Making Changes

I have got to make some serious changes for my health. I too few months I will be thirty. I am not looking forward to this day at all. In fact, I am a little depressed about it, but I am trying not to think about it. I have decided that I will be even more depressed about this day if I do not start making changes to my diet and start consistently exercising. I tried the Insanity. Honestly, I am not there yet, but I will be. I want to lose 29 pounds. Really, more but I would be happy with 20. Way at the bottom of my blog is a ticker of my progress.

So basic changes, I have to watch the number of calories I am eating. I have been eating with reckless abandon and that is NOT like me. The Hubs keeps recommending that I go to a nutritionist. I am all for that, but I have to do some research. I do not want to go somewhere and they are trying to give me some pills or B-12 shots as a solution. That is not for me.

I have been going to the gym, but I know that is because I am in the midst of my little break between semesters. I am going to attempt to make a conscious effort to work out 3 times a week once school starts again. Hopefully, I will be able to fit that in. When I worked different hours I would go to the gym all the time. But since I changed my hours it has decreased and decreased. I have to change that.

I also need to find some variety in my meal plans. Frankly, I am getting bored. And when that happens, I start eating crap.

And basically those are the keys to getting in shape anyway. Work out more and eat less. So that is what I gotta do.

I just need to get motivated. And that is my biggest issue. I already know that more than one day a week I cannot get up at 3:30 and work out with co-workers, but I will do it once a week. I want to work out with the Hubs, but he likes to go too late. So I just have to convince myself to go alone. As Nike says, Just do it. And I will. I have to.

Insanity

Image from extremefitnessresults.com

So the Hubs got the Insanity workout videos. And apparently he bought them for me. I thought it was something we were going to do together, but whatever. So I decided to start it today. It is the same format as the P90X that we have except it is more cardio based and you only use your body weight. I like that part because I have enough body weight to get a hellafied workout. So DAY 1 is a Fit Test that you do every two weeks to measure your progress. You are supposed to do a different exercise everyday and be done it 60 days. You workout 6 days a week for 9 weeks. I already know I am not going to get in 6 days a week. First, I do not want to work out that much. The idea is not appealing. 3-4 times a week is good to me. Second, I want to go to the gym with the Hubs once a week so I will be doing something different there. Also, I am trying to workout with some co-workers once a week. Third, I am in grad school, taking 2 classes this summer and it is very time consuming. In fact, I should be doing school work right now.

So I am going to embarrassingly post the results of my Fit Test. I guess I have no where to go but up. So as long as I improve, I should be good.

Let me tell you. I was sweating my ass off at the end of this. You do each exercise for a minute.

Switch Kicks - 78

Power Jacks - 36

Power Knees - 69

Power Jumps - 20

Globe Jumps - 6

Suicide Jumps - 11

Push-Up Jacks - 13

Low Plank Oblique - 30

A blog I read, Fitness Freak, inspired me to get started. But she is the Fitness Freak and I am...not. So her results for day 1 were WAY better than mine. At the end I hope to at least be where she is starting off.

I figure if I am realistic this is going to take me 15 weeks to complete. Maybe longer. I go on vacation next week for a full 7 days. So I will not be doing it there. Because of the couple the Hubs and I are going on vacation with we will probably work out, but it won't be Insanity. It will probably be worse.

I really want to get in shape though. And I have to find something I can commit to. Hopefully this will be it.

Getting back in the game

I have been slacking out working out for....well, since the beginning of the year. Yeah, I know, I know. I don't know what it is. I just cannot get motivated. I have been doing better since the weather has been nicer. And my plan is to actually go to the gym today. I have learned (well for me anyway) that it is a lot harder to re-start an exercise program than start from the beginning. I think this is because my expectations of myself are higher now. I know where I was and it is frustrating that I cannot just easily return to running and be where I was when i stopped. It is utterly frustrating. So I have to formulate a plan.

