Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Keeping It Up!

Yesterday for cardio we did Jillian Michaels' Six Week 6 Pack, which incorporates ab crunching workouts with cardio moves to burn fat.  It was really intense, but I felt great after finishing it!  I am SORE today from it, and I haven't been this sore in a few weeks!  After the video we went out and ran again (luckily making it home just before the storm).  We did the same mile loop, and it felt a lot harder at the beginning but as I started getting in my groove the uncomfortable-ness wore off and I just kept going.


Today I'm going to have to work out alone, and I'm nervous but excited.  Running alone is going to be tough, but I think this will help really put my willpower to the test.  It is also a good way to prepare for next week, when I'm going on vacation to Disney (yayy!!) and will need to run on my own in the mornings to stay working.  I'm pretty nervous for next week because I doubt myself, but I know if I don't run every morning I will set myself back SOO much and that will piss me off.  I think eating while there will be tough too, but I'm planning on having a fiber one bar for breakfast, a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch, and then food at Disney for dinner.  I think the key will be making smart choices about what to get, and stopping when I'm full. I need to avoid the desire for ice cream and french fries for sure!!!!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Stepping it Up!!!

Sorry I've been slacking on the posts lately.. I haven't had a lot to say.. But now I do!!! :)


We started week 3 of Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 yesterday and it was INTENSE!  I really loved it though because it was fast paced and I felt like the workout was over before I even realized it started.  I also thought it was pretty funny because at one point Jillian was like "You should be cursing at me!" which is something I actually do during the videos to keep me going!  After the video we went out and ran a mile which felt awesome.  We didn't stop at all, and motivated each other to keep going throughout the entire thing.  I definitely could not have run a mile straight when we first started!  Being able to do that has really motivated me to keep going and to set my goals even higher.  Completing a mile has driven me to want to do more, to run farther, and faster and better and I love it!!  


One great thing we decided yesterday is that we want to keep going, and keep using races to motivate us.  In October there is a 5K called Fitzy's run which benefits a foundation creating in honor of one of our late sorority sisters.  Not only is it a great cause, but it's perfectly timed to keep us motivated to keep working out!   I'm really excited and looking forward to completing it.


The biggest set-back for me so far has been eating.  I SUCK at controlling my cravings, and I can't resist french fries or pizza ever!  I'm really trying to find ways to satisfy my cravings in a healthier way.. and also trying to have groceries and pack lunch so I'm less tempted to order out.  I think if I can really get my eating in check I'll be so much happier and see much better results!


I've also found that technology can be an awesome asset to my health/fitness goals.  I recently started using myfitnesspal.com again, which is a way to track your food and exercise along with your weight and measurements.  It also has a newsfeed where you can post statuses and comment on ones posted by your friends.  A bunch of my sorority sisters have joined which makes it more fun, and a great way to motivate all of us!  The second site I just started using today which I like it mapmyrun.com.  It is a way to look at running routes done by others in your area, and a way to map your own.  You can put in your run to see how far you went, or you can make maps in advance to measure out the distance first.  Both of these have iphone/android apps too which are really great!  My favorite part of the myfitnesspal app is it has a barcode scanner, so you can enter your food in really easily that way.  Mapmyrun has a gps feature where you can track where you ran if you bring it with you.  Super cool right?!


Sooo.. last but definitely not least I'm OBSESSED with Jillian Michael's!  Not only do her workouts kick your ass, but she is an awesome person as well.  I subscribe to her daily emails, and today there was a link to snapshots of her life (http://www.jillianmichaels.com/unlimited/photo-gallery/intro.aspx?xid=nl_LosingItWithJillianMichaels_20110809).  I loved the comments she wrote with each picture, so afterwards I looked for her on facebook.  What I like the most is you can tell her page isn't maintained by some publicist who puts out there what they think will make her the most money.  She's down to earth, real, and honest.  She posts personal pictures up to share with her fans, so they have some insight on her life and the person she is.  In addition, she is an animal lover which makes me respect her sooo much more.  Today I decided to purchase her book "Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life" (http://www.amazon.com/Unlimited-How-Build-Exceptional-Life/dp/0307588300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312905924&sr=1-1) which I'm super excited to read.  She is a true motivation, and I can't wait to see the additional impact she makes on my life after reading this book.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Beginning of Week 4...

This morning was an important and interesting part of our journey.  Jenn and I were discussing the progress we've made, and really the lack of any noticeable difference physically.  Although I feel stronger and better about myself, the scale hasn't changed, and it hasn't for her either.  Normally, I would be upset and frustrated by this and really want to give up since it seems useless.  Something has definitely changed in me because I'm refusing to let no noticeable progress hinder me in achieving what I want.  I know that things aren't going to come easy, and that I'm going to have to work my ass off if I want to be healthy, fit, and sexy.  Personally, I'm really trying to use this mud run as motivation to make a complete lifestyle change.  I don't want to consider myself a sedentary person anymore.. I want to be an active, healthy person who loves to exercise and keep my body in shape.  Actually achieving the goals I set to workout is making me feel GREAT!  Many times before I set workout goals for myself and would make excuses for not doing it, but now I know that if I want to feel great I have to do it.  If I missed a day of working out now I would be seriously mad at myself.  I also think that even if I don't lose a lot of weight before the mud run I'll definitely know that I'm stronger.  In addition to that, I would be so proud of myself for achieving something I never thought I could before.  I think the mental development from all of this will be the most important of everything.  Getting into the mindset that exercising is fun and necessary for a healthy life will be worth way more than losing 15 pounds.  


Here's a quote that I think fits well with my post today:

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be excited about using exercise to lose weight if you hope to shed some extra pounds. But we fall off the proverbial treadmill over and over again because we’re getting on it for the wrong reasons in the first place – exercise is about far more than weight loss.