This plan will begin on January 1. I am not even fucking around with trying this during Christmas...I know my limits, and that is one of them.
I am still a member of Weight Watchers online, and I intend to be GLUED to that site throughout the day. I will shop according to a strict Weight Watchers-approved diet, and I will make every effort to not go over my daily points allowance. I will pretend as though I have no weekly points to spend, and I will pretend as though any exercise I do will not count toward my point allowance. I will attempt to go to meetings, as long as I can afford it.
I am going to join my local YMCA. This will be expensive...like $53 per month...but, for the ability to workout whenever I want, and the ability to do classes and stuff like that, I'm ok with that. I guess it's a good thing that I'm waiting until January 1...they've apparently just had a fire in their facility (!), but should be opening up again soon.
My workout regimen is going to be about 80% cardio, in the form of walking, biking, swimming, elliptical, and classes, and about 20% weight training, which I think is appropriate for my situation. I need to SLOWLY ramp up the walking to running, so that I don't aggravate my shin splints...but, biking and swimming and all of that other stuff should make that transition easier, while still letting me lose weight. Once I scope out the actual facility, I will come up with a more definite plan of exactly where I'm going to be spending my time. One way or the other, my fat ass will be in that gym at least 5 days out of every week.
Now, goals.
For the purpose of neatness, I am going to calculate everything based on a goal of 24 pounds to lose, just so that it divides up evenly. (I am neurotic.) So, this means 24 pounds between January 1 and April 1...or, 8 pounds per month. Not as terrible as I first thought, actually. That works out really well...January 1 is a Sunday, and so is April 1, and there are exactly 13 weeks in there. This means a weight loss of 2 pounds a week, with a little leeway in there for weeks when I don't do as well.
I need to note here that I am not going to track this day by day. I will drive myself NUTS that way, because I'll feel like absolutely nothing is getting accomplished. I am going to keep myself to a strict once-a-week weighing schedule, with weigh-ins happening on Fridays.
So, assuming a starting weight of 179 (I have 2 weeks to make sure I'm there)...I will be at 171 by February 1...163 by March 1...and 155 by April 1. Wow...that feels SO fast...but it's still within the healthy range, so that's ok. As long as I start Weight Watchers RIGHT AWAY on January 1, then I should be losing weight immediately instead of having to wait for the exercise to kick in. 'Cause that shiz takes forever.
Ok, I think that's good for now. I will post measurements and a workout plan on December 31. : ) Let the madness begin!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Starting Over
I need to resist the temptation to delete everything in this blog and start over completely.
There is some good stuff in here. Granted, there is a lot of "Ok, we're gonna do this thing for REAL this time!" This is frustrating for me to look at, because it feels like I will always try and never succeed at this weight loss thing. BUT, there is also a lot of good information about my trial and error process, which I need to keep.
But seriously, I'm done fucking around. I'm tired of my clothes not fitting, I'm tired of always feeling self-conscious, I'm tired of all of it.
Also, I might soon have a WHOLE FUCKING LOT of motivation...it is looking like an engagement might be possible soon! I don't want to say anything more definite, for fear or jinxing it or something...but there are strong indications that this will happen in the near future. : )
SO, I need to lose a lot of fucking weight. And soon...by April 1, I want to be down to at least 155 pounds. This is a loss of roughly 25 pounds...I've been hovering around 180 lately, much to my horror. That is a very rapid weight loss, and I'm not sure I can pull it off...but, I think with the right plan I can do it, or at least get close.
As per my usual preference, the actual plan and goals will be in another entry. I like having one entry to which I can refer, without all of, well, this. : )
There is some good stuff in here. Granted, there is a lot of "Ok, we're gonna do this thing for REAL this time!" This is frustrating for me to look at, because it feels like I will always try and never succeed at this weight loss thing. BUT, there is also a lot of good information about my trial and error process, which I need to keep.
But seriously, I'm done fucking around. I'm tired of my clothes not fitting, I'm tired of always feeling self-conscious, I'm tired of all of it.
Also, I might soon have a WHOLE FUCKING LOT of motivation...it is looking like an engagement might be possible soon! I don't want to say anything more definite, for fear or jinxing it or something...but there are strong indications that this will happen in the near future. : )
SO, I need to lose a lot of fucking weight. And soon...by April 1, I want to be down to at least 155 pounds. This is a loss of roughly 25 pounds...I've been hovering around 180 lately, much to my horror. That is a very rapid weight loss, and I'm not sure I can pull it off...but, I think with the right plan I can do it, or at least get close.
As per my usual preference, the actual plan and goals will be in another entry. I like having one entry to which I can refer, without all of, well, this. : )
Sunday, November 6, 2011
I am a Walking Machine.
Well, it seems that the Couch to 5k thing needs to be put on the back burner for a little bit.
My shins are just killing me. Even a week after I had last run, it was hurting to go up and down the stairs in my house. My back is fine, everything else seems to be ok...but my shins are in agony.
So, I've been walking. I walked one day last week (maybe Tuesday? Wednesday?), and then I walked again yesterday and today. I've gotten up to exactly 4 miles, which I'm pretty excited about. I'm not going to try to increase that for a while...I need to give my body some time to adjust. But 4 miles a day, at least 5 days a week, means 20+ miles per week...which means 2000+ calories burned! That's pretty good!
I still run just a little bit while I'm on my walk...but I only run as far as I can before my shins hurt and my breath is gone. My breathing is pretty good...I'm using my inhaler every time I go out for a walk...but I still can't run for very long without wheezing.
I find that I enjoy my exercise so much more when there isn't that pressure to run all the time. I like walking...I like the smells and the sights and everything. Running is just stressful.
I still feel like I need to do something more than just walking, even if I am walking 4 miles at a time. Maybe, once I get used to doing 4 miles 5 times a week, I can also add some other stuff like the Wii or the Slim in 6. I need to do a few weeks of just the walking, though, first.
I'm trying to eat pretty well. I've been having these low-fat frozen breakfast sandwiches in the morning, soup at lunch, and then pretty much whatever I can find for dinner. I feel like I've lost a few pounds, but of course the scale doesn't agree. Whatever...I know that walking that much is good for me, so I'm not going to worry about the scale for right now.
Ok, off to eat some soup for dinner. : ) Later.
My shins are just killing me. Even a week after I had last run, it was hurting to go up and down the stairs in my house. My back is fine, everything else seems to be ok...but my shins are in agony.
So, I've been walking. I walked one day last week (maybe Tuesday? Wednesday?), and then I walked again yesterday and today. I've gotten up to exactly 4 miles, which I'm pretty excited about. I'm not going to try to increase that for a while...I need to give my body some time to adjust. But 4 miles a day, at least 5 days a week, means 20+ miles per week...which means 2000+ calories burned! That's pretty good!
I still run just a little bit while I'm on my walk...but I only run as far as I can before my shins hurt and my breath is gone. My breathing is pretty good...I'm using my inhaler every time I go out for a walk...but I still can't run for very long without wheezing.
I find that I enjoy my exercise so much more when there isn't that pressure to run all the time. I like walking...I like the smells and the sights and everything. Running is just stressful.
I still feel like I need to do something more than just walking, even if I am walking 4 miles at a time. Maybe, once I get used to doing 4 miles 5 times a week, I can also add some other stuff like the Wii or the Slim in 6. I need to do a few weeks of just the walking, though, first.
I'm trying to eat pretty well. I've been having these low-fat frozen breakfast sandwiches in the morning, soup at lunch, and then pretty much whatever I can find for dinner. I feel like I've lost a few pounds, but of course the scale doesn't agree. Whatever...I know that walking that much is good for me, so I'm not going to worry about the scale for right now.
Ok, off to eat some soup for dinner. : ) Later.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Revving up
Getting ready to DO THIS THING this afternoon!
Hahahahaha.
Really, though, I need to get motivated. It's pretty warm outside (75 or so) and that makes me not want to go do the C25K thing, even though I MUST. So very important.
Thankfully, a front is coming through tomorrow, and it'll be in the 60's all next week. YAY! Excellent exercise weather.
My shins feel quite a bit better today...they usually hurt a LOT when I first get up in the mornings, but then get better after I walk around a little. I have not, thankfully, experienced a resurgence in back pain since Tuesday, which is surprising and awesome. Here's hoping the back pain does not come back.
I'm having a weird pain in my stomach region today, just under my ribs on my left side, that is somewhat puzzling. I'm chalking it up to some digestive concern...but if it continues I might have to investigate further. I don't know how...I can't see a doc on a less-than-emergency basis here in Decatur...but I'll figure it out somehow.
Ok, off to get motivated! Rawr! : )
Hahahahaha.
Really, though, I need to get motivated. It's pretty warm outside (75 or so) and that makes me not want to go do the C25K thing, even though I MUST. So very important.
Thankfully, a front is coming through tomorrow, and it'll be in the 60's all next week. YAY! Excellent exercise weather.
My shins feel quite a bit better today...they usually hurt a LOT when I first get up in the mornings, but then get better after I walk around a little. I have not, thankfully, experienced a resurgence in back pain since Tuesday, which is surprising and awesome. Here's hoping the back pain does not come back.
I'm having a weird pain in my stomach region today, just under my ribs on my left side, that is somewhat puzzling. I'm chalking it up to some digestive concern...but if it continues I might have to investigate further. I don't know how...I can't see a doc on a less-than-emergency basis here in Decatur...but I'll figure it out somehow.
