Tickle Me Thin

Midnight Fun Run

2011-02-23T20:29:00.002-05:00

I ran today. It felt good. The weather was beautiful outside and I have been trying to get back into running since I kinda quit over the winter. I ran 1.5 miles. I did stop to walk 3 times. Don't really know why, I guess I was just feeling extra tired to day.

This time I used my timer to time myself I ran it in 17:15 which works out to be about 5.2 mph. I think this is great for me since I am so out of shape again. Looking back, I can't believe I used to be able to run almost 3 miles with a minimum number of stops.

Looking at my goals, I have yet to do an official 5k. My school has a run called the Midnight Fun Run where you can either do a 5k run or a 1k walk. No matter what I'm going to do one or the other. Hopefully I will be able to do the run. I believe the race is at the end of March. I need to find the exact date. This will be a great goal for me.

I also weighed myself today, and I'm still at 190 lbs. However, I feel like I look great. I was really feeling me today and thats always a good sign to have some good self confidence.

21 Day Challenge Take 2 - 12 Days Down

2011-01-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

I am more than halfway done with my 21 day challenge. I feel that I have done very well. I just finished working out and that would make my twelfth day complete.

However, on Friday I did use one of my rest days. Its not that I couldn't fit it into my schedule it was because I was exhausted and figured that I should give myself a break.

In order to give myself time to recover I do like to do a light workout like walking on the treadmill at an incline. This gives my a lower impact workout and yet I'm sticking to what I want to my challenge. This is what I did today.

I also weighed in last Thursday. I actually came in at 191 lbs. I was really disheartened. There are a few reasons for this. First it could have been because I've been eating horrible. Secondly, I could've been because I have been doing a lot of weight training. I'm hoping its the latter.

I did do an unofficial weigh in today. I came in at 189 lbs again. So we'll see what the scale will officially say on Thursday.

21 Day Challenge Take 2 - Day 4

2011-01-08T18:26:00.005-05:00

Four days down! I have finished my fourth day and I feel good. Today I went to the gym and hopped on the bike after 20 minutes I did a little bit of weights. After that some friends and I went to play racquetball, which I absolutely suck at.

I have also been staying strong with my daily ACV. That stuff is disgusting, but with one quick shot and a glass of water I'm done for the day.

Tomorrow I plan on just doing some light cardio. Maybe either run or walk the treadmill at an incline. This I want to follow by some ab work.

21 Day Challenge Take 2 - Day 1

2011-01-06T00:09:00.004-05:00

I'm off to an average start. I did work out today, but it wasn't much. Better than nothing however. At home I did my Chaleen Ab Burner Video then I went to the gym with my bf. The gym was packed! I worked yesterday and it wasn't nearly that busy. Luckily I was able to find a bike, which is what I wanted. I really need to work on toning my thighs so that fitting into jeans will be easier.

10 minute ab video. I feel like I'm getting a bit better.

20 minutes on the bike. I started off high (resistance 10) and worked my way down ending at resistance 4. I was definitely sweating when I got off.

I didn't do any weights due to the fact that the weight room was overcrowded. There was a line for almost every piece of equipment. I don't plan on going to the campus gym tomorrow, but instead just doing cardio in my complex's gym. So I'll probably hit the weights on Friday.

Oh and I forgot to weight myself today so I'll do that when I workout tomorrow morning.

Apple Cider Vinegar

2011-01-02T19:30:00.003-05:00

I just arrived back into town (school) a few hours ago. I stopped by GNC to purchase Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. For the past week I have been taking ACV shots in the morning, about 2 tbsp worth followed quickly by a glass of water. However, at home I was using just plain Heinz ACV which isn't organic and is filtered so I was determined to make this purchased when I arrived back into town where I could use a 25% off coupon.

ACV is said to be a wonderful natural home remedy. The uses are numerous, but a few of my favorites are as follows.

Makes a great toner when combined with the powerful effects of green tea.
Great for the hair. Can be used as a rinse to rid your hair of buildup and dandruff.
And of course it can aide in weight loss.

I have been on and off for years with this stuff. It simply tastes awful. Before I used to take it daily with about 16 oz of water but that didn't work for me since it was so easy to make the concoction and not drink it. But now that I'm taking it in one shot quickly it leaves no room for my subconscious avoidance of the disgustingly amazing stuff.

This is also my first time using Bragg, which I have heard a lot of good things about. This is now going to be a part of my morning routine.

2010 Success, 2011 Goal

2011-01-01T23:58:00.003-05:00

Not the many people know this about me but I am huge on self-improvement. I'm always looking for ways to make myself better. Whether its by reading more books, listening to classical music, or being more organized. I'm always striving to be a better more productive person.

One of my biggest goals is simply to be a fit person. Now, when I say this I don't mean that I want to be a juicing, gym-obsessed, muscle head. I just mean someone who can run a few miles without dieing and can bench press a decent amount of weight.

This is my goal and this is what I want to achieve. It is a very important goal for me. When I imagine how I want to see myself in the future this is one of the first things I picture.

2011 is upon us and it is another year for me to achieve this goal. In 2010 I was able to lose roughly 15 pounds and I can now run 3 miles with only 1 or 2 walking periods. I have a achieved a lot. I need to understand that. Instead of saying "I only lost 15 pounds" I need to say "I'm 15 lbs lighter!" Because of these 15 lbs I only have 40 lbs left to achieve my goal. My goal for this year is to lose 20 lbs. This works out to 2 pounds each month which is very reasonable.

So my January goal is to be at 183 lbs by the end of the month. I just need to stay focused and this goal will be very achievable.

Working on those Abs

2010-12-29T23:12:00.004-05:00

I just got done doing Chalene Johnson's Ab Burner video from her Chaleen Xtreme series. It is only a 11 minute video but I felt those abs burn.

If there is one thing you need to know about me its that I absolutely hate ab work. I know that when you workout there is supposed to be "pain" but the feeling I get from doing abs feels more like the "take me to the hospital" type of pain than the "I just had a good set" type of pain.

I really need to suck it up and just do the work.

One problem I notice is that I always leave the ab work for the end of my routine. This is extremely stupid. It is at the point where I am most tired and just plain ready to get out of the gym that I decide to do my abs. So more than half the time I just skip it. And when I do do them I just do one move and call it a day. I told you...I really hate abs.

Now I'm going to try to separate abs from my normal cardio/weight workout and do a video every other day or every three days at the latest. I believe that videos will be more effective because they give me a structured set of moves to go through. And that way I can't say "I did enough" when I know I didn't anymore.

Here is a list of videos that I'm going to use. These are the ones that are online.

Spark People 15-minute abs -15 minutes
Tammy's Tone Abs 1 - 5 min (4 simple moves)
Tammy's Tone Abs 2 - 5 min (3 moves, a little more difficult)

This next video talks about "abdominal bracing." Which is basically just sucking in your stomach throughout the day and then doing small crunches. I have always sucked in my stomach, my stomach feels weird if I don't. But I'm going to try to ad the crunch to what I normally do. Watch the video to better understand what I'm talking about.

I also am going to start incorporating HIIT again. But I will talk more about that later.

I did my ab workout today, I'm going to do my cardio and thigh workout tomorrow. I feel like I'm giving myself a good start for the new year.

