Back At It!!!

So after having given myself a month and a half to get settled back at home with my daycare (which I am absolutely loving, by the way!) it's time to get back at working towards achieving my fitness goals.

Now, I haven't exactly been doing nothing these past 6 weeks.  I'm teaching Zumba five times a week and still getting in some karate, as well as chasing lots of little kids around all day, but even all of this is not quite getting me to where I'd like to be.

For one, I still have two more races coming up this year (yes, courtesy of my amazing sister Melissa) so I definitely need to get back to running.  The first one is called the Santa Shuffle and it takes place in Kingston on December 1st, it's a 5K.  The second one is a little scarier...it's in Ottawa on December 31st at 6:45pm.  Also a 5K...it's called the Resolution Run.  Being a pretty new runner, I've definitely never ran in the winter so I'm hoping I don't mind that too much and that I learn quickly how to dress for the yucky temperatures.

So...that brings me to this week.  I'm going to try to drag myself out of bed again at 5am to attempt a run.  I was in such a habit of doing this before, it got so easy to do.  Starting up again is really, really hard.  :(  I'm not sure how far I'll make it on the first one...I think I'll play it by ear.  I will definitely set my clothes out tonight, as well as charge my MP3 player and hopefully I'll be out the door, singing along to my favourite tunes before I even know what I'm doing. 

Please wish me luck. I'm really going to need it.  :)

Results from the Summer of 2012

Looking back over this past summer, I realized that despite the many changes, hard decisions and constant battles, it was a pretty good time, fitness-wise.

In a moment of weakness, I let my sister sign us both up for the 5K Army Run which I then actually had to start running to prepare for.  Two months of trying to reach 5K was a daunting experience, but it happened and I sometimes even enjoyed it.  Race day was tons of fun and I am really glad now that I did it.  My first race...who would have thought I would have added that accomplishment to my list?  Not too shabby. :D

I also attempted Crossfit, sorry Functional Fitness, for the first time.   It was definitely the hardest workout I'd ever done but I loved it.  It might also have had to do with the incredible women who shared my Thursday night group (Sara, Jess, Suzanne and Jo-Ann!!!) and our awesome instructor (Kelly!!!), we worked our butts off, struggled to the point of almost getting sick but we smiled and laughed a lot too!  

Our biggest Black Belt Grading happened on August 29th and I also got to help a couple people prepare for it.  Working with Sensei Gail, I mostly got to just punch in and be taken down but working with Sensei Cam got me to the gym at 8am usually three mornings a week.  Together we worked on every kata in our karate syllabus and managed to get a pretty good workout in at the same time. :)

So did I reach my fitness goals this summer? Hardly! I'm blaming  it on a combination of personal problems, scheduling conflicts and the fact that stores started putting out their Halloween candy in August! Lol!  

So...possibly another 5K run coming up on December 31st but other than that, my workout routine has somewhat slacked off.  Well, as long as you forget that I'm now teaching four Zumba classes a week and taking/teaching karate as well.   But where does that leave me?  At home, with my daycare kids again and struggling to find time to continue running and workout out.  

Therefore, the Fitness Warrior has a new goal!   Where in this new, extremely busy schedule of mine, will I find a time to work out???  And how will I continue my healthy eating habits when the stores still have shelves filled with all of that delicious candy???  Hmmm...I guess I need a new plan!  And I love coming up with a great plan! :D

When in Doubt...Run!

The Fitness Warrior is still at it....despite the lack of blogs these days.  As problems grew greater in number and solutions seemed impossible, I have to admit that it was just too hard to write about staying motivated and inspired.  As problems mounted in every aspect of my life and not one part of my future seemed certain anymore, it would have been easy to stay in bed, bury my head and hope that the past couple of months were nothing but a dream.
But I chose instead to run.
And the more I ran, the more I enjoyed it.
(I know all of you running fanatics are nodding your heads because you might have started out just like me, hating running, and you all probably knew I'd be here one day, but it is still a huge shock to me).
Week 5 of my Couch to 5K program upped my running to 8 min runs with a 5 min walk in between.  But I was still only making it to 4K every morning and I was desperate to know that I would be able to get through 5K without dying.  So I made an executive decision to change the run to this:

Walk 5 min to warm up
Jog 8 min
Walk 5 min
Jog 8 min
Walk 5 min
Jog 8 min
Walk home from wherever I end up (hopefully close to home!)

I was sure that this would put me past the 5K mark and then I'd know I could handle the upcoming races.
But the train that made its way through Perth at 5:25am on Monday morning of last week had different ideas.  Stuck at 7 min, waiting for the stupid train to pass, with no side streets to turn onto, I texted my sister.

