Semi-Fail

If it did, I would be in really GREAT shape!

So last week was bad. Really bad. I only worked out twice and the workouts were kind of half-assed. I lifted weights both days and did about 5 mins of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardio after a 5 minute warm-up. And that's all folks. On top of that, I ate fairly crappy. I ate out more than normal and did not make good choices. I'm only human so I'm not dwelling on it too much. This week will be different. On a good note, I hit one of my goals this month: try a new fitness class/workout each month. In fact, if you count Team Fitness, I tried three: Pilates (l-a-m-e), Kettle Bell, and Team Fitness.

Now, Jay and I have set our sights on:  (again....)

I have done some of the workouts but have never done the full rotation. Jay has completed some of it but has never finished. Our goal is to finish it this time around. Last night we hit the gym around 9 (yes, 9 at night). Yesterday was chest and back which consists mostly of pull ups and push ups. Now, I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, I have no upper body strength. OK, that may not be necessarily 100% true but I suck at pull ups and push ups. I can do about 10 regular push ups before I have to switch to the "girly" kind. And even then after about 20 my arms are shot. Add in pull ups, which I can't do unassisted, and my arms are jello after the first couple of sets. 

We also worked in Ab Ripper X into the equation. Jay and I got through 2/3rds of the total workout before we quit. I was starting to get dizzy and he was sleepy. So yesterday was a semi-fail (a total fail would have been not going at all). By the time we got home it was like 10:30 and we were both exhausted. I told Jay that to keep us accountable I was going to take pictures before our workout and then after and post them here. I took our before pictures but we were too exhausted after our workout and forgot about the after pictures. Another fail. Oh well, I'll try to get them into tomorrow's post.

Happy Workout Folks!

Now Walk It Out...

As if working out isn't already it's own form of hell, treadmills in hell make me want to be a "good" girl Catholic for the rest of my life so that I can get into Heaven. I bet all my favorite foods have 0 calories in Heaven.

Hi Folks! It's Friday! Woot. This week, as does every work week, seemed to drag on and on so the thought of two days off seems glorious. Cannot wait! Anyway, it's Fantasy Friday so let's get on with it! I have another gadget on my brain today. It's this little guy....

Say "Ello Mate!" to the FitBit. Gosh, even the name is cute. And don't let his small stature fool you. You know what they say: "Great things come in small packages" - just like yours truly! It's a pedometer on crack. It is calibrated to measure every little step you take, in addition to calculating altitude if you climb stairs. It can calculate the calories burned, which I would not necessarily put too much stock in since it cannot calculate based on your weight, VO2 intake, and other factors. But it's probably a good basis on how much you can eat. But for me, the clincher is it can track your sleep patterns. By wearing it on your wrist at night, it can tell you how long it took for your to fall asleep, how many times you work up during the night, and your actual sleep time. I think that's a nifty little feature.

(The only time this would be true is if "shoes" came after "running")

I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that I HATE running and probably always will. I don't dislike it, I flat out HATE it. I don't get that "runner's high" that everyone who loves running talks about. I have old lady knees that I inherited from my mom and running often aggravates them. She has had knee surgery and I see how difficult it is for her to move around. So I know that moving is key to prevent the same fate. I have tried and tried and tried to like running but I just don't. I do like walking through. I even like hiking. So maybe walking will be my thing instead of trying to make myself like something I don't. I will still run from time to time, especially when it's warm enough to run outside on a track or trail versus a treadmill. But I think this FitBit might just help me walk off the pounds. It costs $100 and I have a little extra this week so I may just let myself get one...

...unless it's Physical Therapy...

Energy

....and this is why I will never rule the world....

Happy Tuesday folks...one day closer to Friday! Today, I have no energy, probably because we skipped our workout yesterday due to my upset tummy. So this post will probably be short and full of pictures (I decided my blog needed more pictures.) YAY! The hubby and I tried a new class at the gym. LifeTime sent out an email saying there was a Kettlebell demo so we decided to sign up and try it. There were only 4 of us in the class. After warming up sans kettlebells, we picked them up and practiced 4 different lifts. While it was nice trying out a different workout and challenging my body, I didn't love it (or hate it). But considering the class is $40 per session, I think I'll pass. For those of you who have never heard of kettlebells, this is what we looked like:

(pictures are great! I don't think I could have effectively described this..)

