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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Fitness Friday, Most Recent at Top [Help]
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1. Fitness Friday

It's been quite awhile since I've written up one of these! I don't have a whole lot to report, but wanted to give an update while I had a minute. 

So, I think I've fallen into the rut that so many of us do when we get busy. I have been running around like a mad woman the past couple of months, busy with something almost every single day. I'm still getting workouts in, just not the 5 a week I was doing over the summer. Now, I probably get out about 3 times a week, which, unfortunately, is not enough for my mind OR my body. The weight loss has hit the pause button and I'm finding myself more and more tired. 

I love this season and have been trying to take walks with Elliott as often as I can. He seems to prefer morning walks and that's great, except it's been about 40 degrees outside the past few mornings. Too chilly for my boy. When we do get to go, I make sure to take the jogging stroller and walk/jog for the 45 minutes that we're out and that's awesome. The days that I don't get cardio in, I try to fit in one of the strength workouts I remember from bootcamp or at least drop for a plank or two or some dips while I'm feeding E his dinner. Really trying to fit it in where I can!

I also tried, again to start up Jillian's workout videos and I just can't do it. I don't like exercising in my living room, because I give up too easily and I'm bored. I've tried switching up the levels each day, trying different instructors, etc., but I can't get into it and I'm afraid that winter is going to be really hard on me in terms of workouts. 

Any tips for those of us that don't like workout videos, but still want to be able to move?

0 Comments on Fitness Friday as of 10/12/2012 3:21:00 PM
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2. Fitness Friday: The end of bootcamp



I'm so sad! Bootcamp is almost over! In the past 8 weeks I've become used to receiving emails with my workouts planned out for me and I'm going to be sad to not only lose that motivation, but also to have everything already decided for the week. It required basically no planning on my part -- other than when to fit the specific workouts into my day -- making it so easy to just do the workouts. I love to have things planned out, but am not always the best at doing the planning myself! Tina rocked it and I'm so glad I signed up. 

I not only lost weight in these 8 weeks, meeting a goal that I wanted to reach, I also added in strength training and started to gain muscle back. It felt SO good to be able to move up on the amount of weight I could lift from week to week and conquer exercises that have always been very difficult for me. Planks are still rough (anyone who has had a c-section will say that planks are rough), but I can hold one for 3 times as long as I could when I started this bootcamp. That great feeling of pride in myself is something that kept me going and working as hard as I could throughout the past 2 months. I wanted it and I was going to get it!

Another amazing aspect of this journey is the community that came along with Tina's workouts. Everyone who signed up truly wanted to motivate and encourage one another. I've gained a few new friends and that's just awesome. Weight loss and new friendships? I'm sold! 

This has been such an incredible experience and one I'm definitely going to be doing again. Tina has already announced Best Body Bootcamp Round 3 and I'm in! You should definitely join too...even if you don't have weight to lose, it's a great way to get back into shape or jumpstart strength training. 

Thank you so much, Tina!

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3. Fitness Friday: Hitting a plateau


Week Two of bootcamp has been conquered!! 

After taking Sunday as my rest day, I started my work out week off with an arm workout and then some HIIT training. 60 seconds as fast as I could then 60 seconds walking. I repeated for 20 minutes. When I was finished I was still a good half mile from home, so I jogged the rest of the way. Those intervals really work my legs and I ended up sitting with ice packs for a good 45 minutes after. 

The rest of the week I did short runs for my cardio (between 2-3 miles) and attempted one long run that I failed miserably at completing. Too humid. The humidity makes me nauseous and adding in running doesn't really help that at all. I think I managed to run about 1.2 miles and then alternated jogging and slow walking the rest of the way. At least it was some form of exercise. 

The workouts Tina is having us do are no joke! My muscles are burning and I love it. Loving the new weight set too.

On the down side, I've seemed to hit the expected weight-loss plateau. No movement for 2 weeks. I'm a little surprised that it's happening now, since I've added in bootcamp to change things up a bit and was hoping you all might have some suggestions as to how to overcome this hurtle. I'm still in the midst of my Biggest Loser competition and not losing weight isn't good!

Hope you all had a great Fitness Week!






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4. Fitness Friday: Bootcamp has begun!


I, along with 400+ of my new best friends, have joined Tina's latest Best Body Bootcamp, which kicked off Monday. Let's just say...I'm sore. Really sore. This is another time I hate living in a split level, because no matter where I go I have to walk up or down stairs and stairs reallllly hurt right now. Darn you, Tina! (Which really means, THANK YOU TINA!)

We have daily workout combos of strength and cardio and I really thought all the running I had been doing had me prepared for what was to come. I had no idea how sore my legs would be after the lower body workout, leaving me with an entirely new appreciation for lunges and squats. Holy sore quads!

On Monday I used the jump rope as my cardio portion and that seriously kicked my butt. I don't know why I can run a few miles and be ok, but 2 minutes jump roping exhausts me for the day. Either way, it worked its sweaty magic and got my heart rate up. The rest of the week, I ran as usual. Long run tonight!

I've also been reminded how weak my upper body is and, of course, after having two c-sections my lower abs are toast. I love having this workout set up for me, so I don't give up after one or two arm raises or crunches. Tina says to do 12, I'm going to do 12. Or at least as close to 12 as I can muster.

