I had a very hard time waking up this morning. It seems like I have so much more to do in the evenings now that an hour is being dedicated to my workouts and I blog every night. I'm finding it difficult to find time to work on my freelance projects and my other projects (in this case, Mother's Day stuff and graduation invitations for Helen), but I'm trying to balance it all. I know that I feel like I have WAY more energy to handle it all now that I'm more active, though! Cheers to more energy! The old me would have felt like handling all this is impossible. A favorite mantra of mine: "I can do ANYTHING, but not EVERYTHING!"
Breakfast was my usual Honey Bunches of Oats & 2% milk at around 8:40. I had a snack of half of a Kashi dark mocha & almond granola bar at 10:45, and I didn't eat lunch until about 1:00 since I still felt full from my breakfast & snack. I made a yummy salad of romaine, celery, carrot, cherry tomatoes, and baby spinach with 2 tbsps of an Italian vinaigrette.
I used the leftover chicken from last night's
supper to add some protein to my salad today!
I had another snack of a cup of blueberry Activia at around 3:00 and I finished off the rest of the Kashi granola bar at 5:15 when I left work.
I had to stop at Target on the way home because one of the valve covers on my front bicycle tire is missing! I bought a pack of them, and since Target is Target, I took way too long to get out of there since I did a little shopping. Target is a dangerous place for my wallet. I was able to escape with minimal damage, though. I only bought the valve covers and a couple of head bands for my workouts!
I didn't get home till around 6:45, and I hit my apartment gym at 7. I started out feeling really tired, but after I warmed up after 7 minutes, I decided to run. I put the treadmill at 4.2 mph, and started going...
I RAN FOR 8 MINUTES WITHOUT STOPPING!!!!!
I was SO SO excited!! I ran from 7:04 to 15:15!!!! Looking back, I don't know why I decided 8 minutes was my cut off point to slow down back to 3.6 mph, but it was another smiling time on the treadmill this evening. I took a 9 minute "break" by powerwalking at 3.8 mph, and sped up the treadmill to 4.3 mph at 24:00 and ran for another 2 minutes to 26:00. 10 MINUTES TOTAL RUNNING. I powerwalked for another 4 minutes at 3.6 mph and 3.8 mph and ran AGAIN from 30:00 to 34:00! 14 MINUTES TOTAL RUNNING. I took another short break and ran ANOTHER 2 minutes from 38:00 to 40:15. BAM. 16 (ish) MINUTES TOTAL RUNNING!
Woo to the Hoo!
I think I'm making beautiful progress. I decided that I am keeping up my 45 minutes of cardio every day until I get to my goal weight (unless I get sick). I have been SO happy every night after I've been done with my workouts and I don't want to lose this feeling of euphoria! I guess this is the beginning of the fitness/runner's high I keep hearing about. Even now, I'm smiling as I type this! SO very much of it has to deal with not wanting to disappoint any of YOU who are reading and keeping up with my journey. I truly CANNOT thank you all enough for all your advice and words of encouragement! They get me off my butt when I'm feeling too tired. They get me going to try harder so I can prove to you all AND to myself that I can do this!
I was not that hungry after my cardio workout, so I had a HUGE banana and some Kefir.
This banana was as long as my forearm. No lie.
Tomorrow marks 2 weeks, and I'm SO very thankful to God and to all of you for this new change in my life. This IS the new me.
I had to wake up early to head to Fannett for 9 a.m. choir practice for 11:00's Youth Mass, so I practically sang and played guitar for 3 hours straight. Today was my church's annual Spring Festival, so we had a delicious meal waiting for us after mass was done.
1/2 a chicken, a roll, pickles, onions, beans & dirty rice
I ate about 2/3 of the chicken, half of the rice,
& 2/3 of the roll. I'm not a bean fan.
I did NOT eat the skin...
I hate how difficult it was for me not to eat it.
I only ate until I was satisfied. No more, no less. I've noticed that since I started working out every day, my appetite is RAGING by the time it's time for me to eat, but I get full much more quickly than I used to! Can't complain too much about that!
I've also noticed that my clothes fit so much better now, and the ring Nick gave me for our 1st year date-iversary is getting loose!
