A friend of mine is a health coach and she invited me to join a 28 day health challenge. It starts today and runs for 28 days. The goal is to lose 4% of your body weight by the end of the challenge. 4% seems like a lot to me for only 28 days. That means I have to lose just over 5.5 pounds in four weeks. Doable, yes. A stretch, definitely.
The challenge took me a bit out of my comfort zone because it had a $20 join fee that goes into a pot. If you make the goal and complete a certain percentage of the participation points, the pot is divided between those who were successful. I couldn't decide if this counted as gambling or if it was just a good motivation to make the goal. I thought it would be ok if I used my allowance money for this month and then will hopefully get my allowance back at the end of the challenge, plus maybe a bit more.
Well, tonight I decided to earn my dessert. I told myself that I had to burn more calories than the dessert. We decided to take the long route to Trader Joe's. After an hour of walking, we arrived at Trader Joe's to discover that it had closed 15 minutes earlier. Oops! We spent another 40 minutes walking home. Almost two hours of walking and no dessert!
Oh well. I definitely lost weight today!
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Monday, July 7, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Motivation techniques? Any advice?
I need some help!
You see, a few years ago, I was rather fat. I had let my weight creep up and up and up. I topped out at just under 190 pounds. Because I didn't pack all the weight on at once, I didn't realize quite how fat I was getting until one day I looked at some recent photographs. I was crushed.
That day, I made up my mind that I was going to lose weight. Weight struggles run in my family. Sure, my family tends to be rather skinny until 21 years of age or so. Once we reached that magic age, almost every single person in both my immediate and extended family gained a ton of weight. Myself included.
Over the next two or so years, I slimmed way down. At first, I just watched what I ate, meticulously counting every calorie. I lost quite a bit of weight that way but plateaued around 145 pounds. Then I started exercising, using the Wii's Walk it Out video game and running 3x a week. That helped me lose the remainder of my weight and I dropped down to 118 pounds. I was quite proud of myself but it was hard to maintain that weight. I didn't keep up with the exercise, nor did I continue tracking my calories. My weight slowly crept back up and I settled in at 124 pounds for a few months. I was happy there.
And then... I've had two pretty big bouts of drama in the last eight months. I'm an emotional eater. I also struggle when I lack control of my own life. I was out of town on two separate occasions, both of which involved very stressful events, and my weight has suffered. I'm now just ounces shy of 140 pounds and am very unhappy about it.
I'm sort of motivated to get back to 124 pounds. I WANT to get back to 124 pounds. But I cringe at the amount of work it took the last time I lost weight. I've been tossing around ideas with my husband, trying to find a way to get the motivation back. The last three weeks, I've run 2-3 times each week. It took a couple runs but I'm back at 1 mile per run. It's a starting point. I used to run 5k routes every weekend. I ran a couple of 5k races and enjoyed it. Running is not a favorite form of exercise but it's doable IF I force myself out the door. It's not exactly fun, but it's effective.
I want to get back to my ideal weight by the time we travel to Taiwan. I want to meet my daughter in a body that I feel comfortable with. I don't want her to look at me and cringe at the thought of going home with "the fat American lady." We travel in 6-9 months. Hopefully. It's hard to guess how long it will be because the process can speed up or slow down. But I think it would be fair to say that I can reach 124 pounds by the end of October. Right?
15 pounds in four months. Now I just have to make myself do it.
Tell me... how do you motivate yourself to eat healthy? To exercise? To lose weight?
You see, a few years ago, I was rather fat. I had let my weight creep up and up and up. I topped out at just under 190 pounds. Because I didn't pack all the weight on at once, I didn't realize quite how fat I was getting until one day I looked at some recent photographs. I was crushed.
That day, I made up my mind that I was going to lose weight. Weight struggles run in my family. Sure, my family tends to be rather skinny until 21 years of age or so. Once we reached that magic age, almost every single person in both my immediate and extended family gained a ton of weight. Myself included.
Over the next two or so years, I slimmed way down. At first, I just watched what I ate, meticulously counting every calorie. I lost quite a bit of weight that way but plateaued around 145 pounds. Then I started exercising, using the Wii's Walk it Out video game and running 3x a week. That helped me lose the remainder of my weight and I dropped down to 118 pounds. I was quite proud of myself but it was hard to maintain that weight. I didn't keep up with the exercise, nor did I continue tracking my calories. My weight slowly crept back up and I settled in at 124 pounds for a few months. I was happy there.
And then... I've had two pretty big bouts of drama in the last eight months. I'm an emotional eater. I also struggle when I lack control of my own life. I was out of town on two separate occasions, both of which involved very stressful events, and my weight has suffered. I'm now just ounces shy of 140 pounds and am very unhappy about it.
I'm sort of motivated to get back to 124 pounds. I WANT to get back to 124 pounds. But I cringe at the amount of work it took the last time I lost weight. I've been tossing around ideas with my husband, trying to find a way to get the motivation back. The last three weeks, I've run 2-3 times each week. It took a couple runs but I'm back at 1 mile per run. It's a starting point. I used to run 5k routes every weekend. I ran a couple of 5k races and enjoyed it. Running is not a favorite form of exercise but it's doable IF I force myself out the door. It's not exactly fun, but it's effective.
I want to get back to my ideal weight by the time we travel to Taiwan. I want to meet my daughter in a body that I feel comfortable with. I don't want her to look at me and cringe at the thought of going home with "the fat American lady." We travel in 6-9 months. Hopefully. It's hard to guess how long it will be because the process can speed up or slow down. But I think it would be fair to say that I can reach 124 pounds by the end of October. Right?
15 pounds in four months. Now I just have to make myself do it.
Tell me... how do you motivate yourself to eat healthy? To exercise? To lose weight?
Monday, March 31, 2014
Small change making a big difference
Usually I exercise in the late afternoon while my husband is out for his run. Last week I decided to try something new. I started exercising in the morning after breakfast. What a difference it makes! I start the day off feeling productive and it carries me through the day.