Eating is still going well and looks something like this almost every day:

Breakfast: Green smoothie (spinach, almond milk, chia seeds, ground flax, greek yogurt, frozen banana)


Snack: 1/2 Luna bar


Lunch: Leftovers or whatever I've made myself for the week. This week is was quinoa, corn, and black bean salad.


Snack: 1/2 Luna bar and 2 chunks of cheese


Dinner: This week we've had homemade banana pepper and onion pizza, low-cal chicken parm, smoothies, and zucchini rice.


Snack: Either nothing or a 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt. If I've run that night I usually don't want to eat anything else.


I think, as part of my workout for the week, I'm going to try to convince the husband to hike with me tomorrow. It's my absolute favorite method of exercise (besides swimming) and we have yet to do it this summer. Combine crummy humid weather with having to work around naptime for a child and it has just been impossible. I'm hoping tomorrow just might be the day. 

Finally, I wanted to fill all of you fitness fans in on a new favorite of mine. I bought a new set of weights for this bootcamp, after dealing with really light dumbbells for the last couple of years. I figured it was time for an upgrade. A fellow bootcamp participant sent the group the link to these and I couldn't resist them. A 40lb adjustable weight set with dumbbells. I love being able to easily switch the weight I want to use, without having to have 3 different sets of dumbbells floating around. And $40 was in my budget. 




2 Comments on Fitness Friday: Bootcamp has begun!, last added: 7/28/2012
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5. Fitness Friday: 2nd place, bootcamp, and an injury

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done an update for you all and I've had a lot going on fitness-wise. It seems like this summer is busier than any summer before it, but I've been managing to get in a workout about 4 days a week. I'm happy with that and my body is still responding to the work, so for now, I'm good. This week marks 20lbs lost since I started my get healthy crusade and I'm thrilled! Another 20 and I'll be in a happy place.

I know that the high levels of cardio aren't always going to be enough, which is why I just registered for Tina's Best Body Bootcamp Round 2! I'm really looking forward to getting in a little strength training with my cardio and having an actual plan to follow. As of now, I've just been working out when I can, always running or walking, but this will have a schedule and a set plan for me. I'm hoping it helps me kick my workout level up a notch. 

You may remember that I've been involved in two Biggest Loser-type competitions (a great motivator). Well, one just ended and I came in 2nd place! My brother-in-law and I became each other's best motivators, really competing against only each other each week with me coming in 1st some weeks and him coming in 1st others. Overall, he ending up edging me out by about .14%. Together, we lost 27lbs!

We're both in the other competition, as well, so we're motivating each other again. Healthy competition is great for keeping up the intensity levels. I want to beat him in this one, just to say I won at least one. 

I ran 2 miles in 17:34. This is AMAZING for my slow-poke self. 

I've also, unfortunately, been dealing with a small injury. Well, at least I hope it's small. After doing some research, I think I've injured my TFL muscle (tensor fascia lata). I've been having a lot of hip pain after running and this past week the pain started radiating all the way down my leg. From hip all the way to ankle. After I would run it would HURT. Like throbbing pain, couldn't get comfortable, ice didn't help, nothing. 

Apparently, this TFL muscle can become inflamed and cause spasms all the way down the leg. I've been taking it easy and just walking the past few days and making sure to stretch a lot, hoping it helps. Anyone else ever encountered an injury like this?


I would love to hear what you all are doing to stay in shape this summer!

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6. Fitness Friday

It has been HOT here in Northern VA. Workouts have had to be kept at a minimum, but I'm still chugging along. Running has definitely become my escape at night, after spending all day hiding in the air conditioning with the boy and I'm learning to love it. 

One of the most important parts of running for me (and doing it successfully) is my playlist. I've used the same playlist for the last 10 weeks and though it does get a little boring sometimes, I have a routine down in my head to each song. Some are so upbeat that I can hard through the entire song. Some are great for pacing. And I even have a couple that have such an awesome chorus that I do intervals with it...walk quickly or slow jog until the chorus, then run with all I've got. 

Some of my favorites:

Hero by Skillet
Rebirthing by Skillet
Stronger by Kelly Clarkson
Drive By by Train
I'll Try by Polarboy
Perfect by Pink (the clean version)
Satisy by Tenth Avenue North

Skillet is amazing for a workout, even if I don't listen to them on a regular basis. I'd highly encourage you to give them a try if you need an extra push in your playlist. 

I do need some tips for new workout gear. Tanks, socks, visors/hats, etc. What makes your workout the best it can be in terms of gear?

My first Biggest Loser competition is ending today and I just weighed in. I don't know how I've done yet in comparison to everyone else, but I do know, in 10 weeks I've lost an amount of weight that makes me proud of myself, yet is completely reasonable. And I know I'm just beginning. Biggest Loser #2 runs until September and I definitely have enough weight to lose to carry me though until then, if not a little further if the numbers stay as they've been each week. I refuse to yo-yo diet anymore or practically starve myself to drop weight faster.




