Results of Eating Better

A little over 3 weeks ago I decided that I wanted to try eating better and see what it would get me. I know how I love food and how I'm used to eating, so I did not want to commit to this for too long. Spring Break was coming up, so I decided I would do it until Spring Break started. The hope was that I would get decent results in 3 weeks and it would be enough to motivate me to continue to make better choices. Surely I could do this for 3 weeks right???

Well, kinda lol! For the most part I did extremely well (I think so anyway). I probably had 2-3 bad meals a week, compared to every meal being a bad meal. Let me say I was not trying to eat clean. I tried eating clean one day, and it was just too hard for me to go from eating junk all day to eating clean. So, I just aimed to eat better. I went to the grocery store and I only shopped the exterior of the store (except for my Fiber One cereal and whole grain spaghetti and spaghetti sauce). I pretty much grilled/baked chicken and fish and shrimp. I ate tons of veggies and fruit, and I only drank water. I cooked at home a lot! Frozen veggies was a life saver for me, because I'm normally really short on time. I also decided I did not want to do any microwave meals because of the sodium.

I'm not the best at picking healthy foods when I eat out. So, when I got off track it was usually because I went out to eat with friends and family. I know I know...look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you're going to have. The problem is that when I get there everything looks so good! Oh gosh, let's not even talk about rolls at some of these places geesh! Anyway, I didn't do too bad. I also continued working out with Sam twice a week and on my own at least twice a week.

So, enough blabbering...here's what you all really want to see...results:


I lost 8.2 lbs and 4.5 inches in 3 weeks and a couple of days! I'm super excited about that!!!!! Go me!!! In the past it has taken me 6-9 weeks to do that! To me this proves what everyone has always said...your diet/nutrition is sooooo important.

On another note, I want to talk about a killer workout Sam made me do last Thursday. I had to workout with a deck of cards. The four exercises were squats, push ups, v-ups, and burpees. They each corresponded to a certain suit. Face cards counted as 10, aces were 20, and a joker would double whatever the next card was. By the end I had done 104 push ups, 104 v ups, 106 burpees, and 113 squats. It was so hard, but I felt like super woman when I was done!

Also my co-worker has gone out of the country for 3 weeks and he let me borrow his Insanity dvds. He didn't give me the schedule, so I just picked one to do yesterday. I chose the dvd that says Pure Cardio. Oh my gosh! Since when did a warm-up become so much work? lol! I made it through the dvd and only took 3 breaks, so I was proud of myself.

So, in summary my little experiment worked and I am definitely motivated enough to continue to make better food choices.

Long Time No See

Sorry I've been away.  I've been so so so busy (5 classes and a full time job).  I've been working out with Sam twice a week, as usual.  I normally get in 1-2 other days a week by myself.  That has really been hit and miss. 

I have not really gone jogging since I did the 20 minute jog almost a month ago.  I do sprints with Sam from time to time, but no real jogging with any true distance.  That stinks, because I was really excited about finally being able to jog for 20 minutes and I just let it go.  I'll have to work back up to it, but I'm determined to do it.  I want to do a half marathon this year.  I'm planning to do the Rock n Roll either in Vegas or the one in Miami.  I'm going to consider it my 30th birthday gift to myself.  I wanted to take a nice trip for my 30th (in July) and I also wanted to do a half.  I probably can't afford a separate trip for each the way I would want to,so I'm planning to postpone the July trip and roll it into a half marathon trip (Sept or Dec).  So, I'll still be celebrating my 30th (just months later lol) and I'll get to check off a major item on my list of things to do for year.

Today Sam said I might have a "come to Jesus" moment, and he was not joking.  Here's the list of what I did:
100 Push-ups
60 Burpees
100 Deep Squats
800m on Rowing Machine
12 Shuttle runs
36 Lat Pulldowns (80 lbs)
60 Leg Lifts
45 Lying Tricep Extensions (10 lb dumbbells)
300m on Rowing Machine
0.5 mile walk to class to cool down

I asked him if I was being punished because I had to cancel my session on Tuesday.  He laughed and said no.  I'm not so sure lol!  It was really really hard.  I did all of this over an hour.  The lat pulldowns, leg lifts, and tricep extensions were done in sets of 3.  The burpees, push-ups, and squats are a little difficult to explain.  Basically, I would do as many push-ups as possible in 1 min.  At the top of each minute I had to stop and do 4 burpees, then immediately into the push-ups.  At the top of that next minute I would do 4 burpees again.  I continued this until I had reached 100 push-ups.  This same cycle happened for the deep squats.  I hope the way I explained it makes sense. 

I felt like this was a completely ridiculous workout and I asked him several times if he was serious.  This was only me 2nd time on the rowing machine.  Oh my gosh, it works EVERYTHING!!!  I was shaking and fell like a combination of jello and dead weight by the time my our was up.  My shirt was completely soaked.  It was weird though, because although it was hard, I wanted to do it again this weekend.  This was one of those workouts that made me feel like I had instantly lost weight.  I'll probably do the push-ups, burpees, squats, leg lifts, and tricep extensions on my own at home this weekend.  It's good to leave a workout and know that I gave it my all and that I completely rocked it!

Oh, I purchased a 65cm stability ball and a 10 lb medicine ball to add to my home gym (which doesn't include much...dumbbells, adjustable weight bench, sit up rack, and tons of Oxygen magazines).  I would like to buy some cardio equipment (treadmill or bike), but we'll see.  I know plenty of things I can do for cardio without having the machines, so I'm in no rush to buy anything.

I've also been making an effort to eat better the past two weeks.  I made the pledge to do this until spring break (which is in less than two weeks) and then take a look at my results.  I'm hoping it will be motivation to make me continue to eat better.  I can already say that I feel better though.  So, it might be a a week or two before I'm on here to blog again, but I should have some measurements to post by then.  Have a great day!

Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music

I Conquered the 20 min Jog!!!!!

This blog is almost a week late, but I finally did it!  I did all of the 20 minute jog that is part of the couch to 5k program.  I did it this past Sunday.  I was planning to meet my mom to walk that afternoon, but something in me just felt like jogging.  My mother has not even gone walking in almost a year, so I knew jogging was out of the question for her.  What to do?  What to do?  I decided to go 30 minutes early. 
I had previously jogged with Sam for 11 minutes, so that is what I was planning to do.  I did a few quick stretches and I started with my warm-up.  I usually do a 10 min walking warm-up, but I really felt the urge to jog so after 5 min I took off.  I told myself I was not even going to look at my watch until I jogged to a certain point (which is about 1.4 miles).  I didn't make it lol!  There came a point when I was thinking I need to stop, so I checked the watch.  I was at 12:14.  I immediately thought, hey this is longer than I jogged with Sam, so I can stop now and feel like I accomplished something.  My calves were starting to burn, and I remembered Sam telling me that he knew I could do 20 min if I really put in the effort.  I also thought that I only had 8 min until the 20 and if I stopped now that I would always wonder if I could do it.  So, I kept going.  I looked at the watch again at 14:36 and I was really at my stopping point (or so I thought), but then one of my favorite workout songs came on the ipod (Janet Jackson - Make Me).  This gave me the burst I needed.  Not too much longer after that I saw my mom drive up.  I looked at the clock again and I was just over 18 minutes.  At this point I realized I was really going to do this.  I jogged by my mom and held up 1 finger so she knew I would be back in a minute and kept jogging.  The next time I looked at my watch it said 20:36. 

