Sorry that this is late- it's the beginning of my semester final exams at school, and I've been slammed!
On Wednesday the 29th, I went over to Sara's and danced for about an hour with her. It was pretty fun, and while it is difficult sometimes, it doesn't really feel like exercise. I really liked dancing to "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado, but Sara is more of a "Soulja Boy" fan, apparently.
Thursday was a bit different than my normal schedule. I had classes as usual, and I also had a choir rehearsal for our upcoming concert. I decided that after class I'd eat some dinner, rather than waiting until after the rehearsal to eat. We don't know how long those are going to last, and I was already feeling hungry. Normally I would have gone to the gym right after class, but a change is a good as a break, right?
After rehearsal, I went to the gym. It was much less busy than the last time, and I saw my friend Hana as I was coming in. I felt proud that I was there, and that I'd had a school friend witness that I really am going! I changed and went straight up to the track for my first two laps. I have noticed that when I'm stretching before getting on the elliptical, it's getting easier to reach my toes on one side, but not the other. I think that is probably because the left leg is the one that I curl under me when I'm sitting, so it's more used to being contracted.
I resolved to do my entire 30 minutes on the elliptical this time, since I'd skimped the last time. I kept the resistance at the slightly higher rate that I had moved to on Tuesday. It wasn't so bad, and while I really wanted to stop at 20 minutes, I managed to make it 30 and a HALF minutes. That extra half was my way of telling my body to shut up and listen! I do need to work on getting back to my plan of extending the time, but after a month of not going it's like I went back to (nearly) square one. We'll see how it goes. I only did one cool down lap this time, because all of the guys that were down in the basketball court were shooting basketballs at the hoops, and some of them had very poor aim. I got tired of throwing balls back to them, and I was also feeling really self-conscious at being the only girl there. The plan is to work out again on Tuesday, if I have time. I have some final papers due that I haven't even started, so that is my fault for procrastinating!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11.27.12
It's been a month since I posted in this thing! Time really flies when you're not working out. I have all kinds of excuses, including gym closure, for why I didn't post BUT the important thing is that I'm back now.
Today I went up the Grand Staircase without stopping before class, and felt pretty good about that! I didn't use the elevator at all today, and that's quite an accomplishment for me. The stairs are still killing me, but I recover faster. I think that is good progress.
I went to the gym after class and I can tell you- I was really dreading it! I knew that since it had been so long it would feel terrible. I was partially right. The gym was teeming with muscular young basketball and baseball playing men, and fit soccer girls, so I was a little bit intimidated at first. After changing, I went upstairs and did my two warm-up laps and stretches without making any eye contact. The elliptical was feeling too easy at first, so I upped the resistance and made myself really work. I only made it 23 minutes on that thing, but I was sweating up a storm and my heart rate was steady at about 184 the entire time. That's not too bad, I don't think! I did two final laps and headed out. The guys at the front counter told me I did a good job, which made me feel pretty good even though they didn't see me working out at all, lol.
Current weight: 267 lbs
Amended short term goal: 260 by Christmas (I think that with missing a month, 250 isn't doable)
Today I went up the Grand Staircase without stopping before class, and felt pretty good about that! I didn't use the elevator at all today, and that's quite an accomplishment for me. The stairs are still killing me, but I recover faster. I think that is good progress.
I went to the gym after class and I can tell you- I was really dreading it! I knew that since it had been so long it would feel terrible. I was partially right. The gym was teeming with muscular young basketball and baseball playing men, and fit soccer girls, so I was a little bit intimidated at first. After changing, I went upstairs and did my two warm-up laps and stretches without making any eye contact. The elliptical was feeling too easy at first, so I upped the resistance and made myself really work. I only made it 23 minutes on that thing, but I was sweating up a storm and my heart rate was steady at about 184 the entire time. That's not too bad, I don't think! I did two final laps and headed out. The guys at the front counter told me I did a good job, which made me feel pretty good even though they didn't see me working out at all, lol.
Current weight: 267 lbs
Amended short term goal: 260 by Christmas (I think that with missing a month, 250 isn't doable)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
10.25.12
Sara came to class with me today, so I had no excuse not to go to the gym afterward! My joints were really sore today (I hope I'm not getting this flu-ey thing that's going around), so that made me feel pretty tired. She thought the Grand Staircase wasn't that big of a deal, but whatever, man, it's hard for me!
I didn't think I'd be able to do much on the elliptical because of the sore joints, but after two very easy laps of the track I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the elliptical was easier on my knees and shoulders than walking or the stairs, so I kept with it for the whole half hour while Sara did sprints and lifted weights. I only did one cooldown lap, but that's okay, because the elliptical is the main point of going to the gym. I still plain to increase my time by three to five minutes sometime within the next three workouts, though, sore joints or not!
I didn't think I'd be able to do much on the elliptical because of the sore joints, but after two very easy laps of the track I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the elliptical was easier on my knees and shoulders than walking or the stairs, so I kept with it for the whole half hour while Sara did sprints and lifted weights. I only did one cooldown lap, but that's okay, because the elliptical is the main point of going to the gym. I still plain to increase my time by three to five minutes sometime within the next three workouts, though, sore joints or not!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
10.21.12
I had choir concert last night and today, and my feet were killing me from all of the standing. I'm talking HOURS of standing with no chance to sit down. But, from all accounts the concert was a success, so I can't complain too very much! All of that standing really made me not want to go to the gym, but Sara and Josh came today and I had promised that we'd gym it up after the concert.
