Fitness Friday: New Routine!

I have been sporadic again I know.  So have my workout routines.  I don't think I've updated that number along the side in a minute.  Damn I should do that.  Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post my weight has been hovering in the almost 50 pounds last range for weeks.  Part of that due to stress and not hitting the gym as much as I could be it felt like I was plateauing a bit.  I mentioned it to my trainer and we are switching it all up.  Today was my first day of the rebooted routine and I LOVED it.  One or two moves I need to perfect and I need to get used to actually jogging instead of just walking briskly.  Tried it today and both impressed and disappointed myself.  I haven't run in a long time for more than a few seconds so improvement there but I actually made it through three cycles of my walk, jog, sprint cardio time before my body said no mas.  We're going to tweak a few things and head back at it.  I'm a happy girl who is excited to get back in sweat mode.  Yippee and I signed up for tennis lessons so hopefully that doesn't you know kill me or more aware of how limited my sports skills are lol.  How are you doing?

February Final Thoughts: All Things Fitness (& Food)

This past month was all kinds of bad for working out.  Yes I squeezed ten workouts in and yes I made a point of taking the stairs instead of elevators but I could have done much more.  Between the weather, stress at work and a basic major project hangover it was my not my most stellar month ever.  When I was there it was fantastic and I was amazed at how my body keeps changing.  My workout clothes that used to be snug are loose or too big entirely.  I'm at the point that I may have to adjust the band on my heart rate monitor again cause it's a little slack when I'm working out as of late.  And I have gone from actively avoiding the elliptical machine to spending forty minutes or more on it whenever I hop on that bad boy.  I'm within a half pound of one my bucket list items--lose forty pounds.  That may or may not happen this week but you know what I'm ok with that.  The weight doesn't have to pour off of me each week.  I'm not gaining weight and I'm losing at least five pounds each month which is what brings us to now.

It has felt like forever since I have lost more than five pounds and kept it off so this is a new experience for me.  While other people are noticing the weight loss when they see me for me I'm not seeing major changes anywhere except my belly which is shrinking, it's not flat but shrinking.  I've opted to upgrade the fitness watch as I think I mentioned in a previous post so it's just a matter of waiting until my plum Fitbit Charge HR is delivered.

As I finished my second bottle of water this morning I was amazed at my shift from water is disgusting to that is pretty much all I drink especially when I have my Mio or Minute Maid drops.  I'm not overeating and I'm not overindulging when I do have a cookie or brownie or something at work.  I'm committed to doing the food thing healthy now and can eyeball a good serving size and do check calories on things I'm buying.  I am by default counting calories because of my meal plan but I've been surprised about how not hungry I am eating a more balanced diet than the bored and ridiculous amount of food I was eating before.  And as my trainer has noted I'm still eating foods I like I'm just not making them in a way that would kill me and I'm not eating them to excess.  Time for a snack then beef kabobs and a baked potato for dinner tonight.

Gotta stick with it.  I will be pinup cute dang it.  More than that though I'm happy that I am not continuing to allow my body to be out of control just because I feel helpless to change it.  It's changing, slowly but surely.  I actually slid into a pair of my old size 18 Lane Bryant jeans on Friday and they were comfortable with a little give.  My other jeans are way too big now and if I don't wear a belt they would be in super saggy mode.  I haven't put on my dress pants as of late cause it's really freaking cold.  But I tend to be in at least one size smaller dress pants than jeans so whenever I brave the size 16s to see if they fit I will let you know.  I'm worried they will be too big.  The pants I loved from LB used to have belt loops, these do not which is just stupid.   How is the working it out going in your direction?

