Week 9

What have I been doing? A whole lot and nothing at all.

 Each morning (Tuesday-Saturday) I do 50 sit-ups, 30 push-ups and 50 sits. Then, depending on the road conditions, I either do a full belly-dance routine (just under an hour) or I head to Anytime Fitness and use the treadmill & machines (just under an hour). The belly-dance makes my muscles feel more tired, and the treadmill makes my heart race so they are both doing what they should be doing.

I'm also doing nothing. There's no visible difference over the last 2 weeks (even though there is a difference in the muscles under the fat). There is also no difference on K's scale. Still, I'm not feeling discouraged at all.

This morning I decided to go to AF even though the streets were icy. I'm so very grateful that I made it home safely. I actually had to call 911 at an intersection because there was an accident (not involving me). I did have the place to myself and I'm glad I went.

I'm reminding myself that I have enough time to get the running portion situated as long as I continue to keep moving throughout the day (and do my cardio stuff at home). There is no need to put myself at risk right now.

Week 7

Wow! I've been doing this for 7 weeks! I feel like I should party or something.

My left leg was still hurting pretty much all last week, but the treadmill time I spent was walking only. This week it feels a whole lot better and I'll be able to get going on the running portion again by Thursday. The next week & a half I will have daycare kids at the house the whole day so I will not be able to head over to AF after dropping them at school. BUT, I will still beworking on the10-minute cardio and my belly-dancing.

K asked what I was going to do after I reach my goal and I really don't have an answer right now. Mostly, I want to reach that point and see from there. I do know that I will continue doing something to maintain the stregth and good health that I will have achieved by then. I'm just not sure if I will continue running or something else.

45

Ok, I've not been writing much, but I will say this - I split wood for about 3 hours on Sunday. No big deal, I thought at the time, but this morning my left thigh (on the back) felt like there was a rock instead of a muscle. So, after several very gentle stretches I headed off to AF and walked 3.5 & 4.0mph for 30 minutes. My leg still feels like a rock, but not quite as bad.I'm still stretching everything every hour so I don't get stiff.

At one point last night I considered not going to AF and just stay home & stretch, but I feel really good that I went.  It feels kind of strange, but it's almost as though there is something inside me that needed that treadmill time... or something like that. 

Regardless, I'm glad I went, even if I still hurt.

 Oh, I also did 50 sit-ups on Friday. It was a bit of a challenge, but I got them done. I decided to continue doing 50 each day even though that's ahead of my projected schedule.

 

40

I debated with myself quite a bit this morning about whether to go to AF or not. The wind chill was below zero and I really didnt' want to go out in it, especially for the after-workout return (sweaty). I also didn't want to skip on a workout because I'm wompy & don't like the cold. So, after breaking the ice in the chicken's water dish and getting laundry started, I came into my room and did the 10 minute Cardio (link on the right), rested for 5 minutes (while drinking water slowly), then repeated it twice more. I know that's not the same as running on a treadmill, but it was more heart-pounding than my runs have been so far. Hopefully that will help when I get to AF tomorrow.

I also did a routine from a bellydance DVD I still had from a while back. It actually felt more like a cool-down kind of session, but at least I was still moving.

Later in the day another DVD arrived and I decided to work along with that one (Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga Conditioning with Ariellah) and really felt my muscles beginning to falter a little. I was a little surprised since I've been working with the machines and figured I was getting stronger, but I guess there is a difference in lifting/pushing weight for 20 times and repeating a movement while holding a pose. Still, it felt good to do. I'm looking forward to getting better at it and choreographing my own routine.

• AM - 35 sit-ups, 50 sits, 20 push-ups
  

38

I am so thrilled to have made it to day 38. Yesterday I thought of a plan to put into motion about getting myself running. At AF the treadmills are pretty nice. They have a variety of "workouts" that you can program and it will keep track of your miles, calories and all that other stuff. Well, the thought occurred to me that I was going about the running a little willy-nilly and that I need a plan. So, here it is: This week I will walk (3.5mph) 4 minutes, then run (6mph) 1 minute. I'll repeat this 6 times, giving me 30 minutes. (Today I only did 5 repetitions since I started feeling a bit light-headed, but I will just make sure I'm more hydrated tomorrow.) Next week, I will walk 3:45 and run 1:15, again, repeating 6 times. Each week I will continue to decrease walking time and increase running time. I'm not sure, yet, how this pace will work, but I'll adjust it as needed. If I keep this pace, I'll be running 30 minutes at a time by the end of March. If I only increase/decrease in 10 second increments it will be the end of May.

