Days 3, 4, 5....

Saturday, Day 3...Today started out kinda rough. I was still feeling kinda crampy and fatigued, not to mention that I ate like total CRAP yesterday. And then this morning Eben went out and got a bunch of donuts...now I love donuts (he does too...) but I can't eat donuts and stay looking good, which he can. Curse my metabolism. So I forced myself to go to the gym in the late afternoon...REALLY didn't want to and felt really ill-prepared to do a workout but I went anyway. I did some elliptical, then tried to run and those donuts made my stomach ache like nobody's business. So I walked it off and cycled for the rest of the time. Then came home and did day three, level one. Less sore than yesterday, but it was still a struggle. So though it was kind of pathetic all around, I did it and I'm glad I pushed myself through it!

Sunday, Day 4....Today resolved to eat better, which I did before my workout, at least. I did about an hour of Pilates on my own, and then did day 4 level one of the 30-Day Shred. Better than yesterday! Feeling good! Had a healthy lunch and then proceeded to ruin it with cocktails, chips, and frozen yogurt goodness at Yogurtland. Oh well. Better luck next time.

Monday, Day 5....Ran 2 miles on the trail and did day 5...and ate better today :)

Continuing the challenge with a few bumps in the road...

Thursday, Day Two....today I got up at five to drive Eben to the base, came home to eat breakfast and wake up before my Pilates class at 8:30.....but I quickly discovered there was NO COFFEE in the house. I woke up sooo tired.....usually on the early mornings where I have to take him to work so I can have the car, I'm really groggy at first but "wake up" by the time I get home from the trip. But today I really wanted to crawl back into bed and the fact that there was NO COFFEE in the house didn't help at all! But I sucked it up and went to class and told myself I could stop at the Coffee Bean by the studio afterward. And....class was awesome! I have had some really amazing gains lately and today I was feeling some great flexibility and movement in my lower back which has always been tight and hard to articulate due to some curvature in my spine. But the Pilates is definitely helping my back issues, so cool!

After Pilates I did my second day of the 30-Day Shred....and it was a LOT more difficult than it was yesterday! Mostly in the strength part, because it definitely worked a part in my shoulder/bicep area and made it reeeal sore. So to do the same exercises again was a bit tough. But I made it through!

Friday....should have been day three.....but I had the worst, nauseating and painful cramps ever. I got up early, took Eben to the base and went straight to the studio to do my weekly cleaning with the intention of hitting the gym to do some cardio on the way home. But, on the way home from the studio I started feeling sick and crampy so I just went home and skipped the gym. As the day went on I felt worse. So I decided to take a day off...plus my knee was hurting again, and it's been a pretty intense week so I didn't want to push it. We'll see how tomorrow goes....

30-Day Shred Challenge! Day one...not so bad...

So today I started Day one, Level one of the 30-Day Shred video. Well, let's back up...before I started I went outside to the trail behind my house and ran two miles. And before that I warmed up with about 20 minutes of yoga to get the blood flowing. So by the time I popped the DVD in I was, well, sweaty. It's getting HOT here, next time I'm gonna have to run earlier in the morning! (For those of you in MN, you might be thinking "well of course it's HOT, it's the end of JUNE!!" But summer here just started to heat up, like a week ago. It's been gray and 60 degrees for the past two months!! I guess that's typical though).

Level one was......intense but not awful. I think if I had started this at the degree of fitness I was like a year ago, it probably would have been awful. But my cardio endurance, core stability, and overall strength has gotten a lot better in the past 8 months. The workout itself is pretty basic moves but it does move fast and gives you virtually no break in 20 minutes, but like she says, if you want to work out for only 20 minutes a day and expect to see results, you have to make it count. There are two "models" doing the exercises along with Jillian, one who modifies them to make them easier and one who modifies them to make them harder. Now, the one who modifies them the easy way clearly didn't get those abs by doing that, so she is a liar and I didn't want to cheat by following her. And the one who modifies harder is just frightening, so I chose not to look at her either. Though I suppose to progress within level one I'll have to follow her veiny, hulk-thighed lead sooner or later. The one thing I noticed was that the ab intervals were easy as pie for me. Yay Pilates! Maybe if I work harder in my cardio you'll actually be able to, you know, see those abs someday!! They are real strong under there, just hiding for now. ;)

One thing I noticed....a few hours after eating lunch today my tummy was having that ravenous hunger feeling that I used to get when I would have a good weight/running session, eat, and then go to work...I swear an hour after eating a HUGE (but healthy) meal I would feel hungrier than before I ate. That's the metabolism fire, and I haven't felt it for awhile, but I felt it again today! Awesome! Good to have you back, burny, rumbly sensation.

Tomorrow: Day two and Pilates class!

I'm back! With more fitness adventures to come...

HI! It's been awhile....let's see, my last post was way back in JANUARY. So about five months ago. Oh my. Well to try to catch you up, here's all that happened in those five months. Take a deep breath....

Eben graduated from Marine Corps Bootcamp!!

Then we got married!! (if you or anyone you know ever needs to plan and execute a wedding in five days, I'm your girl.)

Then I moved to California! Eben left for CA three days after our wedding, and about six weeks later I followed. Three days of driving my little Mitsubishi and whatever it could carry across the USA and I arrived in Carlsbad, CA...about 30 miles from where Eben was based at Camp Pendleton. While I was getting settled in, Eben was finishing the last half of his School of Infantry Training. During the week we had no contact, but I was able to bring him home (almost) every Friday night through Sunday afternoon. Then about a month later he graduated SOI and for about a month after that we lived in limbo while he was in Recon Country...it's a lot to explain but I'll sum it up by saying he didn't know what his eventual job was going to be, where he would be doing said job, or when we (or maybe just he) would be moving in order to start said job. And he couldn't leave base. And he didn't know when he would have free time so I would randomly drive the half-hour to base to hang out with him in the car for like an hour.

