Keep on truckin'

I have been working out pretty much every day, and keeping on, or within points (using the allowance points).

AAAAAAAAAAAAAaand I feel pretty awesome. Last week I lost 1 lb. Which is fine with me. Better than gaining. With weight training it's never an all lose scenario. I'm hoping to have lost at least another 1lb this week too. The accountability is great, but it's also really nerve wracking. Ultimately the main goal is fitness.
Hopefully I'll be in running shape by the end of the next two months.

Here's how I'm going to do it:

Two times a week I am going to run in intervals. 35 min. Walking for 5, running for 3- then walking for 3 and at random inclines. Eventually I'll work my way to running for 5, walking for 3...and then 2 and then just running straight though. We'll see how long that takes but I'm willing to take this slow and steady.
I've been hoping that I could fit in some yoga, but my schedule hasn't allowed that. And the yoga center I love is about 20 minutes away, so I don't always want to go that far away.

On the food front (which I've blogged about on eatsgrass)- I've been obsessed with heirloom tomatoes, and the harvest that comes with this time of year. :) And big salads. There are so many delicious foods that make me feel so much better...and they're all in season!!

More updates soon. Hopefully I'll have lost at my weigh in on Thursday.

Any tips on running or becoming a runner?

WOW!! What a difference two weeks makes!!

My weight watchers status?

DOWN 3.6 LBS!!!!!!!!!!!

(wooo! Does a booty shake!!)

Thank goodness the scale budged. Of course we all know the first few weight watchers pounds are quite often water. And I was even expecting the scale to go up with all the weight training I'm doing. I am not going overboard with it, but my body builds muscle and responds to working out fairly well.

One thing that I remember that has kept me going is, if you do any one thing for two weeks straight- it becomes habit. I'm at the beginning of my second week of writing my food down and counting points religiously, AND working out daily.

It's not easy, but it's worth it. Only 30 more lbs until my goal. (The original goal I set almost 4 years ago. I gained 15 lbs, when i was 15 lbs from my goal....so when I lost 15 lbs- I'll be where I was about a year ago and then I can work on getting there.) I'm estimating about 4 or 5 months.

Hopefully this week will pay off as nicely as this past week did.

Oh! I'm I'm really excited- Tomorrow I'm going to do yoga and meditate in the AM. It's going to be my slower day. Light cardio, and yoga? Goodtimes.

Update on Mission Fitness

The two part Mission that needs to be fully completed in the next 3-4 months.

MISSION 1- Get back to the gym.
 
STATUS- In progress....

I have managed to go EVERY single day this week. Cardio for 45 min. plus. with weight training for over 25/30 min each session (alternating muscle groups of course!)

This is exciting and I feel like a million bucks!

My goal is to continue this. I'll be adding in one day of yoga a week, and hopefully making it to a bikram yoga class 2 times a month in addition to the regular yoga. AND I want to do Pilates as well. Of course keeping the elliptical, my bike and running in the equation.
 It's going to be a busy autumn. Hopefully I'll have friends who might be interested in going to classes with me so I can combine my love for yoga with my love for socializing...

MISSION 2- Stay on top of eating habits.

STATUS- In process.

Last week I had to buy a pair of pants that made me cry. Well, not the pants, but the size. And as we all know, and have said to the occasional guy (ha!), size doesn't matter. Hmm...to me it does. (on both counts. Whatever, guys can be shallow sometimes, so I'm allowed to also!). And in this case I have control over THIS size.
Once I'm on a mission, as clearly outlined here I am- it's on. Watch out.

The response to the pants size debacle? I joined Weight Watchers (yes, again....). It's the one program that isn't a fad, isn't based on ridiculous weird concepts. It's solid and sound fundamental information on how to eat well. Of course they have their ridiculous foods filled with artificial gunk that I won't eat, or buy- but paying attention to portion size is the key element. It also insures that you are moving more, eating well and living a lifestyle. And of course while I have fallen off the wagon with WW in the past- this time it needs to stick.

The best part of all of this? Is it's easier than you'd think.

My goal is to lose 30 lbs. As per the scale at the gym on Monday, I have lost 3 of those 5. WOO! Lets see what the WW scale says tomorrow at weigh in. Then we can REALLY woo!!

Photo: Self portrait silhouette, 8, 2010

Where I stand now...

Q:  How do you eat an elephant?




A:   One bite at a time.

Thats how I'm tackling my fitness situation. One day at a time, one work out at a time. One meal at a time.

Thankfully I've mastered my nutritional hurdles, and am even brewing a plan to make my passions more prominent in my life...but I'll save that for another time.

I've kept up with the gym going every other day, incorporating cardio and weight training. I am going to start going every day, alternating cardio and strength training in a few days. And I also plan on breaking out of my routine.

