Healthy You Challenge - Week 8

Weight Change Last Week
- 0.0 Pounds (Maintain)

Exercise
6/22
30 Minutes Swimming

6/23
12 Floors of Stairs Down & Up (230 Stairs Down + 230 Stairs Up)
30 Minutes Swimming

6/24
30 Minutes Swimming

6/26
30 Minutes Swimming

6/27
30 Minutes Swimming

6/28
1.5 Mile Run
15 Minutes on Elliptical Machine
Weight Machines - Legs
30 Minutes Swimming

Hmmm... does anyone see a pattern in my activity last week?! Swimming, swimming, and more swimming! I only counted 30 minutes per day, but most days we were actually in the pool for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It was so hot last week that all my daughter and I wanted to do was jump in the pool once we got home in the evening, so we had a standing appointment with the pool on the nights that she was with me.

I only got in one run, but such is life. I made it a goal to get in three runs this week, and I already have one under my belt so I see this as doable. Also, it is much colder outside this week than it was last week, so we are not choosing the pool over the gym every evening as we did last week.

I decided to mix it up a bit on the food front and start counting points again in addition to tracking my calories on The Daily Plate. The scale has been moving this week, so I hope to see good news on the scale when I formally weigh in on Friday.

Even though I have been on a plateau for the better part of the last 1 1/2 months, there must be some changes happening in my body because the compliments have started rushing in again this week. Seriously, three or so a day! I must admit that I am loving it, and it certainly has renewed my motivation this week.

I also rediscovered the elliptical machine at the gym, and have been using it for interval training. What I have done the past two workouts is run on the track, then come down to the machines and hop on the elliptical for 15 minutes with intervals of over 200 strides per minutes, and then I have closed the workout with weight machines until my body felt like jello. It is adding some much needed variety to my workouts!

Onward to another good week! I hope that you all are doing well on your journey, too.

If Every Day Was Sunday

I would be fit and firm and at goal in no time! For whatever reason, Sundays seem to be the days that I rock the exercise. Today I have done the following:

1.5 mile run
15 minutes of interval training on the elliptical
10 minutes of weights (legs)
1 hour of swimming in the pool (leisure, not laps)

Not to mention over an hour walking around Costco pushing a heavy cart (including my 50 pound child!) and countless trips up and down the stairs while doing six loads of laundry. Whew, I am ready for some time in my chair!

I have been slacking on my running this week because my daughter and I have been spending every evening in the pool! It was so hot last week that we couldn't wait to get some dinner in and then hit the pool until her bedtime. But it wasn't all because when I went for a run today, I ran my first mile in 10 minutes 45 seconds, which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G for me!

Wednesday will mark one year since I restarted my weight loss journey after a "break" of almost 2 years. A "break" that resulted in a 60 pound weight gain. :-(

In this year, I have lost those 60 pounds and am at a fitness level that I have not seen for over 10 years. So even though I have been on a plateau for the better part of the last month and a half, I am still thankful for the progress that I have made. I am also thankful for the fun that I am now having with my child, including roller skating and swimming and badminton and tossing the ball around in the yard. Things have certainly changed for the better since last summer!

In order to mix it up a bit, I have started counting point again in addition to tracking my calories. One interesting observation is that I may not be eating ENOUGH now. When I first went from counting points to tracking calories, I was eating different foods (more sweets and carbs) and thus it felt like I got to eat more food when I hit my calorie target on The Daily Plate than I did when I ate my daily points allowance. Now the reverse seems to be true since I am eating so many more fruits and vegetables, many of which are 0 or 1 point foods. So we shall see if this change in my intake logging will help me to break the plateau.

It's time to put my child to bed, so good night for now. Until tomorrow ad the Healthy You Challenge check-in!