21 Day Challenge - Preparing for 2011

2010-12-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Its New Year's Resolution time once again. Like usual I find myself reverting back to my old resolution of losing weight. This is turning into a lifetime goal rather than just a few year thing, lol.

I plan on starting the New Year with a bang and doing another 21 day challenge. At the beginning of this journey earlier this year and at the start of this blog I embarked on a challenge to workout for 21 days in a row giving myself 3 free days just in case something really kept me from working out.

I didn't lose any weight during the challenge but it was a great start to my journey.

Here are the guidelines and rules for the challenge.

Start Date: January 5, 2011

End Date: January 25, 2011

The challenge is to workout for 21 days straight.
Each workout needs to be at least 30 minutes in length.
I will weigh myself every 7 days.
I have 3 free days to use. These days are to be used only if I feel burnt out or if I am honestly too busy to squeeze in a workout (a test or going out of town).

The real challenge isn't even going to be the workout. Its going to be dealing with my hair. I have to at least rinse my hair after each workout. So I'm going to have to really figure out what I'm going to do with it. Especially if I want to be able to workout in the morning and go to class or work after.

I still have a few more days to figure it out.

Feeling the Burn

2010-12-23T22:06:00.007-05:00

I'm back home. Which means that I am at the place where I am my laziest. In preparation for a delicious Christmas I am trying to do some hardcore on Thursday and Friday. Today I did get my butt up and moving. I chose to do a video from Chalene Johnson's ChaLean Extreme. I did her Burn Interval video, or at least tried to do it. The video is forty minutes long. I was only able to make my way through 20 minutes of the video. I felt very sick and lightheaded.

I am going to start incorporating more of these videos in my regimen. Although I can run 3 miles I struggle when I start doing anything a little more intense than a jog. Once every other week will be my goal for now. This will mean 5 days of a repetitive cardio like Jogging, step mill, or ellipticals, and one day of a high intense session.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to do the whole video. Wish me luck!

Torn: Hair vs. Body

2010-11-25T00:19:00.003-05:00

How ironic...I workout to look and feel better and it ruins my hair (something that makes me look and feel better). Working out a lot is causing me to sweat a lot and since I don't wash my hair but once a week the sweat has been sitting on my scalp. This is causing my hair to dry out and break. My previously thick and long hair has really thinned and shortened.

I'm going to have to do something about it.

I'm going to either have to wash every time I workout or figure out some alternate method to counteract the drying effects of my sweat.

The former is difficult for me because of the amount of time it takes to style my hair so that I at least look presentable. I'm going to have to get creative with my protective styling.

I hate that my workouts are effecting me like this, it is really motivating me to not workout. So I'm going to have to figure something out in order to keep up what I've been doing for half a year now.

As for a quick update my weight is pretty much the same. I didn't workout all last week, and I probably won't be this weekend. Next week when I return to school I will get back on track. I should have my new hair routine worked out by then too.

Working Out and Pigging Out

2010-11-04T22:37:00.004-04:00

A great workout tonight. I went to the gym and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. It felt good. I stopped to walk a few times, but over all I ran strong.

I also strength trained. Today was workout A. One note is that I'm trying to increase my bench pressing strength. Today I did 3 sets of 12 reps at 75 pounds.

I left the gym feeling very good about myself....

Then I went out to eat.

I have a huge weakness for this Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood. Its so delicious. I eat there about two times per week, I really can't help myself.

So, I basically just canceled out my workout. This is exactly why I can't seem to lose anymore weight. Its not the fitness, its the eating.

What can I do to control myself?

Current Strength Training Plan - Keeping It Simple

2010-10-31T19:08:00.005-04:00

I started a new strength training program two weeks ago after not strength training for a very long time (1 1/2 months maybe). I figured since I'm basically just starting over I will keep the routine simple. So I grabbed a cheap walgreens notebook wrote the date and used a simple workout routine I found off the web.

The first day I called Workout A (simple!), it consists of three moves. Workout B also consists of three moves. Workout C and D are a bit longer but not much more. The routines are simple total body exercises. I'm going to give this routine a 6 week trial period, and am going to coin it ABC Strength Training. 2 weeks have already been completed. The routines are below.

Workout A

Cardio

Dumbbell Squat

Pushups/Bench Press/Cable Crossovers

Cable Seated Row

Side Crunches

Stretch

Workout B

Cardio

Deadlift

Shoulder Press

Lat Pulldown

Plank

Stretch

Workout C

Cardio

Squats

Pushups or Bench Press or Cable Crossovers

Seated Rows

Triceps Pushdowns

Dumbbell Calf Raises

Side Bend

Crunches

Stretch

Workout D

Cardio

Shoulder Press

Lat Pulldown

Bicep Curl

Romanian Deadlift

Ball Crunch

Stretch

If you look at my calendar you will have noticed these terms. Well here is what they actually mean.

Things I Need Off My Chest

2010-10-31T18:17:00.006-04:00

My eating habits are really getting the best of me. I can't seem to control myself in the diet arena. That is just one area on this journey that continues to allude me. Instead of eating at home I have been eating out a lot lately, and its not like I don't have any food at home, cause I do!

I weighed myself on Thursday (I believe) and I was at 183.5, at this point I should really be in the 170's. I have been consistently working out. You can check my calendar. Yet, I just can't seem to get anymore of my weight off.

Plus, I know I shouldn't feel this way, but even though I have lost 15 pounds I feel that I have an even lower self-esteem than before. I look in the mirror and I hate what I see. I feel ugly, fat, bad skin, I hate my hair, no clothes sit on me right. My boyfriend doesn't understand why I feel like this, but I just keep asking him to be understanding. I do know that I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. So don't make me feel even worse about have these feelings.

Lately I've also been paying more attention to people around me. I don't know if its just my school, but there aren't as many big people as American statistics would lead you to believe. Out of all my friends I am about the biggest female. So it makes it really hard to hang around them. Not only am I tall but I'm also wide, I just take up so much space. I do realize that I carry my weight better than most people, but it doesn't mean that I'm okay with it.

I'm very confused about the steps that I should take.

Motivating the Employee

2010-10-15T02:30:00.005-04:00

Working at the gym, I see a lot of patrons doing their routines. Routines vary from light body weight exercises to the insane crossfit routine. This really makes me think about my own routine.

I started out by just doing a few weights, then moved on to incorporating everybody part with machines and dumbbells. Now I'm moving away from machines and am trying to stick to just free weights and my own body weight for all of my exercises.

However, I want to start incorporating more challenging exercises into my routine. I see some ladies at the gym who do insane moves that you can't help but stare at. For example, one patron was doing a Push-up with a weighted leg raise (!). She then continued to do more and more complicated exercises.

I really want to get better at this. I feel like I'm stuck and I'm not making any progress. One day I want to feel like I could do anything. I want to feel totally comfortable with myself.

I believe the best way for me to start is for me to head back to the gym. I haven't lifted weights in a couple of weeks, almost a month. I take that to be step one.

Incorporate weight training days into my schedule and stick to it!

After I get into that habit I believe next that I'll be able to move onto the next step which will be to start slowly with slightly more complicated moves and work my way up from there.

