Fitness Goals 2012

December 27, 2011.

I don't like to set goals for fitness because the majority of the time I do not meet them (even when I set easy ones). Past experience dictates this over and over again - note the lack of follow up on my November goals regarding yoga poses. But, my husband has posed the question to blogland and I have started to think about it. To make it more plausible that I will be successful I have decided to write a list of goals and my achievement of 75% of this list will indicate success (that's a level 3, meets the standard, or 'B' in Ontario elementary school grading).

My list:
1) re-learn how to swim laps properly in the pool, swim laps for 30 continuous minutes 25 times.
2) lose 25+ lbs
3) lose 5%+ body fat
4) run the 5km Warrior Dash or Mudnewton
5) learn a dance routine
6) go to the gym at least twice a week for one whole month
7) go to the gym at least three times a week for one whole month
8) do not allow more than one week to go by without a workout
9) lose 1+ dress size
10) blog weekly
11) weigh-in weekly
12) meet with Jodi (my trainer) once a month
13) workout with Chris once a month
14) go for a walk once a week
15) cook 12 new recipes
16) drink 5 or less cans of pop a week
17) track my calorie intake for 3 consecutive days on 4 separate occasions
18) try something new and sporty
19) walk 10km with a friend
20) do 50 girl pushups without stopping
21) post Yoga pictures
22) improve flexibility, definitely to be able to touch toes, but aim to do the splits
23) lose 5 inches off my waist
24) bike to Lakefield and back
25) wall sit for 2 minutes
26) hold a plank for 2 minutes
27) meet and make friends with one new person from the gym
28) go canoeing and don't fall out of the canoe


I may add more, but this is a start. Feel free to tell me your goals and I may adopt some of them.

A New Wardrobe

December 26, 2011.

Chris ever so politely reminded me that it has been about 6 weeks since I went to the gym. I not so politely told him to back off. I've been sick and I've been busy working, but these should not be excuses because I wouldn't let either of these stand in my way of doing something I really want to do. But, that is the key - it has to be something I really want to do and right now the gym is not that something. Right now the something I really want to do is sit at home and do nothing - no housework, no marking, no lesson planning, no errand running - just lay on the couch and watch tv, read a book, or play a "Nintendo" game. However, I have spent a lot of money on the gym and I have committed to returning to it on Wednesday.

This brings me to the new wardrobe. I vaguely remember putting workout clothes on my Christmas list because I wanted a pari of capri yoga pants. Chris, in an effort to remotivate me, gave me money to go buy new workout clothes. So today I traipsed out to the store and dealt with Boxing Day attitude to make the most of my dollars. I bought a workout top, yoga capris, workout shorts, yoga pants with zippered pockets, and a bathing suit tank. I saved 25% off everything, cashed in a $25 gift card and still my bill came to a whopping $125!

Plans for Wednesday...return to my 3 day workout routine by picking up wherever I left off, followed by a swim in the pool.

I've Been Gone A Long Time

November 27, 2011.

I feel like I've fallen of the face of the earth when it comes to my blog. I was doing so well at checking in and then life got in the way. I'm not exactly sure which part of life (work, more work, Christmas shopping, husband's birthday, spending time with family, and then losing my voice for a week), but I have not done anything to benfit my health for the last three weeks.

I have not been to the gym and I miss it a bit. Even one of the old guys that speed walks around the gym asked my husband if I was still coming to the gym. Thankfully, I have only gone up .3kgs in the past three weeks which means I am eating well and staying active in other ways (ie. teaching gym and dance).

I finally caught up on some things around the house that have been irritating me - like finishing painting the kitchen (which I started int he summer) and cleaning up the office (which became a storage room over the past month judging by the number of miscellaneous piles of stuff laying around). Now that I feel my life, my house, and my financial budget are back on track I plan to focus on me. That means recovering from my viral infection this week and starting up the gym again in December.

Here's to new goals!

I'm Back!

October 30, 2011.

I'm back. I went to the gym this morning with my hubby and I worked out for over an hour. I did not, however, complete my leg and ab day. It takes me 1.5 hours to do it and I tried, I really tried, but it seems that 3 weeks away from the gym and a lingering cold drained me of my motivation. I recognize that my lack of attendance at the gym made my workout that much harder for me today as I was not willing to drop my weights, my times, my levels, or my repetitions. Even with some overly smiley prodding and strict words of encouragement from Chris couldn't get me to peel myself off my mat and do my last section of my workout (I was so close to finishing it in full).

I am happy to tack the remaining part of my workout onto my Tuesday program when I do arm day and that will make me just as happy. The gym really sucked today. I found it hard. I've lost some of my strength and my abs did not want to contract the same way they did before. But, I was still happy to have gone and it was nice to be back. Tuesday will be better. Past experience dictates that.

And, I'm excited about doing my yoga photos (even with my worst haircut ever that I just got on Friday). For now, I challenge you to try the "sun salutation" three times through. This was part of a warm-up I used to do for an indigenous contemporary dance class I took in university (yes this is actually a credit on my transcript).

Weekly Weigh-in 5 Months

October 29, 2011.

I can't belive it has been 5 months of working out and going to the gym. After having been away from the gym for the past two weeks I've finally reached the point where I really and truly miss it. I can say that I love going to the gym, working out, and getting that rewarding feeling of putting in my time.

I have been celebrating the fact that I've finally hit my 10lb wieght loss marker which I think is great. However, my five month marker has brought me to the realization that I entered into this thinking I would have lost about 20lbs by now. I am so happy to be losing weight and will continue on my path, but I am finding it frustrating that I have not lost more. Don't get me wrong - I do understand why that is - I have not gone to the gym consistently and I have not changed my eating habits much. Looks like this is my wake up call to set some goals and make those changes.

Goals for this week:
Go to the gym Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday (complete all three of my workout routines in full).
Take photographs of yoga comparisons and post to blog.

Weight loss this week: down .2kgs which puts me back to my 10lb weight loss marker as I went up .2kgs last week.

Weekly Weigh-in Week 19

October 23, 2011.

I re-weighed myself today now that I'm feeling a bit better. I went up .2kgs since last week which isn't bad considering I haven't been to the gym and I had a 5 course anniversary dinner this week. Still down overall, but sadly am no longer over my 10lb mark (I'm just under).

I'm Sick...Now What?

October 22, 2011.

Today was supposed to be my weekly weigh-in. I did jump on Wii-Fit and take my measurement, gasp that I went up .8kgs since my last measurement 3 days ago, and promptly climb back into bed. I know up up since last Saturday, but I don't think I'm up the full .8kgs because I had dropped weight throughout the week. I plan to re-weigh and post tomorrow.

For now, I want to discuss being sick and the need to go to the gym. I have not been to the gym in almost 2 weeks now. I am very sad about this, but obviously not sad enough to get my butt there. I had planned to go tomorrow and start up my routine again (I really want to do my new 3 day gym program), but I am officially sick with a sinus cold of some sort and a splitting headache. I've dragged myself into work for a 12 hour shift as I will do again tomorrow because it really isn't an option, but the gym just doesn't seem like an option.

I was reading an old post by Carrie at http://shrinkingcarrie.com/about/ about this very same thing. What do you do when you're sick and the gym is on your schedule. Chris would just suck it up and go, tell me he felt better after having gone, and then possibly taken a day off work to recover (or at least had the weekend to do so). I, on the other hand, work 6 out of 7 days a week and use my 7th day to do all the running around that needs to be done. I slept 12 hours last night in hopes of recovery and yet I still feel like crap.

What to do? I want to go to the gym, but the thought of all that hard work turns my stomach (although it may be the diet of tea and toast I've been living off of from not feeling well). I also don't want to overwork myself and then have to book a supply teacher to fill in for me the week before I write report cards. Any suggestions?

Weekly Weigh-in Week 18

October 15, 2011.

I did it! I finally did it! I made it to the 10lb weight loss mark (just in time for my one year wedding anniversary tomorrow). This has been a long road since June, but I'm here and I don't plan on going back. It's only down from here.

I have 8 weeks left before my birthday and I'm going to do my second assessment for measurements then. My goal is to lose another 10lbs by that point which requires me to speed up the weight loss process by two times. It also keeps me in a healthy weight loss range at approximately 1lb per week.

This week I lost .2kgs which put me at the 4.5kgs or 10lbs lost marker.