Generally I'll start with about 30 minutes of cardio, followed up by alternating sets in a circuit at the gym. Arms, legs, back, chest repeat. I'll do 2 sets of 15 on a medium weight- and between sets do pulses of 20 to push the muscle to failure.

Immediately after each session at the gym I'll have a whey protein shake, and or an egg.

My plan is to take each day and do something different but keep the focus on cardio or weights. I think tomorrow I'll make my focus cardio- and do 25 minutes on the elliptical, 15 minutes on the stair climber and then 15 minutes on the rowing machine.

The following day will be weights with a focus on my legs and chest.

Then a cardio day with the treadmill for 30 min, and then the bike for 30 min.

Repeat and rest on the 5th day.

I will check in to share how this works out.

Ideally this isn't to get skinny, but to get back in touch with my body and health.

My plan is to also integrate juicing on an extreme level: Buying a Vita-mix. Not only does this increase the benefits of juicing by liquifying the WHOLE fruit and vegetable, but it's also easier to clean than a juicer.

KICKING it up a few notches.

I'm back....

When life hands you lemons make lemonade right? I won't get into it, but life handed me a giant pallet of lemons...so there will be a lot of lemonade in my life for a few months.

In regards to my plan to become a runner? Well, it's been a while since I had made that decision...and a lot as gone on. I've decided that I'm not giving up that goal. I don't need to be an Olympic runner, or even run marathons. Though I would like to be that kind of person who brings their sneakers everywhere because they will make it a point to run every morning for 5 miles. Thats more my goal.

This is because the feeling that I get from running is like nothing else. Oddly enough it's a lot like the way I feel from from yoga. It's my mind being totally present with my body. Focusing on breathing, and keeping  focused on the road in front of you but also keeping your legs moving in sync....it's quite zen. I'm hoping that the next few weeks I am able to start regaining my focus on myself. It's exciting and I'm really hoping to meet my goal. One day at a time.

My schedule for this week to get back on track is M,W,F- Gym: elliptical for 30 min, weights, treadmill for intervals of 1 min sprints/5 min walking at an incline for 30 min. This is for 2 weeks then I'll see where I am after that.....and I'll be re-joining my yoga center and doing that once a week as well.

I'm very excited for what is in store. Only good things :)...

ok, do over. DO OVER!!

My run never came to fruition. Something always seems to get in the way. This time it was bad weather. There was not only awful rain, but really bad wind. Gusts up to 70MPH!!

Hm, since I am always open to the Universes prodding, I will hold off and try again. If it's not the right time, or the right activity, thats just the way it's going to be. I do want a do over though!!

I have taken to running to the gym, to "warm up". It's only about 3/4 of a mile, but is nice. Then I do weights, and a little extra cardio at the gym- and it's pretty nice. When the weather allows. I plan on making a habit of this.

There will be other races, and other activities- I'm still hoping to be a runner. One of these days. Slow and steady right?

Outdoors training

Yesterday the weather was positively divine! In the 50's, sunny and not a cloud in the sky! A welcome repreive from the snow and gloom these past few weeks of winter has dished out.

My training went well. I mapped out 2 miles to run in my neighborhood and did so in about 35 min. It was wonderful. And my body hurts less from it than the training I do at the gym. I am going to most likely repeat the same lap but add a half mile becase it's always good. The reason why I only did two miles yesterday (when the last training I did I had done 3.5) is because I wasn't sure how training outdoors was going to affect me. Thank goodness it went well.
I think that having a change of scenery while you run helps too. I mean, on a treadmill mile 2 is just tedious. While yesterday it was a piece of cake! I'm looking forward to this race on Saturday. It's a milestone (no pun intended) for me and I'm really excited.

Anyone have tips for me that I can add to my training?

 

This picture just makes me excited about the upcoming new flowers and signs of spring that are going to start happening in the next few weeks. That will make my runs more pleasant and my walks very productive. Spring and summer are my most productive photo taking times. 

Day 7

Well I have not been training on schedule as I wish that I could have been.
Life happens.

But I have been doing stretches, lunges and toning exercises which did payoff yesterday when I did manage to get some time on the treadmill.

Yesterday I ran a total of 3 miles, with walking (cool down period) included a total of 4.36. I did this in 45 minutes. The next few days I man on moving that up to 4 miles in 45 minutes. That way I can do a 5 mile race in about a little more than an hour. My official goal.

I'm really proud of myself and can feel my body changing a bit. My legs and core feel really strong, and my balance and focus are improving.

Hopefully I can stick with running and make myself a monthly race runner. Starting off slow with a 5 mile race seems to be the best bet. And the next few races I'd like to keep them at 5 miles and then after 3 or 4 move to 6-8. And then so on. Eventually I'll be in a place to do a half or full marathon...triathalons, and IRON MAN! Thats a few years down the road for me,  but I can't wait to get there.