I forgot where I was and I screamed and pumped my hands in the air.  I was literally on the verge of tears.  I told my mom what happened and got words of encouragement and a hi-five from her.  Then I sent a text to Sam and he sent 3 or 4 "I'm so proud of you," "I always knew you could do it" kinds of texts.   I can't even explain how I felt when I finished.  I felt like some kind of warrior princess!  I never thought I would be able to jog 20 minutes nonstop.  I remember when jogging 60 seconds was a struggle, and I'm not exaggerating.  My legs used to hurt and I would be out of breath after jogging 60 seconds.  In some ways that seems like a lifetime ago, but I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I ended up jogging 1.6 miles in 20 minutes.  When I was done I walked another 1.5 miles with my mom.  So, to anyone doing Couch to 5k, or any other running program, stick with it.  If you have to repeat weeks, who cares, repeat it.  JUST KEEP GOING!  You can do it!  You can do so much more than you can ever imagine.  DO NOT GIVE UP EVER!  Whew!  I got excited all over again writing about it lo!

Quick Look at January Goals:
Try new exercise:  I tried the Plank Knee Raise  
I liked it.  It was something different and it was challenging.  I realized how much trying just one new thing can spice up a workout

Try a new food:  I failed at this.  I'll try to remember to try 2 for Feb to make up for it.

Oh, I have not jogged since last Sunday because I was supposed to jog again on Tuesday and ended up in a minor car accident.  I guess the woman behind me decided a red light means keep your foot on the gas and she rear ended me as I was stopped at the light.  I'm not cleared for exercise until tomorrow.  I basically ended up with a lot of soreness in my neck, shoulder, and back and a headache.
I hope you all have a fantastic day and remember NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!

I think this is the 3rd time I've posted this song, but since it's the song that made me keep going:
Janet Jackson - Make Me

Good News!

It's been awhile.  I'm still trying to catch up on reading blogs. 

School:
I normally keep this blog weight loss or fitness related, but I had a great day yesterday so I want to talk about it.  A professor I had last semester loved some of the research I did so much that she wants me to enter it in a university-wide competition in April.  I was really pleased that she liked it so much.  I'm also entering the same research in a competition on Monday.  On top of that I have been really stressed out with 5 classes and working 80 hrs in one week.  I have been a functioning nutcase suffering from sleep deprivation.  So, I was going to drop 1 or 2 classes.  I had to meet with one of the professors I was thinking about dropping because of a research paper.  I was with him for about 40 min and he is absolutely amazing!  I left thinking there was no way I could drop him.  He's really great.  I left feeling better about that class, but still a little down about the workload I'm taking.  Well, I came home and had a letter waiting on me from the UA. 

This came along with another letter that said as long as I complete the 5 classes I am signed up for right now, I will graduate in May!!!!  Technically, I knew that according to my calculations this should happen, but there is something about getting it officially from the university.  I had applied for graduation early in December, but had not heard anything so I was getting nervous.  I was so excited yesterday!  Whoo Hoo!  I also had dinner and a movie with my parents, so that added to my fantastic day.

Now Back to Fitness:

I see Sam twice a week.  During my work week, my exercise sucks.  I literally don't have the time.  I see him during my 90 min break between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Other than that, I am either in class or trying to catch up on sleep.  He's going to write me up two plans: one for my work week and one for my off week.  He says the work week plan is going to be really short, but he wants me to do something.  He says sleep is very important and he does not even want me trying to do hour long workouts  (even on the weekends that I work).  He started talking about lack of sleep and hormones and weight gain.  So, I'll let you all know what he comes up with when I see him Tuesday.

I can't even remember most of the things we did this past week.  It has all been a blur.  I can tell you that he jogged with me on Thursday.  I told him how I had not done anything on my own since my work week started, and that included jogging.  I was complaining how I was going to have to start all over with my jogging and I was depressed about it, so we went to the track.  We jogged for 11 min.  I have no clue about the distance, because we were talking so I wasn't counting laps.  I learned it is so much easier when you have someone with you.  I do have a few friends who run, but they are so much faster than me and can go a lot longer, so I never ask them because I would hate to slow them down.  It was really nice jogging with someone else though.

Before I go Win, Lose, or Blog is accepting applications for their next season.  I competed in this and had a great time.  Plus, you get prizes and who doesn't like prizes!  Anyone can apply.  Several sizes are accepted.  Many of the ladies from my season had already lost a lot of weight.  Some weighed a lot less that I did and a couple weighed more.  Basically, if you have any weight to lose...apply!  Here's a link that will give you more info and tell you where to go complete the application.  Give it a shot!

Aaliyah- Try Again

Almost Lost It...

...it being everything I ate for breakfast yesterday.  Yesterday was a Sam day.  First, let me tell you what I did

3 rounds of 30 seconds each
Wall Balls (12 lb ball)
Burpees
Jumping Jacks
Kettlebell Swings (12 lb kettlebell)

3 rounds
Woodchoppers (10 each side)
Alligator Walk (12)
Walking Lunges  (12)
Sprints on Stationary Bike (2 min)

3 rounds
Modified Push-ups (10 but I had to go all the way down to the floor before I came back up)
Bicycle Crunches (15)
Lat Pulldowns (12 using 60lbs)
Dumbbell Punches (30 seconds)

2 rounds
Deep Squats (15)
Pulsing Squats  (10)

Mountain Climbers (30 sec)

I did everything except the mountain climbers for 30 seconds.  My stomach was feeling really funny and Sam asked if I was lightheaded.  I was, but only a little.  He told me I was on the verge of throwing up and we had to stop.  After about 4 min of just sitting I felt fine and wanted to do the last 30 sec of mountain climbers, but Sam said no.  So, I made it through all but the last 30 seconds of my planned workout. 

To those of you who say reading Sam's workouts makes you feel like a wimp...don't.  Remember, it takes me an hour to do this stuff.  A lot of you have been exercising longer than I have and could probably do these workouts faster and with heavier weights.

I completely bailed on jogging over the weekend and earlier this week.  I'm on the day I'm supposed to jog for 20 minutes straight and I've been completely psyching myself out.  I was supposed to do this on Sunday, then Tuesday and I kept making excuses not to go.  This morning I woke up with a back ache, but decided to go anyway.  I didn't make it.  Each step seemed to make my back feel worse.  So I was out there for about 25 min, but less that half of that was jogging.  So, I came back home.  I'm going to take a Motrin or Aleve and see if my back feels better later.  If so, then I will try it again after class today.

