Yesterday I went to the gym to get some cardio in. I didn't get my regular workout in at boot camp because our instructor, Robin, was sick & she asked me if I'd be willing to lead. I had expressed to her my interest in being a boot camp instructor at some point in the future & since I didn't want boot camp to be canceled I agreed. Anyway, leading is hard in a MUCH different way than actually doing the workout!
Since I felt like I had plenty of energy to use I decided to see how far I could get in my goal of running 3 miles non stop. I had to use of the treadmills that I don't like very much because all the "good" ones were taken. I thought this might make things harder for me but I persisted. I started out a little harder than I intended and pretty soon felt like I wouldn't be able to go much longer (I hadn't even gone a half mile yet) so I slowed my pace and continued on. One of the tv's nearby caught my attention and I watched the show that was on. The next time I looked at the display on the treadmill I was surprised to see that I had gone just over a mile in just under 14 minutes. I felt REALLY good about that! Pretty soon I was feeling like I could maybe, just maybe reach my 3 mile goal THAT DAY! I was thinking how good and strong my body felt. I turned my attention back to the tv, thinking the distraction would assist in some way. It wasn't long before I realized that I was getting REALLY hot. I was still wearing what I'd worn to boot camp & let me tell you. There is a HUGE difference in the temperature of a parking lot at 5:30 in the morning and an indoor gym at 10 in the morning! I looked at the display on the treadmill and saw that I had gone 1.77 miles. I was still really hot but I knew I could at least get to 2 miles if I could cool off a little bit. Since I had a cami on under my t-shirt I decided to take my t-shirt off. I am usually WAY too self-conscious to do that but I was HOT! I immediately felt better and was able to reach 2 miles. I was only a couple minutes from reaching the 30 minute mark so I continued until I did. At that point I had reached exhaustion and I decided that was good for the day. I slowed to a walk and cooled off for a couple minutes. When I stepped off the treadmill I was proud of myself and my legs DIDN'T feel like jell-o! I was impressed with how far I had come in just a few months. I now know that I will be able to reach and probably surpass my goal of running 3 miles non stop VERY soon! Seriously, so proud of myself!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sample Menu
While it is true that a large portion of any fitness regimen is exercise and being active one part that can't be overlooked is what we use to fuel our bodies. I posted a while back about changes I made in my & my families diet when I began working out regularly and today I am going to post a sample of what I typically eat in a day. Keep in mind that I stay at home & that I have little demands on my time other than my girls. That said you can figure out a menu that works for you & your specific situation.
5:00 a.m. 1/2 a Luna Bar/90 calories
7:30-8:00 a.m. 1 1/2 c Special K with 1/4 c skim milk/220 calories
10:00-10:30 a.m. Protein Drink/210 calories
12:30-1:00 p.m. Turkey Burger with 1/2 TBSP ketchup & 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard/210 calories
3:30-4:00 p.m. One Gala apple/ 75 calories
6:00-6:30 p.m. Homemade Curry Beef/ approx 400 calories
That is a total of approx 1200 calories. I will usually make dinner something that is as healthy as possible but still family friendly. To that end I make lots of casseroles & rice with "gravy" dishes. Since I use only the leanest meat I can find & then I trim all visible fat off (if I'm using ground beef I drain any fat off once it's cooked) I'm keeping the calorie count down right there. I'll also use low-fat or fat free ingredients whenever possible. I put the meat, veggies & starch all in one dish. Also, for the average woman looking to lose weight a good rule of thumb in regards to calorie count; take your goal weight & add a zero at the end. Example: if your goal is to weigh 130 pounds aim for 1300 calories a day. By making my meal plan a little low for my goal (140 lbs) I give myself a little wiggle room. If I feel like a cookie or a treat that day, I'll have one. Regardless of whether I eat a treat or not I have the best results when I am faithfully tracking EVERYTHING I eat in a day. It makes it lots easier to just not eat something fatty or calorie packed if I know I'm going to be putting it down on paper.