Here are some sites with useful information that I can use to help me on my way

Good Things Make My Heart Sing

2010-09-21T21:18:00.004-04:00

After another long hiatus I am back to posting. I have fallen off of the healthy lifestyle wagon a little bit. I have been exercising regularly, but I can't seem to control my eating.

Calorie counting doesn't work for me. As soon as I forget to log something, or eat something random and don't have the calorie amounts for it I get de-motivated and basically quit.

There are some good things that I've done or am doing that I should make a note of.

I received some weight gloves as a belated birthday gift. I'm so in love with them. They make lifting weights so much more pleasant.
I benched 95 lbs a few weeks ago. If you head on over to my goals page you'll notice that one of my goals is to bench 100 lbs.
I started a flag football team with some friends. We had our first game the other day and I already love it. Plus as a bonus, I didn't know it was such a great workout.
I am ending my 6th month of my renewed healthy lifestyle, and I'm there is no stopping in sight.

Its very important that I keep focused and remember the benefits I will gain if I stay on track.

Official Weigh-In #13 + 5k Update

2010-08-22T08:18:00.006-04:00

I am not gone. I have been around but extremely busy. I went home for summer break and lived without internet for a week and a half then for the other half I was out from basically sunup to sundown.

Even though I couldn't post I have been keeping up with my running. When I went home I went to the track with my mother and she walked while I ran. I was very happy with myself for keeping up with my exercise at home.

I didn't eat very good when I went home so I was fully expecting to gain a few pounds when I got back, but surprisingly enough when I returned and weighed myself I was at a pleasant to see 181 lbs. Meaning that I have lost 19 lbs since I started. Very exciting to be so close to the 170's. I never thought I would be able to get below 185, I kept hovering around that weight.

There are a few other important things I need to update you on:

As for how far I'm running now, I've moved up to 2.25 miles. It feels great to know I can run that far with minimal walking.
As for my appearance, I'm really seeing the effects of my lost weight. My clothes are bigger, my thighs look like their losing some girth. I had to put my first pair of jean shorts in the dryer a few days of go to shrink them (wonderful feeling). Things are really looking great.
For my 5k training, I think I'll be in 5k shape and ready to race by the end of October. I really want to speed things up, but I need to force myself to understand that slowly progressing is what got me this far anyways.

I started this journey barely able to run a mile with less than 3 or 4 stops. Now I can run a mile and more with no problem with stopping at all.

Photo from: preparednesspro.com

Why do I want to become a Runner?

2010-08-07T11:28:00.001-04:00

I've always loved the act of running. There is something so simple and primitive about it.
When I run there is a certain degree of freedom that comes along with it.
I feel like I can do anything after an especially hard run.
Its a great way for me to get my cardio in without the need of anything but a pair of sneakers.
Runners are sexy.

Slow and Steady

2010-08-05T11:21:00.004-04:00

Another successful run today. I ran my 2 miles outdoors for the second time. I've been really craving the treadmill due to the heat, and the longer my runs the more time I'm spending outdoors.

The worst part is that I have no sunscreen here so I'm running protection-less.

The first mile of my run I felt like I was really running at a good pace. I felt strong, and light, and fast (though I'm not really any of that). At my turn around point I took a short break and continued running.

On the way back I had a noticed slow down, but it was still a good pace. I stopped twice on the way back, once for the heck of it and another to cross the street.

I plan on running again tomorrow since I will be leaving town early Saturday and don't want to be fatigued for a 5 hour drive.

When I'm able to run the 2 miles straight through, then I'll move on up to 2.25 miles.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Official Weigh-In #12

2010-08-04T10:47:00.002-04:00

Another week, a lower weight. I went and weighed myself yesterday and came up with the nice number of 185 lbs. Very good that I'm still losing.

I'm really seeing a huge difference in my clothing. I'm feeling comfortable in pieces I haven't worn in a few years. A pair of shorts I bought at the beginning of summer fit but were tight when I sat down. Now I have space to fit my fingers. I was surprised by that because I have naturally huge thighs and I always have the hardest time losing any circumference in them.

I'm hoping that by my next weigh in on the 17th I will simply be the same weight. This is because I'm going home and I'm notorious for gaining weight when I go back home.

1 lb lost since my last weigh in, 70's here I come.

Week in Review: The 2-miler

2010-08-02T09:11:00.003-04:00

I'm late posting my week in review due to crazy weekend working. I was barely home the past few days. The week was great in some ways and bad in others. For one I ran my two miles! This means another goal has been completed.

Also I tried one of my total body routines that I talked about in another post. It worked really well. The routine was short, but I felt it days after. However, I only did the routine once so thats a little disappointing.

Now about the two miles. Tuesday, I ran the two miles on a treadmill. It was an extremely hot morning and I refused to run in that heat. Besides I enjoy testing out a new distance on the treadmill instead of just jumping into it outdoors. I was able to do it at about 6 mph. I went up and down sometimes but that was my main speed. And it took me about 21 min.

Friday I did run the two miles outdoors! It was a cooler day, relative to Tuesday. This is exciting because this was one of my goals. As for the run, it really wasn't that bad. I stopped about three or four times on the way back, but I got through it strong.

As for the the eating after 10 pm rule I did it about half and half this week. Its really hard to stick to the rule when I go to work at 10.

July 25 - July 31 Goals
~~Run 2 miles Outdoors~~
No eating after 10 pm

August 1 - August 7 Goals

Do good on my Marketing exam

17 Pushups

Do lemon treatment 4x

WF: Midnight Snacks

2010-07-28T21:24:00.005-04:00

From The Dweebist

Week in Review: Figuring Out What Works for ME

2010-07-25T13:03:00.004-04:00

Well this past week I did successfully complete my strength training regimen, however I split it up into two days instead of three. My plans had to change so I adapted instead of just saying forget it.

A great thing I think.

I can see how my mindset about exercise and fitness in general has really changed. I'm starting to see exercise as something that I need to do instead of something that I should do and that makes a big difference.

So I did all three runs this week, completed my workout regimen and I feel good. Starting with my next run I'm going to move up to two miles which is pretty exciting for me. I am moving pretty slow but I feel this works best for me. I know that if I rush myself onto each step and I can't do it as well as I thought then I will quickly become unmotivated.

My eating habits still need a lot of work, but I have yet to figure out what works for me with that subject since my schedule is so erratic, making my meals at different times almost everyday.

But I do feel that the no eating after ten is a good first step for me since late night eating is one of my biggest problems. Portion control is the next problem I need to tackle.

July 18 - July 24 Goals
~~Complete Strength Regimen~~
Play Volleyball (went to the gym to play Mon but the only net was occupied)

July 25 - July 31 Goals

Run 2 miles Outdoors

No eating after 10 pm

Birthday Challenge Conclusion

2010-07-19T16:11:00.001-04:00

I ended up not having a chance to weigh myself yesterday morning cause we woke up late and had to get on the road. So I'm just going to accept 186 as my final weight for my small birthday challenge. I feel like I did very well and I'm proud of myself. I am making my way out of the 180's and into the 170's which will be another huge milestone for me.

Week in Review: Just Keep Running

2010-07-17T19:59:00.005-04:00

Another week has gone by and I must say it was a good one. I just feel like this whole fitness thing is becoming a part of my lifestyle.

Monday I played volleyball and did a few pushups.