Normally I spend way too much time in the mornings reading things online - Facebook, my RSS reader, a couple forums, my email, etc. For the last week, I've been allowing myself to browse the internet during breakfast but then I kick myself off the computer to exercise for 45 minutes to an hour. It really is making a huge difference. Because I've started the day off well, I continue getting things done. By three in the afternoon, I already feel like I've accomplished a lot. I think this is one schedule I will try to make a habit.
Normally I spend way too much time in the mornings reading things online - Facebook, my RSS reader, a couple forums, my email, etc. For the last week, I've been allowing myself to browse the internet during breakfast but then I kick myself off the computer to exercise for 45 minutes to an hour. It really is making a huge difference. Because I've started the day off well, I continue getting things done. By three in the afternoon, I already feel like I've accomplished a lot. I think this is one schedule I will try to make a habit.
Friday, May 31, 2013
My running week
We had a fairly successful running week. I pushed myself out the door three evenings, even though I didn't feel motivated to run. Last night's run was the best. The weather was perfect and I was feeling great. I wish I could have run longer but had to come back home!
Sunday - 2.68
Tuesday - 2.02
Thursday - 3.12
Weekly total - 7.82 miles
Woohoo! Hopefully next week will be even better!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Hiking!
Several Sabbaths ago, Jeff and I went hiking with Bruce and Kiera. We were supposed to hike a new trail but got lost and decided to go to a trail we could actually find - Rattlesnake Ledge.
We're hiking up there?
To the very top!
Hiking is very popular when it's not raining!
Rattlesnake Lake
Hubby and I at the top
We're hiking up there?
To the very top!
Hiking is very popular when it's not raining!
Rattlesnake Lake
Hubby and I at the top
Monday, May 20, 2013
Slowly getting fit
A year and a half ago, I reached my goal weight. Then I took a long trip due to a family emergency and ate whatever I wanted as a coping mechanism. Not the smartest idea! Then hubby and I moved and ate very cheaply (read: not very healthy) for awhile as we saved to buy pots and pans and recovered from our moving expenses. A couple months ago, we finally bought a scale so I was able to see what the damage was. Surprisingly, I was only 10 pounds over my goal weight. Not too bad!
A month ago, we started tracking calories and eating the correct portions. What a difference that makes! I'm now only four pounds over my goal weight but the weight isn't budging. Time to kick the exercise up a notch.
I started running again. The first run was torture. I bought new shoes that will help transition into a minimalist shoe. My feet weren't used to that and I could tell (very painfully) that I'm a heel striker. Bad! We've been running for three weeks now. Last night I ran a 5k. Woohoo! It feels good to be back into it.
We're hoping to run a 5k race sometime next month. I honestly didn't think that I would be ready in time but last night I proved that I'm stronger than I think. I'll keep training and hopefully run a decent time in the race. It's been almost two years since our last race and I miss the challenge. Races are so much fun! The crowd atmosphere makes me run faster than I run normally. It's a blast seeing all of the runners out there, even ones who are just getting back into shape like me.
I'm finally starting to accept my body shape and recognize that I'm never going to be that skinny model. God gave me curves. I'm learning to embrace that! Hopefully the running and hiking will increase my fitness levels, even if I never do fit into those size four jeans.
A month ago, we started tracking calories and eating the correct portions. What a difference that makes! I'm now only four pounds over my goal weight but the weight isn't budging. Time to kick the exercise up a notch.
I started running again. The first run was torture. I bought new shoes that will help transition into a minimalist shoe. My feet weren't used to that and I could tell (very painfully) that I'm a heel striker. Bad! We've been running for three weeks now. Last night I ran a 5k. Woohoo! It feels good to be back into it.
We're hoping to run a 5k race sometime next month. I honestly didn't think that I would be ready in time but last night I proved that I'm stronger than I think. I'll keep training and hopefully run a decent time in the race. It's been almost two years since our last race and I miss the challenge. Races are so much fun! The crowd atmosphere makes me run faster than I run normally. It's a blast seeing all of the runners out there, even ones who are just getting back into shape like me.
I'm finally starting to accept my body shape and recognize that I'm never going to be that skinny model. God gave me curves. I'm learning to embrace that! Hopefully the running and hiking will increase my fitness levels, even if I never do fit into those size four jeans.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Concrete Goals for 2013
Kat has been discussing goals recently and how important it is to create specific goals rather than general New Years resolutions. My second 2013 resolution is to become more intentional, to spend my time more productively. I thought it would prove useful to write up specific goals and completion dates for several of the most important areas of my life.
Quilting
Abstract Goal - To improve my quilting skills.
Concrete Goals
Japanese
Abstract Goal - To become fluent.
Concrete Goals
Health
Abstract Goal - To lose weight.
Concrete Goals
Homemaking
Abstract Goal - To become a better homemaker.
Concrete Goals
Of course, this does not cover all areas of my life. While I appreciate the challenge of tackling each of these goals, I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of changes it will require. This is why I will have to prioritize and revisit these goals often to make changes based on what is or is not working. I know that January is almost over but there is no better time than now to refocus!
Quilting
Abstract Goal - To improve my quilting skills.
Concrete Goals
- Participate in the 350 Blocks Project. I have no intention of completing 350 blocks as that is way more than I have completed in the past three years total! But I am going to use the project as an opportunity to push myself to finish more (ongoing).
- Complete four quilts this year. I am currently working on two, a personal lap-sized quilt (March 31) and a baby quilt (Feb 28) for my husband's college friends' baby. I also want to start and finish a quilt for my new nephew (April 30).
Japanese
Abstract Goal - To become fluent.
Concrete Goals
- 30 minutes of study time each and every day (ongoing).
- Find a language exchange pen pal and write an email once per week (Jan 31).
- Take the JLPT N3 exam in December 2013. The exam tests reading and listening comprehension and is only offered once a year outside of Japan. We have a testing center here in Seattle. (Registration opens in the fall.)
Health
Abstract Goal - To lose weight.