Ok, off to get motivated! Rawr! : )
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Trying...
Wellll, I've definitely been trying very hard to lose weight.
And it is definitely not working. Yet, anyway.
For the last week or so, I've been doing the Couch to 5K program. Today, I did Day 4. Not really, though...I really did Day 1 again...I'm not quite to the point where I can increase my running at all.
I have been doing pretty well with it, actually. As long as I remember to use my inhaler before I go, my breathing is ok...this last Sunday, I did it without the inhaler, and I was wheezing the whole way. I think that my asthma is of the "exercise-induced" variety...which is good, it means it's pretty easy to manage.
I also got new shoes last week, just for this. They're pretty good shoes...I went to Fleet Feet for them, so that they could give me a good running shoe that would actually work for me. And the shoes were expensive...over $100...but they do seem to work well.
Today was better than Sunday...I ran whenever it told me to run, and I didn't stop until it told me to stop. There were times when I paused it so that I could walk a little bit longer...but today was the first day I was able to run for 60 seconds every time it told me to. I'm hoping that, by the end of the week, I will be able to do this first set without a problem, and I can move on to the second set.
I am in a lot of pain tonight, though, and that's worrying me a bit. My shins HURT, like every time I walk at all. Also, by the end of the walk tonight, I had shooting pains from my back (near the top of my butt) down my legs. That's definitely alarming.
I hope I haven't moved too quickly with all of this. I probably have...but I'm still hovering around 180, and it's SO frustrating to me. I don't eat a lot of crap...I eat good stuff! When I want something sweet, I almost always go for low-sugar dried fruit or yogurt. I've been trying to increase the amount of soup I eat, since soup is pretty healthy. I just really want to CHANGE. Like, NOW.
There are some bike trails at a park near Atlanta that I want to try out. I am not comfortable at all with riding on real roads yet, but I'd really like to ride a little. Maybe I can do that once or twice a week, to help my shins and my back.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow. This week is a hard week, I'm doing 4 workouts instead of 3. Thursday is the next one, and hopefully some of the pain will be gone by then. My plan right now is just to power through it...I know that my problems with my knees and my shins and my back are all because of my weight, and I'm hoping that once I get some of the weight off some of the problems will disappear.
Ok, I'm falling asleep. Later.
And it is definitely not working. Yet, anyway.
For the last week or so, I've been doing the Couch to 5K program. Today, I did Day 4. Not really, though...I really did Day 1 again...I'm not quite to the point where I can increase my running at all.
I have been doing pretty well with it, actually. As long as I remember to use my inhaler before I go, my breathing is ok...this last Sunday, I did it without the inhaler, and I was wheezing the whole way. I think that my asthma is of the "exercise-induced" variety...which is good, it means it's pretty easy to manage.
I also got new shoes last week, just for this. They're pretty good shoes...I went to Fleet Feet for them, so that they could give me a good running shoe that would actually work for me. And the shoes were expensive...over $100...but they do seem to work well.
Today was better than Sunday...I ran whenever it told me to run, and I didn't stop until it told me to stop. There were times when I paused it so that I could walk a little bit longer...but today was the first day I was able to run for 60 seconds every time it told me to. I'm hoping that, by the end of the week, I will be able to do this first set without a problem, and I can move on to the second set.
I am in a lot of pain tonight, though, and that's worrying me a bit. My shins HURT, like every time I walk at all. Also, by the end of the walk tonight, I had shooting pains from my back (near the top of my butt) down my legs. That's definitely alarming.
I hope I haven't moved too quickly with all of this. I probably have...but I'm still hovering around 180, and it's SO frustrating to me. I don't eat a lot of crap...I eat good stuff! When I want something sweet, I almost always go for low-sugar dried fruit or yogurt. I've been trying to increase the amount of soup I eat, since soup is pretty healthy. I just really want to CHANGE. Like, NOW.
There are some bike trails at a park near Atlanta that I want to try out. I am not comfortable at all with riding on real roads yet, but I'd really like to ride a little. Maybe I can do that once or twice a week, to help my shins and my back.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow. This week is a hard week, I'm doing 4 workouts instead of 3. Thursday is the next one, and hopefully some of the pain will be gone by then. My plan right now is just to power through it...I know that my problems with my knees and my shins and my back are all because of my weight, and I'm hoping that once I get some of the weight off some of the problems will disappear.
Ok, I'm falling asleep. Later.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Revision...
Well, I think that the 181.4 was off for a different reason.
It appears that, depending upon where I place my scale on the bathroom floor, it can sometimes be off by several pounds.
I weighed myself this morning, and at first it said 181.4 again...which I didn't believe, because I was SO good yesterday, and I got rid of a lot of water weight and everything. So, after I had put it back on the shelf, I took it back down, and weighed myself again. This time, it said 177.6. Now, assuming I don't have some disease where I lose 4 pounds per minute...which, if I do, then so long...this means that my brand new scale is either broken, or giving different results depending on where I place it.
This makes me feel a little better...at least I'm not over 180! But, it also means that I've entered incorrect information into both this blog and Weight Watchers. I guess that doesn't matter...it will just look like I've lost like 5 pounds in the first week when I've really lost 1. But I needed to record somewhere that this happened, so that I can refer back.
Anyway, off to have some coffee and get motivated! Later!
It appears that, depending upon where I place my scale on the bathroom floor, it can sometimes be off by several pounds.
I weighed myself this morning, and at first it said 181.4 again...which I didn't believe, because I was SO good yesterday, and I got rid of a lot of water weight and everything. So, after I had put it back on the shelf, I took it back down, and weighed myself again. This time, it said 177.6. Now, assuming I don't have some disease where I lose 4 pounds per minute...which, if I do, then so long...this means that my brand new scale is either broken, or giving different results depending on where I place it.
This makes me feel a little better...at least I'm not over 180! But, it also means that I've entered incorrect information into both this blog and Weight Watchers. I guess that doesn't matter...it will just look like I've lost like 5 pounds in the first week when I've really lost 1. But I needed to record somewhere that this happened, so that I can refer back.
Anyway, off to have some coffee and get motivated! Later!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
A Plan, a Plan. And Some Goals.
My goal weight is still 145. I want to accomplish this by the time it gets warm next year...so, we'll say April 1.
I understand now, like I did not last year, that working out for WEEKS may not get me any tangible gain. As frustrating as it is...I do understand that now. Also, I need to be SUPER careful about what I eat, and I need to log in to Weight Watchers multiple times per day. If I follow a correct diet, AND I'm working out, then this has to work this time.
Keeping those things in mind, I want to be down to 160 by the December 31st. This seems like an awfully gradual slope of weight loss...and I reserve the right to change my goals again if it looks like I'm going to do it more quickly...but I am picking this date because it's a convenient point about halfway between now and April 1, and because I don't know exactly how long it will take me to get to that point where it just drops off.
Those are my "hard" dates. I have some softer goals as well, that are more just guidelines to keep me on track. I'd like to be down to 175 by October 1...170 by November 1...and I'd like to be at 150 by March 1. So, ultimately, I'd like to lose about 5 pounds per month. I think that's more than reasonable, and I could always lose it faster.
So, how will I accomplish this? I will log EVERYTHING I eat into Weight Watchers. I will go for at least a 2.5-mile walk, at least 5 days per week, increasing in half-mile increments as I feel comfortable. I will need to closely monitor this...ramping up my walk too quickly was what hurt my back before. I think I will try to do 3 miles after about 2 weeks, and I'll see how it feels.
I also plan to get back into the Slim in 6, and do it RIGHT this time. Yeah, it's going to BLOW at first. It's going to be a nightmare, and I'm not going to want to do it. But, if I follow it and do what I'm supposed to, it should really help me to lose weight.
I will also start back up on the Wii Fit. This is good for strength-training, not as good for aerobics. I need to develop a good every-day plan on the Wii Fit, or 2 different plans that I can alternate.
But, I will start with walking. I want to walk first every day, before I do that other stuff. I think that's what was missing earlier this year...I was either walking OR doing the other stuff every day, I wasn't doing them both together. So, I'll walk first, then do the Slim in 6. After a week or two of that, hopefully I'll be back down to 175, and I can get back on the Wii Fit without it telling me what a fatass I am.
I'm seriously ready to do this. I'm SO TIRED of always feeling like the fat girl in the room. I need to be super careful at all of Jacob's school functions...they have a lot of free food and beer, which will wreak absolute havoc on my diet.
Ok! I'm officially excited. Carpe diem! : )
I understand now, like I did not last year, that working out for WEEKS may not get me any tangible gain. As frustrating as it is...I do understand that now. Also, I need to be SUPER careful about what I eat, and I need to log in to Weight Watchers multiple times per day. If I follow a correct diet, AND I'm working out, then this has to work this time.
Keeping those things in mind, I want to be down to 160 by the December 31st. This seems like an awfully gradual slope of weight loss...and I reserve the right to change my goals again if it looks like I'm going to do it more quickly...but I am picking this date because it's a convenient point about halfway between now and April 1, and because I don't know exactly how long it will take me to get to that point where it just drops off.