FMM: Taboo Topics

October 10, 2011. Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!

FMM (Friend Making Mondays) comes from a very cool blog www.alltheweigh.com I've been enjoying reading it for the past few weeks. If you want to partake, answer the questions posted on Mondays and link them back to the blog. Meet new people and find more amazing blogs to read.


FMM: 8 Taboo Topics

How often do you read/watch the news?
Almost never. The news bores me. I hear about it through friends when something really important comes up, otherwise I avoid it like The Plague.

What is your opinion on beauty pageants?
I entered one of sorts back when I was 16. It was to be the Millbrook Fair Ambassador for the small town that I grew up in. I only entered because a friend begged me when they were short entrants and convinced me only because you had to give a speech (I was taking a public speaking course to practice for my career goal of teaching). I competed against all the girls I envied from school who I thought were drop dead gorgeous. During a break in the locker room I was surprised to overhear these thin, beautiful girls talk about how bad they looked. At 150lbs and 5'9 I had a great body, but didn't recognize it until that moment when I thought "If these 100lb popular girls are confident and hate their bodies, then what makes me think I'll love mine more if I become stick thin?" That was a start of a new confident life for me. I've never looked back or thought poor of myself since. I went on to place 1st runner up (losing to an out of town girl who was very deserving inside and out).

Would you date/marry someone who has different religious views than you?
My husband and I come from different religious backgrounds, but at our core we belive in the same things. We are not that far off from each other and the most important "dealbreakers" are in line with each other. My longest relationship outside of my husband was with a guy who was wiccan. I am Anglican. It worked for us for a long time as I'm a pretty open person. It wouldn't have worked though if we had to raise a child together. I'm open to everyone having their own beliefs, but I want my children to have beliefs similar to my own. Polar opposites are difficult.

Do you follow politics?
Not at all. Politics are as boring as the news. I vote, but I make my decision moments before I leave for the ballot box. My husband and I do not usually vote the same, but I respect his views.

How often do you talk about sex in your daily life and/or on your blog?
Never on my blog (until now). Frequently with my friends. All the time with my husband.

Does it make you uncomfortable when someone asks you about your salary/income?
I've never understood this. I repectfully do not ask other people what they make, but I am happy to tell anyone that asks what I make and I often share this info on my own as I know it is something I would be thinking about, but too respectful to ask. I've also been told by employers specifically not to share my income in the past. I do not think this is right and know that only businesses that are trying to hide what they are doing wrong in terms of salaries/wages ask this. Now that I'm a teacher my salary is public for anyone to see by looking up my collective agreements. In Canadian dollars, as a supply teacher I make $220 a day, as a long term occasional teacher I make $291 a day, if I was on a full-time teaching contract I would make $56,000 a year, as a private tutor I charge $25 hour, and as a dispatcher I make $18.50 an hour. In 17 years of employment I've never been without a job and only made minimum wage once when I worked at Dairy Queen for a month.

Do you tag friends and family in pictures that you post on FB, or do you seek permission first?
I tag away. My mom has requested I don't post her so I respect that. Otherwise, I believe you are fair game if you're at an event with me and I snap your shot. I tag you to let you know there is a picture of you online. If you request me to take it down I will. I do not post anything I wouldn't want my employer, my family, or my future children to see (nor do I partake in anything that would lead to those kinds of photos).

Can you be friends with people who have opposing views on ‘taboo’ topics?
That's what keeps my life interesting. I like to surround myself with people who don't think like me and act like me (as well as those that do). I want my friends to bring out parts of my personality that would otherwise stay hidden. I also like to have my mind opened to new thoughts.

A Look At My Diet

October 9, 2011.

Near the beginning of my posting journey I mentioned my opposition to dieting. I've never done it and don't intend to do it now. I love fresh food and hate frozen meals. I'd rather pay $50 for a gourmet dinner out than $10 for fast food. And, I don't eat large portions.

I do, however, like things that are sweet and find it very hard to go a day without eating something chocolately or sugary and drinking one can of regular Coke a day is proving difficult to eliminate from my diet. I've tried Coke Zero and Diet Coke and I'd honestly rather give up the real stuff than drink the fake as I think they taste disgusting.

At the request of a few followers I'm posting my typical meal plans from the past week. It's something I recognize I need to change to see better weight loss results and that is why this request was good timing - because I've made that my goal for the month. On average I eat about 1800 calories a day without any effort at cutting calories. Weekends are tough and I tend to eat more (2500+ calories) as I work in an office room by myself for 12 hours with only a bar fridge, a microwave, and a toaster oven with no tray to prepare food in.

Breakfast between 6am-7am
Aim for 300-400 calories
Ex. 1 (at home) Bowl of cereal with skim milk - Special K, Honey Nut Cheerios, Golden Grahams, or Lucky Charms (I switch it up)
Ex. 2 (on the go) Toasted bagel with plain cream cheese and a large green tea with 2 milk and 2 sugar from Tim Horton's

Lunch 10:00am ish (I teach elementary school so we have two lunch breaks)
Aim for 150-350 calories
My lunches tend to be snackable things because I often eat them in less than 10 minutes or while on the go because I supervise extra-curricular clubs, do yard duty, or prep my classes. I really need to make a point of sitting and eating.
Ex. 1 Bottle of water, Source yogurt cup, cottage cheese cup
Ex. 2 Bottle of water, 6 graham crackers with cream cheese or block cheddar cheese, Source yogurt cup
Ex. 3 leftovers from dinner (pasta usually) that fit in a sandwhich tupperware container

Lunch 1:00pm ish
Aim for 250 calories
Ex. 1 Finish water bottle, piece of fresh fruit, Source yogurt cup, chocolate coated granola bar
Ex. 2 Finish water bottle, carrots and garlic hummas, 100 calorie pre-packaged treat (ie. Crispy Minis or popcorn)
Ex. 3 Finish water bottle, Source yogurt cup

After School Snack 4:00pm ish
Usually 300 calories
This is where I struggle. I'm usually starving at this point as I've only "snacked" for lunch and will not be eating dinner until 8pm many nights. This is the first area of my meal planning I will be changing by substituting a piece of fresh fruit.
Ex. 1 donut from Tim Horton's and a large green tea with two milk and two sugar
Ex. 2 chocolate bar
Ex. 3 3 cookies
Ex. 4 an ice cream bar (100-150 calorie ones)

Dinner between 5:00pm and 9:00pm
I'm usually under 1000 calories before dinner. Aim for 700-800 calories for dinner.
This is usually where I drink a Coke, but I'm trying to switch back to drinking skim milk like I used to before I married a man who only drinks pop and hot chocolate.
Ex. 1 lamb chop, parsnip puree, green beans
Ex. 2 chicken breast in sauce, frozen corn, frozen peas
Ex. 3 two frozen salmon filets, a few spoonfuls of white rice with soya sauce, frozen mixed veg
Ex. 4 pasta with 4-5 small turkey meatballs or frozen baby shrimp and spaghetti sauce, may add veggies into pasta
Ex. 5 pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes with gravy, baby carrots
Ex. 6 steak (seldom red meat), yams, broccoli

Note: Dinner components are all interchangeable. My dinner plate usually consists of these food groups though...one serving lean meat, 1-2 vegetables (frozen, fresh, or salads), 1 "starch" (rice, potato, yams, parsnips).

Snack (only if an early dinner)

Aim for 100-200 calories.

Ex. 1 hot chocolate with marshmallows

Ex. 2 100-150 calorie ice cream bar

Ex. 3 dessert of any kind (pudding, pie slice, cupcake, cookies)

Total 1800-2300 if I use the minimum and maximum for all categories, however I usually range between 1600-2100 calories.

Weekly Weigh-in Week 17

October 8, 2011.

This was an amazing week with my three new programs. I went down in weight every day except this morning when I went up a bit (granted we went to a pub for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday). My metabolism is finally settling in too. Back to the gym tomorrow for the dreaded leg day, but plan to hop in the hot tub on my way home from work at the end of the night.

This week down .8kgs or 1.8lbs.

That's a total weight loss to date of 4.3kgs or 9.5lbs. Almost at my 10lb marker I've been desperately trying to hit for months now.

"We're Putting a Dimple in Your Butt"

October 6, 2011.

"We're putting a dimple in your butt." This is what Jodi, my trainer, said to me today. She gave me a third program to complete my cycle so I can do something different each day I visit the gym. It's working too! I was down 1kg today since my Saturday weigh-in!!!