Image via Pinterest (no link back)

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7. Fitness Friday: Reaching Goals

I ran a 5K. I RAN A 5K!!!!!  One of my biggest goals has been to become a "runner." I've always wanted to, but would quit when it got too difficult. This time, I didn't quit...I'm sticking with it and it's paying off. I ran 3.2 miles in 33:30. Not the greatest time in the world and yes, I had to stop a couple of times towards the end and walk, but I never gave myself more than 10 seconds to breath and walk, and I finished what I set out to do. 

I walked in the house, collapsed in a chair, and started crying. This made Aaron start hysterically laughing, so I'm sure it was quite the scene. I just never thought I could do it and I did! YAY ME!

Tonight, I'm heading to a friend's to use their treadmill, to test myself out on there. I've always had better times/longer runs when using treadmills vs. facing the elements/hills/etc. outside and I want to see how quickly I could do a 5K on a machine. I'll report back! 


(Image taken from Pinterest)

2 Comments on Fitness Friday: Reaching Goals, last added: 6/8/2012
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8. Fitness Friday

I'm starting to feel successful. Each week since I began this log, I've lost weight...whether it be .2lbs or 2lbs, it's always gone down. I can run further without stopping than I have since high school. My diet has changed and I've become accustomed to my new routine when it comes to meals and snacks. Even though I wasn't eating "bad food" before, I was eating larger portions than I should and my sweet tooth always got the best of me. 

I've found new blogs to follow, new goals to reach, and new foods I love in the past few months and I'm proud of myself. I have not quit. My clothes are fitting better, my energy level is higher, I'm getting stronger, and I've taken on a great mindset about myself and this new me.

This journey is far from over...it's a new lifestyle and I have a long way to go to reach the goals I've set, but I can't wait to see where I am in a few months!

Since I started the Biggest Loser challenge with some family and friends, I've lost 7.6lbs. Hooray!

I would love to make new blog friends via this journey, as well, so if you're on your own "get healthy" path, I'd love to chat! Send me an email, leave a comment, chat with me on Twitter!


Image found via Pinterest. Links back to this tumblr.

1 Comments on Fitness Friday, last added: 5/25/2012
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9. Fitness Friday: Mizuno Running Shoes review

It's been a great week weight-loss wise. I'm always been someone that loses weight very slowly...usually no more than a pound a week, but this week I got 1.9lbs off this body. So excited about that! I'm only 2lbs away from my pre-Elliott weight and 10lbs away from pre-Jacob weight. Again, this whole "getting healthier" thing isn't just about losing some pounds, but rather getting stronger and in shape, but I DO have weight to lose, so I'll take the pounds going away too. 

As for workouts, it's been really nice outside, so Elliott and I have been logging our miles in the morning and I've been occasionally running at night, after he's in bed. I've been craving some husband time though, so the runs haven't been as consistent. I don't get to see him nearly enough during the week and that's that. 

On another note, I've finally broken in my new shoes and have worn them for several runs and all the miles E and I walk/jog, so I figured I should give my raving review, because I'm totally in love with the shoes. 

First of all, the Mizuno website is awesome. I went through a 10 step process to find the perfect fit shoe and it really did the job. It took about 20 minutes to complete all the steps, but the end result really is the perfect fit for my foot, so I would definitely do it again. I don't know if those things change, but when I'm ready for my next pair you can bet I'm doing the steps again! It's probably much more cost effective this way, rather than going into a store and doing this and then buying $120 shoes. 

I'm wearing the Mizuno Wave Creation 12, which apparently is an older "model," but works well. I needed a ton of support for a wide foot and these seem to do the trick. 

I've been complaining about shin splints for months and within a week of wearing these shoes, they are completely GONE. Guess a new pair of shoes really is worth the money. The mesh top took a bit of getting used to and the high laces also were a bit uncomfortable at first, but I got used to them and never got a single blister anywhere.

Huge fan of Mizunos over here...I'll be singing their praises for awhile. No one paid me for this review. Just my own thoughts!

Biggest Loser weigh-in: -1.9lbs since last week. Yay!

1 Comments on Fitness Friday: Mizuno Running Shoes review, last added: 5/11/2012
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10. Fitness Friday

So, I thought I'd stray from the norm this week and talk a bit about what I've been eating. A lot of food bloggers and fitness bloggers participate in "What I Ate Wednesday" (not sure where it originated or I'd give credit) and I figured I could do a little play on that.

My days during the week are pretty typical for food and on the weekend I tend to splurge a little, because we go out. I'm pretty good at figuring out calories in restaurant meals, but not perfect, so I don't really count on weekends, I just order carefully and eat normally while I'm at home. 

This was my day of meals on Thursday:

Breakfast:
-Green smoothie. I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every morning now. I love our Blendtec and will never chastise my husband for spending a crazy amount of money on it again. I use 1 frozen banana, 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and 1 scoop of chia seeds. Sometimes I'll use peanut butter instead of the Greek yogurt.

Lunch:
-Soup. This week I made a delicious 5 ingredient soup that I saw on Pinterest. It's a Sweet Potato Cauliflower soup and it's SO good. Aaron won't touch anything with sweet potatoes OR cauliflower, so I just eat my way through the pot of soup through the week.

Dinner:
-On Thursdays we meet with our small group and we all share dinner. We rotate whether we bring the main course, side, dessert, etc. This week we had tacos in honor of Cinco de Mayo...I loaded my plate with chicken, homemade guacamole (just avocado, lime, salt, cilantro), and lots of other veggie toppings. I had a few tortilla chips and salsa and no tortilla with my "taco."