When I first moved to California, I had no idea how long we'd be out here and basically no plan for how my new life would take shape. I was kinda starting from scratch, a stranger in a strange land. After boot camp, his trajectory was for him to finish SOI, wait to get picked up in a Recon training group, go to Recon school, finish Recon training (a process that could have taken anywhere from 3 to 6+ months) and then get based......somewhere. So until we had a better idea of what to expect I kinda bid my time because there was a good possibility we would be moving again soon or that things would change dramatically. All this uncertainty makes it hard to find a job. Not to mention that people around here don't take kindly to Marine wives and certainly don't want to hire them (and after some of the stories I've heard I know why). So, no job, can't see the husband...so what did I do? I ran. A lot. So much that my old knee injury was beginning to act up but I pushed through it anyway.

Then..... I had to go to the hospital for a burst ovarian cyst. So I was completely laid up for about a week, recovering for about 3 weeks total. That brought my ENTIRE life to a grinding halt. Really, looking back, working out was ALL I HAD at that point. I was stressed out beyond belief trying to figure out the logistics of my new life from scratch, on completely uncertain terms, without Eben around, and running was the only thing that kept me sane. So when that was taken away, I felt like the last tiny puff of wind had been taken out of my sails, so to speak.

Being out here in California with no job, no friends, no family, no husband...I have never felt so alone and so confused in my entire life. Why on earth was I here and how in the heck was I supposed to figure my life out when my whole world was constantly changing? The minute we would figure things out, his status or school would change, he'd get moved around and we'd have to figure things out all over again. Forget about trying to plan for the future when you don't know what today or even tomorrow is going to look like. And lesson #1 about the military...they tell you nothing. You just kinda have to strap in and ride the rollercoaster. You figure things out as you go, and most of the time not until after they already happened. My husband signed up for this and they tell him where to go and when to be there and what to do when he gets there. But for me, as a military wife....it's not so black and white. So in my experience, being a military wife is about the most alienating and confusing thing you can sign up for. If you can imagine being on a small boat in rough seas...you're clinging onto that boat, things are rocky but as long as you can feel the boat in your grasp you are getting by... then imagine getting tossed out of the boat, into the churning waves, you can't see, can't breathe, are being pushed around and under and tumbling around like a sock in a washing machine. Forget the boat, it's gone. You'd die for a breath, or even to be able to open your eyes and SEE SOMETHING.

Now I'm not complaining here...just telling it like it is. I am so, so blessed to have a wonderful husband and yes, I did agree to this way back in April 2009 when he enlisted, knowing full well it was going to be hard. I have never once, in the past year, been hit with something and thought to myself, "My golly this is so hard, and here I thought being a military wife was going to be a bed of roses!" And I must say, my gift for always imagining the worst did prepare me pretty well for military life. If there's anyone I would do it for, it's him, and if there's anyone who could make all this much sweeter, it's him too :) He's just pretty darn great :)

Fast forward to the present....Eben opted out of Recon (huge sigh of relief) and was able to get stationed with a regular infantry unit here at Camp Pendleton. This provides us a lot more security...Eben isn't getting stationed in Japan (which he would have been in Recon, and I wouldn't have been able to go with him), we are staying here in California for the forseeable future, he gets to come home every night, he knows his deployment and leave schedule for the next year and a half...many things have settled down.

So after a long recovery where I couldn't do anything physical, I slowly began working out again but my knee was still hindering me. I couldn't really run or do Yoga, so I sought out a Pilates studio here in town and am now working there really part time but get to take classes for free! I have been going there for about a month and the classes and instructor are AMAZING and super hard core. My Pilates practice has grown leaps and bounds and every single class I have this fundamental "aha!" moment that changes the way I do a move from that moment on. It's quite amazing. Also, the past few weeks I have been slowly building up my strength and endurance and I have been able to run, pain free, for the past week or so!!

The upside of all of this is that by some miracle, in my five months of stress, general life-turbulence, physical calamities, etc...I've managed to keep my weight at or below my 20 pound loss! So the changes I put into place 8 months ago definitely stuck and my body is now comfortable at maintaining this new weight. But.....that's the thing. It's comfortable here. So even though I'm still pretty good about working out and eating well, I'm not seeing any additional loss. So it's time to kick things up a notch because I still have progress to make. I still have jiggles where I would love to have no jiggles.

Another reason to get rid of those jiggles.....I am working towards a goal I have had since I did my first set of "hundreds"...becoming a Pilates instructor! Just waiting for the financial part to come together. This school aint cheap. Anyone know any wealthy benefactors??? Free Pilates for life! Hahahaha :)

So, my goal here is to give my workout routine a kick in the pants! Now that I'm "back" I want to continue on a higher level than before....because these last 5-10 pounds are the pesky ones.

So, here's my plan:

I'm going to restart my blogging practice...I think this really helped me last time to keep on track and stay focused. Not to mention the accountability part. Plus, I have done some crazy things in the name of fitness lately that could be fun to write/read about (hula-hoop dancing class, anyone?) and I definitely want to keep pushing myself to try new things as I am working the plan. I think the key to success is to keep your fitness program new and fun by trying new things, so my plan will probably keep changing. Plus, your body is lazy and contrary and greedy about its fat. You need to constantly trick it into giving it up by distracting it with fun new challenges!

For my workout, I'm going to continue to do Pilates at the studio 2-3 times a week (hour long classes). I'm going to also run outside or do some other form of pure cardio 3-4 times per week (treadmill, elliptical, bike, stair climber...lately I've been getting into doing 10 minute circuits on one machine and then moving on to a different one). I'm also going to throw in Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred challenge. I picked up the DVD real cheap at Target before I had my health setback, and I think now is the perfect time to start it....plus I've heard good things about it and I'm curious to see the kind of results it will yield. So it's kinda like an experiment. Basically it uses circuit training...3 intervals of (3 mins strength, 2 min cardio, 1 min abs). There are three levels you progress through over the 30 days and it leaves the progression up to you. I'm going to start at the beginning because it's a very good place to start.

