Watch Me Squat?

Let me tell you somethin'.

School isn't rocket science, but it takes a lot of time and energy. My biggest struggle is fitting in exercise. I think I have valid excuses, although I'm not sure. 

To be completely transparent, I will share numbers to keep anyone who likes numbers up to date. The truth? I've weighed less (and felt better). More truth? I'm not beating myself up, I'm just trying to get back on track. I really don't care about people knowing my actual weight, I just don't want to reinforce the crazyoverscalenumber mindset that can easily become the focus of an effort to get healthier. So if you're into numbers, let me know. If you're not, and you prefer I stick with pounds lost, let me know. If you don't like that I'm including this in my blog, shoot me an e-mail. *Although I promise that weight loss will not become the focus here. I'm including it because it's a part of my life. And my blog is about my life.  And hopefully including this bit will help encourage some other folks!* 

Goal? I want to lose between 12 and 17 pounds.

Pshhhya!

Next Goal? I want to run 3 races. (two 5k races and one 5 mile) I didn't do any this past summer, and I'm totally bummed about that. 

I can do it. I can do it. 

I'm giving myself until the end of 2012.  That's what's realistic for me. Plus, sloww and steadyyy wins the race.  

Anyway, any encouragement is so appreciated. I need it. 

So there it is. But what would this post be without what I'm doing this week?

In the comfort of our Under Construction living room, I'm doing some sweaty circuits (shared here) twice a week (tues/thurs), plus three days of cardio (mwf). Cardio can either be a 20 minute jog or a 30 minute stationary bike workout. 

The Workout:

-5 minutes on stationary bike, keeping RPM around 85

-4 total body strength moves...I used a workout I got out of an old self magazine(September 2010) I split the 8 moves throughout my circuit. 

-5 minutes on bike

-4 total body moves

-5 minutes on bike

-4 total body moves

-2.5 minutes intervals on bike 100 RPM/rest with a 20 second/10 second ratio

-4 total body moves

-2.5 minute cool down on bike

Really...all this is...is a circuit. With interval work. Within 30 minutes, I've gotten an amazing cardio workout, and my bum is sore. That's good news. Plus, I got to watch The Biggest Loser OnDemand. Can't beat that for motivation. 

(Emma? You? Have? TV?! But! But! You said you were getting rid of it when you moved!!! I'll explain later. If you didn't catch this, carry on!)

This is the squat supreme. It's a deep squat that pushes into an overhead press as you raise a leg. It's fancy, I'm sure.

My lame scanning attempt. Good intentions, poor results. But here's the workout!

Fitness @ Home: Week 1

It all started with a few extra pounds hanging out on my butt. I climbed onto a stationary bike that was wasting away in my mom's living room. I pedaled. I got bored, lost my breath, and felt uneasy about sweat dripping down my back. 

Maybe it's just me, but self induced sweating was definitely an acquired taste.

Anyway, I slept like a baby that night and decided to try a bit more the next day.

I quickly became hooked and decided I needed to upgrade my fitness status.

So I joined a gym. (Of course.)I was suddenly of the mindset that having a membership to a building that had a lot of fitness equipment validated my fitness level. Having to carve out time to get ready and drive to a place of exercise made me feel more serious about this sweaty business. (Come on. Anyone else?)

And then life took over, and I began to use the membership less and less. I began to make excuses about not having enough time to drive there, workout, and drive home. After all, it was about 25 minutes worth of driving to and from, and it just wasn't worth it to waste all that time and gas.

On some level, I knew that I COULD workout at home, I just liked saying that I didn't have time to use the gym. In some twisted way, by keeping the membership active (with my inactivity)  I felt fit.

Fast forward through another weight gain and loss. Add a dog, some fresh air, some PT study, some basic gym equipment (dumbbells, bands, homemade box for box jumps/step-ups/dips, a jump rope, and a stationary bike) and an increasing love for slow running....

You get this:

-Sunday: 30 min sloth run, stretch

-Monday:  30 min stationary bike with ten minutes of intervals at end

-Tuesday: Easy/light strength workout( circuit style w/ 3 cycles and  2 minutes of cardio between each) and yoga

-Wednesday: 30 min run

-Thursday: Repeat Tuesday

-Friday: 30 min run

-Saturday: Long dog walk (active rest)

I will try and post my weekly workout schedule each Saturday. I'd also LOVE to see what other people are doing, because I love to mix things up.

If you're interested in starting a running program, and you're a beginner or looking to improve, I HIGHLY recommend this book:

Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running: The Best Advice to Get Started, Stay Motivated, Lose Weight, Run Injury-Free, Be Safe, and Train for Any Distance (Runner's World Complete Books)

I'm currently trying to lose ten pounds, and without turning this into a weight loss blog, I will list my weekly progress/stalls on Saturday. I'll just share +/- .5 lb, etc. It's more for me and accountability, so just ignore this blog on Saturdays if that isn't your thing.

*Food/diet is incredibly personal and unique to each person. While I no longer count calories as carefully as I used to, I do keep a rough idea going in my head/on a piece of scrap paper, and try to stick between 1300-2000 calories each day. I'm usually pretty content with ~1500 a day. I will post more about what my weight loss menu looks like next week!*

This Week's Fit Plan

Roo makes it fun.