My mom and I went to Kohl's and Kroger after lunch, and I got SO tired during our little outing! I know I did not get enough sleep last night since I was working on graduation invitations for my "niece," Helen, so that was part of it. The heat didn't help either, though.
I'm glad I finally got to go grocery shopping today, too. I picked up lots of fruit, veggies, more chicken breasts, and healthier snacks to keep me going throughout the day. My mom offered to buy me 2 new workout tops and a cute shirt at Kohl's, so thanks so much, Ma!!! :)
My mom was taking pictures like a foreign
tourist in the grocery store today...lol
I ended up not picking any romaine because none
of them were very fresh! Disappointment. :(
When I got back to my apartment, I was actually dreading any kind of work out for the first time since I've begun my journey, but I KNEW I needed to do SOMETHING. As soon as I was able to just sit down and relax for about 30 minutes, I got a second wind and I was ready to go! I got dressed, and I got my butt out the door.
My knees bothered me more than I liked yesterday after my run and all the squats I did, so I wanted to go a little more low impact today. I donned the new workout digs my mom got me and I hit up the hike & bike trail and biked 10 miles! The weather was gorgeous at 6 this evening, and I was done at around 7:20. Once I was out there, I felt great! I knew I needed to push myself more since I had more daylight to work with than the last time I biked. It was a great workout indeed!
Since I was close to his house, I visited Nick for a few minutes since I haven't seen him much this week. He got me a silly little surprise! Since I have ridiculously short T-Rex arms, and dry/itchy skin thanks to my thyroid issues, I have a terrible time being able to scratch my back. Nick got me an awesomely durable back scratcher...haha!
A Bear Claw Back Scratcher!
I left Nick's house with a smile on my face knowing that I worked out well again today. I got home, and heated up some leftovers for dinner...
The 2nd half of yesterday's chicken breast
& leftover modified Mac 'N' Cheese
Like I said, my apetite just isn't as big as it used to be, so I wasn't able to finish...
I need/want more romaine...
Kroger's wasn't fresh
I washed it down with a big glass of water, and had a nice cup of blueberry Activia for dessert.
I am now ready to hit the showers then the hay. I know this wasn't my most exciting entry, but good grief, I'm SO pooped! I'm looking forward to working out with my dear friend Michelle tomorrow evening! I haven't worked out with a buddy in a while, so we shall see if I'm able to handle a different dynamic tomorrow. Till then, thanks to all of you who are reading!
I leave you with a wonderful video that another dear friend, Annette, shared with me last night.... If this man could do it, ANYONE can. You just have to want it badly enough and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Don't give up.
This Saturday wasn't what I expected it to be. I woke up refreshed (AND sore throat free!) and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Today was the St. Michael's Mediterranean Festival, which I've been wanting to attend for years, but I realized that I had way too much to do today to be able to go.
My laundry turned into a small mountain since I started working out every day, and my clothing pile has doubled. I needed to tackle that since I'm almost out of work out pants! While laundry was going on, I decided to do an all over big huge apartment clean!
I swept, mopped, vacuumed, scrubbed, wiped, and sanitized practically my entire apartment, and built up quite a sweat doing it! Chores can be a great workout, too. I actually enjoy doing them with the right music blasting in the background.
I'm running low on groceries, and I woke up kind of late, so I ate a quick brunch of raisin toast and eggs. Not the healthiest choice, but I was in a hurry.
Wow...Looking back, that's a ton of Smart Balance spread.
After I digested a while, I decided to hit the gym at around 3. I started off strong and did my usual power walking thing until about 15 minutes hit. I boosted the treadmill up to 4.5 and was able to keep running for 3 minutes. (That may seem slow to some, but I have really short legs, so that's almost a sprint for me!) I never slowed down beyond the speed of my power walk (3.8) this time. I stuck to a good fast-paced power walk most of the time until 35 minutes hit. I don't know why, but I decided -- OK. START RUNNING. I only put the speed to 4.2 this time because it's fast enough for me to be at a run without me feeling like I might fall if I don't overdo it, and I was able to last that way for 5 AND A HALF MINUTES! I couldn't stop smiling knowing that I beat my previous times of staying at a quicker pace. The best part was not feeling like I was overexerting myself or I was in pain. I truly think I could have lasted longer, but I think I got a little scared... I was actually upset that I was about to hit 45 minutes so I didn't have time to run more, but I had so much else I needed to get done today, and I wanted to get some strength training in.
