We did splurge last night and ordered pizza- stuffed crust no less.
I'm hoping to keep up with the losing each week!!
Also, I thought I'd include the presentation I gave last week at TOPS, it just includes some motivation tips I found online, with the sites where I found them listed above each section. There's some recipe substitutions as well. Hopefully a few of them help!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
It's working!
Hi everyone!
After almost two weeks of my fitness challenge, I'm seeing progress on the scale!! At TOPS this week, I was down 2.4 pounds! Running is working! I'm still not fast, but I am now down to a 12 minute mile, and can run for about half the time I'm on the treadmill. I am extremely grateful for the group at work, and the leader of our challenge who got me to believe that I can run. This is the most weight that I have lost in a week since starting with TOPS and I can't believe it.
I have been drinking about as much water as I can get in everyday. So much so that I pretty much always have to run to the restroom. Sorry to anyone who sits in my section at work- I gotta stay hydrated!
I am making a motivation wall for myself in the apartment. I've got my poster board and calendar, and small goals I want to have on it. Right now, I've been focusing on "earning my showers." It's really making a difference! It's such a dorky thing to think about, but it's helped me stay motivated. Disclaimer: I hate showering. I think a fair amount of women do. It's a lot of work. I have a lot of hairs, it takes a long time, it is cold, and it's a lot of work after- all of the grooming. But, changing how I think about showering, instead of a chore, to something that I only get if I workout and sweat, makes me feel pretty badass. I have to earn the privilege of showering. I don't get to shower unless I'm smelly (I realize this is lame, but whatever works).
I finally downloaded a countdown app on my phone, and I set up a countdown until our move out day- which is two days after my birthday. I want to be under 200 pounds by that day. There's no real reason why I picked then, but it was just a date that is already significant- so it will help me remember. I think I chose a pretty good image for the countdown:
I am also going to hang up an outfit I want to be able to fit into. I have plenty from what I've gained in the past few years, so there may be a couple in my apartment, but I will use that as motivation to keep myself in check. I have been working out and eating better long enough now that it doesn't feel like something I have to dwell on. I'm getting to the point where it feels normal now, which is really exciting. Junk food is much less appealing now than at the beginning. I don't want to sweat my ass off everyday just to ruin it with something terrible to eat. I am worried about turning into one of those crazy health people- I'm drinking almond milk and putting soy protein powder in smoothies, I could easily turn to the dark side.
Participating in this fitness challenge has really helped get me on the right track, keep me motivated, and given me an idea of what I can accomplish. I never thought I could run, and here I am, getting faster every day I do it. I didn't think I could stay under 1500 calories a day, but I am. And I am losing.
After almost two weeks of my fitness challenge, I'm seeing progress on the scale!! At TOPS this week, I was down 2.4 pounds! Running is working! I'm still not fast, but I am now down to a 12 minute mile, and can run for about half the time I'm on the treadmill. I am extremely grateful for the group at work, and the leader of our challenge who got me to believe that I can run. This is the most weight that I have lost in a week since starting with TOPS and I can't believe it.
I have been drinking about as much water as I can get in everyday. So much so that I pretty much always have to run to the restroom. Sorry to anyone who sits in my section at work- I gotta stay hydrated!
I am making a motivation wall for myself in the apartment. I've got my poster board and calendar, and small goals I want to have on it. Right now, I've been focusing on "earning my showers." It's really making a difference! It's such a dorky thing to think about, but it's helped me stay motivated. Disclaimer: I hate showering. I think a fair amount of women do. It's a lot of work. I have a lot of hairs, it takes a long time, it is cold, and it's a lot of work after- all of the grooming. But, changing how I think about showering, instead of a chore, to something that I only get if I workout and sweat, makes me feel pretty badass. I have to earn the privilege of showering. I don't get to shower unless I'm smelly (I realize this is lame, but whatever works).
I finally downloaded a countdown app on my phone, and I set up a countdown until our move out day- which is two days after my birthday. I want to be under 200 pounds by that day. There's no real reason why I picked then, but it was just a date that is already significant- so it will help me remember. I think I chose a pretty good image for the countdown:
I am also going to hang up an outfit I want to be able to fit into. I have plenty from what I've gained in the past few years, so there may be a couple in my apartment, but I will use that as motivation to keep myself in check. I have been working out and eating better long enough now that it doesn't feel like something I have to dwell on. I'm getting to the point where it feels normal now, which is really exciting. Junk food is much less appealing now than at the beginning. I don't want to sweat my ass off everyday just to ruin it with something terrible to eat. I am worried about turning into one of those crazy health people- I'm drinking almond milk and putting soy protein powder in smoothies, I could easily turn to the dark side.
