And we actually did it in under an hour. Don't know the exact time because I forget to look at the time or set my timer. We ended up going down our hill to the train tracks and riding a trail along there for a bit. The hardest part was getting back up our hill, but we did it! Here's our ride:
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Checking in
Hello! So, I have been totally slacking when it comes to my blogs lately, but that's okay. I've been outside for the last hour weeding and planting flowers, so I do not feel guilty in the least bit!
I can't remember if I posted last week or not, but I got side tracked from working out midweek due to getting sick ... AGAIN! While I continued to do my best eating wise and staying active, I decided to push the official start of my 90 day rotation back one more week (to this week) so that I could get in the complete workouts. I am feeling much better (knock on wood!) and have totally been rocking it this week.
Monday I did Burn Circuits 1 ... that workout had me gulping for air ... and it's all strength! It was mostly legs and chest/back.
Tuesday Aubrey and I did just over 5 miles on our bikes. It still took us just under an hour, so I don't know which distance we'll be doing in June. If we can increase our pace to 10-15 MPH then we could manage 38, but right now it looks like we might be doing the 15. I decided to stop pushing too hard, because it is supposed to be fun. I did a couple of intervals to get my heart rate up including on hill that was KILLER. I mean it is worth than the hill I live on!
Wednesday I did Burn Circuits 2. I really liked this one. Don't know if it's because I gained back my strength completely, but I didn't feel nearly as wiped out as Monday, but that doesn't mean I wasn't working hard. My muscles were shaking by the end. It worked biceps, triceps and legs.
Today I am going on a bike ride with Aubrey again. She prefers neighborhood riding, but we might try another trail today. I think on trails we could end up with a faster MPH since we are not stopping to cross streets or wait for cars. I think the only reason she doesn't like the trails as much is last time her tire went flat and we had to walk 1.5 miles back.
How's your workouts going? What goals do you have?
I can't remember if I posted last week or not, but I got side tracked from working out midweek due to getting sick ... AGAIN! While I continued to do my best eating wise and staying active, I decided to push the official start of my 90 day rotation back one more week (to this week) so that I could get in the complete workouts. I am feeling much better (knock on wood!) and have totally been rocking it this week.
Monday I did Burn Circuits 1 ... that workout had me gulping for air ... and it's all strength! It was mostly legs and chest/back.
Tuesday Aubrey and I did just over 5 miles on our bikes. It still took us just under an hour, so I don't know which distance we'll be doing in June. If we can increase our pace to 10-15 MPH then we could manage 38, but right now it looks like we might be doing the 15. I decided to stop pushing too hard, because it is supposed to be fun. I did a couple of intervals to get my heart rate up including on hill that was KILLER. I mean it is worth than the hill I live on!
Wednesday I did Burn Circuits 2. I really liked this one. Don't know if it's because I gained back my strength completely, but I didn't feel nearly as wiped out as Monday, but that doesn't mean I wasn't working hard. My muscles were shaking by the end. It worked biceps, triceps and legs.
Today I am going on a bike ride with Aubrey again. She prefers neighborhood riding, but we might try another trail today. I think on trails we could end up with a faster MPH since we are not stopping to cross streets or wait for cars. I think the only reason she doesn't like the trails as much is last time her tire went flat and we had to walk 1.5 miles back.
How's your workouts going? What goals do you have?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Biking today
Ah, what beatiful weather we had today. If only I would stop being SICK. I actually took a nap this afternoon so that I could get enough energy to go on a bike ride with Aubrey. We had limited time, so we were gone for a total of about 35 minutes. Felt great while we were out, but felt crappy again as soon as we were done. Now, I'm crashing and hoping that tomorrow I feel better!
Okay, enough whining for me!
Okay, enough whining for me!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Feeling good in the skin I am in
I have been on such a HIGH lately and want to record some of these feelings because I know that the lows will come and I want to remember these things. I really hope that this does not come across as self centered. It's more me trying to explore the journey so that I can have total freedom.
It has been a long time since I have felt good in my skin ... I mean truly good in my skin. I have always wanted to have a good body image but never really had it, even at my lightest weight. I had moments of feeling good, but they were few and far between. I have always admired women who are curvy and are able to flaunt what they have with total confidence. Women who were the same size as me or bigger, and felt like a million bucks. I have known that I need to learn to love my body NOW or I will never be able to love my body, no matter the size.