Concrete Goals
- Incorporate more fresh food in my diet by including at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal (start by Jan 31).
- Start eating raw breakfasts at least three times each week (start by Jan 31).
- Run at least three times per week and train to race a 10k by the end of the year (ongoing).
Homemaking
Abstract Goal - To become a better homemaker.
Concrete Goals
- Finish organizing my recipe book so that I actually utilize it (March 31).
- Try at least two new healthy recipes per week (ongoing).
- Create and follow my daily chores list (Feb 15).
Of course, this does not cover all areas of my life. While I appreciate the challenge of tackling each of these goals, I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of changes it will require. This is why I will have to prioritize and revisit these goals often to make changes based on what is or is not working. I know that January is almost over but there is no better time than now to refocus!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
2012 Resolutions - Health
It's funny that I'm writing this post today as I'm sick. Thankfully, it's just a cold and I hope to be feeling better soon.
Last year's goals
This year's goals
I am happy to say that last year I reached my weight goal, losing a total of 67 pounds. I know that weight alone is not an indicator of good health and I am hoping to improve both my fitness levels and my nutrition this year. Having better health will also allow me to be a better witness for God as it will improve mental clarity and honor my Creator.
I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service
Romans 12:1
Last year's goals
- Participate in the SOS Kitchen Challenge - failed.
- Run a 5k - Success! Not only did I complete three 5k's, I also ran a 4 mile race! In October I ran my fastest 5k, just under 40 minutes.
- Learn how to bake - I started this but got derailed over the summer.
This year's goals
- Become more fit. This is a vague goal but I have a plan in place. Right now, I am progressing through week 7 (of 13) of the P90X fitness program. Once that program is complete, I am going to focus on my running again, ultimately aiming for a 10k race this fall.
- Learn how to bake. One of my 30 day challenges early this year will be baking everything from scratch. I can't wait!
- Increase the amount of local and organic produce in our diet. I have access to a lot of local produce and need to start taking advantage of it. Ideally, this will mean early Sunday morning trips to the farmers market.
- Watch one documentary and read one book each month on health and wellness. We have a Netflix account and they have many documentaries available to watch online. There are also three libraries within 15 minutes of my house. Between Netflix and the libraries, I have access to plenty of material.
I am happy to say that last year I reached my weight goal, losing a total of 67 pounds. I know that weight alone is not an indicator of good health and I am hoping to improve both my fitness levels and my nutrition this year. Having better health will also allow me to be a better witness for God as it will improve mental clarity and honor my Creator.
by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service
Romans 12:1
Friday, November 11, 2011
Quick update
It's amazing how fast time flies. This week, we've been diving back into our normal routine, my husband concentrating on his work and me trying to shift back into the housework. Once you get out of routine, it's hard to get back into it!
On Sunday, hubby and I started the P90X fitness program. It's intense! Workouts are around 60 minutes, 6 days a week. Today was day 6 so we get tomorrow off. On top of that, we're trying to stay current with our running schedule. We had two 1 mile runs and one 2 mile run this week. The running is scaled back but we're trying to keep our legs aware of what running is.
On the homemaking front, I've been struggling with my emotions a bit this week. I know I've been spending way too much time on things that don't really matter and not enough time on the things that do matter. It's too easy to spend 30-60 minutes wrapped up in a good book. I have a couple of really addicting games on my tablet. While I do not think these activities are inherently bad, I do feel that there has to be balance. Without it, nothing gets done.
There isn't much time left before sundown today, for which I am grateful. I'm looking forward to the Sabbath and going to church tomorrow. My homemaking ponderings will have to wait until Sunday. I am planning on sitting down with a cup of tea and my computer and making lists of what I do everyday versus what should be done. I need to get back to a good schedule.
Last Sabbath, I chatted with my grandma in Wyoming. It turns out my grandpa isn't doing very well and Grandma isn't sure how much longer he's going to be with us. My brother, my dad, and myself were planning on taking a trip to Wyoming late next spring but we moved the dates up. Now we're going to Wyoming for Thanksgiving. This was completely unexpected and has definitely thrown me for a loop. I like knowing WAY in advance when I'm going to travel and I'm not quite prepared to be away from home again, especially when my husband can't go with me. I'm flying up to Denver, which is where my brother is also flying to, and we're both getting picked up by my dad, who is driving from Texas. Then we'll be driving up to Casper for three days. While I'm not prepared to travel again, I am looking forward to seeing my grandparents.
On a much lighter note, I still haven't made a good pumpkin pie! The one last Friday was bland. I made another this week but something was off with the consistency. It was like eating pudding. I have two more recipes to try but something has to work out! Making pumpkin pie should not be this hard.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll try to get back to regular posting next week, detailing how things are going with my priority lists and schedules.
On Sunday, hubby and I started the P90X fitness program. It's intense! Workouts are around 60 minutes, 6 days a week. Today was day 6 so we get tomorrow off. On top of that, we're trying to stay current with our running schedule. We had two 1 mile runs and one 2 mile run this week. The running is scaled back but we're trying to keep our legs aware of what running is.
On the homemaking front, I've been struggling with my emotions a bit this week. I know I've been spending way too much time on things that don't really matter and not enough time on the things that do matter. It's too easy to spend 30-60 minutes wrapped up in a good book. I have a couple of really addicting games on my tablet. While I do not think these activities are inherently bad, I do feel that there has to be balance. Without it, nothing gets done.
There isn't much time left before sundown today, for which I am grateful. I'm looking forward to the Sabbath and going to church tomorrow. My homemaking ponderings will have to wait until Sunday. I am planning on sitting down with a cup of tea and my computer and making lists of what I do everyday versus what should be done. I need to get back to a good schedule.