After cardio, I did 4 sets/10 reps of 30 lb squats and squat lunges on the Smith Machine and 1 set of lateral pulldowns at 30 lbs. I also did 1 set of free weight exercises with 10lb weights. I was pretty exhausted at this point, so I called it quits, but I couldn't help but keep smiling knowing that I actually felt GOOD while I was running today.
I got back to my apartment, showered, and headed back out the door to run a bunch of errands. My knees were/are bothering me a bit now since I had to walk a whole lot throughout a couple of stores, though. I noticed the slight pain, so I decided to buy some calcium supplements. If I'm going to keep up with this running thing, I want to be sure I'm getting the nutrients I need! I have been taking multivitamins, Fish Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Niacin, and now the calcium supplements. Does anyone else have any suggestions for supplements that would help??
I wanted to go grocery shopping, but my legs were much too tired. I headed back home, and made myself dinner... A repeat, but a good one.
Romaine, 1/2 chicken breast, rice, and
the 8 leaves of baby spinach I had left...lol
I hope I can go grocery shopping soon. I need more veggies in my fridge! All I've got right now is frozen fish and frozen chicken and a TON of rice! I hope a good night's sleep will help my legs recover. I am QUITE pleased with my work today, and I can't help but wonder how tomorrow will go. Sundays are difficult to fit in a workout, especially Sundays like tomorrow when it's Youth Mass, but I will make it work!
I want to start doing more ab work soon... Perhaps that will be my Day 12 goal! Till then, thanks for your support, everybody! Even though I'm working out alone, you all make me feel like I've got a HUGE crowd cheering for me!
I have finally made it to the TENTH day of my journey! It has been an interesting one to say the least! I worry about if I'll be able to keep up my workouts with this heat! I had to work 1/3 of my day outside today, and the heat was almost unbearable.
I woke up with a sore throat. I'm HOPING it's just allergies since there's all kinds of polleny crap in the air right now, but just incase, I have been upping the vitamins and doubling my water intake so I can flush it out of my body and power boost my immune system. I have NO TIME for a sore throat! Getting sick TERRIFIES me right now because I'm doing so well. The last time I lost a bunch of weight, I quit because I got sick and couldn't recover from how long I hadn't exercised. WHEN I get sick again, I pray that it's at a point when I feel more confident in knowing I can handle the recovery.
Breakfast was small since I knew lunch was going to be semi-unhealthy today. I just munched on yesterday's vat o' melon, which I still have yet to even get close to finishing...
Seriously, who eats that much
melon in one sitting?
I got to have a fun lunch today with a new-ish good friend of mine! Since he's relatively new to Southeast Texas, I brought him to one of my favorite spots in town, Katharine & Company, on Calder Avenue. They never disappoint.
Pecan crusted chicken on fococcia with a
cup of tomato basil soup & a spinach salad!
Those were the biggest spinach leaves I've ever seen.
My plate is usually spotless after a meal here,
but I made myself stop when I was full!
After eating this, my sore throat started to feel a little better. Craig (my lunch buddy) offered me some of his green beans and artichoke hearts, but I was too scared to get some since I didn't want to risk getting him sick, too! The man has some mean chops on the organ. If you ever come to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fannett, check him out. He's super talented! (just like the rest of our choir!)
Not too soon after I returned from lunch, I had to leave for Silsbee where I photographed a pretty awesome annual outdoor event. LIT's Utility Lineman program has a yearly "Lineman Rodeo" where the students have to climb up 40 foot electrical poles and show off what they've learned throughout the year in front of an audience. It's always a thrill to watch them work, and it can be heart stopping when they slip!
Don't try this at home.
The event itself is always a lot of fun, but inside, I. WAS. MISERABLE. There was DELICIOUS smelling barbecue and desserts ALL OVER the place free for the taking! Sausage links, brisket, chicken, cornbread, potato salad, pork & beans, buttercream pies, and (one of my biggest weaknesses), YELLOW CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING.
But I KNEW I wasn't hungry!!! I had just eaten a delicious and delightful HEALTHIER lunch 2 hours before, and there was no room in my stomach for more. I peeked at every dish literally about 4 times. In the back of my head, I remembered the poop-looking brownie and how guilty I felt for eating it yesterday, so that's what kept me from eating anything! I did it! I was sweaty, and miserably tired from the heat, but I did it! I resisted the temptation to eat food I didn't NEED! Now, if I were actually HUNGRY, it would have been another story...