My nutrition sucks.  There's no other way to put it.  I think I've eaten out once a day 4 out of the last 5 days.  I don't know what it is with me and food.  Well, I do know what it is...lack of willpower.  I have stayed away from burgers and fries, but getting a sirloin with a Parmesan cheese crust and a loaded backed potato isn't any better.  It's actually about the same thing.  So, I'm going to work on it.  Telling you all about this all the time does nothing, if I don't put some action behind what I say I want to do.  So, hopefully my next post will say I've done much better with my eating habits.  I also hope to be able to say I jogged 20 minutes.

Not a Nicki Minaj fan, but this is a nice tune for me to jog to.
David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On

Busy Little Bee

Whew...I've been busy this week.  I'm sorry I'm not able to blog as much.  During my work week I used to posts blogs at work.  Now, Blogger is blocked (but facebook is open, so figure).  With work and school, I only have time for sleep during the day.  So, when I work you will probably only see 1 blog from me and it will be on the weekend.  I'm off right now, so whoo hoo!

School started on Wednesday.  I am taking 5 classes.  What was I thinking?  I work a full time job and I decided to sign up for 5 classes!  This honestly might drop to 4.  If it does, then I will graduate in August and not May.  During my work rotation I will average about 4 hrs of sleep Monday through Thursday.  Also by the end of April I will have read about 25 books for these classes.  This all seems very overwhelming to me right now.  So, we will see how it goes.  I have until the 19th to drop a class and it will completely disappear from my transcript.  After the 19th, a W will show up on my transcript, but I can still drop it.

Now for my most exciting news...I saw Sam Wednesday!!!!!!  Yay! Yay! Yay!  I didn't even realize how much I missed the entire experience of training with him.  I can't remember everything we did, but it was quite a lot.  Jogging is difficult for me, but I don't produce 1/10th of the sweat jogging as I did while I was with Sam.  Here is what I can remember that we did:
Walking Lunges (as I came up to switch legs I had to pause with my leg in the air...hard to describe...sorry)
Squats (with 25lb weight)
Burpees
Wall Ball
Alligator Walk
I probably did another 10 exercises I just really can't remember them.  When it was all said and done, my shirt was soaked, my legs were shaking, and I was breathing like a crazy person.  Sam chose that moment to say, "Welcome back.  You missed me didn't you?" He had a smile a mile wide.  lol!

I also got my body fat measured in a machine called the Bod Pod.  I'm not pleased at all with what it said.  This is supposed to be one of the most accurate ways to measure body fat.  I'll let you all know what my number was the next time I get it done.  I hate the number is so high, but I will feel better posting it if I can at least say "look it's lower than that now." So, you'll just have to wait another 6-8 weeks or so.  This machine also tell you how many calories you can eat.  Sam said I could eat 2100 calories.  Here's my breakdown. 
If I were in a coma and never moved at all for 24 hrs my body would burn just under 1700 calories.
Sam said he would consider me active, given that I am jogging 3 days a week and seeing him for 2.  As an active person I could eat 2600 calories a day to maintain my weight right now.
A sedentary person could eat 2100 calories.  Sam told me to stick with the sedentary calories in order to lose.
2600-2100=500 calorie deficit per day
500 calories x 7 days a week=3500 calories=1lb of weight loss per week.

This is the Bod Pod when you sit in it and what it looks like closed.

Jogging:
So, all last week I was referring to my jogs as week 3 of the couch to 5k plan.  I was wrong.  I was actually doing week 4 then.  I am now on week 5.  Today was week 5 day 2 which was...
10 min warm up (the plan says 5, but I have found that I need 10)
8 min jog
5 min walk
8 min jog
cool down
Here a link to the plan if anyone else is interested.

Day 3, which I should do on Sunday is a warm up and then a 20 minute jog.  20 minutes nonstop...really???  Yeah, my mind is already playing games with me.  I'm really worried I will not be able to do this.  I'm going to try really hard though, because I can imagine that the sense of accomplishment I will have if I do this will be insane.  I have to remember that a few weeks ago I never would have believed that I could jog for 8 minutes.  So, I just have to give it all I have and do my very best.

Last week I was tagged in a post by Hyla, one of the lovely ladies I met through Win, Lose, or Blog.  I am supposed to:
1. post these rules.

2. you must post 11 random things yourself.

3. answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post.

4. cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.

5. go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.

6. no stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

I'm going to cheat here, because I've done something similar not too long ago and the people I would tag would be the same ones I tagged then.  So, I am going to give you my random facts, answer Hyla's questions and probably list my favorite blogs.

Random facts:

1. I bite my nails...not a good habit and I'm hoping to change this
2. I love really good hummus dip.  I mean REALLY love it.
3. I'm obsessed with Christmas.
4. I love scented candles.
5. I have cracked my sternum before...not a pleasant experience AT ALL
6. I hate to work out in front of people
7. I'm a sucker for Hallmark movies
8. I'm terrified of roller coasters that go upside down.

9. I love cheese grits.

10. I'm obsessed with keeping track of how much fiber I eat.  I know this is odd.  I really don't track what I eat, but I do keep a mental note of how much fiber is in everything I eat and I get ticked if I am below 20 for the day.  I shoot for above 25 though.

11. My guilty pleasure is watching young adult tv shows and reading young adult novels (The Secret Circle, Vampire Diaries, The Hunger Games, Artemis Fowl, etc.)

Hyla's Questions:
1.How do you plan on meeting your goals this year?  Are they realistic?  If so do you have high hopes of meeting them and surpassing them? 

I plan to reach my goals through old fashioned diet and exercise.  I think the key for me will be finding exercises and healthy food that I love.  I think my goals are realistic (40-50 lbs this year) and if I stick to my plan even remotely I should hit them.  I lost close to 25 lbs last year in about 5 months and I was very hit and miss with workouts and good nutrition.  So, I have very high hopes

2.Are you looking forward to any big events this year? 

I turn 30 this year, and believe it or not I am really looking forward to it.  I'm going on a big trip, but I have no idea where yet.  I also think I'm going to have a new body by the time I look 30 and I'll look better at 30 than I did in my 20s, so I'm pumped.

3. Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?  LOL, I meant where would you like to be? 

Lol!  I used to watch Carmen San Diego with my cousin and sister as a kid.  If I could be anywhere I'm not sure where I would want to go.  Somewhere with temps around 75, a light breeze, and plenty of sightseeing, attractions, good food, and shopping...and no school and no work lol!

4.What is your favorite piece of comfy clothing? 

lounge pants and t-shirt

5. What is your favorite piece of "I feel hot!" clothing?

a dress that properly fits me (I have a lot of over sized clothing)

6. Honestly, what are your thoughts on Facebook? 

Some days I love Facebook and other days I think Facebook is the devil lol!  I don't post too much on there because it's so easy for people to get all of your info.  I like some of the connections I've made through it though.  I refuse to have Facebook connected to my phone, because it's really not that important to me.  The people who are really important to me have my phone number, so I don't feel the need to constantly be on there checking updates.  So, I guess in a nutshell I like it, but I am not obsessed with it.

