A Bit Chilly

 Today, I did my first “long run” on this training plan. It was a 3 minute warmup and cool down with a mile run sandwiched between. There was a point where I was questioning why I ever liked running, but that passed. The second half of the run went smoothly. I was actually able to relax into it like I used to. This is why I loved it and why I keep going back to it. 

75 Hard Fail

I did not do well today. I got one workout in this afternoon and did the intermittent fasting. I did not drink enough water, read, or do my second workout. I had a lot of homework to finish and I went to a party. The combination was not good. The thing is that if I had done the homework throughout the week, I would not have had a lot to do and would have had the time to get other things done. 

I talked to Chad about my failure today and the idea of changing my goals which would take me off of the 75 hard program. He agreed with me that I am trying to do too much because it is taking away homework time. He helped me feel better about my idea of dropping down to one workout per day. I can do that without feeling guilty or like a failure. I can also keep the good habits that I want to create. 

Starting tomorrow, I will be doing the 75 medium challenge. I will be reading only 5 pages per day of my nonfiction book and only doing one workout per day. Other than that, I will keep doing what I have been doing. The graphic I found with the rules days I could go down to half gallon of water, but I drink about a gallon on the days that I work and need to do better on the weekends, so I think I need to keep this goa. I will adjust my tracker in the afternoon. 

100 Day Challenge

I saw this video today of a lady who went to the gym for 100 days. I can't really pay the money to join a gym right now, but I do have some X-Box and Wii programs as well as a lot of videos I can do. I am going to try the 100 day challenge. I am going to work out for 100 days. It is a new year. I need a new start!

Sickness and Progress

My eating has been getting worse and worse. We haven't been buying as many fruits or vegetables, I have been slowly drinking more soda, and I have worked out less. Last weekend, I had a reminder of what all of that does to my body.
Friday night, I was starting to feel crumby. Saturday, while at work, I was feeling worse and worse, but I tried to convince myself that I could handle it. (I don't have a primary care doctor right now, and I didn't want to have to pay for an urgent care appointment.) Sunday, I decided I couldn't handle it anymore. (This may be too much info, but here it goes.) It burned so bad to pee, and even worse when I needed to pee. I got online and searched for an urgent care facility and found one. I toughed it out through church since it was my turn to teach, and headed there as soon as the kids were dropped off at home taking the little one with me. As I suspected, I had a UTI. I was given prescriptions  for the infection and the pain and sent on my way without any mention of side effects.
Monday morning, I woke up still feeling sick, but the original symptoms weren't as bad. I knew that I still couldn't workout and needed more rest, so I slept until 6 instead of getting up at 5 to workout. As I went through my day, the rest of me was feeling worse and worse. I didn't know what was going on. My manager suggested I go home an hour after I got to work, but I thought I could handle it. I made it to lunch, and ended up having to go home. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I was, dizzy, light headed, experiencing nausea, exhausted, and I don't even know how to describe the rest. I looked up the medications on WebMD. It was the side effects of the drugs.
I wasn't able to get up to go running until Thursday, but I did get on the stationary bike Wednesday night. That helped kick things off for me again. When I went running Thursday morning, and I set a new personal record. I ran/walked the 3 mile loop I have been working on in about 51minutes. It felt great! Once again, that was motivation to get out and do better.
I didn't get out on Friday morning, I had been procrastinating homework all week and really had to get some done. I had to spend the time reading before work instead of getting out. I really don't have an excuse for after work other than it was date night.
Yesterday, as the hubby and I were getting ready to go running, the dogs were all getting excited thinking they were going too, so we took them for a walk instead. In the afternoon, when I needed a study break, we went for a 5 mile bike ride (we basically took our selves on a tour of Lochbuie).
This morning, I got up, got dressed and went for a run. I ran/walked the same loop hoping to complete it in under 50 minutes (my goal is under 45 by Saturday). I did better than that! I was done in a little over 47 minutes! I am going to reach my goal. I can feel it. 
Other than having a time goal so I am not the slowest person doing the 5K this Saturday, I have a few other goals for myself. I will have fruit with every lunch. (I pack my own lunches,so I have complete control over this.) I will have veggies with every dinner. (Again, I have complete control over this as well.) I currently fill my water bottle at work that holds about 3 cups of water 2-3 times a day. I will fill it and drink it all 4 times a day leaving me with no need or excuse to drink anything else while I am there. I will not go a single day this week without either riding a bike (indoor or outdoor) or running. I will be down a pound by Friday. I CAN DO THIS!