The planner portion of my brain (the whole thing because I am never spontaneous) needs a plan to get back into a routine. I am going to start the Couch to 5K (C25K) program again. So today when I go to the gym I am going to attempt week 4. I don't see the point of starting at the beginning because it is walking and I know I can do that for an extended period of time.

Last time I did the program I did it based on distance, this time I am going to to the time. By doing this I can easily run/jog/walk outside. It is harder to know your distance when you are outside. There are also programs for your ipod that chime over your music so you know when the the walk/run interval is up. I just think that is so cool.

So the plan is for 3x this week to:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

My run time is slower than the distance:time conversion, but my walk is faster. So, I should be able to accomplish this. Today, I am doing the treadmill though.

I also NEED to go buy a swimsuit. I am supposed to swim 300 hours in my 101 in 1001 and I have not done 1 second let alone an hour. So that is my next step.

Lose Weight the Best Way

I would have endless supplies of money if I got a penny every time someone said 'what is the best way to lose weight?' There are simple answers that will help you lose weight fast, I am sure everyone has heard them, they sound like 'go get surgery', or 'take my magic pill every day', or 'let me cast this magic spell on you to get the weight off'! There really is one answer that can come from this question if you want the truth.

It is pretty easy actually to answer 'what is the best way to lose weight?' There are two concepts that I'm sure many people already know about. The small answer is exercise, and diet, the bigger concept is what I'm going to explain with the rest of this article. I find it easier to take things apart and look at little parts of them at a time in order to find an answer that I can get my head around easier.

Definitions.com tells me that a diet is; to regulate food especially in order to improve the body's condition, or to feed according to a required regimen. It is a clear definition and tells us a great deal, but what it comes down to in the end is that a diet is simply the food you eat. This makes things easy to understand for me!

People tend to make dieting much tougher than it really needs to be and thus tend to have great big problems losing weight. They think that you have to not eat at all, quit eating your favorite foods, or do something else equally distasteful.

It seems as if a lot of people can't get those super tiny model sizes and beat them up about it, translating that into their diets! All of this is not really true though, the fact is the food you eat is vital to losing weight, and having an eating program that you can personally follow without a big problem is equally as important. There are many factors a diet can take into account such as portion sizes, or different types of the same food. Many diets on the market work really well and there are lots! You have me to do your looking for you though, so you don't need to bother doing all the footwork to find a great diet! My plan for this website is to get the best of the best diet and exercise regimens for you here so you can get them in a single place.

Is There a Way to Lose Weight Fast?

There have been quite a many individuals all over who really do want to know how to lose weight fast. Fact is this is a question that many people have asked throughout the years wanting to know what actually is needed in order to lose weight. Of course there are some general tips that one could highlight so that you would know how to lose weight fast. One thing that you need to know is that losing weight is something that will need dedication and patience. It is certainly not something that can be done overnight. A decent plan of action is required.

When you really do become interested in knowing how to lose weight fast, all you need to do is to browse the World Wide Web for more detailed information. At this point it is easy to detail a few tips which are also very important. As many fitness gurus will tell you, fat really is lost in the kitchen. You have to decide what to eat and what not to eat. Most of the food that we eat is processed junk which only helps to pile on the pounds. This is just one of the basic tips that are would answer part of your query in how to lose weight fast.

Consider another very important tip in how to lose weight fast. Exercise. It really is rather simple you see. What you must remember is that you have to burn more calories that what you actually take in. But yes, this is easier said than done. What is also necessary is that you consider some form of weight training. It is known that cardio workouts along with weight training will help you burn more calories. These two tips alone should help you know how to lose weight fast.

Once you have understood the basics of weight loss what you must remember is that there is much in the way of dedication and patience that you need to adhere to. But it will not be easy to be honest. There is much you need to do in order for you to actually make weight loss a decent success. You must also know that a few other things need to be looked into. For example your genetics and family history are integral when it comes to weight loss. Sometimes you may not be able to lose much weight due to bad genetics. But this must not deter you from at least trying to lose weight.

