Workout A

Today was the first day of our new workout plan. It was really a great session. My legs are a little jello-y still. I thought the bike sprints would be the easiest part, but after all the squats, the bike was pretty tough.

Everything else is going ok. It's just so difficult to stay on track with the eating during the holidays. Next week will be a lot better.

Back for real now...

I've been to the gym 3 days this week already, and I plan on going the next 3 days as well. The best part is that I feel just as motivated as ever. Yesterday, I did strength training + 20 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill. Tonight, I ran 3.5 miles of intervals on the treadmill. I sometimes like to do 1 minute each: 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 4.0. Sometimes I alter that if it gets too intense or if it's not enough. I just like that combo, because it's 5 minutes a set, and it really keeps the workout moving. Plus, it trains several different HR zones.

Tomorrow, my husband and I will be doing some strength training + HIIT. Saturday, we'll do cardio. Sunday, we are going to start THIS. I'm so pumped to get on it already.

Eating continues to be a slight struggle, but I'm doing much better than I was last week. I can't wait till the holiday season is done and over and everything goes back to normal. I actually did quite well today, and of course I'm hoping to keep it up.

In other news...my husband joined my gym, so it's super cool to have a workout partner...for a couple days a week at least. This will most definitely increase the number of times that I workout each week. Plus, it'll be cool if we follow the workout I mentioned above.

It's a Great Day

First a confession: I've been binging. It's something I've struggled with for as long as I can remember, but I've kept it under control for the better part of the past year and a half. Most of you know I've slipped up here and there, but I always come back stronger. This is fine, but it still sucks to blow it...and it sucks even more to realize that it will most likely always be a struggle for me. I think I finally hit rock bottom Friday morning though. I went to McDonalds to get breakfast sandwiches for my husband and myself. I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I got 2 sandwiches and 2 breakfast burritos. I thought that I'd eat 1 sandwich (bad enough) and 1 burrito (more bad). After I downed the 1st burrito in the parking lot, I almost swallowed the second one whole. Then I ate the breakfast sandwich. I guess it would have been worse had I given in and eaten the other breakfast sandwich. Either way, I hated what I was doing, and I actually confessed the binge to my friend (and later to my husband). This always seems to help. You might think that wasn't soooo bad, but it wasn't the first binge or bad meal this week. I've been doing stuff like that a lot lately. Plus, I haven't been working out like I had been either. I really really really hate when I don't feel like I can control my food intake. It's such a horrible and weak feeling. Then it causes more of the same. I don't know what I'm looking for when I do that. Maybe I'm just trying to get it all in before I decide to right my path? Either way...I'm done.

Later in the day, I ended up talking to my husband about my poor choices, and I know he really wants to help. However, it's something that only I can really control. He did offer to do something wonderful though. We're going to buy more veggies, and he said that he'd cut them up for me/us. That is going to be a huge help.

We also got up and went to the gym today. This is probably the first time in forever that we've worked out together. He doesn't have a membership yet, but I think that will change in the next week or so. We started out with a mile on the treadmill, then we did the elliptical for a while. He didn't really care for the elliptical, but I think it's an acquired taste. Next we did the stepmill, and then we were going to go home. Instead, he wanted to go check out the strength training section. We ended up using the machines and getting a total body workout in. That felt soooo good.

I used the assisted chin up machine today for the first time since the summer. I was curious to see if I'd made any progress. Now, I'm sure some of you will think I'm disgustingly weak, but the first and only time I'd ever used that machine before, I had to put it at 190 pounds. My trainer made me put it at 180, and she helped me by holding my legs. Today I got on there and could fairly easily do it with only 130 pounds. It's very encouraging to know that I've gained that much strength in my upper body (60 lbs worth). I still have a long ways to go, but it's nice to see that kind of progress.

This morning, I got up and cooked breakfast. I love a good breakfast. I was going to go eat one of the cookies that my friend gave us, but I couldn't easily find the container that my husband put somewhere. (Thank you, Vince.) I decided to not look for it. That really does help.

I honestly think I'm back on track now. I feel so much better already - from just a couple of days of better eating...along with a great workout. Next step...more water.

Hope everyone's having a wonderful holiday weekend!

Baby Steps

It's funny how you can be going sooooooo strong, and then splat! Well, I guess that's what's kinda happened to me lately. I swear it happens every time I go to Chicago...although it would probably happen if I ever went out of town anywhere else too. The routine is just broken up.

Well, here's where I'm at...eating has been pretty bad, although it's been worse. Workouts have been scarce, although I went to the gym twice this week. I actually had one more week of bootcamp left, but I avoided it this week. Instead, I chose to do easy elliptical workouts. The elliptical is not going to give me the body that I want, but I figure it's a good start back.