I left the rodeo at around 5:00, and I was worn out and down. I dragged up to my apartment, and I did not even want to THINK about exercising because I was SO tired. I was also starving by this point. I drank a big glass of water, and put the very last Pop Tart I had left in the toaster to have a pre-workout snack. As I got dressed, I smelled something burning... My toaster usually makes the apartment smell like toasted goodness, but this was different. I heard it pop up, and I slowly walked over to the toaster, and found a FIRE!!! THE POP TART WAS ON FIRE!!! I unplugged the toaster and smothered it quickly, and of course my fire alarm rang about 3 times, but I turned on the vent and opened the doors soon enough for it not to cause too much more of a ruckus.
I guess this was God's way of telling me
He did not want me to eat that Pop Tart.
You can imagine my mood after this... Hungry, laughing, relieved, and slightly bummed. I decided to go ahead and make myself some dinner instead. I have frozen flounder filets (which I'm not a huge fan of, but I need to finish them since they're relatively healthy), so I seasoned and sauteed one with olive oil spray, some steak seasoning, and a splash of lemon juice. I also had one box of macaroni and cheese that I bought before my fitness epiphany that I want to be rid of, so I made a "healthier" version of it.
I cut the butter it called for in half, and I used almond milk instead of regular milk.
The almond milk made the mac 'n' cheese
thicker and taste better!
I also added some romaine with a splash of an Italian vinaigrette.
I resisted yellow cake today; therefore, I ate ALL OF THIS.
After I cleaned up, I felt reenergized! I decided to hurry over to the hike & bike trail and put in another 8.5 miles before the sun went down.
My friend Ly is interested in buying one.
Here's what it looks like folded, Ly!
The ride up the 1.5 mile stretch is always difficult because I'm warming up and it's against the wind. There was a man I passed up who was talking to some of his friends who later passed me about 2 miles later... This made me a little irritated... Yes, his bike's wheels had much larger radii than mine, yes, he looked like a much more skilled cyclist, and yes he looked like he was in better shape than me, but I was NOT about to let this man do another lap around me. IT WAS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG.
I pretended like he was my problems.... I COULD NOT and CAN NOT let my problems catch up with me. I was also in a race against the sun, too. It was 7:00 when I arrived at the hike & bike trail, so I imagined that the sun was MY time to shine, and I had to be done before it went down. Nick thought it was poetic...I thought it was me not wanting to bike in the dark. Or both. Either way, both of these thoughts FUELED my ride today, and I KILLED those 8.5 miles. I truly felt like I could bike more, but I did not want to risk finishing in the dark. (Despite the poetic nature of me racing for my time to shine, I gotta be practical).
So I went from NOT wanting to do a lick more today when I got home to almost burning down my building and biking like mad through an awesomely intense workout. I'd say that was a pretty groovy Day 10, wouldn't you?
Day 11 shall be a Saturday of laundry, possible Mediterranean Festival attending, and definite working out again. I can't wait to see what I can do next!
I slept about 30 minutes earlier than I usually do last night, and I could already feel a difference from that this morning! I hope I can sleep earlier tonight...
I intended to eat some wheat toast with peanut butter for breakfast this morning, but much to my dismay, the bread was moldy! All I have in my office is milk, salad dressing, and nuts, which didn't sound too appealing for breakfast to me, so I decided to head downstairs. My office building has a little restaurant in it called Mega Bytes where the faculty, staff, and students can buy food, but they're not exactly known for having a plethora of healthy choices. I reluctantly went down to check it out...
Most of the options were way too heavy/greasy for me. Hash browns, breakfast burritos, huge croissant sandwiches with sausage and some weird egg substitute, a big vat of bacon, grits, and some kind of eggy looking casserole. I was feeling discouraged because I didn't want to eat any of those things (well, maybe except for the bacon...b/c GAH bacon), and I was starting to feel discouraged. But then, at the corner of my eye, I found some healthier options! There was some Lite & Fit yogurt (which I'm not a fan of...blech) and a HUUUGE cup of chopped up pieces of fresh fruit! Fruit it is! I only ate about 10 small pieces.