Tuesday I ran my 1.75 miles, then later went to the gym to do Chest and Triceps.

Thursday I ran 1.75 miles and did Back and Biceps.

Today, Saturday, I ran 1.75 miles and did Legs and Shoulders.

I gave myself a schedule and I stuck to it. I just need to be sure I keep this up this next week.

As for my Birthday Challenge, as of this morning I weighed in at a little over 186. So I'm only one pound away. Since I'm celebrating tomorrow I will weigh myself again to see if I successfully completed the challenge. Even if I didn't get to 185 I'm still happy for the progress that I did make.

I'm going to continue limiting my eating to 10 pm. Even though a few days this week I did eat late (we went to Steak-n-Shake, and last night my schools midnight breakfast).

Another milestone...today I was able to complete my run without stopping. When I started I was determined to do that so I set a slow but steady pace and kept running.

Lastly, at the gym its nice to see myself getting stronger. I can feel my current weights aren't enough so there are a few exercises I'm going to move up a weight level.

July 11 - July 17 Goals
Take vitamins daily
Go Bench Press this week
Take a Group Fitness Class

July 18 - July 24 Goals

Complete Strength Regimen

Play Volleyball

Since my Birthday is here I have plenty of freebies to collect. So far I have a free Burger from Ruby Tuesday, free meal from Captain D's, free scoop from Baskin-Robbins, and a free Sub from Firehouse. I'm going to enjoy each and every one of them, guilt-free.

3 Day Split Training + Unofficial Good News

2010-07-14T10:26:00.005-04:00

My plans have changed a little bit since I posted my goals. For one I have found a new strength training plan I plan on sticking to. That means I most likely won't be fulfilling some of my goals this week.

It is a 3 day routine that targets two major body parts each day. You can find it here. I follow that routine with a few personal alterations. My first workout was yesterday and boy do I feel it. I've never done multiple exercises for each body part. I've always just done 1. So I felt weaker because I was failing bad during my last few exercises.

I also ran my 1.75 miles yesterday morning. I felt very good after that run, it just was one of those good days.

Lastly, I unofficially weighed myself since my birthday is this weekend and I was at 187 meaning I only need to lose 2 more pounds to reach my goal. I'm kinda worried because we're celebrating my birthday on Saturday which means I probably will be eating more than I should before the challenge officially ends. So, I'm thinking about ending the challenge Saturday morning.

There is a new strength training regimen I might try next which is a Total Body regimen for me to do. And I have one more total body which is three days and with different exercises each day.

Week in Review: Being Happy with what I've done

2010-07-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

The past week was another hectic week for me. I didn't do everything I wanted by a long shot, but I don't feel bad about it. I did do pretty well by my standards.

Tuesday, I ran my 1.75 miles on the treadmill because of the heat outside. I walked for a 30 sec break at about the 1.20 mile mark. My speed was mostly at 6.0 mph but went up every now and then. Later I also completed my do 15 pushups goal early in the week. I was very proud of myself.

Thursday, which was meant to be another running day wasn't. Do to bad planning, I had to do my strength training before my run which left me extremely exhausted so I decided to save it for tomorrow. However, I did a lot of upper body work which I'm still feeling a little even today.

Friday, I did my 1.75 mile run outside. I walked about 4 times but overall I felt I did good. When I got back to my apartment complex I went and worked on my legs which I didn't do too much of the day before.

As for my vitamins I only took them once this week...bad I know. I just seem to always remember to take them when I'm nowhere near them.

My birthday challenge goals weren't met either. Except that I didn't eat past 10 pm on the days since I created the post.

July 4 - July 10 Goals
Run 1.75 miles 3x
~~Do 15 pushups~~
Take vitamins daily

July 11 - July 17 Goals

Take vitamins daily

Go Bench Press this week

Take a Group Fitness Class

Wednesday Funny #9

2010-07-08T10:43:00.003-04:00

Small Birthday Challenge

2010-07-07T01:52:00.003-04:00

My next weigh-in is on July 20th and my 20th birthday is on July 18th. So as a small challenge I'm going to try to lose 5 lbs by my birthday and I'm going to make that weeks weigh-in on the 18th instead.

I believe that I can do this. However, there are a few steps I need to take to help me reach my goal.

Cut out the late night meals. I usually work until 1 am so when I get home I feel like eating. I'm going to cut out meals past 10 pm starting today.
Cardio 4x a week.
Strength training 2x a week.
Take my vitamins everyday.

Official Weigh-In #11

2010-07-07T01:32:00.003-04:00

It was a busy day so I'm just getting around to posting my weigh-in late at night. Well this week the scale is saying 190. So I'm down 2 lbs and that means I've lost 10 lbs since I started my journey 3 months ago. Thats not that great, but I'll take what I can get.

On a side note I've already completed my Do 15 pushups goal. I don't know how I did it but I managed to do it with proper from also. One thing though is that whenever I do pushups I feel a lot of pressure in my head. I wonder if that is normal?

What Vitamins do I take?

2010-07-06T10:41:00.004-04:00

One of my goals this week is to take my vitamins daily (which my the way I already missed Sunday and Monday), but I didn't explain what kind of vitamins I'm taking.

What I'm taking

Garlic - To reduce the amount of hair I shed.
Vitamin C - For supporting my immune system
Multivitamin - For overall health.

What I want to take in the future

MSM - Great for hair, skin, and nails
B-complex - Support systems that influence weight loss (i.e. metabolism, fat utilization, and glucose conversion)

Now I'm off to run my first day of 1.75 miles. I'll be back with this weeks weigh in.

Week in Review: Moving on to the next Step

2010-07-03T12:14:00.007-04:00

Its been a long week. I haven't had much free time at all this week, but I have made sure I made time for me and my workout schedule.

Tuesday I ran 1.5 miles and stopped a few times. Later that day I hit up the gym for a full body strength training session. I made sure I hit all my muscle groups. I'm also keeping track of the weights I used so I can see how I'm progressing.

Thursday I ran another 1.5 miles. I stopped only once which is a real win for me.

Today, Saturday, I ran another 1.5 miles. I was hoping to be able to run without stopping but I ended up stopping 3 times. I believe that its all in my head. I know physically I can run it without stopping, but mentally I can't seem to break the barrier.

Even though I wasn't able to run 1.5 miles straight I think on Tuesday I going to move up to the next step in my 5k training plan. Next I will be running 1.75 miles.

But I was able to complete my weekly goal of doing 12 pushups and surpass it by actually doing 13 pushups.

So overall, it was was a good week. I didn't go to the gym twice though so thats only 2/3 goals completed.

June 27 - July 3 Goals

~~Run 1.5 miles 3x~~
~~Do 12 proper push ups~~
Strength Train 2 times

July 4 - July 10 Goals

Run 1.75 miles 3x
Do 15 pushups
Take vitamins daily

The Apple is moving further away from the tree

2010-06-23T17:02:00.007-04:00

There isn't much funny about this Wednesday so I will be skipping this weeks Wednesday Funny.

This morning my mother returned home with terrible news. She is already a diabetic, but her doctor her levels are extremely high. She knows what the problem is, but she has a hard time doing anything about it.

She simple eats unhealthy and doesn't exercise.

Its slowly killing her and she refuses to do anything about it.