I am still on that journey, but I think that I am closer than I have ever been before and it feels amazing! Looking back at the cruise, I can honestly say that 95% of the time, I had good body image. Was I at my goal weight? No. Do I still have cellulite? Yes. Did that matter? Heck no!
In the past I have dreaded wearing a bathing suit in front of everyone, waiting until the right moment to shred my clothes. I'd hate it if there were cute thin girls around because that would make me feel even fatter. There was none of that for me this trip ... I enjoyed the snorkeling we did without worrying about what I looked like or being self conscious.
I am just realizing how much time I have spent in the past measuring myself against other women. Now, this is not something I ever did outwardly, it was always more of an inner dialog. You know all those thoughts that come in and are so damaging?
I have been receiving a lot of compliments this last week from my dear friends and last night I was wondering, what is really so different? Yes there are some outward changes I have made (new cut/color, contacts, tan skin) and I have lost weight these last few months, but why NOW would so many people be making comments? I think it totally has to do with how I am feeling about myself. I am noticing more and more, that instead of having those degrading thoughts ("Ugh my thighs are so big" "Why did I eat that THIRD helping?" "Why are you SO lazy?", etc.) I am having more positive thoughts, ("Wow, I can see muscle in my leg!" "You look nice in that dress" "You DID it!").
How can I keep this and improve upon it as I move forward? Here are some ideas:
It has been a long time since I have felt good in my skin ... I mean truly good in my skin. I have always wanted to have a good body image but never really had it, even at my lightest weight. I had moments of feeling good, but they were few and far between. I have always admired women who are curvy and are able to flaunt what they have with total confidence. Women who were the same size as me or bigger, and felt like a million bucks. I have known that I need to learn to love my body NOW or I will never be able to love my body, no matter the size.
I am still on that journey, but I think that I am closer than I have ever been before and it feels amazing! Looking back at the cruise, I can honestly say that 95% of the time, I had good body image. Was I at my goal weight? No. Do I still have cellulite? Yes. Did that matter? Heck no!
In the past I have dreaded wearing a bathing suit in front of everyone, waiting until the right moment to shred my clothes. I'd hate it if there were cute thin girls around because that would make me feel even fatter. There was none of that for me this trip ... I enjoyed the snorkeling we did without worrying about what I looked like or being self conscious.
I am just realizing how much time I have spent in the past measuring myself against other women. Now, this is not something I ever did outwardly, it was always more of an inner dialog. You know all those thoughts that come in and are so damaging?
I have been receiving a lot of compliments this last week from my dear friends and last night I was wondering, what is really so different? Yes there are some outward changes I have made (new cut/color, contacts, tan skin) and I have lost weight these last few months, but why NOW would so many people be making comments? I think it totally has to do with how I am feeling about myself. I am noticing more and more, that instead of having those degrading thoughts ("Ugh my thighs are so big" "Why did I eat that THIRD helping?" "Why are you SO lazy?", etc.) I am having more positive thoughts, ("Wow, I can see muscle in my leg!" "You look nice in that dress" "You DID it!").
How can I keep this and improve upon it as I move forward? Here are some ideas:
- Listen for the negative thoughts and turn them away. These are the thoughts that pop in with no warning. I can't control them popping in, but I can control if I listen to them and how long I let them stay.
- Acknowledge myself for the changes/improvements I am making. In other words, create positive thoughts. This could be from any number of measures from weight, to a new record time on a bike ride, to being able to complete a strength measure (pushups, pullups, etc.), to finding news ways to eat and enjoy the healthy foods and on and on. Right now as the weight is dropping, that is a very big motivational tool, but I know eventually it will slow down and one day I'll be maintaining, so I want to learn now to find the progress in other areas as well.
- Take care of myself. There is such a balance when you are a mom, a wife and all the other titles we wear in life. But I truly understand the importance of taking care of ourselves. I haven't always done it, but there are so many small things even that I can do, I just need to take the time to do it.