Because my feet were hurting, I decided to do the stationary bike instead of the elliptical after my standard two laps. I tried doing the "standard" bike, but it really hurt my butt! Those seats are incredibly uncomfortable. I switched to the recumbent bike and it was much nicer on the tailbone and hips. I did it for about 25 minutes, and stopped when Sara and Josh got off of their ellipticals. We did three laps, then headed downstairs to the weight room.
I used a few of the upper body machines, and Sara showed me "donkey kicks", which I didn't care for because of the exposure and awkward position. I don't like people looking at my body while I'm working out, but the kicks themselves weren't so bad.
This is a short entry, but I don't have much to say. My only other comment is that I'm officially down two pounds, FINALLY, so I did not meet my goal of five pounds by the 20th. Two is better than none, however, so I'm trying to stay positive about it. A friend on Facebook suggested that I take measurements instead of just weighing in, and that's a good idea that I'll have to try once I pick up a flexible measuring tape.
Revised goals:
Current weight: 268 lbs
Immediate goal: 260 lbs by November 20th
Moderate goal: 245 lbs by Christmas (This might be a stretch at this rate, but I'm still aiming for it)
Long term goal: 170 lbs
Because my feet were hurting, I decided to do the stationary bike instead of the elliptical after my standard two laps. I tried doing the "standard" bike, but it really hurt my butt! Those seats are incredibly uncomfortable. I switched to the recumbent bike and it was much nicer on the tailbone and hips. I did it for about 25 minutes, and stopped when Sara and Josh got off of their ellipticals. We did three laps, then headed downstairs to the weight room.
I used a few of the upper body machines, and Sara showed me "donkey kicks", which I didn't care for because of the exposure and awkward position. I don't like people looking at my body while I'm working out, but the kicks themselves weren't so bad.
This is a short entry, but I don't have much to say. My only other comment is that I'm officially down two pounds, FINALLY, so I did not meet my goal of five pounds by the 20th. Two is better than none, however, so I'm trying to stay positive about it. A friend on Facebook suggested that I take measurements instead of just weighing in, and that's a good idea that I'll have to try once I pick up a flexible measuring tape.
Revised goals:
Current weight: 268 lbs
Immediate goal: 260 lbs by November 20th
Moderate goal: 245 lbs by Christmas (This might be a stretch at this rate, but I'm still aiming for it)
Long term goal: 170 lbs
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10.18.12
Apparently today was not the day for me to work out. I went up the Grand Staircase before having lunch with my grandma, and actually felt just fine about that. I even went up more stairs between classes without an issue. But then... I went to the gym.
I've been pretty tired for the last few days, as noted on my walk with Sara last night, but I figured I'd be fine once I was doing my workout. Nope. I walked my two laps around the track, stretched, and got on the elliptical machine, but that's where the normal feelings ended. Every step on that thing was a big push, or at least it felt that way. I was going a little harder than normal, but not as hard as on Saturday. That was no reason for it to feel as awful as it did. I had to stop at 15 minutes and walk up and down the aisle for a second (I was "turning on the fan"... yeah, that's it!). I got back on, intending to do my next 15 or 20 minutes, and could barely get through five. I've never had to stop early before! I only made it two more times around the track because my muscles were all twitching and cramping. It was terrible. I did finish my water, so that's one positive note.
I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't like it. I have been slightly anemic in the past, so I thought that maybe I'd try some iron supplements. That might help me out. What I'll probably do is start my prenatal vitamins back up, since they have all kinds of good things, including iron. Wish me luck for next week's workouts! I can't tomorrow, since I work and then my mom will be in town, and Saturday I have a concert and won't have time to shower after work. After Sunday's concert I plan to visit the gym, though!
I've been pretty tired for the last few days, as noted on my walk with Sara last night, but I figured I'd be fine once I was doing my workout. Nope. I walked my two laps around the track, stretched, and got on the elliptical machine, but that's where the normal feelings ended. Every step on that thing was a big push, or at least it felt that way. I was going a little harder than normal, but not as hard as on Saturday. That was no reason for it to feel as awful as it did. I had to stop at 15 minutes and walk up and down the aisle for a second (I was "turning on the fan"... yeah, that's it!). I got back on, intending to do my next 15 or 20 minutes, and could barely get through five. I've never had to stop early before! I only made it two more times around the track because my muscles were all twitching and cramping. It was terrible. I did finish my water, so that's one positive note.
I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't like it. I have been slightly anemic in the past, so I thought that maybe I'd try some iron supplements. That might help me out. What I'll probably do is start my prenatal vitamins back up, since they have all kinds of good things, including iron. Wish me luck for next week's workouts! I can't tomorrow, since I work and then my mom will be in town, and Saturday I have a concert and won't have time to shower after work. After Sunday's concert I plan to visit the gym, though!
10.17.12
I have been using the Grand Staircase at school each day this past week, and boy does that thing kick my butt! It hasn't gotten any easier, despite using it at least twice a week since school started in August. I get to the top (It's 8 flights, and then one more into the building, of about 12 steps each) and feel like I'm going to DIE. I wheeze, my leg muscles cramp, and I feel awful in general. It takes me less time to recover now than it used to (I'm breathing normally within five to seven minutes, instead of ten), so that's good, but I'm still appalled at my reaction. Nobody else has this much trouble with them, and it makes me embarrassed to use them. For some reason, the inside "fire escape" stairs are much easier. It kind of makes me feel like I HAVE to use the Grand Staircase, just to prove that I can. Ugh.
Stairs aside, I haven't been to the gym since Saturday. I should have gone yesterday, but I picked Sarai up from the airport and didn't think I had enough time. I definitely did, and I should've listened to Josh about what time we needed to leave, lol (shhhh- don't tell him he was right; he'll be insufferable!).
