December 13, 2009
Wow, has it really been a whole month since I last updated? Crazy right? Well here’s what I’ve found, I’ve definitely gotten better at the eating better thing and the whole working out thing, but I still have major slip ups. And in a world where everyone seems to think that “all or nothing” is how it works, you can imagine how beat up I can feel/get about these things. It almost feels like I can go 5-10 days of really good healthy eating habits. You know, not eating too late, not any/or very few processed goodies/sugars, and drinking water… but then something happens, a birthday, a busy day where I have ended up skipping meals, or I just feel like life is short and you have to enjoy it while you’re here… all of these things make me decide to engage in a package of Capri-Sun juice, or a cupcake, or a piece of bread. For which, of course, I feel uncontrollably guilty afterward.
Inhale. The life of fitness is tough. And the road to major health and pounds gone is paved with good intentions. The toll fees are high and are manned by sweets, sodium, and booze. And many a cop of sugar is there to stop you along the way… but as you look forward, how do you keep driving when the wind is blowing you away from your weekly workout, and your tire stops of personal injury make you want to just stop dead in your tracks.
Okay I like analogies. But whatever.
I can notice simple steps of progress. And I AM getting better. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a perfect size 2 (not that it’s necessarily perfect), but I think I’ll get better. I love my body. I do. And, I’ve gotten so used to it. So no hating here. but… you can’t blame a girl for wanting to wear some leggings… as pants. HA! For now, it’ll just be my handy dandy bootleg jeans that boy hide and accentuate my fabulosity.
Two things on the horizon -
- After I finish a few major projects in my life, I’m getting me a personal trainer
- and… I’m DEFINITELY going to reach my goal. HOLLA
November 13, 2009
Of course the celebrating the sister totally threw everything out of whack. But alas, I’ll get back on it tomorrow. Hey, I am only human. But I do have to get better. Suggestions? There always welcome.
November 9, 2009
Been pretty good so far. A sister came into town today and in favor of building memories, I did stray away from my plan, but whatever. I think it was a better and a much more entertaining option!!! 
Already feel lighter and the quotes people have been giving me about what they love about themselves have been pretty cool and inspiring.
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November 4, 2009
21 Days of Love and Thanks. (For health – cutting processed food until Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!)
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November 4, 2009
- Yay, a year ago we elected Barack Obama!
- I am still struggling
I’ve realized the busier I am, the better I am at keeping to my ‘health maintenance.’ Gotta keep that in mind.
SEND TIPS. I don’t want to fall off the wagon!!
October 29. 2009
I’ve been keeping up with my regimen. I’ve hit 3 out of the 4 days that I gave myself to workout and with two days left in the week, I’ll have no problem logging in that day. I’ve ramped up the running which is exciting. Little bit little. Yesterday there was a part of my workout that I said I’d run for the entire time and I swear I thought I wasn’t going to make it. But I thought to myself {insert name] you are NOT a punk. You want to do this. You need this! Let’s get it. So… I literally pulled myself along by saying things like “ok, you just have to make it to that tree,” followed by “okay you just have to make it to the stump,” followed by “you just have to make it to the branch,” and so on and so forth but I F***IN’ did it! Ahh felt so good. I’m so proud of myself. So my total running time has been pushed up to about 17-18 minutes from 15 mins. I think for the next week that’ll be a good place to be. I’ll set 10 days from now as my mark to be able to run 20 minutes straight without wanting to stop. That’ll be NOV 8th. I think I can do it. I definitely feel like I can do it before then. At this rate I’ll be able to hit 30 mins of running straight by my birthday. Wouldn’t that be cool!
Eating-wise I’ve been really good. First, I only drink water (which isn’t too hard for me anymore at all). Second, I’ve upped my intake of fruits and veggies which is awesome. Third, I’ve cut out the processed sugars as much as I can. That being said, Since my weigh-in on Sunday, I’ve still managed to consume some cake and some bread and some rice in part due to a birthday celebration. But I do feel better (with some guilt) and my body feels less bloated. Fourth as of two days ago, I’ve made 7pm the last time I can eat something.
Fifth, I put up some poster/reminders around the house so that I always have the goal on my mind. Fifth, outside of in “The Body Manifesto,” I’ve told a few more people about my plan so that I have more accountability. Wanna here it?
