Quarterly Report (April - June 2011)

So I have been becoming healthy for 3 complete months now (April, May & June). Here are the results:

Weight Lost: 41 lbs

Hours of Exercise: 82 hrs

Inches Lost:
Chest: 6 inches
Arm: 1.25 inches
Stomach: 7.5 inches
Neck: 2.5 inches
Calf: 2.75 inches
Hips: 6 inches
Wrist: .75 inches
Thigh: 3 inches
Ankle: .25 inches
Waist: .5 inches (newer measurement to differentiate different parts of my weird body)

TOTAL INCHES LOST: 30 and 1/2 inches!!!

Off to camp for the weekend so there probably won't be any updates until Monday or Tuesday!! Happy 4th of July!!!

Talking/Thinking versus Doing

Recently I reread some of my older posts from 2009 and early 2010. I sounded much wiser, more profound then (some of the time) than I do now. Words flowed much more easily and more poetically. I've been thinking about that...and the only thing that I thought of was it is much easier for me to write such profound things when I spend time thinking about them and talking about them. Now I spend my time doing things to help me lose weight. I don't think about strategies, I just do them.

I have a friend who is somewhat of a hoarder who has read about 20 books on organizing his stuff. But he hasn't actually DONE it. He could tell me what I should do about my clutter, how to make my bed, how I'm supposed to clean my house according to the professionals, but he doesn't do any of it. He has the knowledge not the action.

I think now I am in a phase of action. I had the knowledge...now I'm moving past that. I spend my time doing the stuff I know will get me in shape instead of thinking about or talking about things that I SHOULD be doing.

Just something to mull over...off to Pilates and later a Massage!! WOOHOO!

The Big 4-0

I'm not quite there in age yet (I'll be 37 in September) but that is how much I've lost this go around. This is exactly how much one of my 6 year old daughters weighs.

I know I said I was putting my scale away, but THAT determination isn't as strong as my eating well and exercising determination.

I was thinking yesterday that I hope people aren't getting sick of my every day positive happy comments. I'm glad for them but I hope they aren't discouraging anyone who is struggling. I don't take that lightly because I have been a struggler my whole life! For whatever reason right now I'm good. It might not stay that way. I take pride in my accomplishments, but I'm not gloating. I know I can as easily find myself on the other side of the good.

So happy Tuesday everyone! My favorite instructor is on vacation today and my mind was already making excuses not to go to class..but I'm biting the bullet...4:00 spin class - I'm coming...

42 minutes 46.44 seconds

42:46.44 (this was my first 5k time)

I'm putting away the scale until the 30th. Then I will have official quarter results! Truth be told, I'm obsessing a bit...I am very used to having days where the scale doesn't have movement, but when it starts to move, then stops again, I get frustrated and disappointed in myself.

I'm so glad I put myself out there for the 5k. A year ago I would have never dreamed of doing it...heck 6 months ago I probably wouldn't have either.

So that woman didn't show up at BodyFlow today. Maybe some day she will. I am glad to be a walking billboard for improvement.

Have a fabulous Monday!

My FIRST 5k!! Complete.

I did not run the whole thing, I alternated jogging and walking, but I've learned a few things:

1) Do not start off running to Livin La Vida Loca. It's much to fast and I was out of breath too quickly!

2) Do not drink the orange gatorade. I put it in my mouth and the sweetness was so gross I had to spit it out.

3) Sun is hot ..hope for a cloudy day!

They haven't posted official times, but I know it was under 43 minutes and I was NOT the last to finish!

I still have 2 weeks left in my C25K training, but I think I did need the motivation. I'm very proud of myself. And now I have a number to improve from. I'm quite pleased.

Happy Sunday!

Extolling the Virtues of Exercise

So today I met two women in the locker room after my Body Pump class. They were just coming in from an aqua class. I'm not sure how we got started talking about the classes, but I mentioned which one I just was in and it turned into a very lengthy conversation about painful knees and the variety of classes at the fitness center.

One woman, who seemed slightly older than I and fell into the overweight category was talking about how she didn't do a lot of classes because of her knee. While it is true that you don't want to hurt yourself doing exercises, I also know this is a very HUGE excuse not to exercise as well as I should. And then I started telling her how she could fit it in, how I do it...so not to hurt my knees. She wasn't going to the Body Pump class because the squats and lunges hurt her knees. (this is less than 10 minutes of a 60 minute class) I told her to just go get a drink during these (I have done it on days where my knees were really achy) I too started out exercising only in the pool because it was "safe" and fairly easy. But like anything it gets BORING after doing the same things over and over. When I mentioned that I have lost 40 lbs just these last few months, she shockingly asked "HOW?". I told her by going to the classes and eating well. If you do it, the weight comes off.

The biggest key to my exercise success (currently) is modifying when necessary but getting out there and doing it. I ask questions of instructors about modifications when I can't do a movement they are doing. If I hurt a lot, I stop, then resume at what I can do. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I sometimes think we set ourselves up for failure with an all or nothing attitude. Some days we will naturally give it our all. But for the days when we don't have it in is, some is enough.

This woman said she might try some of the classes I do, because it would be less intimidating with someone she knew (and another fatty - to be honest). I hope she does for her sake. Then she could open her world up a lot and perhaps be more successful.

I'm happy I'm in such a place right now that I can be an encouragement to someone else who needs it! Happy Day!

Exercise Goal Met!

Back in the beginning of April I decided that I needed an exercise goal for the quarter. I thought 75 hours was a good number. It actually was a very aggressive, with only about 1.5 days per week off to rest. I am happy that I have met this goal. I am going to allow for 2 days of rest for the next goal. Whether I take them or not will depend on the week, but I want to allow for them.

I mostly jogged for 2.4 miles last night. I jogged 1.5 miles but then had to stop because of a cramp. I jogged then some more after I felt a little better. I can't hardly believe this. I never jogged a mile before this year. Even in high school. I remember the gym teacher telling me, jog the straightaways and walk the corners. I had never even jogged one whole lap without slowing to walk.

I signed up for a 5k on Sunday morning. I figured I would use it to train for October's 5k. I'm also sure I will be walking part of it. I'm partly ready and might even find it easier with a whole bunch of other runners/joggers. It's with our fitness center and runs through a subdivision. My only goals are to finish and to not finish dead last. I for sure will let you all know how it goes.