Even though it's called 30 Day Shred and I am going to try my darndest to keep it to 30 days, sometimes life gets in the way or I need a day of rest (also I have a vacation coming up in about a week). So I'm going to do the prescribed 20-min workout pretty much everyday unless something crazy is happening. I also am going to try to take pictures every week to chart the progress....we'll see if this happens, it's not that I'm shy just that I'm lazy.

Well, here goes! Stay tuned.....mission: GET SHREDDED.

Week Twelve, days four and five....just plugging away....time go by FASTER!!

Day Four, Thursday....this morning I went to my weekly Pilates class at the gym, which was a great workout as usual :) Then I did my day three running stuff, and by the end of my workout was feeling pretty spent but pretty great!! I didn't have too much planned for the day, didn't have to work, so I took it easy and ran some errands (there is lots of little stuff to get done to prepare for this trip!! Like more than a normal vacation.) which included a stop by Eben's parents' house to pick up some little kid pics of him (way too adorable!) so I could scan them and send them off for a slideshow that one of the other recruits' sister is putting together for a meet and greet thing on Thursday night. So far I have gotten all the travel stuff I need, gotten all my misc. appointments/tasks done, gotten all of his clothes and stuff from his parents so I can pack his stuff in my suitcase and have his winter clothes here for our week in MN (he went out there with literally the clothes on his back, so I need to bring him some!!) as well as get all my own stuff together, clean the house for when we come back, make sure his xmas presents are all ready, make any appointments/arrangements for our week here, etc, etc, etc. Not to mention that practically NONE of my clothes fit and I don't really have the time or money to buy a new wardrobe before Wednesday. Yikes!! So there will have to be some strategic dressing going on! Anyway, enough with all this preparation...I'm just ready to GO already!! As of today he is officially a Marine and has successfully completed the Crucible....The pride, relief, joy, love I feel for him is just indescribable! So, from now till Thursday all we have to do is wait. My patience has officially run out.

Day Five, Friday......today I was scheduled to have the day off, but I decided to pick up a lunch shift for a little extra cash (and really I don't know what to do with myself and needed the distraction. Sad, huh? :) ANYTHING to make the time go by faster!!! Unfortunately it wasn't a very lucrative day, but it's more cash in my pocket than I had this morning, so that's a plus. When I got home I was feeling pretty tired for some reason, but wanted to do a good pilates and resistance workout. I did my pilates, but realized I hadn't eaten much yet and figured that's why I was feeling droopy....couldn't work out more on an empty tummy so I ate some dinner but still felt pretty wiped for the rest of the night. I decided to take a little rest and just hit it hard tomorrow...I am a little sore from extra hard workouts the last three days in a row, so it is nice to have a light day to break it up. Early to bed tonight!!

I also just found this website which is awesome for tracking what you eat in a day, and it's free!! You put in your age, height, weight, level of activity outside any fitness regimen, and how much weight you would like to lose in a week, and it calculates how many calories you should be eating in a day. Then you can go in and enter everything you eat and it has all the nutritional info right there and adds it into your total and shows you how much you have used for the day and how many calories you have left. It also lets you input your exercises, what you did and for how long, and estimates the number of calories you burned and subtracts it from you daily total. Pretty cool!! It is really helping me be extra conscious about what I eat and I've actually been much less prone to little "cheats" this week because I know I have to enter it in and it will show me exactly how it impacts my goal/total calories for the day!! On top of the workouts, it allows me to enter in my work hours for the day and see how many calories I've burned at work when I'm serving for 4 or 8 hours....and dang, it's a lot! On days I work 8+ hour shifts I'm burning over a thousand calories! With that on top of my eating and workouts, it's no wonder I'm losing weight!

Week TWELVE (!!), days one through three.....

Day One, Monday.....wow I can't believe it's the last week already!! So as discussed in the results post, my bloating had me feeling a little icky today. I worked a double, and it was SO BUSY because of MLK day and people having the day off, apparently they all came out to the mall and the movies and needed some Big Bowl to refuel! :) So it was good because I made a good chunk of money, especially considering it was only a Monday which I usually don't expect to make much. BONUS! Nice to make a little extra with my vacation just around the corner! But, it was not so nice in that I worked eleven hours straight with only a tiny half-hour break to shovel some dinner in :( Luckily I brought lots of snacks to keep me going throughout the day. So I was exhausted and drained at the end of the day, but really not feeling too ragged physically, considering. I know that getting into better shape has really strengthened my body to the point where these long shifts don't affect my feet/knees/legs as much as they used to! For a while the all the working out + work was really pushing me physically, but I think now I've reached the tipping point where I can handle it because I'm in much better condition. So cool!!

Day Two, Tuesday....today I worked lunch at the restaurant, and as expected after the madness of yesterday, it was SLOOOOW. Like my section didn't even fill up during the "rush" (if you could call it that) so I had three tables and was cut! Which was actually ok. I had packed my gym bag in the am and went straight there after work and did not only my day one running stuff but also did a good resistance workout as well with the machines and weights! I think I am going to start doubling up on workouts like this whenever possible, especially now that my endurance is up and I can handle all that on days where I work as well. Feeling good and strong! Also tonight I started to feel back-to-normal and more like 130 again :) I will "officially" weigh myself tomorrow morning to check in on the progress and make sure I'm not actually gaining!