My new program seemed easy today in comparison to my last two (although it's still hard and I only did it once through instead of twice as I was learning it in 30 minutes). When Jodi stopped me to tell me our 30 minutes was up I couldn't believe it. I thought we had just finished the warm-ups and figured she had added an ab break in the middle, but nope, we were done.

The comment above came from Jodi when we got on all fours on the mats and she proceded to tell me that we were going to learn some butt blasters. When she said "donkey kicks" I thought no problem I've done those before and they hurt a bit, but I can do 20 of them. Then she told me that after doing 20 of them on one leg I was going to do three more variations of this exercise on the same leg for 20 reps each. That's 80 butt blasters on one leg before I get to switch! By the time I got to switch my first butt cheek and hip flexor was so sore it was difficult just to prop myself up on it so I could swing the other one around for 80 repetitions. Chris told me my butt was less jiggly the other day so I guess this will only make it less so in the near future.

I'm also very surprised today by my recovery time. I banged out each exercise back to back with only a few stops here and there to get one deep breath and then I kept going. I didn't full out stop once.

Here's the new program...

Cardio warm up of choice.

Walking lunges down the track and back while holding 15lb weights in each hand
20 sumo squats holding 15lbs in each hand

20 (increase each time) mountain climbers on sliders (running in place while in push-up position)
20 (increase each time) soldiers on sliders (in push up position split legs open then closed)

20 wall squats using a big ball behind my back while holding an 8lb medicine ball, squat as low as you can go (trying to work on getting me to go lower)
20 hamstring curls using the big ball under my feet to roll my feet into my butt while my pelvis is lifted

Butt blasters... (20 per leg of each, then switch to second leg) - kneel on all fours
Donkey kicks - with knee bent kick foot up towards the ceiling
Straight leg kicks - keep leg straight and raise it towards the ceiling
Fire hydrants - lift bent leg as if to pee on a fire hydrant like a dog
Knee to shoulder - in fire hydrant position bring knee up to same shoulder instead of up towards ceiling

One leg press 40lbs 15 presses with one foot only in middle of plate, then switch to other leg
Sumo press 90lbs 15 presses with toes pointed out to corners of plate
Straight press 90lbs 15 presses with toes pointed forwards

Ab crunch machine - 50lbs+ ??? do a full controlled extension arching back then forward making sure to contract abs to move machine and not use arms to pull down on weights do as many as you can for 15 seconds, take 10 second break, repeat 2 more times
Obliques crunch machine - 50lbs twist to right for 20, then twist to left for 20
Back extension machine - 50lbs 20 controlled extensions

Stretch

It Feels Good

October 5, 2011.


I have been doing my new workout program for almost a week now and it feels good. The weight is just falling off littlle by little each day. It's nice to see some progress on the scale finally. Let's hope it stays that way. Back to seeing Jodi again tomorrow to make sure I keep pushing myself. Skipping the gym today though as I am still feeling ill and every muscle still aches from the previous workouts.

Upper Body Program

October 3, 2011.

I woke up today on my day off and felt horrible. Jodi's lower body workout got my whole system churning and I spent 2 hours running back and forth to the bathroom. I so did not want to go to the gym in the midst of this, but I dragged my butt there to meet with Jodi for another new workout routine. I surprisingly felt well once we started and made it through the whole routine in our alloted 30 minutes which is a rarity. Usually we have to just do one set to learn it so my recovery time is getting better.

Upper Body Workout (alternate with lower body and with cardio routines)

Note: I do 3 sets of 15 repetitions for each arm exercise. I do both exercises that are partnered together then repeat them two more times.


Treadmill or choice of another cardio machine to warm-up

Dumbell chest press 20lbs
1 arm dumbell row 25lbs

Dumbell chest fly 15lbs
Dumbell pullover 22.5lbs

Lat pulldown 57.5
Tricep pulldown 27.5lbs

Seated cable fly setting 6
Dumbell bicep curl 17.5lbs

Seated cable row 27.5lbs
Dumbell shoulder press 12.5lbs

Then I do crunches and situps 1 set of 20 for each:
Straight arm crunch holding 8lb medicine ball
Roman twist holding 8lb medicine ball
Full crunch holding 8lb medicine ball
Alternating leg drop
Back extension

Stretch out

Today I Rock!

October 2, 2011.

I was very toasty covered with two duvets in bed this morning so it was difficult to get myself going this morning, but I was determined to conquer my new workout routine from start to finish with no shortcuts. This was no small feat as you will see by looking at my earlier blog that breaks it down because it is a lower body intensive circuit that keeps my heart pumping and my muscles contracted. It also took 1.5 hours to complete which is 30 more minutes of workout time then I've ever dedicated before. Trust me - I was ready to walk away on more than one occasion, but just as I considered it I moved onto the next station and felt like the change could keep me going.

I rock because I finished the whole circuit start to finish without skipping any steps, shortening my reps, lowering my weights, or tapping out of my cardio with less time. It wasn't that bad, but my legs are a little weak so I'm glad to be getting a different program tomorrow to alternate with this one. Hopefully it will be shorter. I made lots of improvements though in addition to completely my program in full as it was intended because I also increased my weights.

Now...the only way to make today better will be a drop in weight tomorrow on the scale.

Woohoo! I Made Progress! Weekly Weigh-in 4 Months

October 1, 2011.

The start of a new month and the start of a new weight range. Lately, I had stalled with my weight loss and I was hoping the new workout would drop me down out of the 1.somethings to the 0.somethings. Today that happened and for the first time in over four months I was able to enter a new and lower number on my tracking sheet.

I went down a whopping .7kgs this week or 1.5lbs.

I am now down 3.5kgs overall or 7.7lbs. Very exciting! Check out the update to my weight loss graph.

Lower Body Day

September 30, 2011.

I've talked about my attempt at my new routine on my own and my encounter with Jodi and Carson to actually learn it. Now I should fill you in on what I actually did. I'm starting a 2-3 different workout day routines. On Wednesday I ran through the lower body circuit (see below) and this week I will learn two others. It is Friday night and my legs are still super sore, but good sore.

Using the lowest box step (and trying not to rest inbetween):

Step-ups 15 reps per leg in a row holding 15lb weights

Sit and Stands 15 reps holding 17.5lb weights

Step Lunges 15 reps per leg in a row holding 17.5lb weights

Lateral Squats (squat with one foot one step, hop over step, squat again) 20 reps

Abs:

Push Throughs 20

Reverse Crunch (hold legs in air, lift butt off ground) 20

Scissors 20

Cybex:

Aim for 5 min with incline of 6 and resistance of 15

Arms:

Chest Press on Cables 15 reps at 8

Fly Curls 15 reps at 6

Abs:

Toe Touch 20

Leg Drop 20

Modified V-Sit 20

(repeat arms above)

Cybex: as above

Arms:

Lateral Pull Down 15 reps at 55lbs

Straight Arms Pull Down 15 reps at 27.5lbs

Abs:

Russian Twist 20

Modified Double Crunch 20

Bicycles 20

(repeat arms as above)

Cybex: as above

Curly Barbells:

Shoulder Press with a Squat 15 reps at 25lbs

Bicep Curl 15 reps at 35lbs

(2nd set of each if inclined to do so)

Stretch Out

This program will take me more than an hour to complete. I have yet to do it in full and at the end of my training session with Jodi and Carson I went home with the shakes and cold sweats again, drank some G2 upon arrival at home, tried very hard not to throw up, and passed out on the couch for 2 hours. Bringing G2 to the gym with me again next time.

"Meet Carson: My Placement Student"

September 30, 2011.

I showed up at the gym on Wednesday ready to learn my new program that I attempted on my own last Sunday. I was excited! I was enthusiastic! I was ready to exhaust myself with a new workout routine guided by Jodi, my trainer. I even hopped on the dreaded stairmill for 1.5 minutes at 85 steps/minute for my warm-up because I arrived late to the gym and wanted to get my heart pumping. I walked over to the training desk to meet Jodi and that is when I met my biggest challenge to date. His name is Carson.