- 20lbs lost by 12/31/09
- 50lbs lost by 4/21/10
so… today was my WEIGH-IN. I was scared. I really was. Especially since my thighs are a tad sore and I didn’t do as much as I normally do. But I still got up and did my workout even with the clouds a rich shade of grey and the air a nice mixture of sticky thickness and came back home and supplemented by dancing for about 15 minutes.
- Oct 21. - ‘The Body Manifesto’ is born
- Oct 23. - Official weigh-in
- Oct 25. + 1lb
- Oct 29. – 2.8lbs!!!
Man am I geeked. I’m going to put the stats within a subpage of my blog just to see my progress. My next weigh-in will be on Monday. My goal is 1-.8lbs lost.
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October 27, 2009
Something amazing happened today. I ran for 15 minutes straight! And then I kept running throughout my workout! I know it doesn’t seem like much to other people but to me it felt absolutely amazing to learn (and experience) that I could run that long without getting bored which happens to be one of my main problem with running. It’s a small step but I felt beyond elated that I was getting it (not to mention getting looks from several good-looking blokes. Hello gentlemen!) My running endurance has increased AND my arm strength has improved noticeably. I can do a series of push ups (in good form) without stopping! I’d say it was probably a combination of three things.
1. Making a plan/Have a direction - before each workout, I map out in my head what I’d like to accomplish. Today’s was to run for 15 minute straight, and then do a circuit of push-ups and abs and sticking to it as much as possible. This works only if you set reasonable goals but or also willing to trust your body to do what it innately is good at doing… MOVING!
2. Good-to-Great Conditions - The weather is getting colder out here which for me makes working out outdoors much more enjoyable. I don’t like feeling sticky sweat. But, I DO like feeling brisk sweat. I can best relate it to the difference of drinking water after having a mint or a throat lozenge. It’s just cool and ‘bright’ when it goes down.
3. Small Steps to Progress - From time to time during my workouts I have been adding ‘trials’ of running incorporating a somewhat interval training program. I’m not strict about it but I do adhere to it once I’ve planned it for the day and I think it’s gone a long way in helping me get to this point. Building up the body’s strength, but also my mental strength ie, knowing that I can get through it because I’ve gotten through something similar helps.
So I’ve learned that sometimes fate plays a part in your success (the weather), but you also play an even bigger part (takings small steps and making a plan!)
I’m excited! Next week I’m thinking about upping it to 20 MINUTES! At this rate, I should be able to run straight for at least 45 minutes before 2010 starts. AHH! anxious but so ready!
Let’s get it!
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October 26, 2009
Two things happened.
- saw a picture of a cousin who has literally transformed herself. she looks AMAZING!
- this morning was a washout so I couldn’t workout outdoors as planned.
Response
- remember not to compare myself to other people and their prospective journeys but to be encouraged by their strength, will-power, GUTS, and tenacity to see it through to the end. (SAYING: Never look through other people’s windows. You never really know what’s going behind closed doors.)
- sign up with my community gym. can’t afford brand-name goodies like 24-hour Fitness at present. (SAYING: Who says closed doors can’t be open? Break it down if you have to.)
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October 25, 2009
“The Dreaded Pound”
Good News
From the start of this blog (Wednesday) to the end of the week (Saturday) I managed to get in two work outs. I’m hoping ot average 4 that include cardio and strength training (cardio & strength training are pretty normal for me.) Since I’ve been working out outdoors, in the middle or end of my workout I do a combination of pushups, squats, lunges, and crunches.
Bad News
I gained a pound!!!
From when I weighed myself on Friday until this Sunday morning I managed to gain a pound. (Hangs head in sadness.) NOT good. It was kinda sad to see it BUT.. it’s good that I do know where it’s all coming from. Although I ate a lot of fruit this week and drank a lot of water, my green vegetable consumption was incredibly low. (I hate that bell peppers are technically a fruit!) I love carbs, ho doesn’t? The problem is, brown rice, although healthier, is still rice. Gotta find a way to deal with that bugger.
Additionally, I was also getting a tad too lenient as each day passed when it came to what was considered ok to consume AND I’ve been eating too late in relation to when I go to bed. Lesson (somewhat) learned.
Luckily, there are fresh green vegetables back in the house and a (re)dedication to the plan. If you fall off the bike, get right back on that sucker and keep plowing away. This is something that I have to do and I want to do it. No ifs, ands, or butts about it.
