I'm a week late in posting this, but I'm happy that I'm done with the first round and 1/3 of the way done with the second round!
In 21 days I lost 5 pounds and I am down 10.75" overall with 4 of those inches down in my waist!
I'd love to say that I have more energy, but I'm just not there yet, but I really do love this program. It's an easy to follow program that gives flexibility with the diet, but great structure and clear guidelines. I am able to eat food I actually like (hello turkey burgers and chili) and still lose weight. I did have to give up my beloved condiments and sauces, except mustard, but I'm really loving the results and I really don't miss them too much.
I am already in my second round and the only change is that I'm using the 21 day fix eating plan with the focusT25 workouts. I like HIIT workouts and it's less pressure on my wrist so that's what I'm trying out this round!
Let's start this off by saying I am SO glad to have started this program. Seriously, it has already done so much in a week and is definitely doable!
Here's how the program works...Basically, you workout every day to a 30 minute video. There are 7 different videos and you do one each day of the week. As for the diet, you are allotted so many "containers" to eat each day and your goal is to eat all of the food that corresponds with the containers each day and drink half of your body weight in water! Of course, you want to try to eat 5-6 "meals" per day.
For example, I get 5 Green, 5 Red, 4 Yellow, 3 Purple, 1 Blue, 1 Orange, and 5 teaspoons.
As you can see, I don't starve and eat a balanced diet. The focus is on less-processed foods and portion control along with exercise which is a proven method of weight loss. I am using Shakeology as part of the program once per day and it took a while to get used to, but I have to say I really enjoy having it after my workout as my "snack."
This was one day after my Pilates Fix workout.
The workouts have modifications that are really helpful and are still pretty challenging. I was pretty sore the first few days and my hamstrings are pretty sore today after Yoga Fix yesterday.
In Week 1...
I am already down a pant size! Last week I wore a size 18 jeans with the "hairband trick" to church and this week, I wore size 16 jeans with no hairband!
I can also feel more muscles in my arms and legs which is really exciting.
I'm still pretty tired, but I don't feel like I need a nap every day anymore! I'm really hoping my energy kicks in soon.
I can't wait to see what the next 2 weeks have in store for me on this program!
It's that time again! Time to really work on being fit and healthy. I can't believe it's been almost two years since I was really dedicated to working out and eating right. Gosh, that sounds horrible, but here I am ready and willing to work hard.
I'm not going to lie. I've been lazy and super lax on my diet. I've eaten what I want, when I've wanted and have had to talk myself off of the ledge from eating ice cream all day long on more than one occasion, but that's all going to stop. I can still have ice cream, just in moderation and proper portion sizes. I would like to try to not count calories this time around, but we'll see how that goes.
My motivation is simple: I need to lose weight and get healthy so that my blood sugar doesn't end up too high. Yes, I've been checking my fasting numbers lately and they've been higher than I like which puts me in the *gulp* pre-diabetic category. That's about all the motivation I need since having gestational diabetes so here I am ready and willing to work hard and see where this gets me.
I've ordered a few crucial things (namely, a scale that works) and I've been working out for about a week already so it's mainly continuing that and changing my diet hard-core. I'm big into moderation and not giving up on any given food unless I have to. I guess we'll just jump on the bandwagon and see how this goes!
Here are my starting stats:
Weight: 214.6
Waist: TBD*
Hips: TBD*
*I'll be measuring tomorrow morning.
I would honestly love any and all encouragement along the way that I can get. Realizing that I'm at this starting place with my weight and fasting blood sugar is very sobering. I need to get healthy for myself and to set a good example for my family. Any tips?
In high school I was part of the cross country team so I ran a lot. Being the slowest on the team didn't matter, all that mattered was that I ran and did my best. I never won a race or got any points for my team, but I worked so hard and loved it. It was challenging and really helped to release stress and clear my head.
Two years ago I really started working out and getting back into shape. Even when I lost 30 pounds I still couldn't run and I was so disappointed. No matter what I tried, it would hurt so bad and I couldn't continue. Running even 1 minute was torture, but I craved it. Then I got pregnant and stopped all exercise until recently.
My family in California is really into running. My step-dad has run most of his life and trained my sister to do so as well. My mom just started running a few years ago and has completed two half-marathons to date and she never ran before that. My other sister just started running a few months back with a run/walk program and is now up to 1.5 miles! Being around all of these people I was definitely inspired to try again so I did.
