Time to Get Serious Again...

Alrighty...I know it seems like I am always trying to get started again - welcome to what many people struggle with! I am no exception. I have signed up for 4 classes a week once again at work (Circuit Training, Pilates, Yoga and Core Sculpt). I am pushing myself to go to them and am glad I am doing the classes again. I had been sporadic the last few months of 2014.

Now, if I am going to get real, I need to admit that I have lots of work to do on my eating habits. The truth is that as long as that is not where it should be, I will not improve. You cannot outwork a bad diet! I cannot stress that enough - eating horribly will keep all the exercising in the world from giving you the results you are striving for. I am not delusional and sitting here wondering why I am still struggling. The problem is right under my nose (and above the neck). What I am putting into my mouth is not the type of fuel that I should be putting into this body. I can even feel it at some of my workouts. When I eat a good, healthy breakfast, I do much better in class. If I eat something not so good for me, I feel like I am more sluggish and not at my peak performance. This is my wake-up call - I am at 206.4lbs and will never get under 200 if I don't start making some healthier choices. It is time to focus on food! Let's get this going in the right direction! :)

A New Cycle

This week I started doing something I haven't done in ages - I went running! The last time I did that I was in college and living in Florida. Because I was playing basketball on scholarship, I had to follow a post season regimen given to us by the team trainer to ensure that we were in shape come the fall. One bad thing - running in the summer in Florida sucks!!! I hate heat and the minute I would go outside I'd have a sheen of sweat on me. I hated everything about running down there. Now fast forward several years and change the location back to Montreal. This time of year is blissfully cool. My first run was not uncomfortable because of the weather. My only discomfort came from the fact that I have a ways to go until running is easier. A few weeks ago I went to a local store (Jog X) and they made me run on a treadmill in my bare feet to analyze how I run in order to recommend the right type of shoe. It turns out that I land on the balls of my feet (a good thing because landing on your heels is jarring to the knees and hips). This means I can choose the lightest running shoes I can find so that I don't weigh down my feet and "clunk" while running. Funny, that's how I have always chosen my cross trainers - I always look for the lightest shoes I can find that allow me to feel almost barefoot. So, after trying on a couple of pairs of shoes, I chose some runners by Saucony:

I wasn't choosing by color, I was choosing by comfort and feel (although I kind of like that they're bright and funky). My first run with these was awesome. They are super light and my feet felt great.

Now I need to put together a playlist on my MP3 player. I already have some cool songs on there (because it was always for working out at the gym), but I'd like to update it a bit. So, let's see how this goes...

BTW, I weighed myself last week and I was at 202.4lbs! Come on "one"-derland!!!

Time to Get Back on Track

It has been a while and a lot has happened since my last post. In June we saw a house we fell in love with, made and offer and it was ours! We signed for the house July 17th and moved in August 2nd. Our place looks like a cyclone hit, but there is so much more space than where we were before. The kiddos, the hubby and I are all able to breathe easier now that we are no longer on top of each other 24/7. The dynamic is much happier and healthier for us all. I love this place and look forward to when we have it all organized (baby steps...we want to do it properly the first time).

And that brings me to getting back to the healthy track...I am thinking about getting myself out there and running (I hated it when I was younger, but am willing to try it out again - I may find that I like it at this stage in my life). If anything, it will help me get acquainted with our new neighborhood. I am also going to start working harder on preparing more health-conscious meals. Besides, we need to stop spending outside the house with all the city taxes, school taxes and welcome tax that we will be hit with in the first few months of ownership. At least our money is working for us now! No more renting!!!

I weighed myself within the past week and the weight I was at was 206.8lbs. I really want to get below that 200 mark, so it's going to be up to me to commit to eating properly and getting the right amount of sleep (2 things I have not been consistent with). I know I can do this...

