jaj05002

5K

I booked my flight yesterday to Washington DC to run in a 5K in May called Race for Hope which benefits brain cancer, I’m very excited to be not only running in my first 5K, but to be doing it with a friend for a good cause and my future husband David Cook will also be there!

No Excuses

The gym I am a member at is like 5-7 minutes from where I work, so during the week I go right to the gym afer work. However my gym is like 10-12 minutes from where I live so on the weekends it’s sometimes more of a struggle for me to get myself there.

The funny thing is when I was first checking out gyms when I moved here I went to a Golds that was only 3-5 minutes from my house, but I didn’t love it – it was older and actually reminded me of my prior gym, which I didn’t love. I ended up joining a beautiful new Golds that was across town, but when I signed up it said I could have a “metro pass” or something that meant I could go to any Golds.

Well in the year and a half that I’ve been a member at Golds I’ve only gone to the new one and finally yesterday I decided to see if this “metro pass” thing was legit because I remembered that the older Golds didn’t have a card scan like mine did so I wasn’t sure how it would work. So I went prepared to drive to my Golds if this closer one wouldn’t let me in. Turns out I just need to sign in and write my membership number on their log.

It was a fine gym experience, I MUCH prefer my Golds, but this one had the same treadmills and it pretty empty. So I plan on doing on weekend workouts there or even an occasional evening one.

I still haven’t made it to the gym 4 days a week yet, but I think being able to use this closer Golds it will help. However I have bumped up my runs. I am doing at least 3 miles on the treadmill and feeling pretty good. My ankles have been a bit tender, I think I’m going to get some braces for them, but other than that my body is adapting well!

Goal Pants

I “weighed in” today and only saw a 0.4 change in my weight this week. I was disappointed, but at the same time – slow and steady wins the race right?! Even though I’m still about 11 pounds from the last time I felt good about my body I have been feeling good lately so I decided to try on some of my “skinny pants.” SHOCKINGLY some of the fit – some better than others and some I still have a little ways to go, but it didn’t seem so far off or distant. So even though I’m 11 pounds heavier than the last time I wore most of those pants – maybe it’s muscle weight or something. Regardless I am feeling great and dressing my body proudly and because I feel so great it makes it easy to go to the gym and get an excellent work out in.

I think weight loss and gain are cyclical they feed on each other.
When you have some extra weight you dress sloppier and get depressed and then eat and put on more weight which means going to the gym is a bigger challenge because you’re not as fit and carrying extra weight.

However

When you are losing weight you dress your leaner figure better and are more conscious of what you are eating and exercise comes easier because you are struggling less because you weight less and are gaining muscle.

I hope, pray, believe that I will keep my healthy cycle up…again 2010 is my challenge, but in reality, it’s a FOREVER challenge.

Lent

For the past 6 weeks I have been really trying to cut back on sugar and sweets, well for Lent I am going to try and AVOID any excess sugar or sweets. Goodbye cookies, ice cream, candy – not that I eat a lot of it, but for 40 days I want to see what would happen if I “just say no.” The ONLY exception I am giving for this rule is my friend’s wedding at the end of the month. I haven’t been to a wedding as a “adult” before and I want the full experience – wedding cake and all.

I also wanted to mention that twice this week I ran 3 miles on the treadmill instead of my usual 2.5 and actually this past Monday I ran the 3 miles at a pretty good gallop – between 5.0 – 5.5 on the treadmill, so I did about a 11:30min mile for 3 miles and didn’t die! I really feel confident about my ability to get to at least a 10 minute mile by May. I don’t think I’ll ever “LOVE” running, but I’m learning to hate it less – good music is definitely key. If anyone has any running suggestions I would love them.

Weeks 5 & 6

Sun Jan 31
Wake up: 12pm
AM dog walk: Yes
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 404cal
Stairclimber: 8min 100cal
Other: Arms
Food after 9pm: None

Mon Feb 1
Wake up: 6:50am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 391cal
Stairclimber: min 100cal
Other: Legs
Food after 9pm: None

Tues Feb 2
Wake up: 6:50am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 0
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Non

Wed Feb 3
Wake up: 7:10am
AM dog walk: 0
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 373cal
Stairclimber: 8min 100cal
Other: Abs
Food after 9pm: None

Thurs Feb 4
Wake up: NA
AM dog walk: 0
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

Fri Feb 5
Wake up: NA
AM dog walk: 0
Coffee: 0
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

Sat Feb 6
Wake up: Noon
AM dog walk: 0
Coffee: 0
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

THIS WEEK’S TOTALS – Week 5
Coffee: 4
Gym Days: 3
Miles :7.5 (measured)
Calories: 1468 (measured)

Sun Feb 7
Wake up: Noon
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee:1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