>Changing the plan: doing 7 min jogs with 3 min walks now<

The train passed, I picked up into a jog again and the rest of the run went incredibly well.    It took me 37 minutes and I went 5.06 km! And I survived! Yay!
And the next time it only took me 33 min to go 5.11 km!  
I was thrilled to know that I would survive running 5K and that it wouldn't take me all day to do it.  And the happiness I felt from achieving this goal made me feel pretty good.

Life might feel like it spins out of our control sometimes, but I know there's always something I can control.  Like setting my alarm for 5am, getting into my workout clothes and putting one foot in front of the other for 30 min as I jog through the quiet streets of Perth.  And some days that's enough.

Awesome Running App

Both business and personal problems have kept me from sharing my fitness journey over the last week but I'm hoping things are back on track enough that I can once again offer encouragement and motivation as well as helpful tips and exercise programs to those who are interested.

Since I enjoy running outside so much when I'm with my sister, I decided to give it a try on my own this week.  So, donning my incredible running shoes, a new running shirt and my mp3 player, I set out yesterday morning at 5:15am to once again do Week 3 of my Couch to 5K program.  The weather was beautiful, the streets were empty and I had the most enjoyable run ever!  So, this morning I was brave enough to tackle Week 4.

Here it is:

Walk 5 minutes (to warm up)
Jog 3 minutes 
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 5 minutes 
Walk 2 1/2 minutes
Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 2 1/2 minutes

And I did it!  And I even loved it!!! 

For anyone looking for a great Running App for their phone, I'm using Runtastic.  It's FREE (as long as you're not using the Pro version, which I'm not) and it keeps track of everything for you.  You simply hit the start button when you leave and the stop button when you get back.  It tracked my route, my distance, my average speed, my fastest speed, my distance, and it even has a spot for me to record how I was feeling after the run.  It has a calorie counter included in it which I'm assuming is pretty accurate seeing as how it knows how fast I'm going.  It logs all of your runs into its history so you can see how you're improving (what great motivation!).  It has options for other types of activities as well, but I didn't look into that very much, I just select running and go for it!  

Still Unwell...

This hasn't been the best week for me.  Since last weekend, I haven't been feeling very well.  Today is probably the worst so far...and it's the day I've been trying to get better for!  It's Functional Fitness Day!


Since I'm not sure if it's the food I'm eating that's causing my feelings of unwell or if I've picked up a bug, I haven't pushed the workouts too much.  If it is a bug, then my body might need some extra rest.


I ran Monday morning and Tuesday night, doing Week Three of the Couch to 5K program.  I also did a workout Tuesday and Wednesday morning...starting with Zumba to warm up and then I did the following:
15 Dumbbell Bent Over Row
15 Dumbbell Flys
15 Stability Ball Crunches
30 Squats
15 Deadlifts
(3 sets)
then I did a combination of two exercises...

Start by doing a plank with your arms straight and your shins on a stability ball.  Do a pushup.  As soon as you straighten your arms, roll the ball in towards you until your knees are bent and only your feet are on the ball (this is an exercise that works the lower abs).  Roll the ball back out and repeat with another pushup.

 I did this one 15 times followed by
15 Crunches with a Twist (foot up on opposite knee)
(2 sets of these)


Hopefully things will improve and I'll get back to my normal routine.  
Until then...I'm resting up (a little).  :)

Not My Week

When working towards any goal,  setbacks should be occasionally expected and adjustments will be necessary.  Maybe just understanding that they are a part of the journey will make them easier to bear.  Easier....not easy. :S

This past week has been one of many ups and downs for me.  For those who believe that I am a never ending supplier of motivation and happy thoughts, please understand that I suffer the same as anyone.   Setbacks hurt...they make me wonder why I'm getting up at 5am to workout when I'd rather get up at 5am with a coffee and a good book.  Sometimes while I'm running on my treadmill, I'm going over the reasons I work out in my head the whole time.  It doesn't seem to make the miles go by any faster, however.

I did something that one day I hope to feel better about.  I took a picture of myself (in a bikini, ugh!) when I first started working out and then took another picture a couple of days ago.  I figured after a month and a half that it was time to see if the camera would pick up the same differences in my stomach that the mirror does.   In comparing the two pictures, I was not pleasantly surprised as I'd hoped to be.  The pictures look almost identical and if anything, I think I look a little thicker through the waist in the second one...damn abdominal workouts.   I needed a second opinion.  I went looking for someone who I knew could be honest...there was a large number of people to choose from.  However, the list of people who I would be willing to show the pictures to narrowed the list down to only a couple.  
I chose my sister, of course. 
She agreed with me.  
"I don't see any difference," she said, flipping back and forth between the two pictures on my phone, "you might even be a little heavier in the new one."
"That's what I thought!" I exclaimed, rolling my eyes.
"You make me sick, by the way," she said, handing the phone back to me.
Ah...kind of a compliment.  After today, I'll take anything I can get. :)