I texted Sarai on my way home tonight, and asked if she wanted to go for a walk. Of course she did, so I bundled up Goldilocks the Idiotic and headed to her house. Ruby really loves her best friend Bubbles. As soon as we turn into Sarai's neighborhood she loses her mind. Sara brought Jace along, bundled up like an adorably striped bear cub. He's such a good baby! We just took the young ladies, much to the geriatric Nikki's disappointment, but we wanted to go a little faster.
Usually our walks are an amble, but I made an effort to walk a little faster this time. It still wasn't like... a power walk... but it was better than normal. I felt so tired toward the end, but I think part of that was the fact that I've been really tired in general the last week or so. Oh well, the terrible way it made me feel just tells me that I really needed that walk! Sarai is always fun to walk with, too, so there is the added bonus of friendship. D'awwww.
Stairs aside, I haven't been to the gym since Saturday. I should have gone yesterday, but I picked Sarai up from the airport and didn't think I had enough time. I definitely did, and I should've listened to Josh about what time we needed to leave, lol (shhhh- don't tell him he was right; he'll be insufferable!).
I texted Sarai on my way home tonight, and asked if she wanted to go for a walk. Of course she did, so I bundled up Goldilocks the Idiotic and headed to her house. Ruby really loves her best friend Bubbles. As soon as we turn into Sarai's neighborhood she loses her mind. Sara brought Jace along, bundled up like an adorably striped bear cub. He's such a good baby! We just took the young ladies, much to the geriatric Nikki's disappointment, but we wanted to go a little faster.
Usually our walks are an amble, but I made an effort to walk a little faster this time. It still wasn't like... a power walk... but it was better than normal. I felt so tired toward the end, but I think part of that was the fact that I've been really tired in general the last week or so. Oh well, the terrible way it made me feel just tells me that I really needed that walk! Sarai is always fun to walk with, too, so there is the added bonus of friendship. D'awwww.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
10.13.12
This turned out to be a pretty odd day in general, but especially workout-wise. I finally got to the gym after work at about 7:30 PM. Normally they are open until 9 PM on Saturdays, but this is our mid-semester break and they closed at 8 PM. I made sure with Kaitlyn, the desk worker, that it was okay for me to do a quick workout, and she gave me the all clear.
I changed in record time out of my scrubs and hoofed it up to the elliptical machines. I didn't stretch or walk beforehand because I knew that I wouldn't have enough time. I decided that since I had a short amount of time to work out in that I would really try and make every minute count. It was really difficult! I pushed myself to keep up as fast a pace as I could for as long as I could. I was going about double my normal elliptical speed, and my heart rate was about 180 the entire time. I made it 15 minutes before I felt like I was going to die. That 15 minute session was harder than most of my 30 minute ones! I walked one lap around the track, and then called it quits so that Kaitlyn didn't have to stay late. She and I had a short chat about my weight loss goals, and how this short workout was still better than none at all. A great point!
I really need to keep reminding myself that even though I haven't lost a SINGLE DARN POUND, every minute that I'm at that gym is making me healthier. It's just really frustrating to see the scale showing the exact same numbers after two weeks of making an effort. I just expected to see SOMETHING by now, you know?
I changed in record time out of my scrubs and hoofed it up to the elliptical machines. I didn't stretch or walk beforehand because I knew that I wouldn't have enough time. I decided that since I had a short amount of time to work out in that I would really try and make every minute count. It was really difficult! I pushed myself to keep up as fast a pace as I could for as long as I could. I was going about double my normal elliptical speed, and my heart rate was about 180 the entire time. I made it 15 minutes before I felt like I was going to die. That 15 minute session was harder than most of my 30 minute ones! I walked one lap around the track, and then called it quits so that Kaitlyn didn't have to stay late. She and I had a short chat about my weight loss goals, and how this short workout was still better than none at all. A great point!
I really need to keep reminding myself that even though I haven't lost a SINGLE DARN POUND, every minute that I'm at that gym is making me healthier. It's just really frustrating to see the scale showing the exact same numbers after two weeks of making an effort. I just expected to see SOMETHING by now, you know?
Friday, October 12, 2012
10.11.12
I felt super motivated to go to the gym today... once I was in the car with Sara. Before that I did my usual moan and groan about going, lol. The dog was very sympathetic. We dropped Sara's kids off at her sister-in-law's house, and then scooted over to my school's gym. Despite it being mid-semester break, there were actually quite a few people there.
We walked two laps around the track, then stretched and hopped on the ellipticals. The half hour didn't feel as bad as it normally does, which I think was because of having company, even though we weren't chatting at all. Let's face it, I don't have enough extra breath to chat, lol! I did play around with my incline and resistance, turning both up by one notch today about halfway through. At the twenty minute mark, Sara challenged me to go as fast as I could for one minute, and we did that together. I had to turn the resistance up because it felt weird to go fast on such a loose setting, but it really wasn't that bad! I sure was glad to stop going so fast, but I felt like I was going faster for the rest of the remaining time. She said that was the point... tricky devil!
We did three cooldown laps, and then went downstairs to do some weight machines. I did NOT want to do these at all, mainly because I'm weak, I know that I'm weak, and there are always a bunch of strong people down there. Me being the fattest person in the gym has yet to change, but I humored Sara because she really wanted to use the weight machines. Once we were down there, it really wasn't that bad. I actually enjoyed myself because it felt more like screwing around with my friend and less like working out. Sara is one of those people that gets really excited and goofy after working out, and it was pretty infectious. I did 20 reps on each machine I used, mostly upper body. The two that I was best at were pec press and rowing. No surprises there! In order to carry around this sort of uh... pectoral equipment... I've always had to be good at pec and chest exercises, lol. The rowing one isn't really chest, but I've always thought that it is pretty fun.