Living the Spirit With a Spirit Treadmill

The Spirit Treadmill has been around for more than two decades now. However, since it was not widely distributed as the other brands, the Spirit brand wasn't as popular as the rest. Then again, for some time now, the Spirit brand has been making its way as one of the most bought treadmill brands. This isn't inevitable though since the Spirit brand has a good reputation for being stable and well built which can be seen on both the product and its reviews. Some of the treadmill series which Spirit is proud of is its Esprit series, Spirit XT series, and Z series.

One of the strengths of the Spirit Treadmill is its wide variety of models. Because of this, you can surely find a treadmill that has the brand Spirit no matter what your budget is. As a matter of fact, you can find a treadmill even if your budget is below a thousand dollars. Another strong point of the brand Spirit is that it has a lengthy warranty. Most of the treadmills that are under this brand have a frame warranty of a lifetime. A motor warranty ranging from 30 years up to a lifetime can also be found. One to five years warranty for parts or electronics and one to two years warranty on labor are also being offered by this brand. However, as mentioned earlier, since the Spirit Treadmill was not widely distributed as the other brands, you might encounter some difficulty in finding this brand.

Accomplishment

Today I finished the 9-week Couch to 5K program. What a sense of achievement. I don't think I have ever committed to a workout and seen it to completion. I am proud of myself. My time sucks, but I know it will get better. That is what I am going to work on now, my speed. I also need to find the motivation to do weights. I have always liked cardio, but not running. And while I still have a love/hate relationship with running, I do like seeing the progress. Now I have to find a way to get that out of lifting weights.

On top of completing the program, I am also down 6 pounds since the beginning of October. 15 more pounds to go.

The Repercussions of being a Slacker

Well I got motivated enough to go to the gym today. It has been a while, maybe a week. I could definitely tell that I had not been in the gym in a while. I did W8D3 of the C25K program. Um, there are only 9 weeks of this program so I am very close to the end. Yeah, I was dying. I did it, but I did not look like someone who has run this distance twice. Needless to say I will be doing this distance again and then attempting week 9.

It is sad how quickly your body reverts to slackdom. Absolutely ridiculous. The way I felt tonight in the gym has motivated me though. I know I need to get in there or do some other form of physical exercise at least 3 times a week. I just want to finish this 5K program and be able to run it without walking at all. Is that too much to ask?

Slacker, Underachiever

These are words I used to use for my brother all the time when he was in school. (In the most loving way possible of course.) He was just content with getting a B in school without studying instead of studying and getting an A. How are we related?

Well now, that is me. I am in grad school and I am just not motivated. This is so not like me. If I get a B in this class, which is where I am headed, I am going to be so upset. But I cannot muster up the energy or effort to get that A.

On top of that I have been slacking on working out. I was so motivated last month with the Rocktober Challenge. But now, I don't even know what happened. I think I have worked out once this week. I am definitely working out today, so that would be twice. But I am definitely not doing what I want to be. I could make excuses, like the weather sucks right now and I just don't want to leave the house when I don't have to. That statement is true, but it is just an excuse. I have to somehow find that motivation I had last month. Oh motivation.....where are you???

I refuse to let this one bad week curtail my fitness goals. In the past, one week of no exercise would turn into months of no exercise. Not this time. Not gonna happen. I am gonna get up and do it.

That is gonna be my mantra, just get up and do it.

Rocktober Challenge/ Holiday Challenge

So I finally weighed myself. My weight seems to go up and down, so I can be positive, but I think I lost 4 pounds doing the Rocktober Challenge. If that is true, I am amazed. So now the hard part...keeping it off.

I am starting a new challenge for the rest of the year. It is based on a points system and the person at the end with the most points wins bragging rights. I am not starting off too good. I think I was a little burned out from working out 29 out of 31 days. But so far this week I have only worked out once. It is only Tuesday, so I have some time to recover, but that is not good. Fortunately for me working out is not the only way to get points.