Carson apparently is Jodi's placement student. He is learning how to become a personal trainer. As a teacher, I fully embrace the practice of teaching others and it usually does not phase me the slightest to include students in whatever I am going to see an expert for (the doctor, the chiropractor, etc.) even when I am surprised with this information upon arrival. My heart stopped though at the thought of having to complete a new, difficult workout under the guidance of not one, but two trainers, especially when one of them was a male trainer. I definitely do not have my workout confidence built up enough for this yet. I sucked it up though and off we went.

Turns out Carson is a pretty cool dude. He is very quiet and respectful and encouraging. As I was sweaty and dying for breathe and unable to complete some of my tasks without stopping I did not get embarrassed for long as he was very professional and mostly acted as a gopher for the equipment we needed or just observed my form (something Jodi brags about that I get spot on most of the time). I'm meeting with Jodi (and likely Carson) again twice next week. I'm hoping it goes just as well.

I'm Excited Again!!!

September 25, 2011.

Last night I decided I was getting back on the gym bandwagon and dragging my butt out of bed this morning at 7am in order to do so. When 7am rolled around I was not as enthusiastic and it took much willing to get my head off the pillow. I even considered bribing myself with a swimming workout instead of a gym workout, but decided I had made a committment to returning to my cardio and weights.

I arrived at the gym less than enthusiastic about my morning workout, but happy that we only had an hour before Chris and I had to return home so this workout was going to go by quick. Plus, I intended to only do my favourite gym things so it didn't seem all that bad.

I pulled my tracking sheet out of the filing cabinet with the intent to only mark down that I did in fact come to the gym today and was surprised to see that Jodi had attached my new workout sheet to my old ones (we were supposed to meet last week to learn a new program). I quickly read through it and discovered that for the most part I knew how to do the workout she had planned. So much for my original intentions, but game on for the new program!

The new program is a lower body workout, which leads me to believe that we will be adding an upper body workout on alternating gym visits. Yeah!!! That means the gym becomes less monotonous. I will post the full routine once I've met with Jodi to go over it, but for now here is an overview...

Various squats, lunges, and step-ups while holding weights.
Cardio on the Cybex
3 types of abs

Arms on the cables and weight machines
3 types of abs
Cybex

More arms
3 types of abs
Cybex

Stretching

It was great! I didn't finish it all in the hour because it took me awhile to figure out some of the sets (with Chris' help), but the time went by super fast and nothing seemed overly strenuous. There was no time limit set for my cardio (I figured Jodi's intention was 5 min) so I decided to go as long as I could and then try and beat that time the next session. I did 3 min and 3.5 min the two times I hopped on the Cybex today.

Today I'm back to loving the gym!!!

Weekly Weigh-in 14 and 15

September 24, 2011.

I've been falling down on the job for blogging lately. Mostly because I've fallen down on the attending the gym goal as well. Week 14 I went up .1kgs and again week 15 I went up .1kgs. I have been hovering around the same weight for the past 2 months and I have stopped putting the effort into the gym.

I'm surprised how long I lasted at the gym going on a regular basis. I've never kept it up this long. I'm very bored with it right now and am not seeing the progress I want so I put in less effort and then get less results and that just starts the whole cycle over again. I do want to go to the gym again and begin to love it again as well. Tomorrow I'm dragging my butt out of bed and heading in with Chris for a much needed returning workout. I've decided to do my favourites from all my workouts combined to re-energize and excite myself.

I've also figured out my work schedule for the next two months and have built the gym back into my routines. Tomorrow is the start of revisiting my goals and working towards success.

Teaching Health and Phys. Ed.

September 14, 2011.

I'm a teacher and as such I teach a variety of subjects. The most mind-boggling one to me though is health and physical education. Growing up we had an assigned teacher that taught this to all classes. She was fit and energetic and intimidating. This year the grade twos at one school get me - soft, slow-moving, and friendly. I am trying to lead by example which has me showing up sweaty to the staff room for lunch with looks of "did you really just run around the field playing soccer with the students"? And my answer is yes. I think it is important to show the students that I am trying to be healthy too.

Today I was working on my health class plans though and remembered my frustration with the Canada's Food Guide. Nobody eats like that. I would never be able to eat as much food as it recommends to get all my servings in. Yet, next week I need to teach my students to do exactly that. I have planned part of my lesson to be a photo slideshow of my meals and snacks for the week. We will be discussing is it healthy or not? and if not, how can you make it healthier? Should be interesting so I might post the results here as a comparison to the Food Guide. Nothing better than doing the same assignments I give my students. I might even challenge you to do the same...more details to follow. For now, think about your own health plan and whether or not it is a good example for a 7 year old to follow. I know mine will be changing...Now off to the open house meet the teacher barbeque (where I will be serving and not eating).

Weekly Weigh-in Week 13 and Talkative Strangers

September 11, 2011.

I did my weigh-in yesterday, but was unable to post it online. I went down again so I'm back on track. I did hit my ultime lowest weigh since starting this journey about mid-week, but I gained some of it back as soon as I returned to the gym so I think my theory of losing muscle was correct.

I went to the gym again today with new motivation because I'm getting a new program on Thursday. I want to have great increases to show from this current routine so I stepped it up a notch and have 1-2 more days to keep it going. Stairmill is killing my body and my spirit. I'm going for a do it at a faster speed for less time approach right now.

I also thought I'd be nice at the gym today and made a comment to a woman doing a plank with a hip shimmy that her workout looked brutal and it was awesome she was doing it. I continued on my way, but another woman overheard and took my passing comment to someone else as an open invitation to yap to me for 15 minutes. She didn't get the hint when I tried desperately to return to lifting my weights while she talked more at me than with me. I gave in and eventually reciprocated the conversation (she was pleasant, but odd) and then sent her on her way by getting into push up form. I do not go to the gym to talk with strangers. I do not make it a point to talk to anyone when I am dripping with sweat and holding 35lbs of weights. Why must others using only the walking track at the gym talk to me? She wasn't the first and she won't be the last. If you're at the gym - workout. Period.

This week down .2kgs or .4lbs.

Overall down 3kgs or 6.6lbs.

It's Been A Long Time

September 8, 2011.

I went to the gym today after a long time away from it. Time seemed to pass by without my knowing it because I thought I had missed one week at the gym, but my workout tracking sheet does not lie and I have missed two weeks. Brutal. I paid for it too at the gym today.

I was concerned because over the last few days I have been losing weight. I'm at my lowest weight yet and I haven't been to the gym and I have been eating lots of sweet foods. I thought I must be losing muscle mass, but Chris doesn't seem to think so. I went back to the gym today to get back with my program and see where I lapsed.

I hopped on the stairmill and did a straight 3 minutes at 65 steps/min which is better than I have ever done. Bad news is I pushed myself so much I never recovered from it and couldn't convince myself to hop back on the stairmill as my heart felt like it was exploding out of my chest. I very much like the rest of my workout routine right now and I increased my weights and matched my scores for reps and sets so my muscles were actually doing better. I figured at this point it is the stairmill that is keeping me from the gym. I just out and out hate that machine. It is exhausting and hard and boring. I preferred running on the treadmill.

As I did my abs and stretch out I resolved that I was going to book another session with Jodi to change up my workout just so I will continue going to the gym. It didn't help either that the gym was super busy with students returning to the college and trying out their free gym passes and the fact that I just paid $900 for Chris and I to have a one year membership to this gym. Working out is pricey.

Back to the gym tomorrow to see how things are looking up.

Friend Making Mondays (FMM)

September 5, 2011.

Apparently I need to do this little quiz because some bloggers I follow are doing it and I would like to stay connected.

The setup:
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!


1. What is your favourite food? My favourite food is watermelon. I could eat it for every meal (and have). Even as a child I was known to eat through half a watermelon in one sitting on more than one occasion. A close second is ice cream (nothing with a chocolate base though) as it is also a great meal replacement and comes in many varieties. Current favourite flavour is birthday cake by Kawartha Dairy.

2. What is your favourite childhood memory? My favourite childhood memory is playing hide and seek on my street with the neighbourhood kids. We lived on a court in a tiny village where the fire hydrant on our yard or the sewer grate in the round-about would always be home base. We had the kind of street where no one had a fence so you could have free run of everyone’s backyards (including those that did not have kids), hide in the woods or down by the creek, climb trees, and go as far as the medical centre and church at the entrance to our street. Even the kids from the neighbouring streets came to ours to play hide and seek, tag, baseball, road hockey, or one day even to swim in the street and the churchyard when the creek ran over.