• 35 sit-ups, 50 sits,
  
• AF - 20 reps for each machine
  
• Gravitron  - 10 reps (30 lbs) chin-ups, 10 pull-ups
• Treadmill - running 5min, walking 25min

35

• AM - AF only treadmill this morning (needed to replace the thermostat on car & not sure how long it will take)
• 
  

34

Today was a bit better. I didn't get to AF until about 7:40 but I felt a bit more energetic than yesterday. I ran 7 minutes! Granted it was only 5mph, and I ran 1 minute, then walked (3.7mph) for 3 minutes, but still, the total was a little over 7 minutes. That really made me smile while I was there.

• PM - Mostly belly dance stretching. My stomach was feeling a bit out of sorts (creamer?) so I wasn't comfortable doing sit-ups.
  

33

• AM - 20 min on treadmill, 30 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 50 sits

 For the most part, I took it easy today. I was ridiculously sleepy and can't figure out why.

32

No running today. My legs are really sore; mostly it's my shins, but they don't hurt that much. I still walked the treadmill for 30 minutes, alternating between 3.4 & 4mph. Now, I'm hungry! Luckily, my oatmeal is nearly done. I'll probably have pineapple or something with it.

• AM - AF/machines & treadmill, 30 sit-ups
  

Day 31

I ran this morning! Only for a total of 4 minutes, but still.The first run was only2 minutes, but my heart rate reached 184. According to all charts I've looked at, that's not so good. The second run was also 2 minutes after I'd been walking for 20 minutes. That time my heart rate was 174. A little better. According to most of the charts I've looked at I'm supposed to stay withing the 100-154 range and my maximum is 182-188 depending on the chart. The one below is for women, but I had to guess at my resting heart rate.

•  AM - went to AF/most machines, treadmill,yoga, stretches, belly dance
  
•  PM - 50 sits

Based on an age of 38 and using the formula 226 - Age

Maximum Heart Rate (Calculated) = 188

         % of Maximum      Heart Rate Reserve*
Percent  60 sec. 10 sec.     60 sec. 10 sec.
-------  ------- -------     ------- -------
  100    188.0    31.3       188.0    31.3
   95    178.6    29.8       182.8    30.5
   90    169.2    28.2       177.7    29.6
   85    159.8    26.6       172.5    28.8
   80    150.4    25.1       167.4    27.9
   75    141.0    23.5       162.2    27.0
   70    131.6    21.9       157.1    26.2

 

 

Day 27

I really didn't do that much on the 25th & 26th. I went shopping on the 26th & cooked with the kids. We didn't have the traditional turkey dinner. Instead we had steak, veggies and the kids had dessert (I did not feel like eating any). Today I signed up for the membership at Anytime Fitness and am looking forward to getting up early and heading out there.

This morning I was feeling very nauseous so I did very little in terms of strength movement. I did "counter push-ups" while I was waiting for the water to boil for my tea and I did som sits while waiting for the the washing machine to fill up. Other than that I've been relaxing and drinking more tea. I did have some pineapple this afternoon and 2 fresh eggs for dinner. I'm feeling much better and I'll get right back in the swing of things by tomorrow.

Day 24

I feel odd not going to AF this week. I know it needs to wait 'til payday, but I kind of feel like a slacker. I did increase my sets this morning and will continue to do so. I still feel very motivated about this and it feels really good. I've been skimming through a couple running books (for women) and will try to remember most of it. I have also discovered that I need a much better sport bra. Even with my smaller size, certain phases of the month can lead to more tenderness.

I also wonder if there is such thing as doing too many sit-ups. For example, if I did my 25 before each meal, would that do any good? Or could it cause harm? I'm not sure.

• AM - 25 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, 35 sits

Days 19-23

Thank goodness for notes -

19 -  Did not make notes, but I know I did 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits for both AM & PM.

20 -  AM - AF (actually went there about 7:45). 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits both AM & PM

21 - AM 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits

22 - AM 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits, also some very slight yardwork.

23 - AM 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits, PM 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits, Belly dance. I was supposed to up my count by 5 & actually forgot about it. 

Days 15-18

I've been taking too long to update this week.

15 - 

• AM - 15 Sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 25 sits (this was at K's house and his couch is a little more challenging to brace my feet under, but at least I was able to do them)
• PM - 15 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 25 sits

16 - 

• AM - went to Anytime Fitness and used their equipment. I'm not going to track all of that here, but I used the weight machines (several different ones) for 30 minutes, treadmill for 20 minutes on a varied speed setting
• PM - 20 sit-ups, 20 push-ups (these were very hard to do), 30 sits

17 - 

• AM - AF: weight machines for 30 minutes, treadmill for 20 minutes on a varied speed settin, 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups (my arms get a good workout at AF), 30 sits
• PM - 20 sit-ups, 10 push-ups (arms are really sore), 30 sits

 18 -

• AM - 20 sit-ups, 15 push-ups, 30 sits
• I didnt' get very much sleep last ngiht and didn't go to AF this morning. I only have a couple days left on the pass and won't be able to sign up for a membership 'til payday.
  

