The Late Shift

I worked ridiculously late last night, until 9pm. I've been slacking for a few weeks on keeping up on writing chart notes and got 3 weeks behind! I'm not going to let that happen again. Needless to say I didn't go to the gym last night as planned. So even though I had a busy day planned today I got up this morning and went. The c25k was more on the easy side again. I walked at 3.7 and jogged at 5.0 with a few of the jogging portions done at 5.5mph. I did my other 25 minutes of cardio on the elliptical and bike. Then weight training, upper body. I had to rush through because I was meeting an appraiser at our condo (we don't have to refinance, thankfully we have a fixed rate, but rates are so low that we might get a lower fixed rate).

Anyway, met him and then off to a late lunch that was breakfast too. Egg whites (made with butter, I could taste it), bacon, fruit cup and whole wheat toast with jam. Not bad all around but still felt extravagent. The bacon was good. Anyway, going out dancing tonight. I'm really excited and hope I have a good time. I feel really good today.

Some (not so tall and really petite) people weigh 100 pounds.

Lost 3 pounds this week. That certainly makes the hurt of gaining one pound last week go away I'm in the 180's. Wow, this eating healthy and exercising really works doesn't it. Slowly but surely. Today's a day off from the gym and I went to happy hour with co-workers. We went to Chili's and I had the guiltless Salmon and beans, still not all that guiltless at 10 points for the meal (I get 24 for a day) but I was happy to have something not too bad. Of course I tasted all the appetizers they ordered and had three drinks. Vodka soda though, so only the alcohol calories.

I was scared to come home because after a few drinks I sometimes want to eat everything. So I walked around the mall until it closed. By the time I got home I only succumbed to some FF Pringles and drank a big glass of H20. Not bad.

Anyway, enough about what I ate. I lost three pounds. My current goal of 179 is coming into my sights. I posted some new progress pics and posted the old ones from when I started BFL at 221 pounds. I didn't take pics when I started Weight Watchers at 233.8 pounds. Of course I regret that now. Oh, I get a new charm from Weight Watchers when I've lost 50 pounds. That's just around the corner too. Wow. Oh, Megan pointed out that she and I are this close to having lost a combined 100 pounds. That's almost a whole person. Isn't that amazing?!?!

Ups and Downs

I went to the gym last night and did Week 1 Day 2 of c25k. I did 10 minutes on the elliptical first and then hopped on the treadmill. It was hard again I did the walk just fine but started getting pretty painful shin splints on the first jog. After the jog I had to slow the treadmill down to a slow walk for a couple minutes to recover. So I paused the c25k podcast, walked off the shin splint pain for a minute or so and then restarted the podcast. I had to do this after every jog and it added about 10 minutes to the 20 minute routine. Double But I got through it. Then I got on the upright for 15 minutes. I start with 7 minutes at Level 3 and my legs were burning. I actually thought of the people on The Biggest Loser show and how they exercise until they drop or cry or beg the trainer to let them stop. I was in pain but if they could make it, so can I. I focused on that a few times and got through the first 7 minutes, took a one minute break at Level 2, and then finished the second 7 minutes on Level 3. The second 7 weren't so hard.

Off to weight training. Lower body, squats, lunges...The lunges are getting easier. I'm focusing more on my form and holding my upper body straighter. It's getting easier. By the way my gym was cooold last night. I wore my little workout jacket while lifting weights, usually I just wear it home after. Brrr. I don't think they have heat in there. In general I noticed things are getting easier, the hanging leg raises are easier, the back extensions. I'm doing squats with a 12 pound weighted bar now. I finished up with core work and stretching, as usual. I'm even getting more flexible. I love it!

My eating has been so-so. I'm so glad my cycle is over. That hormonal urge to eat is just too much. Well, it's Thursday...the weekend is just around the corner. I'm going dancing Saturday night! Woo-hoo!!

The only downer is the damned shin splints. Why did they return?

I've got a new goal.

So after my experience of jogging for 5 minutes the other day I decided it was time to take another shot at the Couch-to-5k running program. I tried to do it a while back (a month maybe?) and it was too hard, I couldn't do a "brisk walk" for five minutes or jog for 60 seconds. Today, I knew I could. So, I started with 10 minutes on the elliptical. Then I did Week 1 of C25K (which is 20 minutes). I wrapped up my cardio session with 15 minutes on the upright bike.

