It is official!!! I have my number for the 5K on Saturday! I am so excited!!!!! I have never done anything like this in my life and I can't believe I am doing it now. What a difference a few months make. If someone had told me last year that I would be in a 5K walk, I would have thought they were joking. I feel amazing and nervous.
My last post, I was pretty down in the dumps. Unfortunately, I stayed down for a few weeks. But I never stopped working out. I grumbled at my scale and seriously thought it was conspiring against me...lol. Working out felt like a horrible chore, and let me tell ya, one day at the gym, I actually considered just walking out. But I didn't. I stayed and finished my work out. That 45 minutes felt like a life time and all up hill.
Last night, I reluctantly went to the gym. I was dreading it because of the work out I had to do. I am currently zone training. Zone training is working between 3 target heart rate zones. This helps burn body fat more efficiently and conditions your heart muscle ie, making it stronger. Everyone has different zones they need to work in. I found my out by doing an assessment with my personal trainer, Stefanie. Zone 1 ranges from 112-121, Zone 2 ranges from 122-140, Zone 3 ranges from 141-158. As you guessed, each zone is more difficult. That being said, my work out last night was 45 minutes in Zone 3, which includes a 5 min warm up and a 5 min cool down. Because I have been doing Zone training for 5 weeks now, I have to work harder to get my HR in the appropriate zone. When I first started, I was huffing and puffing in zone 2. Now, Zone 3 is starting to get a bit easier. I can pretty much sail through Zone 2 now, no problem. I was very intimated by the fact that my entire work out was in Zone 3. Normally, my workouts work between zones. A typical zone workout that I have done is: Zone 1, 2 mins, Zone 2, 2 mins, Zone 3, 1 min. Then I repeat that for the duration of the workout, maybe 7 times. So yes, I was intimidated. For me to hit Zone 3 on the treadmill, I have to be walking about 3.5 MPG with an incline of about 3.5%. I didn't want to do that for 45 minutes. So I worked on the elliptical. Now, the elliptical and I are not really friends. It usually kicks my butt pretty fast. I am always in Zone 3 when I work out on that machine. I figured last night was the perfect night to give it a whirl, no pun intended. About 10 minutes into my work out, I thought I was gonna die. That 45 minutes went by so slow. Almost as slow as Lars in the morning! When I finished my work out, I felt amazing! I DID IT! I couldn't believe it! All those lunges, reverse lunges and wall squats that Laurie and Stefanie had made me do, were paying off! I was on such a natural high last, it was amazing. I couldn't wait to tell Laurie today. She was proud of me! :-)
So now, I am getting very pumped up about the 5K on Saturday. It is scary ans exciting and I am so looking forward to it!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Discouragement
It happens to us all. We hit a wall, a stumbling block. It is never fun. Take me, for example. I have been doing so well. I was loosing weight at a very decent rate of 1-1.5 lbs a week. I even got down to 220 lbs. I was very excited. Then, the scale started going in the wrong direction. So, I took out my measuring tape. Nope, pretty make the same measurements too. Now, this would be the time to get depressed and to throw in the towel. But is that really what I want to do? No way! I am on this road because I want to make a difference and change myself. So what if the universe is against me at the moment!! That is not going to stop me from striving even harder than before. I can DO this, I can achieve my over all health goals! The only person stopping me, is myself. So, now what. I take a good look in the mirror and think, what has happened. I think back to the previous Easter week and think of some of that blasted Easter candy I ate. Not the best choice. I could sit here and beat myself up about all of this and just focus on the negative things, but this is not the time to do that! Positive thinking!!!! On the to the positive things.
I stepped out of the shower the other day and was kinda blown away. Opposite my shower, you have no choice but to see yourself in the giant mirror over the sink. As I was drying off, I saw something strange. I noticed there was a gap between my knees. I thought I was seeing things, so I explored further. I stood in front of the mirror in my usual way of standing, and yup, there was space between my knees. For the first time in I don't know how long, my knees are NOT rubbing together when I stand or walk! I have noticed that my walking has changed as well. Many of us out there when thicker thighs know that they tend to rub together when you walk. Which I mean fro the knees the up. Not so with me anymore. My legs are really slimming down. It is incredibly amazing! My muscles are stronger and starting to define my legs. This is why I keep working. I have noticed that my arms are getting much smaller as well. Silly thing to notice, but I have seen that when I brush my teeth in the morning, my arms aren't flapping. When I flex my arms, I am surprised by the amount of muscle I can feel under the fat layer. The fit lady inside of me is screaming to be released!
