{What's Happening.} Not Much

I set the timer for 30 minutes. 30 minutes to write whatever. This is what you get. Enjoy!

Daily Work

Work was not busy the last couple of days. Wow. I haven't said that in a while. Don't get me wrong; I had stuff to do. It just wasn't crazy or anything. I was actually bored a bit. Boring days have been rare days at this job.

I did make progress on a large mailing that was 2 pages and going out to about 240 people: printing the letter, printing the envelopes, and collating & stuffing the envelopes. Sometimes all this printing can really get the best of me, but thankfully this event was mostly drama-free with only a few jams and only minor cursing - j/k, Mom! :-) 

This mailing is a result of a database cleanse and it has taken several months, maybe years, to get to this point. The list of clients was scrutinized by many people in our firm and generally the clients have either small accounts or just life insurance policies with us (and no potential business in the future). An advisor within our group was selected to take over the servicing of these accounts and policies. 

Giving away these clients will enable us to focus more of our energies and resources on our paying customers. We often spend a lot of time servicing these give-away clients, and it takes away time we could be spending on the paying clients. With the firm growing the way it has over the past few years, this was inevitable.

There are several steps in this client give-away process, but for now the letter is printed and ready to mail. These other steps will probably have to get done in the midst of crazy, because these quiet days won't last: spring is coming!

Workout, Schmirkout

Yesterday I determined to workout, but was very close to talking myself out of it when I got home. I was cold. The bus had been late. I was cold. I just wasn't up to popping in a video. I hadn't worked out in a couple of weeks, why start tonight? I don't feel like it. I was cold. The excuses were piling up even if some were redundant or illogical. I was cold.

So to ignore my excuses I tried something new. I found a site, www.7-min.com, that was too easy to pass up. It's 12 exercises that you do for 30 seconds each with a 10 second rest in between. 

You can do it as many times as you want. I got through 1 1/2 times before I quit. I'm giving myself a B- for the day - mostly because I'm a twinge sore - a good sore, I think!!

Today I will do more. I will do better. It's time to kick winter in the butt. It's been dragging me down for the past few weeks and I'm done. Winter, be gone! Goodbye! ...I'm figuring the only way I will get out of this funk is to give myself a kick! Let's do this!! 

What are you doing to say goodbye to Winter, even though he won't leave?

{Flip Side} of Workouts

I've told you how great Fit Body Boot Camp is, but you should know the challenges, as well.

I have come to understand that the hard work of losing weight is consistent workouts and eating right. With this post I'd like to focus on the hard work of workouts; I'll save the eating right for another day.

Knee pain, back pain, arm pain, leg pain, ibuprofen, ice packs, and rest are all components of my hard work with Fit Body.

If you've never done a boot camp or any regular exercise, I just want you to know, there will be pain. And, again I'm going to say it: THERE WILL BE PAIN.

I don't have a magic time frame of WHEN the pain will stop (and maybe for some it never does), but the pain mostly goes away after a while...mmm, but then it comes back. OK, yes, it goes away again...but then it comes back, again. And you know what? You kind of like it when it does, as long as it doesn't stay too long. From my perspective pain seems to be a way for you to know that you are working your muscles, gaining new muscles, and getting you stronger.

Setting goals and focused workouts

I believe to accomplish a goal, you need to work hard and follow a system to see completion. Last January, I put on my goal list to lose 50 lbs. I've been writing this down for a few years in a row so it wasn't a new goal. What I failed to do those last few years was set down a clear process for myself to get there.

This year, while I had regular exercise in my weekly plan, I didn't really know what I was doing. A little bit of elliptical, a little bit of weight lifting, and all without instructions or a clear plan. I also did not track what I ate. 

That's where Fit Body came in the picture and gave me FOCUS. Workouts were 30 minutes in and done. Sometimes I would do two sessions, but that didn't happen until some of the pain had died down. Not that I was in pain during the workouts. The trainers, of course, told you that you should listen to your body and not continue if you were in pain. The pain I'm referring to was the pain that comes afterwards - the stiff muscles, the sore back, the knees that talked back when you go up and down stairs, etc.