Too much melon for Melanie
12:12 p.m.
I just pulled a Jared and walked to Subway for lunch! The distance between LIT and the Subway by Lamar University is almost a 1 mile round trip, so I'd say it was a decent bit of activity for my afternoon. I can't help but reminisce every time I walk through my old alma mater. It might not be the most beautifully designed campus in the world, but I made many of my best friends there, and I realized a lot of my dreams at that place. It wasn't too hot on the way there, but I was pretty sweaty on the way back. Oh well. Sweating lets you know you're alive! Cheers to good deodorant. :)
I got a 6" Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich on Italian Herbs & Cheese bread with a small bag of Parmesan and Herb Sun Chips and a big cup of ice water. I asked for spinach, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and sweet onion sauce. I usually ask for salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil too, but I decided to skip it this time, and it tasted just fine without it! I used to get a cookie with my meal too, but I resisted today! I can't help but smile when I know I'm making a better decision for myself.
Subway, Eat Fresh!
Unless you're that tomato.
It was not so fresh.
I did not want to finish the chips.
I drank about 20 oz of water with my lunch today.
I shouldn't be eating out so often, but I'm low on groceries, so I won't be able to make a good, healthy lunch again for work till next week.
5:07 p.m.
I have to work late this evening. The banquet I have to photograph for work lasts till 8, and I'm not sure if I will need to stay throughout the entire duration, so my little walk to Subway might have been my cardio for the day! If I do get home too late, I will still try to do some kind of physical activity so I can count it for the day. Now off I go to take pictures!
8:33 p.m.
Just got home from the SGA Awards Banquet I had to photograph tonight. Rockin' A Cafe catered the event, and as far as dinner went, I didn't do too badly considering what was available. I got a chicken breast, some corn, a roll, and....a brownie. I don't know why, but I just did. I didn't finish what the servers gave me, though. I only ate about 2/3 of the chicken breast, 1/3 of the roll, and the majority of the corn.
Before
After
I didn't eat the brownie at work. In fact, I tried like crazy to give it away, but no one wanted it, so I decided to save it so I could give it to Nick. When I got home, I just....ate it. Most of it, anyway. I didn't finish it, thank goodness, but I just ate it until I felt like I didn't want anymore. Part of me is wanting to kick myself in the face, and the other part of me is saying, "You know what? It's OK! It's not the end of the world! You didn't finish the whole thing, and you've been doing great for NINE DAYS!"
I already know that I don't like this whole torn feeling I've got going on JUST from eating something I shouldn't have, so I think this will actually help me do better in the future. I have the tools I need, I just need more willpower!
What's left of said brownie. It kind of looks like poop, which is kind of how I feel for eating it.
When I got home, I did some upper body work: 4 sets 5 different lifting techniques with free weights (12-14 reps each). I also did 30 side leg lifts per leg and 100 jumping jacks. It doesn't feel like enough, but since it's so late, I don't want to overwork myself so close to bed time.
Welp. There went Day 9! I had my first slip up, but I'd say it wasn't TOO horrible...right? Also, I've been getting TONS of advice from people, and I am beyond thankful to all of you for it! It's almost overwhelming, but in a good way. I'm just trying to find out what works best for my body and my schedule, and I'm trying (or will try) all of your suggestions. Thanks again, and bring on DAY 10!
Breakfast was the same Kroger Honey Bunches of Oats with 2% Organic Milk and 8 oz of water. I don't usually like too much variety when it comes to breakfast, but I'm not sure why. I guess it's because I tend to stray into fatty pastry territory if I eat other things...
I am D R A G G I N G this Day 8. The inadequate amount of sleep I've been getting is completely to blame.
I've always lacked discipline when it comes to sleeping. I get too easily distracted by watching TV, reading a good book, working on projects, or browsing the Internet when I should be in the dark snoozing away. Even as a kid I always slept late, (see Conan O'Brien addiction) and I've always paid for it throughout the day.
I know I'm sabotaging a lot of my hard work by not getting enough rest, so why do I keep forcing myself to stay awake? I've been known to do my very best work in the wee hours of the morning, but why can't I channel that creativity during the DAY when I need it most?