Healthy You Challenge Update - Week 6 & 7

Weight Change for Week 6
+1.3 Pounds

Weight Change for Week 7
-1.1 Pounds

Activities for Week 6 & Week 7
6/9
20 Minute Walk

6/10
30 Minutes Rollerskating

6/14
2.52 Mile Run
Weight Machines - Arms

6/15
30 Minutes Swimming

6/16
2.34 Mile Run
Weight Machines - Legs

6/17
12 Floors of Stairs Down & Up (230 Stairs Down + 230 Stairs Up)
15 Minutes Wii Gold's Gym Cardio Workout

6/18
12 Floors of Stairs Down & Up (230 Stairs Down + 230 Stairs Up)
2.12 Mile Run
Weight Machines - Arms

6/19
12 Floors of Stairs Down & Up (230 Stairs Down + 230 Stairs Up)
60 Minute Pilates Stretch & Relax Class

6/20
30 Minutes Swimming

6/21
2.33 Mile Run
Weight Machines - Legs
30 Minutes Rollerskating


Summer is upon us here in Chicago! We have had several days around 90 degrees, and I have been taking advantage of our pool. I love to swim, and because I have been so heavy for so long and shunned swimsuits, I am tickled to be at a place where I will put one on again and jump in the pool on a regular basis. I have come to realize that this is one of the true rewards of losing weight for me... doing fun things that I love without worrying so much about how I look.

I had a gain in Week 6 as I expected, but I jumped back on plan and most of it was gone for my Week 7 weigh-in. Such is life. The good thing is that I have been taking my activity outside of the gym and doing things like rollerskating at the roller rink with my daughter and swimming in the pool with my friends and family. This has made the whole process even that much more enjoyable for me.

I have not lost much weight this last month and a half, and I am trying to jumpstart the weight loss again. I have been focusing on balancing my meals closer to the 40-30-30 principle, and have been eating more clean foods with a heavy emphasis on fruits and vegetables. I have a beautiful bowl of orange persimmons and nectarines on my countertop, and have been choosing them as my snack of choice. I also bought some kumquats, which I love, and fresh strawberries, blueberries, and red grapes. Baby spinach and broccoli slaw have also been staples on my menu these past two weeks.

I am off to shower after another night in the pool... what a treat!

Healthy You Challenge Update - Week 5

Weight Change Last Week
- 0.4 Pounds

Exercise
6/1
30 Minutes Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer (30 Day Challenge, - Intermediate - Day 5)

6/2
1.75 Mile Run

6/7
2.57 Mile Run
Weight Machines - Legs

My groove from last week took off for greener pastures, and I found myself really struggling this week. My exercise frequency was way down, and I spent four days in binge eating land. That is not a happy place for me to be. And this upcoming weigh in is probably going to be a severe blow to me because I am pretty sure I will have a gain. Such is life.

It's ironic, though, that I just reached two big weight loss milestones and then I had crazy binge/less exercise week. I also had some serious depression, for no particular reason other than the week before AF. I spent a lot of time sleeping or just sitting in my chair in a generally foul mood.

The good news in that I have been back on track since Saturday, and am feeling centered with my eating again. The real news, the news that is hard to swallow, is that I have not mastered binge eating and probably never will. I have just learned how to manage it a bit better so that it is four days in duration and not a month or a year or ten years of binge eating.

Here's to a better week for my health goals! Thanks for all of your support. :)

Healthy You Challenge Update - Week 4

Weight Change Last Week
- 1.5 Pounds

Exercise
5/26
30 Minutes Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer (30 Day Challenge, - Intermediate - Day 2)

5/27
28 Minutes Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer (30 Day Challenge, - Intermediate - Day 3)

5/28
2.2 Mile Run

5/31
3.4 Mile Run
22 Minutes Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer (30 Day Challenge, - Intermediate - Day 4)


I had a respectable loss this week, and continued on with the EA Sports Active Personal Trainer. One things that was missing from my week was weight work, so I have to work harder at getting that in this week.

Food-wise, things were good and I was in a groove. I dodged a bullet on Friday when my boss was unable to find me as he was taking a group out for Dim Sum in Chinatown. Although I would have enjoyed myself, I can only imagine the calories that I would have consumed. He is a food pusher in a caring way, and always makes sure that we order my favorite things!

Onward to a new week!

Taking It To The Streets

My daughter was gone early this morning, on her way to a birthday party at The American Girl store in Chicago, so I decided to go for a nice run. I was about to head over to the gym when I realized that I was staring a sunny, 60-some degree morning right in the face. So I decided to take a run through my childhood neighborhood.

First of all, let me say that it was a rut-breaker. I haven't enjoyed a run that much in quite some time.

