Well, I've been kicking ass this year on the working out front. Almost every work day, I've been at the gym at least once, sometimes twice! I'm starting hot yoga for a month soon, and after that, it may be onto Lithe or Rowzone to vary my workouts with running, cardio classes, circuit training and weight lifting. I feel like I've done well over the past year building up a repertoire of exercises that will help me get to where I want to be.
On the not so kick ass side of things has been my winter eating habits. I seem to be hungry all the time, no matter how much fiber and protein I try to pack in, and I've been basically eating everything in site! I'm still trying to make healthy choices, but true to form, I haven't really restricted anything from my diet. I am up to 197 pounds as of this morning, which, if you were keeping track, is almost 8 pounds heavier than my lowest weight last year. I think I've really got to make some big changes with how I'm eating if I want to reach my goal of 184 before my birthday this year. I know April seems a ways off, but it always creeps up on me and I've never been this close before! It's actually doable this year! I just need to...you know...do it.
So, on the horizon, continuing to pursue workouts like a champ, snacking on copious amounts of fruit, protein bars, tea and nuts to keep me full during the week and making better choices for what I stuff my face with on the weekends. Practicing mindful eating is something I want to keep at, though it has been hard for me. And I may look into a short fast/cleanse once I get my tax return or yearly bonus from work, just to jumpstart what I know I'm already good at doing for the most part...eating healthy foods!
Stay tuned for next month, where I'll talk about how my month of yoga was, and give an update on where my weight is after trying to reignite my motivation three weeks into the year.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Steering the Year Ahead
Good morning! It's new year's day, and I was up at the crack of dawn like many years in recent past, filled with energy, ready to take on the world. So what do I do? In years past, I've made oodles of fancy pancakes, gone for a run, bought new work clothes, emailed friends. But I always seem to, in some form, make some new year's resolutions.
I tried to be smart with mine this year. Nothing too lofty, but nothing too vague either. I know I haven't really fostered a community of commentators on my blog, but I'd love to hear *your* resolutions if you'd like to share them.
Please note, this is separate, in tandem with, and choreographed alongside my yearly bucket list that I write with friends at our birthdays. Those goals are truly measurable, whereas these seem to be more guidelines to steer the year ahead.
Here goes:
1. Write. Often. Anything. Practice makes perfect. Get just a tiny bit better this year.
2. Work out on more days this year. Last year, it was more than half. This year, make it two thirds. No rules about what or for how long.
3. Stay smart with money. Before committing to anything, as small as a latte, as big as a trip, figure out if it can be done 100% without credit. Keep saving little by little. Throw a little extra at my smallest loan if I can. We can do this.
4. Remember how much you love your job. Find new ways to get better at it. Continue to make it a priority, with a smile on your face.
5. Keep cooking. Take notes. Don't be afraid to try new things.
6. Work on giving digital photos a new lease on life off the hard drive and in the cloud. Sharing is caring.
7. Pare down possessions. Stuff for the sake of stuff isn't worth much.
8. Tell, and show, the ones you love that you do. Letters, cards, poems, pictures- all good ways to do more of #1 and #3 too.
9. Follow through on all promises. Cause that's the kinda chick you are.
10. Last but never least, don't rely on anyone else to tell you you're smart or beautiful or worth it. Ever ever.
I tried to be smart with mine this year. Nothing too lofty, but nothing too vague either. I know I haven't really fostered a community of commentators on my blog, but I'd love to hear *your* resolutions if you'd like to share them.
Please note, this is separate, in tandem with, and choreographed alongside my yearly bucket list that I write with friends at our birthdays. Those goals are truly measurable, whereas these seem to be more guidelines to steer the year ahead.
Here goes:
1. Write. Often. Anything. Practice makes perfect. Get just a tiny bit better this year.
2. Work out on more days this year. Last year, it was more than half. This year, make it two thirds. No rules about what or for how long.
3. Stay smart with money. Before committing to anything, as small as a latte, as big as a trip, figure out if it can be done 100% without credit. Keep saving little by little. Throw a little extra at my smallest loan if I can. We can do this.