It's been the same pattern for years: I wake up EXHAUSTED from sleeping way too late the night before, I feel like I'm watching myself going through the work day because I'm not fully awake, I almost fall asleep after lunch, I do a bunch of jumping jacks to wake up, I leave work still sleepy, I trudge through my workout or whatever evening activity I need to do, and then I'm WIDE AWAKE when it's time to sleep! It's so frustrating!
Don't tell me I have to start another blog to discipline me into sleeping...
12:25 p.m.
Lunch was more leftovers of the chicken and spinach I made for myself Monday night. I ran out of yogurt, so I ate a handful of the energy mix I blogged about yesterday to tame my sweet tooth. Thank goodness for dark chocolate! I remembered to bring my Tervis tumbler today, so yay to having water.
Chicken, spinach, rice, and a roma tomato!
I'm already looking forward to my workout this afternoon. I was EXTREMELY sleepy this morning, but perhaps lunch perked me up a bit. My thighs are quite sore, but not to the point of excruciating pain. It's a good kind of sore. I'm hoping to run a little more today. I'm not sure if I'm ready to increase my time yet, but I will definitely try to do what I can! My arms, shoulders, and abs are pretty sore too.
I had a total of 24 oz of water while at work.
8:39 p.m.
WOW. I don't even know if I can write a complete sentence because I'm so worn out. Well, I just did, so nevermind. But yeah....I'm pooped. Nick and I had to meet with a couple of friends to discuss some potential businessy things at 7:30, so I had to hurry home from work to get my workout done.
I did my 45 minutes on the treadmill, and I attempted to run again, but my energy levels are WAY down today since I haven't been sleeping enough. I don't know if all the workouts are catching up with me or if I really do just need more sleep, but my endurance just wasn't as awesome as it was on Monday when I ran the 2 minute intervals. I WAS able to run for THREE minutes this time, but I only did one more two minute interval after that. I think I got stage fright because there were two other men in the gym. The last time I ran, I was completely alone and free to breathe as heavily as I wanted without being self conscious about sounding like a dying giraffe. I was still able to beat my distance from the last time, though! I'm pretty much saying screw the calorie counter because I KNOW that it's beYOND inaccurate... I did increase the incline to 8 for the last few minutes, so that was an added challenge, too! Overall, I'm satisfied with the work I did on the 'mill.
Since I was feeling guilty about not running more, I decided to force myself to repeat yesterday's bodyrock.tv workout again today too. To refresh your memory, I did 3 sets of 4 different exercises for 50 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between each one. The goal is to do as many as you can within 50 seconds.
Stats:
Squats
1. 26 2. 22 3. 23
Push-ups (modified "girl" push-ups)
1. 22 2. 17 3. 15
Tricep Dips
1. 23 2. 20 3. 20
Abs
1. 26 2. 25 3. 28
This is probably the most challenging workout day I've had of all 8 days, but I want to keep building up each day.
I had another 24 oz of water with my workout.
As soon as I finished my interval training, I drove to Sertino's for my meeting with Nick and friends. Nick got me dinner (thank you, boyfriend!) which was water and a half turkey cranberry sandwich on wheat. Nick gave me his pickle since he thinks they're cucumbers soaked in evil...haha!
I drank about 16 oz of water with my supper.
Before
After
I shall now prepare my food for tomorrow and get ready for BED. I've GOT to sleep more.
Day 9 is tomorrow! I've got to work late, so I'm hoping I can get home early enough for me to still have the energy to do some kind of physical activity. I'm almost in the double digits, folks! I can't believe I'm doing so well! Thank you, thank you, thank you! =)
Well. here it is, lady and gents. A week. One week has gone by since I began my journey, and I feel AWESOME! I weighed myself this morning, and I'VE LOST WEIGHT! See how much at the end of the entry. :)
Breakfast was cereal + organic 2% milk as usual and nuts! I had about 4 honey roasted almonds to make my stomach stop gurgling during my daily morning meeting I have with Beth about what needs to be done for the work day.
At 10:30, I had about 1/4 cup of this energy mix that Planters makes from their NUT•rition line. They're very yummy! I got them on sale at Walgreens yesterday for $3.99 (They're usually about $5 per container). They've kept me full for a good while, too.