So, this is Week Three for me on my Couch to 5K program.  In looking it over last night, I was a little anxious about starting my run this morning.  
This is what this week looks like:
Week Three (do this 3 times this week)
5 minute brisk walk
90 second jog
90 second walk
3 min jog
3 min walk
90 second jog
90 second walk
3 min jog
3 min walk


I hadn't had to run three minutes straight yet, so I was a little anxious about that.  Melissa is trying to follow the same program as me, so that when we run together each week (usually only once) we are on the same page.  I hesitantly texted her.
Me
<Week three is pretty crazy...I'm not going to lie to you... but at least it's not as scary as Week 4!  It's a five minute walk followed by 2 reps of this: 90 sec jog, 90 sec walk, 3 min jog, 3 min walk. EEK!>
Melissa
<Okay,  and I'm not going to lie to you: the only time I run is when I'm with you! LOL!>

So...I'm getting up at 5am to run 3 times a week, by myself, to prepare for the Army Run that she signed us up for, and she's running once a week.  And keeping up with me easily.  And moving from one week to the week with me.  This just might not be my week. :/
 

Too Determined To Be Defeated...

Today is the first day in a week that I've woken up and not had any sore muscles.  I moved around a little, stretching my arms out, lifting my knees up...nope...nothing's aching, nothing's sore.  Yay!
Then I looked at the calendar.
Uh oh.
It's Thursday.  CrossFit day.
Well, so much for not being sore!!! Guess I'll just enjoy this day and we'll see what tomorrow brings!

I started the day with half an hour of Zumba in preparation for my Zumbatomic class this Saturday.  Zumba for kids is so much fun!  The music is adorable and getting the kids to wiggle and dance is awesome!  And it is such a great workout!

I didn't have the energy to plan a workout this morning so I went back to the Do You Really Want Those Abs? program.  For anyone wanting immediate results on their stomach, this is a great one.  I noticed definition quite quickly after I started doing it.  It includes three exercises that each target one area of the abdominal muscles and is then followed by bicycles, which incorporate all the areas of your abs.  Plus, the super high reps will ensure you feel it tomorrow!
Give yourself between 20-30 minutes to do it.  And remember - slower is better when doing crunches!

When I'm needing some extra motivation...I usually look for quotes or sayings that appeal to me.  Sometimes it's all I need to get going and work harder.  There are a few that have stuck with me over the years and I have them printed out on my fridge at home.  While I'm waiting for the water to heat up for my tea, I look over them.  It's a great way to adjust your mind and attitude before walking out the door in the morning.
This is the one I use mostly for training (it's also up on the wall in my workout room) and for those days when it feels like everyone is out to bring you down. :)

"I am too positive to be doubtful. 

Too optimistic to be fearful. 

And too determined to be defeated. "

Oh yeah! :D 

Apple Pie Water

The alarm went off this morning at 5am.  A new day...a new start. :)
I am still on Week 2 of my Couch to 5 K, so I spent a glorious 25 minutes with my treadmill and my fantastic new shoes.  I managed to get just over 1.6 miles and I was dripping (yuckers!) by the time I was done. 

I headed back upstairs and did a new ab workout:
25  Dumbbell Punch across Body
12 Reverse Crunches on Stability Ball

12 Stability Ball Crunches
12 Dumbbell Flys
I did 2 sets of the above.  I realize that Dumbbell flys are 
not ab exercises but I really like them. :D

Then I followed it with 2 sets of  25 (each side) 
Crunches with Twist (foot on opposite knee).

 In my quest to drink more water, I have been looking for variations to try.  I've tried adding lemon slices, oranges slices and chunks of cucumber and they all offer a bit of a different taste, which is nice.  I've also been experimenting with a couple others.  I tried the Dr. Oz Metabolism Boosting Green Tea drink two days ago...it was 8 cups of green tea, a handful of mint leaves and a couple orange slices.  It was supposed to brew overnight so that the flavours blended.  They blended alright, but there was no way they were going to overpower that awful green tea taste.  Huge yuckers!  I drank half a cup (maybe!!!), washing down each mouthful with a gulp of plain water.  Then I poured the whole thing down the drain.  Bleh.

So yesterday I tried something new.  I filled my Blender Bottle with water and added three or four apple slices and a full cinnamon stick.  Very yummy.  It still tastes like water, with maybe a hint of apple, and it smells like apple pie!  I'm drinking this again today...it's definitely a nice change.