The first night I went out and ran 1/2 mile without stopping! It was hard, but I did it and made sure to continue and keep it up while I was out there. My step-dad bought me a couple of pairs of running shoes and my mom gave me some compression socks so that I would be able to run and hopefully have less pain.
The past two or so weeks that we've been back have been hard to get into running. I'm still making sure that I do, but the heat and humidity are making it difficult paired with the fact that I'm slow as molasses and my calves tighten up and hurt. I'm determined to do this and I'm trying to not get frustrated that I'm only able to do a little bit and that my time/distance aren't improving much. I'm still getting out there.
I love how much running can help to clear your mind and help me de-stress after a particularly rough day. Have I mentioned that my baby is on day 3 of super fussiness?
Either way, I'm working on doing my best and that's all that counts.
Finally! I am seriously so excited about this! I've worked hard and it looks like I'm going to make my goal of 30 pounds lost by Christmas.
This makes me officially weigh in under 200 pounds!
Clearly, I am not able to work out this week (or probably next week) because of my sprained ankle playing softball, but this shows how important your diet and water intake are for weight loss. In addition, I am now taking Metformin for my PCOS which can help aid with weight loss by helping your body produce the right amount of insulin needed. It is not a diet pill. Weight loss just happens to be a side effect to getting your body working right. Not sure if it has started helping yet since I've only taken it for two weeks, but I'll take it!
Let's start this week off by saying that we got our new scale in the mail! Now, I'm able to have an accurate reading of my weight and I couldn't be happier with that.
This week I managed to get in a good cardio workout and some yoga. It seems that the more I want to get to the gym, the more comes up to try to prevent me. And, you know what? That's life and that's ok. I am learning to manage my ever-changing life in regards to exercise. In the dieting world, I'm still doing a great job! So it's still a win because the numbers are still going down.
I'm still on track to lose 30 pounds by Christmas so I'm happy about that!
Wow, this week has definitely been busier than usual, but that's a good thing! I'm sticking with my minimum of three days a week for exercising and hoping to have some time to add in another day or two since I really liked going five days a week.
I like to do my best to stay motivated and determined to continue to lose weight. It's important for me not to give up on the plan and I make sure to stick in my calorie range daily.
Here are the results:
Starting Weight: 224
Last Week's Weight: 205.6
Current Weight: 205
Down -0.6pounds for the week!
Total weight loss: 19 pounds!
Very happy with the continued loss! I'm definitely on track to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year!
If you missed the first post on how we got on the show, you can catch up here.
You all saw that we were picked to have Jillian Michaels as our celebrity diet expert.
We met Jillian at a restaurant in Los Angeles to discuss the plan. She gave us her book to read and told us that it was going to be a lot of hard work.
The plan was simple enough...calories in vs. calories out. In order to lose weight, we had to create a deficit. She told us to eat between 1,200-1,500 calories per day and that we would be working out 5x/week. Now, I don't know about you, but it's kind of hard to go from 0 to 60 all at once when you're not used to working out or eating right. She suggested that we get a book called The Calorie King to help track our calories and get a notebook so we could keep track of it all.
We worked out with Jillian one time and she sent us home with instructions to send her our food diaries weekly and she would send us what she wanted to do work out wise for the week.
I stuck to my calorie intake and made sure to measure everything. I made some slight changes like substituting turkey bacon for regular, light hot dogs for regular, Ezekiel bread, low fat everything, and light versions of many foods. She said that we could use 300 calories per day to "treat" ourselves so we didn't feel obligated to cheat or binge. I still ate pizza and some of my favorite foods, but I made sure to count the calories and always stuck to my calorie range.
I emailed Jillian with my food diary religiously and sometimes I wouldn't hear back for a week or even maybe two weeks. I felt lost and unsure of what to do so I called the producer of the show and she told me that Jillian must be busy, so I just needed to be patient.
Jillian would email us when she got around to it and would tell us what to do to work out. She suggested taking a spin class so that's exactly what we did. I remember that we went into the hour long class and tried so hard to make it through to the end. It was so painful and I thought I had bruised my butt! I thought that she was trying to kill us! We were definitely not ready for that.