I here to tell you, that the pain is worth it. Even when you go to bed every night (after a soak in the tub) with ice packs and ibuprofen. Oh, and you read that correctly, ice packs. As in more than one. 

So the lesson from me to you is simply this: don't be afraid of a little pain. 

What some others have had to say about pain:

“Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret!” – Unknown

“Fall down seven times, get up eight” -Chinese proverb

“Pain is only weakness leaving the body” – Unknown

“Strength is the product of struggle” – Unknown

“How am I to know what I can achieve if I quit? – Unknown

“Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you” – Ovid

“The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground” – Unknown 

“It’s about mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter” -Unknown

“There are only two options regarding commitment, you’re either in or your out. There’s no such thing as life in between.” – Unknown 

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4 

This post in no way prohibits or excludes me from complaining about said pain. 

{Starting the New Year} with Progress!

Yesterday I went shopping. Not just any kind of shopping, but shopping for new jeans. This might not sound like a fun adventure for some, but the reason I was shopping for jeans was because I needed a smaller size. Yup, a smaller size! Oh, that feels good to say!!

I had my final weigh-in and assessment today at Fit Body Boot Camp, and I'm officially down 15.75", 8% body fat, and 30 lbs! An excellent way to finish out my time at Fit Body, if I do say so myself! I was also pleasantly surprised to win honorable mention in the "8 Is Great" competition. My prize was a Thirty-One gym bag! (It's what I've wanted for about 6 months - a perfect gift!)

Megan, the owner of Fit Body asked me to write a testimonial of my experience, and I thought I would also share it here:

I had great experience with Fit Body Boot Camp. I'm really going to miss it! (If you've been reading my blog or Facebook posts, you know) I highly recommend Fit Body to anyone! It might seem obvious to say, but Fit Body really is a great place to get fit as it doesn't matter what your fitness level is, what your size is, what your age is, or even if you have the latest workout clothes.

My experience with Fit Body was all positive and I would really have a hard time finding something negative to say about it. The trainers are friendly, helpful and encouraging: they learn your names quickly, and that means a lot to me; if you need to modify an exercise, they are great with alternative options; oh, and if you need to use a heavier weight, they'll let you know! That last one is kind of tongue-in-cheek, but really, they encourage you by challenging to do more than you think you can do.

The fellow participants were also great! I connected with several people and seeing them each time I went to workout always gave me extra, positive energy to get through the class or in some cases, stay for an extra session! I can't say I will remember everyone's name, but if they happen to read this, I just want them to know that they were an encouragement to me and helped make my FBBC experience a success!

For maybe a year (or two?) I had been reading about boot camp classes on some blogs and was very curious about the format. It happened that I heard of Fit Body through a friend right about the time I was ready to spend some money on my fitness goals. I'm very thankful that I took the opportunity to try it out back in June and that I was able to finish the year with 8 weeks more!

Thanks, Megan, for a great experience! I look forward to coming back in the future - hopefully, the not-too-distant-future!

(You can read more of my fitness posts by clicking here.)

{Fit Body Assessment}

After a quick weekend away at my parents I got home in time to change quick and dash to Fit Body for a 2pm workout. It was a smallish class but a good one. I'm always amazed at how fast the 30 minutes go by. Sometimes I look at the clock and see I'm about half-way done, but often I'll look at the clock thinking it will probably be half-way and it's more than half-way done! Like 5 or 10 min left! Crazy-fast!

 

After class I asked to do an assessment since it's been 4 weeks since I re-started and I'm half-way through the 8 week competition. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lower number on the scale than I had seen so far when weighing at the gym.

 

The loss showed up this way: -6.6lbs, -1.2% body fat, -4" (-.75" Shoulders, -2" Chest, -.5" Waist, -.75" Hips, -0" Thigh, -0" Arm). She gave me a $10 iTunes gift card, too!

 

My overall loss in the last 5 months looks like this: -27 lbs., -3.5% Body Fat, -17.75" (-4.75" Shoulders, -2" Chest, -3.25" Waist, -3" Hips, -3.25" Thigh, -1.5" Arm).