Those are my "hard" dates. I have some softer goals as well, that are more just guidelines to keep me on track. I'd like to be down to 175 by October 1...170 by November 1...and I'd like to be at 150 by March 1. So, ultimately, I'd like to lose about 5 pounds per month. I think that's more than reasonable, and I could always lose it faster.
So, how will I accomplish this? I will log EVERYTHING I eat into Weight Watchers. I will go for at least a 2.5-mile walk, at least 5 days per week, increasing in half-mile increments as I feel comfortable. I will need to closely monitor this...ramping up my walk too quickly was what hurt my back before. I think I will try to do 3 miles after about 2 weeks, and I'll see how it feels.
I also plan to get back into the Slim in 6, and do it RIGHT this time. Yeah, it's going to BLOW at first. It's going to be a nightmare, and I'm not going to want to do it. But, if I follow it and do what I'm supposed to, it should really help me to lose weight.
I will also start back up on the Wii Fit. This is good for strength-training, not as good for aerobics. I need to develop a good every-day plan on the Wii Fit, or 2 different plans that I can alternate.
But, I will start with walking. I want to walk first every day, before I do that other stuff. I think that's what was missing earlier this year...I was either walking OR doing the other stuff every day, I wasn't doing them both together. So, I'll walk first, then do the Slim in 6. After a week or two of that, hopefully I'll be back down to 175, and I can get back on the Wii Fit without it telling me what a fatass I am.
I'm seriously ready to do this. I'm SO TIRED of always feeling like the fat girl in the room. I need to be super careful at all of Jacob's school functions...they have a lot of free food and beer, which will wreak absolute havoc on my diet.
Ok! I'm officially excited. Carpe diem! : )
Trials
My god, what a year.
Lots of things have happened since I last wrote in here. My house flooded at the beginning of May, leading to 2 months of chaos while everything was being moved around and repairs were being made. I had just gotten everything back into place (well, as much as possible, considering I was moving soon), when I discovered that I was pregnant. Jacob and I had just gotten excited about it, when I started to have problems, and ultimately I miscarried around early August. Then, around mid-August, we moved to Atlanta...well, technically Decatur, but still part of the Atlanta metropolis.
So, needless to say...I have not lost any weight.
My plan was to immediately start exercising when we got here...but that has not happened. In fact, all I have done is GAIN weight since we got here..this morning I'm at 181.4! UGH! I don't think that's a true number...I ate really late last night, and I was out with Jacob and friends drinking a lot of beer, so I think I'm both retaining a lot of water and still showing some weight from my late night snack. I've been vacillating between 182 and 175 since we've been here, so I'm confident that it will go back down tomorrow. But STILL...that 181 is really getting to me this morning.
I need to get my ass in gear. I have had excuses since I got here...first we were unpacking, then I was on my cycle, and then I got a really bad head cold that turned into a chest thing. I'm actually still coughing, but I'm ignoring that because I need to lose some fucking weight.
SO...a plan. I need a plan, and goals. As per usual, I will put those in a new entry after this one. I'm in a new place, I'm eating at home more often, it's September and the weather is lovely, and Jacob and I have talked about getting married sometime in the next year or so...so I have lots of motivation, and lots of things working for me right now. Let's do this thing!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Progress
UGH, I am fed up with sitting around.
My back still hurts a LOT. I went to a physical therapy appointment yesterday, though, where I got some exercises I can try to lessen the pain. I need to make sure to find enough time to do those exercises before my next appointment on Tuesday.
I was pretty disappointed with my appointment yesterday. I won't go into detail about it, because I have already talked to like everyone about it...but, basically, I didn't even see the doctor. I saw an intern, who was overseen by a nurse. The intern went ahead and gave me exercises to do without doing an MRI or anything to determine that what I believe is my problem is ACTUALLY my problem. I will do the exercises, and evaluate afterwards...but right now, I am less than happy about the whole thing. I have called my regular doctor to get some advice on it.
I do have some good things to report about my weight. Inexplicably, last week, it went down as low as 172. I am now at 173.5, while on my period, which is a vast improvement. I don't really know what happened...I didn't change anything. Maybe it was just the residual weight loss from when I was actually working out. Whatever it is, I'm pretty happy about it.
My plan as of right now is to start working out again on this coming Monday. Nothing too too difficult...just some Wii Fit and maybe some SI6 (Level 1) or walking. My back still hurts...but I think I can still manage some exercise without injuring myself further. I need to get back into it...this back thing is a chronic condition, and I absolutely refuse to spend the rest of my life sitting on my ass because of it.
Bonus: the back thing gets me out of doing farm work at my grandmother's this weekend. Hey, there's an upside to everything. : )
Ok, off to work. Later.
My back still hurts a LOT. I went to a physical therapy appointment yesterday, though, where I got some exercises I can try to lessen the pain. I need to make sure to find enough time to do those exercises before my next appointment on Tuesday.
I was pretty disappointed with my appointment yesterday. I won't go into detail about it, because I have already talked to like everyone about it...but, basically, I didn't even see the doctor. I saw an intern, who was overseen by a nurse. The intern went ahead and gave me exercises to do without doing an MRI or anything to determine that what I believe is my problem is ACTUALLY my problem. I will do the exercises, and evaluate afterwards...but right now, I am less than happy about the whole thing. I have called my regular doctor to get some advice on it.
I do have some good things to report about my weight. Inexplicably, last week, it went down as low as 172. I am now at 173.5, while on my period, which is a vast improvement. I don't really know what happened...I didn't change anything. Maybe it was just the residual weight loss from when I was actually working out. Whatever it is, I'm pretty happy about it.
My plan as of right now is to start working out again on this coming Monday. Nothing too too difficult...just some Wii Fit and maybe some SI6 (Level 1) or walking. My back still hurts...but I think I can still manage some exercise without injuring myself further. I need to get back into it...this back thing is a chronic condition, and I absolutely refuse to spend the rest of my life sitting on my ass because of it.
Bonus: the back thing gets me out of doing farm work at my grandmother's this weekend. Hey, there's an upside to everything. : )
Ok, off to work. Later.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Breakdown
I am having a really rough time right now.
My back has not stopped hurting since last week. I now have not worked out in over a week, because of the pain. I went to see the doctor on Thursday, when the first series of pain meds they gave me didn't work, and they gave me Toradol and a muscle relaxer. They also gave me a referral to a physical therapist, who apparently specializes in backs. My first appointment with him is Wednesday, 4/20.
I am freaking out a little about my weight. I was already freaking out before my back started really hurting, and now I'm not even working out at all. My weight has continued to go up...I was at 176 this morning!
My doctor did say last week that it was a very good thing that I did not continue to work out after my back got bad. Which, I still feel like I was being totally lazy by sitting on my fat ass...but whatever, it's doctor-sanctioned. Sigh.
I want to get a plan together for starting to work out again, but I don't know if I should do this until after I see the physical therapist. Maybe just some light stuff on the Wii Fit...I can't imagine that doing Yoga on the Wii Fit would be a problem. I also might see if I can borrow my step-father's inversion table...I've heard that just 5-10 minutes per day on that can make a difference.
I need to lose some damn weight, and it is BEYOND frustrating to me to have yet another roadblock. I am just absolutely twitching in my skin wanting to actually move, and I can't. GRRRRR.
Ok, I've taken too long to write this entry, and I'm just running around in one frustrated circle. Later.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Debbie Sieber: Fuck that Bitch
Sooo, I tried the second level of the SI6 yesterday afternoon. I swear to God, Debbie Sieber is trying to kill me. The first level of SI6 is a slow and easy stroll around the block compared to this. It takes the same exercises from the first level, adds a few new exercises, and then makes you do the old ones plus the new ones in rapid succession for 48 minutes of complete and total hell...with one 12 second break. That being said, I will be continuing to do this second level. I am not able to do the whole thing from start to finish yet. There will still probably be days when I do the first level instead, and do the Wii at the same time. But, overall, this level is much more whole-body oriented (instead of just legs), and it's the appropriate length for the workout that I should be doing every day. I was not very good about dinner last night...Jacob and I had an unexpected trip to Olive Garden, where I indulged in some portobello ravioli. I actually forgot to keep chewing in the middle of my first bite, because of how utterly and completely divine this stuff was. Now, I didn't finish it, I had water with lemon for my drink, and I had salad along with it...but still, I was really bad. It was totally worth it, though. : ) On track to walk 4+ miles tonight. Really super tired today, which is not going to make that easy...I stayed up way too late last night watching that new Borgias show on Showtime. Which: snore. But yes, I will be walking tonight, come hell or high water. Onward!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
This Week
Feeling a little better this morning...except in my back.
I'm wondering if I've actually messed up my back this time. I know that I have a bulging disc, that I've had for years...it's in my lower back, and all blood flow had pretty much ceased to that disc as of like 5 years ago. I can only imagine what it looks like now. As of this minute, it feels like there is a live coal camping out in my lower spine.
I'm going to call my doctor in the morning about it. It may not be something that I can help...I know there are exercises for strengthening the muscles in the back that are supposed to help with this. But, it might be too late for those to do any good. My hope is that I can still strengthen the muscles around the disc so as to support it better...but, in the meantime, I need to figure out how to get it to not hurt so much. One thing I'm going to discuss with my doctor is some sort of pain medication to help until I can possibly fix it another way...Advil is definitely not helping. We'll see.