Working out proved to be a challenge. She would tell us to do 45 minutes of cardio and do strength training. She was very specific about which cardio machines to use (StairMaster was one of her favorites) and for how long. At one point, she emailed me telling me that it was time to start running on the treadmill. I let her know that I really didn't think my body was ready for it and she told me that I needed to do it anyways. I tried to run on the treadmill and ended up hurting my knee. I went to the doctor and they told me that I wasn't ready to be running and to wear a brace full-time for a few weeks and to take it easy. Yep, that sucked.
During this time, my sister ended up temporarily quitting the show. She had a personal issue come up and wasn't focused. We ended up getting her back on track, but it was a struggle. I did continue to email my food journal/workouts even though she wasn't communicating with Jillian and fell off the bandwagon.
With the injury, my school schedule, and my work schedule (moving to full-time hours) I didn't get to work out as much as I should have. Jillian wasn't happy with my slow, steady weight loss and wanted to have me take weight loss supplements and only eat lean chicken or fish with broccoli for lunches and dinners. Of course, this was not what her "plan" was supposed to be about and I didn't feel comfortable taking a weight loss drug to lose weight.
As you can imagine, the second show {the results show} was definitely interesting. I will have another post with another video clip to wrap up the experience!
Weight loss is definitely a journey filled with highs and lows. This week was more difficult than last week. I got in four workouts (Sunday-Wednesday), but I had such a hard time with some of them. My allergies were crazy, I had pain in my left arch with walking, and my calves have been so tight. I still managed to work out, but some modifications were definitely needed.
Here's what I did this week:
Workout Schedule: Sunday-Wednesday...still planning a Friday and possibly Saturday workout!
Sunday
10 minutes on the treadmill followed by weights. It was an arm day so we got that done. I wanted to do more cardio, but it was so hot and humid that my husband started to feel dizzy so we decided it was best to get him home.
Monday
30 minutes on the elliptical followed by 20 minutes on the stationary bike.
Tuesday
30 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the bike. I also went back and did the 30 minute circuit class!
Wednesday
This was the tough day for me. I tried to walk on my in-laws' treadmill since we're house-sitting and it sucked. The belt is looser than the ones I'm used to and my calves were on fire. I did 10 minutes and felt like I was going to die. I managed to go to the gym later that day and did 10 more minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the stationary bike. It sucked and I was so disappointed in myself.
Thursday I woke up and my calves were so tight and sore. It was horrible. I ended up using this as my rest day, stretching a lot, and having my husband use a rolling pin on my calves to attempt to loosen them up.
Friday
Ugh, I need to make up for this week somehow. I really enjoy working out, but this week has been awful. At least 30 minutes of cardio somehow, but trying to avoid the treadmill since it makes my calves hurt more.
Saturday
Something active. Either the gym or maybe hiking? If you knew me at all, you would know that me wanting to go hiking is a miracle.
Diet
I need to drink more water. I made sure to get in the 8 cup minimum per day, but I really like to stay around 12 cups per day. We have been at my in-laws a good part of this week and took Gram to dinner last Friday, but I managed to check out the calorie and fat content and did well with that. I'm eating out too much being here so I'm looking forward to my routine at home.
Starting Weight: 224
Last Week's Weight: 218.8
Today's Weight: 218
I'm down 0.8 pounds! I worked hard, but you can tell it was a hard week.
Measurements:
Starting Waist: 44"
Current Waist: 41"
*My natural waist
Starting Hip: 54"
Current Hip: 49"
*Right under my belly-button where I was the most round overall
I managed to stay the same in my measurements, but I've noticed my yoga pants are looser in the front so that's good!
Next Week's Plan...
Drink more water! I also want to get in more cardio and work up to 60 minutes per day. I also want to eat more fruit this week. I like having fruit as a snack and since we weren't home this week, I slacked in the fruit department.
This week was a fantastic week for me! I was able to push myself and get in more time and hours working out than previous weeks and I felt great after my workouts.
Here's what I did this week:
Workout Schedule: Sunday-Thursday...5 days in a row!
Sunday- 20 minutes on the elliptical. It was supposed to be my "day off" but I really wanted to get in a workout. We had limited time, but I pushed myself and made sure to make up for it.
Monday- 30 minutes on the elliptical + 35 minutes on the treadmill! I also did yoga at the end of the day.