Last Sabbath, I chatted with my grandma in Wyoming. It turns out my grandpa isn't doing very well and Grandma isn't sure how much longer he's going to be with us. My brother, my dad, and myself were planning on taking a trip to Wyoming late next spring but we moved the dates up. Now we're going to Wyoming for Thanksgiving. This was completely unexpected and has definitely thrown me for a loop. I like knowing WAY in advance when I'm going to travel and I'm not quite prepared to be away from home again, especially when my husband can't go with me. I'm flying up to Denver, which is where my brother is also flying to, and we're both getting picked up by my dad, who is driving from Texas. Then we'll be driving up to Casper for three days. While I'm not prepared to travel again, I am looking forward to seeing my grandparents.
On a much lighter note, I still haven't made a good pumpkin pie! The one last Friday was bland. I made another this week but something was off with the consistency. It was like eating pudding. I have two more recipes to try but something has to work out! Making pumpkin pie should not be this hard.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll try to get back to regular posting next week, detailing how things are going with my priority lists and schedules.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Last long training run before the race
We have a 5k race scheduled on Sunday. I'm so excited!
Tonight we ran 3.13 miles, the last long run before the race. It's 95 degrees outside, so definitely not ideal running weather. We ran it in 43 minutes.
I'm getting faster but I'm still not meeting my time goals. I really want a sub-40 5k. Hopefully I'll be able to run a bit faster when the weather cools down. I've read ideal running temp is 60-65 degrees. That's a bit off our 95 degree running weather.
Tomorrow - 1 mile run, fast as possible
Thursday - 1 mile run, nice and easy
Rest until race on Sunday morning
Tonight we ran 3.13 miles, the last long run before the race. It's 95 degrees outside, so definitely not ideal running weather. We ran it in 43 minutes.
I'm getting faster but I'm still not meeting my time goals. I really want a sub-40 5k. Hopefully I'll be able to run a bit faster when the weather cools down. I've read ideal running temp is 60-65 degrees. That's a bit off our 95 degree running weather.
Tomorrow - 1 mile run, fast as possible
Thursday - 1 mile run, nice and easy
Rest until race on Sunday morning
Sunday, June 12, 2011
June 12th 5k race report
I'm not sure if this post will be interesting to anyone other than myself but I love race reports. I finally have a chance to write one!
Pre-race
I started training on April 18th, after 6 months without running. Before I stopped running last year, I reached 3 miles on a training run and quit. Why? I think it was mostly laziness. I had an off day and then never got back into the schedule. Hubby encouraged me to pick a 5k this summer and train for it as a way to get down to my goal weight. I picked June 12th as I thought I could get in shape fast enough. We registered for the race and started training.
Between April 18th and today, I logged 20 training runs. My longest training run was 4.18 miles, a day I had energy to burn and decided to see how far I could run before running out of energy. All in all, we logged 42.83 training miles.
Last night, I was excited but nervous about the race. We've participated in other 5k's before, but I either walked or walk/ran them. This was my first attempt to run the entire race. I went to bed around 10:30 and planned on getting up at 5am. It's not the optimum amount of sleep but I'm used to going to bed around midnight on Saturday night.
It was a terrible night of sleep. I woke up so many times and had a hard time falling back asleep each time. When the alarm finally went off, I was grumpy and nervous about what the lack of sleep would do to my ability to finish the race running. We left the house at 5:30 and arrived at the race site at 6.
Going into the run, I had one goal - to finish. I was not really concerned with times, figuring that I could try to beat my time in future races. The only important thing was to run the entire race and finish. For my next 5k, my goal was to finish under 40 minutes. However, this race was supposed to be all about actually finishing.
The race
The race itself started off with a bit of a whimper. We lined up toward what I thought was the back of the pack. Hubby planned on running this race at his own pace so I knew I wouldn't see him again until after the finish line. The gun went off and I wondered if that was the beginning. We were far enough back that I couldn't really see the starting line and I wasn't sure if it was actually happening! But soon, the crowds started moving and I crossed the starting mat.
I immediately turned into Moses parting the Red Sea. Even though I thought I had lined up near the back, it turns out that a crowd of people had lined up right after we did (only 2 or 3 minutes before the race started). Though I tried to stay out of the way, I was passed by a ton of runners on both sides. Even moving to the edge of the path, I was still getting passed on both the right and the left. That was rather discouraging, seeing myself get passed by at least 100 people right off the bat.
Thankfully, I very quickly settled into my own comfortable pace. I've read numerous stories of runners starting off too quickly and paying for it later in the race. I've only ran 3+ miles several times in training and still lack the confidence that I can actually finish. So, I found what I thought was my comfortable training pace and settled in for the run.
Mile one seemed really long. Each of the races we'd previously participated in by this running company were mostly on dirt. I was anticipating that. It just felt like a long mile and I had assumed that I missed the sign. Nope! I finally passed the sign for Mile 1. I had already been passed by what seemed like hundreds of runners and was already feeling the effects of running on a dirt trail when I'm used to sidewalk.
Mile two went by faster. We ran out a long straight stretch of trail and found a water station at the very end. By this time, I was extremely thirsty. Even though I hadn't planned on stopping at a water station, I walked through it and took a quick drink of Gatorade (bleh). It was the first cup available and I didn't really care at the time. Drank that and quickly went back into a run.
After the first long stretch, the rest of the run was curvy and very mildly hilly. There were 4 or 5 gullies that we had to run down and up out of. My training is entirely on sidewalk and it is relatively flat around my house. I had to walk up half of these gullies and I wasn't sure if that alone disqualified me from claiming to have run a 5k. The walk times were all extremely short, maybe 15-20 seconds each. I just couldn't force myself to run up the steep sides of these gullies. Somewhere in this stretch, my side started aching like it did during several of my training runs. I concentrated on something other than the pain and realized at the finish line that the side ache had disappeared at some point and I hadn't even realized it.
Mile three went pretty well. I was playing leap frog with four different women, passing them while they were walking and being passed by them while they were running. At the end, one of them left me in the dust, I barely beat the pair of ladies immediately behind me, and the fourth lady had disappeared. During the last half mile, several really nice and fit runners were running the course backwards and encouraging those of us who were still out there. I almost cried when one of them said we were almost there and were doing a great job.
