Gym Time - I almost talked myself out of it.

I almost talked myself out of it.

I was on the highway, driving to the gym, and I almost convinced myself to "just go home" and "workout later". 

It had been a tough Monday, and I knew hubby was having a tough time with the boys.

I suggested he bring them to the gym and meet me.

He declined.

I almost talked myself out of it.

But then, I drove by my exit. Down 2 more exits to the gym.

I'm SO glad I did.

After I got changed I checked out "my corner". The corner of the gym with the turf, sleds, TRX, ropes, etc. That's where I always go now. 

It was REALLY full. Facility trainers training clients.

Dammit.

So, I stood there for a moment. I wasn't even sure of my workout yet, so I took a moment to put it into my phone:

6 rounds. 35/15 (work/rest)

Round 1
Single arm row L (#35)
Single arm row R (#35)
Weighted squats (#35)
X2

Round 2 (Now referred to as my "WTF round")
Power jacks
Plank jacks
Squat jacks
X2

Round 3
TRX chest press
TRX Plank
TRX Y fly
X2

Round 4
Switch steps
Box jump to burpee
Push-ups
X2

Round 5
Rope variation x3
X2

Finisher
Sled pushes
305x2 lengths
335x4 lengths

I decided to squeeze around people and just do my thing. This is hard for a fat girl (formerly fatter girl) who always feels like she is in everyone's "way"

The most gratifying moment of the workout (besides the end. Ha!) was a TRAINER looking at me slamming ropes and saying "Wow".

Yeah, that happened.

My sleds: 

305 (sled = 100, 4x45, 1x25)

335 (Sled = 100, 4x45, 2x25)

 
I'm also down more on the scale. Feeling really good. My Diet Bet is officially over and I exceeded my weight loss goal by 2 lbs. YES. Not sure how much $$ I'll get, but it'll be at least as much as I put in.

Today's workout is Day 1 of C25K again. I haven't run in a while, so I am restarting the program to train with a friend who wants to do a 5K in October. It will be good to build up my stamina for my next mud run, WARRIOR DASH! That will be on Sept 20!

Now, something that pissed me off:

REALLY?

You DESERVE a donut?? Ridiculous.

That's all! Keep moving forward!

Working out at home: Get after it!

I've been working out a lot at home lately, as I am sure you've noticed. My inspiration comes from my Tuff Girl workouts and I am so grateful to have that foundation. Sometimes I am actually able to do the workout from them as written at home, but usually I have to make some modifications.

That being said, this is what I have for my "home gym"

2 handled bands: One for things like band punches and upper cuts, and a heavy one for bicep-curls and maybe rows. 

2 infinity bands: I have a medium and a medium-heavy one at home. They can be used for rows, pull-throughs, band pull-aparts, squat and press, can add difficulty to push-ups, hang them from a park jungle gym and use them for pull-ups... and much much more. I need/want a few more of these in my arsenal.

Jump rope: Obviously. When in doubt and you need to get your heart rate going. Get moving with your jump rope:

I have a few sets of dumb bells, but the 2 sets I use most often are my 10's and 20's

I would love to get heavier weights, so I am scoping out craigslist, etc, for good deals. They are PRICEY in the stores!

I love my newer addition: my gliding discs, which work on both hardwood and carpet so I can use them anywhere in the house. 

 
Making mountain climbers harder - one glide at a time! Ha! I could be a spokes-person!


One thing I am noticing with home workouts is I tend to just stay away from the exercises I really hate. 


I'm just going to say it. I haven't done a burpee in weeks. And even when I did, it was only because Thing 1 said "oooh, let's do burpees!" and I didn't feel like I could punk out on him like that.


I know, I know!

I should probably be better at doing more of a variety of moves, even the ones I don't love. 

I did a great tabata the other night and I made it up as I went a long. This is VERY unlike me. But I just brought myself and my equipment outside and went one round at a time. One full round was all sprints up and down my walk way. I was regretting that one by the 6th interval! Ha!

The boys will sometimes follow along with me, or they will just run around doing their own thing. I talked them into a plank contest that night and I made it to 2 min - that was after my full tabata so I was pretty impressed. Thing 2 did more of a downward-dog than a plank, but he was having such a good time. 