Tuesday- 10 minutes on the bike + 20 minutes on the treadmill. We also attempted to do the ab circuit workout, but I'm not a fan. I also did a yoga stretch video that night.
Wednesday- 20 minutes on the treadmill. Yes, we were at the gym on the 4th of July. We also did a lot of swimming at Phil's Aunt's house. I did a yoga video again in the evening.
Thursday- I tried out a yoga class at a studio here in town. It was definitely interesting and I would do it again, but classes are expensive.
Friday- rest day. I might get in some yoga at home.
Saturday- I'm hoping to do at least 30 minutes of cardio.
Diet- I definitely drank a lot of water (about 10-12 cups a day) and added in a low calorie Gatorade knock-off to get back some electrolytes. I've also been using My Fitness Pal online to help track my calories and exercise and I've been under my goal to lose weight!
Starting Weight: 224
Last Week's Weight: 222
Today's Weight: 218.8
I'm down 3.2 pounds! I worked hard and it definitely shows.
Measurements:
Starting Waist: 44"
Current Waist: 41"
*My natural waist
Starting Hip: 54"
Current Hip: 49"
*Right under my belly-button where I was the most round overall
I lost 1" in both my waist and my roundest part!!!
.
My plan for next week: Continue with the water and try not to eat out at all. I want to try some new recipes and make sure that I'm incorporating more fresh fruits into my diet. I also want to make sure to snack on more protein-rich foods like Greek yogurt after my workouts.
I have successfully completed four weeks of my new fitness routine! Week 2 was definitely the hardest for me since I was constantly hungry and exhausted from not being used to working out.
Here's what I did this week:
Workout Schedule: 4 days of cardio (every other day) starting with Sunday.
Sunday's workout- 7.5 minutes on the ArcTrainer (my knees were clicking and it was really not ok) followed by 20 minutes on the bike. It was a horrible workout, but I did it. My left tendon under my knee started feeling strained on the bike so I stopped earlier than I would have liked to avoid injury.
Tuesday's workout- I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes making sure to switch up my speed to keep my heart rate up.
Thursday's workout- 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by 30 minutes on the treadmill! Honestly, the elliptical was so hard yesterday and I couldn't get my heart rate down under 180 no matter how hard I tried. When I switched to the treadmill, I was able to keep it down to a more comfortable level.
Diet- I made sure to drink plenty of water and have been cutting down on my portion sizes. I had a couple of rough days where I was craving salty and sweet things, but I monitored them and made sure to not give in too much. I've also been adding in a lot more fruit and making meals from scratch more.
Starting Weight: 224
Last Week's Weight: 222.6
Today's Weight: 222
I'm down 0.6 pounds! I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm steadily decreasing my weight so I'll take it.
Measurements:
Starting Waist: 44"
Current Waist: 42"
*My natural waist
Starting Hip: 54"
Current Hip: 50"
*Right under my belly-button where I was the most round overall
I was so excited with my measurements this morning! I have been noticing that I'm less round in my hip/belly button area and the measurements don't lie!
My plan for next week: Continue to drink more water and track more meals using Myfitnesspal online. Workout three times (every other day) and up my cardio and try to get five more minutes in for a average of 35 minutes of cardio each time.
I mentioned last week about how I was on the Tyra Banks Show a few years ago for weight loss. The show was shot in 2006 in Los Angeles, CA
How we ended up on the show:
I filled out a form on her website and was called a couple of months afterwards to come in and do an interview for the show. They asked if I had anyone else I could bring with me so I brought my sister who was also not happy with her weight. We were told that we were not going to be on the show {because they already had their cast picked out}, but we were needed for the interview. A couple of days after the interview, we were asked to come down for the show and sit in the audience. At this point they said that there was a slight chance that we might on the show! They told us to come in a couple of hours early for hair and make-up just in case they wanted us on the show because Tyra really liked the "sister angle." Honestly, we knew that we were going to be cast for the show at that point because why would there only be six people in hair and make-up when they said that "everyone" in the audience had a chance of being called up on stage.
Prepping for the show:
After we got our hair and make-up done, we were sent to wardrobe to make sure that we were wearing something that they would like. They had a closet full of clothes and shoes and promptly went to work. It was fun having someone dress and accessorize you. Then, we were sent to a green room where we sat and waited for what was to come. The producer came in and "prepped" us by asking a lot of questions and having us rehearse our answers. She kept telling us that no one knew who was going to be called up on the stage so if we were called, we had to act really excited.