I started out with 3 minutes of walking, and then took off at a very easy pace. I weaved up and down the side streets of the old neighborhood, through the shade of the old trees. I waved at cats and dogs and children as we passed, admired the old and the new house that lined the streets, and reminisced about old friends who had lived in these house during my childhood. It was a great run.

I seriously could have run another couple of miles, but chores called before the child came back home. All in all, it was about a 3.5 mile run. I am already planning to do this one again.

It broke a barrier that has been there for me, a mental roadblock of sorts: Running in public. A race is different because there are SO many people there that I am just part of the crowd. The gym... well, I work out with a lot of old people, and even the ones who are not old are there for the same reason that I am there. But outside, in residential neighborhoods, I feel very conspicuous. Or at least I thought I would feel very conspicuous. But frankly I did not feel like that at all, and it was eye-opening how much more I enjoyed the experience.

Now I am home, diving head first into my chores, but at least I had some fun this morning! I hope to do my EA Sports Active Personal Trainer workout tonight after the child has gone to bed, which will be Day 4 of the workout (in a 6 day span). I am still really enjoying it, much more so than the Wii Fit which hasn't been pulled out in weeks.

Healthy You Challenge Update - Week 3

Weight Change Last Week
- 0.6 Pounds

Exercise
5/19
2.6 Mile Run
13 Minutes Wii Gold's Gym Cardio Workout

5/21
2.2 Mile Run

5/22
15 Minute Walk at Lunch

5/23
10 Minute Kettlebell Workout

5/24
2.34 Mile Run
10 Minutes Weight Training (Lower Body)

5/25
2.52 Mile Run
12 Minutes Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer (30 Day Challenge, - Intermediate - Day 1)


First of all, I want to thank all of you that left me comments here or messages at the Scale Junkie check-in last week when I announced my 100 pounds lost milestone. They all meant so much to me, and I really appreciate your support!

My weight loss has been soooooooooooooo slow these past three weeks. I kicked it up on the exercise this week, and I really hope that the scale starts moving downward at a better clip again. But at least I know that I am doing the right things to make this happen.

I also had a great weekend over this long holiday, and even though I was very busy with social activities I was able to keep a pretty good grip on my eating and drinking. That is certainly a win for me!

Onward to another week, and hopefully to another drop on the scale!

Review: EA Sports Active Personal Trainer for Wii

I have been an active woman today! I decided to go to the gym for a run even though I ran yesterday because... well, because I could! My daughter is with her father for the weekend, so I figured that I should take advantage of my personal time and get in some extra activity.

So I went to the gym for a 2 mile run and then came home to try out the Wii EA Sports Active Personal trainer. I chose the 30 Day Challenge option at the Intermediate level, and I was off!

My first impression was that I like the interface, with my character representation in the middle of the screen and the trainer in the lower right hand corner.

I started with a walk/run warm-up which was actually quite fun and got my heart rate up a bit.

Squats and lunges were next, and they were good with a nice hold in each position before the next rep.

Cardio boxing with targets was a blast, and is probably my favorite so far... which should be no surprise to anyone who has read my previous posts about my infatuation with the Gold's Gym Cardio Workout.

I did not get much from the bicep curls or the bent rows because the resistance band is just too loose for me. I tried doubling it over, but I am almost 6 feet tall and then it did not stretch far enough. So I am going to look for a new one that offers more resistance, and that will enhance the effectiveness of the exercises.

My least favorite segment was the inline skating. Maybe my timing was off, or maybe I did not understand exactly when to jump, but I did not do well. The second time I did the activity was better, but I still did not care for it very much.

I liked the shoulder raises, and actually felt them a bit as I neared the end of the set. That was an effective move for me.

I finished up with the run/walk cool-down, and the whole workout lasted about 21 minutes. According to my GoWear Fit, I burned just over 200 calories which is great for what felt like a lot of fun!

I think this program is going to be a great addition to my routine, and I am going to stick with it through the 30 Day Challenge. I'll give intermediate and final reviews as I progress.

I hope you are all enjoying your Memorial Day holiday (if you are in the U.S... and if not, I hope you are having a great day anyway!). A big thanks from my household to the men and women who work to keep us free and safe in this country and around the world.