Day Three, Thursday....today I had my last session with my trainer!! So sad :( but I know that we will probably continue in some form or other after my vacation (and I will continue to take her pilates class). She worked me harder than ever which was great...and then at the end of the session she weighed me to see how much I have lost since our first session and weigh-in. Our first session was on Wednesday November 18, and I weighed in at 147 on their scale (which is a little different from the one I'm using obviously, and when I weigh in at home I don't have clothes on and do it first thing in the am so it really is my lowest possible weight, ha ha). So, nine weeks and nine training sessions later, their scale read 131! So in those nine weeks alone I lost 16 pounds! Sweet :) She was as excited as I was and congratulated me on a job well done, and commended me on my discipline and commitment to the plan.

After my training I did 15 minutes on the elliptical with high resistance and high speed, and then did the sideways running routine/fast sprint intervals for 15 minutes for a total of 30 minutes of high intensity cardio!

Oh, and I did weigh myself on my scale this morning, and it read 128.5 so I was correct, I am not gaining :) I'm going to try my best to be between 126-128 by next Wednesday when I leave for San Diego!! Totally within reach :) Going to work in a few extra workouts here and there, and try to be really extra good with my eating for the next seven days!

Week Eleven results!!!

So my goal for today was 128....I got on the scale and I was 131. Eek! But, I'm also still incredibly bloated so I know that it is throwing things off a little. I know I didn't really gain any weight last week, so I'm just going to keep weighing myself for the next couple days to make sure that was really what was going on!! Just bad timing for the weigh-in, I think. Gotta love being a girl. :( Stay tuned!! For week twelve (the last week!!!!) I'm going to really hit it hard and burn off as many of those remaining pesky pounds as I can! Because after that I'm going to be in San Diego, probably not working out, and then back home in MN with Eben for a week and we are going to be doing a LOT of eating, cuddling, and generally hedonistic activities. I would love to still get in a few workouts during that week, but I'm certainly not going to beat myself up if I don't!!! I only get to see him for ten days out of six months, so I'm going to take full advantage of it :)

Workout tally for week Eleven:

Cardio: 4

Weights: 2

Pilates/Yoga: 2

Week Eleven, days five, six and seven....

Day five, Friday.....today I was a bit sore from my massage, and felt a little droopy all around. She said that I might feel that way because of all the toxins released...so I'm just trying to drink a LOT of water to flush it all out. I decided to take a rest day (sort of) and not do my usual pilates and weights today since I didn't want to push it and have a long work weekend ahead of me, so I just did some yoga which was nice to stretch everything out. Then off to work!

Day six, Saturday....today it was back to the gym for my weight training and cardio. I did a similar workout to what I did with my trainer on Wednesday, and then did my day five running stuff (20 minute run, 5 "strides", 6 minute run). It was a great and strenuous workout, but I'm just glad I felt back to normal energy wise and wasn't so sore today! It was good that I took a little break yesterday :) Then off to work again for a busy Saturday night!!

Day seven, Sunday....today I woke up with awful cramps and feeling the most bloated I've EVER been. Yuck. But I guess it is good timing because Sunday is a rest day anyway. So I took some painkillers, went to church in the AM and then off to work!

Week Eleven, days three and four....

Day Three, Wednesday....today I went to train with my trainer in the morning, and realized that this is my second to last session! So only one more next Wednesday, and then I'll be off to San Diego and will have to re-evaluate the plan. I wasn't necessarily planning on doing the training long-term, but it is so beneficial that I might just do a longer session every other week or something. If I decide I can afford it, I would definitely still do it weekly :) Anyway, she worked me hard as usual, and after training I did a half-hour of cardio, 15 minutes on the elliptical (med-high resistance) and then did the sideways running/sprinting intervals on the treadmill for 15 minutes. Great workout!! Then I had the rest of the afternoon/evening off to do some appointments (I had my first checkup in 2 years! Yay health insurance! Now I just have to schedule that dentist appt....ick), get groceries, and hang out. Sooo nice.

Day Four, Thursday.....this morning I went to my Pilates class at the gym which was again greatly challenging and rigorously worked my core!! Eben said he would come with me to class when he is home on leave, so I am anxious to see how he takes to the Pilates...it can be very challenging at first even if you are in awesome shape! Then after that I did my day three running stuff which is 10 minute run/5 "strides", repeat three times. After my workout I went over to the massage place next to my gym and made an appt. for later in the day, something I have been meaning to do for a LONG time. It was AMAZING! And very reasonably priced too, with the discount I get for being a member at my gym. They have a monthly membership deal where you get a monthly massage for $42 and anything additional is $35. So I'm going to try to make that happen once a month. My masseuse also happened to be engaged to a Marine! What are the odds....so it was nice to talk to her about her experience a little...her fiancee is just at the end of his four year contract and is officially out in a few months! He was stationed in Hawaii for four years....yeah, I could probably deal with that!

Anyway, she said that with all the working out and training and the physical stress of my job, it would really help me to come in once a month. I agreed. And now that I am in the mindset of doing nice things for myself and my body, I think I can definitely make that happen. It was also just so nice, toward the end of this crazy phase in my life, to have someone take care of ME for a bit! I have just been missing that physical, caring contact a lot too I think. But, having to take my own care so seriously of late has also made me realize that I don't have to wait for someone else to take care of me, I have every right to say "I need a massage today" or "I need to get more sleep, thank you very much. I am tired." and to realize that other people have to respect those decisions. And to not feel self-indulgent or guilty for saying so. Because so often Eben would make me slow down, relax, comfort me when I was stressed out, give me massages, reassure me, etc...and now that he's gone I have learned to provide myself with that support, care and comfort...and to realize that that is not only OK but absolutely necessary :) Man I am just learning lessons all over the place. All good things....

Week Eleven, days one and two....

Wow, week ELEVEN!! I realized I really only have two more weigh-ins before I leave for San Diego! So my week thirteen is cut short by my vacation....I'm going to be 126 when I get on that plane!! Two weeks from today!

