Unexpected soreness

So I really only worked out once last week. But that's okay. It was a busy week, followed by a busier weekend so I am not beating myself up over it. Plus, I know this week is going to be great!

But I did get a mini-workout yesterday. I played Wii for the first time at Ren and Alicia's house. And I boxed. I totally beat my own husband and my biceps and triceps are beat today. Good lord. It was awesome! I was sweating by the end of it and I got a little endorphin rush off of it.

I think the Wii is pretty amazing. I mean, I hate video games. But at least this one is sort of active. I love that elderly people are using it to help keep them in shape and occupied. I love that kids will be playing the wii and actually standing up and moving around instead of sunk into a couch with a bag of chips resting on their bellies.

Today:
Work until 10
Home to get workout clothes
Workout 11-1
Lunch
Schoolwork
Dinner with hubby

I am planning on my workout consisting of an hour of cardio, some arm exercises to complement my sore muscles, and some ab work.

Have a great and healthy week everyone!
Michelle

Yay!

I worked out yesterday!! And I felt great afterwards!

I'm not gonna lie though. It was hard getting through it. But I did it. I completed 20 minutes on the elliptical before kickboxing, and then an hour of kickboxing. Then I sat in the sauna for 20 minutes, burning more calories and soothing the soon-to-be sore muscles. Also, I ate really well! I had yogurt, banana for bkfast; half a cheese sandwich, cheese and crackers for lunch; powerbar gel; tomato soup loaded with veggies for dinner. And water all day.

And when I weighed myself this morning, I realized I have lost about three pounds in the past two weeks. Cool! Three pounds could be water weight, but what I do is consistently weigh myself, same time and same empty stomach. If it stays at that certain weight for a period of time, then I know it's not just water weight. Yay!

I don't really stress about weighing myself though, I just do it now to keep tabs on myself. There was a time in my life where the only time I weighed myself was when I went to the doctor. And each time I did, I was amazed how the number kept going up! I had no idea! So, it's more of a check system really. I don't stress as it going down so much as it going back up. I tend to go by how I look, feel and how my clothes fit me.

Anyways, today I don't know if I have time to workout. I have to do a lab lesson at the winery which could take a while depending on much I prepare for it this morning. I am hoping to at least get 30 minutes in since I will be driving 5+ hours tonight. Lots of sitting.

And I don't think I will time to workout on Saturday since we will be leaving early to go judge in a speech tourney and when we arrive home, we will be going to a crawfish boil at a friend's house in Wimberley. I love this event, I think they have it every year and it's probably been about five years since I last went to one.

Have a great weekend everybody!
Michelle

Another day, another excuse

I think this week is really testing my patience. Actually, it's testing my ability to not feel guilty about things I don't do. Like yesterday. I didn't workout. I worked long hours, then had too much else to do. I got other things done, so that is good and I ate really well yesterday. Salad and a multigrain roll for dinner, a turkey sub from Subway, banana and PB for breakfast. I did have some dark choc chips and half of a snickers for dessert. But that's better than having a whole snickers and choc chips.

Plus, dark chocolate is good for me! Yay seratonin!

Anyways, today is going to be good. I can feel it. I am going to do some cardio and ab work before kickboxing and kickboxing is going to help me with some of the stress this week.

I guess the good thing I have noticed out of all this is that I noticed when I get stressed, I want to go on a walk or jump on the treadmill.

I like that.

Confession

I didn't go to kickboxing yesterday.

But I did get caught up in one of my classes. I told myself after studying for five hours that I was too tired and hungry to go to kickboxing. Plus I was too stressed.

It seems to me, besides the hunger part, that those are actually perfect excuses on why I should have gone to kickboxing.

Again, the guilt. Again, I am trying to not let ruin my day or start another cycle of bad habits. On a good note, I ate really well for the rest of the day. Lunch I had a salad with a tiny salmon piece and some soup. Then for dinner, Chris and I split fish tacos. I did splurge on three beers (yikes!) and 5 chicken wings, buffalo style.

Today my goals:
Workout! I hope to do 45 minutes of cardio, split between the elliptical and the treadmil. Then do exercises with the dumbbells: chest press, row, flys, deadlifts.

Then I plan to study more now that I am a little more organized in my classes.

I pick up Chris at 4. And I think we might clean the kitchen a bit before eating dinner and watching Battlestar Galactica season 3!! I am super excited, it was just released on DVD.

The main goal for today is working out. I am even craving it now. I want to get my blood pumping, sweat pouring down my face and feel great afterwards! I can do it!

Guilt

I just ate pop-tarts for breakfast. I can't remember when I had this much sugar for breakfast. It won't last me long, I know this. I got up late, rushed to the Exxon because I didn't make my coffee last night, purchased a coffee and the pop-tarts.

Ah well, what's done is done. If I beat myself up over it too much, then a cycle will start where I eat more bad things to make myself feel better over eating the pop-tart.