After the weights, we didn't really want to leave, so we went upstairs for another two laps around the track. We ran for a very short amount of time together, and then Sara ran a bit more later on. I'm just really not down with much running yet. I find it very uncomfortable because my breasts hurt my chest and feel like they're choking me.
Overall, we spent nearly two hours at the gym, and I'm definitely feeling the weights in my upper arms. I had a really fun time, and even though I could tell I was working out, it wasn't really a problem. I'm going next either tomorrow or Saturday (most likely Saturday) and I plan to increase my elliptical time by at least one song, or five minutes. I'm also going to increase my laps. I hope to be doing a full mile and 40+ minutes by the end of next week.
Goal update:
Weight: still 270 lbs, no loss yet, which is discouraging
Next goal mark: 265 on October 20th, which I'm not sure is going to happen at this rate
Second goal mark: 250 by Christmas
Ultimate goal: 100 lbs of weight lost, with no definitive date set
We walked two laps around the track, then stretched and hopped on the ellipticals. The half hour didn't feel as bad as it normally does, which I think was because of having company, even though we weren't chatting at all. Let's face it, I don't have enough extra breath to chat, lol! I did play around with my incline and resistance, turning both up by one notch today about halfway through. At the twenty minute mark, Sara challenged me to go as fast as I could for one minute, and we did that together. I had to turn the resistance up because it felt weird to go fast on such a loose setting, but it really wasn't that bad! I sure was glad to stop going so fast, but I felt like I was going faster for the rest of the remaining time. She said that was the point... tricky devil!
We did three cooldown laps, and then went downstairs to do some weight machines. I did NOT want to do these at all, mainly because I'm weak, I know that I'm weak, and there are always a bunch of strong people down there. Me being the fattest person in the gym has yet to change, but I humored Sara because she really wanted to use the weight machines. Once we were down there, it really wasn't that bad. I actually enjoyed myself because it felt more like screwing around with my friend and less like working out. Sara is one of those people that gets really excited and goofy after working out, and it was pretty infectious. I did 20 reps on each machine I used, mostly upper body. The two that I was best at were pec press and rowing. No surprises there! In order to carry around this sort of uh... pectoral equipment... I've always had to be good at pec and chest exercises, lol. The rowing one isn't really chest, but I've always thought that it is pretty fun.
After the weights, we didn't really want to leave, so we went upstairs for another two laps around the track. We ran for a very short amount of time together, and then Sara ran a bit more later on. I'm just really not down with much running yet. I find it very uncomfortable because my breasts hurt my chest and feel like they're choking me.
Overall, we spent nearly two hours at the gym, and I'm definitely feeling the weights in my upper arms. I had a really fun time, and even though I could tell I was working out, it wasn't really a problem. I'm going next either tomorrow or Saturday (most likely Saturday) and I plan to increase my elliptical time by at least one song, or five minutes. I'm also going to increase my laps. I hope to be doing a full mile and 40+ minutes by the end of next week.
Goal update:
Weight: still 270 lbs, no loss yet, which is discouraging
Next goal mark: 265 on October 20th, which I'm not sure is going to happen at this rate
Second goal mark: 250 by Christmas
Ultimate goal: 100 lbs of weight lost, with no definitive date set
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
10.10.12
I definitely underachieved today, fitness-wise. I had to work, and afterward I didn't go to the gym at school because I had planned to take a walk. By the time I got home, it was 7:30 and dark out. I wasn't going to let that stop me (even though I'm terrified of the dark), but it did alter my plans a bit.
I quickly browned some lean ground beef, and used that instead of chicken in a modified chicken tortilla soup. I didn't put in any refried beans, so it's mostly ground beef, salsa, wild and brown rice, corn, and broth. I also didn't add any salt. It's... reasonably healthy, and is easy, lol. I put it all in the crock pot and took Ruby out into the neighborhood.
We just went around the small block, so it was only about a fifteen minute walk, but it's better than nothing. Her cat, Squeaker, always follows us, and this time was no exception. We picked up a mean neighbor cat along the way, wanting to fight with Squeaker (she's pretty scrappy), and then on the way home we encountered our other cat, Fat Jimmy. I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamlin!
Tomorrow I am going to the gym with Sarai, and she likes to work out for a solid hour. I haven't gotten up to that amount of time yet, but I'm generally at the gym about 45 minutes. I think that after my first half hour on the elliptical and some cooldown walking, I'll try getting back on the elliptical for another ten minutes or so. Gotta increase somehow!
Finally, thank you all for reading this. Every time I go to post a new entry and see that my pageviews are up, and it makes me really happy. Knowing that people read this blog helps hold me accountable- what will you read if I don't exercise and post an entry!? So, again, thank you for your support.
I quickly browned some lean ground beef, and used that instead of chicken in a modified chicken tortilla soup. I didn't put in any refried beans, so it's mostly ground beef, salsa, wild and brown rice, corn, and broth. I also didn't add any salt. It's... reasonably healthy, and is easy, lol. I put it all in the crock pot and took Ruby out into the neighborhood.
We just went around the small block, so it was only about a fifteen minute walk, but it's better than nothing. Her cat, Squeaker, always follows us, and this time was no exception. We picked up a mean neighbor cat along the way, wanting to fight with Squeaker (she's pretty scrappy), and then on the way home we encountered our other cat, Fat Jimmy. I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamlin!