The show:
We were strategically seated on the end of a row so that we would have easy access to the stage. The premise of the show was easy. There were three teams, each made up of two women, and three diet/fitness gurus who each claimed that their way was the best way. Each guru was assigned one team to work with over a three month period of time. Each team had to follow their expert's plan and try to lose as much weight as they could in that time frame.
We were the second team to be called up.
Here's the video that we edited to show you our segment on the show!
My comments on the video:
Yes, Tyra totally botched our last name...badly. It was awkward and weird. Also, Tyra is freakishly tall, like 6 feet tall and she is wearing a slutty top that exposes her bra. Ya, she's fun like that. Another fun Tyra fact? Her make-up doesn't go all the way up to her hair (weave) line. It stops a good two inches or so before the hairline...lol.
I can tell you one thing, when you are up on that stage, you can't even think about what to say! There are so many people in the audience looking at you and Tyra is asking you all of these questions that she's reading off of the teleprompter or cards. It's kind of nerve-wrecking at the time, but you get over it.
Our team name? LAME! No, we did not pick that name, in fact, we wanted to be called the "Chubby Bunnies", but they told us that was not ok and they picked the "Nanny Pack." Seriously? We thought it would be awesome and funny!
The three experts were Dr. Ian Smith (from Celebrity Fit Club), Jillian Michaels (the Biggest Loser), and Alyssa Cohen (Raw Food Diet). Of course, y'all saw who we got and at that point I was just thrilled that we didn't get the raw food lady because I would have died on a raw food/vegan diet! You can seriously see me mouthing the words, "I'm so happy. Oh, thank God!" Hahaha.
Fun fact: They don't actually weigh you on the show. You weigh yourself at home and they call and ask what it is so they can get everything ready for it to happen on the show.
So, that pretty much wraps up the first show! I'll be writing another post telling you what we did during the three months of working out and dieting with Jillian in the next post and I'll have one last post with video clips of the Results Show with who won!
I've been cheating with everything bad. I haven't been to the gym in two weeks and there's really no good reason for it. I don't think that being tired or busy is a good enough excuse. At this point I feel like I've run out of excuses. I don't know why I've been M.I.A., but I have been.
I may not have been able to go to the gym, but I've been on my feet a lot more. Work started last week and preparing for school was hard work! No, that doesn't mean that I can eat two desserts a day and not watch what I eat, but I'm moving around. In fact, today Phil and I went to the outlets and walked around for a little more than five hours! By the time we left my feet, back, and knees hurt so much, but that just means that I was walking around and getting exercise.
Tomorrow is a new day and with a new day I get a new start. I know I won't always make the right choice, but I can always try again and make better decisions one day at a time.
Let's just put it all out there...I'm looking for a new gym. I've been at Gold's for over a year now and wanted to look into renewing my membership. The last time we signed up, we paid for a year in full and were told that the contract still applies, but the billing is different. We were told that after the year is completed, we would then be charged at the same rate, but the contract term would change from yearly to month-to-month.
I have 13 personal training sessions left and absolutely love my trainer! When I checked in to see when my year would end they told me that August 31st is my last day. Ummm, but shouldn't my payments just change over to be paid monthly? Well, that's what I thought, but the four different times I tried to check on it, they avoided that question like the plague.
The first time I spoke with a manager about it and he tried to get me to pay $10 more PER MONTH than what I was paying before! He said that is the rate I would "have" to pay to keep my membership. On top of that, he didn't want to listen to anything I said and tried to convince me that he was doing me a favor by giving me that rate! The next person I spoke with had no idea what was going on. He took down my number, promised to call me by the end of the day, and never got back to me. The third person I talked to was really nice. She looked everything up and said that there were a couple of different options for me. One was to pay just under $200 down and a lower monthly payment to have a month-to-month contract or I could have another year contract and pay monthly and after a year have what they promised me this last time a month-to-month contract after that!
Phil and I went to talk to them for the fourth time last night and I asked, once again, why they can't give me the month-to-month rate/contract that was promised to me in the original contract. I was told that because we paid in full for the year, it was a different contract and we would have to start a new one. What?! That's not what our contracts said and when I mentioned this, they had "no idea" what I was talking about!
