Last week was a struggle. I had no motivation to do anything. I did get out for a 5k walk with Nicole on Tuesday and I made it to the gym on Friday while Liam was at a birthday party. The problem in between those planned outings. Most days I try to do at least a stretching routine and some arm work with weights. I also try to get in as many steps as possible. None of that happened. I was quite content to sit and sit and sit.
Overall I kept up reasonably good food choices, so the whole week wasn’t a loss – it even led to a ½ pound loss! I’m not going to worry about a slow week. This one is going much better already!
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Week 2
I had another great week of working out. Two trips to the gym, an outdoor run on a beautiful day and a 5k walk with Nicole. Overall I’m pleased. I didn’t see any progress on the scale this week, but I’m okay with that. The scale is just a number, not an overall representation of how I’m doing.
My favorite part of going to the gym is using the exercise bikes. They have 2 different kinds to choose from, and I have yet to decide which one I prefer. The pros of the recumbent bike is that your crotch doesn’t go numb from sitting on a skinny little bike seat. But I did find that I kept sliding forward out of the seat, so that wasn’t very comfortable either. The regular bikes at this gym have built in video games, which to me is a great feature! It gives you a first person view and you can select the route that you bicycle along. With this one, you actually have to steer or risk biking right off the cliff (don’t worry, you respawn again quickly back on the road). It gives you something to do while you pedal instead of just staring off into space. I think I will mix it up with each visit, spending some time on both, since each one does work slightly different muscle groups.
We are having some great weather for February – it’s supposed to hit a high of 14°C this week, so I’ll be lacing up and getting outside when I can! Only 12 weeks till my first 5k of the year.
My favorite part of going to the gym is using the exercise bikes. They have 2 different kinds to choose from, and I have yet to decide which one I prefer. The pros of the recumbent bike is that your crotch doesn’t go numb from sitting on a skinny little bike seat. But I did find that I kept sliding forward out of the seat, so that wasn’t very comfortable either. The regular bikes at this gym have built in video games, which to me is a great feature! It gives you a first person view and you can select the route that you bicycle along. With this one, you actually have to steer or risk biking right off the cliff (don’t worry, you respawn again quickly back on the road). It gives you something to do while you pedal instead of just staring off into space. I think I will mix it up with each visit, spending some time on both, since each one does work slightly different muscle groups.
We are having some great weather for February – it’s supposed to hit a high of 14°C this week, so I’ll be lacing up and getting outside when I can! Only 12 weeks till my first 5k of the year.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Week 1
I managed to get in three 1 hr sessions at the gym last week. My trial with them is over so I need to figure out my next steps. I really enjoyed going and using all of the machines. I don’t ever see myself joining one of their classes and I have hand weights at home that I can use. But I don’t have the space or the money to set up an exercise bike, and elliptical machine and a treadmill. What I did realize this week is that I still have a few day passes for the Dartmouth Sportsplex that I haven’t used. They have all the same machines available, and since I’ve already paid for it, I’m going to use them up before I commit to a gym membership.
I had a great week of good food choices. One of the things that I like about choosing a healthy lifestyle versus being on a diet, is that I don’t limit myself from having good tasting, bad for me things as long as it’s in moderation (no more sitting down to eat a whole bag of chips). So I did enjoy 2 small Cinnabons this week and didn’t feel at all guilty about it. I tracked it in MFP, accepted that my calories were high that day and moved on.
So between the exercise and the good eating I thought I would show a loss on the scale when I weighed in Sunday morning. I was pleasantly surprised with a 2.5 lb loss! That puts me at 7 lbs lost so far this year.
My plan this week is to get to the gym at least 3 times, walk with my friend Nicole (who just signed up to run her first 5k this summer at the Ocean Breeze!) and to keep eating well. Hilary has some great sounding meals planned, which is helping us to not eat out nearly as much as we had been last year. I’m sure cutting down on fast food is playing a big role in my weight loss too.
I’ve also decided to set myself a running goal. I looked back at the results of all the 5ks I’ve run in the past 3 years. My fastest run was in April 2014 with a chip time of 41:59. The last 5k I ran was 47:08. So my goal for this year is to run a 5k in under 40 minutes. It’s a big stretch to try to improve my time by over 7 minutes from last year, but I’m feeling good about it.
And with any luck, the snow will eventually melt, the sidewalks will be clear and I can get outside again.