Whenever I try to talk to her she always tells me not to "preach at her" and its very frustrating. To me it seems like she doesn't understand how many people love her and how much we want her to be healthy.

She has four children. Two of whom are still completely dependent on her, even more so since my father works out of the state during weekdays and is only here on weekends.

Even though she may not see it, I do.

I see myself heading down the same path that she was, or I was heading down that path. Because I have made an effort to stop and reverse my direction. This struggle I am going through with becoming fitter and losing weight is going to be a lifetime struggle. I realize that. I wouldn't want to take myself away from my current family nor my

future family any sooner than was meant to be.

Therefore I am making a pledge to not give up on this journey. I know it sounds corny, but I'm not going to revert back to the sedentary lifestyle that I am used to.

Today the 23rd day of June 2010 I pledge that I will lead a lifestyle that is striving to be of healthy mind and body. I will continue to exercise and strive to eat healthier all in an attempt to reach this goal.

Official Weigh-In #10

2010-06-22T13:07:00.003-04:00

For this weeks weigh-in I'm not on campus so I had to weigh myself on my home digital scale. However, I believe its pretty accurate. Well bad news, I'm up 4 lbs. Right now I'm at 192.

There are a few things that factored into this. One, I went home. Two Whenever I go home I can never control myself when it comes to food and I lack motivation to exercise. And three, I just had a final so I was less worried about exercising and more about my grades.

There isn't much I could really do about number 3 because no matter what my academics come first. But I need to learn to control myself and be self motivated in order to fix my other two problems. There is something about home that brings out the worst in me.

On a good note: The stairs in my house used to wind me, but now they don't. Little things like that are a great sign that I'm am becoming a fitter individual.

My goal for my next weigh-in is to get back under the 190 mark. I want to get back under and stay under there.

Wednesday Funny #8

2010-06-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Click for full size!

Official Weigh-In #9

2010-06-08T23:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back...and I'm back from the most pitiful run ever. I ran half the 1.5 miles and then ran/walked the rest. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I just couldn't force myself to do it.

I then weighed myself and I'm now at 188 lbs. This is good but not great. But right now I'm going to take what I can get.

So I've officially lost 12 lbs since I started my journey two months ago. I'm average 6 pounds a month hopefully I can bring that average up.

How do I feel? I feel like I can move better, I'm not as self-conscious, and I think (not sure) that a few of my clothes are fitting me better.

D'OH! + Bench Press

2010-06-08T10:35:00.007-04:00

D'OH! Thats how I feel right now. So I completed another week running 1.5 miles successfully. I decided it was time for me to move on to 1.75 miles. So I pulled up my routes on Mapmyrun.com look at the 1.75 and realize "oh no" I started in the wrong spot. I started further up the street so it looks like I was running further than I was.

That was when I thought wait...I made all these routes at the same time so I probablly also messed up on the 1.5 mile route. So I ran to check and sure enough! I had only been running 1.1 miles. No where near what I thought. So all those times I that I'm running 1.5 miles! I really wasn't. How heart breaking. And the main thing is I was pretty exhausted after that run so I'm not in as good of shape as a I thought.

On a brighter note I'm going to train for a Bench Press competition coming up in a month, July 15th to be exact. I went and found my max Saturday which is about 85. I'm hoping to be able to train past 100lbs by then. I have a month to do it. Is that goal even realistic? I'm not sure, but I won't be crushed if I don't do it.

Saturday I also did lots of other crazy strength training things. It was a good day when it comes to exercise. Good to the point where I'm still kind of sore today.

Today is also my weigh-in so after my first real 1.5 mile run I'm going to weigh myself. I should also weight train but I have a big test tonight that I need to study for. So I'll probably just do some push ups.

Wednesday Funny #7

2010-06-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

Looking Back at May

2010-06-01T12:12:00.006-04:00

I can't believe I'm already leaving the 2nd month of my renewed fitness journey. I'm still staying strong. Looking back at the past month on my calendar I have worked out a minimum of 3 times every week. This may not be a big thing to some, but this is unprecedented in my book. This consistent exercise is really paying off in the way I look and feel.

With all the weight I had packed on I was feeling uncomfortable in my own skin...mainly when it comes to moving. I felt like I couldn't sit how I wanted to sit whether with my legs folded or curled up underneath me. I felt like I couldn't wear what I wanted to wear (not anything too revealing) like shorts for the summer months.

But now I'm feeling my self-esteem returning and better than every because now I know this thing can be done.

There are a lot of factors that are helping me stayed motivated and keep moving, but here are a few that I find noteworthy at this point.

My move out of the school dorms and into apartments has really helped me. I feel less like I'm at school and more like I'm living my life. I find myself waking at a reasonable time, eating when hungry (and not bored), and cooking a lot more.
Weighing myself. Though I know the scale shouldn't matter I still think I wouldn't be where I am without it. However, I'm developing a health relationship with the scale. Instead of seeing it as "the final judgement" I'm seeing it as a "small warning." When I hop on the scale and I see higher numbers I know something needs to be done, when I see the same numbers I know I need to be pushing harder, and when I see lower numbers I know I need to keep it up.
This blog and my calender are the next thing that has been great on this journey. It feels good to chronicle my journey on this blog. To scroll down the screen and see what I've been doing for the past two months. Then the calendar...oh the calender...oh how I love Google calender. Google calender is the best! I not only use it for exercise but also for my work schedule and my school test schedule. All of the days I exercise are highlighted in blue and it feels so good to go on it and see blue so often. Especially in the month of April when I was on my 21 Day Fitness challenge.

Now May brought with it its own challenges. I was off of my 21 day challenge and this had me losing my motivation. I was hoping to make exercise a habit, but the fact that I was moving and so much was going on really didn't help. The thing that brought me out of this stupid stupor was my in fact my calendar. I went and looked at it and saw how good I was doing and realized that I can do this and it will be even easier than that challenge since I don't have to workout everyday.

It has been a good month and I am looking forward to June.

P.S. Tomorrow is National Running Day I will be joining in as dictated by my pledge over at 263 and Counting and Seattle Running Girl who are holding a duo giveaway in the the days honor!

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T14:47:00.002-04:00

My running has been going well. I ran 1.5 miles on Saturday. I only stopped to turn around so that went very well. However, I don't think I will be progressing to the 1.75 mile mark yet. I feel like I need to stick with the 1.5 miles for a few more runs.

I missed my Sunday walk yesterday due to a busy day working. But I was on my feet for 8.5 hours straight so I wasn't sitting on my bum. Today was suppossed to be either a rest day or a run/walk day. I'm going to use it as a rest day it being Memorial day.

As for Memorial Day plans...its just me and the boyfriend. We're going to grill up some chicken and enjoy ourselves.

Have a great day!!

Another Goal Completed

2010-05-26T09:11:00.002-04:00

I was looking through my Goals Page just now and just realized that yesterday I also completed another goal. Two in one day. Not only did I get below 190 but I also managed to run 1 mile without stopping outdoors. This was always a challenge for me because without my old track coaches yelling at me I have no motivation to keep running. Heres to setting my goals and knocking them out.

