Getting in Shape Update

Well, I've been hitting the DVDs and Yoga studio hard. Last week I completed 655 minutes of exercise. That's with one day off. I have now scheduled 2 days off each week and I'm hoping to complete at least 600 minutes each week. My new mantra is stick with it, and I have to remind myself of that constantly. Since I started working out I have only lost 1 pound, and I don't think I've lost anything in the waist. That's disappointing, but I have to be honest--I haven't been doing the best that I can in the eating department.  It is so hard for me to do both---eat right and exercise. One or the other, but both seems to be so difficult for me. I'm gonna stick with it though. I can tell my arms are getting stronger, and my forward-folding (hamstring) flexibility has improved.

I totally get winded during the Firm DVDs. I actually have to pause the DVD sometimes. Sometimes I'm out of breath, and sometimes it is mental. I just have to work up the motivation to do another set of leg presses. I've been doing the exercises with heavy weights, but I haven't moved up to 10 pounds on leg presses. Maybe next month. I've also added some of the hops, but I still nix the plyo. I just hate jumping.

I have weights and measures on Friday so I'm going to really concentrate on the food aspect. I don't have high hopes for the scale, but we'll see.

Day 5

Today is day five of the No C, corn-free diet. I've had some parmesan cheese, and some caesar dressing, but I don't think I've had any corn. I've also worked out 5 of the last 6 days. The reward: I've lost one pound. Woohoo! Oh yeah, diet plus exercise equals results.

Two Smokin' Hot Bods

Val and I keep saying that if we could combine her dedication to exercise with my (mostly good) eating habits we could have two smokin' hot bods. Well, I have been awfully lazy the last two months. With three months until our beach vacation Val and I are a little more motivated. I am going on a very strict no C diet for the next two weeks. I'm going to try not to eat any corn at all. I have also set up a very ambitious work out plan for myself. My goal is to lose at least ten pounds in the next three months. I'm hoping to jump start by doing really well in March.

I found myself doing leg lifts and leg swings last week when I was waiting for a patient's radiology test to be completed (it takes over an hour). So, today I did that old Cindy Crawford work out that I've been doing for the last ten years. It felt good to do those leg swings and leg lifts. It just felt good to be moving again. Tonight is a last hurrah. I'm having seven layer lemon cake and I'm not going to feel bad about it.

This Week and a Rant on Discrimination

Wow, this week has just flown by. I've been super busy at work and haven't been able to post about all the things I want to post about. I'll try and catch up today or tomorrow. I managed to go to yoga twice this week, and got a lot of walking in at work. I checked Google Maps and I walked about 2.7 miles on Thursday!

Right now it is snowing and Ross is snowboarding with his work buddies. I'm glad I stayed home to catch up on some much needed sleep. If it stops snowing I will run some errands. I'm not afraid of the snow, but I'd much rather drive around the Subaru in it than the Lexus.

My boss noticed my piercing for the first time yesterday. It must have been super sparkly because I noticed lots of people staring. I got into a discussion recently about discrimination of people with tattoos and/or piercings. People seem to think that discriminating against us acceptable because it is a visible, personal choice--unlike race, religion (ha!), sexuality, nationality, etc. If a professional treats me differently it is supposedly my fault; I should have known I'd be treated differently. Well, yeah, I know some people are going to make assumptions about me just cause I'm pierced (but they make no assumptions about females who have their ear lobes pierced). Still, I think it is unacceptable to be treated differently. I'm not saying it has happened to me. I don't think it has, but I know people with tattoos and piercings are treated differently, even by medical professionals. I think it stems from fear of Hepatitis. Well, get your vaccines and take standard precautions!

The next time I get into that discussion someone is going to get an earful. Isn't that how it always is? You think of great things to say and great ways to say them after the discussion? If someone treats me differently just because of a piece of jewelry that says something about them, not something about me.

One Dozen

I managed to do the shred twelve days in a row. Yesterday was the first day that I didn't do it. I did exercise yesterday though. I started the day with yoga, walked, and did cardio and ab exercises in the hotel gym, so I'm not very upset about missing a day of the shred.

I'm in North Carolina right now. I have had a great trip so far. I stayed in a really nice place called the Carolina Inn, which is on the UNC campus. There is a boba place right next to the the building where I'm having my training. I am DEFINITELY going there today. I'm not going to pass up a chance for nai cha. Speaking of cha, I had a lovely pot of green oolong tea at dinner last night. Oh, dinner was duck soup. It was very tasty.