Tomorrow I am going to the gym with Sarai, and she likes to work out for a solid hour. I haven't gotten up to that amount of time yet, but I'm generally at the gym about 45 minutes. I think that after my first half hour on the elliptical and some cooldown walking, I'll try getting back on the elliptical for another ten minutes or so. Gotta increase somehow!
Finally, thank you all for reading this. Every time I go to post a new entry and see that my pageviews are up, and it makes me really happy. Knowing that people read this blog helps hold me accountable- what will you read if I don't exercise and post an entry!? So, again, thank you for your support.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
10.8.12
((I forgot to write this up last night, sorry!))
Yesterday I had made plans to walk with Sarai around Fawn Lake again, so after work I headed home, changed, and retrieved my Retriever and husband. As soon as I put on a jacket, Ruby knew we were going someplace and she was SO EXCITED. These walks are good for her, too, plus she gets to socialize with her best friend Bubbles. It was dark out by this time, so Sara gave Josh a reflector belt and put a bright yellow shirt over Chere's clothes. She also carried a little lantern, and was pretty darn adorable. I really love that kid.
This time we went backwards on the "half lake" route. First we crossed the lake, where there are stairs and a hill, and then the rest of the walk was fairly flat. I think this was easier on Nikki, Sara's old lab, who has bad knees. It was definitely easier on me! I had planned to walk a bit faster this time, because I know that I'm the slowest walker of the three adults, but it ended up being a pretty leisurely stroll. Chere got really tired and cranky toward the end, but we made it without any major incidents, lol.
Once home, Josh pulled out the Mexican-flavored chicken he'd had in the crock pot and shredded it up. We had it over leftover rice from Sunday's dinner. There wasn't a ton of rice left, which was helpful for portion control. I used one of the regular-sized bowls, put in about a cup of rice, and then about 1/2 cup of shredded chicken. It was really tasty, and even though I was starving I wanted to wait and see if that would be enough food. It wasn't, because even twenty minutes later I still felt pretty hungry, but I was way too tired and went to bed within the hour.
Today (10/9) is Tuesday, so I was supposed to go to the gym at school, but I was too upset. We had a midterm in History, and I couldn't even guess at the main essay question. Why can't we use notes?! 70 years is a long time to just memorize for 19th century European history! So, I'm pretty sure I bombed it, and I felt like I was going to cry because I was so upset. If I fail that class I would probably lose my scholarship. I knew that if I went to exercise, I probably WOULD cry because of the stress and frustration, so I opted out. I plan to go for another walk tomorrow with just Ruby in our neighborhood. Sara and I are working out at my school on Thursday even though there isn't any school, so that will be good.
Yesterday I had made plans to walk with Sarai around Fawn Lake again, so after work I headed home, changed, and retrieved my Retriever and husband. As soon as I put on a jacket, Ruby knew we were going someplace and she was SO EXCITED. These walks are good for her, too, plus she gets to socialize with her best friend Bubbles. It was dark out by this time, so Sara gave Josh a reflector belt and put a bright yellow shirt over Chere's clothes. She also carried a little lantern, and was pretty darn adorable. I really love that kid.
This time we went backwards on the "half lake" route. First we crossed the lake, where there are stairs and a hill, and then the rest of the walk was fairly flat. I think this was easier on Nikki, Sara's old lab, who has bad knees. It was definitely easier on me! I had planned to walk a bit faster this time, because I know that I'm the slowest walker of the three adults, but it ended up being a pretty leisurely stroll. Chere got really tired and cranky toward the end, but we made it without any major incidents, lol.
Once home, Josh pulled out the Mexican-flavored chicken he'd had in the crock pot and shredded it up. We had it over leftover rice from Sunday's dinner. There wasn't a ton of rice left, which was helpful for portion control. I used one of the regular-sized bowls, put in about a cup of rice, and then about 1/2 cup of shredded chicken. It was really tasty, and even though I was starving I wanted to wait and see if that would be enough food. It wasn't, because even twenty minutes later I still felt pretty hungry, but I was way too tired and went to bed within the hour.
Today (10/9) is Tuesday, so I was supposed to go to the gym at school, but I was too upset. We had a midterm in History, and I couldn't even guess at the main essay question. Why can't we use notes?! 70 years is a long time to just memorize for 19th century European history! So, I'm pretty sure I bombed it, and I felt like I was going to cry because I was so upset. If I fail that class I would probably lose my scholarship. I knew that if I went to exercise, I probably WOULD cry because of the stress and frustration, so I opted out. I plan to go for another walk tomorrow with just Ruby in our neighborhood. Sara and I are working out at my school on Thursday even though there isn't any school, so that will be good.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
10.6.12
Today was an incredibly stressful day at work. We started the day with a dog that was a walk in emergency, and ended with a fractious, semi-feral cat who had to be shaved down. The dog ended up dying on the way to our sister hospital to be hospitalized, so that was a really sad cherry on top of the failcake of the day.
I had thought about going to the gym after work, but I wasn't sure that I would be up for it. I definitely was NOT up for it after that day, when all I wanted to do was to go home and snuggle my husband and pets. Then I realized something: if I'm exercising, I can't think about the stress! So, over to the gym I went. (I really like that my school and work are only five minutes away from each other. It's very convenient!)
When I went up to the cardio room, there was only one other person there, and she left shortly after I arrived. That made me one of two people in the whole gym- it was kind of nice! I am much less self-conscious when it's just me and the staff members. I started out with stretches and two leisurely walking laps (two tenths of a mile), and then snagged "my" elliptical. I always use the same one, because it is not in front of the mirror. I'm definitely not the type of person to find working out in front of a mirror beneficial. It just makes me sad and angry.