FItness Friday: Sweaty Saturday Summary

So my Fitness Friday post is late again this week.  I did hit the gym as scheduled this week so now I'm three workouts away from 100 for the year.  Much as like last year though, the vast majority of them came at the end of the year when my brain and body finally said enough damn it.  I'm still learning my body and what works and what hurts and instead of just plugging along at something I'm not interested in doing I'm speaking up and making changes as needed.  My trainer is helping immensely and I'm figuring out that some of my old food wasn't so bad as long as it's not a daily kind of thing. Next week it's homemade pizza time--I'll try to take a photo, actually that's tomorrow so yeah I'll try to take a photo before I slice it up.  I had pot roast for Christmas and last night, I'll probably have that again tonight instead of a twice baked potato.  I do like potatoes but yeah not in the mood for one today.  That is something I have noticed over the last few months.  Even food that I love can either feel too heavy or just not what I'm craving.  Thankfully there's a lot of flexibility in the meal plan so I don't ever get too far off calorie count.  Trying to balance the dairy and protein and what not is a challenge some days but it's better than it used to be.  I'm not going to claim it at this point but it looks like I'm back on the losing end of things again after a week of flat weight loss.  If it holds I'll be down 25 pounds since I started this whole reboot two months ago.

I did just find out that my yoga class is moving to the same time as my swim lesson so I'm going to have to figure out when to sneak it in during the week.  Yoga this morning was different cause we had a new instructor for the day.  I got in a good sweat which is always nice but I really liked having yoga then scooting down the stairs to swim.  Ahh we'll see. 

Oh and I had a doh moment at the gym this week.  Remember I'd been having trouble with my heart rate monitor.  The readings would be all over the place like the sensor was losing its mind.  Well I was washing my hands and trying to get the sensor to read normally when the band came unhooked--again.  Why this didn't occur to me before I really can't say but I have NEVER tinkered with the band ever since I bought it.  I've been losing and gaining the same 10-15 pounds over the last year until recently.  There is actually less of me to wrap around so I had to make the band tighter.  Yeah for tangible proof of weight loss but damn that was an easy fix that had I just thought of earlier I might not have been checking out other fitness bands.

How goes the sweaty life for all of you?

Pre Birthday Updates

So I am now on countdown to my 39th birthday.  I'm not sure what I thought I'd be doing at 39 but I can almost assure you my current life isn't it.  That's a good thing though as I am genuinely enjoying my life right now.  Are there things that need to be improved on?  Well most assuredly but I also have the passion and drive to continue to improve.  The best part about being nearly 39 though is that next year, God willing, I'll be 40.  If things keep going the way they are going it will be the best birthday ever but then again I'm making plans to make sure every birthday gets that distinction.  Just because this is more of an introspective post about lots of things not just my hair I'm going to insert a page break here.  If you don't want to go any further not a huge deal as I tend to be wordy sometimes.  Just know that I'm in a good place and enjoying life.  If you are nosy and got time to kill continue after the break.

Hair Updates & Other Stuff

So if you track my hair and weight loss updates you will see the numbers have been adjusted in both cases. I will get to the weight loss piece in a second but let's start with my hair. My poor tired hair.  I wasn't bone straight when I left the salon a month ago.  I was going to roll with that since my plan post this round of swim classes was to be braided or weaved up and try to enjoy some stress free time with my hair as the temperature continued to be crazy.  However, 10 days later after swim class you wouldn't have known I had a relaxer at all.  Now don't get me wrong my hair is never bone straight after swim class.  I don't expect it to be.  The level of tangles and knots though was ridiculous.  I thought maybe it was a one week fluke but nope there were more of them this week after swim class as well.

That's also why I haven't taken that many photos of this travesty.  I do have some to share today of working through wash day but without some serious heat my hair is going to be fluffy.  I have considered doing a corrective relaxer after swim classes end next Saturday (the 13th) but haven't decided for sure.  I'm also thinking about just going with braids.  I'm worried about what that would do to my hair and that could mean I'm in a styling chair on my birthday instead of relaxing which is what  I would like to be doing.  And this will be the most shocking.  I've even considered doing it myself because I'm tired of haphazardness with who does my hair, how they do it and what happens post relaxer since I know what my hair should feel like and the last two relaxers it has definitely not gotten there.  Input please oh and if you use Affirm Fiberguard relaxer where do you get it.  Can't buy it on their website and not sure about Amazon.  On the upside I was able to roll my hair without looking at a mirror and keep it symmetrical the entire time.  Photos in order: hair loss, rollered up and a pseudo close up of nothing resembling straight roots.