Tonight, I did 35 minutes on the elliptical, and then I ran 1 mile on the treadmill. It was a little difficult, but I did manage to stay above 6.0 mph...and this was after doing HIIT on the elliptical. I don't know if I've mentioned my ankle pain that started shortly after the 5k. It definitely changed what I've been doing at the gym. I just don't want to permanently injure anything. Every time I run for any distance, the pain returns. This is why I just went 1 mile tonight. It's a good start anyways. Maybe I'll begin to increase that by little bits here and there.

So, that's my status. I intend to start bootcamp back up in late January (after my bonus). In the meantime, I need to just do what I know. Cardio will probably be a focus, but I need to come up with a plan for the rest so that I don't lose too much tone.

Back to it...

Well, I'm kinda back to it anyways. I slipped up for lunch today, but I did make it to the gym tonight...even if it was only for 25 minutes on the elliptical. It felt great, of course. I wish I could have stayed on there longer, but I got there way too late tonight...homework drama. I'm going to try my best to get up there again tomorrow night.

Ok. That's all for tonight. Going to bed early :) Night night...

Hi Again

Another crazy week gone by. I think my weight is still right around 135, which is cool with me. I need to get back to the gym this week. This shouldn't be too much of a problem, since I think the craziness is dying down enough. We shall see.

My trip to Chicago was ok. I was there for our national sales conference, which usually means great food and drinks. Not this time. The food was actually on the bad side. It was a little disappointing, but I guess it was probably better this way...way easier to keep the eating under control. I thought I was doing really well, but I was sitting next to this tiny girl who liked to snack a lot. The problem was that she kept sharing all her snacks with me :( It was sweet of her really, but I have little self-control sometimes...especially when I'm sitting through boring speakers.

I saw one of my associates that I haven't seen since June, and she said, "Wow, you have lost a TON of weight." Now, this isn't actually true. I don't even think I've lost any weight at all...of course, I've lost a ton of body fat though...probably around 5%. These are the moments when you so know that the number on the scale can be so irrelevant to the way you look. Fitness is so key. I'm so glad I've taken the time to invest in my fitness rather than just restricting my calories and worrying about losing pounds.

So, since I've been back from Chicago...I've eaten...well...less than stellar. Back to the old routine tomorrow.

I don't think I've blogged yet about meeting all the Michigan F.A.T. folks. What a great time with some great people. I so can't wait till the next event...probably at my house in January. Plan on it.

Just checking in...

I have been ok for the most part. I'm beyond stressed about work though. My deadlines are pretty much today, so I will be finishing it all up tonight...and then I'll feel a ton better I hope.

I leave for Chicago tomorrow morning (up at 4am...ick). I'll be doing a bunch of corporate event type stuff, but I'll try to eat and drink in moderation.

I haven't been to the gym in over a week. I honestly really just haven't had much time. Sure I could have squeezed it in, but there are times when other things are just more important.

That being said, I think I lost 10 pounds today from stress alone...ok not literally 10 pounds. I do know that I haven't gained any weight though - despite eating more and working out less. I really hope that I haven't gone up too much in BF%. I've tried to at least do some pushups and crab dips here and there. Hopefully that's doing something.

Ok. Hopefully I'll be posting again sometime soon...maybe this weekend or sometime next week.

***Edit***

Ok. I might not have been too far off. I just weighed myself. The scale says 132. I was at 137 just a couple of days ago. Definitely not the right way to do it, but I'm relieved that it hasn't actually gone up, considering I'm typically a stress eater.

OK

I keep waiting for the time when I can take the time to write everything I want to say. Every day I realize that it's probably going to be awhile for that, so I just decided to post a quickie tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to write more some other time.

Since I've been gone, my eating has been challenging, but I think I've done well enough...considering I've been out of town and out with friends a lot lately.

My stress levels are very high right now for multiple reasons, including some huge projects that need to be done this week at work. This is probably the first time that I've ever thought that I could actually miss a deadline even with my best efforts. There is the possibility that I'll be fine, but there is a lot of fear there. I have a sales conference in Chicago next week that I don't really want to miss because I didn't get my projects done. hmmm...

I have not been to the gym since a week ago Sunday. I guess I could have gone had I really really tried, but I have been pretty much soooooo busy, that it's just not been practical. I swear it's not because I just haven't wanted to go. I really don't have the time, but I've decided that I'm going to run for an hour tonight. I will probably miss bootcamp this whole week and most of next week though. Too bad :(

I'm still trying to get caught up on all your blogs, but it might be a while...so I apologize if I haven't made any comments lately.

Ok. That's all. More later this week hopefully.