Wednesday Funny #6

2010-05-26T09:07:00.002-04:00

Official Weigh-In #8

2010-05-25T11:55:00.003-04:00

A few things before I get into my weigh-in results. I just came back from my first real day on my 5k training program. I had to run 1.5 miles today and I did it with great success. I was definitely tired afterwards, but I did manage to finish with the hills and all. Find out more about my training program here.

Next, I think I'm going to lengthen the time in between weigh-in's to two weeks. The reason for this is so I give myself a chance to see greater results and I don't want to become so dependent on what I "weigh" and not how I "feel." Besides the main reason I was weighing myself weekly was for the 21 day challenge I was on which is now over.

So, on to my results. I felt stupid...I was in my complex's gym which is where the scale is and I left after lifting weights without even weighing myself so I had to walk all the weigh back. But the scale did show the lovely weight of 189.25 lbs. Yay! I have surpassed where I wanted to be at this point and it feels great! This brings me to a total loss of 11 pounds in 7 weeks.

I also think this picture is pretty relateable.

Diet Scale

5k Training - The Beginning

2010-05-22T12:04:00.003-04:00

I have finally motivated myself to go outdoors and RUN! And guess what...it was great. Although I'm exhausted it was great to run outdoors. I ran approximately 1 mile, then when I returned I went to my complex's gym. There I worked out my legs. Especially my hamstrings since those aren't being worked out on the treadmill. I also worked out my arms, which are very exhausted right now.

When I got back home I had a talk with my roommate and she gave me two different plans for training for a 5k. I am going to start one of the on Monday. I managed to find the plan online here. I don't exactly have a 5k race date in mind, but I would love to run one.

So now training for a 5k will be what I'm going to focus on. I can totally do this!

Also: My weekly weigh-in's will resume. I realized that the gym here has a weighted scale which is way more accurate than my $10 piece of crap scale.

Official Weigh-In #7 - Skipped

2010-05-18T21:06:00.002-04:00

I am skipping this weeks official weigh-in due to the lack of a decent scale. My analog scale is giving me inaccurate readings and I don't have the funds to pick up a new scale right now. So for now any weigh-ins I give will be unofficial.

This was only a short post, I'm off to the gym which I haven't been to since last Thursday.

I have a new goal!

2010-05-16T21:14:00.002-04:00

Goals are always helpful. And I have just discovered a new goal I want to reach. I want to be able to do push ups. 25 of them to start, but hopefully move on to 50. Right now I can do about...7, lol. So I do have a ways to go. Check out my goals page to see my other goals.

The way I found this goal is through Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred. She makes us do push ups which I used to hate, but now I'm just realizing how great of an exercise they are. I used to just do them on my knees to avoid them. However, now I'm forcing myself to not take the easy way out...since losing weight isn't easy.

Hopefully it won't take me too long to reach this goal. I'll start with adding 1 each day and adjust as needed. I'm hoping on reaching my goal by mid-June. We'll see how that goes.

On a side-note: My schedule has really gotten busier since I started my new job, which is actually at a gym (another way to stay motivated). So thats why my posting has been almost non-existent this past week.

Wednesday Funny #5

2010-05-12T09:49:00.000-04:00

One of life's mysteries is how a two-pound box of candy can make a woman gain five pounds.

-Unknown

Official Weigh-In #6

2010-05-11T11:07:00.004-04:00

I have finally moved into my apartment!

My fitness was on hold while I was moving....I haven't worked out in 4 (!) days. I just got my access card, almost everything is unpacked and put away, so I will be working out starting later today.

I weighed myself this morning. However, I think my scale is crazy. I need to get a digital scale. Yesterday I weighed myself at Publix and I was around 194. Now my scale is saying more than 200 which is crazy since the only thing I ate since then is a poptart and drank iced tea. So I'm going to use the Publix weight of 194 as my official weight this week. I might be doing that for the next few weeks since I probably won't be able to get a new scale anytime soon.

Sun

2010-05-08T00:47:00.004-04:00

Recently Chris over at Zen to Fitness posted about getting more sun and the importance of spending sometime outdoors. This post was well timed because I was recently getting the urge to start becoming a more outdoorsy individual. I find myself inside all day whenever I have little to do. If I have no reason to go outside, I won't.

Now, I finally see how bad this is and how detrimental to my health it can also be. More outdoors time is another thing that will be added to my "to do" list.

I find the most interesting thing about lacking in Vitamin D is how a lack of it can cause a "De-regulation of our natural body clocks."

I think I can safely associate that with the reason why during my break weeks I tend to complete switch my old waking hours with my old sleeping hours.

My Inner Bum

2010-05-06T12:53:00.003-04:00

Looking at my calendar I realized that I haven't worked out since Sunday! Its amazing how quickly I become a bum when I go home. I'm going to miss my family, but I can't wait to get back to campus and get back to work.

When it comes to my workout routine I have to remain consistent. Once I miss one day its like something changes in my brain that tells me "Woah...not working out...this is nice. Lets do it again tomorrow!"

Well, tomorrow I commit to exercising. I will be returning to campus on Saturday and I probably won't be able to get settled until Monday or Tuesday.

I thought this picture demonstrated my laziness very well.

Wednesday Funny #4

2010-05-05T21:46:00.003-04:00

Official Weigh-In #5

2010-05-05T00:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the delayed update, I was sick from food poisoning Tuesday. However, I did weigh myself in the morning. I am still officially at 195, which isn't bad. I am not gaining which I can't complain about.

I went to a small party for the Boxing Fight the other day and I gorged myself so that had a hand in the me staying the same weight. I haven't been super consistent with exercising, mainly due to the fact that I'm braiding my hair right now and I don't want to sweat out the non-finished hair before I'm even done.

Another week begins, I go back to school this weekend which marks the beginning of another chapter in my journey. I also start work and am working on getting a summer internship so I will have a pretty full plate.

Unofficial Weigh-in

2010-05-01T15:34:00.004-04:00

This morning I decided to hop on the scale. I made this decision due to the fact that I always eat like crazy when I'm at home. And I find it an eye opener to see if I'm gaining any weight.Well...I was surprised to find out that I lost another 1.5 lbs putting me at 193.5. This is great, however its not official so I will have to wait until Tuesday to really see if I successfully lost the extra weight.

Today I also did the 30 Day Shred level 2 which I never did before. Its not a step up from level 1 but a giant leap. I had a hard time going all the way through, but I managed to do it. But I don't feel like I gave it my all. Tomorrow I'm going to do Level 3 so we'll see how that goes.

21 Day Challenge - Recap

2010-04-29T23:58:00.003-04:00

After successfully completing my 21 day challenge, I am 5 pounds lighter and I feel good. There are a few things that I have learned from this challenge. Some of them may be obvious, but its just one of those things that you don't truly believe until you experience them yourself.

Weight loss takes time. I can't expect to lost 50 pounds in 50 days. It took about 1 1/2 years to get where I am now and its going to take time to get that weight off.

Weight loss has its ups and downs. It was only a three week challenge, but I was able to see weight gain and weight loss in that time. Now I know there are going to be weeks where my weight just won't move, but that doesn't mean it isn't working.
Weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% diet. I can exercise 3 times a day, but if I don't pull back my eating along with it I won't get the results I want.
Personally, variety is key. If I keep changing up my routine I won't get so bored and quit.