I am nursing my hair right now.  Keeping my ends tucked away as much as I can.  I'm moisturizing daily at the moment and resuming my vitamins.  Soon enough I hope to see some progress.

As for the weight loss, can we just say that is rocking right along.  I'm down almost 15 pounds since Nov 2 when I started training with Elizabeth.  I'm not eating much more/less than before but pulling that together with the working out at the same time has been stellar.  As of today, I'm 28 workouts past last year.  I may not hit 100 like I wanted but at least it won't be flat and barely equaling last year.  Even going out to eat I'm being more cautious and while I've had a day of less than stellar snacks it hasn't derailed my progress.  My pants are getting a little roomier which is different but now I need to grab my belt and make it work.  Even though no one believes me when I say it I'm still over 200 pounds and that's not good for a number of reasons.  My target goal right now is to hit 180 and see what I feel like.  I don't envision going too much smaller but maybe I'll become one of those goofy fitness nuts.  How goes life around your neck of the woods?  Yoga, swimming, gym rats anyone?

Black (and Silver) Sports Bra Fitness Friday

Hmm that looks way more awkward than I planned in my brain, oh well. So I held to my annual tradition of avoiding all things Black Friday shopping like the plague.  I lounged around longer than I should but after breakfast and a bit of time on Farmville 2, yeah I know, I got up and went to Planet Fitness.  Turns out it was the only parking lot that was not packed today which is saying a whole lot because most days that gym parking lot is like the Hunger Games with slightly less violence.  I got a spot right down front with no hunting.  I went in and there was no line, no crowd in the women's locker room, and no fighting whatsoever for any of the equipment.

In short, it was a great day and I loved the sweating.  I had an epiphany later too which is just that I'm getting comfortable in my own skin again and I'm kind of loving it.  Now the workout totals haven't been ticking up as much as they did a few weeks ago an that would be my fault but for a different reason than you would might expect.

Last week I was having the mother of all cramp fests which killed the Wednesday workout.  Thursday I thought I'd make it up but I was just exhausted after the cycle of work.  And Friday I followed through with a major decision that had been looming.  I'm no where near menopause apparently, gotta screw the family curve there too, and all of the birth control options are contraindicated for me based on age, possible risks (blood pressure can be wonky every now and then), and whatever else the universe wants to include.  That left me with the option of an IUD or the Novasure Ablation.  IUD seemed scarier than the ablation so I went with the ablation.  I did debate it for a few months before I made a move.  The ablation basically moves there will be no little Southern Girls or Boys springing forth from me.  I kinda knew that already but it was confirmed that if I moved forward that was where life would end up. So yeah last Friday ablation won out.  Which wouldn't have been so bad except I couldn't eat all day prior to the procedure which wasn't until 2.  But by about 1:55 I was doing the happy drug express and by 3:30 I was up again and hungry.

My trainer gave me the go ahead to skip that workout since I'd be damn near a zombie by then and we weren't sure who the drugs would impact me.  Turns out I slept a lot.  I felt better in the morning but not good enough to trust myself in the pool so I slept in.  I did get back on track workout wise on Monday but I have to say that I haven't slipped up on the diet.  As of my last weigh in on Tuesday I think it was I'm down 12.6 pounds from where I started at the beginning of the month.  So yeah I'm totally endorsing the trainer option.  I'm learning better options for food, better ways to keep myself busy in the gym and better ways to just enjoy me.  I've just gotta slip by my birthday and Christmas without sliding completely back into dessert hell lol.

How was your day folks?

 

Fitness Fridays: Getting in Gear

So this blog is meant to document both my hair journey, which I am usually pretty good about, and my fitness journey which let's face it has been hit or miss.  I have lamented many times that I would love a trainer.  Preferably one that was already at my gym so I didn't have to travel to yet another gym to get trained. When I joined the Y so that I could take classes in addition to the swimming I thought I could find a trainer there but literally no one has ever called me about it so I was getting discouraged again.  Yep I had added the yoga classes to my swimming classes but two hours a week of sweating and moving my body wasn't putting a dent in the spare set of tires around my belly.  I was still wanting plan B to come together but I wasn't putting much effort in after getting no where with local folks for months.