Incorporating fitness into my life and schedule hasn't always been easy. I struggled with finding time, making time, and committing time to my fitness. I would end up telling myself on Sunday evening, in preparation for the week ahead "Be at gym by 5, do this workout, burn this many calories, be home by this time". But that didn't work for me. 

What works for me is creating something new and different each week.

So I do.

 You can't (and shouldn't) do the same thing for weeks and weeks on end. Not only does it get boring, it's unrealistic, and it usually keeps you from progressing and from staying enthusiastic about your fitness goals.

So I'm going to share what I do each week. I was hoping to get a link widget so others could post their exercise plans, but I haven't been able to get my hands on one just yet.

Monday

- 2.5 mile run

-1 mile Roo walk

-10 min yoga sequence

Tuesday
-2 mile Roo walk
-1 mile run
-Hemalayaa's Yoga for Young Bodies
-Full Body 30 minute Strength Circuit

Wednesday
-2.5 mile run
-Trail walk with Roo
-10 minute yoga sequence

Thursday
-15 minute Full Body Strength Circuit
-1 mile Roo walk
-Stretch

Friday
-2.5 mile run
-Hemalayaa's Yoga for Young Bodies


Saturday
-Beach walk with Roo
-10 minute yoga sequence

Sunday
-4 mile run
-Hemalayaa's Yoga for Young Bodies

What are YOU doing this week???

The End.

     All I can say is,when I was bigger, I was a mess. I wore layers to keep my bits of love handles as smooth as possible, I was grouchy, I was tired, and I was hungry. I can't count the times when I'd ask my best friend if I looked like I had gained any weight. She's really nice, and she said that I looked the same. Well. Apparently I look the same when I'm 40 pounds heavier. But the thing is, it wasn't and isn't her job to call me out on my chunky yucky lifestyle. It's my health, it's my problem, and it's my issue to fix.  And I finally did it. So to sum it all up, get to it. You'll be glad you did now rather than later.
    My nice best friend, Kristen, and I are now going to be working and studying together towards my second PT certification and her first. (She's also in her senior year of college working towards a health and wellness degree. So...wish us luck). I'm not sure where it will land me- in a bigger gym or here, writing blogs about staying healthy. There's so much more information, and I've barely scratched the surface. If anyone is reading this and is thinking of starting a lifestyle change, I'd love to hear about it! And please ask if there are any questions on your mind. I know that when I started trying to get healthier, I was constantly looking up success stories to see how people did it. I still do. That's all for now, but I'll be posting healthy recipes and tips here and there. Good luck!!!

Move It....4/5

                             In order to get enough exercise, a gym membership is necessary.

    I used to have that mentality, and any activity outside of the gym was somehow void and insufficient. It's not true, and it's a silly excuse. It really isn't about hours in the gym, and it took me a few years to realize that.

    So, in no particular order, here are some things you can do at home, for free:

Walk: Until Roo came along, I wasn't really a fan of walks. Now, we walk at least 1.5 miles (at quite a brisk pace) each day. I look for new routes and extra hills each day to really get a good workout.

Stretch: This is such an important aspect of physical health that is overlooked by so many people. Spend time each day stretching yourself out. I had really tight hip flexors just five months ago, and I struggled to keep a fast pace when walking. Now, Brett can barely keep up with me when we're walking Roo, even though he towers over me. For some stretching examples, see http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/. There are some excellent examples for sports specific stretching and it goes into great detail regarding anatomy and the science  behind stretching.

Strength: Using resistance training is also really important, and again- often very overlooked...especially by women. It will NOT make you bulky, it will NOT make you look manly, and it's so so so good for you. If you're not doing any resistance training, now is a good time to start. Do you need weights? No. If you have weights, great. That just means you don't have to spend time getting creative. But if you're on a tight budget, and you have no interest in joining a gym or buying weights, here's a link I found to a full body workout that uses just your body. http://www.fitlink.com/Full-Body-Workout-in-45-Minutes.

Intervals: If you've been running outside, but haven't seen the weight loss you're looking for, look to intervals.You can do intervals with any cardio activity, it's simply about timing.  For walking, check out http://www.the-fitness-walking-guide.com/interval-walking.html. For something  a bit trickier, check out http://www.nowloss.com/advanced-interval-weight-loss-workout-routines.htm.


There's plenty more, but these are some great methods you can try today. GOOD LUCK!

Eat Up, Buttercup. 3/5

    When I was chubbier...I ate less than I do now. It went like this:

10 AM- Wake up, have coffee
12PM- Lunch? Bagel. Buttery spread. Maybe some cereal.
2PM- Get ready for work, ....I'll buy dinner.
3 PM- Another bagel might work.
9PM- Take a break...drive to Panera, get fat soup and bread.
10 PM- Time for animal crackers. I'll have some cranberry juice.
11 PM- Home. Crash time.

    It's no wonder my scrubs were gettin' a little bit too tight.  I was working as a nursing aide and although it was a pretty physical job, my diet just wasn't doing anything to help me out.