And isn't THAT the point?

I'm getting used to working out at home. Sometimes I get aggravated if I want to get it done earlier in the evening and the boys aren't cooperating, but in the end I am doing what I can. 

Sometimes a great at home workout is just a good, long game of "Tag" with a 7 and 3 year old.

Keep moving forward.....

Weekend Recap and a NEW experiment

My weekend was a little up-heaved being sick enough to NOT for to an awesome workout,  NOT go to filming, and NOT go to rehearsal. You guys know I have guilt issues, but I did what I decided I HAD to do for my physical, mental and emotional health.

And yes, I felt guilty.

Yes, in my head I know guilt is a useless, life-sucking emotion.  But how do you just stop feeling guilty? Tips, please!

Regardless of the guilt, I did what I had to do.

So, what DID I do this weekend?

On Saturday, I tool a 3 mile walk. Someone I respect highly once said "There is no glory in a long walk". That phrase has stuck with me and I admit that it has fueled my "perfection desire" and my "black-or-white" thinking. I'm trying to erase that idea from my thinking. Well, that walk WAS glorious. Because it was what I could do, when I could do it.  So, instead of deciding that I didn't feel well and "take the day off" which surely would have included eating junk as well, I decided to do what I could do with what I had in me. 

That, my friends, is progress.

I was feeling better on Sunday and did some cooking:

Buffalo Chicken in the crockpot

Kale that caught fire in the microwave. Yes, that happened

Zucchini Carrot fritters. Very yum

 I also made quiche for breakfasts and went shopping for fresh fruits and veggies for the week. I tried to take as much off of the hubby yesterday as possible, it being Fathers Day and all. I did sneak out to the gym with my cousin for an awesome workout written by Christa at Tuff Girl called Everest:

We changed up the metabolic a little and decided to end with jam ball slams. I picked up a 20 lb medicine ball (what I would normally use at TG) to start our last set of 2 intervals and slammed it. 

And then this happened:

Busted lip. Oh yeah.

That ball rebounded directly into my face. My upper teach bit through my lower lip. My chin is all bruised today and the right side of my face is a little swollen. 

I look like I've been in a bar fight.

You know what my first thought was?

"Well, thank GOD this happened at the end of the workout and NOT the beginning!"

Yup, I'm hardcore like that.

It looks terrible today, but my jaw feels a lot better. I couldn't really chew last night.

I'm sore today all over - but in a good way. Not in the busted-lip way.

Then, this also happened:

I'm very proud of this, for sure. Even with the crying, screaming and stress of my B+ in Math, I still made the Dean's List.

So, my experiment:
I've been very stressed by the news lately. Anything to do with kids, especially. Facebook is filled with abused children and animals, school shootings... it's so awful. So, this week I am not going to read any online news that is not positive. It's not that I want to be ignorant, I just need to release myself from some of the negativity that seems to be plaguing everything. I've found some reputable news sources that publish real news, but only positive stories. I'm going to see if it helps keep my spirits a little higher. Besides, don't we all need a little positivity in our lives? 

Should be interesting!

Oh yea - down another pound :-)

Keep moving forward.... 

Just 12:39 on a Thursday...

I'm still getting over this sucky, sucky chest cold. Yuck. Moving along.

Hubby and I had a great workout on Tuesday in the tiny amount of time we had clear weather. It was a version of Bodyology's "The Black Widow". Normally looks like this:

We had to make some substitutions, because we were working at home. So, instead of using free-weights, we used all bands. I got a new, heavy resistance band we used for bicep curls. It was perfect.

In the "lower body" section, the only thing we subbed was Pull-throughs (with heavy band) for Romania DL. I don't have heavy enough dumbbells for Rom DL yet - I usually use about #45 each hand at Tuff Girl. I'll get them eventually! The band pull-throughs utilize the hip hinge and work the same set of muscles as Rom DL.

Example of a pull through:

Not me. Her shoulders look a little too rounded. But, anyway...