4. Remember how much you love your job. Find new ways to get better at it. Continue to make it a priority, with a smile on your face.
5. Keep cooking. Take notes. Don't be afraid to try new things.
6. Work on giving digital photos a new lease on life off the hard drive and in the cloud. Sharing is caring.
7. Pare down possessions. Stuff for the sake of stuff isn't worth much.
8. Tell, and show, the ones you love that you do. Letters, cards, poems, pictures- all good ways to do more of #1 and #3 too.
9. Follow through on all promises. Cause that's the kinda chick you are.
10. Last but never least, don't rely on anyone else to tell you you're smart or beautiful or worth it. Ever ever.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Weeks 46-52
Well it took me a year to get here (actually, it's been almost 4 years since this journey began!), and I haven't been the best about updating weekly, but I've done my best to stay on track. I think I'm still going to blog about fitness in the new year, but maybe with a little bit of a looser structure. I'd still like to keep track of my weight, as I'm still a few pounds off from my goal. I think overall, this year was a success. From January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012, I've gone from 217.4 to 193 pounds, almost a 25 pound loss for the year! If I can lose even half that in 2013, I'll be happy.
This year, I'm looking to increase my running speed and my overall muscle tone through targeted workouts. And I'm looking to get better at yoga. My personal training sessions expire January 31, so I'm looking to fulfill all of my credits before then and build up a great repertoire of workouts. And then, I might put some of that extra money into yoga classes for the new year! Anything to stay active and sharp.
And for food, I'm looking to continue my trend of cooking healthy lunches ahead of time, and focusing mainly on produce and lean protein. For the first couple weeks of January, I'm going to try to go light on the refined sugar, since I think that's what helped me put on a few pounds during the holidays, but like always, I'm not going to be too strict.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2013 for everyone, no matter what your goals!!
xo
Weight- 193lbs
30 Min. Run- 2 miles in 23.5 minutes
Pounds from goal- 9lbs
This year, I'm looking to increase my running speed and my overall muscle tone through targeted workouts. And I'm looking to get better at yoga. My personal training sessions expire January 31, so I'm looking to fulfill all of my credits before then and build up a great repertoire of workouts. And then, I might put some of that extra money into yoga classes for the new year! Anything to stay active and sharp.
And for food, I'm looking to continue my trend of cooking healthy lunches ahead of time, and focusing mainly on produce and lean protein. For the first couple weeks of January, I'm going to try to go light on the refined sugar, since I think that's what helped me put on a few pounds during the holidays, but like always, I'm not going to be too strict.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2013 for everyone, no matter what your goals!!
xo
Weight- 193lbs
30 Min. Run- 2 miles in 23.5 minutes
Pounds from goal- 9lbs
Friday, November 9, 2012
Week 45
This week was mostly good. I made healthy choices last weekend for the most part and have been great about getting to the gym (5x a week this week!) I'm hoping to squeeze under the 190s next week and get even closer to my goal. If I can make it to my goal by the end of the year, I will feel super accomplished and can make it my new goal to keep getting healthier and maintain or lose more, but with no number attached to it. I think it'll make for even better progress.
This weekend, we have a party to go to, and lots of work to get done. Hoping to get in at least one other workout and maybe a walk in the nice brisk late fall air.
Dylan's been very supportive of my goals, but still brings me CARBS and MORE CARBS when I'm feeling down - like a chicken hoagie and donuts last night. It's up to me to put a limit on what and how much I eat, but it's sometimes tough.
Here's to a great weekend and a great week next week to all! Happy almost Veteran's Day!
Weight- 190.6lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs. I will try a 30 min. run next week. Putting off C25K until the new year.
Pounds from goal- 6.6lbs
This weekend, we have a party to go to, and lots of work to get done. Hoping to get in at least one other workout and maybe a walk in the nice brisk late fall air.
Dylan's been very supportive of my goals, but still brings me CARBS and MORE CARBS when I'm feeling down - like a chicken hoagie and donuts last night. It's up to me to put a limit on what and how much I eat, but it's sometimes tough.
