The results are in for my personal 10 day challenge.
Was...184 lbs .....Now... 179 Was...5'7".... Now...just kidding, still the same Waist Was...39.75....Now 37 Bust Was...44.5...Now 44 Hips Were...42.5...Now42
I had the biggest improvement in my waist. I always thought I lost in my boobs first but I guess I just proved that wrong. I'm very happy about losing in the waist since that's the most dangerous area to collect fat. And the part of the body I'm least pleased with.
I will be taking it 10 days at a time. I'm going to eat the same way I have been for the next 10 days and add herbal tea for weight loss. I won't be working out 2-3 times a day anymore either- that was just for my self-inflicted 10 day bootcamp. I will be doing my workout in the mornings, changing it up as needed.
It was pouring down rain this morning so I missed my walk. It gets to blessed hot here to do it any later in the day and I mean even a minute later. I didn't think I was going to end up doing anything since my plan was waylaid by rain. I'm like that. Oh well, it's shot, might as well watch tv. After I laid the boy down for his nap, I found energy to do the Turbo Cardio 20 minute dvd. Of course energy begets energy, and I found myself in the garage practicing my karate forms and then proceeded to run drills in the driveway, and practiced my kicks, punches, and boxing 6 count on the bag. I concentrated on repetition and form. I was soaked from head to toe by my finish. Even my calves had sweat coming from the pores. That was a lot of fun. I'll have to consult my Karate instructor for some more drills.
Well, I think I'm perfecting my workout regimen. I like working out at 8:45 am. I tried 1p, 2p, 8:30a, etc. But none of those times work as good as 8:45 for me. I also tried doing 2 workouts a day; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. That totally sucked. I had more laundry than ever. I had to shower twice a day, sometimes more. And finally, this doesn't work so good for the baby. His naps in the afternoon are getting very unpredictable and the morning naps are getting really long. It just makes sense to do all the workouts at once. I would like to spread it out to give me a kickstart, it's just not working though.
I'd rate my diet a 5 out of 5 since last Tuesday. I've been very disciplined. I didn't even break down at work last night. I usually work a part time job Friday and Saturday nights. These days are my biggest challenge since I stay up later than the other nights. I get really hungry.
I did a sneak peak on the scale and tape measure today. It looks like I've lost about a pound, maybe two and I've lost 3/4" in the waist. I'm not doing anything officially until day 10, Friday.
Day 2 was much easier. I ate on time and I never felt light-headed. I downloaded my September pictures. I knew I felt really heavy and wanted to lose weight but I never realized how I look. Why is it that people (I) don't see ourselves (me) the way we really are in the mirror? I thought I was looking pretty cute on our hike on Brasstown Bald. Well, I was cute, but cute AND very heavy. Got my reality check for the week.
Speaking of karma, I love that new show's, My Name is Earl, premise. He's done bad things all his life and his life sucked. After his epiphany, he decided to try doing good things to see how things go. I love it. I'll have to give it a couple more chances before I decide I like the show but I love the premise.
Also speaking of karma, how about Matt on The Biggest Loser? He was such a jerk and a meanie on last week's show and he pulls a quad this week. I don't mean anybody ill-harm, especially a meanie on tv whom I don't even know but sometimes you better watch your back. Why did he run that hard anyway? He would've only had to do it 3 more times and probably wouldn't have had to do it that intensely. Can you tell I love this show? I never got into Reality TV until this one and I didn't even find out about it until the last couple of shows last season.
I survived the first day of my self-inflicted bootcamp (sib) yesterday. I went to bed hungry and really wanted to eat this morning's breakfast last night but I survived. I really think it was that rough because I put too much time between my breakfast and my first snack. I was off the rest of the day. It's 11:20 now and I feel much better than I did this time yesterday. I already did more than half my workout this morning- walking, pushups, abs. I only have 40 minutes of cardio left this afternoon.
I was going to follow the 10 day diet of TurboJam to a 'T' until I wrote out a grocery list. It would be very expensive to eat exactly as they spell it out. For example, I eat 1 slice of turkey bacon on Day 1 and not eat it for the rest of the 10 days. That means the rest of the package would go to waste. I decided to pick several of the meals and eat them a few times throughout the 10 days with minimal modifications. It says you can pick meals from other days anyway, that it was developed to be interchanged. If anything, I'm neglecting myself of a few calories.
I started my self-inflicted bootcamp today. This includes a 1500 calorie diet and 3 workouts a day (60 min walk, cardio, and abs). Today I felt faint after lunch but I was adjusted by the afternoon. I had my snack late this morning so I was pretty hungry when I finally devoured it. That had a lot do with how I felt. I planned on grocery shopping yesterday but didn't get to it until this morning. Tomorrow will be better.
I think this is a first but I fit some exercise in this morning at 5:30 a.m. 3.3 mile walk through neighborhood. The moon was bright and the stars, they were a shining.
I finally got my results from the doctor. I only pulled my hamstring. The good news is that it's not arthritis. The bad news is, it will "take forever to heal." The good news is it's been hurt since the end of June, so I already have some healing time under my belt.
