It’s been awhile….. February 19, 2013

So, it’s been awhile since my last post – it’s funny how life throws curve balls, but it’s how we react to those curve balls that show where we stand. I had caught whatever was going around – sinus infection, cold and/or flu combo – and was down for 2 weeks! I tried to stay as active as I could, but when it’s hard to breath thanks to a stuffy nose 😦

But, now I’m back into the swing of things this week. I have 4 1/2 weeks before my trip to Europe and want to get in the best cardio shape I can in those 5 weeks! I even bought a HRM to help me calculate how many calories I’m burning during a workout. My goal is burn 500-600 calories during each work out. Today is out of the question because I had to stay home thanks to my brakes not working correctly. Now they are all fix, but the gym is 30 mins away and with the price of gas, I’m popping in my pilates dvd along with a quick walk/jog in the cold.

One thing that I noticed from looking back at my journals when I was consistently losing weight is that I ate in smaller meals – 6 meals at 200-300 calories each and it worked out great! I had completely forgot about that – so I’m taking advantage of the rest of the day to plan the rest of my food out for the week.

My question to anyone who’s reading this…..what is your favorite small meal??? I’m looking for a variety in my meals that stay within the calorie ranges.

Back to a routine with a pinterest idea! January 15, 2013

I made it to the gym three times last week and ended up doing 15 mins of pilates twice. I felt pretty good and a bit sore over the weekend – but I was excited! I like to have some type of protein immediately after working out; I’ve found that I feel better and toning is quicker. I experimented about 2 years ago. I did one month and drank a protein shake after each workout, I lost a total of 6 inches (waist, bust, hips and thigh) in a month. The next month I ate the same exact things and did the same exercise routine and lost 3 1/2 inches.

This time around I was thinking of a way to get my protein shakes in right after the gym – then it hit me! I was watching a friend of mine fix her baby’s bottle with a formula dispener. Well, I could use it for my protein powder!

I add a scoop of my favorite protein powder! I love this one – it doesn’t clump, have a funny after taste and is plain delicious!!!

Each compartment is a serving – so there’s enough for mulitple days. I actually have two of these. One has three compartments and the other one has four. So all I do is fill them up every 7-10 days and I’m ready to go!

Each morning I fill up my blender bottle – the best thing ever made – with milk. I place it in my smallest cooler with a freezer pack and then it’s still very cold when I leave the gym. I mix it right up as soon as I get in my car and I can enjoy it on my car ride home 🙂

It’s good to be back into a routine and coming up with ideas to stick to the routine. I can’t wait for Wednesday when I weigh and measure in!!!

Movement is movement – no matter what January 12, 2013

Ever since elementary school, I’ve heard “some movement is better than nothing”. I don’t think I really believed it until this week. When I started my weight loss journey, I went to the gym and pushed myself until I was sweaty and could feel “the burn”. And I judged my workouts by how I felt at the end of them. Maybe that’s right, maybe that’s wrong – I’m not a certified trainer or anything – but I do know my body. I saw results and was happy with them.

When I had my car accident, my doctors restricted my workouts because of my injury. Then four months later I go to physical therapy and I began to regain my strength. Then I would go back to the gym and TRY to push myself like I did before – well after 2 workouts like that and calling in to work because I couldn’t move at all – lesson learned. My body was the same. Discouragement set in and so I decided to take up jogging again. I would jog at lunch as an escape from the office and felt pretty good until we had 100+ degree days. So I went about 4 months without going to the gym, without talking walks (even a slow walk) – I did everything but any type of fitness.

This week I started back to the gym – and yes, I made it 3 days this week. I’ve came up with a plan to push myself but not to the point where I can’t move. This week, I walked a total of 4.56 on the treadmill and did a total of 60 mins on the machines. I’m doing the same machines they used during my physical therapy sessions 🙂 figured I know how to adjust the weight to help strengthen my body. The first day I was tired, but pushed thru it. I could feel a “burn” it wasn’t the same type as 2 years ago, but one day I’ll be back to that. And am I sore – yes…but I’m still able to function with normal life.

I want to be smarter about working out. If I know how far I can push my body each time, then I’m gaining strength. And then that means, the next time I can push further! I’m now learning what my gym teacher, college biology professor, and former weight watcher leader would say – if I had kept some movement in my routine – even if it was just walking – I could have rocked the elliptical rather than being winded after the first few minutes. But my goal is by the beginning of February to last 15 mins on the elliptical. That may not sound like nothing to some people, but for me, it’s a reachable goal in the time.

I’m serious about keep movement in my life, to the point I have 60 mins blocked on my calendar for at least 3 days a week to do a workout. Also, I found on pinterest an idea to have a workout reward jar! You put a dollar in each day you workout – set a date of when you’re spending that money. For me, I’m going to spend it when I head to the beach the beginning of September!

What are some ways you stay motivated to workout and to keep moving – whether it’s walking, biking, skating, etc???