I forgot to mention last night my discovery that Saturday evenings are beyond perfect for walking my full 4-5 miles. The major road that I walk, Hermitage, usually has a whole lot of people walking on it, which is very disruptive to my dog. But I guess that most people are otherwise occupied on Saturday evenings, because there was almost NOBODY on that road last night. I think that Saturdays are about to become my long-walk days.
Ok, so, schedule for the next week. Today: trying the second level of the SI6. If I can't make it all the way through that, then I will do as much of that as I can, and then do some more on the Wii. Tomorrow, walking at least 4 miles. Dialing the walking back a little bit so as to make a slightly more gradual progression. Tuesday, SI6 (probably second level) and maybe a little Wii...it's supposed to rain like crazy on Tuesday, so that's good. Wednesday, walking at least 4 miles. Friday...don't know yet. It's my anniversary, so I'm sure we're going to have some sort of plans...but that might not be until later, so I'll have time to work out. If I do, then I'll do the SI6 and maybe the Wii. Saturday, walking the long walk. Sunday, SI6.
This seems like it's going to be my basic workout for the next few weeks. I like walking on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday...and I like doing the SI6 on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Next week is going to be a less-than-usual week...Jacob and I are going to Arkansas to dig for diamonds between April 14 and 17. I figure I'll get a pretty good workout nonetheless, though...digging for diamonds can't exactly be easy. That week, I'll work out every day leading up to the trip, and then I'll start back up with walking on the Monday after we return.
Ok, there we go. Now, onward! : )
My Torture Regimen
Uuuuuuggggghhhhh.
I hurt. A lot.
I shouldn't hurt this much. I didn't even work out Thursday (as per usual), and then I didn't work out yesterday because I was absolutely exhausted after a really terrible day, and I just took a long nap instead. So, today was my first day back to it.
To be fair, I walked almost 5 miles today. I have not really worked up to this, either...I went from 3.3 miles one week, to 4 miles the next week, to probably around 4.8 miles today. I maybe should have taken it a little more slowly...but now that I'm here, I want to keep going. If I can continue doing between 4 and 4.5 miles for the next 2 weeks, then maybe I can finally, actually, get up to 5 miles. 5 miles per day means roughly 500 CALORIES burned per day...and that's the recipe for losing a pound a week. Apparently, the second level of the SI6...which I've now decided to start tomorrow, btw...burns about 400 calories. Sooo...hopefully, that will do something?
I've continued to feel discouraged since my last entry. I'm still up around 175.5. I have been working out as much as I am able...in the last 4 weeks or so, I haven't taken more than 2 days off at a time, and I've been working out for between 4 and 6 days per week. I have increased my vegetable intake, I have decreased my sugar intake. I have been alternating my workouts, between walking, SI6, and the Wii, in order to get a healthy mix of strength training and aerobics. I KNOW that I am stronger...I can feel it, and I'm doing better on the balance portion of the Wii.
So...what the hell?
I know that it hasn't been that long. I know. It just feels like an eternity. I ache all over...my feet hurt, my shins hurt, my back is in absolute agony. It feels like I should weigh SO much less...but I don't. Even more cruelly, I weigh MORE. I keep wondering if I'm not doing enough...but how in the WORLD could I not be doing enough?! I am absolutely busting my ass.
My only solution right now is to give it more time. I think that, when I was exercising last year, it was 8 weeks before I really saw some results. So, I'm going to just keep at it. The end of April is roughly 8 weeks since I started up again. Hopefully I will have lost SOMETHING by that time.
By the end of this month, I'd like to be walking 5 miles at least 3 days per week. I'd also like to be doing the second level of the SI6 at least 2 days per week. At some point in there, I'd really love to start getting up earlier and doing some yoga before work. I don't know if that will work out...I like getting to work around 8, but then when I leave work so early I have a TON of time before I can walk on the days that I do that. But, yoga before work might make work easier to deal with...so I need to look into that.
Ok, there's a plan. It's late, I'm tired. Tomorrow I'll figure out a schedule for this next week. G'night.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Homegrown Veggies and a Pair of Skates
Gardening is seriously tough work. My back is killing me right now.
I've been planting vegetables and herbs intermittently all day. I planted 6 tomato plants, 3 cucumber vines, 4 bell peppers, 2 eggplants, basil, sage, thyme, and chamomile. Now I just have to look after the plants and keep them healthy, and then actually USE the stuff they produce.
In other news...I saw a movie this afternoon that renewed in me the spark of interest I have in roller derby: Whip It, with Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. Man, I love that sport. I went to a bout last year with Jacob and family, and I just fell in love with it. It hasn't been practical for me to do it while here in Tally...they travel a whole lot, and my critters won't let me do much of that. But, when I move, I totally, completely, want to join a roller derby team. It would be a GREAT workout, and I just love the whole idea of it. Yay.
Ok, so, this week. Today, I gardened...carrying those damn soil bags and bending and moving everything was DEFINITELY a workout. Tomorrow...strength training. Tuesday, walking. Wednesday, strength training. Friday, walking. Saturday, strength training. Sunday, walking. One of the days of this week, I'm going to start on the second level of the SI6. Probably after I finish my cycle.
Ok, off to do some work. Later.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Limits
Guess what time it is, kiddos! That's right, it's roadblock time!!
Yeah.
When I really kicked ass and went 4 miles in an hour on Wednesday, I aggravated my shin splints again. I went to jog during my walk yesterday, and it was AGONIZING.
I also reeeeally overdid it yesterday, just in general. I went a lot earlier than normal, due to plans around 7:00, and it was still completely hot and sunny outside. I got SO hot, and I pushed myself absolutely to the limit. Despite the fact that I couldn't jog at all, I still made it in just a couple of minutes over an hour, and that was with the stops for red lights that are included in my new route. Which means I was seriously hoofing it, going an average of 4.0 mph overall.
I don't actually remember a whole lot from the first few minutes of when I got home. I think I literally almost passed out. I took a cool shower, and felt a good bit better, but I was still pretty loopy for the rest of the night. Then, around 11 or so last night, I was driving around and got the WORST cramps. My cycle had been pretty late, about 5 days...but that's usual when I start up a routine again. I've felt pretty terrible last night and today, so I'm pretty sure that was the major cause of my shitty feeling after my walk last night. That, and being too hot.
I didn't exercise today, mostly because of the crazy cramps and my legs hurting. I'll walk tomorrow, and maybe do the Wii or the SI6. I think I'm going to concentrate more on the Wii and the SI6 for the next week or two, to give the shin splints time to heal a bit. What I've read on the internet says that neither complete rest nor "running through it" are appropriate recovery techniques for shin splints, so I think that if I concentrate more on strength exercises and JUST walking over the next few weeks I should be alright.
I forgot to mention something about the Wii in my last entry. Well, actually, I had written an entire entry before my last one, but it got deleted when I tried to save, and I forgot that I hadn't actually saved it. I worked out on just the Wii Fit on...I think it was Tuesday. I was supposed to do both the Wii Fit and the SI6...but I was having a lot of fun on the Wii, so I decided to do all of the strength training exercised on there that I hadn't tried so far. And? Woo! Some of those are HARD! I hurt like fire for the next couple of days. On the plus side, it worked areas that I don't normally work...my shoulders, inner thighs and obliques got a crazy workout. So, I think that the best approach from now on with respect to strength training is to combine the SI6 with primarily the strength training exercised on the Wii Fit. I think that that will maximize the areas worked.
Ok, I am done for the evening. Tomorrow...strength and walking. Later!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Positive Thoughts
I'm trying very hard to stay positive.
I always feel this way during this time of the month. This is nothing new.
I just feel so FAT, and like I'm not doing NEARLY as much as I should be in order to lose weight. The weight-loss process should leave me near to collapsing at the end of the day...I should be starving and MISERABLE, all the time.
I'm very down on myself today. Yesterday was not so good, on the eating front...I ate a lot, from bagels in the morning to fried (brown) rice at lunch, to bruschetta and seafood gumbo later on. I also had a few fried crawfish at dinner, and a beer after dinner, and a couple of glasses of soda...ugh. Just so bad.
I had, of course, gained weight today...I'm back up to 175. But, I do need to note, I also started my cycle today, which means that a good 3 pounds of that is likely water weight. So...really, when it comes down to it, it's not a crisis. I'll just stick to my plan to exercise through the rest of the week, and maybe that will make up for it.
I do still seriously hurt from the Wii the other day, so that's good. It's all in places that don't normally get worked, too...my deltoids, obliques, lower abs, and inner thighs have all been really sore. I'm trying to figure out how I can add in another day or two of exercise per week, so that I can continue to do the Wii Fit strenth training exercises as well as the SI6.
Since I am currently working out literally every single day I am able, I'm just going to have to add this to what I'm already doing. I suppose that I'll just tack on the Wii Fit stuff with my usual SI6 thing. If it takes me a whole lot longer...well, then, I'm just beating my brains out exercising, which is what I feel I should be doing anyway.
I've been eating too much sugar, too. I know that I have. We got candy into my office today, and before I knew it I had eaten several pieces. Grr. I need to get FRUIT.
I'm just frustrated today. Nothing new. Blah.
Later.
I always feel this way during this time of the month. This is nothing new.
I just feel so FAT, and like I'm not doing NEARLY as much as I should be in order to lose weight. The weight-loss process should leave me near to collapsing at the end of the day...I should be starving and MISERABLE, all the time.