3. What is your favourite way to burn calories? Resting. Granted it doesn’t burn that many calories. Maybe that is why I have a blog about learning to love the gym this year. I am trying to find active things I enjoy doing. I love swimming, I loved biking before my butt got too big to be comfortable on a bike seat, and at one point in time I even liked skiing. These are things that I’m working towards getting better at as I get in better shape. To do that I am learning to love lifting weights, running on the treadmill, and still working on enjoying the stairmill (killer workout).

4. What is your favourite mode of technological communication? A land line phone is still my favourite. Nothing beats talking to someone in person, remembering their phone number without accessing a contact list, and hearing the phone ring because someone was thinking of you.

5. Who is your favourite actor/ess? I’m not really an I love so and so kind of person when it comes to famous people. So if I have to choose then I like Denzel Washington and John Travolta. I also like Michelle Pfeifer and Sally Field. I think that when it comes to music and movies our generation is lacking great people in the field. Too much focus on looks and who can garner publicity and not enough on talent.

6. What is your favourite lip colour? Natural. I don’t wear make up very often. When I do I wear Loreal Taffeta (a pink shade) or another Loreal pink with glitter in it with some Rimmel clear Volume Booster over top (it doesn’t plump your lips but it gives them a sting that in my mind makes me think it smoothes my chapped lips better).

7. Who is your favourite historical figure? I hate history so much so that I can’t even think of an historical figure that I might mention, let alone one that I might consider to be my favourite. I took grade 10 Canadian history twice because I failed it the first time and I barely made it through the second time. I hated all things war, but loved hearing about what music and clothing they wore at the time – didn’t really help me out on the exams though.

8. Who is your favourite athlete? I don’t watch sports. I used to watch figure skating when I was a kid, but then the great skaters retired or got old. Sometimes I like to watch rhythm gymnastics. I think I would like football if I was going to get into watching a sport regularly, but my husband loves hockey so I see far too many sports games than I care to at this point.

9. What is your favourite TV network? The New CW for all my teen dramas. I really like HBO shows too, but I tend to watch them online – Six Feet Under is my all time favourite tv show and if you haven’t seen it I recommend you watch all the episodes just so you can see the best series finale of all time. I watched the whole series within three weeks I was so addicted.

10. What is your favourite site on the web? My favourite site on the web is my husband’s blog www.wisdomcouragepower.blogspot.com because I get to read funny stories about his life and it sparks discussion between us sometimes. But that’s the sappy side of me. Something more practical for others… PostSecret, CakeWrecks, 1000 Awesome Things, YouTube, BestofYouTube, channel131, and WagJag.

Weekly Weigh-in 3 months

September 2, 2011.

I thought I would be a lot further along than I am at this point. However, I barely made it to the gym this week. Surprisingly I didn't go up by much, but I bet I lost some muscle from the lack of workouts. Next week I'm back to teaching. It will be interesting to see how my workout schedule changes. I'll post my commitment to working out on my blog when I figure it out.

This week up .1kgs or .2lbs.

Overall down 2.8kgs or 6.2lbs.

5 Thoughts That Stop You From Losing Weight

September 1, 2011.

This was an article that was forwarded to me by someone else who went on a weight loss journey and successfully lost 50lbs over a few year. Congrats to her! It is a long process.

The article can be found in full here: http://caloriecount.about.com/5-thoughts-stop-you-losing-weight-b528768?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20110901&utm_term=continue1

Here are my thoughts on it...

My first thought before even reading a word of this article is that thoughts are always at the centre of stopping me from losing weight. It has nothing to do with my ability to do the workouts or my time available to go to the gym or my knowledge about diet and exercise (although I do like to blame these things frequently). It has everything to do with my mindset and my choice to not go, not workout, not eat healthy, etc. If I had even half of my husband's determination and mindset I would be shedding the pounds as fast as he did (40lbs in one summer I believe).

Limiting Thought #1: "I'm afraid I'll never be able to lose weight."
I have never agreed with this thought. I know I can lose weight. I know that up until this point I have chosen not to try and that at this point I am trying a little, but certainly not as much as I could. Everyone can lose weight - if this statement comes out of your mouth followed by any kind of reasoning I will smile and nod, but inside think that you are looking for excuses. The statement I do err in making is "I know I can lose a lot weight, but I will never reach my ideal body weight."

Limiting Thought #2: "Even when I lose weight, I always gain it back. What's the use?"
I have totally said this. My weight goes up and down like a yo-yo right now. I find it frustrating. I do see the use of losing the weight though as overall my weight is still down, my measurements are improving, and I feel better - the latter point being the key. I have never used this statement though in terms of losing lots of weight then gaining it all back, losing and gaining again in a viscious cycle. I lost 40lbs once by going to the gym every day years ago. It took me two years to gain it back, but I gained it back because I didn't do anything active and I ate junk. When I lose weight this go around I intend to keep it off. I gained weight every year of post-secondary school and lost it the year I worked full-time between college and university. I am not going back to school so I am not regaining the weight.


Limiting Thought #3: "I've tried everything to lose weight and nothing seems to work"
If you've tried everything and it is not working then the problem is partially what you are trying, but mostly the problem is you. I've heard friends talk about so many diets, pills, workouts, etc. that they have tried unsuccessfully. I will never take anything to enhance/substitute my diet or increase my metabolism, etc. I will eat good, healthy foods. If I eliminated junk food I would see more of a difference, but I'm not willing to do so at this point in time. If your workout is not working then you are not working hard enough - you should finished soaked in sweat. You are also not tackling a workout that is challenging you.

Limiting Thought #4: "I hate my body."
This has not been an issue for me since I was 16. Perhaps that is why I have allowed myself to gain so much weight. I still think I look hot. I still love to look at myself in the mirror and admire my curves. When I was 16 and weighed 150lbs I had a tiny pouch of a tummy that I hated and wanted to lose. I competed to be Millbrook Fair Ambassador because a friend begged me when they were short participants and I agreed because I would have to give a speech and I was currently practicing my public speaking (to later use as a teacher). The girls I admired for their beauty that were stick thin complained in the change room about their looks and how fat they were. I thought if they don't think their perfect then I will never be able to obtain perfection by losing weight either so enough of that. I developed a high sense of confidence right then and beat all my idols by placing first runner up to a girl from out of town - she deserved it.

Limiting Thought #5: "It's taking too long. Nothing's changing."
Losing weight takes forever. I hate that I am gaining weight (muscle) to lose weight (fat). It makes it confusing. I feel the difference though. Muscles are popping up under my skin - you can't see them through the fat yet, but I feel them there. At 1-2lbs a week of healthy weight loss I thought this process would take me forever. At only 5lbs in 12 weeks roughly it is taking an eternity. Things are changing though...I like to focus on those. Good thing I'm patient (most of the time).

Interesting article sent my way. Thank you for it. It helped me bring some thoughts together. Now to create a plan of action based on it so my thought help me lose weight instead of stop me.

The Canoe Trip: Amber’s Version

August 27, 2011.

Yesterday Chris and I went to the 2nd annual karate camping weekend to enjoy the campfire and some canoeing. I was looking forward to it because it was an activity I loved as a child and thought it would be a new and active experience for the two of us to share together. Chris asked me multiple times “Have you been in a canoe before?” and I always responded “Yes, I’ve been canoeing before” with an air of attitude and annoyance that suggested I thought he was crazy to think I couldn’t paddle a canoe. This was bad sign number one.

Chris has canoed multiple times with his dad through white water rapids. His dad canoes rivers where you travel at 50km/hour without paddling. My canoe experience is limited to my days at Girl Guide camp or on the calm shores of a summer cabin rental. So when Chris asked me if I canoe I understood his canoeing background, but I failed to detail mine and simply answered exactly what he asked..

As we picked up the oars a friend pointed out that we were missing a key piece of equipment – our life jackets. We shrugged it off noting we could swim fine without them. This was warning number two. Chris hopped into the back of the canoe. I was going to push us off the bank with the assistance of a young teen girl then hop in myself. At this point I thought to myself ‘This doesn’t sound like the best idea. We’re probably going to tip.” That was warning three – but I failed to relay it to Chris. We barely lost contact with the bank and I flipped the canoe. Chris was not impressed. He stood up in the knee deep water shocked that I had flipped us and sore from scraping his hand on the rocky bottom. Those on the banks tried not to laugh. We were fully dressed (camera in Chris’ pocket) and drenched head to toe.