7. Have you ever done anything daring?  If so, what? 

not really.  The most daring thing I've done was probably when I was in high school.  As a senior I would leave school for about an hour every day to go eat out lol!  I did end up getting caught by the assistant principal one day, but I was one of those stellar students who made straight A's,was in every club, and never did anything wrong. He was in shock and believed I was confused about the rules of being a teacher's assistant and let me go.  Haha!

8.  What is your favorite book and author?

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (the 1st book I remembering completely loving.  I had to read this in 6th grade)

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines (This is just a fantastic book.)

9.  What is your favorite movie?

Braveheart

10.  What is your favorite Disney princess or other princess?

Ariel

11.  Do you dream?  What about?

I hardly ever remember them.

Favorite Blogs:

Win, Lose, or Blog (motivation, weight loss, giveaways, competition, etc)
Fitness For the Rest of Us (weight loss, reviews, giveaways)
Avery and Winslow (crafting)
Runs for Cookies (maintaining weight loss, running)
Changing from Fat to Fit (running, weight loss, fitness, etc)
Gina's Skinny Recipes (recipes)
Carbie Girl (weight loss)
Girl with Curves (fashion)
365 Weighs (she has not posted in awhile, but it's still good stuff)
Pril's Place (fashion)
Hourglass Red (weight loss)

Sorry about this being such a long post, but a had a week's worth of stuff to cram in here.  Congrats if you made it through it all lol!

Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing (Despicable Me version)  I really do jog to this song and I love Despicable Me, so this is a fantastic video.

Keep it Moving

So far so good.  I have nothing earth shattering to report, just that I am still moving.

Saturday:
30 min Zumba

Sunday:
30 min Zumba
50 Modified Push-ups
50 Squats
50 Leg Lifts

Monday:
60 min Zumba

Today:
50 Mountain Climbers
50 Jumping Jacks
10 V-Ups
(I did this circuit of 3 exercises 6 times for a total of 300, 300, and 60, then)
15 Modified Push-ups
15 Squats

I was planning to do more push-ups and squats, but then I realized I am scheduled to do quite a few of them tomorrow, so I stopped.  The point is that I am moving and have been moving for 4 days in a row.  I had forgotten what it felt like to be sore...thank you 50 squats and push-ups from Monday.  I hate and love the soreness all at once.  I hate it because it hurts...no brainer.  I love it because I know I worked out. 

I was looking over some of the workouts I used to do with Sam, and I'm wondering how the heck I used to do all that stuff without vomiting.  I decided in December that I am probably going back to him.  Do I "need" him? No.  Can I physically do his workouts on my own? Yes.  Do I want to train with him? Does he motivate me? Do I think he is the best trainer ever? Yes! Yes! Yes!  So...I will probably be back with him at some point this month.

Here's my food diary from yesterday:

Ugh!  I have the absolute worst time with pictures on my blog lol!  You can always just click on the picture though to bring up a larger version of the chart in full.  I think my sat. fat and cholesterol are cut off on the side lol!  Saturated fat for the day was 9 and cholesterol was 162.  I don't really track food a lot.  I know it helps, but it takes up too much time for me.  The only thing not listed is the Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning I used on the chicken breast.  The point is that I was doing GREAT until I went out to a sports bar last night.  I had a small order of cheese fries, which I assume was about the same as a large order from a fast food place.  I also had two 6 oz. amaretto sours.  Do you see the calorie count and carbs in those 2 drinks????  944 calories and 152 carbs...whoa!  This is why one of my goals for the year was finding ways to celebrate that do not involve drinking.  Anyway, since I don't track often I just thought it would be nice to share the one day I did track with you all.

Have a great day and keep it moving everyone!

Breathe Carolina - Blackout

Short End of the Year Review

This has been a pretty decent year for me.  I weighed in this morning at 227.8.  So, I have gained weight since last time I posted a chart for you all.  This is a yearly review though, so I am going to focus on the fact that I lost 20 lbs from my heaviest weight this year.  That's something to be happy about.  I am also in an XL shirt at Old Navy (I buy a lot of clothes from there.)  I can technically get into a L shirt, but my boobs are too big and it's not really flattering for my stomach anyway.  So, I've gone from a tight XXL to an XL that is lose around my stomach.  I also entered my first 5k this year.  I did not warm up properly and ended up slightly injured, but the point is that I overcame a fear and did it anyway.  There is one on Jan. 28,2012 that I plan to enter.  I have also dropped from a comfortable size 20 jean to a comfortable size 16.  On top of that I have lost 15 inches over 8 different spots on my body since I started working out in June.  I have also tried new workouts, new foods, and did things completely out of my comfort zone.  let's not forget meeting Sam!  He is amazing and through him I learned that I am stronger and can do things that I would have never imagined.  I might not have done everything I planned to do, but I definitely think I made a pretty great start.

Recap of this year:
-20 lb loss
-2 jean sizes down
-XXL to XL shirt
-completed 1st 5k
-15 inches lost since June
-got out of my comfort zone

Tomorrow I will take measurements for the new year.  I have done this for 2011 and 2010, so I will be able to compare the two.  I'll also jot down a few goals too.  So, check back tomorrow evening for that.

I worked out this morning for the first time in a week and it felt amazing!  I did 30 minutes of Zumba 2 on Wii.  My sister bought it for me for Christmas.  The graphics are much better than the 1st one and you are able to track your weight and it gives an estimate for calories burned.  So far though, I like the songs on the first one better, but I only did 6 or 7 songs out of close to 40...so I might have a different opinion of the songs as I do more of it.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Case of the Blahs

Tonight I'm feeling very blah.  I can tell TOM will arrive tomorrow.  This leads me to the subject of weigh-in.  I hate stepping on the scale when I'm bloated.  I know the number is up because I'm bloated, but that does not mean I have to like it.  It still disappoints me.  I always post a huge gain when I'm bloated....I'm talking 3-5 lbs. 

Enough period talk lol!  This morning I tried Insanity.  I don't own the dvds.  My coworker purchased them and when he watched it (he did not do it), he decided that he needed time to mentally prepare lol!  So, he told me I could borrow the set for a few days while he gets his mind right.  I LOVED it!  I had to stop for a few seconds a couple of times, but so did the people in the video; therefore, I did not feel bad at all about stopping.  It's definitely called Insanity for a reason.  I did a 40 min crazy cardio dvd and then 16 minutes of cardio abs (which was on the same dvd).  When I finished I was pumped and wanted to do more, but I decided not to push it.  Good thing I stopped, because I woke up sore (and not quite as in love with Insanity lol).  My thighs are not very happy with me right now.  I can completely see why people get results with this program.  I was sweating within 8 minutes, and that was still the so called warm up.  Maybe I'll get to keep it longer than expected while my co-workers mentally prepares.