So, I aim to eat a variation of the above menu every day. Like I said, some days I deviate a little, some days a lot. In the end, if I'm tracking my food & planning it before I am hungry I have an easier time being successful at the end of the day.
5:00 a.m. 1/2 a Luna Bar/90 calories
7:30-8:00 a.m. 1 1/2 c Special K with 1/4 c skim milk/220 calories
10:00-10:30 a.m. Protein Drink/210 calories
12:30-1:00 p.m. Turkey Burger with 1/2 TBSP ketchup & 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard/210 calories
3:30-4:00 p.m. One Gala apple/ 75 calories
6:00-6:30 p.m. Homemade Curry Beef/ approx 400 calories
That is a total of approx 1200 calories. I will usually make dinner something that is as healthy as possible but still family friendly. To that end I make lots of casseroles & rice with "gravy" dishes. Since I use only the leanest meat I can find & then I trim all visible fat off (if I'm using ground beef I drain any fat off once it's cooked) I'm keeping the calorie count down right there. I'll also use low-fat or fat free ingredients whenever possible. I put the meat, veggies & starch all in one dish. Also, for the average woman looking to lose weight a good rule of thumb in regards to calorie count; take your goal weight & add a zero at the end. Example: if your goal is to weigh 130 pounds aim for 1300 calories a day. By making my meal plan a little low for my goal (140 lbs) I give myself a little wiggle room. If I feel like a cookie or a treat that day, I'll have one. Regardless of whether I eat a treat or not I have the best results when I am faithfully tracking EVERYTHING I eat in a day. It makes it lots easier to just not eat something fatty or calorie packed if I know I'm going to be putting it down on paper.
So, I aim to eat a variation of the above menu every day. Like I said, some days I deviate a little, some days a lot. In the end, if I'm tracking my food & planning it before I am hungry I have an easier time being successful at the end of the day.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Running towards my goals
I was in the car last night, driving to the store. Running towards me on the sidewalk was man. He was older, probably 50's-60's and he seemed to be in pretty good shape. There wasn't anything particularly significant in how he looked or what he was wearing. Quite frankly there was nothing of note in WHAT he was doing. It was me. As I watched him running I felt myself overcome with jealousy. I haven't been faithful with my running (as I've previously posted) and I still haven't "gotten on track" or to where I'd like to be. I realized that I have been missing how I feel when I run, especially when I have a day without boot camp, my primary workout. I've set goals for where I want my weight/clothes size. I've set calorie goals & carb vs. protein intake goals. I've even set a goal about growing out my hair. I have yet to set a goal that I feel 100% committed to in regards to my running. Doing the Turkey Trot 10K was more a matter of pride than a goal attaining exercise. I had told enough people in my family & circle of friends (boot camp people too!) that I would've been ashamed of myself to admit that I had chickened out or just decided not to do it. But with my daily (or whatever!) running I haven't set a goal like; "I'm going to run 3 miles non stop by" whatever deadline. I can honestly say that I can now run a mile and a half non stop where 2 months ago I couldn't. Two months ago I had just run ONE mile non stop for the first time and that was an EXTREMELY proud day for me.
So here I am. I am making a goal! I am making a goal & putting it out there for all to see. Hold me to it. Ask me about my progress. Keep asking until I have a new answer.
So here I am. I am making a goal! I am making a goal & putting it out there for all to see. Hold me to it. Ask me about my progress. Keep asking until I have a new answer.
...
...
...
I will run 3 miles non stop
on or before April 15th, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Follow me PLEASE!!!
So this is a plea to any of you who are reading & hopefully enjoying this little blog of mine. Please become followers & leave any & all comments you may have. I really want to know who is reading this (for my own curiosity & also for the ego boost) and so I know if anyone even IS reading this!
Thanks for looking in, keep it up!
Thanks for looking in, keep it up!