Being here in the South makes me homesick. Ross suggested that we go home over my birthday, but I might want to wait until Passover. We'll see.

7 Days

There are so many things that I want to blog about. Today I'm going to talk about my exercise so for this year. I have done Jillian Michael's Shred DVD 7 days in a row. I really didn't want to do it today, but I did. I wasn't into it 100% like I was yesterday, but at least I did it.

My weight has gone up, rather than down, but I'm blaming that on salt. I'm trying not to obsess over the number, even though it is very distressing. Today is the first time I've done any other exercise in addition to the Shred. I manged to walk 45 minutes today. It was nice to get out into the fresh air and see the sun. I doubt I'll make my goal of 300 minutes of exercise this week--but you never know since we are headed to NYC this weekend--where I will surely do a lot of walking. Either way, I'm just proud that I've stuck with something for this long. Hopefully next week I will add some other exercise to the routine.

Oh, and Valerie is doing the Shred right along with me (and apparently Julia and Rosie are doing it right along with her). She's also stuck to it, and managed to work out at the gym and walk a bunch of miles this week. Yeah, Val!

Pop and Crunch

Well, I'm on day three of my 10 day bootcamp. I did all my workouts on day 1 and 2. Today I still have to do the shred. My calves are super stiff and sore. The scale moved a bit yesterday, but nothing today. I'm really amazed that I've stuck with it this far. No excuses. My knees are crunching and popping, but I'm still working out. I'm avoiding back lunges on my right side and just doing one legged squats instead. Watching the Biggest Loser finale last night was a bit inspiring. I always get riled up when the girls weigh less than I do. I've been doing pretty well on the No C diet too. Time to rehydrate and then work out.

The Plan

So, trying on pants this weekend was eye opening (and pout inducing). The bottom line is that I've been eating non-stop and I can't remember the last time I worked out (other than yoga). All that bad behavior has caught up with me. The scale is up and while trying on pants I realized how lumpy bumpy I've become. I've got to get back with the program. The plan is to do Jillian Michael's shred dvd and a Firm (cardio or sculpt) dvd every day for the next 10 days. I will also do booty exercises every other day for the next two weeks. Ross's company Christmas party is in 10 days, so that has given me extra motivation.

Valerie and I are planning to start Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred for 30 days straight starting on January 1st. Anyone else want to join in?

I almost forgot to mention. I'm also on the no C diet for the next week. If I don't start having nightmares then maybe I'll go No C for 10 days. That's about when I start dreaming about Cake and Cheese.

Sitting on the Side of the Road

I have totally fallen off the wagon. I haven't exercised regularly in over a month. My eating habits are atrocious. I have been so bloated it hurts. My salt intake has skyrocketed and my water intake has bottomed out. I can't seem to get enough salt. I'm so salty that I dreamt I was a pickle. I can't get over that. I keep saying it. I'm a salty pickle. It makes me chuckle, but it really isn't funny. I need to get back with the program.

I'm being lazy, and I'm eating tons of crappy foods, but I haven't started drinking. Every time I go to H Mart I buy mint to make mojitos. Then it always ends up going bad. There is a package of mint in the fridge right now. Some of it might still be good. Maybe I'll have a drink tonight before I start detoxing tomorrow. I have to bite the bullet, weigh in, work out, eat right, and drink at least 120 ounces of water a day in an attempt to unpickle myself. Ha!

New Record

Hiking yesterday helped me break my previous weekly work out minutes record (just barely).  My new record is 525 minutes.  I'm planning on breaking that (and hopefully 140 lb) this week with lots of yoga and hiking.

Back on Track

Even though I keep hearing that abs are made in the kitchen, and excess food consumption is more to blame for obesity than lack of exercise, I know I still need to work out.  I didn't exercise at all last week. I decided to get back on track this week.  Yesterday I did a 90 minute yoga podcast.  Other than 2 scoops of ice cream instead of one last night, I think I've been eating pretty well this week. 

Today I went for a hike.  I saw a few deer, and one of them didn't mind having a little photo shoot.  I ended up hiking for 2 hours!  I went off trail for a little while and ended up getting pick pocketed by a thorny bush.  Thank goodness I noticed my camera was missing just a few steps later (when I tried to take a photo of a grey squirrel) and I was able to go back and get it.

Up for tomorrow:  The Firm videos.