I had a great week of good food choices. One of the things that I like about choosing a healthy lifestyle versus being on a diet, is that I don’t limit myself from having good tasting, bad for me things as long as it’s in moderation (no more sitting down to eat a whole bag of chips). So I did enjoy 2 small Cinnabons this week and didn’t feel at all guilty about it. I tracked it in MFP, accepted that my calories were high that day and moved on.
So between the exercise and the good eating I thought I would show a loss on the scale when I weighed in Sunday morning. I was pleasantly surprised with a 2.5 lb loss! That puts me at 7 lbs lost so far this year.
My plan this week is to get to the gym at least 3 times, walk with my friend Nicole (who just signed up to run her first 5k this summer at the Ocean Breeze!) and to keep eating well. Hilary has some great sounding meals planned, which is helping us to not eat out nearly as much as we had been last year. I’m sure cutting down on fast food is playing a big role in my weight loss too.
I’ve also decided to set myself a running goal. I looked back at the results of all the 5ks I’ve run in the past 3 years. My fastest run was in April 2014 with a chip time of 41:59. The last 5k I ran was 47:08. So my goal for this year is to run a 5k in under 40 minutes. It’s a big stretch to try to improve my time by over 7 minutes from last year, but I’m feeling good about it.
And with any luck, the snow will eventually melt, the sidewalks will be clear and I can get outside again.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
The gym
I did it! I went to the gym by myself tonight and had a great work out. My friend Jody had shown me the ropes when we went on Tuesday so I had a good idea of what to do. Tonight I used the elliptical, the treadmill and a bike. My legs won't be happy with me tomorrow.
It felt great to run again, even just for short spurts. I found that I could push myself to run faster then I do outside. I'm sure it's the fear of flying off the end of the machine and ending up as a viral meme that inspired me to keep up with the pace!
I'm not convinced that I want to commit to a membership. I really do prefer to just run outside, so if I could pick up a partial membership for a couple of months it would be the best of both worlds.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Back at it
Sept 25th. Can it really be that I haven’t posted here in four and half months? What the heck have I been doing?
Let me tell you, my family and I have been doing a lot in those 4.5 months. Hilary went through chemo and radiation treatments and kicked cancer to the curb. I ran a couple of 5k races. Liam and I both had surgery – on the same day, at 2 different hospitals. We had family visits, celebrated 2 major holidays, got back into a school routine, twice – September and January (those pesky holiday breaks throw everything out of whack). Liam was in his first Shakespeare production. I got hearing aids. And we’ve survived a couple of snow storms.
Not surprisingly, I gained too much weight and undid any health improvements I had gained during my training for the half marathon.
And I’m okay with that.
Sometimes, you just have to ride the wave that life throws at you, knowing that eventually it will settle down and you can pick yourself up and get back at it.
That’s what I’m doing now.
One of the best motivations for me is to commit to (and pay) for a race. So I’ve signed up for 3! I’m sticking with 5ks this year, so I’ve decided to run the Bluenose 5k in May then Soul Sisters and Ocean Breeze in June. While the first race is still more than 3 months away, I need to get back into shape. My focus so far this year has been healthy eating, and it’s paying off. I lost 5 pounds in January. Of course, having surgery really helped to kick start the process. And I’m still learning which foods I can tolerate without my gallbladder.
To help with my recovery I started doing some simple stretching routines. It’s amazing how great that little bit of movement felt after being fairly sedentary for so long. I then added in walking, working to increase my pace and distance. I haven’t actually started running again…. but I feel ready! Tonight I’m going to the gym with a friend for a free trial. I really don’t see me as a gym–goer, but hey, it’s free! I’ll check out the equipment, and get in a good work out, and maybe even run on the treadmill. Our sidewalks are covered in snow right now, so I’m going to have to come up with an indoor running solution for the next month or so. I still have some track passes for the indoor track from last winter, so I’m sure that is where I’ll ultimately end up. Or the snow could melt… stranger things have happened.
So the journey continues.
Let me tell you, my family and I have been doing a lot in those 4.5 months. Hilary went through chemo and radiation treatments and kicked cancer to the curb. I ran a couple of 5k races. Liam and I both had surgery – on the same day, at 2 different hospitals. We had family visits, celebrated 2 major holidays, got back into a school routine, twice – September and January (those pesky holiday breaks throw everything out of whack). Liam was in his first Shakespeare production. I got hearing aids. And we’ve survived a couple of snow storms.