Now it's time for my ode to Sam.  I had my last session with him on Friday.  It was bittersweet.  I'll probably end up going back to him in December or January, but it was really hard for me to accept that I won't be seeing him twice a week anytime soon.  He's going to write me out a program to follow while I'm away.  I feel that's really kind of him.  I know I don't NEED him, but he's wonderful.  I mean it.  I really cannot say enough about how great he is.  He is so supportive and pushes me out of my comfort zone, so that I can be my best.  His belief in me makes me feel I can do anything he asks me to do, and it makes me WANT to do it.  I thank him all the time and he always says there is no need to thank him, because I'm the one doing all the work.  He's freaking fantastic.  I wish I could wrap up mini Sams and send one to all of you.

Did I mention he's super cute? lol!  Anyway, I love Sam.  He's perfect and I'm going to miss him terribly.

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

2 Years in the Making

(I originally wrote this blog on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011)

First, and most importantly, it’s time for the Dora song. I DID IT!  I DID IT! I DID IT!  YAY!  I am now in the 220s, which is the lowest weight I’ve been in over 2 years!  I’m so excited!  REALLY EXCITED!  Can’t you tell by all the exclamation marks!  Lol!  Today was not my official weigh in day, but since I was only 0.6 lbs away, I’ve been stepping on the scale every other day.  I want to celebrate, but I can’t think of a reward that does not involve food, alcohol, or money (I’m trying to spend less right now).  I am less than 3 lbs away from the lowest weight I’ve been in many many years, probably somewhere between 6-8 years.  Since that’s so close maybe I’ll save the reward for that milestone.  I’m eyeing a dress that’s on clearance for $15, and I’m thinking that might be my reward when I lose the next 3 lbs.  Yes, I know, I know…I said a reward that does not involve money.  So, this is when I need for you good people to give me other options.  I seriously cannot think of anything else.  It’s also alright for you to say “just get the dress Briana.”  Haha! 

In other news I saw Sam today.  Goodness, I’ve missed him.  I have not seen him in close to 3 weeks.  I’m actually going to have to stop seeing him for a couple of months, but I still had a couple of sessions that I had already paid for.    So, I’m using them.  It’s amazing how quickly I lost all the endurance I had gained with him since June.  3 weeks off probably undid 60% of the strength and endurance I had gained in over 3 months.  I was still better today than I had been the very first time I saw him.  So, that’s good, but whew today was rough.  I had to stop and go to the bathroom because I thought I was going to vomit.    I actually had to stop twice.  Sam is not a believer in the Biggest Loser style of working out.  He doesn’t believe you should workout more than an hour and he doesn’t want you to be sick.    That is not the point of what he does.  So after the second time I was about to vomit we quit for the day.  This means I did not do the last 3 exercises (curl to press, dips, and v-ups) of the final round.  In all honesty, if Sam had said to finish I would have done it, but I was glad he said to stop.  Part of what I like about Sam’s workouts so much is that we rarely use machines.  This means when I am no longer seeing him I can still do a majority of things at home.  Today I would only need dumbbells (which I already have) for the curl to press.  Everything else used my body weight.  So, here’s what I did today.

(DID THIS TWICE)

50 Jumping Jacks

40 Squats

30 Modified Push Ups

20 Leg Lifts

10 Burpees

50 Mountain Climbers

40 Lunges

30 Curl to Press

20 Tricep Dips

10 V-Ups

On a side note, I have taken my newest set of 6 week measurements, but I’ll post that on Tuesday after the WLB results go up for the week.  So, come back on Tuesday!

I discovered today's song during a Zumba class.

Ida Corr - Let Me Think About It

Just Rambling

I have not posted in awhile because I mostly post workout with Sam and I have not seen him in over a week.  I should go back towards the end of next week.  I miss him.  He has given me wonderful tools and I know I don't NEED or HAVE to have him, but I really do miss him.  I want to go back...soon!  He is just so great.  I wish all of you could have a Sam in your lives.  I don't know what I'm going to do when he leaves lol!

Win, Lose or Blog Week 1 Results are in.  be sure to join in on the mini-contest every Tuesday.  You will be eligible for prizes too!  I'm in 7th place (out of 8).  I did lose close to 2 lbs though, so I'm still pleased.  I knew coming into this that my average is 1-2 lbs per week.  So, I guess I'm right on track for my norm.  Plus, I had gained a couple of pounds the weeks before, so it's good to lose them.

On another note, I have a 5k this Saturday.  It's a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser.  I have not been training like I should, so I'm not too excited about this one.  I shold beat my time from the 1st 5k though (52 min).  I took off work this Friday night so I can get a decent night's sleep before race day.  Then again, I have friends coming in to town who I have not seen in awhile.  So, who knows what kind of sleep I will get.  We'll see, and you know I'll give a race report at some point over the weekend.

Another thing on my mind is the fact that I'll have another 6 week measurement session in about a week and a half.  At this moment, my weight is pretty much the same as it was 4 weeks ago.  So, I don't want to take measurements AT ALL.  On a good note, I still have close to two weeks to make a difference and I plan to make the most of it.  Gosh, I just have to do better.  I keep saying that and not following through, so I'm going to come up with some kind of reward system for myself.  I'm not sure if I want to use a a system that looks at my weight (like every 10 or 15 lbs) or if I want to use the measurements that I take every 6 weeks.  I think about it and let you know what I decide.  Suggestions are always welcome!  I'm not a fan of punishments, but I might decide on burpees for a punishment if I don't get all my water in for the day.

Taken from Reasons To Be Fit

I have no idea if I've posted this song before or not, but here you go
David Guetta, Chris Willis, and Fergie - Getting Over You

Win, Lose, or Blog Post and Info

SO.........today marks the first day of the competition and I'm so excited.  My blog page is up and running here's the link to Briana's WLB Blog.  When I post there I'll try to post here too.  Some things won't really be relevant, so I may cut and paste items.  I'll definitely keep my Sam workouts here for my special anonymous commentor. I know how you like to know specifically what Sam and I did lol!  Here's my first WLB post.  If you have been following this page, then you already know most of this introductory info.

OH WAIT.....before that post.  I just came from a visit with Sam.  I'm having some breathing issues, so we took it easy.
3 ROUNDS OF EVERYTHING:
15 Push Ups
20 Walking Lunges
20 Step-Ups
15 Leg Lifts
10 Lat Pulldowns
15 Walk Outs
5 Burpees (You know I was honestly sick if Sam only made me do 3 rounds of 5 burpees lol!)
12 In and Outs

3 rounds of this took me an hour.  It normally would not have taken so long, but he gave me tons of rest breaks in order to get my breathing under control.  We also chatted about me hitting a plateau.  I've been at a standstill for a little bit.  He said it's normal, but be happy that I'm still getting smaller even though the scale is not budging.

NOW THIS IS MY WLB POST:

Hi everyone!  This is my first post for Win, Lose, or Blog and I am SO excited to be here!  If you have not already read my short bio I am 29 and I stay busy.  I've been attempting to lose weight since June with a trainer (Sam).  I blog more about my trainer here.  So far I've been doing an alright job, but I know I can do better.  On average I lose about 1 lb per week.  I know 1-2 lbs a week is what many people recommend, but I want more.  Well, if I want more I have to put in more work.  I have to work hard and eat clean.  I am not a believer in starving.  I think the most successful people with weight loss have done it the old fashioned way...exercise and portion control.