At this point, Phil was pretty upset. He had heard it out of their mouths and had sworn off any chance of me renewing with them. Now I have 13 sessions and just until the end of the month to use them all up and find a new gym.
I've been thinking hard about where I want to work out next. We have a few gyms in the area, but it's not like California where they are all over and there are so many options. I want to find somewhere where I feel comfortable going. I've looked into the YMCA and when I walk in there it feels weird, smells like pool and sweaty people, and grosses me out! I'm thinking about looking into Curves and giving it a week trial, but with some of the reviews I've read it makes me apprehensive. Women are saying that it's a good place to start out, but it's not challenging enough after a while.
I'm not sure what to do, but I need to figure it out by the end of the month! I want to continue working out and have a place that I like going to. Has anyone tried Curves? What did you think of it? And if anyone has any suggestions about what to do, please let me know!
With the wedding six months away, I'm being asked a lot of questions about my weight.
"So, how much weight are you planning to lose before the wedding?"
"Are you planning on losing any weight for the wedding?"
Ok, so maybe not a lot in the form of different questions, but I'm being asked these questions a lot.
It gets tough for me because I feel, once again, like my motivation is gone. I start to eat healthier and feel like I am starving all the time. It also sucks to see everyone around me eating whatever they want because they don't need to lose any weight. My will power is non-existent as seen last night stuffing my face with dessert yet again.
I need a new game plan.
My gym has been giving me the run-around with renewing and I'm unsure if I want to stay there or go to the other gym that is more expensive and further away. There are perks to both places, but I really feel that the most important thing is to actually get there. I have the time, but it's not something I think about too much any more.
I have resorted to thinking that I'm always going to be fat. I didn't realize that I was gaining weight until it actually happened. I remember not even knowing until there was a picture of me and I was trying to figure out who the "fat girl" was standing next to my mom (it was a side shot so you couldn't see my face). Then, I realized it was me and I cringed. At that time, I knew.
The hard thing is, that in my mind I am not heavy so when I see it in pictures or the mirror it can seriously come as a complete shock...I know, right? It may be hard to believe, but this is part of the problem. Every time I think I'm doing well I'll see a recent picture and realize that it looks the same as before. I feel like there is no hope and no point in trying anymore and I gorge myself on desserts. I do manage to eat less overall still, but that doesn't cancel it out.
It all comes down to this...I need people to not hide food from me, they may think they're being helpful, but it does the complete opposite for me. I need to feel like I'm accomplishing a lot and see the results. I need some motivation, hope, and encouragement.
Monday was the big kick-off to my new weight loss/fitness/diet routine for the wedding! To recap, my goals are to work out for 5 days each week, drink more water, and watch my fat/calorie intake. I am happy to report that I am 2 days in and 1 pound lighter!
Monday was a long day for me with working a 10 hour day with the kids then having to eat dinner and still work out, but I managed to walk for 27 minutes on the treadmill and run for 3 minutes straight. Oh my gosh I actually RAN!!! I know, I know, it's only 3 minutes, but still--that is super fantastic for me! My diet was great too with eating no cheese on my sandwiches or mayo and choosing wheat bread and lots of veggies.
Tuesday I took a Zumba class at the gym and maintained good water intake and diet. Again, no cheese (except for the laughing cow wedges) or white bread. I had grilled chicken with broccoli for dinner and a turkey/lettuce wrap for lunch that I made at work.
I'm pretty much constantly hungry because I'm used to filling up with fatty foods, but I am eating enough and drinking plenty of water along the way. This is what I'm used to when trying to lose weight, but I will not eat something fatty in order to feel full!
Basically, in addition to just "watching what I eat" I am trying to cut out/back on "whites" such as white bread, white pasta, potatoes, and refined sugar. I will allow myself one dessert per week and make sure it is just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.
My goal is to be more healthy and fit for my wedding. There is really not weight loss amount that I am looking for because I don't want to set an unrealistic goal and get upset if it is not met by then. Instead, I want to be happy in who I am and being healthy and more fit because that's the important thing!
I think it is terrific, even admirable that you too are going to the gym. Maybe it is to get into better shape or just to be healthy, but whatever the reason it is honestly great.