"That girl is motivated"
That is what I overheard another boot camper say about me the other morning. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was at least THINKING it this morning. Not because I am such a machine that I inspire awe and jealousy in those I work out with but because I really WAS motivated this morning!
I had a really hard time falling asleep last night. The combination of too much to do & too much caffeine & my mind was full of to do lists & random, unrelated thoughts. I felt like I would never fall asleep. But sleep I did...until Mark's phone rang this morning. When he is on call for work I usually only wake up a little when his phone rings and then fall right back to sleep, usually before he's left our room to go to his computer. This time I had to pee so I got up and went to the bathroom. As I climbed back in bed I wondered what time it was. I almost didn't check my phone but then I did, 4:36 a.m. I knew my alarm would be going off in 9 minutes so I turned over, closed my eyes and told myself that I was getting up NO MATTER WHAT!
My alarm went off (louder than expected, had the ringer still turned up from being out yesterday, oops!) and I pretty much jumped out of bed after turning it off. After brushing my teeth, throwing my hair in a ponytail & putting on my workout clothes I was out the door about 5 minutes later. I got to the park a little more than 10 minutes early & decided to set up my stuff & then run the park until time to begin boot camp.
When we got started Robin (our instructor) described out workout. Three sets of 4 different exercises. 25 reps of the first exercise, 50 of the second, 75 of the third & 100 of the fourth and then repeat...two more times. While I'd been running the park I had my iPod on & I kept it on as I began my first set. I felt so strong & capable. I pumped out 25 REAL push ups (no "lady" push ups are allowed after your first 4 weeks!) in no time it seemed and I was on to the 50 squats. This one almost got me! I have a hip that "pops" out of place occasionally & yesterday was one of those occasions. It hadn't gotten fully back in place & the squats were more difficult than I expected. I got through them though & moved on to the next exercise; 75 sit ups. Ever since discovering that if I hold my weights in my hands I can do a full sit up I have LOVED doing sit ups. I feel so fit & strong when I finish a full 75 sit ups! I move on to the final exercise; 100 jumping jacks. Straight arms, hands touching at the top. Just like in PE class.
By the time I was most of the way through my third set my earbuds were constantly falling out & I decided to finish without my music. We were a little more than halfway through our hour long workout & I felt confident in finishing whatever the rest of the morning held. I was suddenly "trudging" my way through exercises that had been relatively easy not long before. When I got to the fourth exercise of the second grouping of exercises I decided to put my iPod back on. I got it set to a song I like (the radio edit version of "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake-SOOO FUN!) and I hurried through 100 step ups. Imagine stepping up with both feet onto a park bench & then back down to the sidewalk. That's one. Now imagine doing 100 of those. Okay. I went back to my mat & started on my second set of exercises. As Robin called out the time (less than 10 minutes left at this point) I realized I wouldn't make it through 3 whole sets but that if I moved quickly I could finish my second set before time was up. I kept my earbuds in & moved along. I finished out my second set by doing 100 mountain climbers rather than step ups and time was up! I had finished my second set & I was SO proud of myself. I knew that I had accomplished something that I would've never attempted just a few months ago & I felt powerful. I felt strong. I felt FIT!
I love music. I love how no matter what the situation there is a song that fits. That no matter what I am feeling there is music to accompany my mood. I love that having music with me I am able to do & accomplish things I wouldn't otherwise think possible. I love music, it's a GREAT motivator!
I had a really hard time falling asleep last night. The combination of too much to do & too much caffeine & my mind was full of to do lists & random, unrelated thoughts. I felt like I would never fall asleep. But sleep I did...until Mark's phone rang this morning. When he is on call for work I usually only wake up a little when his phone rings and then fall right back to sleep, usually before he's left our room to go to his computer. This time I had to pee so I got up and went to the bathroom. As I climbed back in bed I wondered what time it was. I almost didn't check my phone but then I did, 4:36 a.m. I knew my alarm would be going off in 9 minutes so I turned over, closed my eyes and told myself that I was getting up NO MATTER WHAT!