 

This is very exciting! I would love to reach my ultimate goal of 50 lbs. by the end of the year, but if I could hit -35lbs that would be a great accomplishment for the year!

 

Recently I reviewed some tracking cards from Weight Watchers from 2004-05 and I saw the lowest I ever got while on the program. I don't ever want to be a size 22 or 20 again so even while I'm still losing weight I feel like I need to assess how this is different than back then. What do I need to do to keep from seeing size 20 or 22 again?

1. food tracking - healthy choices
2. regular exercise - variety - running - fit body - videos - walking

These two things sound so simple. And maybe it is that simple.

 

Working out is a big part of my daily activities. I plan my day around when I can work out. I want to keep doing that! I even planned my Thanksgiving vacation around my workout schedule.

 

In addition to working out, planning my food intake is a huge part of my daily activities. I've learned a lot over the years about healthy food, but haven't always known how to apply it to me. I see that the tracking of what I eat isn't the sole answer, but planning for healthy options is tied in with it. Learning how to have a healthy balance (protein, fats, and carbs) was not easy for me until I found MyFitnessPal.

 

I in no way have it all figured out, but I feel like I have the right tools. MyFitnessPal, fitness blogs, and Fit Body are some of the best tools for me right now. (I'm kind of ignoring the fact that I only have 4 weeks left of Fit Body.)

 

I'm not really sure if any of this makes sense, but just had to get it out there. Thanks for reading :)

{-27.6, The Weightloss Continues}

Yesterday I was chatting with someone about how much weight I've lost,and I was happy to say I was down 26 lbs. This morning I saw a new low on the scale and can now say 27.6 lbs lost!

So I thought I'd give a glimpse of what my overall weight loss looks like over the last 6 months. Using MyFitness Pal to track my weight loss has been a great tool.

3 months ago I finished 6 weeks at Fit Body Boot Camp and really loved it. The only reason I stopped going was because it's not cheap. Since I have a free gym at my work it's hard to justify the expense.

I didn't stop working out. As you know, I used Jillian Michael's videos and some running. I really got into the little bit of running I was able to do. I had worked up to running a full mile without slowing to a complete walk.

My weight loss over the last 3 months continued even after stopping Fit Body, but the opportunity to do 8 more weeks at Fit Body was presented at a price I wanted to pay. I jumped at the chance to finish out this year as strong as possible.

Two weeks ago I rejoined Fit Body for the 8 week program to help me reach my goal for this year. So far it's been great! I've already seen the scale drop in a significant way and I feel stronger. Much stronger. I've been going 5-6 days a week and next week plan to do a couple of double sessions.

The workouts at Fit Body are tough, but the energetic trainers and helpful classmates make you think, "was that really a half hour?!"

Even if I don't reach my goal for 2013. I know this: my 2014 goal will not have to be as big as the past few year's goals.

Oh, remember this? My summer goals?

I'm still working on getting through the entire Bible. I have about 12 days of the reading plan left! It has taken longer than 90 days, but I'm getting there!! May God add his blessing to the reading of His Word.

As the end of 2013 quickly approaches, I wonder, are you making a mad-dash to reach any goals you had for this year?

{Inspiration}

It's been a while since I just wrote a blog post for the sake of blogging and not just updating or giving you the highlights. This one has been swirling around my head for a few weeks, so here goes...

 

There have been several people who have been inspirational to me during my journey of health and fitness and I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on their influence in recent days.

---

Family - This summer we enjoyed many get-togethers thanks to my parents close proximity to the Cities. On several occasions our activity of the day was walking and exploring. Some of the places we visited were the Stone Arch Bridge, Centennial Lakes, Medicine Lake, and several miles of the Three Rivers Bike Trail.

Dad & Mom - Since your health scare last year, Mom, we've all been a little more conscious of our salt intake! Dad, this summer your 2-a-days were definitely inspirational. It was fun to walk several 5Ks with you!