But don't take my word for it - try it out yourself if you can. It may be up your alley :-)

Back to energy. Look what I got in the mail yesterday!!

(oh, I am so artistic!)

I love FRS. I drink the low cal Peach Mango version (I have tried the Peach Nectarine - that wasn't very good in my opinion). The Peach Mango is yummy and doesn't upset my stomach like other energy drinks do.  I also don't get the jittery feeling an hour after drinking them, the way I do with soda and coffee. I haven't tried either of these flavors or the chews so I signed up for the "free" try it package on frs.com. I say "free" because I still paid $3.95 for shipping. But a 4 pack of cans cost $7 at Wegman's so it's not a terrible deal. Now if only I had the foresight to actually bring some with me. I probably wouldn't be having this energy crisis right now...

I also made these over the weekend:

They are filled with good things and are taste damn good. Again, I should have brought some of these with me today. Ugh, this is what happens when I fail to plan. Click on the link for the recipe. Most people should have the basic stuff on hand and they were really easy to make. You can also tailor the recipe based on what's in your pantry or food allergies. I highly recommend trying out these energy bites and FRS if you haven't already. 

OK, I am done rambling about how I wish I had brought my arsenal of energy boosters. Now it's time to find a way to boost my energy without them...Too bad napping at work is frowned upon....

Gadgets, Gadgets, Gadgets!!

It's Friday!!!!! Is it just me, or do these 4-day work weeks seem to drag on and on? Why does it feel like a full work week goes by faster? Either way I am very happy that it's Friday, which makes tomorrow Saturday. YAY!

So I learned a few of things at the gym today:

1. Circuit training is hard and kind of sucks.
2. Layers and bangs are really cute when you have time to style your hair properly.
3. The blow-dryers at the gym SUCK so I will need to start bringing my own.
4. I will need to start bringing my straightener too.
5. My gym bag will weigh 1,000 pounds next week and my primp time just got longer.

Ok, so most of the stuff I learned dealt with my hair and not fitness. I just got a haircut over the weekend - and it's not very gym-friendly. Oh well. On to what I'm fantasizing about today.....

This baby...I am a bit of a useless gadget junkie. I guess I get that from my dad.

OK, I've read the reviews and they all say that the gadget was released before it was ready. But since it's $250 right now, I think I can wait until all the bugs are worked out :-) This MotoActv is kind of everything I want in a fitness gadget all rolled into one. It tracks your progress and workouts, plays music, and can alert you when it's time to workout. It's kind of like the perfect workout buddy. It also syncs with my Droid (since it's a Motorola droid) with a free app. It can average my calories, heart rate, pace, distance and duration of workouts. 

Unfortunately, the $250 will only get your the MotoActv device, the headphones and wrist strap (shown in the picture) are sold separately. I would want the wrist strap because I hate those stupid arm band IPod cases. They remind me of those blood pressure arms straps at the doctor. I have to wear them tight (which hurts my arms) because if I don't, they don't stay on once I start to sweat. I would also want the wireless Bluetooth headphones. I'm unsure about the sound quality but it would be nice to workout without cords getting in the way. I wonder if the headphones would fit in my ears - I have small ears and have difficulty finding headphones that fit properly.

Is it necessary? No. It is cool? Yes! If this thing had GPS tracking, I may have just sprung the $250. Maybe for the 2nd Generation...if it ever makes it that far. This one, for now, will remain a fantasy...

Happy Workouts Everyone!

The Gym

I sure hope this little fitspo picture is true. I've become a bit of a gym rat lately. 

I was listening to the Kane Show* last week and they said that January 10 is the day most people quit the gym. Apparently, the number one reason people quit the gym is because they have a hard time finding parking. UM, are you serious (insert eye brow lift)?! LifeTime has an OK parking situation so I guess I can't complain but c'mon! This reminded me of those times I would walk to UREC (oh JMU, how I miss UREC) and see people waiting in the 5 car parking lot by the gym for a spot so they wouldn't have to walk uphill (or downhill) from the other parking lots. I always thought that these people were really stupid. I mean, if they just parked in the other lot, they could use the walk from their car to the front door as a warm up and they could hit the ground running. I'm sure that in the time they spent waiting in their car, they could have gotten through at least a quarter of their workout. Oh well. I'm not sure if I believe the Kane show though because when I go after work, I have a harder time finding a machine that I like. I guess in a few weeks, people will get tired and stop going. Just got to wait it out...ugh.