Not surprisingly, I gained too much weight and undid any health improvements I had gained during my training for the half marathon.
And I’m okay with that.
Sometimes, you just have to ride the wave that life throws at you, knowing that eventually it will settle down and you can pick yourself up and get back at it.
That’s what I’m doing now.
One of the best motivations for me is to commit to (and pay) for a race. So I’ve signed up for 3! I’m sticking with 5ks this year, so I’ve decided to run the Bluenose 5k in May then Soul Sisters and Ocean Breeze in June. While the first race is still more than 3 months away, I need to get back into shape. My focus so far this year has been healthy eating, and it’s paying off. I lost 5 pounds in January. Of course, having surgery really helped to kick start the process. And I’m still learning which foods I can tolerate without my gallbladder.
To help with my recovery I started doing some simple stretching routines. It’s amazing how great that little bit of movement felt after being fairly sedentary for so long. I then added in walking, working to increase my pace and distance. I haven’t actually started running again…. but I feel ready! Tonight I’m going to the gym with a friend for a free trial. I really don’t see me as a gym–goer, but hey, it’s free! I’ll check out the equipment, and get in a good work out, and maybe even run on the treadmill. Our sidewalks are covered in snow right now, so I’m going to have to come up with an indoor running solution for the next month or so. I still have some track passes for the indoor track from last winter, so I’m sure that is where I’ll ultimately end up. Or the snow could melt… stranger things have happened.
So the journey continues.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Accepting Body Image
I love to take photographs. Family, pets, random things on random walks. What that means though is that I am very seldom in the picture. Sure, once or twice a year at a special event we’ll get someone to take a family shot with me in it, but there are very few candid moments of my life captured on film.
Last week was our first Learn To Run session. Since I’m in charge of social media for this year’s Ocean breeze race, I asked one of participants who had a phone with her to take a few pictures that I could possibly use in our Twitter feed or Facebook page to help promote the event. She was happy to oblige and sent me 2 pictures that I could use. One showed the group standing and listening to the instructor and the other is more of an action shot of folks running during one of the exercises.
Both were great shots and really captured what I wanted to show online in hopes of getting more people to sign up. The only problem is that I am in the very forefront of one of the pictures. And MAN! I do not like the way I look. I understand that spandex running clothes are only flattering on about 5%* of the general population. But I am so far from that 5% in this picture that I was mortified and my instant reaction was that I was not using that picture, no way, no how!
That picture stuck with me all day. I know that I am overweight and out of shape; that is one of the reasons that I am running. But what does it say about me if I’m so willing to just toss that picture aside? I’m not ashamed of who I am. I’m obviously okay with people in real life seeing me like that, since I went to the session in the first place and plan on going back. I guess there is just something in seeing myself, full body, in all my lumpy glory that makes it all the more real. This is how people looking at me must see me.
I’m NOT going to throw away the picture. I’m going to use it here and in the social media feeds. Maybe it will inspire someone else who feels that they can’t join because they too are not part of the 5%. And one day I will look back at this picture with pride and joy on how far I have come.
*Not an actual statistic from any recognizable source, just a random guess.
Last week was our first Learn To Run session. Since I’m in charge of social media for this year’s Ocean breeze race, I asked one of participants who had a phone with her to take a few pictures that I could possibly use in our Twitter feed or Facebook page to help promote the event. She was happy to oblige and sent me 2 pictures that I could use. One showed the group standing and listening to the instructor and the other is more of an action shot of folks running during one of the exercises.
That picture stuck with me all day. I know that I am overweight and out of shape; that is one of the reasons that I am running. But what does it say about me if I’m so willing to just toss that picture aside? I’m not ashamed of who I am. I’m obviously okay with people in real life seeing me like that, since I went to the session in the first place and plan on going back. I guess there is just something in seeing myself, full body, in all my lumpy glory that makes it all the more real. This is how people looking at me must see me.
I’m NOT going to throw away the picture. I’m going to use it here and in the social media feeds. Maybe it will inspire someone else who feels that they can’t join because they too are not part of the 5%. And one day I will look back at this picture with pride and joy on how far I have come.
*Not an actual statistic from any recognizable source, just a random guess.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
C is for....
Cookies and Cake and Chocolate and Candy and ice Cream and Chips and CRAP.
These are all things that I have been eating way too much of and as such, I'm back to gaining weight instead of losing it.
That stops today.