I'm very down on myself today. Yesterday was not so good, on the eating front...I ate a lot, from bagels in the morning to fried (brown) rice at lunch, to bruschetta and seafood gumbo later on. I also had a few fried crawfish at dinner, and a beer after dinner, and a couple of glasses of soda...ugh. Just so bad.
I had, of course, gained weight today...I'm back up to 175. But, I do need to note, I also started my cycle today, which means that a good 3 pounds of that is likely water weight. So...really, when it comes down to it, it's not a crisis. I'll just stick to my plan to exercise through the rest of the week, and maybe that will make up for it.
I do still seriously hurt from the Wii the other day, so that's good. It's all in places that don't normally get worked, too...my deltoids, obliques, lower abs, and inner thighs have all been really sore. I'm trying to figure out how I can add in another day or two of exercise per week, so that I can continue to do the Wii Fit strenth training exercises as well as the SI6.
Since I am currently working out literally every single day I am able, I'm just going to have to add this to what I'm already doing. I suppose that I'll just tack on the Wii Fit stuff with my usual SI6 thing. If it takes me a whole lot longer...well, then, I'm just beating my brains out exercising, which is what I feel I should be doing anyway.
I've been eating too much sugar, too. I know that I have. We got candy into my office today, and before I knew it I had eaten several pieces. Grr. I need to get FRUIT.
I'm just frustrated today. Nothing new. Blah.
Later.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Good, and the Very Bad
I was bad today.
I had fried chicken. Yes, chicken. And it was fried.
It was actually sweet and sour chicken from a Chinese restaurant. I was SUPERDUPERCRAZY hungry, having spent 2.5 hours at Verizon with Jacob, and being that it's almost that time of the month, I submitted to the ridiculous craving I was having for sweet and sour chicken.
So there.
Really, I felt totally shitty the whole time I was eating it, even though it was SO GOOD. I walked extra hard tonight, though, so maybe that made up for it.
I actually did my 3.3 miles in only 45 minutes, which is definitely a new record for me. I'm absolutely going to be ramping that up this next week...it's clearly gotten to be too easy for me at this point. Maybe on Friday I'll try doing at least part of Hermitage again...that was part of my 4.5 mile walk.
I also did the Wii and the SI6 yesterday. It kicked my ass, but that's good. I think I'm going to keep doing both at a time...if I spend about a half-hour on the Wii and do the whole SI6 thing, it takes about as much time as a walk.
Ok, so plans for this week. Today I walked. Tomorrow, Wii and SI6. My sister's spring break is this week, so we're probably hanging out either Tuesday or Wednesday instead of Thursday, which means that I'll be walking on whichever day I'm not with her. Thursday, Wii and SI6. Friday, walking, hopefully around 4 miles. Saturday, I'm going to try the second level of the SI6. We shall certainly see how that turns out...it might be a miserable failure, but I need to move on at some point.
Ok, my dog is being ridiculously loud in the back yard, and it's time for bed. Oh...and I was 172 this morning. : ) Yayyyy...maybe that's why I felt like it was ok to eat fried chicken for lunch. Of course, tomorrow, I'll probably be back up to 175. But today, it felt nice. : )
Anyway, later!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Therapeutic Writing, plus some updated Goals and Rewards
I think that writing in here helps me to feel better about this whole thing. Like I'm doing more or something.
175 this morning. I did some Wii and the SI6 yesterday...kind of felt like my legs were about to give out. I don't know how in the world I will be able to switch to the second level of the SI6 next week...that shit is TWICE as long as the first level, and I can only imagine that it's that much more difficult. We shall see.
One good thing is that I can feel my metabolism getting faster, if that makes any sense. I feel more heat radiating from my body at any given time, I'm hungry all the time, and I think my heart rate has sped up a bit. My only question now is, when does this manifest itself in weight loss? I'm ready for that now!
It's time for some updated goals and rewards. I've been really good about working out, and I'm going to assume that I'm going to keep this up...I don't like doing goals and rewards unless I know I'm on a good workout streak, it seems silly otherwise.
I'm going to say that I want to be down to 145 by August 1. That's roughly 19 weeks...about 30 pounds. I'm not going to lie, that won't be easy...that's more than a pound a week on average. But, if I continue my 5-6 day/week workout schedule, which is even more strenuous than what I was doing before my appendectomy, I cannot help but think that it is possible.
By May 1, I would like to be down to 160. That's 15 pounds in about 45 days...again, not easy, but theoretically possible. If I am able to accomplish this wondrous feat, I shall purchase a dress for myself from ModCloth. Either that, or some new Birkenstocks...it depends on the state of my credit card at the time.
By July 1, my birthday, I would like to be down to 150. That will be a bit easier...10 pounds in 2 months. If I am able to do that, I will buy the first level or two of some Rosetta Stone software...I don't know which one yet, I need to see where I'm moving first.
Then, by August 1, I would like to weigh 145. If I can do that, I will purchase another level or 2 of Rosetta Stone. I really, really want to learn several languages...so, that will be my gift to myself.
Ok, there we have it. In order to accomplish these goals, I will continue to eat as well as I can, and I will continue to exercise absolutely every day I am able. I will also be continually ramping up my exercise levels and variety...by May, I want to be on the third level of SI6, and maybe looking at graduating to some sort of P90X or Insanity or something. I also want to be up to AT LEAST 4.5 miles by May.
Ok, there's my current plan. Here's hoping I can follow it. : )
175 this morning. I did some Wii and the SI6 yesterday...kind of felt like my legs were about to give out. I don't know how in the world I will be able to switch to the second level of the SI6 next week...that shit is TWICE as long as the first level, and I can only imagine that it's that much more difficult. We shall see.
One good thing is that I can feel my metabolism getting faster, if that makes any sense. I feel more heat radiating from my body at any given time, I'm hungry all the time, and I think my heart rate has sped up a bit. My only question now is, when does this manifest itself in weight loss? I'm ready for that now!
It's time for some updated goals and rewards. I've been really good about working out, and I'm going to assume that I'm going to keep this up...I don't like doing goals and rewards unless I know I'm on a good workout streak, it seems silly otherwise.
I'm going to say that I want to be down to 145 by August 1. That's roughly 19 weeks...about 30 pounds. I'm not going to lie, that won't be easy...that's more than a pound a week on average. But, if I continue my 5-6 day/week workout schedule, which is even more strenuous than what I was doing before my appendectomy, I cannot help but think that it is possible.
By May 1, I would like to be down to 160. That's 15 pounds in about 45 days...again, not easy, but theoretically possible. If I am able to accomplish this wondrous feat, I shall purchase a dress for myself from ModCloth. Either that, or some new Birkenstocks...it depends on the state of my credit card at the time.
By July 1, my birthday, I would like to be down to 150. That will be a bit easier...10 pounds in 2 months. If I am able to do that, I will buy the first level or two of some Rosetta Stone software...I don't know which one yet, I need to see where I'm moving first.
Then, by August 1, I would like to weigh 145. If I can do that, I will purchase another level or 2 of Rosetta Stone. I really, really want to learn several languages...so, that will be my gift to myself.
Ok, there we have it. In order to accomplish these goals, I will continue to eat as well as I can, and I will continue to exercise absolutely every day I am able. I will also be continually ramping up my exercise levels and variety...by May, I want to be on the third level of SI6, and maybe looking at graduating to some sort of P90X or Insanity or something. I also want to be up to AT LEAST 4.5 miles by May.
Ok, there's my current plan. Here's hoping I can follow it. : )
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Progress of a Different Color
I wish that I could get on here and say that I have lost weight.
Alas, this morning, I was still at 175.5.
I do not understand, and I'm really trying very hard to be positive about the whole thing right now.
Every day that I am able, which has been about 5-6 days per week, I make myself work out. I have wraps and cottage cheese instead of sandwiches and chips. Dinner last night? One of those packages of steamed veggies from Green Giant, and a Chobani non-fat blueberry yogurt. I have been limiting my candy to one piece per day, trying to instead get sugar from healthy sources like apples and yogurt.
I haven't been taking my blood sugar medication, but that's literally the only thing I'm NOT doing that I should be. I'll be getting better about that as of tonight.
So, no progress on that front. But, I did update my iPhone with all of my music today...which means I'm more excited about walking, and especially about walking longer distances. So...that's something, right?
This week and next week, I am going to keep to my regular walk and the beginner's SI6 tape. I will be doing at least 3 days per week of walking, and at least 3 days of SI6, as well as a little Wii in there. After next week, I will start to increase those things in increments. I'd like to ramp up my walk to start out with...first go up to 4 miles, then 4.5, then 5. By the beginning of April, I'd like to be doing 4 miles at least 3 times a week, and to be moving on to the second level of the SI6.
I'm feeling very discouraged today, but I know it has to get better...right? I cannot see how it would be possible for me to change my life this drastically and have nothing come from it in terms of weight loss. I think I'm going to stop weighing myself every day, and try to keep it to once a week. That's what is recommended by most weight loss folks anyway...so maybe there's something to it.
Sigh. Later.
Alas, this morning, I was still at 175.5.
I do not understand, and I'm really trying very hard to be positive about the whole thing right now.