There are points for eating home cooked meals, drinking enough water, wearing sunblock, not drinking alcohol, etc. This is more of a total body challenge as opposed to just fitness. The truth is I do not care if I win or not. I am the least competitive person I know. But somehow these challenges inspire me. I like having other people to be accountable to, not just myself.

In other fitness goals, I have 2 more weeks of the C25K program. Other people said that week 5 was the hardest and that is when the majority of people quit, but I am starting to have my difficulty now at week 8. It is definitely mental, but I cannot seem to be able to run more than 2.5 miles. I think I may be going too fast in the beginning and am burning out. So tomorrow when I go to run I am going to start off slower. I also learned that I need to listen to slower music in the beginning of my run. It helps with my breathing. So I am going to try to rearrange songs on my iPod and see if that helps as well. I am not going to give up though. I am going to complete this program and run in a 5K when I am done. That is my goal. And I would like to lose 20 more pounds. That is my ultimate goal.

So what I am going to work on for this month - eating correctly. I think I need to invest in a food scale because I think I eat healthy the majority of the time, but maybe my portions are too big. I am not a calorie counter at all so I will have to see how this works. I think I am also going to try to cut out carbs after lunch. Being a vegetarian I think this is going to be a little hard because that is where I get my filling food, but I am going to have to find alternatives.

So that is the plan.

Rocktober Challenge - Week 4 and more

The last week of the Rocktober Challenge is done!!! This challenge tested me not only physically, but mentally. I did things I never thought I would be able to do. I did miss 2 days though. So for the 31 days of October I worked out 29 days. I personally think that is amazing. Yes, I will toot my own horn. There were so many days when I did not want to workout. There were so many days when I thought I could not do another day, another sit-up, or take another step on the treadmill. But I did it. WOW!

10/22 - 20 minutes on treadmill and strength training
10/23 - went to the pumpkin patch and ran around with a bunch of 5-year olds (most tiring exercise of the whole month)
10/24 - arms, back, and abs
10/25 - NOTHING. (but I got myself back together. I did not want to fall apart at the end.)
10/26 - circuits of jumping jacks, abs, and legs while watching The View
10/27 - w7d2 of c25k
10/28 - Total Body Pilates and abs
10/29 - w7d3 of c25k and abs. I think I may need to do this week of c25k again, or at least one more day of it. It was a struggle and I don't see how I can add to it in the condition I am in now.
10/30 - level 2 of the 30 day Shred
THE LAST DAY 10/31 - repeated w7d3 of c25k.

I still have room from improvement though. I think I have hit a mental roadblock with running. I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get past 2.5 miles continuously. This may not be a long distance for all, but for a non-runner like me I am impressed I can even do that. But I have to figure out a way to push myself.

I also need to work on my diet. For the most part I would say I eat pretty healthy, especially during the week when I am at work. It is when I am off that I am concerned. I enjoy waffles, but I think I am having them to frequently. And then there is the occasional Oreo (but that is only when I go to VA for work). I think I am "treating" myself for having to go out there. But no excuses...I have to do better.

The real results will be seen tomorrow when I finally weigh myself. I have seen changes in my body and my jeans are too big, but I would like to see changes on the scale. I have not weighed myself all October. The only way I accomplished this was having the Hubs hide the scale. So tomorrow I will see. Hoping the results are indicative of the work I put in.

Rocktober Challenge - Week 3

Three weeks down of the Rocktober Challenge. This is such a mental and physical challenge, but it is so rewarding. I know I cannot keep this up forever, but from doing this challenge I know that I can work out 5-6 days a week with no problem. OK, probably 5 days. It is very hard for me to work out on my days off. And I have realized this even more doing this challenge. When I am off, I like to be OFF. But I digress, here is what I did this week. I did miss a day, so bad. It was because of work and not planning well. My body did enjoy the day off and unlike how I would have done in the past, I jumped right back into my workout the next day.

