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!!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
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.....
Friday, January 1, 2010
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
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
Monday, December 28, 2009
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!
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
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
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