Every day that I am able, which has been about 5-6 days per week, I make myself work out. I have wraps and cottage cheese instead of sandwiches and chips. Dinner last night? One of those packages of steamed veggies from Green Giant, and a Chobani non-fat blueberry yogurt. I have been limiting my candy to one piece per day, trying to instead get sugar from healthy sources like apples and yogurt.
I haven't been taking my blood sugar medication, but that's literally the only thing I'm NOT doing that I should be. I'll be getting better about that as of tonight.
So, no progress on that front. But, I did update my iPhone with all of my music today...which means I'm more excited about walking, and especially about walking longer distances. So...that's something, right?
This week and next week, I am going to keep to my regular walk and the beginner's SI6 tape. I will be doing at least 3 days per week of walking, and at least 3 days of SI6, as well as a little Wii in there. After next week, I will start to increase those things in increments. I'd like to ramp up my walk to start out with...first go up to 4 miles, then 4.5, then 5. By the beginning of April, I'd like to be doing 4 miles at least 3 times a week, and to be moving on to the second level of the SI6.
I'm feeling very discouraged today, but I know it has to get better...right? I cannot see how it would be possible for me to change my life this drastically and have nothing come from it in terms of weight loss. I think I'm going to stop weighing myself every day, and try to keep it to once a week. That's what is recommended by most weight loss folks anyway...so maybe there's something to it.
Sigh. Later.
Monday, March 14, 2011
GRR.
Ok, last week was perhaps the first week EVER that I actually did exactly the workout that I said I was going to.
I did the SI6 on Sunday...walked Monday and Tuesday...SI6 again on Wednesday...walked Friday, and SI6 on Saturday. In other words, I busted my ASS.
I weighed myself yesterday...I was up to 175.5.
W...T...F?!?!?
This may be due to a number of factors. For one thing, I cannot get enough to eat. My stomach is literally grumbling ALL THE TIME. Especially at night, which is when I have to take my vitamins...and, since I cannot take them on an empty stomach, I have to eat something before I go to bed. Now, I'm always healthy about what I eat...yogurt or pretzels or cottage cheese...but, I guess it's still something that weighs on me in the morning.
It could also be due to my body sort of spazzing out about the amount of exercise it's getting. I think that this has happened before...I would need to go back through old entries to make sure...but I think that I usually gain weight to begin with, and then lose it.
This morning I was back down to 174...which is still WAY higher than I should be. I'm hoping that, with a slightly improved diet and the same sort of exercise regimen as last week, I'll see that go down by a few pounds this week.
My plan for this week is: Nothing yesterday (I had a baby shower to attend), walking 3+ miles today, SI6 AND Wii tomorrow, walking 3+ miles on Wednesday, SI6 on Friday, walking 3+ miles on Saturday, and SI6 + Wii again on Sunday. This is a lot...but I proved last week that I really CAN do that much in a week...so no more excuses for me.
The SI6 has gotten a bit easier since last week. I literally thought that I was going to need to get special painkillers from the doctor after Sunday's session last weekend. I could not walk for DAYS. I did it again on Wednesday and Saturday, though, and while it still hurt a lot it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been.
Keeping up this routine, I cannot possibly NOT lose weight, right? I mean, when I was working out before, I KNOW that I was keeping at least a similar diet, and I don't think I was working out quite as much as I am now. So I'm really hoping that this will eventually lead to some AMAZING weight loss. My fingers are crossed.
Later!
I did the SI6 on Sunday...walked Monday and Tuesday...SI6 again on Wednesday...walked Friday, and SI6 on Saturday. In other words, I busted my ASS.
I weighed myself yesterday...I was up to 175.5.
W...T...F?!?!?
This may be due to a number of factors. For one thing, I cannot get enough to eat. My stomach is literally grumbling ALL THE TIME. Especially at night, which is when I have to take my vitamins...and, since I cannot take them on an empty stomach, I have to eat something before I go to bed. Now, I'm always healthy about what I eat...yogurt or pretzels or cottage cheese...but, I guess it's still something that weighs on me in the morning.
It could also be due to my body sort of spazzing out about the amount of exercise it's getting. I think that this has happened before...I would need to go back through old entries to make sure...but I think that I usually gain weight to begin with, and then lose it.
This morning I was back down to 174...which is still WAY higher than I should be. I'm hoping that, with a slightly improved diet and the same sort of exercise regimen as last week, I'll see that go down by a few pounds this week.
My plan for this week is: Nothing yesterday (I had a baby shower to attend), walking 3+ miles today, SI6 AND Wii tomorrow, walking 3+ miles on Wednesday, SI6 on Friday, walking 3+ miles on Saturday, and SI6 + Wii again on Sunday. This is a lot...but I proved last week that I really CAN do that much in a week...so no more excuses for me.
The SI6 has gotten a bit easier since last week. I literally thought that I was going to need to get special painkillers from the doctor after Sunday's session last weekend. I could not walk for DAYS. I did it again on Wednesday and Saturday, though, and while it still hurt a lot it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been.
Keeping up this routine, I cannot possibly NOT lose weight, right? I mean, when I was working out before, I KNOW that I was keeping at least a similar diet, and I don't think I was working out quite as much as I am now. So I'm really hoping that this will eventually lead to some AMAZING weight loss. My fingers are crossed.
Later!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
I am a blob.
I have just realized how fat, lazy and incompetent I am.
Slim-in-6: 1. Megan: 0. That shit just kicked my everloving ass.
I had to stop halfway through because my legs were a hairsbreadth away from actually giving out. I took a break for a minute to get some water, and when I started to walk back into the living room to continue, my legs felt like someone had put vise grips on them. I also thought I might throw up. I could not continue.
How is it that I can walk and jog more than 3 miles, barely breaking a sweat, and still have energy to burn when I get home...but 15 minutes of calisthenics at a supposedly beginner level absolutely demolish me?
Clearly, I have become too used to walking for that alone to be very effective any longer. I need to throw some stuff in there to mix it up...more Wii and Slim-in-6, in addition to all the walking.
I'm going to do the Slim-in-6 3 times this week. I did it today...tomorrow I'll walk, Tuesday I will walk and do the Wii. Wednesday is supposed to be rainy, so that's the perfect day to do the SI6 again. Friday, I'll walk and Wii, and Saturday I'll go back to SI6. Sunday I have a baby shower to go to, so I can't do anything that day...but I'll probably walk next Monday, and then do the SI6 again on Tuesday.
I have got to get my ass in gear. I started taking the Metformin today for my prediabetes, and I'm hoping that that helps me lose a little weight in addition to evening out my blood sugar. I've been really trying to do better on my diet...I've switched to non-fat Greek yogurt instead of low-fat, I had banana nut oatmeal for breakfast this morning, I've been snacking on low-fat cottage cheese instead of having pretzels like I had been. My diet is just about as good as it can be...I could stand to cook at home more often, so that I could get more vegetables in my diet...but then again, I've been ordering more salads and veggie sandwiches and such.
I have had a bit too much alcohol this weekend, and I'm going to do better about that. I don't generally have any during the week, though, so I suppose that's good.
I need to have a good two months of doing absolutely everything I can do to lose weight. That's where I was going before my appendectomy, and I need to get back on that level. I just hope I can find the time with all of the other stuff I need to do.
Ok, off to clean my house a bit before the week begins. Later.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Kickass
I actually went for my walk yesterday! And it was an amazing one!
I did 3.3 miles in 47 minutes...really, really good for me. Now, I do not expect to keep up that pace...but, it is nice to know I can. I jogged a good portion of the way...that's really hard on my shins, so I definitely have to be careful about doing that.
Today, I'll walk again. One of my coworkers is (supposedly) coming with me, so it will likely be a significantly less strenuous walk than I'm used to. If that is the case, then I will do some other stuff afterwards...possibly the Wii. Otherwise, I will try to do a similarly vigorous walk to what I did yesterday. Friday and Saturday I'll walk again...and then Slim-in-6 will begin again on Sunday.
I'm currently at 172.5...not terrible, considering the time of the month. Should be back to 171 by the end of the week.
The biggest motivator for me is passion...I need to feel very strongly about getting fit and looking better and such in order to really push myself as much as I need to. The problem is maintaining that passion over a period of months. Grr.
Currently looking for that motivator. We'll see.
Later.
I did 3.3 miles in 47 minutes...really, really good for me. Now, I do not expect to keep up that pace...but, it is nice to know I can. I jogged a good portion of the way...that's really hard on my shins, so I definitely have to be careful about doing that.
Today, I'll walk again. One of my coworkers is (supposedly) coming with me, so it will likely be a significantly less strenuous walk than I'm used to. If that is the case, then I will do some other stuff afterwards...possibly the Wii. Otherwise, I will try to do a similarly vigorous walk to what I did yesterday. Friday and Saturday I'll walk again...and then Slim-in-6 will begin again on Sunday.
I'm currently at 172.5...not terrible, considering the time of the month. Should be back to 171 by the end of the week.
The biggest motivator for me is passion...I need to feel very strongly about getting fit and looking better and such in order to really push myself as much as I need to. The problem is maintaining that passion over a period of months. Grr.
Currently looking for that motivator. We'll see.
Later.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Glycemic Index FTW
Sigh.
I went to the doctor last week, and got my blood test results back yesterday.