On the elliptical today, I really focused on the position of my feet. I have a tendency to walk a little bit duck-footed, and I noticed that I had my toes pointed out pretty far on the elliptical treads. I angled my feet to be more straight, and immediately felt a huge difference. The difference was pain! My knees told me that they were very unhappy with that position, so I alternated "comfortable" and "correct" every few minutes. That really felt awful, I have to say.
The last three minutes were the hardest part today, but I pushed through and went to do my three cooldown laps. I jogged (very, very slowly) the entire middle lap, and that pretty much made me feel like I was going to die. I wasn't breathing that hard, but my calves and achilles tendons were extremely put out. It took half the last lap for them to feel less tight again. I HATED doing it, and I'm not sure I would have if there were other people around. Jogging might be a Saturday/late night only activity. I chugged my water bottle and went on my merry way.
As I was leaving, I noticed a poster on the wall about what your heart rate should be for what sort of workout. My HR is generally in the mid-170's to mid-180's. According to that chart, that means I'm in the "Performance" workout range for my age, which they say that you are only supposed to do once or twice a week. I'm pretty much disregarding that because I have so very much weight to lose. I talked to my friend Vanessa, who is in nursing school, and she said that I was correct to think that my readings/experience will be pretty skewed until I'm used to working out. It was an interesting tidbit, anyway.
I feel good about working out today!
I had thought about going to the gym after work, but I wasn't sure that I would be up for it. I definitely was NOT up for it after that day, when all I wanted to do was to go home and snuggle my husband and pets. Then I realized something: if I'm exercising, I can't think about the stress! So, over to the gym I went. (I really like that my school and work are only five minutes away from each other. It's very convenient!)
When I went up to the cardio room, there was only one other person there, and she left shortly after I arrived. That made me one of two people in the whole gym- it was kind of nice! I am much less self-conscious when it's just me and the staff members. I started out with stretches and two leisurely walking laps (two tenths of a mile), and then snagged "my" elliptical. I always use the same one, because it is not in front of the mirror. I'm definitely not the type of person to find working out in front of a mirror beneficial. It just makes me sad and angry.
On the elliptical today, I really focused on the position of my feet. I have a tendency to walk a little bit duck-footed, and I noticed that I had my toes pointed out pretty far on the elliptical treads. I angled my feet to be more straight, and immediately felt a huge difference. The difference was pain! My knees told me that they were very unhappy with that position, so I alternated "comfortable" and "correct" every few minutes. That really felt awful, I have to say.
The last three minutes were the hardest part today, but I pushed through and went to do my three cooldown laps. I jogged (very, very slowly) the entire middle lap, and that pretty much made me feel like I was going to die. I wasn't breathing that hard, but my calves and achilles tendons were extremely put out. It took half the last lap for them to feel less tight again. I HATED doing it, and I'm not sure I would have if there were other people around. Jogging might be a Saturday/late night only activity. I chugged my water bottle and went on my merry way.
As I was leaving, I noticed a poster on the wall about what your heart rate should be for what sort of workout. My HR is generally in the mid-170's to mid-180's. According to that chart, that means I'm in the "Performance" workout range for my age, which they say that you are only supposed to do once or twice a week. I'm pretty much disregarding that because I have so very much weight to lose. I talked to my friend Vanessa, who is in nursing school, and she said that I was correct to think that my readings/experience will be pretty skewed until I'm used to working out. It was an interesting tidbit, anyway.
I feel good about working out today!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
10.4.12
My grandma and I met for lunch at my university's cafeteria today, so once I was out of class I knew that I needed to work off that (delicious) cheeseburger! I took the stairs up to my class on the third floor, rather than the elevator, but I'm getting so much better at them that they didn't affect me much.
I tried something a little bit different today. Instead of just hopping onto the elliptical, I decided to do some actual stretching and warming up. I realized that I didn't do that at all on Tuesday, and that's probably part of why my tendons were so sore.
First thing I did were some basic leg stretches, which really emphasize to me how inflexible I've become. For some reason, it is harder for me to stretch and touch my left toes than my right. I'm not sure why that is. I can't even come close to touching my toes if my legs are in front of me, but to the sides I can at least grab the toe. Just flattening my knee with my foot flexed is a stretch, probably because I'm always pointing my toes while I sleep rather than flexing them. It's kind of their default position.
After stretching, I walked two-tenths of a mile (two laps) around the indoor track. I then did 30 minutes on the elliptical again. It wasn't any easier today, but I felt better afterward. What is really killing me while I'm using the machine is the muscle on the inside (medial) edge of my knees. What is that... sartorius? Whatever it is, it hurts while I'm using the machine but not once I'm on flat ground again.
The worst part of the workout has to be that second ten minutes, though. That's the time that I really have to push through the laziness and remind myself that next week the goal is 35 minutes or more each time, so I'd better savor this while I can! Once I finished my elliptical time (to the delightful sounds of Alex Clare's "Too Close"), I did three more laps (three-tenths of a mile, to bring me up to half a mile walked) and finished my water bottle. I think I'm going to make another rule for myself: no matter how much water is left in the bottle, I have to finish it before I leave the gym each time. That should help a bit with hydration.
I really do think the walking helped, because by the time I got out to my car I felt tired, but pleasantly so, and I wasn't sore. I still am not feeling any soreness. I feel sort of strong, and even though this is a pitiful workout compared to other people, for me it is a huge accomplishment.
I feel like this was a good day 3!
I tried something a little bit different today. Instead of just hopping onto the elliptical, I decided to do some actual stretching and warming up. I realized that I didn't do that at all on Tuesday, and that's probably part of why my tendons were so sore.
