Working out-YOU are in control

So, I didn't post last week. Mostly because I was just too busy with work and coming home and being with my family and friends. Which in turn also meant I didn't exercise as much last week as I had.

And, in all honesty, I didn't mind. My work out routine was really just raw. I didn't have any structure to it, and I wasn't even sure I was doing half the moves with the correct form to really enhance a full workout experience. I mean, I really want to engage my muscles. And the exercises I was doing, while they did make me sore and feel better, didn't necessarily engage in the kind of technique that I actually NEEDED for achieving my goal. So, this past week, I went out and bought an exercise video. Jillian Michael's 30 minute workout.

It has phases you do in weekly period. Week 1, is obviously the easiest (but my body tends to disagree). Then week 2-4 just get harder and harder. Obviously I'm only at week one, and I'm actually a little scared as to what week 2 through 4 will bring. But, I'm loving every second I do it. Mostly because I feel what I wanted to feel when working out before. My core muscles burning, working on getting my body into shape. I feel every muscle tingle from the sensation of working out, and doing it in the correct form....or at least starting to become correct.

I admit when I first started doing it, I HATED the way you were suppose to do it, because it was so hard and I felt that even when I was trying, I was still doing it the wrong way. But I pushed myself to do it the correct way, wanting to better myself more than anything and knowing in my heart that I CAN do it.

And now, with each day I'm doing it, I find myself saying after each round, that it wasn't as hard as the first time. It's getting easier and easier for me know to do the moves she does. Which makes me excited to move on to week 2, because I know it will just improve me even more.

As for the dieting, I was bad last week and ate way more than I should have. However, I've still stuck to my diet I have. I'm actually kind of on a vegetarian diet. I eat very little meat, and have stuck to eating vegetables, fruits, breads, soups, and pasta (I know pasta isn't technically good for a diet, but I LOVE spaghetti!). And in all honesty, I haven't felt this good in a long time. I feel motivated to do more thing now and I'm beginning to not feel as tired. It's a great feeling.

Also, I OFFICIALLY registered for my 5K run!!! I'm so excited. In fact they actually just updated their website. Check out what I'm going to do by clicking on the link below.

http://www.runforyourlives.com/

Be sure to watch the video that plays, and check out the obstacle course page. AHHH!!! I get more excited every time I go to it. :)

But anyway,

It's like I said the other day to a friend. The exercising and dieting isn't hard at all. In fact if you think about it, its quite easy. It's finding the motivation to actually DO it that is hard for anyone. And keeping that motivation, especially when you feel like giving up. You have a brain, use it. You control your body, your body doesn't control you. So make it work for you.

My stomach vs my fitness: Mind over matter

Am I the only one who finds exercising easier than dieting?

I swear, dieting is more painful than any pain I've felt exercising so far. In fact, since exercising, it seems I've been more hungry. Thus I eat more. And sometimes, its not healthy.

It's like putting a starving man in front of the most delicious food and saying, "Now you can't eat any of this, but you may look and admire it as much as you want". Its like a delirious request. I. DON'T. LIKE. DIETING.

But, I am...

The junk food at our house has been cut down majorly. We are replacing it with healthy fruits. I, personally, like vegetables more than fruit. (Broccoli, yum!). That, and my pop in take is almost diminished. The only time I seem to drink it is when we go out to eat.

Food is like the love of my life, and my worst enemy. Ugh!

Aside from that though, I pushed myself this past weekend and I was so sore at work. Usually I've only been working out for 30 minutes, taking break when needed, and kind of taking it easy because I just couldn't push myself to do that. Well, last weekend, I went about an hour exercising, doing exercises I used to do in school (I used to do 100 lunges, 100 sit ups, 20 push ups, 50 jumping jacks, running in place for about 15 minutes, and jump roping for 5 minutes). I used to do all that like it was nothing. Now I can barely do any of it. But I did that an some more on Saturday and I paid so much for it Monday. It hurt to move.

Anyway, I took a break and let myself recover a day. Then I exercised again Tuesday, Wednesday, and now today. And amazingly. I'm able to go the whole half hour without stopping. That seems pathetic to some. And maybe others might even pity me for being so out of shape. But to me, this is great improvement. And my body is actually starting to enjoy it. I start to feel run down if I don't exercise. It's amazing. I am proud of myself.

The only problem with today's exercise, was that I decided to have some ice cream before I went to exercise. And it was almost exactly after I ate the ice cream. I don't know why, just a slip of the mind perhaps? I just wasn't thinking fully that "Hey, gotta exercise, maybe you shouldn't have that delicious ice cream" But nah. My stomach won that round, and now I'm sort of paying for it. I actually looked it up online (although I don't remember the site). And it said that you should wait at least a half hour after you eat a full solid meal to exercise and give your body time to digest it. For lighter snacks, at least 15 minutes. And the snacks shouldn't be ice cream. Don't follow my example. It should be something like yogurt, or a fruit smoothie. Something HEALTHY!! Once again not ice cream. Hey, I said I cut down on the junk food at the apartment, I didn't eliminate it entirely.