Dessert:
-It was our turn for dessert this week and I made these Oatmeal Fudge Bars. They were fabulous, as everything from The Brown Eyed Baker.

I also had about 3 cups of coffee throughout the day, as well as a small margarita at dinner. Hey...it's in celebration of Cinco de Mayo!

My calorie count usually comes out to about 1500 calories. I went for a run once we got home and since my legs felt like lead for some reason (probably the margarita), I probably only burned about 150 calories or so.

Biggest loser weigh-in: -0.5 lbs

1 Comments on Fitness Friday, last added: 5/6/2012
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11. Fitness Friday

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on last week's post. It means the world to me to know how many supporters I have out there...especially those that have watched our journey unfold over the last few years. I certainly wasn't writing about all the tragedy I've experienced in order to gain sympathy from my readers, but rather to show just how much I want to get and stay healthy. Elliott deserves a mommy that sticks around for the long haul!

This week was pretty good for me, in terms of fitness, except I'm now experiencing my first injury. Shin splints. Never had them before and wish they would go faaarrr away. OUCH. I walked 4.5 miles with Elliott on Monday, then ran/walked somewhere around 2 miles both Tuesday and Wednesday and apparently that was just all too much for my legs. Throbbing pain for hours after both the runs. So, today is cloudy and we're busy, so I'm taking exercising off, though tomorrow will be right back to yard work, so that will still burn some calories, while resting my legs a bit. Any tips for shin splints?

I told you all that I wanted to mention some of my favorite bloggers that help to keep me motivated during this health journey and this week I'm featuring Caroline of My Fascinating Life!

Caroline is a stay-at-home mom to 2 boys and a dog (can't forget the dog!) who exercises more than anyone else I've ever known. She's amazing! Bike rides and walks in the morning, lots of exercise classes, and tons of running. She's an exercise rock star! What I love about her is that she has lost lots of weight over the years and kept it off, but allows herself to indulge in things like ice cream and the occasional cocktail. She's totally my kind of girl. I'm never going to give up everything I love in order to lose weight faster...that just wouldn't make me happy...and it's nice to see someone else have the same mindset. Moderation works!

(Image borrowed from Caroline's blog!)

All in all, I'm down a total of 6lbs since I started all this and hopefully they'll keep coming off. Like I said before, I don't rely on the scale for anything other than a curious glance now and then, because it seriously fluctuates like crazy.

I did have a slight almost-breakdown when I was convinced a certain dress in my closet would fit and it did not. Need it for next weekend and waited until today to try it on, hoping and praying it would zip and it definitely doesn't. We not only don't have the budget for a new dress, I really had hoped I had slimmed down enough from having Elliott for it to fit. Trying not to be discouraged from that one thing. 

Onto another week!

1 Comments on Fitness Friday, last added: 3/30/2012
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12. Fitness Friday

Last Friday, I promised you some back story on why I am so determined to get rid of this weight that keeps plaguing me and become strong and healthy. I don't like to get really "heavy" on this blog...I mean...I don't even review books that I didn't like, but if I'm going to put it all out there, I might as well put it ALL out there. 

Growing up, I was a chubby kid. Starting around age 8, I really started plumping up and stopped growing taller. I played outside all the time, but I also really liked to just sit around and read too, and my food of choice was always something sweet. My brother and I ate pretty terribly, as both of my parents worked really long hours at poorly paying jobs, and despite my mom being an amazing cook, a lot of the food we ate was convenience food. From boxed Hamburger Helper, corn dogs, boxed mac and cheese, etc.

When I was 9, my father died of a sudden, massive heart attack, all of his arteries were 99% blocked. He was 38. His favorite foods were fried bologna sandwiches, burgers with mayo, and whiskey. He also never exercised and smoked. My mom became a single parent at 36 on a waitress salary. My brother and I were taken into the doctor for a full health workout and it turned out I had the cholesterol level of an obese adult...things started to turn around. 

My mom kicked the health stuff into high gear. She started going to college to become a nutritionist, she ended up working as a personal trainer at a gym, and my brother and I became active in sports. Our diets were completely revamped and we ALL became healthy. I played soccer and softball and in high school was a cheerleader. We ate healthy, we made good choices, and despite losing my dad at such a young age, I was healthy.

Despite my best health efforts, when I was around 19, I was diagnosed with chronic hypertension and high cholesterol. I was a healthy weight for my height at that point and it was determined, after a whole lot of testing, that I was simply a "genetics case." My genetics are just out to get me. I've been on medication ever since and I absolutely despise having to take them. I feel like a 70-year-old when I go to the pharmacy and pick up my Diovan and Lipitor, but if I have to take it, then I'll take it. Sometimes we do what we have to do, right?

But then, the world really came crashing down. Ready for this?

When I was 25 I became pregnant with my first son. Delivered him 3 months early due to health complications and after 4 months in the NICU he passed away. 2 months later, completely unexpectedly, my mother died of a brain hemorrhage, brought on by untreated hypertension. She was 53. 6 months after that, my grandfather, age 76, died of a stroke. I had a miscarriage of our 2nd baby 2 months after that. A year after that, miscarriage #2. 6 months later, my grandmother died of a massive stroke. And then I delivered Elliott 2 months early, due to hypertension issues. I am not quite 29 and BOTH my parents and both my maternal grandparents are dead due to cardiovascular issues. It's a scary and disgusting cycle that seems to be happening in my family and I am SO determined to break it. 