And to have a reference point:

Chest: 45" (prev. 45.5")
Ribcage: 40 (prev. 41")
Waist: 44" (prev. 43.5")
Hips: 45" (same)
Thighs: 23.5" (same)
Upper arms: 13.5" (prev. 13")
 

Due for a Check-in

It has been a while and I must admit that the past few weeks I have "fallen off the wagon" so to speak. My eating habits have been horrible. I am not sure what triggered it, but I need to get back on track (actually, that's not true - it coincided with my grand-maman's death - an emotional trigger). I have added on a few pounds (I am at 207.6lbs), but I will not let that get me down. It's just a reality check and highlights how important what you are putting in your mouth is. I have been exercising regularly, but not fueling myself properly and have been more sluggish lately. I know that I need to be better about going to bed at a decent hour, watching my eating habits and drinking more water during the day. I am going to get through this "bump" along the way because I refuse to go back. I am now doing 4 classes a week and will continue to do so (although tomorrow I will bow out of my class because I hurt myself today in Tabata - my lower back is pinching). So, for anyone who has ever had a setback: do not let it derail you or make you throw in the towel - use it as something to get you focused on your next try. I am going to drop under 200lbs. You just watch me! :)

And a Bit More...

Weighed myself last week and was happy to see 204.6lbs! I am approaching that 200 mark! I decided then that I need to really start upping things. I know I need to do more cardio, so I thought I might try doing a class each day at lunch at work. I went to my regular Circuit Training on Monday and definitely felt the burn (we worked with the big balls - insert pun here). On Tuesday I tried Tabata for the first time and that afternoon my legs felt like lead. Wednesday I went to my Martial Arts Boot Camp. On Thursday I decided to take the day off because I didn't think I'd have enough left in me for Friday. Since Boot Camp on Fridays is my favorite class, I did take Thursday off and it turned out to be a great choice. Friday's class was like Tabata on steroids! Holy cow! 30 seconds of an exercise with a 10 second recovery. We alternated strength moves and cardio. It was a LOT of cardio! And the worst one was doing Mountain Climbers with our feet on felt pieces so that there was no stability from the legs (only the arms and core). The entire group was dead at the end of the class. I must admit that I was dead (I even collapsed on the very last round of Mountain Climbers on the felt), but was really happy to have done such a challenging class. Felt great! I feel a little bit of the soreness today, but not that bad. My recovery is quicker and quicker these days. If I had done yesterday's class about 3 months ago, I would be moving around like an old woman all weekend.

Now, to start working at eating better...I do make some pretty good choices, but I also make bad ones. Do I beat myself up about it? NO! I am human and we all have moments of weakness. I just make sure I don't throw in the towel and use those moments as excuses to give it all up. My goal is to try playing basketball again in the fall and I AM GOING TO DO IT!!!

Update

So much for being better about posting. I continue to do my 3 classes a week at work. However, I go back and forth with eating well and not. My current weight is 206.0lbs. I am thinking about bringing my exercise clothes on Tues/Thurs to use the elliptical machine at work so that I add a bit more cardio to my week. I am also going to look into swimming once again (I LOVE being in the water). Maybe one night a week or one time on the weekend. I'll have to play it by ear...

I have been tossing around the idea of maybe playing basketball this coming fall. That would be a great goal fitness-wise and would get me playing my favorite sport again! If that's going to happen, I really need to get a handle on my eating habits and focus on getting more cardio into my schedule. Tune in and see what happens in the next few months...

Happy New Year - FOCUS!

Happy New Year to everyone! I am happy to say that I worked out twice last week (there are a few of us at work that still get together at lunch even though there are no formal classes being led by instructors until the week of the 12th). I ate lots of treats during the holidays, but tried to be balance that out by not having too much in one sitting and really watching my snacking. When I weighed myself a little over a week ago I had gone back up to 208.6lbs which did not bother me because that was a very slight increase (and awesome for a time of year that is often a source of lots of weight gain for many). This morning I weighed myself and I am down to 206.8lbs! I am getting closer and closer to that 200 mark! 2014 is the year that I will drop below 200lbs and stay there. I am on my way to being healthier (I already feel stronger due to the workouts I am participating in) and am hoping that I can really focus on all the things I need to this year. Last year I was all over the place mentally (which is not my nature) and it just made me feel on edge at all times. So, my word for 2014 is FOCUS. Focus on getting healthy, focus on getting our home organized, focus on family and friends and focus on enjoying life! Here's to a great year that is just starting :)