Today I am starting another 6-week accountability group. My goal for this group is to stop eating all of these C-words. Overall we eat a very healthy, fresh food diet. Hilary is an amazing cook who is always on the hunt for new, exciting recipes that are tasty and healthy. I have a healthy breakfast, a well packed lunch and a great dinner. I need to stop snacking after work and in the evenings before bed.
My other detractor of late has been having a car. Due to various commitments, we've been keeping our weekend rental car during the week which adds 2 problems to my weight loss/health plan. 1) I'm not walking 20 minutes every morning from the bus to work. 2) It's far to convenient to skip breakfast and pick up something at the drive through. My food choices for the last 2 weeks have not been great.
While this feels a bit like starting over, it really is just getting back on tract. I've had 2 weeks of sloth and gluttony, so no it's time to settle back into my healthy routine.
These are all things that I have been eating way too much of and as such, I'm back to gaining weight instead of losing it.
That stops today.
Today I am starting another 6-week accountability group. My goal for this group is to stop eating all of these C-words. Overall we eat a very healthy, fresh food diet. Hilary is an amazing cook who is always on the hunt for new, exciting recipes that are tasty and healthy. I have a healthy breakfast, a well packed lunch and a great dinner. I need to stop snacking after work and in the evenings before bed.
My other detractor of late has been having a car. Due to various commitments, we've been keeping our weekend rental car during the week which adds 2 problems to my weight loss/health plan. 1) I'm not walking 20 minutes every morning from the bus to work. 2) It's far to convenient to skip breakfast and pick up something at the drive through. My food choices for the last 2 weeks have not been great.
While this feels a bit like starting over, it really is just getting back on tract. I've had 2 weeks of sloth and gluttony, so no it's time to settle back into my healthy routine.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
One heck of a work out
Last night I went to the adult/advanced Tae Kwon Do class. It’s always more challenging then the family class, since the class isn’t made up of 5-10 year olds. For some reason the instructors expect a lot more from the grownups. This class was by far the most physically challenging class I have ever done. You could wring out my shirt and I was still dripping sweat from my brow after I had walked home. At the end of class when we line up and bow to our instructor, I was pretty sure I was going to throw up.
But I didn’t throw up and better yet I made it through the whole class. My technique needs a lot of work, but I was able to do all of the drills.
We started the night with 2 minute rounds of punching drills. An easy start to the night, except for my tiny, little, girly wrists.
This was followed by a killer drill. It involved doing push ups at one end of the gym and then running to the other end and doing back kicks. You start off with 1 push up and 1 kick, and keep increasing till you get to 10 of each. THEN you go back down from 9-1. Added all together that is 100 push ups and 100 back kicks. And let’s not forget the running in between. I didn’t think I was going to make it towards the end, but I powered through. Granted my version of a push up leaves a lot be desired, but even so I am feeling it in my arms today.
I am no where near as good as this 7 year old kid! I was lucky if I hit the pad 50% of the time.
Our next drilled was 30 pushed leg lifts. This sounds and looks pretty easy, but by the time I had done 10 I wasn’t thinking that any more.
We finished the night off with some advanced kicking techniques that helped to reinforce that I need to work not only on my flexibility, but my basic understanding of left vs. right.
I’m really glad that today and tomorrow are rest days! I can barely lift my arms over my head today. It was certainly one heck of a work out.
But I didn’t throw up and better yet I made it through the whole class. My technique needs a lot of work, but I was able to do all of the drills.
We started the night with 2 minute rounds of punching drills. An easy start to the night, except for my tiny, little, girly wrists.
This was followed by a killer drill. It involved doing push ups at one end of the gym and then running to the other end and doing back kicks. You start off with 1 push up and 1 kick, and keep increasing till you get to 10 of each. THEN you go back down from 9-1. Added all together that is 100 push ups and 100 back kicks. And let’s not forget the running in between. I didn’t think I was going to make it towards the end, but I powered through. Granted my version of a push up leaves a lot be desired, but even so I am feeling it in my arms today.
I am no where near as good as this 7 year old kid! I was lucky if I hit the pad 50% of the time.
Our next drilled was 30 pushed leg lifts. This sounds and looks pretty easy, but by the time I had done 10 I wasn’t thinking that any more.
We finished the night off with some advanced kicking techniques that helped to reinforce that I need to work not only on my flexibility, but my basic understanding of left vs. right.