I thought I was going to have to try working out in Fannett today since I have choir practice, but I remembered that the surprise birthday book I made for my dad will be delivered today, and I have to sign for it. I'm working late on Thursday to photograph an awards ceremony, so I can use that comp time to leave early today to get my workout done before choir practice.
I worry about missing the package while I'm at my workout in the gym, so I will most likely do something from www.bodyrock.tv today so I can stay in my apartment. I've done several of their workouts before I had my big "AHA!" fitness epiphany last week (with some moderation since they can be pretty challenging), and I absolutely love them! The girl on the videos (Lisa Marie) is very motivational and she's in impeccable shape. I don't know if I'd want to get as muscular as her, but she definitely helps you understand how to do each of the exercises well. The workouts they provide are based on intense interval training where you basically work as hard as you can within a certain amount of time with short periods of rest between each exercise. They have interval beeping timers that they sell on their website, but I just downloaded an interval time app on my phone that does the job just as well. I highly recommend their website for when you're short on time and you want to stay at home to do workouts. You can also find them on Facebook, too!
2:12 p.m.
Just finished my lunch! I didn't get hungry until later today. That Planters energy mix kept me full forever!! Honestly, I wasn't even that hungry to eat lunch, but I didn't want to eat any later than 2 so I wouldn't delay my hunger for supper either. I enjoyed some leftover chicken, spinach, and rice that I made from last night. Just as good this time around. I'm currently enjoying some vanilla Activia for dessert. I'm a little irritated with myself because I forgot to bring my Tervis Tumbler full of water, and I have no cash to buy water from the vending machines downstairs. It's times like these when I wish we had an office water cooler...
I added a little more rice for lunch so I could last through
the afternoon without needing a snack. It worked!
3:52 p.m.
Just got a message from a friend saying she's bringing pizza to choir practice tonight for 2 of the members whose birthdays are next Tuesday. I politely declined to eating any, but let's see if I can stick to it...
5:56 p.m.
Just got done with my bodyrock.tv workout! WHEW! I'd like to reiterate how hard you work on those even though it's just at 50 second intervals! I'm DRENCHED! I found out that they're starting a 30 day May challenge, and I might take part in it!
I had to stop A LOT during the pushups and tricep dips. My upper body strength is pretty wimpy. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be one of those days when it hurts to sneeze...or sit on the toilet...haha! Cheers to sore muscles!
Visit their website at www.bodyrock.tv if you want to try it out! They even give you a text breakdown of the workout which helps a lot when you can't remember which move is next:
NOTE. THIS IS JUST AN IMAGE OF THE VIDEO. IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE VIDEO, VISIT THE ONE ABOVE THIS IMAGE.
I must get ready to head to Fannett now for choir practice, but I will finish when I get back!
10:31 p.m.
What an exciting time I had in Fannett today! I got to FINALLY give my dad his secret birthday gift (It's 2 weeks late since I had to get it sent to be printed), but I think the wait was well worth it. HE LOVED IT! I'm so thankful!!!
CLICK HERE to see a digital preview
of the birthday book I made for my dad!
I greeted my wonderful choirmates in the rosary garden in front of our church before practice where we to have a mini pizza celebration for Mr. Phil & Mr. Steve's birthdays which are next Tuesday. If it's one thing I was taught, it was to never be rude to someone who does you a kindness, so I ate 3 small squares of pizza. Luckily, the pizzas they bought were thin crust, and the pieces were cut very small (No more than 2 to 3 inches per square), so I didn't feel TOO terrible about eating them. It was also my dinner, so I didn't have much choice unless I wanted to wait till 10:00 to eat!
I guess you just have to use your best judgement on when it's appropriate to eat a treat. One week of kicking butt with exercise and eating healthy, small portions...methinks the tiny treat was OK in this case. When I got back to my apartment, I did 100 jumping jacks just to make myself feel a little better.
Well, I am EXHAUSTED. I think it's time to go to bed.
OH YEAH! So like I exclaimed up top, I DID lose weight! Here is the weigh-in result!
I've lost 3 pounds since Day 2! Woo!
I need to use a darker color sharpie...
Cheers to a week of fitness, moderation, and perseverance. Tomorrow, I will get to say that I've been working out EVERY DAY for MORE THAN A WEEK. If that's not a victory, then tell me what is! See you on the 8th day, my wonderful friends!