We reset with a lot of “I can’t believe you flipped us!” comments from Chris and we tried again. We entered the canoe from the water and I flipped us yet again. At this point Chris asked me why I was trying to sit on the bench. Apparently when you are an adult you should kneel on the bottom to keep yourself grounded. With this new knowledge we tried for the third time and succeeded.

Chris never got over the shock of being flipped (he’s only flipped once going through rapids and I’ve never flipped). We went upstream for awhile and learned how to communicate with each other as Chris called out terms like “draw” expecting me to know what to do – I didn’t. Once Chris learned that my “yes, I’ve been in a canoe” actually meant “I sat in a canoe and paddled a bit twenty years ago” we managed a whole lot better.

For me, this was an adventure. It was an experience to share with my husband that we will not forget. I’m sure Chris would rather rewind to before I flipped the canoe to plan accordingly, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. We learned so much more about working together and communicating with each other this way. It was an awesome day. To read Chris’ version of our canoe trip visit his blog at www.wisdomcouragepower.blogspot.com

Weekly Weigh-in 11

August 27, 2011.

At the start of the week I was going to the gym every day. I was going up in weight each morning, likely because I was building muscle with my new workout routine. After my assessment Wednesday I haven't made it back to the gym yet and I've been going down in weight. I eaven ate a ton of roasted marshmallows at a campfire last night. It makes no sense in my brain, but I have to just trust that going to the gym is better than not going. This week I will be better at dragging my butt to the gym.

This week I'm up .2kgs or .4lbs.
Overall I'm still down 2.9kgs or 6.4lbs

The Results Are In (Assessment)

I finally agreed to get an assessment of my measurements done at the gym to compare to the ones taken before I started working out with my trainer. Chris was getting tired of hearing me complain. The results are encouraging...

My awesome trainer Jodi takes three types of measurements so you can really see the changes in your body. She advised most people just measure their weight loss (and sometimes body fat) and therefore become disappointed and give up easily on their workouts because they do not see the changes they are looking for as soon as they would like. I am no different.

Between June 7, 2011 and August 24, 2011 I have...
lost 4.4lbs and lost 1.2% body fat.
These results have frustrated me as I feel like I am not progressing. For example, this week I went to the gym every day and I maintained the same weight, then went up in weight today. I'm heading in the right direction though because I am down overall still and will continue on this path.

The second type of measurement trainers usually take are tape measure measurements to see inches lost. This is a better indicator of progress because you are building muscle while you work out so sometimes you do not lose a lot of weight, but you do drop in clothing sizes. I definitely have seen results here and my stats prove it.

Between June 7, 2011 and August 24, 2011 I have...
lost .5cm on both my right and left upper arms
lost 2.5cm around my chest
lost 8cm on my waist
stayed the same for my hips
stayed the same on my right thigh, but went up .5cm on my left thigh
lost 1cm on both my right and left calves
I'm very happy with these results, especially my waist. Jodi said girls hang onto the weight on their hips for a long time, but that I should see it drop by my next assessment because of all the stairs I'm climbing.

The third measurement that most people and trainers do not check is your skinfolds. Jodi does these because it really shows how fat you lost by replacing it with muscle. One of my measurements shocked Jodi so much that she measured me a second time (thinking she made an error) because she had never seen such a significant change.

Between June 7, 2011 and August 24, 2011 I have...
lost 9mm on my bicep skinfold
lost 21mm on my tricep skinfold
lost 3mm on my illiac (part of upper arm) skinfold
lost 6mm on my subscap (back) skinfold
stayed the same on my calf skinfold (which Jodi was not surprised by because my calves are very muscular and my skin is super tight)

Glad I went to the gym today and didn't put off my assessment. Will continue doing what I'm doing. Loving the gym today.

"The Rack" Progress Update

August 21, 2011.

In going through my blog to see how far I've come I realized I overlooked posting my progress on "the rack" program. Perhaps it was because I only did it for 5 sessions from July 5-July 17 before Jodi switched me out to a new program and the fact that she used the same sheet so I didn't bring it home with me. Anyways, here is the progress from that dreaded program...

Cardio
Elliptical from 22min at level 9 @ 95RPM to treadmill 10min - 3min @3mph with 1% incline, up .2mph every 1 min until 4mph, then 1min @ 4.5mph, 1min @ 3mph

Squat rack from 2/15 with 30lbs to 2/15 with 40lbs
Sumo squat from 2/20 with 10lbs to 2/20 with 17.5lbs
Rack lunges from 2/15 with 30lbs to giving up on this activity

Assited pull-up from 1/10 at 90lbs lifted to stayed the same
Face pull from 2/15 with 30lbs to 2/15 with 42.5lbs

Chest press from 2/15 with 12.5lbs to 2/15 with 17.5lbs
Chest fly from 2/15 with 10lbs to 2/15 with 12.5lbs

Concentration curl from 2/15 with 12.5lbs to stayed the same
Skull crusher from 2/15 with 10lbs to stayed the same
Lateral raise from 2/15 with 7.5lbs to stayed the same

Bosu crunch from 1/15 to Regular crunch on floor 1/20
Bosu twist from 1/12 to Toe touch on floor 1/20
Scissor feet from 1/20 to stayed the same
Double Crunch from 1/15 to omitted from program
Back extension from 1/20 to stayed the same

Cardio
Stairmill from 1.5min @ 42 steps/min to 1.5min @ 60 steps/min

Stretch

Part of me is surprised to see progress in only 5 sessions for some excercises, but part of me is disappointed to see I made no progress in other areas or slacked off and eliminated parts of the program. Jodi was right to switch me out of this one and give me something new.

Weekly Weigh-in Week 10 with Rant

August 20, 2011.

I went to the gym 4or 5 times this week so I was looking forward to weighing in today. I hopped on the Wii Fit scale and immediately became pissed off. I went up .7kgs overnight!!! I thought this was very odd and couldn't be right so I reweighed myself. I still ended up going up overnight which is mind boggling to me, but at least I'm down overall since last Saturday.

Chris and I had a lengthy discussion because I was very irrate that I have been putting all this effort into the gym and I am not seeing results that would correlate with my effort. Why should I go to the gym almost every day and bust my butt if going less gets me better results (in terms of weight loss)? He is really glad that I am doing an assessment on Wednesday just so I will see the results he and Jodi see and finally shut up about my progress. However, he said I have every right to complain as much as I want if I don't see progress on my assessment.

The muscle above my right knee is killing me today. It hurt yesterday while working out with my new program. I didn't think I was going to make it through my squat jumps and be able to carry on , but I pushed through it. Debating whether I will do laps in the pool or my cardio routine tomorrow morning. Looking for ways to nurse my sore muscle before I have to make that decision.

This week down .3kgs or .6lbs
Overall down 3.1kgs or 6.8lbs (my lowest Saturday weigh-in yet, but not by much)

New Intense Cardio Workout

August 18, 2011.

I went to the gym today to run through a new program with Jodi. I expressed my frustration to Chris on the way that I am not seeing the results I want. He advised me I should do an assessment today instead then so I could see for myself. I opted not to, only because I was looking forward to (yes, looking forward to) getting a new program that I could be running through again tomorrow and on Sunday. I've booked my assessment for next Wednesday even though I haven't hit my 10lb mark yet. I need to see some other form of results.

Jodi greeted me with a big smile and informed me that I might hate her because she had planned an intense cardio workout for me that focused on the stairmill because she thought I could handle it now that we are onto our fourth program. I was not as impressed, but glad that I choose to arrive just in time and not early to do a cardio warm-up on the treadmill. Here is the new workout...Not as intense as I thought it would be, but it was still very difficult for me and will increase as I complete it.

Stairmill 5 minutes at 50 steps/minute

Standing next to the stairmill holding 10lb weights complete:
Squats 1/20
Sumo squats 1/20
Squat jumps 1/20
On sliders - Step back lunges 1/20 and Step to the side lateral lunges 1/20
Without weights, on sliders - Mountain climbers 1/8, but keep adding to it (mountain climbers are push-up position sliding feet as if running bringing one knee up to chest)

Stairmill 5 minutes at 50 steps/minute (I was only able to do 3min 45sec)

Standing next to stairmill holding 10lb weights complete:
Bicep curls 1/20
Tricep extension 1/20
Kick back arm rows 1/20
Shoulder press with a squat 1/20
Lateral raise 1/20 (I did 1/10)
Push-ups 1/15 (increase each time)

Abs - free choice of any I like (I'm continuing with my last set of 5 abs)

Stretch Out - with additional stretches and for a longer time (10-15 minutes of stretching)

If stairmill is tied up, use stepper, cybex, or treadmill with same intensity level. Do not use elliptical. May increase time on stairmill as I get better.