I reached the final corner and was informed by a bystander that the finish was just around the corner! As soon as we rounded the corner, I could see the finish line and started picking up the pace. I spotted the clock and saw that it was nearing 41 minutes. I had passed the start line at 1 minute and change. Could I possibly reach the time goal I had set for the next 5k? I sprinted as hard as I could but my legs were pretty tired. Those "hills" had worn me out.
I crossed the finish line at 41 minutes and change. Had I done it? I finished! I had run almost the entire race, other than a few steps at the water station and several of the uphill portions of gullies. I was going to count it as a completely run 5k, as I didn't require any walk breaks on the flat or the downhill. Did I beat my goal for the next 5k of coming in under 40 minutes? No way to know until the results were posted online later today.
Post race
I found my hubby right after crossing the finish line. He was standing with his boss, who we had invited to run with us. Boss had only run marathon races before today and we wanted to give him a taste of the smaller races. Both of them were pretty happy with their runs and were awaiting official times.
We went through the food line but I only took several slices of watermelon. The bagels might have been vegan but I wanted to hold out for food at home. On the drive home, I mentioned to hubby that a big veggie sandwich from Subway sounded really good. He agreed so we stopped by at the Subway by our house. I was right. That sandwich totally hit the spot, even though I wasn't used to eating subs at 8:30 in the morning!
Official times -
Gun time: 41:15
Chip time: 40:02
Pace: 12:54 minute miles
I just barely missed the 40 minute mark. Bummer! That's ok. I wasn't aiming for it. If I had known that I was that close to 40 minutes, I could have started sprinting just a couple seconds earlier. I didn't know, so I'll get it next time! All in all, it was a good race and I'm glad I ran it!
(As a side note, I started running again to lose the last couple pounds needed to reach my goal weight. Well, I passed my goal weight and am now 5 pounds below that. Obviously my goal weight isn't my ideal weight as I'm still losing even though I eat a ton! Hopefully I can trim the fat a bit more and develop a bit more toning.)
We're now registered for a race on July 4th, a 4 miler. So far, I've only run that distance once so I will just be aiming to finish the race; no time goals. In August, I'll run another 5k and try to beat the 40 minute mark. I can't wait!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The first time she attempts a schedule...
As I knew in advance that I would have no contract work today and that hubby would be gone for hours, I decided to create a strict schedule for the day. This was my first attempt at creating a schedule for homemaking duties. I think I did fairly well!
9:00-9:45 - Housework
9:45-10:00 - Reading
10:00-10:30 - Bible study
10:30-11:00 - Housework
11:00-11:30 - Work on my brother's Christmas present
11:30-12:00 - Exercise
12:00-1:00 - Lunch/Free time
1:00-2:00 - Research
2:00-2:30 - Reading (I was trying to finish a book today. Success!)
I followed my schedule almost exactly. The only deviation was that hubby called at noon and said he was done early. I talked to him for a few minutes and then hung up and did research until 1:00, when he arrived home. We ate lunch together at 1:00 and then I had free time until 2:00.
My contract work boss emailed everyone and said there is no work again tomorrow. I think I'm going to rearrange today's schedule a bit and try it again tomorrow. I'd like to exercise before breakfast instead of lunch and I want to have Bible reading earlier in the morning. I finished reading John this morning started in Acts.
All in all, my first attempt at a schedule was a great success! I feel very productive. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this afternoon, but I'll find something. Maybe I'll keep working on my brother's Christmas present. That's going to take hours of dedicated work, I've realized!
9:00-9:45 - Housework
9:45-10:00 - Reading
10:00-10:30 - Bible study
10:30-11:00 - Housework
11:00-11:30 - Work on my brother's Christmas present
11:30-12:00 - Exercise
12:00-1:00 - Lunch/Free time
1:00-2:00 - Research
2:00-2:30 - Reading (I was trying to finish a book today. Success!)
I followed my schedule almost exactly. The only deviation was that hubby called at noon and said he was done early. I talked to him for a few minutes and then hung up and did research until 1:00, when he arrived home. We ate lunch together at 1:00 and then I had free time until 2:00.
My contract work boss emailed everyone and said there is no work again tomorrow. I think I'm going to rearrange today's schedule a bit and try it again tomorrow. I'd like to exercise before breakfast instead of lunch and I want to have Bible reading earlier in the morning. I finished reading John this morning started in Acts.
All in all, my first attempt at a schedule was a great success! I feel very productive. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this afternoon, but I'll find something. Maybe I'll keep working on my brother's Christmas present. That's going to take hours of dedicated work, I've realized!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Links
I want to share some great links I've been saving. My open tabs (67 of them!) are spiraling out of control and my browser is crawling. I tried to upload a picture of my crazy tabs but everything runs together in a giant blob.
The Ugly-Beautiful Story - I love this story. "Because, somewhere, underneath the grime of this broken world, everything has the radiant fingerprints of God on it. With Jesus eyes, we have the astonishing opportunity to daily love the unlovely into loveliness." I want to love like Jesus does. I want to see the fingerprints of God on every human being. If I could learn to love like God does, if everyone could learn to truly love, this world would be beautiful.
Dark Waters - An encouraging post about persevering life's trials.
Free mini-workouts - These mini workouts with Jillian Michaels are sure to be good. I probably shouldn't be posting links to workouts I haven't yet tried, but Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD is fantastic.
66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions - One of my goals this year is to switch over to natural cleaning. I despise the chemicals in commercial cleaning solutions. As we finish each of our current cleaning products, I'm going to switch over to more natural solutions.
Refried Beans recipe - I tested and discarded four recipes before finding this one. The beans were actually the consistency of refried beans, though they tasted a bit different that store bought (I actually like canned refried beans). Now that I have the consistency down, I need to find the right balance of spices to make them taste good!
The Ugly-Beautiful Story - I love this story. "Because, somewhere, underneath the grime of this broken world, everything has the radiant fingerprints of God on it. With Jesus eyes, we have the astonishing opportunity to daily love the unlovely into loveliness." I want to love like Jesus does. I want to see the fingerprints of God on every human being. If I could learn to love like God does, if everyone could learn to truly love, this world would be beautiful.