I've already been told by multiple doctors that I may be on medication for hypertension and cholesterol for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean I have to die from something related to those problems. Or, at least, I don't have to die at 38 or 53 or 73. It also doesn't mean I have to be overweigh

5 Comments on Fitness Friday, last added: 3/25/2012
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13. Fitness Fridays: New Feature!

New feature! Now, I know this blog is called A Patchwork of BOOKS, but really I should have called it a A Patchwork of Life. Back when I started this blog (FIVE YEARS AGO), I really just planned to do book reviews of titles I checked out of the library. Little did I know what a huge project this blog would turn into, that I would get UPS deliveries of review copies almost every day, and that I would have the readership that I do. I absolutely love the books, but my life has become so much more than just reading. I don't even work in a library anymore...miss it like crazy, but hey, life changes right?

I've started morphing the blog into a bit more of a "my life" kinda thing, with my Week in Review posts, my updates on Elliott, etc. and I've pondered starting an entirely new blog instead, but this just seems to work for me. I barely have time for one blog, let alone two, and since it's my blog I can write about whatever I want. Enter: Fitness Friday. I'm sticking with my Week in Review on Sundays, my Picture Book Saturdays, my occasional Non-Fiction Monday, and now I'll have a bit of a fitness blog as well. It's become a huge part of days and I really want to have a log and almost an accountability to stick with what I've been doing. If you don't want to read it, just skip over Fridays. I hope I don't scare too many of you away! 

For this first installment of the weekly feature, I just wanted to talk about some of my goals. 

-Get strong, rather than skinny. I don't need to be skinny. 

-Be able to run a 5K by May. This one is going to be hard for me. I recently gave up on Couch to 5K, because the stopping and starting was actually making it harder for me to finish the run, rather than easier. I've never been an outdoor runner, but I'm slowly making progress. 

-Start biking again. I have an awesome road bike that I ended up inheriting after my mom passed away, but it is in desperate need of a tune-up. To the bike shop THIS WEEK. 

-Lose at least 25lbs. Again, I don't need to be skinny, but I do need to be within a healthy weight for my height and I'm not. Pregnancy and bed rest will do that to a person.

-Get off medication. Now, this one I don't know if I'll actually be able to accomplish. I've been told by multiple physicians that my blood pressure and cholesterol issues are not diet/health related, but are hereditary (I've had hypertension since my teens), but I'm determined to at least try. I hate going to the pharmacy and feeling like a 60-year-old when they tell me my med names. 

-As for diet, I just want to keep eating healthy. I have a tendency to eat a lot of sweets, even if they're in small portions, and I want to knock that off. I've already given up my diet soda habit (2 months and counting), and I've significantly increased my vegetable intake. I haven't eaten red meat in quite awhile either and I plan to stick to that. I've always been a fairly healthy eater, not including my sweet tooth, so I think I'm ok in this area.

So friends, hold me to this! Ask how I'm doing, ask if I'm exercising regularly, how my eating is going. And if you don't care about any of this...I'll see you for Picture Book Saturday tomorrow :)
14. Fitness Friday

50/50 Challenge. I had to restart my because I'd fallen off track. It's been seven weeks, and I've lost 5lbs so far. I'm doing pretty good, if I must say so myself!



Marathon Training. My marathon (walkathon) training starts Monday. I wanted to wait til I bought new walking shoes - the ones I have are about a year old - but alas, the show must go on. I'll get them soon. I don't know what I was thinking about starting the training during spring/summer. It gets crazy hot here in Houston. I have a little under a year to be ready for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I guess I'll go on. Don't wanna keep pushing it back. So, here I go!

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15. Fitness Friday

So, I've decided instead of checking my progress every week during my 50/50 Challenge, I'm gonna check once every 5 weeks.

This is the end of week 5. I should've lost 5lbs...but, I didn't. I lost 3lbs, though, so I'm not complaining. I also lost a total of 4 inches, including 1.5 in in my waist!

Hopefully, the next 5 weeks, will be even more successful.

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16. It's Baaaack! Fitness Friday

So, it's the end of summer vacation. Time to leave the days of lazin around behind and get back to work.


Um, right. Like I had those kind of days. I worked this summer and I worked hard.


Which is why I'm so excited about next summer. God willing, I'll be a travelista next summer, traveling both in the US and out. I plan to work my @$$ off this school year so I can afford to chill next summer instead of work...so I can, you know, actually vacation during my summer vacation.

This brings me to my plan I'd like to call my 50/50 challenge. What is the 50/50 challenge? I'm so glad you asked! :) Starting Sunday, I'm gonna attempt to lose 50lbs in 50 weeks (hence 50/50). This means, I'm trying to lose one pound per week. Can this be done? Sure it can! This is actually the safer way to lose weight - 1 to 2 lbs/week as opposed to say, like 20 lbs/month. Besides, earlier this year, for a blissful month and a half, I was successful at losing a pound a week. Then I hit a wall. I've been this weight for the last 4 months. I guess it's good cos I haven't gained any weight. *shrugs*

So, how will 50/50 work?