Program time: 30 minutes plus stretching

Progress

August 15, 2011.

I've ended my latest program at the gym and will be getting a new one on Thursday when I meet with Jodi again. I'm very tired of this one because it is hard in some places and really tires out my muscles. I've also felt like I've hit a wall on where I can improve with it so I figured that means it is time to switch it up.

I worked on this program from July 19 to August 15 and only managed to do it eight times, plus one fitness class, one run around the block, one day of at home fitness, and one aquafit class with swimming laps. I should have completed it 12 times by now, but life and lack of motivation got in the way. Here is my progress nonetheless...

Treadmill from 10 min with 1min @ 3.5 and 1min @5.0 to 10 min with 1min @ 3.0 and 1min @ 6.0 with a maximum running time of 3.5 minutes straight at 5.0 one day
Also tried rowing one day for 3 minutes, but machine has been broken or in use since.

Split squat from 2/15 with back foot on step to 2/15 with back foot on bench
Bosu squat from 2/15 on round side of Bosu to 2/15 on flat side of Bosu
Lateral Bosu squat from 1/14 to 2/16
Hamstring curl with ball from 1/15 to 2/15

Pullovers from 1/15 with 15lbs to 2/15 with 20lbs
Chest Fly from 2/15 with 12.5lbs to 2/15 with 15lbs
One arm row from 1/15 with 15lbs to 2/15 with 20lbs
Incline bicep curl from 2/15 with 12.5lbs to 1/15 with 15lbs, 1/15 with 12.5lbs
Tricep kick back from 1/15 with 10lbs to 2/15 with 12.5lbs
Shoulder rotations 1/15 with 7.5lbs - no change

Push-ups 1/20, 1/20 - no change
Mod V sit 1/20 - no change
Bicycle crunch 1/20 - no change
Leg drop from 1/10 to 1/20
Crunch 1/20 - no change
Alternating superman from 1/10 on each side to 1/20 on each side

Stretching - flexibility has increased

Compromise

August 14, 2011.

It's no secret that I find it difficult to get my butt to the gym on Sunday mornings, but I enjoy going once I get there and get into my routine. This morning I broke down though. The thought of going to the gym with little more than three hours of sleep after a horrible 12 hour work shift with another 12 hour work shift to come was to much, especially after having been away from the gym for the last week.

Chris copped some attitude with me telling me that I should go, that I wanted to go, and generally making sighs, rolling his eyes at me, and grumbling about how I've paid to go to the gym. He completely pissed me off and I told him to back off and leave me alone because there was no way I was going to the gym.

I stormed off to the living room to eat my bowl of cereal in peace and think about my next move. Was I going to go to the gym just so I didn't have to deal with Chris' attitude and disappointment in me? Which was worse - the idea of going to the gym completely exhausted or looking into my husband's eyes? Or, was I going to dig in my heels and stay home to watch t.v. or go back to sleep for a bit while he was at the gym? I was even going to give up my Sunday morning pancakes because I wasn't going to the gym to work them off. I was so looking forward to them because I bought chicken bacon to get some much needed protein and if I substituted three pieces of bacon for one pancake I'd even be eating less calories.

At this point I remembered that aquafit runs the same time we are at the gym on Sundays. This clearly seemed like my best option. Satisfy Chris by still going to the gym, satisfy myself by still getting in a workout, but still be able to relax and take it easier. Plus, I'd get to go in the pool which is something I love doing.

This may become my new Sunday morning routine. Aquafit itself was pretty boring. The instructor had no enthusiasm and moved in slow motion, but I got a bit of a workout. I even swam laps in the pool afterwards for another 20 minutes. Swimming laps was much more of a workout and much more enjoyable so this could be what I do to break up the routine of my workouts.

This week and next I'm going to the gym 4 nights to do my treadmill, weights, and abs. I'll try and book Jodi in to get a new routine for some variation. My goal is to finally hit the 10lbs mark by my three month weigh-in. When I am successful I will also do an assessment to see my new measurements. I believe it will be possible.

Weekly Weigh-in Week 9

August 13, 2011.

I went to the gym on Sunday morning, I attempted a run outside on Monday morning, and I did a few lunges and squats at my mom's on Tuesday. I've also walked and painted a lot. I have not, however, attended the gym all week. I will attempt to go to the gym every day (Tuesday excepted) after my professional development course as I have to pass the gym anyway to get home.

On the upside, I am down in weight this week by 1.4kgs or 3.1lbs
Overall I am down 2.8kgs or 6.2 lbs

This puts me almost back on track with my lowest weight to date a month ago. Just 0.2kgs to go to get there.

I've updated by two graphs on my blog as well.

"From that day on ... I was running!" Not!

August 8, 2011.

Chris has inspired me to run. He is running 10k now to gear up for Mudnewton (a 10k race through the woods with obstacles along the way). I think he has lost his mind, but he tells me when the race is over he is done running until next summer (for the 5k Warrior Dash). The Warrior Dash itself does not interest me, but going with my husband as a participant rather than a supporter does intrigue me, therefore I have decided to start running.

The quote in my title is from Forest Gump, but I did it to mimic Chris' post about running. I planned a route today in my neighbourhood that was entirely flat and didn't run along the main roads for long. It was just over 1km because I sprint/walk just over 1km on the treadmill at the gym. I also wanted something close to home in case I wussed out and needed to head home sooner.

I woke up early, got dressed, set my stopwatch and set out on my run. My first goal was to run from my house to the main road (2 blocks). I ran for about 1min and almost made it to the road before I had to walk it out. Weird because I run 2 minute sprints at the gym. I figure I run faster on land and that it is harder on my body. Huffing and puffing I walked the few houses to the end of the road and then down the bike trail along the main road for 1 block. This is where I planned to gear up again and run 1 block before turning left and running until I tired. I tired before the end of the block, but forced myself to make it.

At this point I had a choice walk to my left to the main road which meant a long run/walk back home and I was already tired or walk to my right a block and then run 1 more block home. I chose the latter and made it home as planned. I made it .68 km in 5 min 20 sec. My shins hurt, sweat started pouring from my brow the second I walked in the door, but my breaths settled quickly. I do not plan on running outside again for a long time. Running sucks! I wish I was at the gym.

Sunday Morning Sweat

August 7, 2011.



I made progress this weekend!!!

* I dropped .8kgs since my weigh-in yesterday so I'm feeling better and like I'm back on track.
* I did a waist measurement on my own because I couldn't tell if my shorts were getting looser from wearing them or because I lost an inch. It looks like it was a combo of the two because my shorts fell down today on my way into work while I was juggling an armful of stuff in the rain.
* I raised the bar one notch for my leg stretch and can now reach past the rope for my split stretch.
* I incresed some of my weights for my arm freeweights.
* I can do more reps in a row before I tire on my difficult exercises.
* I ran 2 minutes, walked 1 min for 10 minutes total and didn't feel like I was going to die (although I did not want to try for 3 minutes)
* I barely drank my G2 so I'm not feeling queasy anymore at the gym.

I still hate getting sweaty, but I'm learning to deal with it as it is now inevitable. My new routine has me drenched front and back (see pics below) like it should be to recognize that you actually put in the work at the gym and didn't just go to socialize (as I used to). I now leave butt prints on everything I sit on at the gym. I used to tell Chris this was gross when he did it, now I cringe at myself and wipe up my own mess. On the plus side a butt print makes your butt look tiny.






















Today Chris even made me poached eggs for breakfast after our shower. They were overdone and watery, but still very yummy. All round happy day.

Weekly Weigh-in 2 Months

August 6, 2011.

Party=Fun=Weight Gain=:(

This week I've been going to the gym and doing a lot of work around the house and yard so I expected to drop all the weight I gained the week before. Up until Thursday morning I was almost at that point. Then I brought my husband a sushi lunch picnic, went to a 30th birthday party at a buffet, and held a Rock Band party and potluck at my house. In two days I managed to gain it all back, plus some. I'm still feeling better though and although I have not lost a lot of weight my clothes are miraculously fitting too loose. Go figure. 4 more weeks until I do an assessment with Jodi to find out some new results.

