Oh, November. You're dark and cold. I'd like to get up and run in the mornings sometimes, but when I wake up at 6am and it's completely black outside with frost on the ground, it's hard to get motivated. Even though for most of last week I had a cold sticking around - you know, they kind that likes to flare up just enough at night so you can't really get decent sleep - it was a good couple of weeks. The scale is my friend again. I've been steadily dropping weight every few days. I've figured out that I can have about 200 calories worth of something after dinner each night - either a glass of raw milk or a few glasses of wine (I don't drink towards the beginning of the week), but not both. Having both a few days week is what was causing my weight to stand still. So, I pick and choose my indulgences every day so I still feel like I'm not so restricted and am able to keep the weight loss progress.
It's been sort of a weird month. It seems like every time I get mad because the scale isn't budging, I start getting more compliments about how good I look. It's odd how things come in to alignment like that...it seems as if the world keeps giving me more reasons to hang in there and move forward, even when I feel like I'm standing still in this battle.
CrossFit continues to be my greatest love/nemesis. It hurts, [literally] but it's a ton of fun. Thursday's class was a kettle bell back workout and boy did I feel it the day after, no wait - four days after!. My lower back muscles were so sore [in a good way] that I had to mentally prepare myself for standing up, sitting down or bending forward in general. It's four days later, and I still feel like it's a bit of a challenge to stand up straight. But I still hobbled my way in to Friday's CrossFit class, which made me forget about what muscle group was sore in the first place [sit ups!!!]. With it's high competitiveness [against yourself], that class is definitely what I need to keep moving forward and progressing, even with getting a nasty bruise on my knee from burpees. I don't care. Sore feels good. I had someone ask me why would I enjoy such an intense class that leaves me so sore [let's be honest, nearly immobile] the next day. It was an easy answer. You can allow your mind to triumph over your body to make it do what you thought it never could before. So, soreness is not unlike getting reward or praise from you body, it's the actual physical feeling that you accomplished something above and beyond your normal fitness realm.
Workout This Week:
Monday : Spin & Sculpt = 510 calories
Tuesday : 3.1 mile treadmill run = 472 calories
Thursday : Bodypump + 10 mile run = 462 calories
Friday : Cyc[Psycho]Tone = 570 calories
Workout this week :
Monday : 3.1 mile treadmill run = 470 calories
Tuesday : Spin circuit = 520 calories
Wednesday : Spin & Sculpt = 450 calories
Thursday : CrossFit = 520 calories
Friday : CrossFit + 10 min treadmill run = 484 calories
Last two weeks down another 2lbs - about 56 total. Cool thing, took in one of my shirts this week; about an inch and a half off each side - this shirt was snug on me in September when I bought it. Yay for sewing machines and extending the life of something I literally just bought. I figured out if I have a day that I'm feeling kind of big, it's probably because the clothes I'm wearing are a little to big for me. Five minutes on the sewing machine and a glance in a mirror gets me back to the 'hey, I look pretty good' mindset.
I'm pretty exited to be where I am now. I ordered a few dresses for a friend's wedding last week, both 14 dress size. One was pretty huge, the other was snug but fit. But hey, I'm in REGULAR size now, not plus! Let's flash back for a minute. The last dress I ordered was a 22 plus size. The dress I wore when I got married six years ago was a 20 plus size (and it had a corset back which gave me more room). 14 regular size is pretty damn good. Unfortunately I didn't like either of them, so I ordered another. The dress selection around Vermont is not too stellar so I'd rather try the hit & miss approach with online shopping.
I hope everyone has a happy, healthy Turkey day. I look forward to not making it an excuse to misbehave. Mine will most likely be pie-less and stuffing-less. Bring on the turkey, veggies and mashed potatoes, though! I have plans to do a treadmill run Thursday morning so a little bit more of a 'hearty' (not over-indulgent) meal will be fitting. My Boston family hasn't seen me since last Thanksgiving, like almost 60lbs ago. I'm exited for them to see all the hard work I've been doing!
What's with the name?
What's with the name? In my mid-twenties, I had essentially gone through one kind of life and am starting to enter another. The people that are probably going to read this blog know exactly what I'm talking about - but for those who don't know, here's a brief rundown . Cheers to Chapter 2! A journey in health in many ways, and to be the best version of myself I can possibly be. I am also a blogger for GreenMommas.com. This is my blog.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Week 'Who Knows' Recap : I've Never Been a Runner, But...
Trying to figure out what week I'm actually on is getting a little confusing and sometimes depressing (as it's nearing or in to the 40's now). So, I'll just write an update when I feel like I have something to say. Must remember this is a journey, a lifestyle, and not a race to the end. I must look at how far I've come, and keep making steps in the right direction.