Dark Waters - An encouraging post about persevering life's trials.
Free mini-workouts - These mini workouts with Jillian Michaels are sure to be good. I probably shouldn't be posting links to workouts I haven't yet tried, but Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD is fantastic.
66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions - One of my goals this year is to switch over to natural cleaning. I despise the chemicals in commercial cleaning solutions. As we finish each of our current cleaning products, I'm going to switch over to more natural solutions.
Refried Beans recipe - I tested and discarded four recipes before finding this one. The beans were actually the consistency of refried beans, though they tasted a bit different that store bought (I actually like canned refried beans). Now that I have the consistency down, I need to find the right balance of spices to make them taste good!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Another interview
I went to another interview today. This one went way better than my last. I'll hear back on Monday or Tuesday.
Hubby flies out on Sunday to take care of his court stuff. He'll be back late Tuesday night. I'm nervous about being home by myself for three days but excited. I have some surprises planned for him. Unfortunately, I can't post about them as he reads my blog. ;)
I ran for 25 minutes yesterday without stopping! I was so excited when I finished. The running exhausted me but it was really satisfying to know I had successfully completed week 6 of my program. Three more weeks and I should be able to consistently run 30 minutes with no stopping! My first goal is to finish two miles in less than 30 minutes. I'm a turtle. I think I can walk faster than I can run.
We have Bible study tonight. I'm so excited. It's been several months since we've met for Bible study and I can't wait. Not sure yet what we'll be studying, but that's ok. It will be nice just to get together and read from the Bible.
Hubby flies out on Sunday to take care of his court stuff. He'll be back late Tuesday night. I'm nervous about being home by myself for three days but excited. I have some surprises planned for him. Unfortunately, I can't post about them as he reads my blog. ;)
I ran for 25 minutes yesterday without stopping! I was so excited when I finished. The running exhausted me but it was really satisfying to know I had successfully completed week 6 of my program. Three more weeks and I should be able to consistently run 30 minutes with no stopping! My first goal is to finish two miles in less than 30 minutes. I'm a turtle. I think I can walk faster than I can run.
We have Bible study tonight. I'm so excited. It's been several months since we've met for Bible study and I can't wait. Not sure yet what we'll be studying, but that's ok. It will be nice just to get together and read from the Bible.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Update and SMART Sunday
My temp job seems to be over. I say "seems" because we finished the labeling project but I'm still waiting to hear if the company wants us to return for the original project. My partner and I worked 5 days, 26 hours total.
It was tiring! I'm just not used to the commute, the hours away from home, and the stress of working under someone else. I am very very thankful to God that He blessed me with the hours. It was just surprising that I'm so out of practice with working schedules. 6 months really does make a difference.
I'm excited to get back to blogging. Last week, I didn't really have the energy after work to form coherent thoughts. I love writing and this is one way I can express myself, regardless if anyone reads!
I am also making a change to my Sunday blogging. I was posting a summary of my exercise over the past week and then a weigh in report. I found myself wanting to write more about some of the workouts and my challenges. However, I didn't want to post every day on this blog as that wasn't my original intent in starting the blog. I also didn't want to post an entire book every Sunday.
My solution? I started a separate blog for my exercise/weigh-ins/and future raw food challenge. Adventist Runner will be my new training log and anything health related that doesn't fit in nicely with homemaking.
Instead, I plan on posting SMART Sundays. The Lazy Organizer originally created the SMART Saturday, but as that is the day I celebrate the Sabbath, I'll be posting on Sundays. I know I posted about The Lazy Organizer's blog before, but she really is a genius about organizing and homemaking. I love reading her posts.
My goals for this week:
-Make the bed every day. I really like how our bedroom looks when the bed is made up in the mornings.
-Go to bed each night with a shiny sink. This is really a Flylady concept. The idea is to have a clean sink at night, which means the dishes will be washed and put away, the counters will be wiped down, and the sink will be clean. The kitchen looks so much better when the sink is shiny.
-Spend 15 minutes in personal Bible study each morning. Hubby and I study together every night but I'm missing personal study. It's not enough that we study together. I also need to be fed spiritually as an individual. 15 minutes isn't that long, but I think it's a good place to start.
I'll post again next Sunday with an update of my goals and possibly some new goals for the following week.
It was tiring! I'm just not used to the commute, the hours away from home, and the stress of working under someone else. I am very very thankful to God that He blessed me with the hours. It was just surprising that I'm so out of practice with working schedules. 6 months really does make a difference.
I'm excited to get back to blogging. Last week, I didn't really have the energy after work to form coherent thoughts. I love writing and this is one way I can express myself, regardless if anyone reads!
I am also making a change to my Sunday blogging. I was posting a summary of my exercise over the past week and then a weigh in report. I found myself wanting to write more about some of the workouts and my challenges. However, I didn't want to post every day on this blog as that wasn't my original intent in starting the blog. I also didn't want to post an entire book every Sunday.
My solution? I started a separate blog for my exercise/weigh-ins/and future raw food challenge. Adventist Runner will be my new training log and anything health related that doesn't fit in nicely with homemaking.
Instead, I plan on posting SMART Sundays. The Lazy Organizer originally created the SMART Saturday, but as that is the day I celebrate the Sabbath, I'll be posting on Sundays. I know I posted about The Lazy Organizer's blog before, but she really is a genius about organizing and homemaking. I love reading her posts.
My goals for this week:
-Make the bed every day. I really like how our bedroom looks when the bed is made up in the mornings.
-Go to bed each night with a shiny sink. This is really a Flylady concept. The idea is to have a clean sink at night, which means the dishes will be washed and put away, the counters will be wiped down, and the sink will be clean. The kitchen looks so much better when the sink is shiny.