Day One, Monday....today I was back to working my Monday double, and because it's slowed down a LOT at the restaurant it wasn't really that bad. I was done with my morning shift around 2:00 and had three hours to enjoy lunch with my coworkers, do a little shopping/returning at the mall, and sit in Panera and read for an hour or so before I had to go back to work. So though I didn't make as much as I have been lately, it's kind of nice how relaxed it's been lately :) So no working out, as I was away all day!

Day Two, Tuesday...today I had to work lunch at the restaurant, and it was even slower than Monday!! I was done by 1:30 which was great because I planned on hitting the gym to get a cardio workout in on my way home. I had a date with my friend Tom to do dinner and get my hair cut (he has been my hair guru, and I don't use that word lightly or ironically, for the past...seven??...years now) so I wanted to get my workout in before that and still be able to leave for his house before rush hour since he lives about 45 minutes away, on the opposite side of the cities from me. I did the day one running plan but was starting to feel my stomach starting to eat itself which was sort of unpleasant :( It's hard when I work out at odd times of the day (especially after work it seems) because I just can't have the energy I need because I can't really eat at the right times. I tried to have a meal replacement bar about an hour before my workout, but it wasn't quite enough. I have heard that it takes about two hours for your body to really be able to start burning what you have eaten, so I guess what is in your stomach two hours before your workout has to be enough to get you through. Anyway, I was happy to be able to squeeze a workout in and then I had a fabulous evening (and even more fabulous haircut) with Tom!!

Week Ten results!!

It's the day of reckoning....SO CLOSE to my goal...
So I got on the scale this morning for my weekly weigh-in, and.....130!!!!!
I have officially reached my goal!!!! What a crazy feeling....after ten weeks of this, I have lost a total of twenty pounds and set into place a lot of good habits that I'm hoping will carry over into the future. I know I will stay active, but may scale down a little, and my eating may not be quite as strict (but let's be honest, I cheated in lots of small ways anyway and it didn't seem to matter all that much). But I think the two pound a week thing is a really easy, healthy goal and totally attainable for anyone.
So for the next 2 1/2 weeks until I leave for San Diego I'm going to keep at it, and see how much more I can lose and tone up. I would be really happy with an extra 2-4 pounds off. If I could be between 126-128 lbs, I think it would be a great place for me to begin my "maintenance" routine. It will be interesting to see how the loss sticks...I have complete confidence it will, unless I fall completely off the wagon eating wise, or completely stop going to the gym, which I don't see happening. Like I said before, I have definitely changed my habits, but haven't been a slave to the new plan, so I have been eating what I like here and there in smaller portions, enjoying a drink every so often, but for the most part being pretty good. I never have, in the whole ten weeks, felt like I was depriving myself food or craving something that was bad for me. Quite the opposite, a lot of the time I feel like I am forcing myself to eat MORE when I'm not all that hungry to keep my metabolism fueled.
I think that since it came off so gradually, and naturally, there is a high likelihood that I can maintain this current weight. I really really believe that anything that is worth achieving is going to take hard work...so I did this the old-school way, but I'm telling you, it works! Anyone looking for a quick fix with pills or starving themselves or whatever is not going to find it, it always comes back. So though 2 pounds a week sometimes seemed like a snail's pace (we all want gratification NOW, right? Especially when we are working so damn HARD at something!!) it was really good to take it slow and realize that the end progress would be so worth it :) Also, gradual, bit-by-bit changes in habits and routine over ten weeks is MUCH easier to incorporate into your life with hope that it will become your permanent habits...Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say, so waking up one day and saying that you are going to change your entire life around TODAY and hoping that it will stick forever is just futile.
So....here's to reaching my goal!! What am I going to do to celebrate? I feel like I must commemorate somehow. This is big :)
And, here's to keeping the momentum for another two 1/2 weeks! Or just hitting the gym enough that I keep busy and distracted because the time between me and Eben right now is just dragging by!

Week Ten, days five through seven....

Week Ten is over! Weigh in tomorrow....it felt really great to get back to the routine, and happy to say I made all my workouts this week for the first time since before Christmas!! YAY :) Here's the recap:

Day Five, Friday.....my third and last day off! Today I just took care of a bunch of errands and to-do things like getting my passport renewal stuff together and sent off (exciting....because I know I'll probably need it soon! For what or when exactly, I don't know. Welcome to my life). I did some pilates and weights/training at home, but I was actually feeling quite sore in my abs from my training session Wednesday and Pilates class Thursday!! Then a quiet night at home (after I took myself out to dinner) reading and backing up my hard drive on the old laptop. Sounds thrilling, I know, but believe me it was one of the best nights in recent memory! I'm really digging my unstructured alone time :)

Day Six, Saturday.....today I went to the gym to do some weight stuff, and pretty much did what I did with my trainer on Wednesday plus some other things with machines, etc. Then I ran for about 35 minutes, the day five running stuff. Then got ready for work, my first night back after a blissful three days off! It was busy, but nothing compared to the holiday madness of the past few months. Kinda nice! I'm not going to be making any money, but at least I'll have my sanity. After last week, I'll take the sanity, please.

Day Seven, Sunday....no working out today! Or tomorrow, because I'm back to the Monday doubles!! Here's hoping for 130 tomorrow when I get on that scale!!

Workout tally for the week:

Cardio: 4

Resistance: 3

Pilates/Yoga: 3

Week Ten, day four

Day Four, Thursday....first of all I just want to express how lovely and amazing it is to have free time again!! I haven't been doing a whole lot besides relaxing and reading and watching movies, occasionally seeing friends (and of course working out) which has been very therapeutic for me. Just what I needed! It has been bitterly cold here and we got more snow last night, so it is hard to get motivated to leave the house....and to be perfectly honest, I don't really want to! I feel like I'm re-charging my batteries in a way, so needed.
Anyway, this morning I went to my pilates class for the first time in four weeks! We did a lot of stuff with the exercise ball and it was feeling pretty tough, but a great workout as always! It was good to be back :) Then after class I ran eight minute intervals at a pace that was pushing it a little more than usual, most all of it on an elevation of one to two. I did eight minutes of running with a one minute walk, for thirty minutes! After all that I was feeling pretty spent, in a good way. I am happy to report that the scale seems to be moving again, and I think that 130 is totally reachable by Monday!!
Oh, and I FINALLY got not just one letter, but TWO from Eben!! It was wonderful to hear from him after such a long and emotionally wracked wait, and to hear that not much has changed with him in the ten days since his last letter. So excited to see him three weeks from today!!!!