Last week, as I promised myself I would do before the end of 2012, I signed up for my first 5k race! On December 2nd my mom and I (as well as many other coworkers and friends) will be running in the Santa 5k - dressed in Santa suits. I'm pretty exited about it, it should be fun. It's definitely motivating me to do some more running - Sunday morning I was up and out the door at 7:45am in 37 degree weather for a run. Got about 3 miles done in 34.5 minutes, I am hoping for my first 5k I can run the 3.1 in under 35 minutes. It's going to take a bit of work and some more practice but I don't see any reason I can't to it. I've been fitting in a little extra treadmill time when I can. For the shorter CrossFit classes, I'll go up and run until I've burned over 500 calories total for the workout. Today (Tuesday) I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill in 35 minutes 12 seconds! I really pushed myself and gave it my all, setting specific time goals per mile. I'm no doubt the fastest I've ever been.
I've never been a runner, quite honestly I've pretty much always hated it. I think that's because it's always been hard for me. I am learning to love it, though, as it's becoming a great testament to my increasing improvement in health. I've shaved at least 10 minutes of my 'starting' 5k time of 46 minutes in a little over eight months. I progress every month, even if I haven't been consistently running. It makes sense - less mass for my legs to move means I can move my own weight faster. Increasing leg strength means it's easier to propel myself forward at a faster pace. I don't consider it hard now, but a challenge that enables me to set measurable goals. Maybe I will be a runner someday.
Workout this week:
Monday : Spin & Sculpt = 470 calories
Tuesday : My own 'at home' CrossFit workout = 260 calories
Wednesday : Spin & Sculpt = 515 calories
Thursday : CrossFit + 10 min treadmill run = 537 calories
Friday : CrossFit + 5 min treadill run = 507 calories
Sunday : 3 mile run = 488 calories
Overall it was a good workout week. Cut back my gluten intake again (I had a piece of bread at Noah's birthday dinner on Friday night, but that's OK). Going gluten-free entirely is still proving hard, but I am having less and less over each week. This has been an effective way for me to cut anything out of my diet, and leaves me feeling less deprived of foods. Instead of cutting things out completely (which sets me, personally, up for failure), gradually reducing them until they're nearly eliminated has worked better.
Lost another pound, hooray! -53.5 total. I'm five pounds away from my halfway mark, but still 16 lbs away from my year-end goal. I may make it, I may not. But if I don't, I'll be close. How about this Pinspiration, seems fitting for me right now :
Last week, as I promised myself I would do before the end of 2012, I signed up for my first 5k race! On December 2nd my mom and I (as well as many other coworkers and friends) will be running in the Santa 5k - dressed in Santa suits. I'm pretty exited about it, it should be fun. It's definitely motivating me to do some more running - Sunday morning I was up and out the door at 7:45am in 37 degree weather for a run. Got about 3 miles done in 34.5 minutes, I am hoping for my first 5k I can run the 3.1 in under 35 minutes. It's going to take a bit of work and some more practice but I don't see any reason I can't to it. I've been fitting in a little extra treadmill time when I can. For the shorter CrossFit classes, I'll go up and run until I've burned over 500 calories total for the workout. Today (Tuesday) I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill in 35 minutes 12 seconds! I really pushed myself and gave it my all, setting specific time goals per mile. I'm no doubt the fastest I've ever been.
I've never been a runner, quite honestly I've pretty much always hated it. I think that's because it's always been hard for me. I am learning to love it, though, as it's becoming a great testament to my increasing improvement in health. I've shaved at least 10 minutes of my 'starting' 5k time of 46 minutes in a little over eight months. I progress every month, even if I haven't been consistently running. It makes sense - less mass for my legs to move means I can move my own weight faster. Increasing leg strength means it's easier to propel myself forward at a faster pace. I don't consider it hard now, but a challenge that enables me to set measurable goals. Maybe I will be a runner someday.
Workout this week:
Monday : Spin & Sculpt = 470 calories
Tuesday : My own 'at home' CrossFit workout = 260 calories
Wednesday : Spin & Sculpt = 515 calories
Thursday : CrossFit + 10 min treadmill run = 537 calories
Friday : CrossFit + 5 min treadill run = 507 calories
Sunday : 3 mile run = 488 calories
Overall it was a good workout week. Cut back my gluten intake again (I had a piece of bread at Noah's birthday dinner on Friday night, but that's OK). Going gluten-free entirely is still proving hard, but I am having less and less over each week. This has been an effective way for me to cut anything out of my diet, and leaves me feeling less deprived of foods. Instead of cutting things out completely (which sets me, personally, up for failure), gradually reducing them until they're nearly eliminated has worked better.
Lost another pound, hooray! -53.5 total. I'm five pounds away from my halfway mark, but still 16 lbs away from my year-end goal. I may make it, I may not. But if I don't, I'll be close. How about this Pinspiration, seems fitting for me right now :
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)