Vitamin B12 and thyroid are fine. Vitamin D...still too low, need to take more. Iron...too HIGH...I was told by some nurse not to take my supplement anymore, but I think she might be on crack, since that's what gets me through every day...so I'm cutting back on those supplements but not cutting them out entirely. Cholesterol at 197...not great, but still under 200, so that's ok.
The big news is my blood sugar, which is still in the pre-diabetes range. Blargh. They told me to keep losing weight, as that will help that...and also to do better on eating less refined sugar. I don't eat a whole lot of that now, but I am finding that there are a lot of things I eat that are not so great on the glycemic index.
So, my plan right now is to eat one meal a day that is ENTIRELY on the good end of the GI spectrum. This will probably end up being lunch...today, I had a chickpea salad, part of a fruit and nut granola bar, and some apple juice (no sugar added).
I'm supposed to have my cholesterol, blood sugar, and iron tested again in 3 months, so we'll see how that does. I'm afraid to stop my iron supplements entirely, because I have entirely too much to do to be only half-functioning. I think I'll try taking one only every other day...maybe that will help.
Haven't walked since last Wednesday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the first 3 days of my cycle...so I felt pretty shitty. Then, yesterday, I had a filling done...and the novocaine numbed the entire left side of my face, including my eye. I really didn't feel like scaring the neighborhood children, plus my eye wouldn't stop watering and I felt really wonky...so I stayed home.
I will certainly be walking today and tomorrow...I have realized that I need to kick myself into seriously high gear for a few weeks, so as to rev up my metabolism again. Every day that I CAN workout, I will be for the next 3 weeks.
Ok, later. : )
I went to the doctor last week, and got my blood test results back yesterday.
Vitamin B12 and thyroid are fine. Vitamin D...still too low, need to take more. Iron...too HIGH...I was told by some nurse not to take my supplement anymore, but I think she might be on crack, since that's what gets me through every day...so I'm cutting back on those supplements but not cutting them out entirely. Cholesterol at 197...not great, but still under 200, so that's ok.
The big news is my blood sugar, which is still in the pre-diabetes range. Blargh. They told me to keep losing weight, as that will help that...and also to do better on eating less refined sugar. I don't eat a whole lot of that now, but I am finding that there are a lot of things I eat that are not so great on the glycemic index.
So, my plan right now is to eat one meal a day that is ENTIRELY on the good end of the GI spectrum. This will probably end up being lunch...today, I had a chickpea salad, part of a fruit and nut granola bar, and some apple juice (no sugar added).
I'm supposed to have my cholesterol, blood sugar, and iron tested again in 3 months, so we'll see how that does. I'm afraid to stop my iron supplements entirely, because I have entirely too much to do to be only half-functioning. I think I'll try taking one only every other day...maybe that will help.
Haven't walked since last Wednesday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the first 3 days of my cycle...so I felt pretty shitty. Then, yesterday, I had a filling done...and the novocaine numbed the entire left side of my face, including my eye. I really didn't feel like scaring the neighborhood children, plus my eye wouldn't stop watering and I felt really wonky...so I stayed home.
I will certainly be walking today and tomorrow...I have realized that I need to kick myself into seriously high gear for a few weeks, so as to rev up my metabolism again. Every day that I CAN workout, I will be for the next 3 weeks.
Ok, later. : )
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Mixed Messages
I am definitely sending mixed messages to my body.
I only walked twice last week...not great...but then I was in a wedding on Saturday, and all the running around was pretty much like a workout itself, so that was ok. Now, I also ate my weight in wedding food, so there went any good I had done. Then, I walked yesterday...and proceeded to go have a big fat bison burger afterwards.
I'm now at 172, so the bottom line is that I really need to get on my shit.
I am walking again today, as well as Friday and Saturday. Sunday will be a day for other workout stuff, like Slim-in-6 or the Wii. I think I will have walked enough by that point for my muscles to be able to stand a little bit of variety.
Monday and Tuesday, I will walk. Wednesday, more Slim-in-6 or Wii.
My goal is to work out for at least five days during each week. Four of those days will contain walking, and two of those days will contain other workout stuff. One day, I will both walk and do either the Slim-in-6 or the Wii.
This is my plan for the immediate future. This week is still going to be a light week...just walking through Saturday, since I'm still getting back into it. It's going to take me a bit to get back into the swing of things...and I need to remember that that's ok. What's important is that I continue to do SOMETHING...walking or Wii or whatever it is...as many days of the week as I can.
Ok, off to work. Later!
I only walked twice last week...not great...but then I was in a wedding on Saturday, and all the running around was pretty much like a workout itself, so that was ok. Now, I also ate my weight in wedding food, so there went any good I had done. Then, I walked yesterday...and proceeded to go have a big fat bison burger afterwards.
I'm now at 172, so the bottom line is that I really need to get on my shit.
I am walking again today, as well as Friday and Saturday. Sunday will be a day for other workout stuff, like Slim-in-6 or the Wii. I think I will have walked enough by that point for my muscles to be able to stand a little bit of variety.
Monday and Tuesday, I will walk. Wednesday, more Slim-in-6 or Wii.
My goal is to work out for at least five days during each week. Four of those days will contain walking, and two of those days will contain other workout stuff. One day, I will both walk and do either the Slim-in-6 or the Wii.
This is my plan for the immediate future. This week is still going to be a light week...just walking through Saturday, since I'm still getting back into it. It's going to take me a bit to get back into the swing of things...and I need to remember that that's ok. What's important is that I continue to do SOMETHING...walking or Wii or whatever it is...as many days of the week as I can.
Ok, off to work. Later!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A Plan
Ugh.
Got a haircut yesterday, and stayed too long at my mother's house. Also, it was very rainy. Hence, no workout.
I HATE this. I need to get back out there.
Today, it is sunny. There is someone who has already been arranged to pick my sister up from school. My iPod is fully charged. I have clean workout clothes. I am no longer ill. I will have eaten at a reasonable time so that it does not cause me to cramp up or feel yucky.
I have no more excuses. Today is the day. SEIZE THE DAY!
: )
I think I'm going to walk all week. The thought of doing anything else right now bums me out, and I think that a week of walking will get me back in the "workout" mindset. This week: walking 3 miles, at a moderate pace, on 4 days. Next week: walking 3+ miles, at a moderate to fast pace, on at least 3 days, and doing both Slim-in-6 and the Wii at some point during the week. And...GO!
Got a haircut yesterday, and stayed too long at my mother's house. Also, it was very rainy. Hence, no workout.
I HATE this. I need to get back out there.
Today, it is sunny. There is someone who has already been arranged to pick my sister up from school. My iPod is fully charged. I have clean workout clothes. I am no longer ill. I will have eaten at a reasonable time so that it does not cause me to cramp up or feel yucky.
I have no more excuses. Today is the day. SEIZE THE DAY!
: )
I think I'm going to walk all week. The thought of doing anything else right now bums me out, and I think that a week of walking will get me back in the "workout" mindset. This week: walking 3 miles, at a moderate pace, on 4 days. Next week: walking 3+ miles, at a moderate to fast pace, on at least 3 days, and doing both Slim-in-6 and the Wii at some point during the week. And...GO!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Eat-stravaganza
Ok, I for real real need to get back on this workout thing.
This is happening today.
Last night, as you may know, was the Super Bowl. I went to a Super Bowl party, where I promptly forgot that food has calories, and proceeded to stuff my face. I waddled home swathed in regret, feeling like I might literally just burst open at any moment.
But, today is a new day.
Unfortunately, today is also a rainy day.
I have a bit of a conundrum, because I need to start with walking. I plan to watch the weather very closely to see if I'll be able to walk this afternoon...worse comes to worst, I can do the Slim-in-6, but I'd really rather not start back with that.
Ok, off to work. Going to be PRODUCTIVE today! : )
This is happening today.
Last night, as you may know, was the Super Bowl. I went to a Super Bowl party, where I promptly forgot that food has calories, and proceeded to stuff my face. I waddled home swathed in regret, feeling like I might literally just burst open at any moment.
But, today is a new day.
Unfortunately, today is also a rainy day.
I have a bit of a conundrum, because I need to start with walking. I plan to watch the weather very closely to see if I'll be able to walk this afternoon...worse comes to worst, I can do the Slim-in-6, but I'd really rather not start back with that.
Ok, off to work. Going to be PRODUCTIVE today! : )
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Frustratingly Delayed.
I think that destiny just does not have it in the cards for me to work out this week.
Monday, I had to go back up to the office during my workout time, in order to complete some end-of-January tax stuff that was unavoidable.
Yesterday, I had the female pains. Aside from my feeling wretched, it was also raining...so no workout yesterday.
Today, I have been informed that I must pick up my sister after school and stay with her until my mother gets home...which will be exactly during the time I would be able to work out.
Every single day this week, I have had real and honest intentions to work out. Seriously. It is incredibly aggravating to me that something is continually getting in the way of this.
I will not be able to work out tomorrow, since I will have my sister all afternoon. Friday and Saturday are supposed to be incredibly rainy...so there goes the rest of the week.
Sigh.
I have already informed my mother that I will be working out every day next week, and will thus be unavailable for such shit as she has me doing this week. I'm tired of this.
Ok, later.
Monday, I had to go back up to the office during my workout time, in order to complete some end-of-January tax stuff that was unavoidable.
Yesterday, I had the female pains. Aside from my feeling wretched, it was also raining...so no workout yesterday.
