Well I couldn't resist.

Over the weekend I totally threw my diet out the window. Saturday I ate Kashi cereal, then a lean pocket at lunch, went to my brothers house and he made me a chicken breast with sauteed veggies and mac & cheese, then went to the mall and had a few pieces of a soft pretzel (major no no) and then a skinny mocha from starbucks (110 calories). THENNNNNN on sunday, I had morning coffee, for lunch 3 pieces of jets pizza and 5 buffalo wings.... that is all the calories I should have in a day. But did I stop there? Nope. I went on to eat a bag of popcorn (at night) covered in Louisiana hot sauce, diet coke and some Hershey kisses....
But hey, Bob Harper says you should have one day a week where you throw your diet out the window. So I stretched out my day into two.
Knowing this, on Monday I went back to my diet. I worked out for 60 minutes doing circuit training. I ate better and drank more water. Here is where my other temptation came in, I said I didn't want to weigh myself except for once a month. But this morning I got up and I really really wanted to see if my weekend binge killed my weight. So I made sure that the scale was in the right spot for an accurate reading, I step on and to my surprise I saw 132.9!!! Now this isn't the first time 132 showed up. It's the second. and I put the scale in a second place just to see if it was consistent and it was. I have to say I was really excited, but I also know that it probably won't stick around for long. It does mean that I just need to keep up with my eating and exercising. I am going to put the scale away, and bring it back out in one month. Hopefully the number will be below 132, but if not i'm okay with that too, because I know that I am eating healthy (for the most part) and I am working out. My clothes are fitting me nicely and that is what I am going by!

The Scale

I have decided that I am only going to weigh myself once a month. At the end of every month I will stand on the scale and see if I have gained weight or lost weight. I find that the numbers all get stuck in my head and it totally messes with my mind. I like to know how many calories I am eating, I like to know how many calories I am burning, and I would like to know if I am losing weight on the scale.  This is hard for me. Every morning I stand  on the scale, then I have to re-position the scale because our floor is not leveled, and will give an inaccurate number. I tend to fluctuate between 3 lbs. 133lbs -135lbs. I know I am losing weight because of how my clothes are fitting, so why is the number on the scale such a big deal? Well, I'm not sure. I don't know if it is because I have always been under 130lbs?? I don't know if it is because I am working so hard, and to not see those numbers just drop make me fee like I'm doing something incorrectly or not working out hard enough. Whatever the reason may be I do know that I don't want to focus on it. I know that muscle mass weighs more than fat. I have never been this toned in my life, even though I was skinnier then. I know that I AM working HARD. I'm still learning, I'm still getting stronger. So I need to change my mindset. I don't want to workout until I reach a certain goal. I want it to be my lifestyle. I want to do it because I want my kids to learn how to be healthy. :sigh: It's difficult, but as long as I am fitting into my smaller clothes, than I know I am doing just what I am suppose to be doing...

My Cardio Watch

Since I started working out I wanted to get a heart rate monitor, that way I can keep track of how many calories I am actually burning. This is the nifty watch that I got: It is a Sportline Cardio 680 heart rate monitor.

click here to read more about this watch

The thing I love the most about this watch is the simplicity of this watch. It's easy to set up, easy to read and comfortable to use. You have to wear a chest strap with this watch to pick up your heart rate, but it really is comfortable and you barely know that it is there. The price for this watch is good too. $39.99 I got mine from Dicks. Most watches are either extremely expensive but at the same time difficult to set up and to read.

I used this watch for the first time today doing my Jillians 6 pack abs in 6 weeks. It said that I burned 302 calories in 21 minutes! How awesome is that??? But I have to add, that this watch measures cardio workout not strength or resistance. So I probably burned more than what it said. Read here about circuit training. So now, I have to talk about this workout with Jillian. 302+ calories in 21 minutes? How awesome is that? I would have to run 30 minutes to burn 300 calories. For example I ran 3.1 miles yesterday in 35 minutes and I burned 391 calories. That's a lot of calories but in compared to 21 minutes? And I'm only on level 1! I'm excited about this workout in addition to the other programs I am doing. I want to see how many calories I burn during my 3-2-1 class and my butts and guts class. Then to see how much I am really burning in my Zumba class. People say you can burn a ton doing Zumba because there are all sorts of different motions, using the whole body. I'll keep you posted, In the mean time I am gonna run tonight and see if my watch is consistent with the meter on the treadmill. Remember the watch will be more accurate because it reads my actual heart rate. Ta Ta for now :)

Don't quit!