For anyone who is looking for more clean eating ideas...here's the inventory of food I brought in my lunch today.  Please keep in mind that I got here at 9am today and I'll be here until 8pm...it seems like a lot of food. :D

1 small container of Whole Grain Rice Crackers
1 small container of cherry tomatoes
1 medium container of Plain Greek Yogurt with cut-up strawberries
1 small container of apple slices
1 small container of carrot sticks
1 very small container of almonds
1 large container of salad (baby spinach leaves, sliced hard boiled eggs, red pepper and pumpkin seeds)
1 medium sized baked Sweet Potato

Hmmm....now that I write that out, it doesn't look like enough food. :P
Good thing this apple water is filling me up and I haven't touched any of my food yet. :D

I realize that I write quite a bit about Mark and I and our different attempts to keep the other from reaching their fitness goals.  I know that couples should support each other rather than sabotage each other, but we are very competitive people and this works for us. :D
However, just so everyone knows...I did attempt to help sway Mark to the way of healthy eating last night. 
With dinner on our plates, we were sitting down at the island in our kitchen and he brought
out a bag of chips from the cupboard to add another "side" to his plate.
"Did you want some of these carrot sticks instead?" I asked, offering some off of my own plate.
"Nope."
"You know those chips aren't good for you, right?"
"Yep."
"You know these carrots ARE good for you, right?"
"Yep."
"And you still don't want any?"
"Nope." he said, shaking his head and looking quite pleased with himself.
He must have some plan I don't know about. :S  
I wish him lots of luck.  Sort of.

You Just Have To Go

One of the first things I do every morning when I get to work is look up a motivational saying or expression to put on Facebook.  It gets me going and I hope it helps other people as well.
One of the hardest parts of working out is finding the energy to do it.  Whether its getting to the gym or digging the dumbbells out from underneath the spare bed, once you get started everything flows.  It's that getting started part that's hard.
Today was definitely the very hardest day for me to get going.  I had absolutely no ambition to get out of bed and work out. 
That's when the quote above really struck me as good advice.
It didn't have to be the best workout I'd ever done.  I didn't have to increase any weights or pump out more reps than ever.  I just had to do it.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly changed into my workout clothes and headed into the living room.  I put in a Zumba DVD.  Going through the motions, I went through two songs...enough that I felt I was sufficiently warmed up. 
I slightly modified one of my earlier workouts so that it looked like this today:
30 Slow Crunches
50 Russian Twists
12 Dumbbell Blast Off Push-up Hold
20 Second Plank
24 Dumbbell Pivoting Goblet Squat
15 Dumbbell Flys
15 Dumbbell Press Ups
12 Figure Eights (Slowly)
15 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
12 Leg Circles
25 Crunches with Twist (each side)
It took me twice as long as usual to do it all...but I got it done.  And I guess that's all that matters.

It seemed very ironic to me this morning, after yesterday's blog regarding my clean eating, that when I walked back into the kitchen at 7:30 to make my lunch,  I would have the biggest craving for chocolate ever.  And I mean ever!  I had already polished off my chocolate protein shake at 6am and that had been curbing my cravings quite well lately.  But today was different.  I didn't even want my granola.  I wanted something deliciously sweet.  I wanted chocolate.
And I knew just where to get some.  :)
Hidden from my children and from Mark, in the back of the cupboard, is a box of Belgium Chocolates brought back from France for me from Cam when she was there a month ago.  Mmmmm....  
The kids weren't up yet....Mark was in the shower...I could picture myself in my favourite chair, with the box of yummy chocolates and a good book.  
But then I remembered the definition that I saw on my stomach that morning as I was changing.   Like I said yesterday, I want results...not setbacks.  Even on my bad days, I really don't want to undo any progress I've made, even if I know how completely amazing those chocolates would taste and how much better they would make me feel right now.
I had a banana instead.


 

Sabotage

I don't "do" cheat days.  I don't do one day a week when I eat whatever I want, I don't even do one meal every week when I eat whatever I'm craving.  I just don't do it.
People might think I'm crazy.  They might think that I'm being too strict.  
But I have a really good reason not to.
I'm afraid.
I'm very much afraid that one cheat meal might break the healthy cycle of clean eating that I've become accustomed to.  Do I miss chips, poutine and my love affair with chocolate?  Absolutely.  
But I never really feel deprived.  I choose clean foods that I love to eat.
HOWEVER - My husband got the best of me when he sabotaged my clean eating with a trip to Dairy Queen.
I guess that's sort of payback for the number of times I've picked up his favourite bag of chips over the last little while.  After teaching Zumba Sunday morning, we were heading into Kanata to go to Costco and I was starving.  Since we weren't stopping at home, it looked like a snack on the road was going to be necessary.  
"Well, I'm stopping at Dairy Queen to get a cherry sundae," Mark said smiling, "you can get something too!"
Ugh...I knew I should have packed food for the day.
Scanning the menu, it looked like the only things that wouldn't pack on the calories were drinks that wouldn't come anywhere close to filling me up, so I decided to make it a confirmed cheat meal.  I opted for my favourite treat - the Reese Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard.  And I thanked God that they have come out with their mini size.  Looking it up on the internet, I discovered that this little piece of heaven contains 370 calories, 14 grams of fat and 42 grams of sugar.  Eek.  
As I had stood scanning the menu at Dairy Queen, I asked Mark (somewhat jokingly) if he had planned to sabotage my day intentionally.  He didn't answer.
When I looked over at him, the smug look on his face told me everything.  Hmm.