-Spend 15 minutes in personal Bible study each morning. Hubby and I study together every night but I'm missing personal study. It's not enough that we study together. I also need to be fed spiritually as an individual. 15 minutes isn't that long, but I think it's a good place to start.
I'll post again next Sunday with an update of my goals and possibly some new goals for the following week.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday Exercise Roundup
Tuesday
PUP - 26 total. I'm a bit sore. It feels like my arms never get a break. Yesterday, I didn't do any push ups but I kneaded pizza crust dough for 6 minutes. That feels the same. ;)
PUP - 26 total. I'm a bit sore. It feels like my arms never get a break. Yesterday, I didn't do any push ups but I kneaded pizza crust dough for 6 minutes. That feels the same. ;)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday Exercise Roundup
Sunday
Week 6, Day 1 of the One Hundred Push ups program. Whew! That's a ton of push ups and the total is still going up!
Running - We walked over to Walmart today (just under a mile). I tried running part of the way back but my legs felt pretty heavy today. Tomorrow is the start of Week 2 for my running program. I hope my legs feel better tomorrow!
Monday
Week 4, Day 1 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program. I feel like I'm going backwards! Since I had such a hard time last week, I decided to back off and work on building up my core some more. This morning was still difficult even though I backed down to week 4. I really hope it gets easier...
Running - Week 2, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. We don't have a stop watch, timer, or any watches with working batteries so we're guessing on the intervals! Today was 5 sets of about 2 minutes running each, followed by 50 minutes of walking. Hubby was using his cell phone (hour and minute display only) and would start us as the minute changed. Then he would have us run until 2 minutes later. Of course, he told me this after our workout was complete. No wonder I felt like I was dying. :)
Tuesday
Week 6, Day 2 of the 100 push up program. Only one more day and then the final test!
Wednesday
Week 4, Day 2 of the sit up program. Another really hard day. I don't know why this is so hard.
Running - Week 2, Day 2. Another day of 5 sets of 2 minutes of running with 2 minutes of walking between. It's hard, but I finish strong.
Thursday
Week 6, Day 3 of push ups. Last workout before the final test! I'm really excited to see if I can do 100 girly push ups in one set.
Friday
Week 4, Day 3 of sit ups. After one set, I quit. I just couldn't do that many sit ups and knew I couldn't finish the work out. I'm going back to week 1 on Monday. :(
Running - Week 2 complete! We took a different route today, heading directly south from our apartment. It was a nice run/walk with lots of houses decorated for Easter! I'm not sure I've ever seen so many Easter decorations. I like this route, as the bike lanes are wider so I don't feel like I'm going to get run over every time a car drives by.
4/12 Weigh-in - 183.6 pounds
1.2 pound weight gain from last week, in spite of all the exercise. Bummer. I think it's due to woman issues, but I'm going to watch my food intake closer this week. I'm going back to logging my food into Nutridiary so I can make sure I'm not eating too much/too little. I will lose weight this week!
Week 6, Day 1 of the One Hundred Push ups program. Whew! That's a ton of push ups and the total is still going up!
Running - We walked over to Walmart today (just under a mile). I tried running part of the way back but my legs felt pretty heavy today. Tomorrow is the start of Week 2 for my running program. I hope my legs feel better tomorrow!
Monday
Week 4, Day 1 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program. I feel like I'm going backwards! Since I had such a hard time last week, I decided to back off and work on building up my core some more. This morning was still difficult even though I backed down to week 4. I really hope it gets easier...
Running - Week 2, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. We don't have a stop watch, timer, or any watches with working batteries so we're guessing on the intervals! Today was 5 sets of about 2 minutes running each, followed by 50 minutes of walking. Hubby was using his cell phone (hour and minute display only) and would start us as the minute changed. Then he would have us run until 2 minutes later. Of course, he told me this after our workout was complete. No wonder I felt like I was dying. :)
Tuesday
Week 6, Day 2 of the 100 push up program. Only one more day and then the final test!
Wednesday
Week 4, Day 2 of the sit up program. Another really hard day. I don't know why this is so hard.
Running - Week 2, Day 2. Another day of 5 sets of 2 minutes of running with 2 minutes of walking between. It's hard, but I finish strong.
Thursday
Week 6, Day 3 of push ups. Last workout before the final test! I'm really excited to see if I can do 100 girly push ups in one set.
Friday
Week 4, Day 3 of sit ups. After one set, I quit. I just couldn't do that many sit ups and knew I couldn't finish the work out. I'm going back to week 1 on Monday. :(
Running - Week 2 complete! We took a different route today, heading directly south from our apartment. It was a nice run/walk with lots of houses decorated for Easter! I'm not sure I've ever seen so many Easter decorations. I like this route, as the bike lanes are wider so I don't feel like I'm going to get run over every time a car drives by.
4/12 Weigh-in - 183.6 pounds
1.2 pound weight gain from last week, in spite of all the exercise. Bummer. I think it's due to woman issues, but I'm going to watch my food intake closer this week. I'm going back to logging my food into Nutridiary so I can make sure I'm not eating too much/too little. I will lose weight this week!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sunday Exercise Roundup
It seems that the only really interesting thing I've been doing lately is exercising. :) Hubby and I have been exercising almost every day for the past five weeks. Here was the run down for last week:
Sunday
Week 5, Day 1 of the One Hundred Push ups program. I can't do full push ups, so I've been doing girls push ups for this program.
Running - Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. Not too difficult, but feeling it. First time running in awhile. I can tell I've trained before, but it's still hard.
Monday
Week 5, Day 1 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program.
Tuesday
Week 5, Day 2 of the One Hundred Push ups program.
Running - Week 1, Day 2 of the Couch to 5K program.
Wednesday
Week 5, Day 2 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program. I almost died during this training day. I don't know why it was so hard today. I barely finished the workout and I was crying during the last set.
Thursday
Week 5, Day 3 of the One Hundred Push ups program. I have to say, I was really pushing out these push ups. On my last set, I did 40 of them without stopping. I've never done so many in my life!
Running - Week 1, Day 3 of the Couch to 5K program.