Week Ten, days one thru three...

So it's a new week....I have put the craziness of the holidays, the emotional breakdowns, the stressful work hours behind me and am ready to tackle the last leg of the race! I can't believe in three weeks I will be at the end of the thirteen weeks and in San Diego!! (Which by the way is around 74 degress and sunny right now) Between now and then I am going to shed those last few pounds of fat, continue to build my muscle and endurance, and try to incorporate my pilates practice more into my everyday routine. And thankfully, work less!!! I am so so happy about that part :) Here's the recap...

Day One, Monday....today I was scheduled to work my Monday double but I had given up my evening shift earlier in the week because I knew I would be fried by then....SO glad I did that. Anyway, it was really really slow at work since most people are back to school/work after their holiday vacations, and I hate to say it but I LOVED that it was slow!! It was so relaxing and I actually got to spend time with my tables! So though I didn't really make great money, I don't really care! I was scheduled in "A" which means I could have been put in one of the two closing sections, but they put me in a non-closing A section which means that I didn't have to stay late and since it was slow I actually got out around 2, which was great because I had a couple hours then free that I wasn't expecting! So I took care of some errands on the way home and felt pretty good so I did some pilates and then went to the gym to do my day one running routine! It felt good to be back and to have some energy left over, even after work and working out! After my workout, my fabulous friend Jake treated me to dinner and we went to a movie, it was just what I needed.

Day Two, Tuesday....today I was again scheduled to work lunch in "A" so again I expected to close and be there til around 4:30....but there was some mix up with people switching shifts and the fact that there is another Heather at my work and I ended up being put in a C section by mistake, so definitely not closing! I'll take it. I got out around 2:30 and ran some errands, by the time I got home I felt kinda sleepy and just like relaxing, reading, etc. I was kinda expecting a letter but I again got no word (it's been 8 days now and no word, grrr) so that made me sad all over again....but my wonderful sister was there for me and let me cry/vent and made me feel better :) So no working out, but I badly needed a rest day at the end of my six day work week!

Day Three, Wednesday....the start of my three-day vacation!! This morning I had my weekly training session with my trainer and again she worked me real hard!! I believe I have just two more sessions left which actually works out perfectly because I have two more Wednesdays after this one, and then the third Wednesday I'll be on a plane to San Diego!! After my training I did the day three running stuff, and tried to do most of it on an elevation which was definitely a good workout!! By the time I was done I had gone almost four miles in 40 minutes (which includes five minutes of interspersed rest time) and burned over 400 calories! Yikes. I am noticing just in the past few weeks I don't feel as sore after my training or running, or even after long shifts after a day of running, so I guess that means I am getting into better shape! Yay! Tomorrow I am really looking forward to going to pilates class again...it was cancelled the last two weeks because the holidays fell on Thursdays, and the week before I was sick...so I'm real excited to get back to it! I know THAT will make me sore :) It was wonderful to have the day off, and I have Thursday AND Friday off too!! OMG it's so great to have free time to relax, see friends, work out whenever I want!!

Oh...by the way...I had to get new work pants last week because my old ones (which were new like two months ago) were waaaay too big, it was getting uncomfortable and the possibility of them falling off completely was really not an exaggeration. I went to the same store on the chance that they would still have ones like the ones I had bought two months ago because I really liked them and they washed nicely which is important in my job ;) I found the exact same pants, and ended up buying the same exact pair TWO SIZES SMALLER!!! And they fit very comfortably, even a little bit of room :) Woohoo!!! It's moments like those that make all this work and sweat so very worth it!

Week Nine results!!

Ok, so week nine was pretty much a disaster as far as the plan goes.....work and life definitely got in the way! I couldn't eat much all week, but I could tell that what I was eating my body wasn't digesting because my stomach was just in one big knot. I couldn't work out much because I was exhausted from working more than ever AND I kind of fell apart emotionally...not a good combination. So when I stepped on the scale this morning I was hoping for 132 but knew that was probably unrealistic. I was 133...Not too bad, I didn't gain anything I guess. I just hope that things stabilize next week and I can maybe make up the difference. I'm supposed to be 130 by next Monday to stay on track....and I really really think I can do it!! I have THREE DAYS OFF this week with not much planned so I'm going to hit the gym hard and get back into my routine. And I'm going to feel better. If I'm at 130 by Monday, that's my original goal weight, which is amazing!! I'm almost there! I know there is a lot more I can do after that point though, so I'm going to stick with 126-128 as my revised goal and hope to be there by the time I take off for San Diego in three weeks!!!

Week Nine, days six and seven.....

I'm pretty sure I took these days off. I don't even remember. I was working a lot towards the end of the week and physically and emotionally drained. So they were kind of a blur. It was hard enough just to get the energy/motivation to go to work when I was supposed to, so working out was sort of out of the question. Here's hoping next week is better.....

Week Nine, days one through five.....wow what a crazy week!!

Ok so I obviously haven't been very good about updating this week! Things have been crazier than ever....I thought that this week would slow down at work but it's actually worse than last week, at least I had two days off for the Christmas holidays last week, as opposed to this week working my regular schedule this week plus the holiday days....too many extra shifts!! But good money. But man am I exhausted. Anyway, here's the recap:

Monday, Day One....today I was scheduled to work my usual Monday double, but actually got called off my morning shift which was AMAZING. So I took advantage of the morning/afternoon off and went to the gym to start my first day of the new phase of my running program. So my plan for the day called for 30 minutes of running followed by 5 "strides" (30 seconds at a really fast pace followed by a minute of rest, repeat 5 times) and then ten more minutes of running. Wow what a workout!! It looked intimidating at the outset, but I did it! I also did pilates at home. Then went off to work in the evening and it was a crazy busy Monday night! Apparently nobody but us is working this week, and they're ALL at the mall. Hmm.