10/15 - P90X Yoga
10/16 - 30 min Boot Camp Cardio
10/17 - NOTHING! so bad
10/18 - W6D3 of C25K
10/19 - elliptical and strength training
10/20 - W7D1 of C25K
10/21 - elliptical and strength training

I also realized something yesterday. I need a smaller pair of jeans. I was able to take off my jeans while they were still buttoned and zipped. This is a huge deal for me. Since I am not weighing myself this month, and because I am my own worst critic, I have not really noticed if I have lost any weight. I know that I am stronger and have greater endurance and I have started to change my mental outlook on working out, but I have not really been able to tell if I have lost weight. Well, I guess I have since I need new jeans. But I will be waiting a while before I do that. Good to know though.

Rocktober Challenge - Week 2

Week 2 of the Rocktober Challenge is done and I am on to week 3. I will admit it is getting hard. I am trying to mix up the workout so I am not doing the same thing all the time. And the weather is getting cold fast so just doing outdoor activities that could count as 30 minutes of physical activity is not happening. So here is what I did for week 2:

10/8 - w6d1 of C25K
10/9 - total body resistance band exercises and abs - 1 hour
10/10 - w6d2 of C25K and arms
10/11 - elliptical for 30 min. and legs
10/12 - 30 min. arms
10/13 - walked the US Capitol and the Capitol Visitor Center - 1 hour
10/14 - repeated w6d2 of C25K. I did so much better this time

So that is what I have done. I am really trying to do this every day. It will be a huge accomplishment for me to have done all 31 days at the end of the month. I know the Hubs is proud of me and that make me want to keep going. I am proud of myself too and I do not want to let myself down.

Rocktober Challenge - Week 1

Week 1 of the Rocktober Challenge is done. Woo hoo! I did 30+ minutes of physical activity every day. That is not something I ever thought I would say. I used to say, how do those people go to the gym 6-7 times a week. All I can do is 3. Well obviously that is not true. I went to the gym 6 of the 7 days and every day I did over the 30 minutes. It was very hard for me to get my activity time in on day 7. I worked some unexpected overtime and because of that I did not get to go to the gym. But I found a way to get in so physical activity and I am very proud of myself. I was doing leg lifts and heel touchers in my chair at work and I walked for about 15 minutes earlier in the day and broke a sweat.

So here is the breakdown:
10/1 - walked Annapolis Mall 2x (broke a sweat)
10/2 - elliptical, strength training, and abs
10/3 - on the dance floor til 2am and w5d2 of c25k program (2x in one day, WHAT?!)
10/4 - 30 min. elliptical and 10 min. treadmill
10/5 - w5d3 of c25k program
10/6 - elliptical, strength training, and abs
10/7 - 15 minute walk, leg exercises in the chair

I will admit, getting in the 30+ minutes a day is not easy. But it is great having others to be accountable to. If I have learned anything this week it is that I am stronger than I think I am and I need group support. So now I am on to week 2.

Rocktober Challenge!

So one of the girls on TN started the Rocktober Challenge and in my quest to be healthier I decided to join. So I am dedicating myself to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day in October. It is already day 3 and I have been doing it. This is more than just taking the steps to the office or parking in the back of the parking lot. This is actual physical activity.

Day 1 - Week 5 Day 1 of C25K

Day 2 - 10 min warmup on elliptical and strength training

Day 3 - dancing in the club (hey, I was sweating so it's working out)

I think about 25 people are doing this challenge, so we have each other to hold each person accountable. I think I have been needing this. I usually do all my working out alone, which can get boring and I don't think I push myself as much.

So I will be keeping a log of my daily activity and remember, I am also Scale free October. So I am hoping that at the end of the month when I finally step on the scale I will be pleasantly surprised. We shall see.