I’m really glad that today and tomorrow are rest days! I can barely lift my arms over my head today. It was certainly one heck of a work out.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Weigh In - April 27
Last Weigh In - 219.8
Current Weight - 219.8
Weight Lost - 0
I was pretty hesitant to get on the scale again. It has been nearly 2 weeks since my last weigh in and during that time I had a lovely visit from my MIL which involved lots of yummy meals at home, eating out, wine and a more than a couple of martinis. In the middle of her visit we also had Easter which involved a lot of chocolate and Peeps. There was also very little exercise in the last 2 weeks.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had not gained any weight and had stayed the same.
So now the journey continues. My goals are to run 4 days a week, to get back to TKD on a regular basis and to eat well. Becka from Fat to Happy shared a FB group called Mileage May that I've also joined. My goal is to walk/run 5 miles a day (approx. 10,000 steps) every day in May, for a total of 155 miles. So far for April I only have 92.4 miles, so it will be a push to get 5 miles in every day!
Want to join in the Mileage May challenge? Let me know and I'll send you an invite.
Current Weight - 219.8
Weight Lost - 0
I was pretty hesitant to get on the scale again. It has been nearly 2 weeks since my last weigh in and during that time I had a lovely visit from my MIL which involved lots of yummy meals at home, eating out, wine and a more than a couple of martinis. In the middle of her visit we also had Easter which involved a lot of chocolate and Peeps. There was also very little exercise in the last 2 weeks.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had not gained any weight and had stayed the same.
So now the journey continues. My goals are to run 4 days a week, to get back to TKD on a regular basis and to eat well. Becka from Fat to Happy shared a FB group called Mileage May that I've also joined. My goal is to walk/run 5 miles a day (approx. 10,000 steps) every day in May, for a total of 155 miles. So far for April I only have 92.4 miles, so it will be a push to get 5 miles in every day!
Want to join in the Mileage May challenge? Let me know and I'll send you an invite.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Weigh In - April 6
Last Weigh In - 219.8
Current Weight - 215.1
Weight Lost This Month- 4.7
So it's been a month since my last weigh in. I got hit with a stomach bug two weeks in a row and life just seems to have been extra busy. But the good news is that I've lost 4.7 pounds! I do chalk at least half of that up to being sick. Not the way I want to lose weight, but I'll take it.
The weather has finally turned to spring, and I'm back to running outside. We started the 10 week Learn To Run Programme at Liam's school on Friday. My goal is to be ready to run a 10k by June. I was really feeling how out of shape I've gotten over the last month, and was glad that I was running with the newbies with a run 1 minute/ walk 1 minute intro. I hope to build up my endurance and speed by getting out and running at least 4 times a week.
I'm also back to TKD. I hope to test at the end of the month and there is a tournament the first weekend in May that I would like to enter. I've been so inconsistent with attending classes for the last 6 months, that I really need to not miss any being now and then. So far I'm 2 for 2!
I'm still drinking the Shakeology shakes for breakfast, but have stopped with the DVD workouts in lieu of running and TKD. I think they will make a nice back up if the weather is horrible, or I just don't have time for more then a 30 minute workout.
I'm hoping that April is the turning point and that I can keep to all my goals. What are your April goals?
Current Weight - 215.1
Weight Lost This Month- 4.7
So it's been a month since my last weigh in. I got hit with a stomach bug two weeks in a row and life just seems to have been extra busy. But the good news is that I've lost 4.7 pounds! I do chalk at least half of that up to being sick. Not the way I want to lose weight, but I'll take it.
The weather has finally turned to spring, and I'm back to running outside. We started the 10 week Learn To Run Programme at Liam's school on Friday. My goal is to be ready to run a 10k by June. I was really feeling how out of shape I've gotten over the last month, and was glad that I was running with the newbies with a run 1 minute/ walk 1 minute intro. I hope to build up my endurance and speed by getting out and running at least 4 times a week.
I'm also back to TKD. I hope to test at the end of the month and there is a tournament the first weekend in May that I would like to enter. I've been so inconsistent with attending classes for the last 6 months, that I really need to not miss any being now and then. So far I'm 2 for 2!
I'm still drinking the Shakeology shakes for breakfast, but have stopped with the DVD workouts in lieu of running and TKD. I think they will make a nice back up if the weather is horrible, or I just don't have time for more then a 30 minute workout.
I'm hoping that April is the turning point and that I can keep to all my goals. What are your April goals?
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Too sick to exercise?