- Present myself. It really doesn't take that much longer to put on a little makeup or put a little thought into what I am wearing, but it makes a huge difference in how I feel. So, why not take an extra 20 minutes before I leave, so that I can feel confident in how I look.
Starting a new round of CLX
Hello! Glad to be back to things, even though the Caribbean was QUITE delightful! ;)
I was planning on starting my 2nd round of CLX last week, but the timing just didn't work for the workouts. I did do some workouts and really cleaned up my eating. Today will start my official first week of BURN (2nd time around!) I am really looking forward to the BURN month ... with only 3 extremes each workout!
This past week I managed to lose the 2 1/2 cruise bulk PLUS an additional 4 lbs!!! I SO get that for me, it really is 85% eating. The workouts are good and help me to feel good and LOOK good in my skin, but when it comes to weight loss, it's all about the food. On my ticker I am picking up from where I left off (not counting the weight I lost when it went up from the cruise).
It was kind of nice to come home last weekend to no food in the house, because when I went shopping I only bought things that would work with our diet. Then I spent 30 minutes preparing all kinds of snack and easy to grab foods. The top two shelves in my fridge are all things you can grab and eat as well as one shelf in my pantry. This is so key for me, because I am all about convenience. I was lucky to get a bunch of those really small tupperware sets on sale 5 for $.75.
I have updated my blog to reflect my new goals. I had fun putting the top banner together, because it represents the things I will be doing for the next 3-4 months. Hope you like it!
I was planning on starting my 2nd round of CLX last week, but the timing just didn't work for the workouts. I did do some workouts and really cleaned up my eating. Today will start my official first week of BURN (2nd time around!) I am really looking forward to the BURN month ... with only 3 extremes each workout!
This past week I managed to lose the 2 1/2 cruise bulk PLUS an additional 4 lbs!!! I SO get that for me, it really is 85% eating. The workouts are good and help me to feel good and LOOK good in my skin, but when it comes to weight loss, it's all about the food. On my ticker I am picking up from where I left off (not counting the weight I lost when it went up from the cruise).
It was kind of nice to come home last weekend to no food in the house, because when I went shopping I only bought things that would work with our diet. Then I spent 30 minutes preparing all kinds of snack and easy to grab foods. The top two shelves in my fridge are all things you can grab and eat as well as one shelf in my pantry. This is so key for me, because I am all about convenience. I was lucky to get a bunch of those really small tupperware sets on sale 5 for $.75.
I have updated my blog to reflect my new goals. I had fun putting the top banner together, because it represents the things I will be doing for the next 3-4 months. Hope you like it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
I won $200!!!
When I started my rotation back in December ... I joined a Biggest Loser Challenge with some girls on one of the message boards I visit. We each pitched in $5 and we had voting this past week. It wasn't weight loss, but visible results. Imagine my surprise when I won ... I've never won anything worth anything before! I am so stoked!!! Okay, I am gonna suck it up and show my pictures here. No laughing, okay?!? ;)
I tried really hard in each shot to hit the same pose with no sucking in and all that. I did two shots (not seen here) were I did flex, but that's it. I am more tan in the afters, but that is only because of getting ready for the cruise! Here are the numbers:
Total weight loss: 23.2 lbs.
Inches lost -
chest: 1.5"
R arm: 1"
L arm: 1.5"
waist: 3.5"
hips: 2.75"
abductors: 4"
R thigh: 1.5"
L thigh: 3"
total inches lost: 19"
For me the most noticeable change is in the side shots. In the before, my belly stuck out past my boobs (shudder) and now it doesn't!!! I am now at the weight (even a few pounds less) I was before having Braden. Once I lose about another 10 lbs., I'll be at the lowest weight I've been since having Aubrey ... THAT will be a celebration!!!
Other changes I notice are:
~My appetite is not as big as it used to be. I gave myself free reign on the cruise to eat anything I wanted. And I did, but usually I did not finish my plate and I found myself stopping when I was satisfied. It was nice to enjoy the food without being sick from having eaten too much. When I started the first CLX rotation, it was hard adjusting to smaller meals, but now I sometimes get full before finishing the whole CLX meal!
~ Huge strength gains. When I started I could barely do 2 pushups on my knees, and even then the form was horrible and probably shouldn't count. I can now do most of the reps, with good form, on my knees. I am not quite ready for a toes pushup, but I can tell that I am really close.