The best thing to do is to let go. And make sure I go to my kickboxing class today.

So I didn't do anything according to my plan yesterday, but in the philosophy of the above text, I will try to let it go and concentrate on today:
Work from 5 to 9am.
Home, change, get school stuff
School library, do computer class stuff, print off papers for other classes
Pick Chris up at 4
Laundry
Gym at 530, treadmill 20 minutes, abs and then kickboxing
Dinner at pub with Chris
Home and BED

I will try and keep my promises to myself today.

Blogging

Hi.

So, there's a website where I sometimes track my caloric intake called Fitday.com. Except they don't have too many brand names on there.

Then I found one site that has a ton of brand names AND restaurant food on it! So, for example, for breakfast yesterday, Chris and I had Eggs Mexicana from Taco C. At the new site, caloriesperday.com, it has Taco Cabana and then the entire menu on there! So, I entered in the eggs mexicana and discovered that the dish contains about 900 calories.

Whoa. I had no idea. It certainly doesn't look like it should have 900 calories in it. My plan, now, is to find out just what my favorite entrees are from some restaurants so I know going into them how much I should eat and how much I should take home for another meal.

Good news:
We went hiking yesterday along the lake. I think we went for about 2 and a half hours and for almost 6 miles of up and down hills. It was a nice day for it, with cooling breezes coming in from the lake.

Today's plan:
Workout- Elliptical 20 minutes, treadmill 20 minutes. Chest and back workout with dumbbells.

Food:
I had a PB&J sandwich for breakfast.
I will have an energy gel pack before working out. Then a subway sandwich for lunch before studying. Then an apple for a snack. For dinner, who knows? I am hoping a soup and salad.

Have a healthy day everybody!

Fooling myself

I need to be realistic when I set a plate in front of me about the calories, fat and other stuff I don't really like to think about in it.

I need to make several appointments: counselor, eye doc, gyn, dentist.

I need to keep being kind to myself and keeping those harsh criticisms away.

Yes.

Uh yeah

So, almost a year later and here I am.

Again.

But this time with some good news. Shall we start with the not-so-good news though?

Ok.

Since last April, I am pretty sure I have gained weight.

And I will be brutally honest: By December 2007, I had reached 220lbs on my 5'8 frame.

Yikes.

I know.

How did I get this way? Where is the girl that loved to run, lift weights, and do kickboxing? What happened to the girl that was so full of life she didn't eat out of boredom or sadness?

Well, that girl is gone and now this woman has to figure out a way to make it work for who I am now.

And I think I am slowly getting there.

I have lost 10 lbs since December, so I am currently at 210lbs. And my next goal is to get below 200lbs, by the end of May.

I have been using a website called fitday.com to track my calories I ingest and burn. But the food options are limited and I think I found a better one, but I can't remember the name of it now. When I do, I will post a review about it.

Also, my main goal is to KEEP MOVING. You'd think this would seem easy. And lately it has been for me. But when depression hits, moving is the last thing you want to do. The good thing is that if I keep moving now, the depression seems to be kept at bay.

The main thing I still need to work on is portion control. My husband, who is 5'8 but probably about 75lbs lighter than me and all lean muscle mass, needs the portions he doles out for himself. And when we dish out our food, equality seems to be the way to go. But I just can't do that anymore. I need to have at least 10% less than what he is having. And it doesn't help that I eat way too fast and he eats way too slow. So lately, instead of watching him eat more food and wishing I had some, I get up, put my dishes in the sink and WALK AWAY. I hate leaving him alone at the table, but I have to walk away, otherwise I go back for seconds, when truthfully, my first serving was too big.

It would help if I ate slower, but that is going to take more practice and patience than I thought.

Which is a good thing to talk about I think.

Why is it so hard for me to eat slower? I mean, it seems like it would be a super easy thing to do, but it's. So. Hard.

Is it habit or some emotional thing? Do I get bored? Am I not chewing enough? Should I set down my fork? Should I take a drink of water between every bite? Gah, you wouldn't think it would take this much effort, but it does.

It's years of eating too fast that I have to break. The mental pathways are so set that the ridges go deep and I have to climb out of the trenches first before even thinking about setting a new path first.

I remember being younger and we would be watching TV or doing homework, waiting for dinner to be ready. And, of course, dinner would be ready during my favorite show! It didn't matter if it was or not, at that moment, it was my favorite show.
So, we would run to the dinner table, scarf down our food and run back to the TV.

We really didn't watch a lot of TV when I was little. I was always outside. Or running, I was a competitive runner from age 7 to age 15. So I was always training.

And I was also training myself to eat fast.

Eventually we started eating dinner in the living room, but they still went by fast.

And the lunch break at my job in Austin is only 30 minutes long, so by the time you get your food and sit down, you only have 15 minutes to eat.

So yeah. There goes. 20 years of habitually eating fast, combined with current habits equals eating slower is definitely going to take a while.

But we're getting there.