My alarm went off (louder than expected, had the ringer still turned up from being out yesterday, oops!) and I pretty much jumped out of bed after turning it off. After brushing my teeth, throwing my hair in a ponytail & putting on my workout clothes I was out the door about 5 minutes later. I got to the park a little more than 10 minutes early & decided to set up my stuff & then run the park until time to begin boot camp.
When we got started Robin (our instructor) described out workout. Three sets of 4 different exercises. 25 reps of the first exercise, 50 of the second, 75 of the third & 100 of the fourth and then repeat...two more times. While I'd been running the park I had my iPod on & I kept it on as I began my first set. I felt so strong & capable. I pumped out 25 REAL push ups (no "lady" push ups are allowed after your first 4 weeks!) in no time it seemed and I was on to the 50 squats. This one almost got me! I have a hip that "pops" out of place occasionally & yesterday was one of those occasions. It hadn't gotten fully back in place & the squats were more difficult than I expected. I got through them though & moved on to the next exercise; 75 sit ups. Ever since discovering that if I hold my weights in my hands I can do a full sit up I have LOVED doing sit ups. I feel so fit & strong when I finish a full 75 sit ups! I move on to the final exercise; 100 jumping jacks. Straight arms, hands touching at the top. Just like in PE class.
By the time I was most of the way through my third set my earbuds were constantly falling out & I decided to finish without my music. We were a little more than halfway through our hour long workout & I felt confident in finishing whatever the rest of the morning held. I was suddenly "trudging" my way through exercises that had been relatively easy not long before. When I got to the fourth exercise of the second grouping of exercises I decided to put my iPod back on. I got it set to a song I like (the radio edit version of "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake-SOOO FUN!) and I hurried through 100 step ups. Imagine stepping up with both feet onto a park bench & then back down to the sidewalk. That's one. Now imagine doing 100 of those. Okay. I went back to my mat & started on my second set of exercises. As Robin called out the time (less than 10 minutes left at this point) I realized I wouldn't make it through 3 whole sets but that if I moved quickly I could finish my second set before time was up. I kept my earbuds in & moved along. I finished out my second set by doing 100 mountain climbers rather than step ups and time was up! I had finished my second set & I was SO proud of myself. I knew that I had accomplished something that I would've never attempted just a few months ago & I felt powerful. I felt strong. I felt FIT!
I love music. I love how no matter what the situation there is a song that fits. That no matter what I am feeling there is music to accompany my mood. I love that having music with me I am able to do & accomplish things I wouldn't otherwise think possible. I love music, it's a GREAT motivator!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
That time of the month
If you are wondering how "that time of the month" is fitness related you obviously haven't had it while being on a regular workout & eating schedule. I have only recently (since Oct/Nov) realized how much the two are connected. It is this time of the month that I am truly tested on how strong my willpower is & how much I rely on all the things I've learned at boot camp & by researching healthy eating habits. It is also the time when the things that I thought were becoming deeply ingrained habits are just as easy to skip (exercising) or stop all together (eating healthy) at least for a few days as they ever were/
When I am newly pregnant one of my first "symptoms" is a bone deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep or caffeine can alleviate. I have confirmed that this is also one of my "new" PMS symptoms. In my "old" life I would go carb crazy about every other day & eat bread & starch like it was my last day on earth. This is also one my my new symptoms. The worst part of all this is that (for some reason) I forget from month to month how miserable the week leading up to my period is and I get myself in this mode of "I'm so awesome, I workout so hard, I can sleep when I'm dead" and then the exhaustion hits and I am about knocked flat on my back for a few days. Add in the carb craze & I am bloated like a dead fish. Combine all that with even a minor household catastrophe (in December our dryer broke and last month my washer did & we don't get a new one until next week!) and I am constanly on the verge of a nervous breakdown for 7-10 days. Cool, yeah?