Here's to a great weekend and a great week next week to all! Happy almost Veteran's Day!
Weight- 190.6lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs. I will try a 30 min. run next week. Putting off C25K until the new year.
Pounds from goal- 6.6lbs
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Weeks 43 & 44
The past couple of weeks have been hectic and a little stressful, but I've been hanging in there. We took a trip to DC that included eating LOTS AND LOTS of good food. And also good friends, Jim and Erin and the newest addition to the family- a baby bump! The following weekend I was prepping to go to a conference in NYC (and sporting a great banana costume to a Halloween party!), but then Hurricane Sandy hit and changed my plans. Instead, we stayed in and what else? Ate and ate and ate. I'm more back on track than I was before, but I was a little bummed that I could make it into the 180s by November, as I was on track to do a couple weeks ago.
This journey is teaching me that even when you're near the weight you want to be, there will still be ups and downs to deal with. There will always be events and dinners out and holidays and your boyfriend will bring you to get fast food and it's up to you to make good decisions no matter where you are and what the situation. It's also important to remember that one bad day (or three or four!) isn't going to break the scale. I was sure when I got on the scale this Wednesday, it was going to say 205 pounds or something. I was convinced I had just gained 15 pounds. Well, it never happened. I'm learning that while it's good to make good decisions most of the time, sometimes you can have some time to eat ice cream and pasta and drink beer. To be honest, feasting on amazing food, healthy or not as much, is part of what makes being a human being great. I don't want to miss out on all of that.
These are great things to keep in mind as we gear up for Thanksgiving and Christmas, where there will be parties and events galore! Happy November everyone!
Weight- 193lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs. Starting C25K at 5.5 or 6 MPH next week.
Pounds from goal- 9lbs
This journey is teaching me that even when you're near the weight you want to be, there will still be ups and downs to deal with. There will always be events and dinners out and holidays and your boyfriend will bring you to get fast food and it's up to you to make good decisions no matter where you are and what the situation. It's also important to remember that one bad day (or three or four!) isn't going to break the scale. I was sure when I got on the scale this Wednesday, it was going to say 205 pounds or something. I was convinced I had just gained 15 pounds. Well, it never happened. I'm learning that while it's good to make good decisions most of the time, sometimes you can have some time to eat ice cream and pasta and drink beer. To be honest, feasting on amazing food, healthy or not as much, is part of what makes being a human being great. I don't want to miss out on all of that.
These are great things to keep in mind as we gear up for Thanksgiving and Christmas, where there will be parties and events galore! Happy November everyone!
Weight- 193lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs. Starting C25K at 5.5 or 6 MPH next week.
Pounds from goal- 9lbs
Friday, October 19, 2012
Weeks 40-42
It's been a great couple of weeks! The first weekend of October, we all went to Brigantine to relax, eat, drink and play for a few days to celebrate some friends' 30th birthdays. And the following weekend, I made both a curry chicken pot pie AND homemade pasta on two separate days. Carbs galore and I didn't gain a bunch of weight.
I feel like I'm finally relaxing into incorporating carbs into my day to day. Not having strict "good days" and then free-for-all "bad days" when it comes to eating.
I'm also trying to spice up my workout routine. I tried to go to Zumba this week, but the instructor was a disappointing TWENTY minutes late (by which time I had already been on the treadmill for 12 minutes). Next week, I want to try yoga! As I'm getting closer to my goal, I'm realizing that I'm going to want to keep working hard once I've reached it, not just to lose more weight, but to keep building muscle and more importantly - staying healthy!
I'm so proud that my parents have been going to the gym and eating healthier lately, and I hope I've had some little part of inspiring them by forging my own journey into getting healthy. I've got a few more months until next year's physical and my next round of blood work is in 6 months. I want to see how healthy I can get by then! #1 goal besides being a healthy weight: HAVING HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE.
