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 :)...