So...this is what a "typical" day of eating looks like for me:
5:30 am - 1 bottle of water (while working out)
6am - 1 protein shake (1 scoop of protein 30g mixed with 1 cup milk)
7:30 - 1 cup of granola with fruit on top (blueberries today) and peppermint tea (I LOVE THIS!!!)
9:30am - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with strawberries 
11am - 18 multi-grain rice crackers
12:30pm - 1 1/2 cup spinach salad with mango, plums and pumpkin seeds
2:30pm - carrot sticks and celery sticks, 20 almonds
4:00pm - can of tuna mixed with a tbsp low fat mayo, with shredded carrots and shredded cheese
9:00pm - chicken (cooked in the slow cooker all day), sweet potato and salad (mixed greens with various veggies)...dessert? Either a banana or a small yogurt 
I also drink another two bottles of water during the day and sometimes have another peppermint tea during the afternoon.  I have one coffee (black) as soon as I get to the gym every day.  
So...am I feeling deprived? Hardly!  I eat all day long! I'm never hungry!  And how can I possibly feel deprived when I'm eating strawberries, blueberries, yummy chicken and sweet potatoes, almonds, tuna, salad...all good stuff.  And the chocolate protein shake every morning following my workout is so delish!!!!
I am trying to change my body...I want results, not setbacks.  The closer I follow my plan, the sooner I'll reach my goals.  That's the best motivation ever!

My workout this morning:
Couch to 5K Week Two Plan (again)
5 minute brisk warm-up walk
Alternate 90 seconds of jogging and 2 min walking until you reach 25 minutes.
This was super easy with my new shoes!!!! Loved it!!!!
Then I did the following ab workout:
50 Regular Crunches
50 Side Crunches (Each Side)
15 Crunches on a Stability Ball (Plank position with feet on ball, tighten abs and roll ball towards you)
15 Crunches on a Stability Ball (knees on floor, hands clasped and roll ball away from you, keeping forearms on ball at all times)
and then I gave up for this morning...I hit snooze twice and didn't have quite enough time to finish what I'd planned.  But I met with Cam at 8am to do kata for an hour this morning so we'll say that that makes up for it.  :)
Also, I needed to sit down with my tea for a few minutes to plot my revenge on Mark...
 


 

The Fitness Warrior's First Attempt at CrossFit

Despite my sore back, my grumpy mood and my desire to lay out on the couch feeling sorry for myself, I went to the first class in the Functional Fitness program last night.  
Okay, truthfully, I went because Jo-Ann told me to.  :D
"Just come and watch," she said, "you don't have to do anything, just watch and listen to Kelly explain the technique."
Ah, she had me at technique.  For anyone who knows me well, they know that I am a huge believer in perfect technique.  This is due, in part, to my karate training.  As a small person with relatively little muscle, I need the best technique I've got to make self defense work.  I can't muscle through it like bigger people.  Plus, when it comes to working out, I believe that proper form will get the best results while leaving me with less injuries.
"Okay, fine, I'll come," I said, somewhat begrudgingly, "But I'll have a hard time not doing it."
Jo-Ann just smiled.  Of course, she understands. 

At 7:26pm, I arrived at the gym, grumpiness still wrapped around me.  However, when you are in a place that oozes motivation and a strong work ethic, it's pretty much impossible to avoid being pulled into it.
Kelly was well aware of my sore back and frequently made sure I wasn't doing anything to hurt it.
"Just do what you can.  If it hurts your back, don't do it."
Sounded good to me.   I've never really been a "watcher" anyway. :D

The class was amazing.  A short introduction and a thorough warm-up was followed by comprehensive teaching of technique.  Then we went through the WOD (Workout of the Day!).  We had to do as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.  What an incredible workout!  I was completely soaked, my water bottle long emptied and my grumpiness was completely chased away.  Nothing like a great workout with fantastic people to bring me around!


Thanks so much to Kelly for a great class and to Jo-Ann for ensuring I was there to enjoy it!


Note: My back felt much better after the class...I was so stiff from sitting at my desk all day, it felt great to be moving and I stretched a lot after the class and again at home later.   The only problem was the shower I took as soon as I got home.  My arms were so tired from the class that it was almost impossible to wash my hair...seriously, it was the hardest time I ever had! All I could do was laugh...nothing could ruin such a fun night!

 

The Fitness Warrior is Down for the Count!