Sabbath
Rest Day
I weighed myself on New Years - 187.2 pounds. This is my heaviest weight ever. Since New Years, I have tried to get involved in various exercise plans, portioned eating, etc. But I kept failing. My weight would go down 3 or 4 pounds and then go back up to where I started. Thankfully, I never exceeded 187.2 pounds.
For the past 6 weeks, hubby and I have been actively following the 200 sit ups and 100 push up plans. Unfortunately, that's not enough exercise to lose weight. Last week, I decided it was time to run again. In one week, I lost 3.8 pounds. I'm praying it's not a fluke. But as noted above, I exercised 5 days last week. I've been drinking lots of water, exercising, and attempting portion control. It looks like it might be paying off.
My goal is to lose 40 pounds and run a 5K without stopping for a walk break. I know I can accomplish my goals. I just need to stick with the plan. Lots of water, adequate rest, plenty of exercise, and eating fewer calories than I burn. I can do this.
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength
(Philippians 4:13, NLT)
Sunday
Week 5, Day 1 of the One Hundred Push ups program. I can't do full push ups, so I've been doing girls push ups for this program.
Running - Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. Not too difficult, but feeling it. First time running in awhile. I can tell I've trained before, but it's still hard.
Monday
Week 5, Day 1 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program.
Tuesday
Week 5, Day 2 of the One Hundred Push ups program.
Running - Week 1, Day 2 of the Couch to 5K program.
Wednesday
Week 5, Day 2 of the Two Hundred Sit ups program. I almost died during this training day. I don't know why it was so hard today. I barely finished the workout and I was crying during the last set.
Thursday
Week 5, Day 3 of the One Hundred Push ups program. I have to say, I was really pushing out these push ups. On my last set, I did 40 of them without stopping. I've never done so many in my life!
Running - Week 1, Day 3 of the Couch to 5K program.
Sabbath
Rest Day
I weighed myself on New Years - 187.2 pounds. This is my heaviest weight ever. Since New Years, I have tried to get involved in various exercise plans, portioned eating, etc. But I kept failing. My weight would go down 3 or 4 pounds and then go back up to where I started. Thankfully, I never exceeded 187.2 pounds.
For the past 6 weeks, hubby and I have been actively following the 200 sit ups and 100 push up plans. Unfortunately, that's not enough exercise to lose weight. Last week, I decided it was time to run again. In one week, I lost 3.8 pounds. I'm praying it's not a fluke. But as noted above, I exercised 5 days last week. I've been drinking lots of water, exercising, and attempting portion control. It looks like it might be paying off.
My goal is to lose 40 pounds and run a 5K without stopping for a walk break. I know I can accomplish my goals. I just need to stick with the plan. Lots of water, adequate rest, plenty of exercise, and eating fewer calories than I burn. I can do this.
(Philippians 4:13, NLT)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Note to self
Never again attempt the following:
Tuesday - Complete Day 1 of the One hundred push ups training plan.
Wednesday AM - Wake up sore.
Wednesday PM - Knead dough for a loaf of bread and then vacuum the entire apartment.
My arms hurt!
Tuesday - Complete Day 1 of the One hundred push ups training plan.
Wednesday AM - Wake up sore.
Wednesday PM - Knead dough for a loaf of bread and then vacuum the entire apartment.
My arms hurt!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Diet Update
I'm having motivation issues with my dieting and exercise. My challenges are in different areas than normal, though. In the past, I would get derailed by not exercising, by eating a bunch of dessert, or not reducing portions.
This time around, I'm still watching my portions. I still measure most of my food and estimate portions on the rest of it. I'm still logging my food into Nutridiary and eating less calories than I burn every day. However, I'm not doing well at eating a vegan diet (mac&cheese - yum!). I'm allowing myself fattier meals, but the portions are much smaller than they used to be. I've learned what a serving size is! One serving is a lot smaller than I thought. :) And I'm only eating one non-optimal meal a day or every other day, instead of all the time.
I've only had three days this year where I've allowed myself dessert! Once, it was a cupcake made like pineapple upside-down cake. The other two days, I finished a couple slices of vegan chocolate cake. That's it! I'm avoiding all the dessert I used to eat - ice cream, candy bars, and especially ColdStone. I'm staying away from that place.
It's my exercise that's slipping. I was motivated to work out daily to the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD. I worked out for 7 sessions and then quit. I'm still exercising, but it's no where near as intensive as the DVD. Most days, I'm walking. Hubby and I are walking to all of our errands instead of driving. I'm averaging 2 miles a day.
Is that enough? Can I still lose weight by moderating my portions, even though I'm not eating optimally? Can I still lose weight by walking instead of doing a higher cardio exercise? I guess I'll find out when I step on the scale this Sunday.
This time around, I'm still watching my portions. I still measure most of my food and estimate portions on the rest of it. I'm still logging my food into Nutridiary and eating less calories than I burn every day. However, I'm not doing well at eating a vegan diet (mac&cheese - yum!). I'm allowing myself fattier meals, but the portions are much smaller than they used to be. I've learned what a serving size is! One serving is a lot smaller than I thought. :) And I'm only eating one non-optimal meal a day or every other day, instead of all the time.
I've only had three days this year where I've allowed myself dessert! Once, it was a cupcake made like pineapple upside-down cake. The other two days, I finished a couple slices of vegan chocolate cake. That's it! I'm avoiding all the dessert I used to eat - ice cream, candy bars, and especially ColdStone. I'm staying away from that place.
It's my exercise that's slipping. I was motivated to work out daily to the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD. I worked out for 7 sessions and then quit. I'm still exercising, but it's no where near as intensive as the DVD. Most days, I'm walking. Hubby and I are walking to all of our errands instead of driving. I'm averaging 2 miles a day.
Is that enough? Can I still lose weight by moderating my portions, even though I'm not eating optimally? Can I still lose weight by walking instead of doing a higher cardio exercise? I guess I'll find out when I step on the scale this Sunday.
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