Jen & Eric - Thanks for your part in my first 5K :)

Jess & Luke - Chasing around your littles always adds a little exercise for the day ;)

Meggie & Jake - I've appreciated your example of a determined, disciplined runner, Meg. Seems every week or so I hear about you running and I'm usually in awe. Oh, and Jake, your breathing-while-running advice goes through my head. Every. Time. I. Run.

Anna Grace - Thanks for getting me on a bike for the first time in a couple decades! It was tough, but I did it!


Friends - I've received much encouragement in person and through Facebook and MyFitnessPal. Some days this is what keeps me keeping on.

Alicia - Without you, I would not have had the successful Fit Body Boot Camp experience! I'm stronger because of you!

Monica - Your determination and spirit are always uplifting!

Beth - Thanks for all your encouraging comments!

Kimmy - Your statuses on running gave me a push that I needed!

Andrea - I can relate to the whole buying a workout DVD and not opening it right away. My first Jillian Michaels' DVD sat unopened for more than 6 months. I finally cracked it open the weekend before I started Fit Body Boot Camp. My only regret is not opening it sooner.

Shanna - You have a way with words! I hope you continue to write!

Danna - Your passion for research, health, fitness and more is something to strive for! Have you ever thought of being a fitness instructor?! or fitness blogger/author?


701Building People - Since my gym is AT work, occasionally I workout with other people from work. None of my immediate co-workers use the gym, but other advisors and staff do, so I've gotten to know a couple of them a little better that way.

AdvisorNet Advisor - Dean, you mentioned one time about running to the Stone Arch Bridge. When you explained how to get there, I'll be honest, I wasn't listening to your instructions because I thought, "I'll never run there!" I finally did it! Tonight I ran/walked there and back! If you hadn't put it in my head, I never would have thought to venture out as far downtown. This summer I've seen more of downtown Minneapolis than I have in the entire 6 years I've been working here.

701Building's Concierge Receptionist - Sarah, one day, after I had started fit body and hadn't been in the gym at work much, I stopped by your desk and we ended up chatting about why neither of us had been in the gym lately. When I told you about Fit Body, you ended up finding a Groupon deal for 20 sessions. I was several weeks into my 6 weeks and ended up there only a few times when you were. (Also, your prep for your wedding this week might have had something to do with it!) We often chat about what we learned at Fit Body and I've appreciated the company now back in the gym at work.

Lavonne - Your success with Weight Watchers was inspiring! I appreciate our chats about what works for you!

Kathy - I'm looking forward to our lunch walks we've planned for this fall.

Others - The hard part with this kind of post is that I probably left someone out. So this last section is a shout out to the many other people that have been inspiring to me along the way. I also read many blogs and maybe in another post I'll link to some of my favorites that have been especially encouraging or challenging to my health and fitness journey in the past few years.


I'm very happy to re-read this and see so many people in my life who have/are inspiring me to health and fitness. I feel like the list could go on and on!

I've prayed for a workout or walking buddy many times in the past several years and I believe God more than came through for me in all of you! I have much to be thankful for!

---

Who has inspired you lately?!

Oh my! I keep thinking of people to add to this list! Quick, I'm hitting publish before I think of anyone else!



{Summer Highlights}

Summertime, summertime, sum-sum, summertime! Summertime, summertime, sum-sum, summertime...well, that's about all I know of that song - and you're welcome!!

It's been a great summer for me! In the past several years, I don't know that I would have said that about summer. You see, when you're an adult and you don't work in school/education settings, you tend to forget about summer-vacation or nice weather to enjoy. Well, I do, anyway...

But this summer for me was a bit different. 

With my renewed focus* that I found at Fit Body, I actually enjoyed a bit of the summer feel! Was there more that I could have done? Probably. Were there different activities that could have been enjoyed? Most definitely. But I know this summer I put forth my best foot and now looking back, I'm very pleased! 

So you've probably been waiting - holding your breath - for me to update you on my goal progress. Am I right?! ...Haha! 

So without further ado...

As you may recall I mentioned that I was going to do 6 weeks of Jillian Michaels' video to replace my Fit Body workouts. As of today I've actually completed 7 weeks. Two of the weeks weren't what I would consider full weeks, so I decided to add a week for good measure. 