Now that that challenge is over. I have another one coming up. I am going to try The Master Cleanse Detox Diet. I have heard great things about detoxing to give your body a fresh start.

The Master Cleanse diet is also known as the Lemonade Diet because of the Fresh Lemon Juice that you drink. I will probably start this diet when I go back to school and get settled in my apartment. The tentative date will be May 10th.

Wednesday Funny #3

2010-04-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

21 Day Challenge - Official Weigh-In #4

2010-04-27T13:15:00.003-04:00

I weighed myself this morning and suprisingly enough, though I've been busy and have slacked on my workouts these past couple of days I have lost 5 pounds. It feels good. I am now at a lovely 195 where I was at 200 last week. This weigh-in also marks the end of my 21 Day Workout Challenge. I have successfully made it, but I will leave the recapping for another post.

21 Day Challenge - Should I be disappointed in myself?

2010-04-23T19:17:00.004-04:00

Today I will be using up 1 of my rest days. As of now I will be in the library til' around 3 am. My last final, also my hardest, is tomorrow and I'm nowhere near ready for it.

However, I could've worked out earlier today. I just decided subconsciously to wait until later to actually think about it.

The boyfriend tells me that I shouldn't be disappointed in myself, but I think I should. I purposely allowed myself to break my streak that is 17 days long. I knew this would probably happen around exam time. Its a very hectic time. But I will not miss anymore days I have three more days so I need to focus and just do it.

Wednesday Funny #2

2010-04-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

My friend Kimberly announced that she had started a diet to lose some pounds she had put on recently.

"Good!" I exclaimed. "I'm ready to start a diet too. We can be dieting buddies and help each other out. When I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries, I'll call you first."

"Great!" she replied. "I'll ride with you."

-- Katina Fisher

Calorie Counting

2010-04-21T10:23:00.005-04:00

As of yesterday's post I have decided to start counting calories. This is mostly due to the fact that I gained one pound this last week even though I have been putting in the exercise.

I went and calculated the amount of calories I should be eating in order to lose about a pound each week and it amounts to 1800. I believe that this is very doable. However, the way I eat is whats messing me up.

I tend to eat randomly throughout the day. This really ruins any plans I make. My friend may ask for me to go eat with them...and I will. Dropping any of my eating plans I have already made. I don't know what I'm going to do about that problem just yet, but right now I'm going to focus on that 1800.

Divided over four meals (one meal is snack) I can eat about 450 calories per meal. Divided over 3 meals about 600 calories per meal. That really isn't that bad. Its just when I gorge at one meal when the problems arise.

My calories from yesterday were a whopping 2,509. This was mostly due to me eating two Cuban sandwiches instead of one. If I only ate one it probably would've been around 2000 calories. Yesterday I was just eating regularly just to see how many calories I usually eat and I'm not really that surprised by the number.

21 Day Challenge - Official Weigh-In #3

2010-04-20T11:47:00.009-04:00

The results are in. Looks like I gained 1 lb this past week. Which is really disappointing because I lost 1 lb last week. Pound lost, pound gained who cares. I'm going to brush it off and forget this even happened. However, this is just another opportunity for me to do more. Thats what I believe is necessary for me to do more, or in other words to eat less.

I knew it from the beginning and I know it now. Food is going to be my main obstacle on this journey. I've always been one to go and workout. However, I've never been one to put the fork down and step away from the table.

Well, now I'm going to become that person, but slowly. I know if I rush in and try to just cut all of my calories I'm going to fail and failure is not an option.

I am going to start counting calories. Beginning with today.

The site I'm probablly going to use to track my calories is call SparkPeople. Its a great resource and I've used it before. I'm also going to put in my activities.

90% Mental, Staying Motivated when I want to Quit!

2010-04-20T00:03:00.007-04:00

I just got back from the gym I played racquetball with the BF for about 45 min. The games were 2-2 and this time we followed the rules more.

Tomorrow is my 3rd official weigh-in. I don't know if I lost anymore weight, but I do feel good. It feels good to know that I'm treating my body like it should be treated. It feels good to know that I've worked out for 14 days straight.

I lit a fire a two weeks ago from today with no end in sight. Don't mind my corniness, but I'm going to keep fueling my fire.

There are a few things I'm doing to keep myself motivated.

I plan my day instead of just doing whatever. This insures that I have time.
I read blogs whenever I feel unmotivated. It keeps me in the mindset that there are others in the same boat and there are people who have managed to cross the finish line to a fit lifestyle.
I write this blog. I feel accountable.
Those days when I'm considering taking a rest day that I don't really need I ask myself "Do I really want to end my "x" day streak?!"

People have said it a million times, but this is a 90% mental journey. I am getting into the habit of exercising. My next goal, will be to really focus on my diet.

21 Day Challenge - Running All Over You

2010-04-18T18:37:00.007-04:00

I'm about to head off to the gym. Even though I originally planned to make today a rest day I feel pretty good, at least well enough to do some exercising. Today I will be hopping on the stationary bike for about 30 min and then hopefully the stairmaster for 15 min (if its open).

My second official weigh-in is coming up in two days. I haven't stepped on a scale since last week and I'm very curious to know if I've lost any weight since then. I'm trying to not let the numbers from the scale matter, but its really hard not to. I want those numbers to budge!

I just made a pledge to become a runner. Running is something I've always loved. Although I'm not currently one I would love to become run. I love seeing people running around campus, why shouldn't I be one of them. I believe the main thing stopping me is just my own timidness. I don't want to be that "fat" girl trying to run and neither do I want people to see me when I have to stop and walk. I really need to get over this, because its silly. But I just hate looking foolish.

I pledge to become a runner, it is something I know that I can do.

You can find my pledge here: http://www.bhg.com/healthpledge?pledgeid=596700011

21 Day Challenge - Don't quit, half-way through

2010-04-17T11:52:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my 11'th day on my 21 day challenge! I have exercised straight through for eleven days. This mark is important because that means that I'm halfway through. And I've already made plans to workout tonight.

I don't think I'm going to use tomorrow as Rest Day. I actually feel pretty good. Though my back does hurt from my sleep last night. I gave myself a bit of a break on Thursday, all I did was the treadmill for 30 min.

Yesterday I my main go was to get a full body strength training workout. I believe that I'm putting too much emphasis on cardio and not enough on strength. So I did lots of machines. My boyfriend made me do his ab workout (I hate abs!) and I still decided to run for 15 min at the beginning.

Today and tomorrow I'm going to see plays for one of my classes. So I'm going to have to squeeze a workout in between the plays and studying for the coming final exams.

21 Day Challenge - I sure feel a rest day coming

2010-04-15T15:09:00.004-04:00

This is how I feel right now.

I am physically exhausted. Though I do have the energy to get through my day I don't have the energy to get through a sufficient workout. My arms are tired, my legs are tired, and my ankle is acting crazy. I thought that if I just continued the tiredness would wear-off but I do think I'm going to need to make use of one of my rest days.

Right now I believe that I'm going to choose this Sunday as my rest day. If after Friday and Saturday's workout I feel like this I'm going to take Sunday off. Sunday is going to be a busy day anyways so that seems like the best choice.