Tuesday, Day Two....today I wasn't planning on working out at all as I was scheduled to close lunch (which means I stay until the dinner folks come on and take all those late afternoon tables) and then work a food running shift in the evening. I ended up getting about a half hour break between....basically worked an 11 hour day with one half hour break. And it was CRAZY busy the whole time! This was not good at all for my eating schedule and my stomach started to go kinda crazy with hunger, but when I did finally eat it felt weird. Then after work I went to a movie with my friend Tom (yay) and ate some popcorn....made my tummy feel even weirder.

Wednesday, Day Three.....today was my one and only day off this week! My next day off is a full week away. Yuck. In the morning I did my pilates and weights at home, and then went to see some friends in Beauty and the Beast at the Ordway. Fun!! Then did some shopping and got home early to lay low. My stomach was still feeling weird and I was just feeling generally tired. More days off needed!!

Thursday, Day Four....today I had one of those days where I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed or something. I have been really stressed/tired with all the work shifts, and sad and missing Eben and dealing with all the lovely things that come with having your fiancee be away at the holidays, and being in the military, and not being able to even talk to him on your anniversary. It all kinda came to a head today and I just felt crappy and emotional and spent and I could tell by the way my stomach was all twisted up that it was not going to be a good day. But, I did what I always do and just keep going.....in the morning I had a session with my trainer and she worked me really hard! She commented that she is starting to see my muscles build as I get leaner, pretty cool! I just can't seem to slim down in my thighs and butt though, no matter what I do. Damn genetics. But, she is focusing on those areas and recommends that I keep at the cardio and run on an elevation to help blast that fat. After our training I felt really spent but did twenty minutes of cardio....then home to get ready for the dreaded New Year's Eve closing shift at the restaurant. It was awful, and I was in no shape to be there. I was having a bad week, a really bad day, and badly needed some down time or even time to wallow but instead I had to suck it up and go get my butt kicked at work. My head was throbbing all night, my stomach was in one big knot and I felt despondent about having to be there. Not fun. The best part of my day was being in bed before midnight. Happy New Years :(

Friday, Day Five....today I felt a lot better for some reason, it's amazing what a good night's sleep and a good cry can do for you. I started off the afternoon with some yoga, then I went to the gym to do day three of the running program which was 3 sets of ten minute run/5 strides. Even though I was real sore from the day before's training and working, it felt really good and I seemed to have my energy back for the first time in a while! Then I had to go home and get ready for work, again. I feel like I'm on an endless loop....eat, workout, eat, work, sleep. Repeat. I can't wait for my upcoming vacation!!! Oh, and next week....I have THREE DAYS OFF!! In a row!! I am oh so thrilled :)

Workout tally for this week so far:
Cardio: 3
Weights: 2
Pilates/Yoga: 3

Week Eight Results!!

My goal for this weigh-in was 134....and after all of the upset in my routine/plan because of the holidays, I was hoping at least not to gain anything and to stay at 135. So I weighed myself this morning, and....134!! It's a Christmas miracle!!! ha ha ha :) This makes me feel pretty good about my ability to maintain my loss when this is all over, since I was eating the things I wanted (within reason, and smaller portions) and working out less. So, once I get to my goal, I can get onto a "maintenance schedule" and hopefully keep at that weight! Plus, I know I will keep active no matter what, and try to run at least three times a week and do pilates three to four times a week, regardless of whether I am trying to lose or not. Now it feels like a habit, something I'm used to doing and something I want to do!
So...four and a half weeks left and it will be the end of the 13 weeks, and I will be in San Diego! I have been thinking recently, and looking at my calendar...if I do maintain this two-pound-a-week loss which seems to be very do-able for me, I will be at 126 the Monday before I leave for San Diego. I wasn't sure when I started out how the weight would come off, or what I would look like after 20 pounds of loss. Most people that I told my goal to at the outset thought I was crazy and said "How are you going to lose twenty pounds, you'll have nothing left!" Because I wasn't huge, and I'm pretty small and short to begin with. But I knew it was there and that it had to go!! Now I look at where I am currently, and I think if I take eight more pounds off I will probably be at my optimal weight. Very slim and not much fat, but I think it is completely within healthy range. I do have a lot more fat on my thighs and butt (and some minimally on my tummy and arms) that could go, thank you very much. So I am going to keep trying for the two pound a week thing. 130 is still my minimum goal, but I'll say 126 is my optimum goal!! I know I am building muscle and that weighs more, so we'll see how it all evens out. I think I'll know when I am at my perfect balance, and at a weight/muscle ratio that is realistic to maintain long term.
So...now that Christmas is behind me, it's time to get back to the gym!! Let's go!

Week Eight, days four - seven....recap time!

So, what with the holidays and all I was a little less than diligent about updating here, and things were all around kind of screwy! But I'm happy to report that I did a pretty decent job with my plan, regardless! Here's a quick and dirty recap...

Thursday, Day four.....today I was planning on getting up and going to the gym to get some cardio in....but I was feeling pretty worn out from work the night before and I only had a small window of time (not to mention we got dumped on with snow overnight and I really didn't feel like dealing with that!) since we were supposed to be leaving for my aunt and uncles' in Lakeville by around 1:00. So I decided to stay home and do some pilates instead.
Then I continued my trend of breaking my diet plan (only in small ways though) and had an amazing meal made by my aunt Patty, beef teriyaki tenderloin, mashed potatoes, salad, green beans...it was SO GOOD! And then like 10 different types of cookies to choose from for dessert. I was in heaven. But I was pretty good and didn't feel like I fell off the wagon too hard :) None of the food was terribly unhealthy either...just a lot richer than what I have been eating lately! YUM.
After dinner we all played many rounds of Apples to Apples (which is kind of becoming our holiday tradition), then drove home in the snow just in time to make it to the midnight Christmas Eve service at church. All in all a great Christmas Eve!!