Of course there's making healthier eating choices. For me, this means eating more than once a day. The surprising thing is, it's easier for me to exercise than it is for me to eat 3 meals a day. Weird, right? I don't plan on totally eliminating certain things (junk food, pop, chips). Eliminating them never works for me...I only end up eating more after a while. So, instead of getting rid of my weaknesses, I plan on eating less, maybe even using them as rewards when I've had a good week. I'm all for rewards, you know.

Exercising isn't really a problem for me...unless it's on a day where I'm just too tired to do anything. Even then, I have a plethora of exercise DVDs or I'd just do DDR, which is a fun way of working out. My top choices of workouts: walking, Tae Bo, DDR, volleyball, and dancing. 5 days/week - 6 if I'm feeling ambitious - of cardio/strength training.

The last, and most important, component to the 50/50 challenge is God. Earlier this year, I'd asked God to take control of my weight-loss journey...and He did. He talked me out of many unhealthy decisions, especially when it came to Pepsi, which is my number one weakness. Seriously, I can do some damage with Pepsi - like at least a bottle/day. My mouth is watering now to feel the burn... Anyway, whenever I feel like piggin out on junk food, guzzling down an extra bottle of Pepsi, or skipping a workout, I'll have to remember to ask God for help. And you know what the cool thing is? HE'LL ACTUALLY HELP! I honestly don't know why I hadn't thought of asking God to take control of my weight-loss/get-in-shape journey in the first place. It's like, duh! I ask Him to help me in everything else, why not this, right?

I'm SO ready for this challenge! I even have a special journal, complete with a special pen (did I mention I'm obsessed with stationary stuff) to track my progress. I have my inspiration board up on my bedroom wall with pics of beaches, swimsuits I'd like to wear, words, etc. My main reason for this is NOT looks. Of course, I always like to look good, but I'm more concerned with my health. I'm not trying to have high blood pressure and have to take pills for the rest of my life. No thank you! And, not only do I work with kids, but I also have 2 VERY ACTIVE nephews that I'd like to run around and play with without, you know, feeling like I'm gonna die from extreme exertion. Also, I believe God is about to take me places and I need to be physically, as well as spiritually and mentally prepared.

Fitness Friday blog posts will be dedicated to keeping up with my progress. I figure, the more people know about this, the more accountable I'll be held. And you can join me, too, whether you want to lose more than, less than, or exactly 50 lbs. I'd love the company.

So, Rae's 50/50 challenge: from Sunday, August 30, 2009 - Saturday, August 14, 2010. Ready. Set. GO!

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17. Fitness Friday

Why, oh why must getting in shape/losing weight be so hard? Why can't there be, like an easy button or something that'll speed up the process? Can I please have a wand so I can wave this weight away? How bout the twinkle of my nose, like Samantha on Bewitched? Or a nod of my head like I Dream of Jeannie?

I'll be so glad when I've reached my goal weight. Oh to be able to actually run without feeling like I'm going to die! To be able to wear a swimsuit without self-consciously covering it with a t-shirt or wrap! To be able to hear the doctor say, "High blood pressure? What high blood pressure?"

But, alas, I must trudge on. My time will come. I'm working hard on this thing, so I'll see some results. I WILL SEE SOME RESULTS. Sorry, had to reassure myself, there. By this time, next year, I'll be screaming from the hilltops (or at least from the hilltops of blogland), "I did it! I got rid of those pesky little pounds!" I'll be able to run around with my extremely active nephews without needing to be resuscitated. I'll be able to run, period! OMG, maybe I'll be able to play basketball without hyperventilating.

So, yeah, this weight loss journey is long, tedious, and did I mention, long, but when I've reached that goal - when I've stepped out on that Hawaiian beach (that's where we might go next summer) in my tankini (you won't catch me in a bikini, no matter how much poundage I lose) - the pain...the tedious-ness...the 'oh-God-I-don't-think-I-can-do-it-anymore'...will only make my victory that much sweeter!

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18. Random Thoughts/Fitness Friday

Dancing With The Stars. Finally! Ty's fans couldn't save him this time. I'm very happy with the final three. Who do I think will take it? Gilles or Melissa. Who do I want to take it? Shawn. I'm a sucker for underdog stories, and, between the final 3, Shawn is the underdog. Go Shawn!

NBA Finals. Speaking of underdogs...WHAT ABOUT THOSE ROCKETS! YEAH, I KNOW I'M YELLING, BUT IT'S HAPPY YELLING! The Rockets were awesome last night. I mean, really. They were awesome, forcing the series to a game 7. So many people didn't think they'd make it against the Lakers (some still think they won't make it), but, here they are, going to game 7. The game is in LA, but I still think they can win. They've done it before (um, hello, game 1). Sunday, at 5:00, Houston time, I'll be in front of my dad's big screen TV, cheering the Rockets on. GO ROCKETS!!!!

Fitness Friday. 6 inches. That's how much I've lost this past month. No poundage, though. That's ok. I'm still working it.