  So here's to food. We could do this the old fashioned way, but what with computers and all, I'm going post a few links and we'll be there in no time.

Figure out your calories.

   If you signed up for sparkpeople, they give you a target calorie range. If you didn't, here's another way to figure your needs out. I said I would never count calories, and some people might not want to- which is why I like sparkpeople.com so much. You're counting, but if you follow the meal plans set up, you're not doing much more than clicking the foods you've eaten.

  As for the calculator- if you have a dog, and you walk him/her each day, but for the rest of the day you're not so active, then you can get by with Sedentary or Light Activity if you're using the calculator. If you go to the gym and you're doing intervals each day plus weight training two to three days a week, I would use somewhere between Light and Moderate Activity- Closer to moderate if you're doing jog/sprint intervals.

    Once you have a magic number, try your best for one day to right down how you're eating right now. See how many calories you're taking in, and if you enter them into sparkpeople.com, you can see how much fat/protein/carbs you're getting.

  Now, let's fill those puppies up. Calories can mean nothing if you're eating bagels and ceral and animal crackers. So follow this rule of thumb: 1 protein, 1 complex carbohydrate, 1 healthy fat - at each meal.

CC's= sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, sprouted bread...etc.
P= tofu, beans, lean cuts of this and that, tempeh, etc. (I use greek yogurt as a protein!)
F=olive oil, avocados, nut butters, etc.


   I like spark's setup for meals. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one to two snacks. Pack your lunch the night before...it's so helpful and such a relief to know that everything is all done and ready!

    Remember to get plenty of leafy greens and around 3 to 4 servings of fruit. Aim to get 4 to 5 servings of veggies a day and you'll be golden. Once you fill your calories up with foods that will work for you and not against you, you'll see a change in your weight, in your energy, in your mood, everything. It's hard to get enough veggies and fruits...I still struggle on some days.

   Take a high quality multi-vitamin, drink at least 64 ounces of water each day (herbal, caffeine free tea counts! For every caffeine drink you take in, add another 6-8 ounces of water to your intake goal).


Uhhhhmmmm....I know I'm missing things. But I think that's a good start!


 

Choices....part 2/5

     There's this great quote about choices, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it says or who said it. So obviously I'm really helpful. Anyway.

     When I was bigger, I could not see that it was because of my choices. And not only was I bigger, I was unhappier, unhealthier, and angrier. I was my world...I was so worried and focused on what the next day would bring in the way of my job, my successes and failures, that I could hardly see that it was my own chubby-snippy-angry self getting in the way of me truly living. I had chosen to study a field I wasn't passionate about. I had chosen to neglect my nutrition. I had chosen to pay for a gym membership that I hardly ever used. I chose to eat bagels and tater tots galore. I had chosen to focus on a way of life that I thought would help me find that darn American Dream.  (I was set with the white picket fence deal, Brett's family owns a great fence company).

    In making all of those choices, I lost myself. So one day, after seeing a number on the scale that I was unhappy with, I made another choice. I chose to lose some weight. I joined http://www.sparkpeople.com/ (free website that is incredibly helpful and motivating)  and I began my journey of different choices there. I had no idea that in losing weight, I would gain so much more.

    For me, it started that one little choice. I finally gave up the endless excuses and made  a change. Anyone can do it, and you don't need anything but yourself to do it. So while I'm not a weight loss expert, I want to help anyone (even if only one) that I can start their journey. So while these first two posts have been jibber jabber about excuses and choices, the next three are going to be pretty simple: food and exercise.

     I guess I'm doing this because I've been asked a lot how I did it- from friends to people I've trained to people I've met on SparkPeople. And so many people have done it before me and have lost more than me, and I realize that. So I'm just another person but if I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to reach out. So feel completely free to ask any questions (private or public) from anything as simple as what intervals are to something as complicated as caloric needs per day. If I can't answer it, I have a lot of great resources to offer up.

  

     So for today, if you're bored, check out sparkpeople.com. If you're trying to lose weight or trying to get healthier, make the choice to sign up.

forgot my ponytail holder... part 1 of 5

     Nicely done, Tufts.

This is one of my all-time favorite commercials, and it has prompted me to write a five part bit about weight loss, exercise, healthy lifestyles, trainers, the gym, and the whole shebang in general. In fact, I'm going to fill these posts with as much as I can, explain how I lost the weight  myself, and pretty much prove why no one needs a personal trainer for the long haul. (Ok, there are some instances where they really come in handy. Like post physical therapy, if you're ridiculously rich and fantastic, etc. But I'm talking about the average Jane using a ponytail holder as an excuse not to work out, who also happens to be carrying around an extra 20 to 30 el bees) Which some people would say is silly, considering that's what I'm working towards as a job. Anyway. I want to bring up excuses.

I love excuses. A week ago, I made a really great excuse to not work out, and I need to share it.

It was Brett's 23rd birthday, and we were celebrating. And so, I said to myself, ''Today I will not go to the gym, because I will eat cake. That way, tomorrow, without any cake in my system, I will have a better fresh start at the gym.''

Really? Really. I actually said that to myself, it's true. So I'll leave it at that for today.