As of this week I'm down exactly 6 lbs from the end of July. (Wow! seeing that in writing makes me very excited!!)

Since the end of July I'm also down a combined 3.5 inches. The inches measurement is not as accurate as when I did the Fit Body assessment since I am now measuring myself.

Overall, it's been a win on the scale and off:

• A couple of weeks ago I went over to my parents in Spooner for the weekend and my mom refitted a bunch of my clothes so I could wear them a bit longer. Some items didn't work out as planned, but she worked her alteration magic on many of my clothes! I hope to get a few more miles out of the clothes I have before breaking the budget for new things.
• Recently I was able to pick up a few new-to-me things at Good Will. Thrift store shopping has never been a favorite of mine, but I did find a great store that I felt comfortable in!
• I've not turned into a runner yet, but I have done some more jogging.

What's next?!

Next week, I'm set to begin another video of Jillian's. I plan to do another 6 week and hopefully you'll see an update or two in there, but I'm not promising anything...

Speaking of summer fun...

I'm thankful for getting to go to two Twins games this season. Both times the weather was fantastic!

Twins Game with Nephew Ethan - 4/26/13

Twins Game with Nephew Carsten - 9/7/13 

And the best part about looking at these two pictures is that I'm wearing a size smaller in my jeans! Yep! :-)

*I recently realized (after reading some comments on a friends fb status) that it was focus that I gained from my experience with Fit Body. I used to get so bored while working out and I didn't really like it. Now, I get in, do what I need to, and get out. Love it!

{"ee-ee-go!"}

Jess's one-year old F has been saying "ee-ee-go!", as in "Ready, Set, GO!", and then he takes off running. It's kind of funny when he does it in the condo because there's not a lot of space, but he takes off like he's going to win a race!

I could have used a recording of F's "ee-ee-go" on my walk last night.

Frequently I've been thinking about a conversation with someone I work out with at my gym at work. Her boyfriend, an avid runner, had said that if someone wants to lose weight, they need to run. She went on to explain that he hasn't seen any other form of activity help with weight loss as much as running does.

Now I've been saying, "I don't run" or "I'm not a runner" since I started working out in 2011. It seemed like a mental game I didn't want to play - having to talk myself into running just a bit farther. But since weight loss is my goal, I'm starting to rethink my thoughts on running.

Shortly after starting my walk last night I began to jog. It didn't last long, as usual, but it was enough to get my heart rate up and give me a push. I was in the groove.

My planned route was a 5k and at the turn (1.55 miles) I decided I should start to jog again. I knew that a hill (decline) was coming next so I started to jog on the straight away. I had a good rhythm going and obviously my pace increased as I went downhill.

As I reached the middle of the hill, I told myself I should keep going until I heard my Endomondo tracker tell me I've reached "2 miles". Normally when I've tried jogging down the hill I've resumed walking shortly thereafter, but this time was different: I kept going.

I think it was the breathing that helped me. I had this very regulated inhale-through-the-nose and exhale-out-the-mouth thing going on. I'm sure I looked/sounded crazy as I was doing it. Yeah, you can pretty much guarantee that I did.

But wouldn't you know, I kept running/jogging until well past the Endomondo tracker-chick telling me I had hit 2 miles!

I hope you caught that. Were you sitting down?!

Yes, I ran for a half a mile!

I was feeling pretty good, but didn't want to "over do it" ya know, so I resumed walking. I did start jogging again near the end of my route and tried the crazy breathing thing again. I don't think I made it more than a quarter of a mile though.

It took a while for me to cool down, but I was pretty impressed with my non-running self. I finished the 5k in 47 minutes. Not my fastest ever (42 min), but pretty good for adding in some crazy-breathing running!

To top it off, this morning when I weighed myself I saw a new number! I'm not saying that my one-time experience of running was solely responsible for my overnight weight loss, but it definitely was encouraging! I also give credit to my 2 rest days as part of my weekend weight loss, but that's for another blog post.

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.” – George Sheehan

You probably shouldn't read this as my "How I Started Running" post, but maybe you could file it under "I'm closer to 40 than I ever was, but still trying new things."