Holiday Weekend Balance

This has been a fun weekend thus far, with several social activities that include drinking and eating. Weekends like this often mean a loss of control for me, thus driving me to avoid the mirror and the scale for the rest of the week until my Thursday weigh-in as I try to make up for high intake event. Because I had plans on Friday night (drinks after work), Saturday night (drinks in the city), and today (BBQ at a friend's house), I realized that this could be a three day binge weekend if I didn't make some conscious choices.

I planned my meals on Friday so that I would eat my last real meal at lunch, have a snack before hitting the bar with my co-workers, and then use my evening calories for drinks. I also took a 15 minute walk around the neighborhood at lunchtime to get in some activity since I do not think that planting my ass on a bar stool counts. It worked like a charm, and the scale was actually down on Saturday morning.

Yesterday I took the same strategy in terms of my eating, and added a kettlebell workout to my afternoon for some extra calorie burn. I kept the drinks to three, and only had three bites of the dessert that we shared. Another success!

Today I decided to hit the gym for a run this morning, so I am now getting ready for the BBQ but have a 2 mile run and some weight training under my belt, so I have more motivation to watch my intake at the party. I am also bringing some veggie burgers so that I have a good choice for dinner.

The way that I handled this weekend is something I need to remember and use again. I enjoyed the company of everyone that I was with at each event, yet did not drink to excess or eat unhealthy and unplanned food, and I had no lingering guilt from overindulgence. What a feeling!

The plan for the rest of the weekend is to enjoy the BBQ tonight, keeping my long-term goals in mind, and tomorrow I am going to spend working around the house and getting ready for the work and school week. I am going to go to the gym for another run because today's was a light one, and I also plan to try out the EA Sports Active Personal Trainer for the Wii program that I bought yesterday (yes, expect my review soon!). I am so happy that I have been maintaining a balance between the fun and the healthy this weekend, and I plan to draw on my experiences this weekend in order to make good choices as the summer progresses.

Motivation

I have been struggling with low motivation lately in terms of running. I try to talk myself out of going for a run every time I have one scheduled, and it is getting pretty silly. Of course, I have been doing them despite my internal struggles, but it is painful to have to negotiate another mile out of myself while I am literally in the middle of a run.

I am not sure why my motivation is waning. I am not in any weird place hormonally, so I can't blame it on that. I have also noticed a downturn in my mood this past week, although I think the low motivation preceded the poor mood. Either way, I have been a pretty pathetic person for the better part of this week, and I need to snap out of it. I have even been day dreaming of binges, and that is a place that I just do not want to go.

The good news in all of this is that I am ignoring that lazy voice that tells me to skip the run. I am also ignoring the urge to stuff my face with all kinds of crappy food. But what I have been doing is sleeping a lot more (as in I was sound asleep last night by 8:30 p.m.), and have also been feeling sorry for myself and moping around all day.

Seriously, WTF?!? I know my life is far from perfect, but I have a great job that allows me to support my daughter and myself as a single mom, I have a lovely home in a safe area, a family that loves me, some good friends, a bunch of wonderful kitties, and my health. But of course I have been dwelling on that which I do not have... and that is just a shame.

I am spilling my guts on this in the hopes that it will snap me out of my blue mood and put my attitude back where it should be, in the "half full" view of life. I know that dark times like these will come, and I am glad that I have been managing them in a non-destructive manner, but I am ready for some sunshine in my mood. Bring it on!

Now, on to my runs: Both of my runs this week have been in the 2 to 3 mile range, and I need to kick up my mileage. The good news is that my pace has been quicker, mostly in the high 11 minute mile range, and one of my laps in tonight's speedwork clocked in at a 10 minute 25 second per mile pace!

The improvement in my speed in less than a year of running is very motivating, and I dream of a day when I can run a 5K in less than 3o minutes. That is going to be my main 2010 running goal, so I am continuing my Thursday speedwork runs in order to keep progression going in that area. But I also want to focus on increasing my distance in my long runs, so I have to discipline myself a bit more and run farther than just my comfortable 3 mile runs on the weekend when I have the time.

So that is my goal for this weekend: A run that is over 3 miles in distance. Hopefully it will be nice outside so that I can mix it up a bit and skip the track. Maybe that will bring me out of my rut... a girl can dream!