As I was tending to Influenster and my participation in the Vidal Sassoon campaign, I noticed another relatively new thing on there called VoxPerks.  I clicked on it and actually paid attention to the one I had scrolled over before for a website called FitOrbit.com.  Influenster was offering a discount on registration so I said what the hell let me check it out.  Turns out I was pretty impressed with the program and went through the registration.  The sign up is easy enough and actually more detailed than I would have thought.  From there you are given your top three matches but can keep looking at others if you don't think you will click with the ones they suggested.  Oh and if you hate your trainer you can switch to another one which I thought was great too. 

I chose my trainer, Elizabeth, because she seemed to be good at all the things I wanted to work on and was friendly.  We started narrowing down my wants, interests, routines and habits even more as well as any food limitations I have.  She's been great in the few days we've been working together so that I can officially start on Sunday.  I spent part of the day working on part of what will become my Friday workouts.  I went partially because I haven't been in a while and partially because next Friday and Saturday I will have to work to get a good workout in because I will be at a conference.  I totally forgot about that when I picked the 2nd as my start date but I will do something even if it's a short workout.  It was great to be moving again at the gym that got my lazy behind off the sofa in the first place but woosah it was a killer and I didn't even finish it all.  It's good to know that it's set up to be a good sweaty workout and as feared I need to mix them up instead of doing them in order because my upper thighs hate me right now lol.

I spent the rest of my afternoon/evening shopping for the things on my new meal plan--that's right no guessing what to eat on top of the workouts--that I didn't already have at home.  I did switch out a few things that were allowed switches (yeah I kinda hate broccoli) but for the most part I have the ingredients I need to start things off well.  I will still hit the pool and yoga in the morning.  And then Sunday morning both Maroon 5 and I will be singing a new tune.  In case you have no idea what I'm talking about with my estranged scruffy tattooed yoga enthusiast Jewish rockstar husband I will leave what I mean at the end of this post.

Who has a trainer?  Or had one?  Or has questions?  See ya for the next wash day.

Hair Post Woo Woo

Howdy everyone,

I managed to finish all of my hectic stuff yesterday and short of a minor detour with mom's brand of cheap crazy today went pretty well.  I decided not to skip or rush wash day and started as soon as I sent out this week's study guide for the exam on Friday.  And for a change I remembered to use my Hair Therapy wrap and slapped it on after I had the soup of prepoo things on my hair and under my plastic cap.  Didn't think much of it but let it sit for about 40 minutes and then went into the normal wash routine with the added step o the Shiny Silver shampoo to make sure there is no more tinge of yellow in my gray.  I did an abbreviated post wash deep conditioning and then waited for about 40 minutes post shower for my hair to lose some water.

I was ready to fight with my hair since it's been a few weeks since the perm and my hair did not get super straight like it normally does.  Imagine my shock and awe as the big rake went through my hair like it was butter.  The next two combs did the same thing and the net hair loss was amazingly limited.  See the photo below if you're up for a surprise.  Not bad for four weeks post especially after the last few weeks of what seemed like shocking loss post relaxer.  I know my hair is getting adjusted to the weather, water and my new schedule but lots of shed hair is not sexy.

I was able to meet with the trainer and figure out how to use the equipment beyond the treadmill.  Thanks to a skin condition flare up I haven't been back but I should be back to it tomorrow.  And surprisingly save last night I have been eating pretty healthy and avoiding all the feel good foods just cause.  I even abandoned my lovely big philly cheese steak sub at Subway in favor of a plain chicken strip sub (the teriyaki looks weird to me lol) and have been pleasantly surprised at how tasty it is.  I even made this last night so as not to give in to my super lazy must eat now routine.  And after finding some of the lettuce soggy remembered to check how to layer it properly so the next batch will be delicious and crispy.

How does things in your parts of the world?  Short of students not being equipped in all aspects of young adulthood, things are good here.  Inching closer to my license, mom's vacation and being financial again with my sorority.  Oh the delays of processing dues.  I could have paid them before I moved but I didn't want to have them transferred.  Oh well back to the grindstone.