When should you say “enough is enough” and take to the couch or your sick bed instead of gearing up and working out?
I’ve been down for the count for almost a week know with a cold/sinus infection. While researching the idea of exercising while sick, I came across the best advice: “"Do what you can do, and if you can't do it, then don't” Seems like a no brainer! You know your body best. The point of exercising is to improve your overall health. If you are pushing yourself too far, then you are really defeating the purpose.
Other words of wisdom include don't exercise if you have a fever or any sort of lung issue. While I haven't had either of those issues, all of my symptoms being in my sinuses, I've opted out of exercising for the past week. I was so run down on the weekend that I napped for a total of 7 hours over 2 days. I never nap, so this was a sure sign that my body needed a break. And the pain of a sinus infection made just moving my head an ordeal. I can't imagine doing lunges or toe touches; I'm pretty sure my head would have exploded.
I'm taking one more day to overcome my headache and fatigue and plan to get back into my routine of 30 minutes of exercise a day starting tomorrow.
Check out these links to some articles on exercising when sick:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/exercise/expert-answers/faq-20058494
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/exercise-when-you-have-cold
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/health/exercising-with-cold-flu/
Do you work out when you are sick?
I’ve been down for the count for almost a week know with a cold/sinus infection. While researching the idea of exercising while sick, I came across the best advice: “"Do what you can do, and if you can't do it, then don't” Seems like a no brainer! You know your body best. The point of exercising is to improve your overall health. If you are pushing yourself too far, then you are really defeating the purpose.
Other words of wisdom include don't exercise if you have a fever or any sort of lung issue. While I haven't had either of those issues, all of my symptoms being in my sinuses, I've opted out of exercising for the past week. I was so run down on the weekend that I napped for a total of 7 hours over 2 days. I never nap, so this was a sure sign that my body needed a break. And the pain of a sinus infection made just moving my head an ordeal. I can't imagine doing lunges or toe touches; I'm pretty sure my head would have exploded.
I'm taking one more day to overcome my headache and fatigue and plan to get back into my routine of 30 minutes of exercise a day starting tomorrow.
Check out these links to some articles on exercising when sick:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/exercise/expert-answers/faq-20058494
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/exercise-when-you-have-cold
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/health/exercising-with-cold-flu/
Do you work out when you are sick?
Monday, February 17, 2014
21 days
After gaining weight for the last 3 weeks, it’s time to knuckle down and get serious again. Luckily that coincides with a 21 day challenge I’ve signed up for. I was recently introduce to “Shakeology”. Not one to believe in fad diets, supplements or other snake oil ideas, I was pretty skeptical. An online friend who is a Team Beach Body coach, hooked me up with a couple of free samples to try. It was surprisingly tasty and my research has me believing that it really is made of all natural, good for you things. Since I like shakes, I figured I would give it a try.
The 21 day challenge also came with food containers to help with portion control and some work out videos. Since I’m old pro at calorie counting and portion control, I don’t think I’ll be using the containers as intended, but they do make good containers to take my lunch to work in. I was initially resistant to the work out videos as well, but I tried on last Thursday to see what it was like. I only made it through 20 of the 30 minute workout before I thought I was going to throw up, and it took 3 days before my thighs recovered enough that I could get in and out of a chair on my own. The part that I like the most about the video was that even though it was led by a skinny, chipper, I-workout-10-times-a-day woman, they had a regular sized woman also featured doing modified versions of the exercises for those of us who can’t keep up with the skinny, chipper leader. I found I was following a little bit of both of them – more so the modified versions as time wore on and I got more and more tired.
My goal for these 21 days is to drink one of their shakes every morning (I bought the chocolate version, and wow, is it great tasting!), keep my calories under 1900 a day and to work out at least 30 minutes a day – either at TKD or one of their videos. 3 weeks is a small enough time frame to not be overwhelming. We have no plans or celebrations in the next 3 weeks, and won’t be renting cars either, so that will keep me out of the fast food drive thrus.
Yesterday I weighed in, got Hilary to help me take my measurements and some "before" pictures (which won't be sharing!) I'm really hoping that this is the kickstart that I need to get myself back on track!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Weigh In - January 12, 2014
Last Week's Weight - 225
Current Weight - 222
Weight Lost This Week - 3lbs
That's a great way to start things off!