First thing I did were some basic leg stretches, which really emphasize to me how inflexible I've become. For some reason, it is harder for me to stretch and touch my left toes than my right. I'm not sure why that is. I can't even come close to touching my toes if my legs are in front of me, but to the sides I can at least grab the toe. Just flattening my knee with my foot flexed is a stretch, probably because I'm always pointing my toes while I sleep rather than flexing them. It's kind of their default position.
After stretching, I walked two-tenths of a mile (two laps) around the indoor track. I then did 30 minutes on the elliptical again. It wasn't any easier today, but I felt better afterward. What is really killing me while I'm using the machine is the muscle on the inside (medial) edge of my knees. What is that... sartorius? Whatever it is, it hurts while I'm using the machine but not once I'm on flat ground again.
The worst part of the workout has to be that second ten minutes, though. That's the time that I really have to push through the laziness and remind myself that next week the goal is 35 minutes or more each time, so I'd better savor this while I can! Once I finished my elliptical time (to the delightful sounds of Alex Clare's "Too Close"), I did three more laps (three-tenths of a mile, to bring me up to half a mile walked) and finished my water bottle. I think I'm going to make another rule for myself: no matter how much water is left in the bottle, I have to finish it before I leave the gym each time. That should help a bit with hydration.
I really do think the walking helped, because by the time I got out to my car I felt tired, but pleasantly so, and I wasn't sore. I still am not feeling any soreness. I feel sort of strong, and even though this is a pitiful workout compared to other people, for me it is a huge accomplishment.
I feel like this was a good day 3!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
10.3.12
I didn't have an afternoon class today, and we didn't have enough business at work for my manager to want me to come in, so I got to head home early. I did some laundry, ate a sandwich, and then took Ruby for a walk.
My neighborhood has a few different walking routes sort of built into it. It's pretty nice, actually, so we elected to take the "medium long" route. By we, I mean I decided, and Ruby did what I wanted. She isn't capable of opinions that I care about, lol. We went through the main part of our neighborhood to the back side, turned onto a side street that cuts through, down into the other neighborhood, then up the hill to our house. It's probably only a mile or so, but the hill at the end was fairly difficult. It's steeper than it feels in a car, that's for sure!
The aftereffects of yesterday's workout on the elliptical are more apparent today. Oddly, the only place I have real soreness is on the lower part of my calves (the tendon area). I think that's mainly from not being super flexible anymore, so the tendons aren't used to the stretching they had to do. My glutes are a bit sore, but not bad. "Pleasant workout" soreness versus the pain of the tendon/calf region. That hurt the most when I was going down the stairs... and all of my classes are on the third or fourth floor of the building, lol. Going up wasn't so bad, though, so I felt good about that.
I know that I need to work on my eating habits, as well, and Josh and I have been trying to work on this for some time now. We've incorporated a lot more vegetables into our diet, which was hardest for me since I have never been a huge fan of veggies. I still don't care for many fruits, but the veg situation is a lot better than ever before. My current biggest problem with food, I feel, is my lack of portion control. Josh will make us these huge steaks, I'm talking 10-12 ounces, and I'll eat the whole thing, plus mashed potatoes and zucchini or asparagus. Sometimes I make rice instead of potatoes (actually, we've really decreased our potato consumption over the last year, and only have them once or twice a month at this point. I'm proud of that, even though I LOVE mashed potatoes), or maybe pasta. That's a HUGE amount of food, especially for one person to eat for one meal. It's probably enough food to last me the whole day! I've decided that a good way to start thinking about the quantity of food that I'm consuming is to start using a smaller plate. We have your standard dinner plates, then some "salad plates". There is one salad plate that is mismatched, and about 1/2" more in diameter than the others are. That's going to be my dinner plate from now on, and I think it will really help. I'll still be able to fill up the plate, but I've made a "no stacking food" rule that should keep my intake amounts reasonable. Ideally, the food won't touch, either, but that might be unavoidable.
Bowls are also a problem, because we have some very large bowls. Anyone who has seen my dinnerware knows that I have a set of striped bowls that are really large. They go with my oversized stoneware dinner plates. Sadly, I don't think I can use those bowls anymore. Any bowl that can fit an entire can of soup in it isn't one that I should be using! I'm going to stick to the smaller bowls that came with our Corelle dinnerware sets. They should help with things like pasta and salad. Tonight, I'm making chicken fettucine (well, probably penne) alfredo, and using one of those smaller bowls will be a good start to portion control!
My neighborhood has a few different walking routes sort of built into it. It's pretty nice, actually, so we elected to take the "medium long" route. By we, I mean I decided, and Ruby did what I wanted. She isn't capable of opinions that I care about, lol. We went through the main part of our neighborhood to the back side, turned onto a side street that cuts through, down into the other neighborhood, then up the hill to our house. It's probably only a mile or so, but the hill at the end was fairly difficult. It's steeper than it feels in a car, that's for sure!
The aftereffects of yesterday's workout on the elliptical are more apparent today. Oddly, the only place I have real soreness is on the lower part of my calves (the tendon area). I think that's mainly from not being super flexible anymore, so the tendons aren't used to the stretching they had to do. My glutes are a bit sore, but not bad. "Pleasant workout" soreness versus the pain of the tendon/calf region. That hurt the most when I was going down the stairs... and all of my classes are on the third or fourth floor of the building, lol. Going up wasn't so bad, though, so I felt good about that.