Prom. So, I'll be leaving in a few minutes to go to prom. No, I'm not a Senior in high school. I'm a 32 year old (33 in 4 months) and I haven't been to prom in 15 years (I can't believe it's been 15 years since I graduated from high school! Ugh!). My sister, who's a high school Spanish teacher, volunteered me to go along and help during this time. Thanks, little sis. I'll definitely be blogging about tonight's experience.

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19. Random Thoughts

Swine Flu. I'm taking this seriously. Really, I am. I absolutely abhor being sick, so, yeah, I'm taking it seriously, but I'm not panicking, though. I'm not letting this thing take over my mind, causing me to worry. Nope. And, anyway, wasn't there another scary outbreak years ago? The bird flu? This kind of reminds me of that movie, Outbreak, only not as drastic.

The thing is, the precautions we're told to take are ones we should already be doing:

  • Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing - I mean, come on, people. It's just rude not to cover. Do I want your germy saliva all over me? Uh...no! I don't care if you're sick or not, it's still gross.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water - How many people have you seen walk out the public restrooms without washing their hands? Ew. That's just nasty.
  • Stay at home if you get sick - Duh. Wouldn't want to spread your sickness around, right? And parents, if you have a sick child, please, please, please don't send them to school. Think of all the teachers, students, administrators, cafeteria workers, etc.


Annoying Noises. Okay, so last night, I was lucky enough (sarcastically speaking) to be awakened, several times, by a symphony of annoying noises.


  • Smoke detector. Clearly we need to replace the battery in one of our detectors. All it does now is beep. Every 30 seconds. Yes, I counted. What else was I gonna do?
  • Gurgling commode. So, every month, we're to pour bleach done a pipe located in our attic because it helps with the drainage in the neighborhood. Wanna know how we know it's time to do it? Our commodes gurgle. Seriously. Both mine and my sister's toilets make some weird 'blub blub' noises. Disgusting, I know.
  • Arguing cats. When we first moved in, it was dogs that howled. All. Night. Long. Now, it's cats who argue. They sound exactly like wailing babies. Honest. It's creepy. Last night, they woke me up, then managed to keep me up for an hour. Going back and forth, wailing and whining. Just when I wanted to cut my ears off (not really, but you get the point), it got even weirder. They started hissing at each other. Wail. Wail. Hiss. Hiss. Bang. Bang. They sounded possessed. Really. I'm not sure exactly what they were doing - I refused to get up out of bed to see 2 (or more) possessed cats for fear they'd somehow come get me - but it sounded like they were fighting (hence, the bang bang noise). Then, after all that noise...complete silence. Kinda creepy. I kept praying that we wouldn't find a dead cat or two in our backyard (prayers answered).


Fitness. Nothing much to report. I'm losing more inches off my bottom/hips than I am in the waist/stomach area (which is where I'd like to lose). I'm okay with my bottom/hips, besides firming. Oh well, I guess more crunches are in order.

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20. Fitness Friday

I did it! Well, God did it, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. On March 19th, I set out to lose 4 pounds by the 19th of April. I've lost the 4 pounds as well as a total of 5.5 inches. It's all about changing the way I'm thinking & including God in the mix. This weight loss journey is hard and I can't do it without Him. He's the one giving me the strength to exercise when I really don't feel like it. He's the one giving me the power to turn down whatever junk food I'm craving, but really don't need (now, of course I reward myself every once in a while). I'm going to keep focus on month-to-month weight loss...you know, take it slow. I'm so excited! 4 lbs down...71 more to go!

Overall Goal

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21. Random Thoughts/Fitness Friday

This is my 100th post! Yay me!

iPods. I love music...alot. I listen to anything that makes me move - from Hip Hop to Pop, Gospel to Latin...if the beat is tight, I'm listening. I'm hardly ever in the mood to listen to just one type of music. My iPod playlist reflects that. I'm all about what makes my wanna dance (which is something I love doing). When I listen to my iPod, I usually put it on shuffle and let it play. Like now, I'm listening to 'I'm Gonna Live Til I Die' by Queen Latifah, which has a kind of Broadway feel to it. The next 4 songs are, 'I'd Like To' by Corinne Bailey Rae, 'What About Now' by Daughtry, 'Eres Para Mi' by Julieta Venegas, and 'Right Round' by Flo Rida. See what I'm talking about? Variety...that's what it's all about.

I have the 8GB Nano, which can hold up to 2000 songs. I'm in absolute musical heaven. Has anyone even reached 2000? I know it's possible, but sheesh. 2000 songs! 714. That's how many songs I have and the number is growing. I mean, as long as artists keep coming out with music, I'll have songs to download on my iPod.

Fitness Friday. I didn't lose another pound, but I'm okay with it. I still have one more week to reach my monthly goal...and even if I don't make it, I'll be happy.

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

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22. Fitness Friday

Another pound gone away! Yay me! My goal for my first month (March 19h - April 18th) was to lose at least 4 pounds (one pound/week). I am more than halfway there, with 2 weeks left. I've lost a total of 3 pounds in 2 weeks...the safe way, of course.

What did I do differently? Changed my way of thinking and put God into the equation. I've asked Him to help me with my weight loss journey. I know...shoulda did this earlier. *Sigh* Doesn't matter, I'm doing it now and He's doing just what I asked. I've had the will power to turn away unhealthy snacks (sometimes, but, hey, we're allowed ice cream every once in awhile). I've also had the strength to workout everyday this week. So yeah, I'm getting results...and I'm feeling good. YIPPEE!