Next weight-in: I’m thinking Thursday. That’ll give me time to work off the cake I consume for a birthday party and time to see the new effects of the vegetables I have.
My goal: I’d lik to try for 2lbs. Is that crazy? Suggestions? If they can do it on Biggest Loser, so can I! By Thanksgiving Day, which is a month and some change away, I would like to have dropped 15lbs from my initial weigh-in, but I will be kind to my ego and say if it’s within 3 lbs of that, I’ll be happy.
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October 24, 2009
This Saturday, I hit the trail for my routine workout. After a mile or so, I began to notice scores of people wearing variations of the same shirt. Many walked in pairs or in threes. Some alone. A number went the brisk walk route and still others ran. After another mile or so, I realized they were all in the same fitness club! One woman in particular stood out to me the most. Fairly heavy and suffering from a slight limp, no doubt from exertion on a knee or foot ailment injury, she showed no weakness in her routine. She was GETTING IT! And she was doing interval training at that (which can be cumbersome but is GREAT for boosting weight loss and for marathon training.)
I thought she was amazing but was did me in – as she neared the end of her workout, a group of three runners were approaching her and all of a sudden they started cheering her on and clapping for her and she responded by pumping her fist in the air saying “I’m almost finished!” I almost lost it! They were encouraging her along to the end of her trek! They were a part of her club! And she finished amazingly strong. The biggest smile crept up on my face as I fought to control my urge to pretend to be one of them. I went for the hello instead of the fist pump.
I wanted to be a part of them. I wanted to have someone cheer me along. I wanted to have that acknowledgement that we were all achieving something together that isn’t always easy to do.
What’s a manif-ista to do? — > Check out the entry “Friends Are Good For…”
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October 22nd, 2009
It’s the third day of my refocus. Health, weight loss, and future sexiness are the goals. I’ve been doing pretty well. As a part of my own personal detox, I’ve decided to cut out a huge chunk of processed foods. I have that wonderful “i’m not a huge inflated balloon” feeling so I’m encouraged. But no processed foods means no chips, no juice, and no candy. These are actually not a big deal for me.
The no white rice and no donuts…
those are easily some of my biggest difficulties. I love chompin’ down on both of these things. Vivid memories of delectable rice dishes and fresh bakery goodies are now dancing around in my head like the mops in that scene from Disney’s Fantasia. HOWEVER, at this stage of my journey I think it will be good to empty the body of as much of these bad boys as possible. I’ll add though that I know who I am and I embrace it fully, temptations and all, so I know these items will return to my diet in some form in the future. But for now I’ve replaced white rice with brown rice and I’ve also given myself a few ‘off’ days here and there. A birthday is coming up in the family so cake WILL be consumed but I’ll certainly get back to business the day after it. I also am allowing myself to have an ‘off’ day on Thanksgiving. It just wouldn’t be very American if I didn’t.
I went on a walk this morning and did about 3.5 miles. I really love walking and with all that fresh air and beautiful landscaping at this one trail near my home, I constantly find myself craving a desire to get to moving out doors, even it’s to squeeze in 30 minutes trek. (Although they say working out for 45 minutes is optimal for weight loss, exercise is exercise in my book no matter how you slice it. mmm… slices.. of fruit! Phew. Close one.) Walking gives me the time to not only think about things, reflect about who I am and what I want in life, but also to relax. It has an overwhelming calming effect and I’m sure I’ll always be a walker. What’s also great about walking is that you can recieve wonderful surprises. Today I ran into a high school friend who’s moving to Germany in a few months and she’ll be living there for 3 years! My future itinerary to Europe definitely just got an additional hit.
After my walk I decided to buy myself a scale. I know, crazy right. Perhaps, but I bought it because it will help keep me on track to achieving my goal. It’s another reminder of what I want to accomplish and I can’t wait until I get there! The number on the scale… wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it’s still not good. Cue song “I am sexy this I know/for the bible tells me…” uh… where was I? Ahh, the damage isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I do have work to do and I’m looking forward to doing it. (Revelation: I would like to put the number down here, but it’s seared in my brain and I’ll keep my vanity thank you.)
My next weigh-in will be the morning of the day I have birthday cake. No need to have those number affected by an ‘off day’ right? The Goal:.5-1.5lbs.
Let’s get it!