Even though I was not 100% on plan with my eating this week, and had a couple of days that I was over my calorie goal, I still managed to lose 3 pounds. I'm sure that this is because I'm back to exercising. I managed to get in 3 days of Tae Kwon Do and 1 run this week. We are also back to not having a car for the first time in weeks, so I'm walking a lot more too.
My plan is to continue this week with more focus on making better food choices, especially snacking in the evenings.
Current Weight - 222
Weight Lost This Week - 3lbs
That's a great way to start things off!
Even though I was not 100% on plan with my eating this week, and had a couple of days that I was over my calorie goal, I still managed to lose 3 pounds. I'm sure that this is because I'm back to exercising. I managed to get in 3 days of Tae Kwon Do and 1 run this week. We are also back to not having a car for the first time in weeks, so I'm walking a lot more too.
My plan is to continue this week with more focus on making better food choices, especially snacking in the evenings.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Bodyweight Beginner Calisthenics Workout
Tribesports has come out with another great workout guide that can be done at the park (if it ever stops snowing!) This routine consists of 5 repetitions of 5 different exercises:
- Australian Pull-ups
- Split Squats (right leg)
- Split Squats (left leg)
- Lying Knee Tucks
- Push-ups
Not sure what an Australian Pull-up is? Neither was I till I watched the video guide.
I don't have a lot of upper arm strength yet, but I think the pull-ups will be a great way to work on that. My form for push ups leaves a lot to be desired as well, but it's getting better!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
How to work out at home
Being new to working out, I really had no idea what to do. I had no desire (or money) to join a gym or hire a personal trainer. I also didn't have an unlimited budget (or space) to fill my home with equipment. So far my expenses have been pretty low; I've bought a yoga mat and a pair of 8 lb dumbbells. I also bought a skipping rope, but quickly realized I have no where to skip. The empty bedroom upstairs would be perfect, but the ceiling is too low. So the skipping rope is a bit of a write off till I can get outside.
Not knowing what to do, I was very lucky to come across Tribesports. Every week I put together a daily workout plan based on the challenges that I've signed up for.
Tribesports has all sort of challenges that are based on repetitions of exercises to be done every day for a week. Everything from lunges and crunches to something called "dead bugs". Publicly declaring that I've committed to doing the challenge and then logging in every day to update my progress give me the push and incentive I need to get the challenge done. Even better is having people encourage me. I've done more new and different exercises since joining Tribesports than I ever thought possible. Jumping Jacks, squats, bicep curls and planks. They offer instructions, pictures and even video links for how-to's.
It's like having my own personal trainer available 24/7.
Not knowing what to do, I was very lucky to come across Tribesports. Every week I put together a daily workout plan based on the challenges that I've signed up for.
Tribesports has all sort of challenges that are based on repetitions of exercises to be done every day for a week. Everything from lunges and crunches to something called "dead bugs". Publicly declaring that I've committed to doing the challenge and then logging in every day to update my progress give me the push and incentive I need to get the challenge done. Even better is having people encourage me. I've done more new and different exercises since joining Tribesports than I ever thought possible. Jumping Jacks, squats, bicep curls and planks. They offer instructions, pictures and even video links for how-to's.
It's like having my own personal trainer available 24/7.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are cast iron weights that have been used since the 1700's. They were originally developed to help train the Soviet Army but soon become popular with the general population and even started being used in competitive events in the 1940's. They can vary in weight from as little as 5 lbs all the way up to an impressive 75 lbs. They are a great addition to a home gym - they don't take up much space but offer a full body workout, including strength and endurance.
Lots of gyms are now offering kettlebell classes, but really, it's something you can just as easily do on your own at home. Tribesports has a great kettlebell challenge that just came out this week. With just one kettlebell you can do 4 different exercises. They recommend that women start with an 8 lb weight and once you are comfortable with that and have developed good form, you can move up to a 15 pound kettlebell. Just click on the image below to see all the details on the Tribesports challenge, including detailed guides on each of the 4 exercises.
Let's get swinging!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
TaeKwon-do
It's been almost a year since I started TaeKwon-Do with Liam. I aim to go to a 1 hour class three times a week. It's a great work out and a whole lot of fun, something that I hadn't expected. An hour of Tae Kwon Do can burn over 900 calories! I didn't think that I could find a sport, a contact, martial art sport at that, that I would fall in love with in my 40s, but I've fallen in love with this one.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Get Stretched
One of the things I like about Tribesports is that they have these great guides.