I got up yesterday at 5am, as usual, and left the bedroom eager to start my workout.  I can't believe I actually look forward to it now.  :)
Since I get bored so easily, I hate sticking to one workout for too long.  It's a great idea to change up exercise routines often because your body adapts to them quickly, but if you change them too much (like me!) you aren't able to track your progress as well.   Oh well!
I love keeping things fresh and trying new things!

So for Tuesday morning's workout, I did half an hour of Zumba to warm up (which worked really well, by the way) and then did the following:
15 - Squats
15- Stiff Legged Deadlift
15 - Lying Dumbbell Press
15 - Lying Dumbbell Flys
15 - Overhead Dumbbell Press
50 - Regular Crunches (slowly)
10 - Lateral Dumbbell Raise
15 - Bent Over Rows
15 - Bicep Curls
15 - Lying Tricep Extension
50 - Russian Twist (with weight)
50 - Side Crunches (Each Side)
25 - Reverse Crunches
10 - Leg Lifts (super slowly)
15 - Squats 
15 - Stiff Legged Deadlift
15 - Dumbbell Blast-Off Push Up Hold
15 - Leg Circles
(I used 10 lb dumbbells for any exercise requiring weight)
I also did a lot of stretching before calling it quits.  :)


Then the worst thing ever happened...after my shower, my back felt a little sore.  As the day went on, it got worse, until I was almost hobbling along.  When I woke up the next day, I could barely get out of bed.  A sore back??? Are you kidding me???
Did I overdo it?  Maybe.  :S

So...no workout this morning and I've been icing it often.   I'm struggling with taking it easy, but I will do my best.   I am signed up for the Functional Fitness Class that starts tomorrow night (Thursday) and I really don't want to miss the first one!  


Also...finally got some awesome shoes!  Got properly fitted and they are amazing!  I so badly want to try them out!!!  There will be no stopping me in my new shoes....when I can finally wear them. :(
 

Gettin' Goin' on Granola

My fitness journey continues this week with more running and ab work. :)

I started the second week of the Couch to 5K program that I chose.  I didn't realize there were so many until my sister and I were comparing the two we printed out.  
My program for this week is as follows:
5 Minute Brisk Warm-up Walk
Alternate between:
90 seconds Jog
2 min Walk
up until 20 minutes.
I have to admit....this morning's run was really hard.  Especially when my mp3 player died at minute 14.  I looked down at it when it stopped, wondering what was wrong...it actually read Bye Bye across the screen.

I haven't talked a lot about nutrition in this blog, mostly because I really haven't changed my eating habits at all....except that I gave up chocolate after dinner, substituting fruit instead.  I have a chocolate protein shake after my workouts in the morning, which helps to curb the chocolate craving that never entirely goes away.

The protein shake also fills me up for a couple hours since it's usually not until around 7:30-8am that I'm able to fit in some breakfast.  Since I get up at five, there's no way I can make it until then without some food so the shake fits perfectly into my schedule.
My breakfast every day consists of a bowl of granola with milk and fruit on top....raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or banana...anything I can find in the fridge.  I make the granola myself using the same recipe I've used for years.
For anyone interested in trying it out, here it is:

Old Fashioned Oat Granola


1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ


1/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla


1/2 cup raisins


Mix the dry ingrediants all together in a big bowl.  I measure out the honey in a 2 cup measuring cup and then mix the rest of the wet ingredients in that cup.  Pour the wet into the dry and mix it up, once mixed, add the raisins.  Spread out the mixture on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake for an hour at 250 degrees.
I always make a double batch and use two cookie sheets.  About halfway through, I take them out, give it a little stir and then switch their positions.  Depending on how you like your granola, you can adjust the cooking time.  Colton likes bigger pieces so I leave it more in chunks if he's going to be snacking on it as well.  Cassie likes it soft so less baking time is required, while I like it a little crunchier so I leave it in there for about an hour and a half.  I then store it in a covered container in the fridge. 


These quotes are for 1/2 cup servings: 299 calories, 6 g protein, 47 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat and 4.5 g fiber.  

Super yummy!!!

Finally Seeing A Difference!

After a few weeks of eating very clean,  drinking tons of water and getting up at 5am every day to work out, I noticed something spectacular in the mirror this morning.

Now, I feel I should set the scene a little bit... I had just stumbled out of bed after rolling my eyes and turning the alarm off at 5am.  I put on my workout clothes.  The nice part of working out at home is that I can wear whatever I want because no one sees me.  So today it was a pair of crazy red and pink flowered shorts (I can't remember when I bought these - I definitely wasn't thinking clearly that day) and a red sports bra.  I was just closing my closet door when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  Something looked different. I stopped and looked again.  Sometime, maybe overnight, I had lost some of the bulge on my stomach and developed some muscle.  Not great-big-bulging-I-win-you-lose type of muscle but there is definitely the start of some definition going on.  Finally. 