Re: C25k, I walked at 3.7mph and jogged at 4.5mph. The last 60 second jog I did at 5mph. I think I'll try all the jogs at 5mph next time I do it. I felt some hints of shin splints but I found if I made my stride a little longer it seemed to help.

On the bike I rode at Level 3 for 7 minutes, took a one minute break at Level 2, and then Level 3 for the remaining 7 minutes. Level 3 is finally getting easier! My heart-rate barely broke into the 160's on the bike, I was not sweating like a maniac and my legs didn't burn so much. It's taken what feels like a long time for the bike to not be a killer and I'm so happy it is feeling manageable. Soon I'm going to kick it up to Level 4 for a few seconds just to see what I'm in for, how much harder it is than Level 3, etc. I can't describe how happy and amazed I am at my fitness accomplishments so far. I never want to lose what I've gained.

Eating has been okay, not great. I'm in the midst of TTOTM and have been wanting to eat everything in sight! I made myself drink some tea with Splenda last night and that helped. I had to use some Activity Points for food this week, which I don't usually do. In WW you can earn extra "points" (food) by exercising. I usually don't eat those earned points, but this week I ate a few. Thankfully today I'm not feeling so foody and I'm hoping it means the hormonal drive to eat has passed. Let's hope so!

So with the C25k plan you are supposed to go on alternating days with a total of 3 days per week. Today was Day 1. I think I'm going to take tomorrow off from the gym. Wednesday will be Day 2. Thursday off and then Friday will be Day 3. That will mean I've done four days at the gym (I went yesterday too), which is my goal when I'm doing 45 minutes of cardio. I'm going dancing Saturday night so that will burn some calories too! Will I be too much of a dork if I secretly wear my heart monitor?

Okay, now that I'm doing the C25k program I need something to shoot for. I just did some research and see that the San Francisco Marathon in August has a 5k. Yay! I'm going to do it. That's enough time for me to do the C25k program at twice the regular length, doing each week for 2 weeks instead of one. I figure since I'm so overweight still I should take my time Oh my goodness, I'm so excited. I just looked at the course and the fees and all that. I told Miguel and he's in! Wow, I'm going to run a 5k. I get a t-shirt and everything.

Wah! Whoa! Woo-hoo!!

The weight gain this past week had an interesting effect on me. I sort of rebelled. I went to dinner on Thursday night and ordered one of the fattier menu items. Last night I went out to dinner too. I ordered a healthy appetizer and entrée but went on to eat 3 pieces of bread with butter and had a delectably evil banana tart dessert. I was pretty full. Despite that I came home and ate a WW cake and a WW muffin with milk if you can believe that. It felt very much like “old” behavior. I think it was the rebelling, maybe hormones, and the 2 glasses of wine I'd had with dinner.

I had this “Well, I worked hard and gained weight so I might as well do what I want" attitude. I can't believe I had such a textbook and, really, immature response. I thought I was beyond that. I guess not. This is embarrassing. Anyway, I went to bed feeling like I might not make it to the gym today.

But I turned things around today and it was nothing less than going to the gym that did it for me. I have this trick of talking the talk so I'm forced to walk the walk. This morning Miguel asked if I was going to the gym today. “Of course.”

I got to the gym and did my 30 minutes of cardio. 15 on the elliptical and 15 on the upright bike. The latter is finally getting easier, by the way. I hopped on the treadmill to cool-down as usual when I had the sudden urge to jog. I cranked it up to 4mph (that's cranked for me). I quickly upped it to 4.5mph. After a few minutes I started having this overall feeling of achy-ness that I can only describe as feeling like I'd been sitting for a very long time and just stood up; weird. At about 3.5 minutes I started feeling vague shin splints. I decided to make it to 5 minutes, and I did. I jogged for a whole 5 minutes!! Talk about a mood boost.

I went to lift weights feeling great. I used this new book I bought, Lift Log. I also broke my push-ups record today. I did two sets of 10. When I first started I could only do 3 or 4.

Needless to say I'm back on track and feeling silly about my initial reaction to gaining a measly pound that's probably not even a real gain anyway. Did I mention that I jogged for 5 minutes today??!! Yay!