My tryglycerides are through the roof (527). She thinks it's my new birth control. I've always had high cholesterol - a little bit but nothing like my new numbers. It's hereditary so I'll probably eventually end up on medication once we lower it all we can through diet, exercise, and controlling my other meds. My thyroid is leveled out- FINALLY! That makes me very happy. She changed my birth control. I'll have it checked again on October 31st. I can't tell you how relieved I am to know what's going on.
I have a makeup test for my brown belt scheduled for Tuesday. I'm very excited because my black belt is just around the corner (May 2006). The instructor just changed the curricullum so that means some of the stuff I've been working on for about 3 years will have to be relearned. I like the new curricullum so it will be worth it. I have a renewed energy for Karate because of the changes. He will be focusing more on self defense which makes me very happy.
My self-inflicted bootcamp starts Tuesday, September 20. I found a cool new website called wowy.com (work out with you). I've requested a buddy to check in with and it's a great way to keep track of my workouts. I can record workouts and also schedule them for the future. It's really cool. I found a buddy that's doing TurboJam so we'll see if she accepts me as a buddy. It's a pretty cool tool.
We have my stepdaughter this weekend. Because we spend so much time traveling to get her, it impedes on my workout. I shouldn't have any excuses for Sunday. I have a workout scheduled and I will work on fitting something in tomorrow.
I've been enjoying a gradual weight loss for about a year now, which adds up to about 15 pounds. After giving birth, I hovered around 199- my highest weight ever excluding my pregnancy weight. I've been having trouble leveling off my thyroid this whole year. I think the doctor and I have finally got the right dosage for the hormone but I haven't received my latest results yet.
So, now I'm down to 184. I lost my job as a group fitness instructor when my gym closed and haven't been able to find another gig in the meantime. I took a week off and did nothing while being depressed. I finally snapped out of it and started walking the neighborhood with the boy. I never realized how hilly our hood is. It's been quite challenging. Although I feel more energetic, I haven't noticed any additional weight loss or decreased measurement.
I decided it's time to kick it up a notch, to quote Emeril. Inspired by The Biggest Loser, I've decided to put myself through a 10 day bootcamp. I'm starting next Monday or Tuesday. I usually start right away once I make a decision but I'm under doctor's order to give my right leg a rest. She still gave the okay to walk.
My diet will be severly restricted for 10 days and my exercise regimen more intense. My husband, the Walrus, will be on vacation so that means he can cook his own meals. I'll note my progress in the gym log in the left column, including starting and ending statistics. I'm hoping for 5+ pounds to give me the jumpstart my body needs. I have a good 20-25 pounds I'd like to get off once and for all. With the exception of bootcamp, I'm done with diets, so-to-speak. I just want to be more concious of my food choices and energy expenditure.
I missed my doctor's call yesterday with my thyroid, cholesterol, and hip results. I have to stay glued by the phone today. It's killing me, not knowing.
In workout news, the boy and I added the rest of the neighborhood to our walk today which added about 12 minutes to the walk. I'll have to get in the car and measure the path.
I've been having terrible pain in what feels like my lower right butt cheek since June or July. It's been somewhat intrusive on my life but I've been living with it and kept working out. I especially spent more time practicing yoga while gently trying to stretch it. It felt so tight. I finally went to the doctor on Monday. She ordered x-rays and I'm anxiously awaiting the results. She said it could be arthritis of the hip which totally shocked me. I always thought hip pain same from the side or front. She said it could be a pulled hamstring which takes forever to heal. Although I'm not thrilled with "taking forever to heal," I sure hope it's my hamstring. She told me not to do anything for a week with my leg except that I could keep up my walking regimen. This was quite disappointing. I was supposed to test for my brown belt this week. My instructor gave the okay to test next week though.
The Walrus, Westley, the doggies, and I spent the weekend in the mountains. The weather was beautiful and the hiking felt good. I can't wait until next year's visit. We have something a little different planned for our hiking trips. I'll write more about the trip in my living blog.
I've made quite an improvement this week. As I mentioned earlier, my gym as I knew it is no more. I was force to find a new home for group fitness. I found a local gym with a great facility. I interviewed and "tried out" this week. I don't feel like I gave them my best. They mostly teach step and I'm not sure that's the best format for me. Step was my first love and you never forget your first but I've evolved over time and much prefer kickboxing and yoga and pilates. My heart wasn't in it this week. This was my wake up call.
After spending about a week doing nothing, I decided it was time to find me again. This week I read and finished You: the Owners Manual and realized I haven't really been taking care of myself. I introduced some of the book's premises into my daily life this week.
On Wednesday, I walked for 40 minutes, 45 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Also, on Saturday I did biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back and abs as well as 15 minutes of Yoga. I haven't been perfect in my eating but I'm much more mindful about what I put in my mouth. I feel very good today and feel like I can keep this up.
Next weekend is our yearly trek to the mountains. This is the first year baby Westley will participate since he was just born last year. We'll hike Brass Town Bald, hike to some waterfalls, walk around our cabin, chill in the hot tub, and have lots of yummy homemade meals in our quaint cabin. Besides, the dogs look a little listless. They need a vacation. I'm very excited especially since we didn't get to go last year with the birth of the baby and all. Heh.