But lesson well learned from it. I wont be doing that again.

Anyway:

Weight: 140-142 (one pound!!!)

Pant Size: 8-9

Endurance: Still sucks, but definitely improving,

My inspiration for the coming week. ^^^^

Week one-Finding weakness but staying tough

It's been almost a week, and I'm having a hard time trying to find exercises I like. That, and Mitchell was suppose to exercise with me, but he got placed on 3rd shift. So that threw off our schedule of what to do, because we wanted to train together. Which, we still can, it just kinda shortens our hours since he leaves at 8 now. Luckily, he should stay on 3rd for just a month. So, hopefully next month our workouts will be more rhythmic.

Aside from that, dieting is the killer. I just want to point out that it seems every time I go on a diet, food suddenly becomes all the more appealing to me. I guess I have one of those minds that hates having limitations, thus it wants to have whatever it is that were not suppose to have. Such a sad rebellious habit.

Anyway, I haven't exactly ran either. At nights when Mitchell left I've been doing lunges and situps, and just 100 of those alone were enough to make me beyond sore. But, I LOVED that feeling. It was the best feeling in the world. Just because I feel like since I feel the soreness, that means its working. And lucky for me, I have a job where I just sit on my but for nine hours a day. I have never been so grateful for that in my life. I also didn't ran due to the fact that we got almost 10 inches of snow, and its cold out. I know, thats not really an excuse, but I dont have a gym pass so I can't exactly got out and run on treadmill. So that leaves me with the wonderful outside to deal with. I know though if I wait for weather, I'll never accomplish my running goal.

I just gotta make myself go out there an do it, I just hate the cold so much. Especially running in it. I believe the cold just makes me unmotivated for that.

I'll get there though. I already have a route in mind of where to go, I just somehow have to force myself out there to go and do it.

Anyway, stats of my week:

Weight: 140-143 (It fluctuates)

Pant size: 8-9

Time I can go running without stopping: Maybe 2 minutes (I know, its pathetic)

Endurance: Sucks

 

And Above is what I look like right now. I'm on the left. Hoping to look toner and fitter as time goes on.

 

 

 

This is gonna be tough...

Well,

Although this isn't my first time blogging, it IS my first time blogging about something that I actually am doing FOR MYSELF...

This year, I have decided to sign up for my first 5K ever! It's a 5K Zombie Apocolypse run. I know, it sounds a little cheesy, but looking at thier website and facebook page, I couldn't be more excited to do it! I will also be participating in a LATE night bike ride, which I did last year in Chicago. It was about a 25 mile bikeride. Which also sounds insane, but it was more fun than I've ever had on any bike ride.

My problem is that I am so out of shape. The winter, holidays, and my new job have really taken a toll on my fitness level.

At my job I sit at a desk for 9 hours a day just filing paperwork, working on insurance claims, and working on production at our factory. I rarely move, although lately I've been trying to find ways to, if not from standing up more and walking around to just tapping my foot purposely to feel SOME sort of movement in my body. Never, have I been so aware of how much I DON'T move.

That, and I JUST moved out on my own. So my cooking skills aren't the best...

Which in turn leads to bad eating habits...

Which in turn leads to me just LOVING junk food.

I know, that is a terrible habit to get into. And an even harder habit to break.

No, I'm not saying that I'm overweight and I need to do this because I have just way too much fat on me. I'm actually a very healthy weight for my hieght. I'm 5'6 and weigh 146. I could lose maybe 3 or 4 pounds to be better, but in all consideration doctors consider that healthy.

I'm saying that because with this training I'm either bound to gain some and lose some because of the training I plan to put myself through. Diet and exercising....they're such harmless words, that take the most effort to actually do. Let alone stick with. But up until I'm through all of my triathalons, I have to do this.

And not just that, but I want to know mentally that I can do this. I want to have that sense of pride knowing I was able to stick with something. I'm one of those people that has a really hard time sticking to just one simple thing at a time. But, I'm planning on doing this the whole way through. And I know I'm gonna gripe and complain the whole time, but I just want that sense of pride for myself knowing I did it.

So here's my schedule that I just laid out today:

Monday: Strength/Weight training (as soon as I get some weights).

Tuesday: Leg Strengthening (Indoor Workout)

Wednesday: Running

Thursday: Strength/Weight Training

Friday: Leg Strengthening (Biking)

Saturday: Running

Sunday: RELAX!!!

........Is it bad that I already think Sunday will be my favorite day? Hmm...

Anyway aside from that schedule, I also have to start drinking lots of water and cooking healthy food...along with learning to cook. Anyway, here's hoping I can do it!!

Below are links to the facebook pages of both the events I want to participate in:

http://www.facebook.com/katyrhobbs?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/run.for.your.lives?fref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/katyrhobbs?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/LATERide?fref=ts