My downfall most of the time is what I eat.  I work long shifts and I also attend school full time.  My time is limited, I don't get enough sleep, and it is always so much easier to grab fast food than it is for me to actually prepare something healthy.  Plus, I'm completely addicted to salt and sugar.  I have slowly started to try and incorporate healthier foods into my diet though.  I bought a few Mrs. Dash seasonings to try and curb the salt.  I honestly had no idea there were so many salt free seasoning choices.  I also had no idea I would really like them.  Since trying new foods I have discovered that I really like hummus and pita bread, asparagus, and grilled chicken seasoned with a Mrs. Dash blend.

Another downfall of mine is cardio.  I HATE it!  I don't mind lifting weights at all.  I actually really love strength training.  Cardio is what I can't stand.  I don't like being out of breath.  I just don't enjoy it at all.  I know I have to do it though.  I'll never melt the fat away if I don't do cardio.  I think the trick is finding cardio that I enjoy.  For the most part, that is Zumba.  I also jog and use the elliptical.  Jogging is another story in itself.  Jogging and I have a love/hate relationship.  While I'm doing it, I hate it.  Once I'm done, I love it and want to jog again.  It's strange.  I'm signed up for a 5k on Oct. 15.  I will not be able to jog it all, but I'm still excited to participate.

My motivation comes and goes.  Some weeks I am all pumped up and I do everything almost perfectly.  Then there are times when I just don't feel like doing anything at all.  That's one reason I was so interested in Win, Lose or Blog.  It is another way to keep me accountable.  I'm hoping to have lost 10 lbs at the end of this 7 weeks.  That will put me around 223, which is the smallest I have been in many years.  I know it's technically a competition, but I don't feel like it really is.  By that I mean, this is such a wonderfully, supportive community of people who are all here for encouragement, support, and motivation.  I sincerely hope everyone does well. 

I always end my blogs with a song (normally from my workout playlist).  I've used this one on my main blog before.  I really love it.  Many times it is my go to song when I jog.
Janet Jackson - Make Me

Are You Serious? Really????

I cannot even count the number of times I said "Are you serious?" to Sam today.  If I was not saying that I was saying "Really???"  Yeah, it was one of those days.

Yesterday I was really excited to see him today.  I have not seen him for a session in quite awhile.  Last Friday he had to cancel because of an emergency and this past Monday I had to cancel because I was out of town.  I have been doing my homework, so I just felt like a superstar!  Well, I had to work last night, so by the time Friday morning came I was exhausted.  Plus, I was having shin issues.  I was really hoping for an easy day with Sam (cue insane laughter here).

We talked about what we both had been up to and I told him what issues I was having with the homework.  I also let him know I planned to be completely dedicated during this current 6 week stretch.  He thought I had been completely dedicated already.  So, I had to explain to him what I was REALLY doing when I was not around him.  Then he said we were doing a circuit of 2 min on a cardio machine then 3 exercises and we would do it twice.  I thought...no big deal...right....WRONG!!!!  This is what I had to do today

Treadmill jog for 2 min
1 min Mountain Climbers
20 Thrusters  (30 lb barbell)
20 Leg Lifts

Stationary Bike keep rpm above 80 for 2 min
30 sec Squats w/ Pulse
20 non-modified Pushups
20 Wall Balls

Elliptical Trainer keeps steps per minture above 120 for 2 min
15 Alligator Walk  (instead of a quick continuous movement I walked my hands out after I moved each leg)
1  min Burpees
20 TRX Row
2 min Rowing Machine

2 min water break then do it all over again

Looking at this typed out, it doesn't look like much, but just try it.  It's torture.  This will seriously get tagged as an insane workout.  When I left the gym my body just felt like dead weight.  I was not sore...yet, but it felt like body parts were just there.  I have to admit though, once I was done I felt amazing.  I had this Superwoman or She-Ra (I know I'm not the only person who watched She-Ra) glow. The fact I had completed this monster of a workout made me feel invincible.  I wanted to go jog a mile and had delusions of kickboxing.  Yeah, that would be the endorphins kicking in. 
No worries, I listened to my head and got in the car and headed home...no crazy extra working out.  Good thing, because less than 24hrs later.  I am ridiculously sore.  I normally feel my worst close to 24-36 hrs later, so I am not looking forward to the soreness I will have after I wake up tomorrow.

My eating is going really well so far this week.  I only had one slip up and that was Thursday.  Wendy's was calling my name and I ordered a value french fry and a crispy chicken sandwich.  I had eaten so well previously in the day that even with the Wendy's food I was in range for the day.  I think only having one slip up in a week is pretty wonderful knowing how I normally eat.  Mrs. Dash has become my friend.  I was shocked by how many salt free seasoning are in the grocery store.  I currently own three (garlic and herb, chicken blend, and lemon pepper).  Right now they are enough to keep my taste buds entertained. 

Saturdays are my weigh in days, so I'm hoping this week has paid off.  Unless I do something spectacular I won't blog over the weekend.  So, you'll have to wait to find out how my weekly weigh in went.  Regardless, I can say that I feel better.  I honestly feel smaller, whether I actually am or not.  I've had a successful week and for that I am proud.  I feel like celebrating!

Today's song was chosen because I feel good!  So, push play and get moving people!
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel...

Doing Better

So, for the next 6 weeks, I'm going to make a real effort at doing things right.  I've been halfway doing things or not doing them at all when I'm away from Sam, and I know I can do better.  Today was a cardio day.  I did 2 min moderate and 2 min fast in a continuing rotation for 45 minutes on the elliptical machine in between my classes.  Most of the time I was actually thinking, I'm really going to have great results in 6 weeks.  I also liked the sweat...go figure.  Initially I was not sweating at all, so I found myself working harder simply to feel sweat drip down my back and face.  It's almost like a badge of honor.

I showed Sam my stats today (I didn't have a session with him.  I just stopped by his office to show him my 3 month results).  He looked over the numbers, but his face really lit up when he saw the before and after pics of my face.  That made me happy. 

Anyway, tomorrow is a circuit day.  I will have to look back at my sheet in order to see exactly what it is I'm supposed to do.  I hope to get it done early.  I CAN be dedicated for 6 weeks.  I'm GOING to be dedicated for 6 weeks...there...that's better.

Today's song...by request lol

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem

Entering a New Phase

I took a week off after the 5k nerve issues and I put on weight.  I was supposed to do another 6 weeks measurement last weekend, but I didn't want to because I had gained weight.  I'm doing it this upcoming weekend no matter what though.