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

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23. Fitness Friday

Last week, I said I was changing my focus with my weight loss journey - moving my focus from the weight to God. I started this approach last Thursday, where I have a daily scripture and affirmation to meditate on. I've changed my way of thinking (all positive; no negative). Apparently it's working because I've lost 2 lbs in one week, which isn't bad for that amount of time. I'm still watching what I eat and working out.

Speaking of workouts, my new neighborhood has a sand volleyball court. I'm soooooo happy about that, since I LOVE playing volleyball. When we lived with our parents, my sister and I would just volley the ball back and forth as a workout since they didn't have a court/net. But now...oh yeah, we're about to get our workout on! And playing volleyball in the sand is an even better workout than regular v-ball. Yeah, baby!

I finally did the Laila Ali/Sugar Ray Leonard boxing workout. It's not on the same level of, say the TaeBo vids as far as production is concerned (not bad, though), but, to me, it's still a good workout. I haven't done the advanced dvd yet. Sugar Ray motivates throughout, but Laila does most of the talking (maybe her name should go first...but then, Sugar Ray is a bigger name). I'm working my way up to the heavyweight dvd (gotta get through the lightweight dvd first).

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24. Random Thoughts Thursday/Fitness Friday

Spring Break. Waaaah! Spring Break is over! *Tear* It went by way too fast! It's already Friday. Our next big vacation (summer) won't be for another 11 weeks. Oh, the horror! The pain! The agony of waiting...counting down the days. It's a good thing I love my job.

So, you wanna know what I did for spring break (you probably don't, but humor me, will you)? Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING...and I loved it. Rest and relaxation - ain't that what it's all about? I mean, yeah, my sis and I were supposed to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, lying on the beach, batting our hazels at the local cuties, BUT, we're in our own house! I'm in my roomy master bedroom with my equally roomy master bathroom. WE HAVE A HOUSE! I think Puerto Rico and the cuties can wait - besides, we're going in December. So, this spring break, we stayed home to bask in the awesome-ness of having our own house.

Mi Casa Nueva. So, I'm sure you can tell that I love my townhouse. I am so blessed! God is so good...He really is. The townhouse is roomier than we thought it would be. It's perfect for a first house. I have the master bedroom. It's not cuz my sister let me have it out of the goodness of her heart since I'm the oldest. No. I had to pay for it...literally. I bought her an iPod and promised to cook for a month just so I can have the master bedroom. It's worth it! I'm lovin the roomy-ness! We thought we'd be moving in with practically nothing, but when people - especially my wonderfully awesome parents - found out we were moving and needed furniture/dishes/food, they gave. Isn't that awesome? Here are pics. Our townhouse is the one with the cars in the drive.

This is a little issue we have to deal with...big, fat, slimy slugs. Ugh!

Here is our little office nook:
Fitness Friday. After years of trying to lose weight using different methods, I've realized that the reason the weight keeps coming back is because my focus was on the weight, not on God. I take everything else to God, why not my weight/health issues? So, I bought a spiral. In this spiral, I have a scripture and affirmation to meditate on for each day. I exercise and eat right like normal, but I've just changed my focus. With this, I want to lose, not only unhealthy physical weight, but also unhealthy spiritual and mental weight. I want God to remove any access weight - both figuratively and literally speaking - that is keeping me from becoming the woman He intended me to be.

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25. Fitness Friday

I've decided to stop taking the Alli. Not because it doesn't work, but because I'm terrible with taking any kinds of medicine. There have been several times when I'd forgotten to take it when I was supposed to. So, needless to say, it's a hassle that I don't need right now. As far as pills are concerned, I think I'm just going to stick with trying to take my blood pressure pills faithfully like I should. Unlike Alli, or any weight loss pill for that matter, the blood pressure pills are for my health...kind of like a matter of life and death, so, I'm thinking these are more important. I do need to find out about vitamins to take, though. I've been so tired lately (but I think I may be coming down with something). Gotta get vitamins.

I'm starting to train for half marathon (little steps first...26 miles is out of the question) next week. I'm going by Prevention's walking calendar, which I did at the beginning of last year (and loved it...actually lost 11 lbs in 2 months because of it). The key for me is sticking to it. Like I said, I've been so tired, so I'm praying that I can rev up some energy to actually follow the calendar like I should.

I'm still eating better. I've been eating breakfast (yay me), which is usually hard for me. I'm not a breakfast eater, but, every morning for the past 2 weeks, I've been faithfully taking the time to eat breakfast. I've also been eating a small snack (like yogurt) between meals so I won't get the munchies. I haven't been snacking on junk either. In my parents' house, there are 9 of us (3 children, 2 teens, and 4 adults), which makes it hard to buy ingredients for the healthy recipes. Starting next week, it'll only be my sister and I (we're moving into our new house), so it'll be much easier. That's one thing I'm looking forward to.


Can I see the fruits of my labor in pound loss? Not much. I only see a 5 lb weight loss. My clothes are fitting a little looser, which means inches are coming off, if not lbs. I'm still happy, though. I mean, it could be worse, right? I could've gained everything back and then some.

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