New Beginnings!

So I took WAYYYY too much time off after doing the mud run.  Made excuses about no time with school, work etc but now I'm TIRED of it and taking control.  Today I'm starting Insanity.  To be honest I'm scared, but what other way to get results than push myself to the limit?!  I did the mud run when I never thought I could.. I CAN DO THIS!! After completing this my goal is to do the Broad Street Run in May.  10 miles.. will be crazy but I must set goals and I'm going big time!  I want to be the best me I can possibly be, and I'm going to push my mind and body as far as I possibly can.  WISH ME LUCK!!! :)

Feelin' Good!!!!

This week I think I've reached a whole new level in everything that I'm doing.  Last night I finally ran a 5K!  I'm sooo proud of myself because I really never thought I would be able to do that.  I had just got my Nike+ in the mail, so I used that and I LOOOOVE it!  It's awesome because it talks in your headphones of your ipod to keep  you motivated and tell you how far you have gone.  I set it to a 5K and it kept track of my distance for me.  At the end it even congratulated me on completing my workout!  Talk about having a personal cheerleader! :)  Then you can plug it into your computer and it syncs with your Nike+ account to document your workouts and compare them.  It's sooo cool I'm glad I spent the money on it.


This morning I realized that I'm getting to the point where running really doesn't suck as badly as I thought.  I still don't LOVE it, but I do love the feeling of accomplishment afterwards.  Logging my run into myfitnesspal makes me feel good, because I achieved something and everyone can see that I'm working hard.  Now I get home from work and I want to run because I know I'll feel good afterwards.  I also am big on convincing myself in my head to keep going.  One of the main things I say is "There's people without legs in this world who would kill to be running right now!  Don't be selfish and KEEP GOING!!!!"  Sounds kind of dumb but it really does help.


In order to keep going after the mud run, Jenn and I signed up for Fitzy's Run a 5K that supports Lauren's Foundation.  This is an important cause for my sorority because she was a sister in my chapter who passed away from a brain tumor.  Our chapter volunteers at the event every year, but I'm really excited to finally be able to participate in it!  After that, we're looking into doing Turkey Trot a 5 Mile run on Thanksgiving.  I think it would be awesome to be able to run 5 miles by then!  Never in my life would I ever have thought that I would be setting goals to run that far, but it feels great!


I'm really trying to use this whole thing for a huge self improvement.  I've incorporated workout time into my class schedule in order to make it a routine.  Working out shouldn't be a hassle, it should be part of life and that's what I want to make it.  Jenn said a great thing this morning about how she no longer wants to just "get by" but she wants to LIVE, and I totally agree.  Now is the time to make the most of my  life and get it to where I want to be.  And I'm PUMPED to do it! :)

I'M BACK!!

Going on vacation lead to me neglecting this for a few weeks.. but I'M BACK!  I'll go through what has gone on since then...

The week on vacation I didn't get a chance to work out.  I ran Friday night at my grandmom's which was great, but after that I was just too tired with all the walking we were doing to keep it up.  I really didn't eat great, but I also was walking all day and not eating that often so I think it kind of evened out.  I was bummed that I didn't go running like I had wanted, but at the same time I had to be reasonable with myself.  Walking for 12 hours all day is a lot of exercise, and running before/after that would not work with sore legs!

I got back into the workout swing the Monday I was back.  The other girls were running 2 miles by then, and I DIED trying to do it.  I really thought my heart was going to explode and ending up jogging/power walking it.  Surprisingly enough, the next day when we went out to run I was totally fine!  It was really weird but I guess my body just had to get used to it again.  That entire week we were running 2 miles.

This week on Monday, we ran 2 miles then did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 Week 4!!  Week 4 was hard, but I actually liked it better than week 3 because the moves weren't crazy positions, just really tough.  After we finished that we both were feeling pretty good so we decided to go out and run another mile!  It was awesome to know that I had run 3 miles in one day, when before I NEVER would have been able to do that. Tuesday we did the No More Trouble Zones DVD which I really like.  I'm sore afterwards which makes me feel good because I know I'm working hard.  Yesterday I had to work late and then cleaned my room so I didn't have time to work out :(

So far my hardest issue with eating/losing weight has to do with drinking.  I'm in college and I love drinking it's just soooo many calories!  It puts me in such bad circumstances because I want to get fit, healthy, and skinny but I want to drink and have fun as well.  I've also thought about trying to stay away from really sugary mixers and stick with diet or club soda, but my biggest downfall for sure is beer and wine!  I just don't want to give it up, and it's so hard because I know it's messing up my progress but it's the one thing that I just don't want to get rid of.  I can manage without giving in to my urges for french fries, pizza, and ice cream but I just can't stay home when all my friends are going out to the bar!  And once I'm there I'm not going to have just 1 or 2 drinks to stay under my calorie limit.   Someone please invent calorie free alcohol!!!!!  

Besides that big issue I'm having, for some reason my weight seems to be dropping really easily this week.  I've lost about 3 pounds this week, which makes me SUPER happy!!! This is the first time I'm really even seeing weight loss.  I want to do my measurements again this week to compare from last week to see if there is any difference there as well.  Hopefully things will keep up!!! :)

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!!!!

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.

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.

End of week 3!

I'm really really proud of myself for the past few days.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I had to workout alone because of scheduling conflicts.  If it had been anytime before I'm sure I would not have done it.  Now though I'm really determined to do this and in turn I've been changing my behavior to include working out as part of my daily routine.  It's really exciting!  Never before have I been the kind of person who was self motivated to work out and now that I am it feels great!  I'm even thinking of working out today even though it's my rest day just because I want to!  I'm really glad we decided to do this mud run, I think it's making a huge positive impact on my life to the point where eventually I will be the active person I want to be.  I'm also very proud of the other girls for continuing to do the workouts on their own too.  All of us together really work to keep up the motivation!  I know if I hadn't done a workout they would have been disappointed in me and I would have been mad at myself.  It really works to have other people involved with your workout goals, especially if you're the kind of person who gives up easily (like I was).  I think another thing that is helping is doing workout dvds.  If I had to go ti the gym or go outside in this heat to run I would definitely have given up by now.  Yet because I can do things in the comfort of my own home I'm more motivated toboush myself and not be embarrassed by how I look or if I can't do something right.  Jillian Michaels also keeps me motivated to keep going because of the way she talks during her workouts.  She'll say things about how change doesn't come unless you're uncomfortable and how we are all able to do so much more than we think we can.  In addition her workouts are designed so well that I feel like I'm really getting a productive workout in.  Working out this much and getting on my way to be fit is really making me happy and I love the way I feel!