This week I gained .8kgs or 1.7lbs

Overall down 1.4kgs or 3.2lbs

No pancake breakfast for me tomorrow.

Back in the Day

August 3, 2011.

All this weighing in on Wii Fit and talk of assessments and ideal BMI or body fat ratio had me reminiscing about the past. It reminded me of a breakfast out last year with my family where my mom arrived wearing a shirt I wore for New Year's Eve 2000. That was a bit of a blow to my ego and how hot I thought I looked when I realized my mom who I find to be too thin arrived wearing clothes I could not fit into once I started college in 2001. I don't remember being that tiny because I remember when I was that thin I still thought I had a tummy and could lose some weight. When I was that thin I weighed about 150lbs. Here I am at my high school formal in 2001.



This is considered to be a healthy weight for me. I do not think it is realistic to reach this weight again, but I have not been able to part with this dress. For comparison this is the most recent picture of me in a party dress. I hope to reach a happy medium by next summer.

I'm My Own Worst Critic

August 3, 2011.

I was at the gym yesterday with Jodi working out when she asked me how I've been feeling about my workouts. I told her that I came to the gym to feel better and that I did indeed feel better, however I was not seeing the physical results I thought I would by this point in time. She told me I am my own worst critic as I won't see the changes that other people will be coming up to me saying. She's right because a few people have told me about some things they've noticed while others at they gym that see me there often have told me I'm kicking butt. I was really hoping that I would be down 15lbs by the time I did my assessment at the end of August. It's not looking that way, but I still plan to do one just to see.

I showed up late to my training session with Jodi so I only had a few minutes to warm up on the treadmill before we met. I chose to run without looking at the timer until I was so tired I had to hit the stop button to shut it down. I ran for 3.5 minutes which is 1.5minutes longer than I've run before. I walked it out for 1.5 minutes and then sprinted at 6mph for another minute just to see if the faster speed made it easier to run. It did, but it didn't if that makes sense.

Jodi kept my workout routine the same as I am still struggling through it and have not increased a lot of my weights. She did, however, make it more challenging in a few areas (squats are now on flat side of BOSU so it is like doing them on a Pogo ball, and lunges now have my back foot on a bench instead of step). I also have to do more lateral lunges in my repetitions and two sets instead of one. I really hate these!

Here's hoping things improve this week - so far so good!

A Run, a Stretch, and Some Abs

August 1, 2011.

I did not make it to the gym this morning. I was climbing into bed last night at midnight when Chris asked me if I still planned to go to the gym this morning. The thought of getting less than 7 hours sleep before my third 12 hour shift of work was too much to contemplate so I responded if I woke up on my own early enough I would go, but if I could sleep in I would need the sleep. After laying awake in bed until nearly 1am when my cat's crying could be tolerated no more I climbed out of bed to play fetch with him (yes fetch) so he would leave me alone. I was really appreciating my decision to sleep in at this point. I did sleep in, but not by much.

To console myself and my lack of ambition this past week I am going to revel in my mini accomplishments from Sunday when I was feeling at my worst...

A Run
I hopped on the treadmill with my iPod and some "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" by Katie Tunstall (times two) followed by some "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera and decided I was going to avoid looking at the timer and just run until I couldn't run anymore. This lasted about 1min 15sec before I tired, but I pushed myself to 2min. I changed my goal to 2min sprints at 5mph followed by a 1min walk at 3mph. I got to my fourth sprint before I gave out at 1.5min and had to walk the remaining time. I was still impressed by my success.

A Stretch
Chris and I were stretching out on the equipment and he was showing me some new moves to keep things interesting for me. Either that or he is secretly trying to help me be able to do the splits (something I've always wanted to be able to do - but have never even been able to touch my toes). Anyway, I was seated on the floor with my legs splayed open pulling myself forward by holding onto a rope and pressing my calves into two pads to get a better stretch when Chris tried to console me by telling me it will get better soon. I responded by telling him, yeah right I can't even stretch to the side to touch my toes. As I said the words I reached over and lo and behold I not only touched my right toes I grabbed onto my foot. Shocker! I had to try my left foot I was so surprised and yes I could grab that foot too! Wow! Some days I even surprise myself.

Some Abs
There was a time a few months ago, even a few weeks ago, where I hated doing ab work. I was so tired and exhausted by the end of my workout that the last thing I wanted to do was work my core muscles even though it allowed me to lie on the ground on a soft cushy mat. Yesterday I was too drained to do anything else and actually chose to do my ab work about halfway through my workout routine because I thought it would be easier (yes, easy) than my leg and arm exercises. Today they were a breeze. No issues with my ab workout at all. Even made me feel like I could go back and complete a couple more arm or leg bits that I skipped. Today I even got down on the concrete floor at work and did a few of the ab crunches just to get out of my office chair. Who would have thought?

Chocolate is Yummy! I Feel Like Crap.

July 31, 2011.

Eating out a lot this past week got me into a bunch of my old habits. One of which is my love of chocolate. I thought I did pretty well to have only bought two chocolate bars during the week (both days I went to AirZone in Oshawa), but I made them count. I bought a 3 Musketeers bar on both days. Not my go to choice, but I wanted chocolate and sugar and it had the best proportion with sugary nouget wrapped in milk chocolate. They were so good.

That brings me to the weekend where I have to work three 12 hour shifts in an office by myself. I chose to buy a package of 4 chocolate bars (Chunky Kit Kats) to last me the three days and give me a chocolate and sugar fix during the day. Instead I devoured three in the first two hours of my shift. I only saved one because I refused to buy another package for the weekend and I didn't want to be left without a treat for two days. This to me is excessive and ridiculous. I showed no restraint, or very little as usually I would eat an entire bag of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in one work shift (before I started working out).

I paid the price for my decision though. Although I did drop in weight this morning I felt like crap at the gym. I was sluggish and weak and could not complete my program. I quit pretty early into it and chose to do some floor work instead. My weakness could come from only eating a granola bar for breakfast as I slept in, but I think it had more to do with my food choices on Saturday. Looking forward to roast chicken, yogurt, pineapple, cheese, a bagel, and cups of tea today. Back to the workout tomorrow.

Today I dislike the gym, but mostly because I made it harder for myself than it had to be.

Weekly Weigh-in Week 7

July 30, 2011.

After a whole week of eating out lunch and dinner and barely working out (just Sunday, Monday, and a fitness class Tuesday) I completed my weigh-in this morning. I miss being at the gym. I actually started enjoying going to the gym every other day and I definitely felt its absence with my busy schedule this week. I'm looking forward to returning tomorrow and Monday morning before work otherwise three 12 hour shifts of office work sitting in a chair will kill my back. Also, I meet with Jodi again on Tuesday and don't feel like I've done enough with my program to show her.

This week the final results are:

.8 kgs up in weight or 1.7 lbs this week

2.2 kgs down or 4.9 lbs overall

This is a Rough Week

July 28, 2011.

I've been doing really well at the gym lately. I've been going every other day and have been increasing both my weights and my cardio. I even attended one of Jodi's fitness classes. I've attended the male trainer's classes and survived (a little bored, but a little tired and worked), but Jodi had me out of breath in the first 5 minutes. There was no way I could do my usual chit chat throughout the class with my friend (or this case my husband). It was go, go, go and constant change ups (every 8 counts or 20 reps). She had me doing things I've never done before in a fitness class and refusing to attempt some things that I did not feel I could do at all. I swaet so much I could see my reflection in the puddle that accumulated on my mat. It was gross.

I said this week has been rough though. Not because of the fitness - that has been easy. I'm poainting mny kitchen so it is in an upheaval. I'm also off for a whole week for the first time in a long time so I've had lots of plans to go out with frinds. This has meant that I ate dinner out Mon, Tue, Wed, and will tonight. I also ate lunch out Tue, Wed, and today and will tomorrow too. Surprisingly I am only up .5kgs since my Saturday morning weigh-in with all of this eating out, but it has made for a rough week knowing that I am not dropping weight as I had initially planned. Although I'm not happy with my eating situation this week I've at least been making healthy eating choices while out which has helped and I am happy with my fitness routine. Back to the regular routine next week with better results.