Inch By Inch

I have not been losing the pounds as fast as I want, but I know that I haven't been trying as hard since I hurt my legs. My work outs have amounted to 5K training every three days. I know I should probably run less and do other things like ride my bike or yoga more until my legs are completely healed, but I am stubborn. I have been doing ok with my eating, but the weekends are a struggle. Don't think I am not losing weight at all. I have lost about 5 pounds since the  end of May. I just hoped I would have lost more.
The good news is that I have been losing something...inches. Woo, hoo! I measured myself on May 27 and put it the measurements to the side telling myself that I would wait until at least the end of June to measure myself again. Today, July 3, I decided to check my measurements again. One measurement is such a drastic difference that I am not trusting the first number (I checked the measurement may times this morning). The difference between measurements is:

• around my belly button -1.5 inches
• left thigh same
• right thigh +.25
• left arm -.5
• right arm -.25
• hips -7.5 (this is the one that I don't believe)
• chest -.75
• bust -.75
• neck same
• TOTAL LOSS -3.25 or -10.75 (depending on if you believe the hip measurements)

No matter how you look at it, this is motivation to keep going and try harder.

Frustrated

I am so frustrated with my body. I really want to run. I never thought  I would say that. The problem is my shins hurt when I do, and they are getting worse every time I go out. I have tried several things to try to make them better. I have stretched before, during, and after my 5k training sessions. I have been icing them. I have done yoga on my off days. I gone two days between sessions. All I can think of doing is waiting even longer, and I don't want to. I want to keep training. I want to run. I know I can get out and ride my bike, but it just isn't the same.

Slacking

                                         
Quite obviously I have been slacking on my goals. I have gained so much weight in the past few months that I now am less than 10 pounds from the weight I was at my last doctor visit before I had my youngest child (my biggest baby). I need to make some changes. I know that. It is just so hard to stay on track and not let something else slip in the process.
In the last few weeks I have been eating Adkins bars for lunch and drinking slim fast for breakfast. Last week it seemed to have helped. This week, not so much.
A few months ago, my husband and I got an exercise bike at a thrift store for 15.00. I have used it a few times, but not as much as I had planned. I am going to get better. I have to. I can't stand being this big. I am uncomfortable when I sit down. I have less energy. I have more heart burn. It just sucks. I need to learn balance so that I can do everything that I need to for my family as well as myself.

Got To Get Things Moving

So far the no soda thing is going pretty good. I did have one on Thursday when my sister and I went out for lunch, but in all fairness it was the anniversary of my mom and brother's death. I needed something. I did have a great 9 day streak with no soda, and I know I can go even longer. I am now starting day 3 of no soda, and I feel like crap. I can't even tell you how hard it is to break this habit. I am so tired all of the time. I am moody. I am...I don't know...wanting a Dr. Pepper right about now. I know it will get better. It is a process that I am not used to having to put myself through.

I am going to give you a warning right now. This paragraph, while not too descriptive, may be a bit...icky. I have come up with a new problem. Without going into as many details as I want to for some reason, I have been backed up severely for a few days. I took some Miralax yesterday and today, and things are finally starting to move this morning, but it is still not a fun process. I looked up the possible causes for such a problem and I see myself fitting into 3 categories: lack of fiber, not enough exercise, and hypothyroidism. I am going to start working on two of these this week.