For the weights on Goblet lunge, goblet squat, side lunge - I used what I had (a #20) and just tried to keep my pace a little faster. So, it was a little more "metabolic" than heavy strength. For weighted bridge, we elevated our feet instead of adding weight. It worked!

We changed up the metabolic. After each of the main rounds, we did 3 sets of 1 core exercise and 1 metabolic exercise. For example, plank and jump-rope, or scissors and plank jacks, x3 each.

For our "finisher" we did 4 metabolic moves and pushed each other hard. 35 seconds of work, 10 of rest/transition. We were both laying on the grass when we were done. My hubby wanted to kill me. Death stare = SUCCESS!! 

Last night was rehearsal. We got in a good 30 min walk in beforehand - which was good, because it was a full read through which means a lot of sitting.

I peeked at the scale this morning and it hasn't moved since Saturday. But, I'm not taking that to mean anything yet. Only weighing in officially one day per week and I am getting pretty good at not getting on the scale everyday.

I'm still walking everyday at work. Even when I don't want to, and even when I am planning to train after work. Getting away from my desk is as much a mental thing as it is physical.

I've really taken notice this week specifically how much I want to snack when I am overwhelmed. I think it might be partially that act of getting up, away from my desk (phone, computer, people) and leaving it to get a snack, sitting down and taking time to eat it. It's not about the snack, it's about removing myself from my surroundings. Fine, if I'm actually hungry, which usually, I'm not.

Work is torture. I'm doing the job of 4 people instead of 3 today. Awesome. I have something else possibly in the works that might makes things a little better without burning any bridges... 

I'll leave you with this gorgeous pic of Thing 2 taken on Children's Sunday at our church last week:

You're welcome.

Keep moving forward....

Day in the Life

Just another day in the life, guys. Getting bored yet? Do I need to create some drama?

LOL

Nope, I'm not like "other" bloggers out there. I'm glad you enjoy reading, but I do this for me.

Anywho.

It's a very rainy day in the neighborhood today. Walked inside again. I got some really nice photos:

My foot. Walking.

My View. Lunch time walking. 

This is scintillating stuff, guys.

Here was lunch:

Very yummy salad.

So. Exciting.

That's ok. I can take some non-excitement for now. I'm good without drama and chaos. At least for a little bit.

It's pay week. (THANK GOD). So, I was able to treat myself to said lunchtime salad. Unfortunately, because we were squeaking on the budget this week, I don't have an afternoon snack with me and I am freaking STARVING. And all my co-workers do is EAT CRAP (well, no, not all of them). Gotta last till I leave here. Hubby is cooking up some chicken and green-beans stir-fry style.

I just keep drinking water and trying not to think about it. Coffee and water.

When I get home I am going to bust out a disc workout with my new gliding discs. They are killer. Love it! Continuing to hope the knee holds up.

This incredibly boring update has been brought to you by Thursday.

Keep moving forward.... 

Ragtime and DietBet

Hey guys!

I know, yesterday was a bit of a downer. I hear ya.

Thanks to those who reached out with words of encouragement (you know who you are)

Looking back does nothing. Can't change the past. Can only work now and make good decisions to achieve my goals.

I am really enjoying adding more movement back into my day. I'm walking 10-15 min in the morning and afternoon, and 20 min at lunch. Weather doesn't matter (rainy today) because I use my work building. I start in the basement (where I work) and walk the whole building, each floor (B-4th), each stairwell. The whole walk takes my 20 min lunch walk time.

It feels good to walk away from my desk for a few minutes and take some deep breathes.

There are lots of other things going on around here too. Some weight related, some not:

Yahoo!

I mentioned I had auditioned and gotten a great part in our summer musical. We are producing Ragtime, The Musical, and it's going to be a very powerful show. We got all of the cast scores and we have already begun rehearsals. Very exciting!!

I'm also participating in something called a DietBet. What is it? Well, you pool your money with a bunch of strangers (or friends, I guess!) and your goal is to lose 4% of your weight in a month, or 10% of your weight in 6 months. I decided to try one and I entered with Tony "The Anti-Jared" in his June Blast.

Just for the record. I am not paid to do this. I am not advertising for it. I paid my own money to be involved. Thank you.