Participating in this fitness challenge has really helped get me on the right track, keep me motivated, and given me an idea of what I can accomplish. I never thought I could run, and here I am, getting faster every day I do it. I didn't think I could stay under 1500 calories a day, but I am. And I am losing.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
"Progress"
Hey everyone!
I'm still doing my challenge- but I think it should be a "fitness" challenge instead of a "running" challenge. My legs really aren't running legs yet. It gets really hard on the joints, and I don't want to be walking around like an old lady yet. Here is my journal from where we last left off:
I'm still doing my challenge- but I think it should be a "fitness" challenge instead of a "running" challenge. My legs really aren't running legs yet. It gets really hard on the joints, and I don't want to be walking around like an old lady yet. Here is my journal from where we last left off:
Day six: I went a little bit longer today! I ran for 23 minutes, and kept up with the warm up for three minutes, then intervals of 2 minutes after that. I’m getting faster little by little every day! My pace today was 13.29 minute miles, so I went 1.73 miles! I’m hoping to be up to two miles next week, in about 25 minutes. I wanted to push myself today to go 25 minutes, but I don’t want to push too hard and have to stop. I also went to the grocery store today and got healthy food, because I gained one pound at TOPS today, and I don’t want to be doing all this running and sweating for nothing.
Day Seven: I opted for the bike instead of a run today. Running is hard on the hips and knees. I figured I’d give them a bit of a break. To keep up with exercising, I went for 35 minutes and did just over seven miles, with higher resistance on the bike. Thanks to the running, I’ve built up more cardio strength. I was able to do much higher resistance than normal for both rest and work periods.
Day Eight: I got up to two miles today!! I really, really didn’t want to work out. I almost skipped it for a nap. A nap wouldn’t have gotten me as sweaty, but I also am really proud of getting up to two miles- at 24:54!!! I kept going, and did my last rest interval, for a total of 26 minutes, 2.07 miles. I’m down to under 13 minute miles!! Much better than the 15+ minute mile I started with (or the 17 minute mile outside). 12.56 minute miles to be exact!! I am very glad I worked out when I wanted to do anything but that. I made myself put on the shoes, and said I was just going to do a short workout. I ended up doing my longest and farthest run (so far). Keep at it!!
I am getting a little discouraged with my weight loss so far. I've been working out way more than I ever have (which was pretty much nothing), we have cut out all fast food, and judging by my "cheat days," we've cut out about 800-1000 calories on a daily basis. I've also cut back on beer- I didn't drink a lot before, but now I don't drink any. With all of this that we've cut out, and all the work I've been doing, I haven't had a lot of progress. I'm still only down about ten pounds from my heaviest at the beginning of the year, and have only gone down about three pounds since I joined TOPS. It's very frustrating!!!
We sometimes go out to eat, and I'm sure that doesn't help, but overall, we've made a drastic change in what we eat, and I'm really sad about the lack of results.
On the plus side, I've never been able to do a mile in 12.5 minutes, and today I did two of them! I know my heart is getting in better shape, and I am getting healthier. But can't I get healthier and lose some pounds?
Anyway, things that I've been doing to hopefully be down this week are: stocking up on healthy lunch things. We've been having turkey wraps on either spinach tortillas or using lettuce wraps, with soup or cottage cheese for lunch. We've also been getting back into our smoothie kick. I now know that I can eat lettuce wraps, and that I like almond milk. We put it in our smoothies, and I put some in coffee or hot chocolate when I have a cup.
I have also been getting better at recognizing when I am hungry versus when I want to eat. It gets pretty difficult sometimes to stay under 1500 calories, but I really do try! We have also been trying to take out dinner from the freezer in the morning, and prep meals before we go to work so we have no excuse to make dinner at home.
I hope some of this is helping with your weight loss goals!
Also, I've discovered that mobile commenting isn't working as "anonymous," but it works to comment if you are on a computer. Don't know why that is- but feel free to email me! eringesine@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Running Challenge Progress!
Hey all,
So I started a 21 day challenge to run every day. I'm very much a beginner, so it's been difficult, and I already missed a day due to pain. I'm working through it, and it is making me feel pretty good about myself. I've been keeping a daily journal after each run, and here it is so far:
Day five: Back to the treadmill today. I picked up the pace a bit, and ran 1.44 miles in 20 minutes. I’m trying to decrease my rest interval times, so I warmed up for three minutes today, then did 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off for the rest of the run. This is difficult, and very challenging for me, but something about it also makes me feel strong. Running through the shin splints, sweat, and past the voice in my head saying “stop!” makes me feel pretty powerful.