One of the only annoying things about this last 25 pounds I've lost this year is that none (and I mean almost 100%) of my old clothes fit. Some dresses are passable since I can cinch the waist, but I am in the midst of trying to piece together an entire new wardrobe that actually fits and accentuates my figure...all while living in my own apartment, paying for a personal trainer, and having JUST bought a car. Whew. Money's tight these days, but I can get through it. And having a new body to work on and be proud of is worth it!
Weight- 190.4lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs @ 6mph.
Pounds from goal- 6.4lbs
I feel like I'm finally relaxing into incorporating carbs into my day to day. Not having strict "good days" and then free-for-all "bad days" when it comes to eating.
I'm also trying to spice up my workout routine. I tried to go to Zumba this week, but the instructor was a disappointing TWENTY minutes late (by which time I had already been on the treadmill for 12 minutes). Next week, I want to try yoga! As I'm getting closer to my goal, I'm realizing that I'm going to want to keep working hard once I've reached it, not just to lose more weight, but to keep building muscle and more importantly - staying healthy!
I'm so proud that my parents have been going to the gym and eating healthier lately, and I hope I've had some little part of inspiring them by forging my own journey into getting healthy. I've got a few more months until next year's physical and my next round of blood work is in 6 months. I want to see how healthy I can get by then! #1 goal besides being a healthy weight: HAVING HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE.
One of the only annoying things about this last 25 pounds I've lost this year is that none (and I mean almost 100%) of my old clothes fit. Some dresses are passable since I can cinch the waist, but I am in the midst of trying to piece together an entire new wardrobe that actually fits and accentuates my figure...all while living in my own apartment, paying for a personal trainer, and having JUST bought a car. Whew. Money's tight these days, but I can get through it. And having a new body to work on and be proud of is worth it!
Weight- 190.4lbs
30 Min. Run- None! I've been doing 1 mile runs @ 6mph.
Pounds from goal- 6.4lbs
Friday, September 28, 2012
Week 39
I can't believe I've been at this for 39 weeks. Well, more like, I've been at this for 3 1/2 years, but who's counting? :) At mid-week, I had dropped another pound from my lowest last week, but then I was up a pound and a half the next day (due to some overindulgence in Taco Bell - yes, I still eat fast food from time to time!) I'm choosing to record my lowest weight, and if I'm up next week before my trip...well, at least I'm in the 190s. That's my goal for our trip to Brigintine next week. I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'm going to lose weight while I'm away, but I would like to stay around the 195/196 area if possible. I AM bringing some healthy snacks and breakfast items along with my running shoes, ipod and workout clothes. If I can get one or two runs in and maybe a circuit or two, I'll be a happy camper. That's a lofty goal, as I don't typically get much working out done on vacation, but we'll see!
Things went well this week. I skipped the gym Sunday, but made up for it with some healthy eating. I had my fitness evaluation on Tuesday and my body fat decreased again, though since there are multiple settings that say my body fat is two different percentages, I don't know what it actually is... I had a harder time with my run than last week. Maybe I need to start running twice a week? But when I hit my weight goal, I wanted to start doing other things...pilates, yoga, Zumba. And I have my trainer until January of next year, so I'll keep up working with him until then. I guess I just need to evaluate what my priorities for fitness are!
Have a great weekend all! Make good choices!
Weight- 191.8lbs
30 Min. Run- 2.57 (Little slip from 2.60, and I did some walking...)
Pounds from goal- 7.8lbs
Things went well this week. I skipped the gym Sunday, but made up for it with some healthy eating. I had my fitness evaluation on Tuesday and my body fat decreased again, though since there are multiple settings that say my body fat is two different percentages, I don't know what it actually is... I had a harder time with my run than last week. Maybe I need to start running twice a week? But when I hit my weight goal, I wanted to start doing other things...pilates, yoga, Zumba. And I have my trainer until January of next year, so I'll keep up working with him until then. I guess I just need to evaluate what my priorities for fitness are!
Have a great weekend all! Make good choices!
Weight- 191.8lbs
30 Min. Run- 2.57 (Little slip from 2.60, and I did some walking...)
Pounds from goal- 7.8lbs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)