I contemplated waking Mark up to tell him but instead I just stuck my tongue out at him as I headed out to the living room to do the same ab workout as the previous days.  It is apparently a good one. :)

When working abs, slow is always best...I can pound out 100 crunches and not feel anything, but if I do 20 super slow...you can bet I'll be breathing hard and feeling it by the end.  So I did the 75/50/25 program again and it was even harder this time.  No worries...I managed the whole thing and I wouldn't dream on shorting myself on the 1 minute bicycles.  Not when it's starting to work.  Another note: the bicycles - keep both knees bent, lay back and crunch up towards one knee, focusing on straightening the other leg, then repeat coming up towards the other knee...and do it slowly, concentrating on form.  Your abs will be crying by the end of the minute.   

It's kinda funny...at first I so badly wanted to see something....something that indicated that my workouts were changing my body, that my healthy eating was helping, and that it wasn't all for nothing.  And then life took over.  I struggled to find time to workout, struggled to keep getting up at 5am (especially since I wasn't going to bed any earlier) and struggled to drink as much water as I could.  I forgot to keep looking for results.  And I discovered something very true:

There is really nothing more motivating than results.

What Have I Got Myself Into Now?

I must say, my sister has incredibly good timing.  

While folding the never ending pile of laundry yesterday, I was going over the upcoming week's workouts in my mind.  I had already decided that I needed to increase the amount of cardio I was doing...I just hadn't decided how yet.   You see...I hate cardio.  I love lifting weights, I love doing karate and I love dancing in Zumba but cardio just for the sake of doing cardio bores me to tears.  

Then my wonderful sister called...
"You know what we should do?" she asked excitedly, "The Army Run...it's in September and it's only 5k."
Hmmm...I hate running...but I love setting, striving for and achieving goals!  And it would fit right into my new cardio plan.
"Okay!" I said.
"Really?" she asked, most likely discarding the prepared speech she thought she'd need.

"Sure!" 

"Yay! I'll sign us both up!"

So...only minutes later, arriving in my inbox from the Canada Army Run Registration people, was the confirmation that I was signed up to run 5K on September 23rd.  What had I done???

I took a deep breath and typed Couch to 5K into Google.  I knew of others who had used this program with success so it was worth a try.  So, setting the alarm for 5am today, I hopped on the treadmill and tried it out.  And it was pretty good.   This week is a 5 minute walking warm-up then alternating between one minute of jogging and one and a half minutes of walking for twenty minutes (twenty five counting the warm up) and I did it!  And managed to go 1.5 miles in the process!  And I get to take tomorrow off!  Loving this program! :D

I also found a crazy new ab workout that I thought I'd try.
It's called "Do you really want those abs?"  
So, since I do...I thought what could it hurt to do it too?

Here's the plan:
75 Crunches
75 Side Crunches (each side)
75 Back Arches
1 minute Bicycle Crunches
1 MINUTE REST
50 Crunches
50 Side Crunches (each side)
50 Back Arches
1 minute Bicycle Crunches
1 MINUTE REST
25 Crunches
25 Side Crunches (each side)
25 Back Arches
1 minute Bicycle Crunches
COLLAPSE. :)

I better feel that tomorrow!
Also...since I didn't work shoulders, I had no trouble washing my hair after!
Gotta love a new plan!
Oh...if there is no blog from me tomorrow, it will probably be that I couldn't get out of bed. :D
 

Confession Time

So...I have a confession to make.  I absolutely love muscle soreness.  There is such a feeling of satisfaction when you wake up and feel soreness in muscles that you worked the day before (or even two days before), you know then that you are accomplishing something.  Now, I will admit that sometimes muscle soreness can get in the way, such as for the couple of days following the All About Abs class when I can't even sit up in bed.  Oh well, I roll out instead with a big smile on my face. 
I've been doing the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Video for a week and a half now.  I really like the format of the twenty minute long workout (fits into my morning really well!) with it's warmup, two minutes of strength (two exercises, each for 30 seconds, then repeated), two minutes of cardio (same format as strength), one minute of abs then the strength/cardio/abs combination is repeated twice more with different exercises followed by some quick stretching.  There is only a few seconds of rest between each exercise.  At first, I found cardio really hard in the morning.  I don't have a problem doing Zumba first thing (maybe because I love it!) but jumping jacks were a little hard to take.  Now that doesn't bother me either.  I definitely sweat a lot doing this video and because I find there are a lot of shoulder exercises in it, my arms are usually feeling pretty jello-y when I attempt to shower right after.
However, I haven't had any muscle soreness.  Not at all.  Not even a little.
Not once.
And this does not impress me.
So...since I like to change things up and I'm always looking for a better way to do something, I've decided that for next week I'm going to combine the parts I like from the 30 Day Shred video (the strength/cardio/ab combos and the zero resting) and the exercises that give me the muscle soreness I'm looking for and see if that makes a difference.  If anything, it keeps me and my body from getting bored. :)