I'm getting faster on the treadmill and am able to shorten my rest periods, which makes me feel pretty badass. Tomorrow is TOPS, so I'll see at weigh-in how it's working. We haven't been as diligent with our food as we have in the past, but we are slowly getting back on track.
I'm also working on a presentation for TOPS, every week someone does about a 20-30 minute talk on anything weight-loss related, and it's my turn next week! I have it done, if it goes over well, I'll post it here.
If you want to come along for a weight loss challenge, let me know!!
Also, I've had a few people tell me they've had problems commenting directly on the blog- I removed the word verification part, if it helps, comment! If it doesn't, email me! eringesine@gmail.com
Thanks! Talk to you soon!
So I started a 21 day challenge to run every day. I'm very much a beginner, so it's been difficult, and I already missed a day due to pain. I'm working through it, and it is making me feel pretty good about myself. I've been keeping a daily journal after each run, and here it is so far:
Day one: I “ran” about a 15.4 minute mile. Last time I ran- around my birthday last year, I was at 17 minute miles, so its better. All the cycling I’ve been doing has helped a bit with my cardio strength. I was able to run for two minutes straight, and could have gone a little more, but I don’t want to go too hard and have to stop before the challenge is even over. I’m happy with being able to run for two minutes at a time! Before, when I’ve tried running, it was a struggle to get to 30 seconds at a time- even when I was in better shape than I am now! So, I warmed up for five minutes walking, ran for two then walked for three. I repeated until I got to twenty minutes. I’m planning on running twenty minutes each day the first week, 25 the second week, and 30 the third week. If I can manage that through this challenge, I will then start focusing on shaving time off my pace. My legs feel like jello, and I was a little dizzy when I stepped off the treadmill, but more water before I run will help that!
Day two: My time went down a bit, today I did a 14.19 minute mile. It’s not great or anything, but for me, I’ll take it. My shins hurt a bit when I was on the treadmill, but I think they’re just more sore than anything. To be safe, one day a week during my running challenge, I’m going to get on the bike instead of the treadmill. I know that it isn’t running, but I’m hoping it will help with stretching out my legs. They’ve never really run before. I kept with the run two minutes, walk three minutes thing today, but I upped the speed a bit, where my “rest” periods were at a brisker pace, and my “work” periods were a bit faster, about a 5.7 on the machine- about 10 minute miles. I wasn’t dizzy this time, and ran a bit later in the afternoon, after eating breakfast and having a couple glasses of water, and binge-watching The Following. I definitely need to find some stretches and exercises to get my knees stronger, they are sore.
Day three: I skipped today. :( I didn’t want to! I busted my toe up real nice at work and it was too swollen to get into my running shoes. The group at work I’m doing the challenge with is starting tomorrow, so I’ll “start” with them.
Day four: I ran outside today. It was difficult. It’s pretty hilly by my place, and my toe was still in bad shape. It hurt to jog, so I mostly walked. I went about 1.5 miles in 25 minutes, and only made it through one “work” period of about 1 ½ minutes. I am glad that I went for a run, but I will stick to the treadmill for right now. As a beginner, it is nice to be able to set a pace, and see the timer for each rest and work set. I like knowing exactly how fast I am going at each interval.
Day five: Back to the treadmill today. I picked up the pace a bit, and ran 1.44 miles in 20 minutes. I’m trying to decrease my rest interval times, so I warmed up for three minutes today, then did 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off for the rest of the run. This is difficult, and very challenging for me, but something about it also makes me feel strong. Running through the shin splints, sweat, and past the voice in my head saying “stop!” makes me feel pretty powerful.
I'm getting faster on the treadmill and am able to shorten my rest periods, which makes me feel pretty badass. Tomorrow is TOPS, so I'll see at weigh-in how it's working. We haven't been as diligent with our food as we have in the past, but we are slowly getting back on track.
I'm also working on a presentation for TOPS, every week someone does about a 20-30 minute talk on anything weight-loss related, and it's my turn next week! I have it done, if it goes over well, I'll post it here.
If you want to come along for a weight loss challenge, let me know!!
Also, I've had a few people tell me they've had problems commenting directly on the blog- I removed the word verification part, if it helps, comment! If it doesn't, email me! eringesine@gmail.com
Thanks! Talk to you soon!
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