I do not know what has been up lately, but my motivation for working out is just *thrbpt* down the toilet. I mean I want to, but often I question myself "hhhmmm should I go get my butt kicked tonight"?  I have always ended up going and I am always thankful I did afterwards. I really think being a full time mom of 3 makes it difficult. You have to plan to set time aside for yourself to do something that isn't exactly fun. I mean, if you could go get a massage or pedicure, then no problem right? But even though it hurts to work out, even though you are dripping with sweat and have a permanent  wedgie, even though you have aches and pains what I am doing, what YOU are doing is better than any massage or pedicure. It's a great stress reliever (believe it or not) you actually produce endorphin's and you are making your body stronger and healthier. So if you have days like I do, and you just don't want to do your workout, DO IT ANYWAY!!!!  Don't let excuses get in your way because once you give into it, it is easy to give into it a second or third time. Keep at it. Don't stop now, you've come too far too quit, to turn back.

lack of motivation

I'm really struggling for motivation right now. Today I have my 3-2-1 workout and to be honest I just.don't.want.to.do.it. ! I'm tired, I'm sore and a little shaky from my workout yesterday. I know that I'm gonna DIE tonight. :sigh: I have my workout clothes on, and I'm just watching the clock slowly go by. I'm trying to drink some water so I don't get dizzy, I probably should eat a granola bar to help me with energy during the workout but I had a late lunch and i'm so full. ugh.
I'll probably do it anyways. Hopefully I will switch into beast mode once I get going...

Jillian 6 pack abs in 6 weeks

I recently bought this dvd workout from Costco. It came with a one year subscription to Fitness magazine so I bought it. Tonight was my first night doing this workout and I have to say it is pretty intense, but not impossible. You start off with level 1, 5 days a week for 3 weeks, after that you progress to level 2, 5 days a week for 3 weeks and in the end you're suppose to have a 6 pack.  I don't know if I truly believe this, but I'm gonna stick with it and see if it is accurate. Now, I do other workouts, so i'll have to see how this comes into play. There are a few exercises that are a little more difficult but I'm sure as my core develops it will get easier.  All you need is a 3-8lb weight, and a floor mat. So I'll check back in 3 weeks to let you know how it  is going :)

My Support

I did Zumba last night and I was having a hard time. I think it's my shoes. I was getting pains in my left ankle, and the arches of my feet were killing me. I wear Nike running shoes, so I"m thinking of getting some cross trainers. I started looking around and oh.my.goodness running/cross training shoes are so expensive. I mean, I have a shoe thing. I love my shoes. I love heels, flats, boots, sandals but workout shoes?? Those aren't exactly at the top of my want list. UNTIL NOW. I find myself evolving. Instead of buying designer jeans, or a beautiful dress, I want to buy Under Armor and other brands of workout clothes. (which by the way is not cheap) I look at sports bras and stretchy pants, even the type of socks I look at are "breathable workout" socks. LOL It's crazy I tell ya! So now, I am at that stage of wanting to invest in some fantastic shoes. I find these shoes to be even more important and more impressive than my stilettos. These shoes stand for strength, endurance, support. They represent my desire to achieve something that is before me. They give me confidence in the same  way my stilettos do, but this confidence is something that is rooted deep in me. It doesn't leave me once I take off my shoes.These shoes give me a sense of pride because I know that where I am going and what I am doing is good for my body, my mind and even my spirit. I know that I am setting a good example for my kids, I'm encouraging my husband and motivating him to do the same.
My perspective of these shoes has changed. They're expensive but worth every penny. 

Mind over Matter

Ran 1 mile in 9 min.

I really wanted to try and run a mile in 8 minutes . Now here is the strange thing. When I research how fast you have to run to complete a mile in 8 minutes it says you have to run a speed of 7.5 mph. If you want to run a mile in 9 minutes you have to run at 6.7 mph.  This is where I am thrown because I ran at 6 mph and finished a mile in 9 minutes.... It was on the treadmill so maybe the speed on my is different? Like if it says 6 mph maybe I am going faster?  I don't know. I just know what my treadmill said, and I will stick with it. Regardless it felt great. I enjoyed the burn , the pressure, the competition against myself and against time. I saw this picture

it's not a deep thought, and it's not something we all haven't heard before, Mind over Matter. How many times have we defeated ourselves because mentally we just gave up, maybe never even started? I need to remind myself of this, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Mind over Matter. 

ran/walked

34 min

2.8 miles

324 calories

new measurements

I measured myself today.