I realize that in the competition going on between myself and Mark, everyone is able to keep up with what I'm doing but not with what Mark is doing.  I know there are a few people who will come right out and ask him but for anyone else, let me fill you in. (If you haven't sensed a tone dripping with aggravation yet, you will shortly)
He is doing nothing.  No exercises, no getting up at 5am, no watching what he eats.  While my dinner plate is loaded with veggies, his has a side of Fritos.  
And while he still has to lose a bit of weight on his stomach, I can clearly feel his abs.  However, I do NOT tell him that. Instead, I tell him that if you can't see them, they don't count.  
So..as long as he doesn't change his eating habits or start some kind of cardio workout, I still have a chance. :)
I haven't had a chance to check the flyers this week, I'm hoping Fritos are on sale somewhere. :O

Are You Brave Enough?

Unfortunately, trouble with our internet has kept me from doing my daily blog.  Even more unfortunately, always needing something to write about keeps me motivated to get up in the morning and work out.  Luckily I've discovered a couple tricks that I'm finding to be very motivating.

1 - If you've been reading my blog since the beginning you will be familiar with the 10 lb. bag of Cadbury Mini Egg story.  Therefore, you will have no trouble believing me when I say that I am a bit of a chocoholic.  I love it.  Pretty much any kind.  From chocolate bars to brownies to chocolate ice cream.  Add to that a nice black coffee and I am pretty much ecstatic.  Obviously, I've now cut chocolate out of my daily eating habits which is proving to be an incredibly hard task.  I've mentioned that I avoid buying crappy food at the grocery store and that certainly helps, but it's the running in to Shoppers for some shampoo or paying for gas at Canadian Tire where I find I need to exercise a huge amount of restraint.  All those chocolate bars staring at me!  And I'm so hungry! What to do? Argh!
So...in order to help satisfy the craving and since I've never been one to deprive myself of what I really want, I now get my chocolate fix daily...in the form of a protein shake after I've finished my morning workout.  So, no workout, no yummy chocolate shake.  It's simple and it's working.

2 - Also, I'm still doing the Jillian Michael's video every morning since she keeps promising I'll be "shredded" in thirty days.  But she kind of drives me nuts.  Her safety explanations were good the first couple of days, but by now I have them memorized and I can't stand listening to her any more.  We are no longer on speaking terms.  But since it hasn't been thirty days, I don't really want to stop.  So, now I mute the video and listen to the awesome songs on my mp3 player.  And Jillian and I can stay friends.

Instead of looking for excuses, I'm looking for solutions.
And I'm starting to see results.

However, the results I'm seeing are in the mirror and not on the scale.  Which is fine with me, so long as my clothes fit better.  I've promised to list my original numbers including weight and body fat percentage but before I do, I thought we should make a game of it.

Any guesses as to what I weigh?  It hasn't changed since I've started working out so you don't have to worry about whether it was before or after and I really don't care what the number is so long as I'm okay with what the mirror shows me, so no one needs to worry that I'll be offended.  In fact, if someone thinks I can fit 200 pounds into my 5'2" self, that would be sort of impressive. :)

So...be brave and have a guess at it...I'll let you know if anyone gets it right!  

Holy Cardio Kickboxing Class Batman!

Yesterday morning I did a 20 minute video workout of Jillian Michael's and I truly believed that she was the devil.   I was wrong.
As it turns out, Jillian Michael's could learn a thing or two from my husband.  

After the morning workout I did (note: it's hard to wash your hair with arms that feel like jello), I was feeling pretty good about the day.  However, as someone who always wishes results came faster than they did..I decided to do the Cardio Kickboxing class last night as well.

Now, when Mark is away, I teach the class myself.  And we know we teach differently.  We've heard from members that Mark's class is more of a cardio workout that has everyone dripping sweat all over the place, while my classes will give them sore muscles for a few days.  He works the heart rate, I do more strength conditioning.  But, that six pack is not going to pop out with a lovely layer of flab over it, so bring on the cardio!

We were about 15 minutes into the class when I realized that Mark is a lot meaner than I ever thought.   And every dirty look I sent him was met with a big smile.  I guess he was just happy getting to boss me around for an hour.  I mean, seriously, does this look like someone who's going to go easy?

I left the class thoroughly exhausted and headed home to shower.  It wasn't until later that night that I realized what I'd done.  In his effort to push us all as hard as he can and motivate us to move faster, punch harder and pump push-ups and crunches out, he probably didn't even realize what he had me doing.  We probably did over 300 crunches during the hour!  And for that,  Mr. Crazy Kickboxing Instructor, I can only say thank you. :D