I know that I need to work on my eating habits, as well, and Josh and I have been trying to work on this for some time now. We've incorporated a lot more vegetables into our diet, which was hardest for me since I have never been a huge fan of veggies. I still don't care for many fruits, but the veg situation is a lot better than ever before. My current biggest problem with food, I feel, is my lack of portion control. Josh will make us these huge steaks, I'm talking 10-12 ounces, and I'll eat the whole thing, plus mashed potatoes and zucchini or asparagus. Sometimes I make rice instead of potatoes (actually, we've really decreased our potato consumption over the last year, and only have them once or twice a month at this point. I'm proud of that, even though I LOVE mashed potatoes), or maybe pasta. That's a HUGE amount of food, especially for one person to eat for one meal. It's probably enough food to last me the whole day! I've decided that a good way to start thinking about the quantity of food that I'm consuming is to start using a smaller plate. We have your standard dinner plates, then some "salad plates". There is one salad plate that is mismatched, and about 1/2" more in diameter than the others are. That's going to be my dinner plate from now on, and I think it will really help. I'll still be able to fill up the plate, but I've made a "no stacking food" rule that should keep my intake amounts reasonable. Ideally, the food won't touch, either, but that might be unavoidable.
Bowls are also a problem, because we have some very large bowls. Anyone who has seen my dinnerware knows that I have a set of striped bowls that are really large. They go with my oversized stoneware dinner plates. Sadly, I don't think I can use those bowls anymore. Any bowl that can fit an entire can of soup in it isn't one that I should be using! I'm going to stick to the smaller bowls that came with our Corelle dinnerware sets. They should help with things like pasta and salad. Tonight, I'm making chicken fettucine (well, probably penne) alfredo, and using one of those smaller bowls will be a good start to portion control!
The First Step
I'm Rachel, I'm 26, and I'm finally starting to make changes that are long overdue. I'm speaking primarily of my body, and the fact that I've hated it for years now. It's gone beyond mere dissatisfaction with my appearance to active hatred and shame. I won't even allow my husband to be facing toward me when I change anymore, and whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror, I'm filled with disgust.
That isn't healthy. I'm the one who is responsible for the deterioration of my health, so I am the one who needs to get motivated enough to change. That's part of why I'm making this blog; it is an effort to hold myself accountable.
On October 2nd, for the first time, I visited my school's gym on campus. It is free for students, and was built in 2009. It's beautiful, and still has that "new gym" smell. I went in, changed into the cute new workout clothes I bought, had the attendant show me how to use the elliptical machine, and I used it. That's always been the problem, you see; I've had gym memberships in the past and never even showed up to use it. What a waste of money, mine and other people's!
I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical, and had to badger myself to keep going when it got difficult. "Two more songs, Rachel," I told myself, trying to ignore the burning in my knees, "anybody could do two more songs." I measured my heart rate on the machine periodically, and it was about 183 each time I checked. That seems pretty high, but I didn't feel like I was in any distress, so I decided that I was doing exactly the right level of cardio. At the end of the 30 minutes, I was so relieved to be able to get off of that machine. "You're an instrument of the devil!" I whispered as I wiped down the handlebars. I sat down and stretched my legs out a bit (and boy, did they feel strange!) and then headed home.
At home, I grabbed the dog and the husband and met up with Sarai. We took her dogs, our dog, and her children for a walk with her, and it was really nice. We went halfway around Fawn Lake. I'm not sure exactly how long that was, but I felt pretty tired when we got back to her house. My glutes are killing me! But that's a good thing, I know.
I intend to update this blog with every trip to the gym, or every time I consider myself to be exercising. For now, that won't be more than a few times a week, probably, as I get used to working out. I've never really done this before, and I have a long way to go.
Here are my stats and goals, which will hopefully become a progress report on each entry:
Current weight: 270 lbs
Long-term weight loss goal: 100 lbs
Short-term weight loss goal: 20 lbs by Christmas
Even shorter-term goal: 5 lbs by October 20th
That isn't healthy. I'm the one who is responsible for the deterioration of my health, so I am the one who needs to get motivated enough to change. That's part of why I'm making this blog; it is an effort to hold myself accountable.
On October 2nd, for the first time, I visited my school's gym on campus. It is free for students, and was built in 2009. It's beautiful, and still has that "new gym" smell. I went in, changed into the cute new workout clothes I bought, had the attendant show me how to use the elliptical machine, and I used it. That's always been the problem, you see; I've had gym memberships in the past and never even showed up to use it. What a waste of money, mine and other people's!
I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical, and had to badger myself to keep going when it got difficult. "Two more songs, Rachel," I told myself, trying to ignore the burning in my knees, "anybody could do two more songs." I measured my heart rate on the machine periodically, and it was about 183 each time I checked. That seems pretty high, but I didn't feel like I was in any distress, so I decided that I was doing exactly the right level of cardio. At the end of the 30 minutes, I was so relieved to be able to get off of that machine. "You're an instrument of the devil!" I whispered as I wiped down the handlebars. I sat down and stretched my legs out a bit (and boy, did they feel strange!) and then headed home.
At home, I grabbed the dog and the husband and met up with Sarai. We took her dogs, our dog, and her children for a walk with her, and it was really nice. We went halfway around Fawn Lake. I'm not sure exactly how long that was, but I felt pretty tired when we got back to her house. My glutes are killing me! But that's a good thing, I know.
I intend to update this blog with every trip to the gym, or every time I consider myself to be exercising. For now, that won't be more than a few times a week, probably, as I get used to working out. I've never really done this before, and I have a long way to go.
Here are my stats and goals, which will hopefully become a progress report on each entry:
Current weight: 270 lbs
Long-term weight loss goal: 100 lbs
Short-term weight loss goal: 20 lbs by Christmas
Even shorter-term goal: 5 lbs by October 20th
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