Mon Feb 8
Wake up: 7:15am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee:0
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 380cal
Stairclimber: No
Other: Trainer – Legs
Food after 9pm: None

Tues Feb 9
Wake up: 7:15am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

Wed Feb 10
Wake up: 6:50am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 408cal
Stairclimber: No
Other: Abs
Food after 9pm: None

Thurs Feb 11
Wake up: 6:50am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee: 0
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

Fri Feb 12
Wake up: 9:30am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee: 3
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Yes

Sat Feb 13
Wake up: 10am
AM Dog Walk: 0
Coffee: 2
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 3mi 531cal
Stairclimber: No
Other: Arms – Trainer
Food after 9pm: None

THIS WEEK’S TOTALS – Week 6
Coffee: 8
Gym Days: 3
Miles: 8 (measured)
Calories:1319 (measured)

I’m down another 1.4 pounds
Bringing my 2010 weight loss to: 10.8 pounds!

Re-Energized

The second half of last week and into the weekend I felt terrible…I was outside all Wednesday afternoon without a coat and it got pretty brisk…later that night I felt a mild cold coming on.

Instead of hitting up the gym this weekend, I was hitting up airborne and Nyquil on the couch. I really THOUGHT about going Sunday, but convinced myself otherwise.

I got to the gym yesterday and saw one of the signs on the door that instantly motivates me “Showing up is half the battle.” It’s true. I’ve never gotten all the way to the gym and then had a shitty workout. If I’m there I go full force, but it’s the getting there that’s hard for me sometimes, especially on the weekends. My gym is about 7-8 minutes from work, but like 12-14 minutes from home – so I find getting there on weekends hard sometimes.

I have yet to hit my 10 miles a week yet…I also need to hit more 4 day work out weeks, as opposed to 3 day work out weeks – even though 3 days is better than 0 days. However my spare tire of a stomach isn’t gonna just fall off by itself.

I do however think I’ve found I way to perhaps finally get past my weight plateau and his name is Isaac. Isaac is my NEW trainer. Yes in 16 months I’ve gone through 3, well he is my 3rd. I was bummed that my last trainer drastically cut back on clients due to a new job, but within 10 minutes of working with Isaac I was pretty damn hopeful. Isaac is a good looking built black man who doesn’t take crap. I really prefer working with guy trainers – I feel they push me more and that I try harder. Isaac isn’t my type – however one of my best friends I could see falling head over heels for him – but it’s good that I’m not attracted to him because it’s easier for me to talk to him about my weight or what parts of my body I don’t like. So yesterday Isaac and I “eased” into legs and when I said eased – I mean he KICKED MY ASS (err legs) so hard they were noodle like today. That’s not completely true…I’m hurting today, but not like semi-paralyzed which is never a good thing. Isaac had me do lots of leg stuff, but no with machines at all. We did different squats, things with weights, jumps, lunges, leg lifts and calf raises. I feel like I not only learned a lot, but I enjoyed it. I think the big key to my weight loss is changing up my routine, I think my body acclimates to what I do so I’m excited to learn all kinds of new things and hopefully see results!

Wrapping up January

My first 4 weeks of measuring 2010 are as followed:

Coffee: 33
Gym Days: 14
Miles: 34.2 (measured)
Calories burned: 5816 (measured)

Weight Loss: 9.4 pounds
Note: I lost about 8 pounds the first two weeks because I jump started my exercise habits and was more mindful of what I ate as opposed to eating whatever I wanted over the Holidays. The next week I gained about 6 pounds back (I attest some of it to going away for a long weekend and also having my period). As of Friday I am down 7ish pounds which brings my grand total to 9.4 pounds for the month which I am very excited about. I hope to lose 4-6 pounds a month from here on out.

Weeks 3 & 4

I also want to track how much I drink – I am trying to make better alcohol decisions when I do drink to avoid extreme amounts of empty calories. I also acknowledge that I have been a bad AM dog walker – my “excuse” is that it is pretty freaking cold when I get up, but my dog does get good walks later in the day. In the morning it’s mostly me standing in the doorway with him on his leash doing his business in the yard. My dog really has become my alarm…especially the last few weeks – it’s either I get out of bed at 6:50am or the dog pees on the floor. The better I am as a dog walker the better he is in terms of his potty schedule.