Anyway, I think it's super fun. I'm already 70% to my "goal" and I have 21 days left! Woah! The "pot" is currently $4,025. Every player who loses 4% (or more) during the game gets a part of the pot. 

DietBet has also made a guarantee that if every single player in the game loses their 4%, each player will get refunded their whole bet amount, and they won't take any $$ for their fees, etc. So, basically, if you do your best and get your 4%, at worst you got to participate for free, at best you make some $$! Fun!

I did a lot of walking and some running yesterday. No official workout tonight, but a choreography rehearsal for Ragtime, so that should burn a *few* calories. Writing up the workout for tomorrow as we speak. My soreness is pretty much gone so I plan on hitting it hard.

But first: #letmetakeaselfie

On my lunch walk

 Keep moving forward....

Sometimes...

Sometimes I am incredible jealous of those who took charge of their shit earlier than I did. I read several blogs of people who made the decision, probably 100 lbs lighter than I was at the time of my surgery, to get the procedure, and use their tool correctly. 

I read a post this morning of a lovely girl who lost a bunch of weight, put on a bunch of weight, and then decided to have the surgery. She has now lost 130 lbs and and weighs about 120.

Her current weigh is 80 lbs lighter than my current weight.

I struggle.

A lot.

And then I see this. I am happy for this person. Look, I want us ALL TO MAKE IT.

I guess maybe I wouldn't "mind" the struggle so much if I was another... I dunno... 50 lbs lighter. 

If I had just stopped being so stubborn, thinking that (without any functioning knowledge of nutrition and exercise - only fad crap) I could "do it myself"...

And I ballooned higher and higher.

I could have EASILY qualified for my surgery 50-100 lbs LIGHTER than the 365 lbs I was when I went in.

I know, hindsight and all that shit.

I don't wallow in it, but I think about it. 

Sometimes I pout and bitch about it like a child. Then I put it away and focus again.

Keep moving forward...

Blah Blah Blah title

I'm in kinda a bad mood, so I'm sorry in advance if this post is snarky.

This weekend was really great. Maybe that's why I am in a mood? Because the weekend was good and now I'm back to work. FML.

I am VERY, Very, very sore today. Saturday morning I kicked this:

GOLIATH - looks deceptively simple.

The pic looks a little blurry because I took it AFTER I was done and I was shaking. Ha!

Sunday I did this: 
Sunday "20" Slam:

Walk warm up

20 high knees
5 push-ups
20 pull throughs
20 band punches

20 plank jacks
20 band rows
20 mountain climbers
20 band squat and press
5 push-ups

10 band resisted side up downs (each)
20 step ups
20 band pull aparts
20 speed skaters

20 band upper cuts
20 plank jacks
20 band pull throughs
20 band squat and press

(Plank for as long as it takes for your partner to squat)
plank
20 squats
plank
20 squats
plank
20 squats

freestyle round:
20 reps each
Squat n press
Rows
Plank jacks
High knees
Pull throughs
10 push-ups

Walk/jog home

With THESE awesome partners:

Me and Meggie-Pat

With Thing 1. We are so hardcore.

I was already very sore from Goliath, so it was the perfect workout. Challenging enough, but not so tough that I couldn't finish it.

We walked/jogged down to this little, old elementary school near us. It was perfect because there was shady spots, nice flat pavement, and pillars to use our bands with. Nice! 

Disclaimer, these pics were taken before we jogged home, after which I looked MUCH worse. You don't want to see that. 

You guys know that we live pretty much pay-check to pay-check. So, it won't be surprising for you to know that this weeks grocery budget was VERY small. Protein is coming more from (cheap) beans than meat this week. Hubby, and his master spices, created this:

Festa Rice and Beans

Brown rice and beans. The recipe made 10 HUGE servings, so we are good for lunches for the week. Add some steamed veggies and call it a meal. Actually, I just ate some and it's really delish. I wirry about the carb amount, but I can only do the best I can. Sometimes you have to work with what you got! It's still whole, clean foods. Keeping super active this week will help me not feel so worried that carbs are higher than normal. 

Well, you know what I'm going to do....

Keep moving forward....