~ Seeing my muscle ... I am seeing muscles popping up in places they have never been sen before. Most noticeable are my tricep/delt muscles and my quads. I can't wait to shred another layer of fat and really be able to start seeing them! Even at my skinniest, I was never "firm."
~ Confidence ... I have such confidence in my body now. I proudly wore my swimsuits on the beach. Was there cellulite? Heck ya! Am I at my goal weight? Not yet! But it didn't matter. I felt great about myself and instead of being self concious and try to hide, I just enjoyed myself and had a blast. My mind still tries to play tricks on me sometimes, but that's when I tell it to shut up!!!
~ No more "ifs" or "somedays." We spend a lot of our lives looking for that someday moment when things are perfect, and really is it ever? No! I am loving this journey and appreciating where I am. At the same time, I no longer wonder "if" I will be healthy, but I know I AM healthy and that now is the day.
I started a new rotation and have updated my ticker to reflect a new start. I have set my goal weight to be the high end of healthy for my height, only because it asks for it. Honestly, I don't have a goal for weight but here are my goals:
Here's to the next 90 days!
I tried really hard in each shot to hit the same pose with no sucking in and all that. I did two shots (not seen here) were I did flex, but that's it. I am more tan in the afters, but that is only because of getting ready for the cruise! Here are the numbers:Total weight loss: 23.2 lbs.
Inches lost -
chest: 1.5"
R arm: 1"
L arm: 1.5"
waist: 3.5"
hips: 2.75"
abductors: 4"
R thigh: 1.5"
L thigh: 3"
total inches lost: 19"
For me the most noticeable change is in the side shots. In the before, my belly stuck out past my boobs (shudder) and now it doesn't!!! I am now at the weight (even a few pounds less) I was before having Braden. Once I lose about another 10 lbs., I'll be at the lowest weight I've been since having Aubrey ... THAT will be a celebration!!!
Other changes I notice are:
~My appetite is not as big as it used to be. I gave myself free reign on the cruise to eat anything I wanted. And I did, but usually I did not finish my plate and I found myself stopping when I was satisfied. It was nice to enjoy the food without being sick from having eaten too much. When I started the first CLX rotation, it was hard adjusting to smaller meals, but now I sometimes get full before finishing the whole CLX meal!
~ Huge strength gains. When I started I could barely do 2 pushups on my knees, and even then the form was horrible and probably shouldn't count. I can now do most of the reps, with good form, on my knees. I am not quite ready for a toes pushup, but I can tell that I am really close.
~ Seeing my muscle ... I am seeing muscles popping up in places they have never been sen before. Most noticeable are my tricep/delt muscles and my quads. I can't wait to shred another layer of fat and really be able to start seeing them! Even at my skinniest, I was never "firm."
~ Confidence ... I have such confidence in my body now. I proudly wore my swimsuits on the beach. Was there cellulite? Heck ya! Am I at my goal weight? Not yet! But it didn't matter. I felt great about myself and instead of being self concious and try to hide, I just enjoyed myself and had a blast. My mind still tries to play tricks on me sometimes, but that's when I tell it to shut up!!!
~ No more "ifs" or "somedays." We spend a lot of our lives looking for that someday moment when things are perfect, and really is it ever? No! I am loving this journey and appreciating where I am. At the same time, I no longer wonder "if" I will be healthy, but I know I AM healthy and that now is the day.
I started a new rotation and have updated my ticker to reflect a new start. I have set my goal weight to be the high end of healthy for my height, only because it asks for it. Honestly, I don't have a goal for weight but here are my goals:
- Finish 90 day CLX rotation doing 3 strength workouts per week and 2-3 bike rides per week (If weather is bad, substitute and indoor cardio), 2 ab/stretching workouts
- Follow CLX eating plan, allowing 1-2 cheat meal each week. (I have added in some of my own recipes so I guess it is a modified CLX eating plan)
- Continue to work on my body image/thoughts. This includes combatting the bad thoughts when they pop in and notice the good things about my body.
- Be able to do at least one push up on toes at the end of the rotation
Here's to the next 90 days!
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