Back to tallies:

Jan 17

Wake up: 11am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 2
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Yes
*Alcohol Note: Was out of town for most of the weekend

Jan 18

Wake up: 11am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 2
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Yes
Note: Was out of town for most of the weekend

Jan 19

Wake up: 7:10
AM dog walk: Yes
Coffee: 0
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 370cal
Stairclimber: No
Other: Abs
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 20

Wake up: 7:10
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 370cal
Stairclimber: 9min 100 Cal
Other: Legs
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 21

Wake up: 7:00
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Ice Cream

Jan 22

Wake up: 7:05
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 392cal
Stairclimber: 8min 100cal
Other: Arms/Back
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 23

Wake up: 10:15am
AM dog walk: Yes
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Yes
*Alcohol Note: Was out of town for most of the weekend

THIS WEEK’S TOTALS – Week 3

Coffee: 8
Gym Days: 3
Miles: 7.5(measured)
Calories: 1332 (measured)

Jan 24

Wake up: 11:30am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Yes
Note: Was out of town for most of the weekend

Jan 25

Wake up: 7:11am
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 0
Gym: Yes
Treadmill:2.5mi 432cal
Stairclimber: 8min 100cal
Other: Abs
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 26

Wake up: 7:05
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 0
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: 1 cookie

Jan 27

Wake up: 7
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 3.10mi 482cal
Stairclimber: No
Other: Legs
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 28

Wake up: 7:05
AM dog walk: No
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: Sunchips late night
*Alcohol

Jan 29

Wake up: 9am
AM dog walk: 0
Coffee: 0
Gym: Yes
Treadmill: 2.5mi 400cal
Stairclimber: 8min 100
Other: Abs
Food after 9pm: None

Jan 30

Wake up: 12pm
AM dog walk: Yes
Coffee: 1
Gym: No
Treadmill: NA
Stairclimber: NA
Other: NA
Food after 9pm: None

THIS WEEK’S TOTALS – Week 4

Coffee: 4
Gym Days: 3
Miles: 8.1(measured)
Calories: 1514 (measured)

Motivation

“If it hurts to tie your shoes, you know you’re doing something right.”

They have a few signs up at my gym and one of them features that quote…I always can’t help, but agree. And let me tell you I am feeling a wee bit sore today and I love it.

I’m CONTEMPLATING running 1 Mile for a Haiti fundraiser thing, but it’s at 7:45am on a Saturday…I don’t love the idea of that, but I haven’t ruled it out either.

Weekly update and January totals are forthcoming.

PS: I see people have been on my blog – I’d love for you to comment and make me feel less alone on my journey!

Score

SO back in summer 2008 when I joined my new gym, I bought personal training sessions that were 6x a month for a year. Well I had a hard time always getting scheduling to work with my fabulous trainer Danielle, plus holiday breaks and my crazy work summer, than I ended up still have extra after the year, but they don’t expire until after 6 months of when your contract ends. Well I thought august 2009 I would stop getting billed for training and I could use mine up. Well it turns out I had to WRITE A LETTER to the company cancelling my training services. At around the same time my trainer Danielle tells me she is leaving the gym for a different job to make some more money and I get assigned a new trainer name Phillip. To make a LOOOOOONG story short, Phillip and I NEVER trained together, we played phone tag for like 6 weeks, with ME doing most of the calling. So finally in like mid October I tell Danielle’s boyfriend Greg who is also a trainer about all this drama and he says he’ll take me on as a client. YAY. So for like a month I was hardcore with Greg and he was really pushing me which I liked. Then we break for Thanksgiving and Christmas because it is SO crazy busy. So I get back to the gym the first week of January and I’m on my OH TEN fitness mission and look to schedule a training session with Greg. OH WAIT, the system tells me my remaining sessions expired. Umm that’s 20 sessions aka like $300-$400 bucks right there kids. So I like storm over to the gym – having decided to be nice, but also stern (as much as I like yelling at people, it doesn’t always get me places, nor does crying). So like 2 weeks ago I pretty much present my case about Phillip sucking at life and how I was really without a trainer for like 2 months. The guy I talked to say he’s relay the message to his boss. In the mean time I printed off the dates of my expired sessions, examined my contract etc…as “evidence.” Well as week goes by and I don’t hear from the guy I talked to. So I see my old trainer Danielle (she still works out at my gym) and I’m telling her about everything, so she is like let’s go up there and talk to the managers that are up there. I was ready to get into my story after Danielle gave them the brief overview and the manager is like “oh I was going to call you this week, no problem, we can give you your sessions back, don’t worry about it.” AYAYAYAYAYAY! This was last week and I was waiting for my session balances to show up on the booking website and today they DID. 20 beautiful session and they even gave me 6 months to use them – even though I plan on being hardcore and getting through them sooner. Regardless I am BEYOND PUMPED. I just called Greg to tell him the news so I think he’s excited to kick my ass as well.

In other news I am 99% sure I am running a 5K in Washington, DC this May – but more on that later when I firm things up

Another sidenote: I kind of binged the past 2 weeks since I was out of town and feel HELLA guilty about it, but I should have a pretty “normal” schedule for the next month, so I hope I can stay on track. However, I was in Atlanta this weekend and I got to go shopping at Trader Joes which was AWESOME picked up some REALLY great stuff.