Yes, at the moment I may be discouraged. But I am taking steps to overcome this. We all know that anything worth having is worth working for. I can't expect to change over night. It took 15 years to get me to this point. It isn't all going to be reversed in a matter of weeks. So buck up and stiff upper lip! I will get through this block and be better than ever. I have a 5K to train for! I am walking on April 28 in Mt. Clemens Let's Move Festival of Races. Come down and check it out! And look for yours truly! I'll be the one, red in the face, crawling over the finish line with a huge smile on my face!!!!
I stepped out of the shower the other day and was kinda blown away. Opposite my shower, you have no choice but to see yourself in the giant mirror over the sink. As I was drying off, I saw something strange. I noticed there was a gap between my knees. I thought I was seeing things, so I explored further. I stood in front of the mirror in my usual way of standing, and yup, there was space between my knees. For the first time in I don't know how long, my knees are NOT rubbing together when I stand or walk! I have noticed that my walking has changed as well. Many of us out there when thicker thighs know that they tend to rub together when you walk. Which I mean fro the knees the up. Not so with me anymore. My legs are really slimming down. It is incredibly amazing! My muscles are stronger and starting to define my legs. This is why I keep working. I have noticed that my arms are getting much smaller as well. Silly thing to notice, but I have seen that when I brush my teeth in the morning, my arms aren't flapping. When I flex my arms, I am surprised by the amount of muscle I can feel under the fat layer. The fit lady inside of me is screaming to be released!
Yes, at the moment I may be discouraged. But I am taking steps to overcome this. We all know that anything worth having is worth working for. I can't expect to change over night. It took 15 years to get me to this point. It isn't all going to be reversed in a matter of weeks. So buck up and stiff upper lip! I will get through this block and be better than ever. I have a 5K to train for! I am walking on April 28 in Mt. Clemens Let's Move Festival of Races. Come down and check it out! And look for yours truly! I'll be the one, red in the face, crawling over the finish line with a huge smile on my face!!!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
So i weighed myself this morning and am now weighing in at 221 lbs!! I am excited. I have lost another 3 inches of body fat as well! This is wonderful! I am feeling much healthier and not as tired as I have been in the past.
Last week, I hit the gym 4 times! Even though my week started out kinds blah, I was able to power through and get to the gym towards the end of the week.
It can be kinda intimidating to go to the gym. There are so many people there who are so fit, you just wanna hurl! It can make you feel outta place for sure. But I have found that the time you go to the gym, changes the caliber of people going there. The most fit and disgustingly active, seem to go in the evening. This is the young crowd, who go to flaunt off their muscles and strength. The ones you secretly want to fall on their faces. The older crowd and those who really need to got the gym, generally go in the mornings. This is when I like to go. You feel less pressure and there is a better sense of equality. I have never had a bad experience at the gym, but the feeling is a bit different when you go with the older crowd. I just feel more comfortable with real size people opposed to the GTL crowd.....lol. (GTL stands for gym, tan and laundry)
When you are starting a gym for the first time, take the time to check it all out. Check the facilities for cleanliness and pleasant staff. Also, check out those who are working out. Most times, those working out are in their own world and are not working out to show off. These are the people you want to work out with. Make sure there is enough equipment. It really stinks to have a gym with just a handful of treadmills. Most importantly, do NOT be intimidated!!!
Many times, we will sign up for a gym with good intentions and never really use our memberships. Usually, this happens because we start to feel inadequate. We start judging ourselves against others and sike ourselves out. Remember, you are doing this for you!! Not for the GTL crowd. I think that is the biggest reason why I keep going. I have only one person I am competing against, and that is me. It is easy to put blinders on to others working out. Just do your own thing and get into your own groove and everyone else just melts away.
Another reason we stop going is because we get hurt. Almost all gyms have personal trainers and other group work outs. Use these amenities! Take the time to get to know your body and what you can do. Talk with the personal trainer and they will be happy to show you how the equipment works and you should feel as you use them. Important to remember: If it HURTS, STOP!!! Do not work through your pain. This is counterproductive to a healthy work out! When you hurt yourself, you won't want to come back. That is why it is important to know your limits. You want to push yourself to muscle fatigue, not beyond! There are times your muscles will hurt after a work out. This is normal. Your muscle hurt, because they are not used to being used. Stretch them out, roll them out with a foam roller, get a massage, have a hot soak, but do not quit the gym forever.
Starting out, we tend to think we should go in guns blazing. That is not the case. You have to condition your body to work at higher levels. Start small. Make a goal to go to the gym 3 times a week for about 30 minutes. Start on a treadmill. Find a comfortable gait and maintain it for 30 minutes, then cool down. Take a day off and then go the next day, repeat. You have to give your body time to adjust to working out. Having a recovery day is not a bad thing at all. The key is, to get yourself comfortable with the idea of going to the gym and working your muscles. Make a commitment to yourself and give yourself a goal. And mean a realistic goal.