Here are my starting measurements (142lbs, size 8/10)
                        

Waist~28

Belly~36

Butt~41

Thighs~39

My current measurements (133 lbs, size 6/8)

Waist~28

Belly~34

Butt~39

Thighs~37 (right under my butt cheeks)

So as you can see, the numbers aren't huge, but progress is being made. I'm not surprised by my waist line, I don't think I ever really gained weight there. Most of my weight is carried around my belly and my hips and of course my thighs. For my thighs I just stand together and measure the circumference total, which probably isn't the best method. (individually they are 24 in in circumference)

I'm not really following my measurements I am going more on how my clothes fits. However this is just a little boost!

Zumba and tonight Butts and Guts.

Yesterday I went to Zumba. I have only gone to an actual class one other time. Other than that I have done it on my Kinect. Now, let me start with this ; when I first started to work out and lose weight I did it with Zumba (on my kinect) I was 149 lbs. I wasn't super consistent with it but it did help me to lose weight. It was an intense workout. It starts of with beginners at 20 min and then as you get better it increases to expert 45 min. Any time I did my Zumba, I broke out in a great sweat. It was great cardio and also working out the abs and calves. My husband would even do it with me (generally he lifts weights and runs) and it was a great workout for him as well.  If you do Zumba, I think it is fantastic. It's a great way to do cardio and to lose weight. After several months I dropped down to 142 lbs. That is when I started doing other workout programs. 

Over the past few months I have truly built up my endurance and I have become more fit. At my best distance I have ran 5 miles, at my best time I ran 2.65 miles in 30 min. Every time I get on the treadmill I try and push myself. Sometimes it is only 2 miles and other times it's 3 miles. I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy pushing myself. That is why I really like and hated the 3-2-1 circuit workout that I did a couple of weeks ago. It was SO incredibly difficult. I have no upper body strength. I struggle to do a single full push up. It hurts my neck when I do crunches because I don't have enough back muscle. So I need to strengthen those area's. The whole week after this work out I literally hurt in every spot, and you know what I LOVE that feeling. I mean of course it's difficult when you need to use the restroom and you practically fall onto the toilet because your legs are so sore they can't support you as you squat. LOL All this to say, Zumba last night was a great cardio. I definitely got my sweat on. But I didn't walk away nearly as satisfied as when I run 2 or 3 miles. Sure it was fun, I laughed at myself as I saw myself in the mirror and felt like I was trying to pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time. But I felt like I needed more. I needed something to challenge me. Something to really push me and make me stronger. That draws me to my final thought, tonight is Butts and Guts. Another very difficult and challenging work out. 

This will give you and idea a very small example of what it is.

Anyhow, what i'm really excited about tonights work out is that my big brother is going to come babysit my 3 kids while my husband and I get to go and workout together!!! I love working out with him because he is so much stronger than me and well I want to be able to keep up with him. However, maybe this time he'll have to keep up with me :) maybe. 

2012 fitness resolutions

It's the beginning of 2012 and I wanted to set some resolutions. You know, I have never set resolutions before. I always thought they were stupid because how many people really followed through with them? Instead I felt like you were setting yourself up for failure. NOW I think that you fail if you don't set up some goals to go after. We all need something in life to drive us to be better. Whether it is within our home, within our family, or just within ourselves. We need motivation. So allow me if you will to list my resolutions.

1.I want to run AT LEAST a 5k, if not a 10k

2. I want to push myself. Not just with running but with other area's of fitness. I want to do circuit training, I want to do zumba and other dance fitness work outs. I want to explore other ways of becoming strong besides running.

3. I have always been "skinny" but I was always skinny fat. I no longer want to be just skinny. I want my heart to be strong, my lungs to be strong, my whole system. I want to be in the best shape ever.

4. So I have these workout dvds. I've had them for a while actually and I have not  stuck with it. Why? Because they seriously kick my butt. My husband and I both do these and we both struggle. It is hard but I want to finish them. I want to go through ALL the levels and be stronger in the end!

5. I want to learn how to cook and eat healthier. Cooking is not my strong area, but I have to say that I am improving so much. The thing is, I don't want my food to just taste good and fill your belly. I want it to work for you and with your body. I want it to be healthy and that is what I need to learn. How to cook healthier meals.

6. My last resolution for now :) is to have great abs. I don't want to be overly muscular. But I definitely want some nice abs and skinny thighs. Right now my stomach is shrinking and i'm proud of that, but to be able to put on your seat belt without seeing a bulge of fat hanging over. To be able to roll on your side and not see your fat roll with you, to put on a pair of low rise jeans and a t shirt without having a muffin top. Yup. I want great abs!


Side Note: Today I ran for 30 min. stayed between 5.5 and 6.0, I ran 2.65 miles (my best distance in 30 mins) and burned 312 Calories