Day Five, Friday....Christmas Day!! Since my gym was closed today I knew I would be either taking the day off working out, or just doing some stuff at home. So after opening our gifts in the morning (I got an awesome new workout outfit, thanks Dad (and Jen for helping)!) I did some pilates and resistance/weight stuff at home. It was actually a really good workout and got my heart pumping! The rest of the day was very relaxing, we had a yummy beef roast for dinner and then watched Julie & Julia that evening. I didn't realize it at the time, but that movie definitely inspired in many ways the first time I saw it....to start this blog, for one, and just to go after my dreams and realize that it's going to be hard at times, but when you are following your passion, those minor setbacks are to be expected and even embraced! Such a great movie :)

Day Six, Saturday....today I went back to the gym to do some weights and cardio! It felt great! I did some stuff on the machines to concentrate on my legs and arms, and then ran for about a half hour with ten minute intervals of running and three minute rest. Then had to cut it a little short to get home and prepare for having the future in-laws over for lunch :) Then I had to work a lame carry-out shift at work which turned out to be very short, which was nice because I had the rest of the evening to hang out with my sister! We had Dairy Queen. It was SO good. I got a small blizzard and brought half home for my mom, and that seemed to be good enough to satisfy my craving (and treat my mom!) without going off the wagon too bad!!

Day Seven, Sunday....today I planned on resting, and with church in the morning and work all afternoon/evening, there isn't much time for working out on Sundays ever! Weigh in tomorrow...hopefully my lax workout/eating this week didn't make me gain weight! Ah well, it's the holidays...and I still have four weeks left to get to my goal...I can't believe it is coming to the end of the thirteen weeks!!

Workout tally:
Cardio: 2
Resistance: 5
Pilates/Yoga: 3

Week Eight, days one, two and three....here comes the hard part...

....trying to keep my fitness momentum going with work being absolutely insane, working more shifts, trying to get things done for xmas, fitting in workouts when work is weird, other holiday things are scheduled everywhere, and my gym is closed and classes cancelled, trying to eat responsibly when there is temptation EVERYWHERE and my regular routine is all screwy. SIGH. All I can do for this week is try my best to fit things in when I can and realize that it may not happen, and that's ok :). Luckily, I still have 4 1/2 weeks left after this one to get the remaining weight off and get all buff! So maybe next Monday I won't be 134, but I'm sure as hell gonna try to get there in spite of it all. And by all means try to not put ON any weight!!

Day one, Monday.....today I was scheduled to work my normal Monday double, but on Sunday offered my day shift to anyone who wanted it (and like three people jumped at the offer at once, and fought it out, ha! I can see why, it was so crazy busy on Monday and the person who took my shift made really good money. Oh well.) So I didn't work in the afternoon so I could do all the cleaning and stuff for my sister to come stay with us and use my room (actually her room, but I live in it now, ha ha). Then I went to work the night shift and it was pretty insane. It felt busy and stressful like a Friday but it dragged by like a Monday. Go figure.
I didn't plan to work out at all today, which ended up being a blessing because I woke up with the worst cramps EVER, and felt nauseous and pretty awful all day. So I was glad I was just home in the afternoon, cleaning and kind of taking it easy and not getting my butt kicked at work all day and all night. I didn't really feel like eating at all but I forced myself to eat my usual meals, and then by the time I got to work I was ravenous for some reason but still felt queasy. I decided the only thing that would help me in this condition was one of our brownies :) So my manager bought one for me at the end of the night and I scarfed it down on the way home. It really did help, I swear! Chocolate is the only thing that does in those situations.

Day Two, Tuesday....today I worked in the afternoon, and it was as expected busier than usual so I was on for much longer than usual....then my mom and sis stopped by since they were at the mall shopping and we had a late lunch/early dinner at the restaurant! YUM. (This week I am cheating in small ways everywhere it seems. Oh well, it's Christmas!) But we shared some appetizers and one entree between the three of us and did generally healthy stuff so it wasn't all that bad. When I got home after some more shopping, I forced myself to do pilates and weights. I was feeling pretty tired, but felt good afterwards :) Then my mom and sister and I made and decorated cookies (a little more cheating) and wrapped presents while watching "A Mighty Wind" and laughing our butts off :)

Day Three, Wednesday...today I met with my trainer and she worked me really hard! After going through some weights and resistance stuff, she showed me something new to do on the treadmill as part of my cardio...it is basically doing a chasse sideways on the treadmill for a minute both sides (it feels really weird but toward the end I got the hang of it) and then sprinting for a minute. I did this for fifteen minutes, and then finished up with 15 minutes (1.5 miles) of running and some cool down walking. Pretty great workout! I am now running easily at a faster pace too, which is cool! I can easily do a mile in ten minutes without getting winded. Then tonight I work my last shift until after Xmas, don't know what to expect business wise...I feel like it might be a little slow. And people are starting to get nervous about the expected weather we are supposed to be getting...sounds like we will for sure be having a white Christmas! Yikes.

I can't believe that I will be in San Diego five weeks from today!!!! It is going fast now, but I am missing Eben like crazy. I don't like this Phase II of training, I have only gotten two letters in 2+ weeks. BOO to that. But at the end of this week he comes back to the Recruit Depot to begin the final phase and then graduation is just weeks away! So now that it's getting very close it should be extra motivation to get and stay in the best shape ever!

Workout tally:
Cardio: 1
Resistance: 2
Yoga/Pilates: 1