Today, I have been informed that I must pick up my sister after school and stay with her until my mother gets home...which will be exactly during the time I would be able to work out.
Every single day this week, I have had real and honest intentions to work out. Seriously. It is incredibly aggravating to me that something is continually getting in the way of this.
I will not be able to work out tomorrow, since I will have my sister all afternoon. Friday and Saturday are supposed to be incredibly rainy...so there goes the rest of the week.
Sigh.
I have already informed my mother that I will be working out every day next week, and will thus be unavailable for such shit as she has me doing this week. I'm tired of this.
Ok, later.
Monday, January 31, 2011
I can has weight loss.
And thus begins the time of loss.
Weight loss, that is.
I haven't been doing terribly, despite plenty of opportunities. I'm currently at 173, during that particular time of the month and after a weekend full of bridal showers and bachelorette parties and cookouts and things...so I'm not incredibly unhappy with that. I'm not thrilled...but that could all come off in another day or two, so it's not a huge deal.
I'm still a little sniffly...last week was a non-workout week, first because of being sick and then because of a tragedy at my office that required a few days of communal grieving and drinking, followed by a weekend chock-full of social obligations. So...there's that.
But this week is a whole new week, and the routine starts today without fail. I will be walking this afternoon...this week looks to be a fairly rainy one, which means that I'll need to take my outside time where I can get it. If it ends up raining today, I'll do the Slim-in-6 and the Wii for a bit when I get home. Tomorrow is definitely a walking day, since it's scheduled to be clearish tomorrow, and then Wednesday and Friday will likely entail more inside stuff.
My goal right this minute is to have 8 weeks of pretty much non-stop working out. I don't plan to alter my routine too much during that time...mostly just the same stuff as before, because I'm basically starting over. But I did 8 weeks of it before, and it worked wonders, so that's what I'm aiming for right now. After that time, I will likely commit myself to 8 more weeks of the same, with maybe a few changes...maybe bump up my miles walked, maybe add some biking in there, stuff like that.
This means that, by the end of March, I should be well on my way to losing another 10 pounds. If I then commit myself to another 8 weeks...then I should be doing pretty well on my goals. We'll see.
Ok...GO! : )
Weight loss, that is.
I haven't been doing terribly, despite plenty of opportunities. I'm currently at 173, during that particular time of the month and after a weekend full of bridal showers and bachelorette parties and cookouts and things...so I'm not incredibly unhappy with that. I'm not thrilled...but that could all come off in another day or two, so it's not a huge deal.
I'm still a little sniffly...last week was a non-workout week, first because of being sick and then because of a tragedy at my office that required a few days of communal grieving and drinking, followed by a weekend chock-full of social obligations. So...there's that.
But this week is a whole new week, and the routine starts today without fail. I will be walking this afternoon...this week looks to be a fairly rainy one, which means that I'll need to take my outside time where I can get it. If it ends up raining today, I'll do the Slim-in-6 and the Wii for a bit when I get home. Tomorrow is definitely a walking day, since it's scheduled to be clearish tomorrow, and then Wednesday and Friday will likely entail more inside stuff.
My goal right this minute is to have 8 weeks of pretty much non-stop working out. I don't plan to alter my routine too much during that time...mostly just the same stuff as before, because I'm basically starting over. But I did 8 weeks of it before, and it worked wonders, so that's what I'm aiming for right now. After that time, I will likely commit myself to 8 more weeks of the same, with maybe a few changes...maybe bump up my miles walked, maybe add some biking in there, stuff like that.
This means that, by the end of March, I should be well on my way to losing another 10 pounds. If I then commit myself to another 8 weeks...then I should be doing pretty well on my goals. We'll see.
Ok...GO! : )
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Back to it, again.
Well, hopefully.
I got home from Seattle yesterday. After a week of massive amounts of coffee and beer, lots of AMAZING food, and a pretty healthy amount of walking, I'm happy to say that I'm right at 170.5 pounds. This is only 1.5 pounds more than the low I hit in November right after my surgery. I know I lost a bit of water weight while I was there, but I'm working on replenishing that now.
I'm supposed to be starting back on my workout plan tomorrow. My plan is still to do that, provided I'm not actually getting sick like it feels like I might be. A week full of grimy handrails, coughing people on planes, and cold rain can do that to you. I woke up this morning with a sore throat, and immediately took some vitamin C, and I've been drinking tea and trying to take it easy...so maybe it won't happen. We'll see.
If I am sick, I'll just start my new routine next week. I would really hate to delay it again, but if I'm sick there's no helping it.
Ok, off to do some chores. As crappy as I feel today, I could feel worse tomorrow, so I want to get as much done as I can. Later!
Monday, January 3, 2011
A whole new year of kicking my own ass.
Sigh.
Well, the holidays are over. I did gain 3 pounds back, ultimately...but that was as of this morning, and it is right at the time in my cycle when I always gain a few pounds. So, those 3 pounds might be no pounds at all.
Overall, I feel I did fairly well in weight maintenance over the holidays. I've still lost, at the least, 7 pounds, which is definitely a good thing. My food intake has stayed relatively low, and my activity level is higher than it was before I started working out in earnest. I just need to get back into working out for real again...it's been SO difficult to do that, when I knew that just around the corner was another disruption.
Next week should start my last real disruption for a while, though. I'm going to Seattle next Thursday, and as I've said before that's kind of a "reset" for me. I sort of detox from a lot of the sugar I get in my normal life, and I tend to move around a bit more. I'll be back from Seattle on Saturday, January 22...I intend to maybe walk a bit on that Sunday, just to get back into the swing, and then Monday the 24th will start my real workouts again.
My plan is to get in at LEAST 3 good walking days per week to start, increasing to 4 eventually. I also plan to get back into the Slim-in-6 and the Wii, although I'm not sure yet about how many days per week I want to do those. I need to have a nice balance between those and walking, and I'd like to throw another couple of activities in there as well. My awesome boyfriend got me a bike rack for Christmas, so biking should be WAY easier.
I feel the need to set up a schedule for working out, after I get back from Seattle. So:
Sunday: Slim-in-6.
Monday: Walking, Wii Fit.
Tuesday: Walking.
Wednesday: Slim-in-6, Wii Fit.
Friday: Walking
Saturday: Some other activity. Biking, swimming, hiking...something different.
I think this will work. It starts me off with the one thing that KILLS me, has 3 days of walking, has another activity in there, and has Wednesday as my really hard day...which is fine, because Thursday is my day off. We'll see how this works when I start.
Ok, I feel a bit better. I'm just anxious to get started. My motivation has been SO nonexistent, and I'm tired of feeling vaguely like I should be moving more.
As far as eating, my resolutions for the new year include eating at least one serving of fruit per day...like one apple, one orange, a small bowl of grapes, etc. That's harder to do with vegetables, since they need to be cooked usually, but I want to start eating more veggies too. And post-Seattle is going to be a non-meat time...I've been eating a lot of meat lately, with holidays and such, and I don't like it.
Ok, that's it for now. : )
Well, the holidays are over. I did gain 3 pounds back, ultimately...but that was as of this morning, and it is right at the time in my cycle when I always gain a few pounds. So, those 3 pounds might be no pounds at all.
Overall, I feel I did fairly well in weight maintenance over the holidays. I've still lost, at the least, 7 pounds, which is definitely a good thing. My food intake has stayed relatively low, and my activity level is higher than it was before I started working out in earnest. I just need to get back into working out for real again...it's been SO difficult to do that, when I knew that just around the corner was another disruption.
Next week should start my last real disruption for a while, though. I'm going to Seattle next Thursday, and as I've said before that's kind of a "reset" for me. I sort of detox from a lot of the sugar I get in my normal life, and I tend to move around a bit more. I'll be back from Seattle on Saturday, January 22...I intend to maybe walk a bit on that Sunday, just to get back into the swing, and then Monday the 24th will start my real workouts again.
My plan is to get in at LEAST 3 good walking days per week to start, increasing to 4 eventually. I also plan to get back into the Slim-in-6 and the Wii, although I'm not sure yet about how many days per week I want to do those. I need to have a nice balance between those and walking, and I'd like to throw another couple of activities in there as well. My awesome boyfriend got me a bike rack for Christmas, so biking should be WAY easier.
I feel the need to set up a schedule for working out, after I get back from Seattle. So:
Sunday: Slim-in-6.
Monday: Walking, Wii Fit.
Tuesday: Walking.
Wednesday: Slim-in-6, Wii Fit.
Friday: Walking
Saturday: Some other activity. Biking, swimming, hiking...something different.
I think this will work. It starts me off with the one thing that KILLS me, has 3 days of walking, has another activity in there, and has Wednesday as my really hard day...which is fine, because Thursday is my day off. We'll see how this works when I start.
Ok, I feel a bit better. I'm just anxious to get started. My motivation has been SO nonexistent, and I'm tired of feeling vaguely like I should be moving more.
As far as eating, my resolutions for the new year include eating at least one serving of fruit per day...like one apple, one orange, a small bowl of grapes, etc. That's harder to do with vegetables, since they need to be cooked usually, but I want to start eating more veggies too. And post-Seattle is going to be a non-meat time...I've been eating a lot of meat lately, with holidays and such, and I don't like it.
Ok, that's it for now. : )
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