Even though I have passed the January 10 gym d-day and am continuing to go 5-6 times a week, I do sometimes still get a little discouraged that the scale isn't budging. Yes, I am eating better and drinking more water. Yes, I am weight training but I guess I should up it from 2 to at least 3 times a week. The hubs thinks I need to kick it up a notch - since I have already lost some weight it'll be harder for me to lose it unless my workouts become more intense. I think he should kiss my [censor]....I am honestly doing the best that I can. When I leave the gym, I am sweaty, red in the face, and out of breath and/or so sore it's hard to walk. I think I just need to ditch the scale. Maybe I'm losing fat and gaining muscle. Maybe I'm deluding myself. Maybe I should just stop thinking about losing weight, keep working hard and eating better, and the weight will take care of itself. Yeah, that sounds about right. I did lose a half inch from my natural waist line in 2 weeks. Guess that's better than nothing.

Last night, I started week 6 of the Couch-to-5K running guide. It was kind of brutal. It adds another 3 minutes of running. Doesn't sound like a lot but I definitely do not consider myself a runner. I had to slow down the pace to be able to finish the whole thing but I'm really proud of myself for not quitting and running through the pain. On the last 5 minutes, I told myself I would only do 2 and I did the whole 5. My time was slow...I finished in about 45 minutes, probably because I was exhausted and walked the last half mile...but I really need to work on my endurance first. Once my lungs don't burn (I will not blame my asthma, I will not blame my asthma) I can work on my speed. This morning was TEAM Fitness Cardio day and we did the elliptical - it was really hard because we had to up our resistance. I'm used to doing it at 8 but I had to go all the way up to 20. She called it "walking in the mud" and that's exactly how I felt. I was next to the old guy in our group and he was smoking me...I think elliptical is his only cardio because I can do better than him on the treadmill. Still hurt my pride a little...Oh well, I'll just have to do better next time.

Happy Hump Day!!!

*for those of you not in the DC area, the Kane show is the morning show on Hot 99.5 - you can listen to them on I Heart Radio. They're pretty hilarious =)

Fantasy Friday

The name of this post does not imply what I think you are thinking. So get your mind out of the gutter! With that said, I decided that this blog needed a regular post so every Friday is now "Fantasy Friday". This year, I'm not only trying to get physically fit, I'm also trying to get financially fit. The hubby and I are hoping to buy a house this year so saving money is a priority. Unfortunately, trying to balance a budget and enjoy my money at the same time makes me stress and stress makes me want to spend money. I am a big believer in retail therapy. Since retail therapy like I used know it is no longer an option, I'm going to have to get my fix another way. Now, I'll just have to blog about the stuff I would buy. I will try to save a little here and there so that hopefully I can actually get the things blogged about on Fantasy Friday. Here we go....

THE Mat. The name says it all. This yoga mat, produced by Lululemon, is the Holy Grail of yoga mats (or so I have been told). It's unassuming name and unadorned body might make it seem plain next to all the fancy colored and printed mats out there, but it's the simplicity of it that makes it a standout. As I said in my last post, I have been getting into yoga, especially hot yoga. I am pretty uncoordinated (and sweaty) so I end up slipping and bunching my mat. I end up having to fix the mat every other sun salutation. This mat is the answer to my problems. The other night after yoga, I saw a lady with this mat. I asked her how she liked it and started raving about how wonderful it is and how she is so happy she finally decided to buy it. Yesterday, the hubby and I went to Lululemon to check it out. The mat is heavy but nice and thick - perfect for my old lady knees. I of course have done my research and still have some concerns. The mat is made of rubber and gives off a very distinct and strong smell. I have very a sensitive olafactory sense, so anything that smells too strongly is hard on me.  Lululemon says that once you soak it and air dry it, the smell should dissipate. This is probably true because the mat of the lady at the gym did not smell at all. Also, due to the weight, I would need to get a very sturdy yoga mat - rolling it up and carrying it under my arm will probably not work out too well. Also, it seems there is a lot of upkeep with this mat. However, I still think the pros outweigh the cons - this might be the mat for me...If I ever do get it, I hope I'm not one of the 1% of people who gave this mat a bad review.