First of all, lack of fiber can be helped fairly easily. I can get several supplements at the store. I can eat more fruits and veggies. I can get certain cereals or snack bars. They will all help. Yesterday, I chose to eat 3 apples. I'm not kidding. That was my lunch and long with water. I will probably eat some today, too. I don't mind adding more fruits and veggies to my diet. I actually would like to do so . I am also going to add supplements for now though. I have got to get this thing taken care of now.

Lack of exercise is something I can tackle as well. All I have to do is figure out the best time to exercise and just make it happen. No more excuses like, "I am just too tired," or "If only the kids would go to sleep," or "It is just too hard after working all day." I exercised on a regular basis while I was single. I was working a worse job then, and I was taking care of this kids on my own. These are horrible excuses!

Here is my pledge to you: I am going to have fiber everyday and some form of exercise everyday this week. I will check in Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday to report my progress. Wish me luck!

Good News/Bad News

This week was good and bad. On the good side, I have exercised 5 times this week. On the not so good side, I have gained 2 pounds. Now the question is, do I let the bad get me down or focus on the good and run with it?
Chad and I have been trying to implement one change at a time to our diet and routines. We have done some good things so far. I took me three weeks to get into a better routine that could include exercise, and I know it will be a continued struggle, but I am glad that surpassed my exercise goal this week. As far as the diet part goes, we have decided that we will have at least one fruit or veggie with dinner every night. Since he works a lot of nights, this will mean he has the left overs the next day. I may have left overs for lunch the next day too. That way I don't have to run around and throw random crap together and hope that it will work for lunch. I am hoping that it won't take me as long to implement this change as it has been taking to implement an exercise routine. I am also hoping that by filling up a bit on veggies, I will not be putting as many calories in my system.

Not What I Expected

So far, since I decided I would do this work out jar, I have done four work outs. I took the dogs for walks twice last week, and this week I have done a work out on the Xbox last night and tonight. I haven't even filled the bottom of my jar yet. This is going to be a lot harder than I expected.
The good news is that, for the most part, the exercise is rewarding. It was nice to go walking around the neighborhood and spend time with my husband so that we can pretend we know each other again (he has been working a lot of nights lately). He had an Xbox before we got married and showed me a game for working out he thought I would like. By golly, he was right (someone gets brownie points for knowing his wife)! The only complaint I have is that the darn thing thinks that I am actually fit already. When it told me I could squat lower tonight, I yelled at it. I told it that it knew I was fat and knew I chose the light beginner work outs. It didn't seem to care. It just kept telling me I could squat lower. Geez. I guess I better keep working on that. When I felt like giving up, I just reminded myself of the number I saw on the scale this morning and how disappointed I was that I had gained so much weight back in the last few months.
I know the workouts will start to get easier as I get stronger, and I will get slimmer as I do them. I need to get healthier so I can have a long life with my kids and husband. I have a goal weight in my head for the end of the week. I will get there if it kills me (it probably won't, but you never know)!

Trying it Again

I have been trying to change things a little bit at a time to lose weight. Most of the changes that I have made so far with my diet have been forced by my budget.( I have cut out fast food and most soda.) I lost one pound this week (I know that isn't much, but I will take it). I am hoping as I make more changes I will get more motivation and lose more weight.
Last year I starting a jar to motivate myself to exercise. I would put a macaroni noodle in the jar for every 5 minutes of exercise. The idea was that when the jar got full I would have a party. It was motivating until I accidentally knocked over the jar and spilled most of the macaroni. I was going to have to do all of that work again. I felt so discouraged that I just stopped working out and put up the jar.
I am going to start the jar back up again. I don't think I have the same jar anymore, but I have some empty jars. I am going to use a smaller jar. That way I can get motivation by seeing the jar actually fill up. When the jar is full, I am going to have a social gathering of some sort (most likely a healthy potluck dinner) at my house. I want to have at least 3 parties/dinners at my house by the time I get to my goal weight.