I find it helpful that the gym has showers and a fantastic locker room with tons of lockers, mirrors, and a bathroom with granite countertops. In fact, this is the whole reason that I like the locker room. The showers are a nice touch even if I refuse to use them, but really, feel free to do so yourselves.
I must admit, however, that there is something that I saw this morning that I do not think is necessary. You see, the gym also has an extra changing room available so that you need not prance around in your old lady undies for everyone to see. I do not enjoy gathering my belongings from my locker post work-out to see an older woman in floral granny panties and a pink bra.
For future reference, I would like for you to consider one of the ample shower/changing areas available not in the open.
The motivation I had yesterday to get started with the trainer has really kicked in. Today was my first day with my new trainer...and...I loved her! She was everything I was looking for in a trainer. After the last trainer I had, it was great to have someone who seemed interested in my goals and what I have to say. I'm really glad that I requested her and was adament about it. I figured that if she is always in the gym working out, then she must be pretty decent at it and seemed nice.
We talked and figured I would do 3-4 days a week with her and some extra classes of cardio when I am not working out with the trainer. It was a bit costly, but will hopefully be worth it. She was so encouraging and made sure to give me only one homework assignment for my diet for this week which was to eat one more fruit or vegetable per day than I normally would. Easy enough! She said she didn't want me to get overwhelmed with the workouts and completely changing my diet all at once because then I would be more likely to give up on it....See? She rocks!
I have another appointment with her tomorrow morning since she has decided to come in even when it wasn't in her original availability. It is so great to work out with someone who is encouraging and will push me when it needs to be done.
Hopefully we will see some results next month when we do the next set of measurements and weigh in!
After a 3 week hiatus from the gym and eating healthy all together I have resumed my regiment. I had last friday off so off to the gym I went for my "fitness evaluation"...you know, the one where they tell me I need to lose about 60 or so pounds to be "healthy" and do a work out with me that makes me so sore afterwards....ya. So we worked out and talked about personal training options. Honestly, there has always been something intriguing about personal training, but it has always been too expensive. After talking with them for a loooong time I decided it might be worth a try. Basically, my trainer would work out with me once a month and set up a workout schedule with specific workouts to do for every day I will be going to the gym so I know exactly what to do and there are no excuses. Also, they help you with nutrition even if you only meet with them once a month!
I thought that definitely this could be a good thing and that it would be great to see if the program is do-able for me. i have serious motivation issues when it comes to the gym...don't judge me. When they signed me up they had a year contract written up...WHAT??? I signed up anyways so that I wouldn't feel embarrassed, made an appointment, and went to tell Phil what I had done. Phil agreed that a month-to-month contract would be better or to be able to try it out for a few months first to see how I do with the program. We went back to the gym yesterday and talked to them to try to get the contract changed.
At first she said that the contract was already signed and their programs are one year long. Luckily, I had read the fine print that gave me until today to cancel the contract. As we talked to her for 10-15 minutes to explain how we think it would be best to try it out on a shorter term and sign up if it is what we were looking for she kept explaining that it is a year long program and it will take that long to reach my goals...nice try. We then said that we can cancel and are considering it because we didn't want a one year commitment...that's why we paid off our memberships in full!
It took a while, but she finally offered us a 6 month contract. Phil was still a little hesitant and we got it down to 3! * persistence people, persistence* Now, I will have a plan, trainer, and no real excuses *other than laziness* not to have this work out. Positive thoughts, laziness aside, I can do this :)
The boyfriend and I had a great trip to California and are now back home! It was definitely a nice vacation, but nothing like coming home to the normalcy that I love.
I am happy to report that another vacation has been scheduled already! This one is going to be in August and the boyfriend, his parents, and I are travelling in their camper-trailer to Florida so that we can go to DisneyWorld!!! On the way back, we are stopping by the Outer Banks in North Carolina to go to the beach! I'm uber excited about this.
And there is one more exciting thing...I now have a Wii and a Wii fit that I absolutely love! Once again, major thanks to the boyfriend for totally pitching in for my birthday (as if he hasn't already done enough, I know ;). Because of my new Wii fit I worked out for 45 minutes yesterday!!! Surprisingly I was sore today too! I also did a little this morning before church and am going to do some tonight before I go to bed. And the boyfriend and I are eating better with more meals at home, less eating out. Can I get a heck yes for weight loss and getting healthy?!