Happy Friday!!

Ohm

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Ohm...

Before you click the "Quick, get me out of here" button, give me a chance! I have not gone hippie dippie or crunchy granola but yes, I do love a good yoga session. Not for the getting-in-touch-with-my-inner-self feeling but more for what it's done for my body. I have yet to see the long term effects of yoga on my mental state however :-) And for you guys out there, I know yoga is often thought of as "girly" exercise, but you'll be amazed at how much strength and focus yoga requires! I suggest you try it before you knock it.

Yoga has been around forever, since the 2nd century BC according to Wikipedia (you can take that info with a grain of salt). The two main types of yoga are Hatha and Vinyasa. I practice Vinyasa, or flow, yoga. This type of yoga keeps you moving as you flow from one pose into the next. My gym offers a Vinyasa class that is heated, much like Bikram, which is a type of Hatha yoga. I LOVE this class. The room is over 100 degrees and is packed, asses to elbows, with people and is usually 75 minutes long. It's smart to get to class early to avoid getting angry stares as you place your mat down! I get a great sweat, stretch, and overall workout. An added plus is I feel much calmer by the end of class. However, the calmness seems to wear off by the time I leave the parking lot! Hah!

To those of you who still say "I hate yoga", I was once in your shoes. I used to HATE yoga. I found it so boring and lame. But really, I mostly hated it because I found it hard. I'm not very flexible, especially in my old age *wink*, and lots of the moves require balance that I do not possess. The first couple of times I went, I felt so intimidated by the regular yogis who can balance all their weight on their hands, do head stands, and who can bind themselves to look like a pretzel. Yes, those people are out there. And yes, you will inevitably have one in your class. But I eventually stopped comparing myself to them and soon realized all the great things yoga had to offer. I can now touch my feet and almost touch my palms to the floor when I stretch. I can now do a full wheel (for 3 seconds but who cares)! Something I haven't been able to do since I was 7. My flexibility, as well as my core strength, has greatly improved. My posture has improved slightly. Now when I catch myself slouching, I am able to straighten up without straining my back. I no longer feel a restricting tightness throughout my body. I actually now look forward to yoga and feel a little bit disappointed in myself when I can't make a class. I have been going fairly regularly and enough that I believe I need a good (not cheapo) yoga mat and bag. Buying cute stuff seems to motivate me more!

So, please, I implore you to try out yoga in the near future. Ladies, if you're still not motivated, go shopping. I think yoga gear is some of the cutest around. They can be expensive but check out places like Target or even Old Navy! Gents, if you're still not motivated, there are tons of good looking women in tight spandex tops/bras and short shorts or tight pants bending over. If that isn't motivation for you, there are some good looking men with no shirts on doing hot yoga too. LOL!

Namaste!

Better than Nothing

Let me start off by saying, TGIF! I know it's been a short week but it still felt like forever. The first week of January is almost over and I am happy to say that I have worked out 5 times this week, with every intention of going to the gym tomorrow too. My "workout calendar" has an an entry every day except Sunday. Great start to 2012.


Today also marks the completion of the first of four weeks of TEAM Fitness. Working out at 6 AM is tough but it's really nice to get it over with and have the night to do other things - even if it's just laying in bed watching TV. I hope to eventually get to the gym at 6 AM on days when I don't have TEAM Fitness too. This will probably get easier once the sun starts to rise before 7. I'm still not sure if I will continue with TEAM Fitness once our month is up - it's fairly basic stuff and I just don't think I can justify the cost. I like that it keeps me accountable but that's about it. To get more into weight lifting (and to make sure I don't get bored with the moves) I plan on buying this book after TEAM Fitness is over. It got pretty good reviews and looks useful.


Yesterday, I had no desire to hit the gym. I kept thinking of different reasons to not go but ultimately I pushed myself to at least hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I picked up the Couch to 5K training again. I can still run the full 5 minute spurts but it wasn't easy. A little personal victory last night: I got my 5K under 40 minutes...OK, I ran it in 39 minutes and 45 seconds but I am still happy I was able to shave 30 seconds off my fastest time...and I haven't been running consistently. I also had to book it the last minute to make it but I was able to do it so I'm pretty confident I can get my 5K time down to an acceptable time/speed once the 5K actually rolls around. Woot!