As usual, my eating has not been very good.  I've done better since Sunday though.  It's hard to resist temptation sometimes.  I pass my tons of fast food places on my way home and my time is so limited.  I work full time and I am a full time student.  Stopping at a drive thru just seems so much easier when I'm short on time (which is most of the time).  This week I've made an effort not to stop for fast food.  The couple of times I have stopped I've made decent choices.  I stopped at Chick-fil-A and had their chargrilled chicken sandwich (normally: 12 count chicken nuggets, medium fry, and medium lemonade).  I also stopped at a Greek place and got a grilled chicken kabob plate (normally: cheeseburger, seasoned fries, and sweet mint tea).  I put a fresh bottle of water in my car every time I get in it, so I won't have an excuse to get a soda if I do stop somewhere.  All in all I've made pretty good changes.  With the two changes I made the two times I ate out I saved a gazillion calories lol!  I have also changed out salad dressings.  I used to use Hidden Valley Ranch (regular...not fat free or lite).  I now use a fat free, low calorie raspberry vinaigrette.  I really see the difference when I log my food.  I didn't realize there was so much fat and so many calories in a regular ranch dressing. 

Sam has officially given me homework.  He has given me a set of workouts for the next three weeks for three days that I do not see him.

WEEK 1
Day 1
40 min of cardio (2 min moderate, 2 min fast...repeat 10 times)

Day 2
21 Burpees
21 Leg Lifts
21 Squat Jumps
18 Burpees
18 Leg Lifts
18 Squat Jumps
15 Burpees
15 Leg Lifts
15 Squat Jumps
(then 12, 9, 6, 3)

Day 3
40 min of cardio (2 min moderate, 2 min fast...repeat 10 times)

WEEK 2
Day 1
45 min of cardio (30 min moderate, 15 minutes comfortably hard)

Day 2
5 Laps (each lap = 1/8 mile)
25 Push Ups
25 Squats
4 Laps
20 Push Ups
20 Squats
3 Laps
15 Push Ups
15 Squats
(then 2-10-10, 1-5-5)

Day 3
45 min of cardio (30 min moderate, 15 minutes comfortably hard)

WEEK 3
Day 1
50 min of cardio (2 min moderate, 3 min fast...repeat 10 times)

Day 2
2 Laps (sprinting)
10 Push Ups
2 Laps (sprinting)
10 Burpees
(repeat 6 times)

Day 3
50 min of cardio (2 min moderate, 3 min fast...repeat 10 times)


When I read this I looked at Sam like he was a crazy person.  Of course, he has faith I can do it all.  I will always do the "day 2" workout on Wednesdays.  When I work I will do the "day 1" and "day 3" workouts on Saturdays and Sundays.  When I'm off I'll do them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  In some ways I'm looking forward to it.  I know it will kick off this next 6 weeks for me on a really great note.  I look at this "homework" and I can see the lbs falling off.  On the other hand, I know it's going to be really hard work.  I feel like I've goofed off this past 6 weeks, so I really need a kick in the pants to turn in an awesome set of measurements in another 6 weeks.

Right now I can admit that I do not always give my workouts everything I have.  I get tired and just squeak out whatever I can to get by, but at the end of this next 6 weeks I hope to be able to say:

Link for Inspirational Workout Quotes

I forgot to post a song with my last post.  Janet Jackson has a lot of music that's good for workouts.  Sometimes you just need something upbeat to put a smile on your face.  This does it for me.

Janet Jackson - All for You 

Turning Into a Fitness Geek

Today was a training session day.  I'm going to list what I did first, which is kinda tricky.  So, this is the circuit:
Modified Push Ups (21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6)
Jogging In Place with High Knees (60 sec, 50 sec, 40 sec, 30 sec, 20 sec, 10 sec)
Burpees (21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6)
Jumping Jacks (60 sec, 50 sec, 40 sec, 30 sec, 20 sec, 10 sec)
Squats (21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6)
Mountain Climbers (60 sec, 50 sec, 40 sec, 30 sec, 20 sec, 10 sec)

So, basically I did 6 rounds and each round had fewer reps or cardio time.  Then I did
Hamstring Curls (2 sets of 12)
Assisted Pull Ups (3 sets of 4)
V-Ups w/ Stability Ball (2 sets of 10)

The circuit became easy once I got to the round of 12 reps and 30 seconds.  The V-Ups are still hard.  The assisted pull ups are really hard too.  On pull ups #4 I did not think I would be able to pull myself back up and I thought I was going to get stuck on the machine.  Sam laughed hard when I told him that, and so did a few other guys who were around me in the gym.  Overall, it was a good day.

I woke up in a foul mood this morning.  I had to work an odd shift, so I only had close to 2 hrs of sleep before I had to get up and get dressed.  I know I was in a foul mood because I put on my workout pants and thought, "Man, these pants are loose and sagging in the seat now.  This sucks and it's irritating."  Hahahahaha!  Seriously, I was ticked my workout pants were no longer skintight.  I bought them tight so they would not slip when I do burpees.  When I walked in the door Sam said, "Oh no, don't come in here dragging today."  I told him about the pants, so he would know what kind of an hour we were about to have and he thought it was hilarious.  By the time I was done with warm up my mood was much better though.

The food has not been going too well.  I do perfectly until around 4pm.  Then it's like my body just goes crazy and I have to have a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets or anything from Taco Casa.  If you're in Tuscaloosa then you know all about Taco Casa.  I'm a work in progress, so I'm working on it.  It's so hard though.

I say I'm turning into a fitness geek because of my watch.  I've had a watch that includes a stopwatch feature for over a year.  I use it to know exactly how long it's taking me to walk/jog.  I also use it to look at my 1 mile splits.  Well, about two months ago it stopped.  I was not sure if the battery stopped or if I had broken it somehow.  I've been walking/jogging with my cell phone, so my times have not been 100% accurate.  After my session today I went to a store that only sells batteries.  They popped a new battery in and it worked.  I was so happy I thought I was going to cry.  I almost skipped, yes...skipped, out of there.  This made me realize that I am changing.  Whoo Hoo!

Sorry for the long post today.  The song of today is Square Biz.  I know, I have a weird mix of workout songs on my ipod, but when I hear "Everybody get up!" I'm ready to go!  Enjoy!
Teena Marie - Square Biz

Oh Boy!

I have not posted in a week, because I have not worked out in a week.  I have a history of terrible migraines that will not stop and I had an episode over the weekend and it lasted for a few days.  So, I spent much of the past few days doped up on medication.

So, I knew today would be rough.  I was honestly excited to see Sam again.  I've finally crossed over into enjoying my sessions and I even look forward to them.  I've practically taken a week off though, so I was expecting my body to go into shock.  I don't post links if I've already posted a link to the exercise in a previous post.