This one is an 11.5 minute stretching routing that work all your major muscles. Stretching before and after a workout is so important but something that many people often neglect. Stretching gets your blood flowing and increases your circulation. It can help you build better flexibility by lengthening your muscles. It can help prevent injury by warming up your muscles slowly before you hit them hard with the real workout.
It’s important to remember to stretch properly. It’s easy to fall into the habit of “bouncing” or rushing your stretches. This can do more damage in the long run. Stretching should never hurt. You may feel resistance as you are building your flexibility but if it hurts you’ve pushed yourself too far.
Come on over to Tribesports and join this challenge to Get Stretched!
This one is an 11.5 minute stretching routing that work all your major muscles. Stretching before and after a workout is so important but something that many people often neglect. Stretching gets your blood flowing and increases your circulation. It can help you build better flexibility by lengthening your muscles. It can help prevent injury by warming up your muscles slowly before you hit them hard with the real workout.
It’s important to remember to stretch properly. It’s easy to fall into the habit of “bouncing” or rushing your stretches. This can do more damage in the long run. Stretching should never hurt. You may feel resistance as you are building your flexibility but if it hurts you’ve pushed yourself too far.
Come on over to Tribesports and join this challenge to Get Stretched!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
1400 crunches down!
2 weeks ago I signed up for a challenge at Tribesport to do 100 crunches a day for 2 weeks.
Phew! I did it!
It was not an easy challenge. Starting out I could only do 10 crunches before I had to rest. And after the first day I didn't think I would be able to keep going as I wrenched my neck quite badly. Your position and using the right muscles is very important when doing crunches as you don't want to use your neck muscles at all, but it is a natural feeling to use them to give yourself momentum.
Originally I thought that I would have to split the 100 crunches into 2 - half in the morning and half at night, but I quickly found I could do all 100 in a go, with a few seconds break here and there. By the last day I could do 50 bicycle crunches (my favourite of the 6 types I tried) without having to take a break. And even with breaks 100 crunches only take a few minutes.
I don't think I can see any visible difference in my abdominal area, but I am starting to feel just a wee bit firmer and more toned. I don't know that I'll keep up with 100 crunches everyday, but they will certainly be a part of my rotating routine.
Phew! I did it!
It was not an easy challenge. Starting out I could only do 10 crunches before I had to rest. And after the first day I didn't think I would be able to keep going as I wrenched my neck quite badly. Your position and using the right muscles is very important when doing crunches as you don't want to use your neck muscles at all, but it is a natural feeling to use them to give yourself momentum.
Originally I thought that I would have to split the 100 crunches into 2 - half in the morning and half at night, but I quickly found I could do all 100 in a go, with a few seconds break here and there. By the last day I could do 50 bicycle crunches (my favourite of the 6 types I tried) without having to take a break. And even with breaks 100 crunches only take a few minutes.
I don't think I can see any visible difference in my abdominal area, but I am starting to feel just a wee bit firmer and more toned. I don't know that I'll keep up with 100 crunches everyday, but they will certainly be a part of my rotating routine.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Crunches
Like most people who have weight to lose, I carry most of it around my middle. Making good food choices and lowering my calorie intake is a great first step to losing weight, but without exercise there is only so far that diet alone will take me.
Since my tummy area is something that I want to work on, this Tribesport challenge couldn't have come at a better time. The challenge is to do 100 crunches everyday for 2 whole weeks. Eeek! That's a lot of crunches. Luckily they have 6 different versions of crunches to help keep things interesting.
Since my tummy area is something that I want to work on, this Tribesport challenge couldn't have come at a better time. The challenge is to do 100 crunches everyday for 2 whole weeks. Eeek! That's a lot of crunches. Luckily they have 6 different versions of crunches to help keep things interesting.
Crunches work on your rectus abdominus muscle, the most prominent muscle in your core. Toning this muscle will help your belly to appear more flat as you start losing the fat around it. Having good core strength also helps you in many other areas. It helps with posture and overall support for your body, especially your spine.
Using the correct technique for each type of crunch is also important to get the most benefit from it. The Tribesport page gives details on each type, including pictures.
I'm going to sign up for this challenge today. I'll post here as I go to see how I manage with 100 crunches a day. So far, the most I've ever done is 30, but I learned from this challenge that I've been doing reverse crunches and not regular ones like I thought I was doing. I suspect that I will have to split this challenge up over the day to 50 in the morning and 50 at night.
Wish me luck!!
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