When I started working with my trainer, I started basically from a sedentary lifestyle and have graduated into an active lifestyle. My starting goal, was to make each session with my trainer. I didn't go into this thinking, that on 18 weeks I would look like a model. I went in with realistic goals. I thought loosing a pound a week was reasonable, and my trainer agreed. My goal for the end of 18 weeks, is to have gained knowledge to keep my active lifestyle progressing after I no longer have my sessions with my trainer. I want education on how to maintain and progress myself. I want to be able to take my kids to the beach this summer, or the boat, and NOT look like beached whale! I am hoping for about a size 16 by summer. With these goals in mind, I have been making great progress. I am educating myself about fitness. I am taking the things I am learning with my trainer and applying it into my everyday life. I have bought an exercise ball, a yoga mat and a foam roller so I can continue with my work outs at home and the gym. I feel empowered and you can too!
Last week, I hit the gym 4 times! Even though my week started out kinds blah, I was able to power through and get to the gym towards the end of the week.
It can be kinda intimidating to go to the gym. There are so many people there who are so fit, you just wanna hurl! It can make you feel outta place for sure. But I have found that the time you go to the gym, changes the caliber of people going there. The most fit and disgustingly active, seem to go in the evening. This is the young crowd, who go to flaunt off their muscles and strength. The ones you secretly want to fall on their faces. The older crowd and those who really need to got the gym, generally go in the mornings. This is when I like to go. You feel less pressure and there is a better sense of equality. I have never had a bad experience at the gym, but the feeling is a bit different when you go with the older crowd. I just feel more comfortable with real size people opposed to the GTL crowd.....lol. (GTL stands for gym, tan and laundry)
When you are starting a gym for the first time, take the time to check it all out. Check the facilities for cleanliness and pleasant staff. Also, check out those who are working out. Most times, those working out are in their own world and are not working out to show off. These are the people you want to work out with. Make sure there is enough equipment. It really stinks to have a gym with just a handful of treadmills. Most importantly, do NOT be intimidated!!!
Many times, we will sign up for a gym with good intentions and never really use our memberships. Usually, this happens because we start to feel inadequate. We start judging ourselves against others and sike ourselves out. Remember, you are doing this for you!! Not for the GTL crowd. I think that is the biggest reason why I keep going. I have only one person I am competing against, and that is me. It is easy to put blinders on to others working out. Just do your own thing and get into your own groove and everyone else just melts away.
Another reason we stop going is because we get hurt. Almost all gyms have personal trainers and other group work outs. Use these amenities! Take the time to get to know your body and what you can do. Talk with the personal trainer and they will be happy to show you how the equipment works and you should feel as you use them. Important to remember: If it HURTS, STOP!!! Do not work through your pain. This is counterproductive to a healthy work out! When you hurt yourself, you won't want to come back. That is why it is important to know your limits. You want to push yourself to muscle fatigue, not beyond! There are times your muscles will hurt after a work out. This is normal. Your muscle hurt, because they are not used to being used. Stretch them out, roll them out with a foam roller, get a massage, have a hot soak, but do not quit the gym forever.
Starting out, we tend to think we should go in guns blazing. That is not the case. You have to condition your body to work at higher levels. Start small. Make a goal to go to the gym 3 times a week for about 30 minutes. Start on a treadmill. Find a comfortable gait and maintain it for 30 minutes, then cool down. Take a day off and then go the next day, repeat. You have to give your body time to adjust to working out. Having a recovery day is not a bad thing at all. The key is, to get yourself comfortable with the idea of going to the gym and working your muscles. Make a commitment to yourself and give yourself a goal. And mean a realistic goal.
When I started working with my trainer, I started basically from a sedentary lifestyle and have graduated into an active lifestyle. My starting goal, was to make each session with my trainer. I didn't go into this thinking, that on 18 weeks I would look like a model. I went in with realistic goals. I thought loosing a pound a week was reasonable, and my trainer agreed. My goal for the end of 18 weeks, is to have gained knowledge to keep my active lifestyle progressing after I no longer have my sessions with my trainer. I want education on how to maintain and progress myself. I want to be able to take my kids to the beach this summer, or the boat, and NOT look like beached whale! I am hoping for about a size 16 by summer. With these goals in mind, I have been making great progress. I am educating myself about fitness. I am taking the things I am learning with my trainer and applying it into my everyday life. I have bought an exercise ball, a yoga mat and a foam roller so I can continue with my work outs at home and the gym. I feel empowered and you can too!
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