On a different note, all I have wanted to do lately is spend money. It is probably because I don't have any extra money to spend. Sigh. Lately, I have been wanting a nicer gym bag. "Fancy" gym bags can cost anywhere from $50-100 which is a lot, especially considering I could get a designer wallet or wristlet for that much! The thought of spending that kind of money on something I put my sweaty clothes in makes me feel stupid. But I like that these kinds of bags have a ton of pockets and compartments so I can keep things in one spot and not have to rummage through my bag for a hair tie or socks. I also like that they're slightly more stylish than regular Nike bags. So maybe next month if I like where I'm at, I will let myself have one. Take a peek at the ones I'm considering:

VSX Hobo Gym Bag ($58.50)

Lululemon Duffel ($78)

Athleta Spring Tote ($79)

I have also been wanting a good yoga mat and bag...but that will be saved for my next post, which will be dedicated to my new love: Yoga. Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi 2012!

This time last year, I tipped the scale at 166 pounds, maybe even more since I was so hesitant to find out what my weight was. I was so ashamed and embarrassed that I had let myself go like that. The hubby and I decided to do a "Biggest Loser" challenge that quickly went nowhere. No one, including myself, took it seriously.

This year, I am starting off the new year at about 148 (I was 146 but let the holiday eating get the best of me). 18 pounds lighter, I am happier with who I am but still not where I want to be. Should the Mayans be wrong and we make it into 2013, I don't want to look back a year from now and wish I had done things differently. So to kick start the weight loss journey of 2012, the hubby and I have a slightly more competitive challenge. It includes money...

Both of us want to lose about the same amount weight (30 pounds) and inches (about 6) to get to our goal weight/size. We gave ourselves a deadline - July 4, the peak of swimsuit season - to get there. If neither one of us makes our goal weight OR size, then we owe the other one a substantial amount of money. For anyone who is familiar with our couple dynamic, you will know that we both hate to a) lose money b) lose to each other and  most of all c) lose money to the other person. I am so determined to not owe him any money :-) The reason we decided on either weight or size (as in clothing size/natural waist size) is because we both plan on gaining muscle which can make our weight a higher number than we want it to be. If I end up being a solid 125 pounds but a size 6 (which is my goal size), I don't think that I should owe him ANY money, especially if I'm happy with the way I look and the way my clothes fit. Others had suggested to also do it by weight loss percentage or body fat loss percentage but that takes too much accounting. It will only take us a minute to step on a scale or measure our waists.

When we joined Lifetime last year, we each received a free month of TEAM Fitness (basically personal training but in a small group). We started with our first class yesterday. The class is an hour long and consists of a 6 station setup, each with an "A" and "B" exercise. You start at one station and do as many reps of exercise A as you can for 45 seconds (there is a guide as to how many you should try to do). You then switch to the B exercise and do as many as you can in 45 seconds. You remain at the one station until you have done 3 sets of each A and B exercise. Then you move on to the next. This equates to a total of 36 (2 types times 6 stations times 3 sets) sets. It doesn't sound like a lot but it is a total body workout and after the second station I was already dripping sweat and red faced. TEAM Fitness is 3 days a week (MWF) where M and F are weight training days and W is cardio. You are supposed to also do 2 more cardio days (T/TH/S/SU) on days you don't do TEAM Fitness. The month costs $175 so I'm not sure that we will do TEAM Fitness once our free month is up. It is a lot money, on top of the money we pay for our membership. So I'm going to try to take away as much as I can and hopefully the hubby and I can do it all on our own once January is over. We signed up for the 6 AM class but since yesterday was a work holiday, we  went to the 9 AM class. Tomorrow starts our early morning routine.

Later in the afternoon, we went ice skating. I have never been ice skating before (I know, deprived child) so I was really nervous about hurting myself. However, after a couple of laps, I got the hang of it - everyone said I would do fine since I knew how to rollerblade. I really enjoyed it but my glutes and legs were so sore after an hour of skating. I would definitely do it again - it was a great addition to my workout.

So here we are 2012. I fully intend to love myself, and life, this year. We have lots of big plans and I can't wait to see where I'll be at the end of the year.