July 21,2011

How is my summer weight loss going? UMMMM....let's just say I'm not running around in my swimsuit flaunting. Why oh why must cellulite love to linger? Especially those thighs, butt, and tummy.

My mom is planning a surgery to help fix her leg where the compound fracture was. They will be using fat to inject the area so she will not have such a big dent. Being her daughter, I happily offered to be the donor. She informed me that she had plenty of that and wouldn't need any extra. How rude! JK mom.

Exercising these last couple of months has been difficult with my girls vacationing, me vacationing. I've kind of just had to take it in strides, squeezing it in whenever I could. Staying up waaaay to late every night hasn't helped the situation any.

I am sad to admit that I haven't even taken my bike out for the summer. One of my favorite calorie burning activities and I am missing out. I have made it hiking the Y a few times in my prep to hike Timp again this fall. I've also traded running on the treadmill for walking on a steep incline, but my poor bike has been locked away in the garage and it's JULY!!!

My good eating habits are like my bike...locked away. I've splurged on ice cream...lots, candy...lots, fast food so I don't have to cook...lots. It's pathetic, I've never eaten so bad in my life.

Well, no more! I'm done! We had our last family vacation and I'm gonna start fresh.

Little steps:
1. No more gelato splurges at Costco
2. Set the dang alarm for 5:30! I don't care if I'm too tired, I'll get over it.
3. Cook 4 nights per week - gotta start somewhere
4. Ride my bike up to Vivienne Park One time per week now thru August

Eating before exercising

Hubby has been telling me for Y E A R S, "scientifically if you eat half the calories you'll be burning before your workout, you'll lose weight more rapidly".

I'm a little strong willed (well maybe a lot) and I have ignored his advice thinking I knew better. I had a good argument - eating before exercising gave me a stomach ache and it also made me feel nauseated. Who wants that? I was also going to the gym between 5:30 and 6:00 and getting up even a few minutes earlier to take the time to eat? No way!

Spring is coming quickly and I'm always desperate around this time of year to shed the winter blues and shed the extra padding accumulated over my hibernation.

I think I'm getting more humble as I get older, so I thought I'd TRY his advice.

This is what I did:

Monday - ate a string cheese before running 2 miles. I felt a little sick at first, but the sickness subsided.

Tuesday - drank 1/2 a protein shake before running 2.5 miles. Now this made me extremely nauseous and never left.

Wednesday - went back to eating a string cheese, but added an apple before spin class. Didn't feel so bad, but then again I wasn't bouncing up and down on a spin bike like I was running.

Friday - ate a string cheese and drank a 1/2 cup of skim milk before running. I actually didn't feel sick at all.

The results: Lost 2 pounds this week. What do ya know, hubby does know what he's talking about sometimes:)

Updates

Weight watchers was great, especially doing it online. I lost 12 pounds! I've kept that 12 pounds off for six weeks now...woot!

My 10K training really boosted my metabolism and endurance...
making it easier to hike Timp twice - once to the top and another to the Lake. I plan to go to the top one more time within the next month.

I'm also setting into some normalcy in my life:
1. I'm not PTA President this year (sigh of relief)
2. I have a set work schedule 9-2
3. My youngest is in 4th grade...practically old enough to take care of herself, right?
4. Hubby's business is picking back up after a loooooong bad streak of events (and I'll just leave it at that).

STRESS is a HUGE factor for my Diet and Exercise and thank heavens, these 4 key things in my life have taken away some of my craziness:)

10K and Weight Watchers

I am so ashamed that over this year, I have packed on the pounds! It's been a whirlwind, crazy year and I know exactly how I did it.

Well, NO MORE!!!

I recently ran a 5K and it was exhilarating (would have been even better 20 pounds lighter). I am preparing myself for a 10K on July 24th.

My exercise schedule for the next 6 weeks includes weight training, running, cross training, and lots of stretching.

In addition to upping my workouts, I joined Weight Watchers. Having to be accountable to someone else is very motivating for me.

Wish me luck!

Spring is coming

I'm kicking up the working out a couple of notches and busting my butt!

Spring is here and that means summer (swimsuit wearing, short sleeve shirts, shorts, etc.) is just around the bend.

I am setting some new goals (triathlons, 5K's, 10K's, maybe even a half marathon) to motivate me to reach my fitness goals.

Work outs this week a bust!

Carlie,

I know I told you I'd work out while you were gone this week, but I haven't!

I need you to motivate me out of bed each morning

So glad you are coming home today

Maybe we can hit the gym hard tomorrow, or maybe just ease into it:)

Totally harder than I had anticipated!

My girls have the will power...I don't

Haili says she has dreams about Kit Kats

I don't even like candy much (uhhh, except for my dark chocolate)

Now I'm having dreams about chocolate

Yesterday, I bent the rules a tad and made chocolate chip cookies

They tasted so good and I searched for the cookie that had the MOST chocolate chips in it (he he)

I've got a new brain book

It's called "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body"

It's giving me perspective on keeping my mind clear and stress-free allowing my body to NOT give into temptations.

Mostly the book helps me understand where I may have deficiencies and how to correct them with natural remedies (sounds a bit like quack, but hey it's kinda interesting).

If you have lower levels of Serotonin, you should be taking 5-HTP

If you have lower levels of Dopamine, the remedy is SAM-E

I have both of these in my cupboard from trying things out on Alex to avoid having him take prescriptions for his brain injury.

I'm taking both to see if it helps:-)

Also, fish oils and vitamin D are recommended for a healthier brain

The claim is that you will naturally lose extra pounds when your brain is functioning at it's best

Hmmmmm......