Once I thought running a mile was impossible. But that was before I knew that NOTHING is impossible.


Things that I would like  to discuss  and get feedback on :

What do you wear when running a race?

Any and all suggestions will be helpful. Feel free to email me!

Love and light to you all!

MY LEGS!

Today I took a day off of training in favor of stretching and not killing my knees (though tomorrow it's ON!).

Something that I was thinking about was the music that I listen to that keeps me going.

Warm up music:

Estelle- American Boy
Mika-Golden
Madonna- Don't Tell Me
U2- Angel of Harlem
Nina Simone- Aint got No

Jogging music:

Beyonce- Diva
Weezer-Trouble Maker
Skee-lo- I wish
Fratellis- Chelsea Dagger

Running music:

Lady GaGa: Telephone/Monster/Bad Romance
Rob Zombie: Dragula/Living Dead Girl
Beyonce: Single Ladies
House of Pain: Jump Around
Justin Timberlake: Take Out
Darude: Sandstorm


Does anyone have suggestions for music that will help me "go the distance"? I need some more music to add to my ipod...Thanks in advance!

My first race: Days 1, 2, and 3 of training

Hi there!

This is my first entry for my training blog. Here is some info to start with.

This is not:
...a race for me to lose weight.
...about my trying to kill off my inner fat girl (the one who craves 3 slices of pizza with pepperoni, a large soda and cake if I'm hungry for more than 4 minutes).
...is not about me being faster than anyone.

This is about how I get from here to there. There of course being a real runner, who runs races. And maybe down the road one day, wins one.

I started out as a chubby kid who ate partially out of boredom, and partially out of a solid LOVE for delicious, interesting, flavorful things to eat. And I was lazy. The thought of sweating made me ill- let alone making myself sweat on purpose~! Exercise was so much effort. I had so much more fun lolling about on a couch watching tv, or playing video games. Besides- I'm an artist, why do I need to workout?

MANY reasons. Firstly my genetics predispose me to many unappealing illnesses like: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and being over-weight (which comes first the fat or the diabetes/chicken or the egg? Ah, all of these esoteric questions....). Now who the hell wants to be sick and fat? Not I! And looking at my father be heavy and take all of these medications- and looking at my extremely healthy (but diabetic) grandfather...I foresee some challenges. But thats another thing that I like;Challenges. I'm stubborn and have an innate drive to make myself the best version of me possible. Also, when I see people who were heavy lose weight- it just pushes me more.

So fast forward past adolecence, and into adulthood....and past my wedding even. About a month after my wedding I saw Sara Rue. She had lost a ton of weight! (which she has now gained back and is currently shilling faux food and false hope on behalf of Jenny Craig). Well, being as she was so heavy, and I was so heavy (pushing the scale at 188...only 10 lbs less than when Matt had proposed), I thought if she did it, I can do it. And so I did. I started eating better (tons of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains) and avoided processed foods if at all possible. It was great. And I began working out for an hour and a half, two hours every day.(I never ran or did the treadmill...however I did enjoy the elliptical, spin classes, yoga, and step....) Slowly but surely I got down to a normal weight. Not my goal weight, which at this point is just a number because the way that I feel will always trump that...But I digress.

Fast forward to now. I've managed to keep off my weight because I CHANGED MY LIFESTYLE, and continue to stay active. Not everyday for two hours active, but I still move.

And here I am now, at the precipice of another change. Do I want to commit to being a runner? I hear that the runners high is amazing. I'm willing to commit to 6 months of running, and races. March 13th is my first race. An 8k (five mile) run through central park. It's not going to be the longest race I run, nor will it be my last.

Training, day 1.

Warmed up for 5 minutes...3.2 mph and a slight incline (2.5)
Ran for 1 mile. (5.5 mph) and did it in 11 minutes.
(total miles 1.55)

Training, day 2.

Same warm up.
Ran 1 mile, 11 min 35 seconds.
(total miles 2.34)

Training, day 3
warm up, walked no incline for 5 min.
Ran 2 miles, first mile 10 min 43 sec and the second mile was 11 min and 24 seconds.
(total miles 3.15)

Tomorrow I will repeat todays training but will add a half mile to each run ever two days. (so tomorrow I'll be running 2.5 miles, and will move that up to 3 miles on Monday...and then on Wednesday it'll be 3.5)

Eventually by March 10th I'll have run 5 miles in my training. And the 11tht and 12th will be days where I do yoga and meditate for my race.

While this might be making a mountain out of a mole hill- for me it's important and I hope that I can inspire you, or you are able to share your own stories and advice/insight.

Thank you!