So why am I immortalizing all this insanity? Because I am currently looking into ways around this. I am not talking about shortcuts or cheats. I mean real, significant methods to allay my symptoms & to continue in the good, life changing habits I spend the other 3 weeks of the month cultivating. So far I haven't found anything but I am confident in my ability to discover the answer to a problem that is plaguing me (and I hope I'm not the only one who could benefit from knowledge like this!).
On a different note, this has been the first week of a new month of boot camp. Every four weeks new people can sign up for a free 4 week trial (and subsequently become addicted to an early morning hour long self torture session) and this is my 5th month doing this. I have found each month that this week is the hardest week of every month. I am getting to a size where I look reasonably fit & healthy (in my opinion) and I have decided that I don't want to be looked at by the "newbies" as a fat old lady (we keep having young, somewhat skinny girls sign up, WEIRD!!!). I want to wear a sign that says "MOTHER OF 3, YOUNGEST BORN VIA C-SECTION ON MAY 2, 2009" to explain my lack of abdominal strength or why I can curl 8-16 pounds (sometimes we do one arm at a time & I double up my 8 lbs weights) but barely shoulder press 5 pounds for 1 minute before feeling like my arms are going to come out of their sockets. More importantly I feel like I get to push myself to my absolute limits every exercise to show how I've progressed. While some of these things are semi-detrimental the last is absolutely to my benefit. I want to grow & get stronger & I know that will happen as I push myself.
So I'll continue to look for ways around my latest challenges (or maybe ways through them) and it is no coincidence that the first week of a new boot camp is happening the same week as my PMS. There are no accidents.
When I am newly pregnant one of my first "symptoms" is a bone deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep or caffeine can alleviate. I have confirmed that this is also one of my "new" PMS symptoms. In my "old" life I would go carb crazy about every other day & eat bread & starch like it was my last day on earth. This is also one my my new symptoms. The worst part of all this is that (for some reason) I forget from month to month how miserable the week leading up to my period is and I get myself in this mode of "I'm so awesome, I workout so hard, I can sleep when I'm dead" and then the exhaustion hits and I am about knocked flat on my back for a few days. Add in the carb craze & I am bloated like a dead fish. Combine all that with even a minor household catastrophe (in December our dryer broke and last month my washer did & we don't get a new one until next week!) and I am constanly on the verge of a nervous breakdown for 7-10 days. Cool, yeah?
So why am I immortalizing all this insanity? Because I am currently looking into ways around this. I am not talking about shortcuts or cheats. I mean real, significant methods to allay my symptoms & to continue in the good, life changing habits I spend the other 3 weeks of the month cultivating. So far I haven't found anything but I am confident in my ability to discover the answer to a problem that is plaguing me (and I hope I'm not the only one who could benefit from knowledge like this!).
On a different note, this has been the first week of a new month of boot camp. Every four weeks new people can sign up for a free 4 week trial (and subsequently become addicted to an early morning hour long self torture session) and this is my 5th month doing this. I have found each month that this week is the hardest week of every month. I am getting to a size where I look reasonably fit & healthy (in my opinion) and I have decided that I don't want to be looked at by the "newbies" as a fat old lady (we keep having young, somewhat skinny girls sign up, WEIRD!!!). I want to wear a sign that says "MOTHER OF 3, YOUNGEST BORN VIA C-SECTION ON MAY 2, 2009" to explain my lack of abdominal strength or why I can curl 8-16 pounds (sometimes we do one arm at a time & I double up my 8 lbs weights) but barely shoulder press 5 pounds for 1 minute before feeling like my arms are going to come out of their sockets. More importantly I feel like I get to push myself to my absolute limits every exercise to show how I've progressed. While some of these things are semi-detrimental the last is absolutely to my benefit. I want to grow & get stronger & I know that will happen as I push myself.
So I'll continue to look for ways around my latest challenges (or maybe ways through them) and it is no coincidence that the first week of a new boot camp is happening the same week as my PMS. There are no accidents.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