 

 

Day 14

Yesterday I went down to one of the gyms and signed up for a 7-day trial. I was pretty impressed with the equipment they had and the fact that they are open 24/7. The "Y" doesn't open until 7 am. I can also get a discount because I'm Lady Dreamer's teacher. Kind of cool.

• 50 sits
  

 Since it is the weekend, I am letting my body rest. I have read that you should do that, but it still feels a bit odd not doing any exercises. I did do my sits and will refrain from anything more (also didn't get a lot of sleep last night). I feel really vibrant today and I have to say that I've missed that. A lot.

Day 13

Holy smokes! It is cold out this morning. I'm not going out there to walk until the sun has been up for a little while ('though how I'm going to work that into daycare and other plans, I'm not really sure yet). I know many people would find that a bit sissy-like, but my chest hurts a lot when I'm out in the cold. So I am getting to the point where I will have to find another alternative. Should I budget for a gym? The "Y"? I'm not really sure. This is a really tough time of the year for me normally (2 kids with birthdays in December, plus Yule), but I don't want it to sound like I'm making excuses. Today I will research gyms around here and see what I can find.

• AM - 15 crunches, 15 push-ups, 20 sits with weights
  

Day 12

I woke this morning feeling pretty good. I don't remember any of my dreams, but my first thought of the day was a good one and I'm hoping that carries me through the whole day.

Also, I've been calling what I do "Squats". After looking it up, it turns out that isn't what I'm doing. So, if any of you know what I'm doing, please let me know. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your buttocks as though you are going to sit down, meanwhile bring your arms in front of you (as a counterbalance). As you come back up, pull your arms back in as though you were pulling ropes and tighten your stomach as though you were pulling with your abs. Repeat. Since I'm not sure what they are called, I will start calling them "Sits".

• AM - 15 crunches, 15 push-ups (still hard to do), 20 sits with 2lb weights (in each hand)
• Walked 4/10m, ran 1/10m, walked 5/10m. Gently stretched after I got home, then took warm shower.
• PM - 15 crunches, 15 push-ups, 20 sits

Today I got up to 1350 ccalories. I think a good portion of that came from dinner (K took me to KFC. I had grilled chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes & gravy, & a biscuit). Still, that is the highest I've been in nearly 2 weeks. We also walked around the mall for a little while. Not at a really fast pace, but it was still movement.

Day 11

I measured my hallway - just over 50 feet - and will be running in here this winter if I have to. Running the length (and back) 6 times is about .11/mile. That's not much, but if I need to, I will run it 160 times each day. (That's about 3.03 miles.) While I do recognize this isn't the ideal situation for running, I know that I'd have a hard time running this winter outdoors (not everyone clears their sidewalks and they tend to get very icy). Of course, for the indoors, I have to deal with the cats.

• Ran (hallway) .11 mile (even though this was short, I felt winded)
• AM - 15 crunches, 15 push-ups, 20 squats
• 1 mile walk (20 minutes)
• PM - 15 crunches, 15 push-ups (these were harder), 20 squats

I got up to 1185 calories today. I'm going to try to reach 1200 each day (at least) without making myself feel stuffed. We have more apples and almonds and I'll use them to snack on for a bit. Hopefully that will up the calories in a good way.

Day 10

Today my eye was feeling much better. It is still a bit fuzzy this evening, but I'm certain tomorrow will be nothing.

• 30 crunches, 20 push-ups, 30 squats, no aerobic (don't want to push it on the eye)
• Walked the mall(couldn't find how long that is, but it took over 20 minutes in a brisk pace)
• Grocery shopped. I know tha's not an exercise, but I tend to move along quickly in there.

The weather looks like it is going to hold out just a little longer. I'm trying to get motivated to leave the house in the morning. It feels so cold to me and when I get into the cold air, I want to sleep. Weird, I know. I have to psych myself to being energetic when I'm cold.

Still not eating a whole lot. I even had some candy today (220 calories) and still only made it to 955 for the day. It feels almost like when I got my first apartment and I started relaxing and doing the things I wanted to do... I lost a lot of weight in a very short amount of time and felt great. I didn't track calories then, but I know I didn't eat much and still kept moving.

Days 8-9

Yesterday was awesome, today not so much.

Yesterday - cleaned yard, raked leaves, chopped wood. 20 squats.

Today - 20 squats. Walked a little over one mile (slow).

Why was today so crappy? My eye got a bit injured last night (totally by accident) and it's still blurry. There is also a little pressure on it right now and when I tried yoga this morning it seemed to increase when my head was downward. I've been doing some stretches and a few other chores (finally got the insulation hung). For the most part I've been trying to let me eye rest a little more.