What's your best running tip?

{5K - Made It!}

Well, I did it: my first 5K event is complete. Our group included Jen, Eric, Tim Emslie and Tim's father-in-law. I was the only walker in the group.

To be honest it would have been more fun if others would have walked with me. It was supposed to be this big thing and then one-by-one people dropped out...so I walked. Alone. Generally that's not a problem for me as that's how I usually walk, but after the throng of runners and joggers got far ahead of me, it got kind of tough to just keep plugging away on my own.

I was surprised a bit by how much this bothered me. Part of me wished I would have tried running, but I knew my running wouldn't last more than 30 seconds (I may have tested it out recently), so I just kept my steady pace and kept moving forward (I also struggled with shin pain for the first mile and a half). I preferred to finish instead of letting strangers find me on the side of the road - you're welcome!

According to my Endomondo Sports Tracker, I finished 3.15 miles in 51:05 minutes. My average pace was 16:14 minutes per mile. No 13 minute miles like I was hoping for.

Thanks to everyone for cheering me on even if most was from a distance!

 

Thanks to Jen for encouraging me to try something new!

After we cleaned up from the 5k, we went over to Jen & Eric's old neighborhood to sit with their friends at the Hanover Harvest Festival Parade. It was a perfect day for a parade.

The kids enjoy collecting candy tossed from the floats. One of the karate groups was passing out tote bags so the kids had even better candy bags than the usual plastic Walmart bag they bring!

A trip to Culver's was in order after the parade was done. Then it was time to go home and enjoy the breeze with the windows open while taking a nap!

Here are a few pics:

Jen & I Pre-race Selfie

Someone offered to take our pic :0)

\

 After. Still smiling!

Also after - Jen and Eric with Tim off to the side.

 

Oops! Morgen's finger got in the way.

 

Ethan, Morgen, Erin, Megan, & Carsten all lined up to get candy at the parade!

 

 

 



{6 Week Results} Fit Body Boot Camp

I'll just get right to it.

Results

Here is me - all glowing or glistening :-) after my final workout at Fit Body Boot Camp:

Results: -10.6 lbs, -7.5 combined inches, and -1.5% body fat

 

You can read about my initial goal here and the update here.

 

I'm thrilled with the results especially since I reached my goal of losing a pant size! About 3/4 of the way through I had to purchase new workout clothes!

 

My Review

 

 

I highly recommend the Fit Body program. Even if you think a boot camp is not for you, I recommend you give it a try. The variety of exercises make it challenging and exciting at the same time. The group environment gives you that competitive edge and the camaraderie gives you accountability with encouragement as you need it.

 

At this point I've decided not to continue working out with Fit Body because of the cost. It doesn't fit in with my financial goals for this year, but if my budget could swing it, I would definitely continue! 

  

What's Next?

 

 

My next fitness goal is to go back to my FREE gym at work. I plan to use the Jillian Michaels 6-Week 6-Pack workout out video about 5-6 times a week, continue walking about 5 times per week at lunch and also walk 4 times per week in the evening. This past week I didn't get to walk (either at work or at the lake) as much as I had the previous 5 weeks. I kinda missed it!

 

I think breaking down my goals into 3-week increments will help me keep focused and also make adjustments as needed. So I plan to do a 3-week update and tweak my workout routine if I'm not seeing results. I'm  already afraid I'm going to get bored with Jillian, but I plan to implement some of my new skills to mix it up a bit.

 

Right at the beginning of the 6 weeks of Fit Body I started recording what I ate. This was a key habit that I will also continue.

 

In Conclusion

 

 

Thanks for all of those who encourage me along the way! Feel free to find me (bekahflam) on MyFitnessPal.com and I can help cheer you on in your fitness goals, too!

 

 

*I was not paid or compensated in any way for any of the above review of Fit Body Boot Camp. These are my own words based on my experience.

 



{Goal Post} Update

I've started this post several times, but am determined to finish it tonight.

 

You may recall that a few weeks ago I told you of a couple of summer goals that I have.

Reading

Today I completed 36% of a 90 day Bible reading plan. Surprisingly I've been able to keep up except for one day, but the app is set up so you can "catch up".