Too Much Laundry

2010-04-14T23:14:00.002-04:00

I love my school's recreational program. There are such a range of activities to do, and in the two years I've been year I don't feel like I've made full use of them. For one, I only just recently visited Lake Wauburg. Wauburg is a park a few miles from the school with lots of activities for the students. For example, canoeing, rock climbing, and biking. I need to make more use of things such as this.

Monday I played racquetball and tonight I played tennis. However, I don't think it was too smart to play two sports that both use my right arm. My arm is exhausted.

Friday I have plans to go play sand volleyball, which is my favorite by far. Hopefully those plans won't fall through.

The only thing I don't like about this challenge is the need to constantly be washing my sports bra's.

Wednesday Funny #1

2010-04-14T12:00:00.002-04:00

21 Day Challenge - Official Weigh-In #2

2010-04-13T12:20:00.004-04:00

My second official weigh-in isn't that great. I've lost 1 pound. I'm down from 200 to 199. I don't know what I was really expecting when I hopped on the scale but I guess I was hoping for a bigger change than that.

However, I'm not going to let the immovable scale weigh me down (get it, lol). Looking at this from the glass is half-full prospective...I have worked out 7 days in a row, I have lost 1 pound, and I feel great!

21 Day Challenge - 7 Days Down!

2010-04-12T22:29:00.003-04:00

I have just completed my 7th day in a row of working out. I still have all my freebies and I feel good. Tonight I play racquetball with the boyfriend and we had so much fun. He was surprised when I was pretty good (I beat him in both games).

These seven days weren't as challenging as I thought they were going to be. I thought I was going to have to kill myself to go to the gym, but it was just a matter of keeping a positive mindset. I really believe that losing weight is 1 part Exercise, 2 parts eating healthy, and 6 parts having a positive mindset.

I'm also trying to incorporate a variety of things as you can see in my calendar. This is so things won't get too boring. One activity I want to do is play some sand volleyball. I love volleyball and sand volleyball is the best. Hopefully my wish will be fulfilled this weekend.

My 2nd official weigh-in is tomorrow. Lets see how I did.

Freshmen 50

2010-04-11T16:06:00.008-04:00

When I first entered college I was hovering in between 150-160. I was able to fit into size 11's and 13's. I started college in a program for my major. The program was intense and it had me walking all over campus to get places so I stayed pretty much the same weight that summer.

When I started my first full normal semester I didn't even have a plan to eat. I don't know what I was thinking. I was too cheap to buy a meal-plan and too lazy to cook. So I mostly ate out. This is when the pounds started creeping up on me. I started noticing it by mid-semester that I was having a tougher time fitting into my once loved jeans and my clothing selection started dwindling.

During my 2nd semester (spring) I really was struggle for clothes to wear. I had two or three bottoms I would rotate and being a broke college student there wasn't much I could do about it.

This was when I finally took notice and tried to do something about it... unsuccessfully but I did try. I would make sure I went to the gym every other day. I'm not sure if this did anything at all, but it was an effort.

That summer I spent the semester taking a class at home. There I tried again. But one thing about my house we always have unhealthy goodies available and would gorge on them while rationalizing them saying that "one more couldn't hurt."

At the end of the summer I went back to school a "lovely" 190 lbs. And that next semester...again I ballooned another 10 pounds which would bring me to my current weight of 200 lbs.

I never thought I would reach 200 lbs. It is such an astronomical number. But, at this point I do realize that me just saying that the number is high is not going to make it any smaller. I have to do something about it. The freshmen 15 for some is more like the freshmen 50 for me.

I have tried again and again to lose this weight. But this time is different. This time I realize that there is something wrong with the way I eat. I have started cooking more often in my dorm. I go out to eat maybe twice a week and when I do I try to order the healthier option of what I do want. I'm not trying to starve myself of deprive myself of what I want, but I am trying to eat smaller portions and eat what I love in moderation.

Just last night, I did eat too many cookies and cake, but I didn't let that deter me. I took note of what I was doing (eating without even realizing) and stopped heading toward the sweet table and instead payed more attention to my friends.

Its time I banish my freshmen 50.

High School Lifestyle - Less food because of Less access

2010-04-09T00:36:00.001-04:00

I began writing this post thinking about what it was in high school that kept me at a lower weight. Let my start by saying I wasn't skinny in high school. I haven't been "thin" since I was about 7. I don't know exactly when I started to gain weight, but I averaged around 160.

Then in high school, specifically during my eleventh grade year I got serious about my weight because of prom. I was doing Taebo and Turbo Jam everyday because I wanted to look as good as possible in order to fit into my dress. It worked. I lost a few pounds only about 5 or 10 but it was something.

The funny thing about it though was that I didn't eat any less, or at least during each meal I didn't eat any less. I was greedy and overate just like my mom tends to do (we are the only two in my family that struggle with weight, the other four are all boys).

But I think it was the fact that I was so busy throughout the day that I kept my weight down. While I did eat a lot at each meal, I didn't eat as often throughout the day. Maybe only 2 meals. For breakfast I would usually have something extremely small. At lunch I would eat in the cafeteria, but didn't get much. But when I got home thats when I really ate my days sustenance.

This is what I believe really effected my weight. The fact that most of my calories came from only one meal.

I didn't exercise too much besides the videos a few days a week and I did no weight training but I was able to maintain my weight and even shed a few pounds here or there.

The summer before my twelfth grade year was really when I lost the most weight. My cousin was staying with us and we had discovered the magic of Shaun T's Hip Hop Abs.

My cousin, my mom, my aunt (sometimes), and I were doing his workouts just about every weekday. It was fun! Not only did I slim up that summer, but my stomach even shrunk. I was finally the proud owner of a flat tummy.

I was able to keep this new figure (with about a 2-5 pound fluctuation) for my entire Senior Year. It was when I said bye bye to the days of 8 hour classes when I said bye bye to a figure I was proud of.

21 Day Challenge - Yep, Its Half-Full

2010-04-07T23:36:00.007-04:00

They say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. So in an effort to make weight loss my habit I am starting a 21 day challenge.

This challenge will consist of at least 30 min of exercise every single day for 21 days. Yesterday actually was my first day and I exercised today so... thats 2 days down! I'm going to look at this as the glass half-full so instead of saying "19 days to go!" I'm saying "2 days in a row!"

I also posted a calendar in a link on my sidebar. This is where I will post my daily exercising and my weekly weigh-ins.

I am also constructing a schedule for each of these days which will help me to stay on track. Deviation isn't bad, but simply not exercising definitely is!

But I am going to allow myself 3 freebies. The main reason is because I am in college and the semester is going to be ending soon. So I will be moving out of my dorm soon, and also because finals are coming up and I might not be able to exercise on those dates.

Look out soon for a look into my high school lifestyle.

Welcome - Time to light that Fire

2010-04-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

I have created this blog in order to explore the reasons behind my rapid weight gain since I've started attending college, and also the reason why I can't seem to lose the weight.

I will attempt to be as honest with myself as possible. I am a firm believer that this problem can be fixed. The issue is with actually putting my plans into action.

I will start with discussing my lifestyle differences from high school and then to college. Then the blog will continue with me exercise and eating habits that I will adopt.

So here's to lighting a fire and keeping it burning strong.

"I'm allergic to food. Every time I eat it breaks out into fat."
~Jennifer Greene Duncan