Today's Workout:
20 Modified Push ups
20 Wall Balls
20 V Ups (yeah, really freakin ridiculous...I'm seriously not kidding)
40 Step Ups
20 Sumo Squat High Pulls
20 Burpees
20 Shoulder Press w/ Barbell
Then jog across a gym, up a flight of stairs, 1/8 of a mile, and back down the flight of stairs, then do it all over again.
ALL OF THIS WAS DONE FOR 3 ROUNDS

Yes, people, 3 Oh my goodness I think I'm going to puke rounds.  I did the 1st round in 11:20, the 2nd in 11:40, and the 3rd in 10:22.  These times may seem a slow to some one who is in shape, but I'm close to 240 lbs, so I was beat.  Sam knows by now to play on my competitive nature, so he tells me how long it takes me, because he knows I will want to beat my time.  When he told me I was slower the 2nd round I got a little ticked.  I was completely exhausted the 3rd round, but I just HAD to beat my two previous times.  It took everything I had and a prayer or two, but I did it!  I was rewarded with a high five.  Hey now...don't turn up your nose at my high fives.  Lol!  I've only gotten one on two other occasions.  It's how I know I've surpassed his expectations.  Well, maybe I should say it's how I know I've turned in an awesome workout, because he always tells me he only asks me to do things he knows I can do.  Anyway, you get the point...high fives mean I kicked butt!

The hardest thing for me was definitely the V-Ups.  If I did not have to do those I would have finished much much sooner.  They are HARD HARD HARD...just try 5 if you don't believe me.

Today's song is an all time fav of mine.  Prince is picky about his music being on youtube, so this link may not even be active a few minutes from now but here it goes anyway
Prince - I Would Die 4 U

No Whining

Today was a training day and as one of my Sparkpeople friends would say, "I completely ROCKED IT!"  lol!  I'll tell you what I had to do towards the bottom.  I never flat out complain.  For example, I don't say I won't do that.  I am notorious for saying "This is craziness, Sam!"  I say it so much that sometimes he sees a look on my face and says,  "just craziness!" before I can get it out lol!  My mind and my body are at odds sometimes.  I can look at something and my mind says oh no, but my body does it anyway.  Well, today there was none of that.  I walked in there very sleepy and I did not think this was going to be a good day.  Boy, was I wrong.  There was no whining or self doubt at all.  He told me what to do and I knocked it out...end of story.  It felt awesome!  Sam told me I did great and he was impressed that he keeps throwing harder things at me and I fight through it. 

Today there were other girls in there (a group of 4).  Do people really work out in full make up?  I mean really...in full borderline almost too much make up???  I was totally distracted lol!  They were thin, but not in the best shape.  They were tired after a few squats.  I have to be totally honest, I smiled a little and thought I do more than that without getting tired lol!  I also remembered when I would be exhausted doing a few squats though.  I've come a long way.

Today's workout:
-Squat w/ knee raise (1 min), pushups (1 min),burpees (1 min),  Reverse Lunge w/ Knee Raise (1 min each leg), Kettlebell Swing (30 sec each arm), BOSU ball plank (1 min)  (3 rounds)

-BOSU ball squat (12) and Bicep Curl w/ Shoulder Press (12)  (3 rounds)

-Tricep Pushdowns (4 rounds of 12)

-Lat Pulldowns (3 rounds of 12)

-Stability Ball Knee Tuck (6 then 12)

I always do a 10 minute warm up on something, usually the bike.

Today's song is another one that really gets me moving.  I'm beginning to feel like I say this about every song I post.  Anyway, here it is...
Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor

The Boobies are Always the First to Go! (6 Weeks In)

Today marks 6 weeks of working out for me.  I have not done anything hardcore, unless I'm with my trainer.  So, don't expect any mind blowing numbers lol!  I see my trainer twice a week and I'm supposed to do cardio on my own 3 other days a week.  In all honesty I only do about 2 other days of cardio, and until the last two weeks I was not putting in all I could to those cardio days.  I also don't eat as I should.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely eat better, but I cannot say I'm eating clean.  Anyway, enough with the excuses I know you all want to see the numbers and here they are.

	6/7/2011	7/16/2011
Arm	14.75	14.75
Bust	46	44.75
Band	38.5	38.25
Waist	41.5	40.5
Navel	46	45
Hip	48	47.5
Thigh	32.25	31.5
Calf	17.75	17.5
Total Inches:	284.75	279.75
Weight	244	236.8

So, I've lost 5 inches and 7.2 lbs.  I wanted more of a loss on the scale, but I know I didn't do all I was supposed to do.  That's my fault, so I'm not stressing about it.  Plus, a loss is a loss.  That is 7.2 lbs I am no longer carrying on my body.  I know what I need to do for this next 6 weeks and I'm more motivated now to do it.  I'm super excited about the inches lost though.  I lost the most around my bust (1.25 inches).  This always happens, so I'm not shocked.  I'm also really happy about the inch gone from my waist.  Whoop Whoop!

I started jogging on Wednesday and it was fabulous!  I was planning to do the Couch 2 5k plan, but for whatever reason I just was not feeling it.  So, what I did was walk 0.25 mi to warm up then I alternated jogging and walking 0.25 mi.  I did  close to 3.1 miles in 48 minutes.  I was not in any pain or anything.  I was really shocked because when I tried C25K back in March it was horrible.  I was in pain and aching every single time I jogged.  So, I expected the same thing this time, but it was not there.  I think this is because of the strength training I've been putting in with Sam.  That's really the only thing I can think of that is different.  Regardless, it was a really exciting day for me.  It felt GREAT!  I'm going to keep walking the 0.25 miles, but slowly increase the jogging intervals.  I had a slight injury.  My shoes rubbed the skin off my heel and I was bleeding.  I've learned to wear socks that completely cover my heel.  I was supposed to jog yesterday, but I visited my grandmother for a few hours instead, so I'll do it today.

The bottom line is that I'm excited about working out.  I look forward to working out and it makes me happy.  I know it's going to be hard work, but I get excited to see Sam.  I'm also looking forward to my next jog.    This has been a good week!

Today's Song is Whitney Houston's Million Dollar Bill.  I'm a slow jogger, so this song is perfect for em when I'm jogging.  I love when I'm on a section of the trail by myself so I can sing out loud haha!  Enjoy!
Whitney Houston - Million Dollar Bill

Appreciate the Sweat

In my session today I did mountain climbers, leg raises, step ups, some other up and down exercise on a step bench, and 84 burpees (yes, 84 freaking burpees).  Burpees are so hard for me and I am not even incorporating the push up in yet.  I also dislike mountain climbers too.  I basically dislike things that involve some type of cardio.  My cardiovascular shape stinks.  It's that simple.  I know it's improving, so I'll just have to suck it up until I'm better.

I was in the middle of my burpees and I noticed I don't look quite as fat as I thought I looked in the mirror a few weeks ago.  I know I have not lost much weight, but maybe I have lost an inch somewhere.  I will be able to let you know definitely on Saturday (that's when I take 6 week measurements).  I also noticed that I have a slight concave curve from my waist flowing out into my hips.  I was looking kinda curvy and I liked it.  By the time I left the gym today I was covered in sweat, literally.  At first I thought it was gross and I said, "Ewww....look at my back."  Sam said, "Yeah, look at that!"  My sweat was evidence of my good workout.  I took on a different appreciation for my sweat lol! 

Today's Song is "Hello, Good Morning" by Diddy (Diddy Dirty Money....I really don't know.  All of his name changes are confusing sometimes.)  This is one of my power songs.  It pushes me a little bit more when I'm tired.  The version I use is clean and does not include Rick Ross.
Hello, Good Morning