Generally I listen to the daily reading via the YouVersion app on my phone or Kindle. I listen and read along a good portion of the reading for the day on my bus rides to and from work. If there's any of the reading left, I can usually listen while I'm preparing dinner.

Fit Body

I've finished 4 weeks of my 6 week fit body boot camp! Last week I had an assessment and am officially down 3.5 pounds and also down a combined 3 1/2 inches.

I snuck in to weigh myself tonight and see that I'm down a total of 6.4 pounds -- so, yeah, I'm a little excited :)

I've been trying to go 4-5 times and I think I've averaged about 4 times per week. As part of the 6-week program, they want you to come 3 times a week.

Each workout is 30 minutes and is different every time you go. We've done certain exercises more than once, but the workout as a whole has been different each time. After the first workout, I would have described it as "you get down on the ground and then you get back up again. Then you get down on the ground and then you get back up again. Rinse and repeat."

Funny thing is that after the second week, the only guy trainer was in charge on Tuesday night. Right away he mentioned that he heard a rumor that people were describing his class as almost exactly what I would have said.

"So you won't leave the ground for the first 15-20 minutes of this workout," he said. And we didn't. We did 100+ push ups in less than 20 minutes. Of course we didn't do them all at once. We did 10 at a time, and then we flipped over and did some sort of exercise on our back.

 

Pain

Needless to say, I spent the next 3-4 days in pain. I woke up Wednesday and couldn't move my RIGHT arm without distracting pain.

My recovery tools: Max-freeze, Ibuprofen, Ice Pack

A co-worker told me to I needed to do more push-ups to help with the pain. I went in our conference room and did 20, and surprisingly noticed instant relief. I was still very sore, but I did not have the distracting pain like I had before.

I went to workout that evening taking caution with my right arm. I woke up Thursday (4th of July) morning and couldn't move my LEFT arm without distracting pain. I went ahead and did 10 push ups and immediately felt better. Still sore, but better.

On Friday morning I woke up with both arms equally sore, but did not have any of the distracting pain. I did more push ups just to be sure, and then had the thought that this was some evil ploy to get me to do more push ups! ha!

On Saturday I went to the workout and surprised myself with how much I could do. Finally on Sunday I woke up without any soreness in my arms.

Over the past week, I can tell my recovery time is getting shorter and shorter. I did 3 workout days in a row last week and only took a rest day at the suggestion of one the trainers. (I still went for a 3.4 mile walk on my rest day though.)

Move

Something else that has helped me with the soreness in general is my new routine to walk for 15-30 minutes in the middle of my work day. This means that I usually eat lunch at my desk, but it's been nice to get outside and enjoy the summer sunshine.

In addition to my mid-day walk, I've also been walking in the evening. The past week or more, I increased the walk from 30 minutes to about an hour. I can now do a 5k in 53 minutes, give or take.

Tracking

For the past year and a half I've been working out regularly. Last summer/fall I lost about 12 pounds (and went down a pant size) and for the most part kept it off with my workout routine. One of the reasons I wanted to try the boot camp was to get a kickstart to loosing weight again.

The day after I started the boot camp, I began tracking my food. If I bite it, I write it (down). It's really an easy habit since I can use the MyFitnessPal.com app on my phone. The app even has reminders that remind me to record what I eat. The app is especially helpful for me to work at getting the right balance of carbs, fat, and protein since it tracks all of that for me.

Beauty

I have a beautiful walking path not far from my house, and it happens to be along side a little lake.

 

 

 

 

Other Goals

I do have plans to write about some other goals that I'm working on, but for now, I'm focusing on these two goals: Bible reading and Fit Body.

 

I will leave you with one other piece of good news though...

 

I finished paying off my Student Loan on June 17th!

 

This really has been a great summer! And it's not over yet!!

 

And without further ado, I will hit publish and be done with this post - finally!! :))



{Goal Post}

Do you have any summer challenges or goals?

A lot of blogs I read are talking about summer and goals and trips and fun. I need to work on the trips and fun part, but I do have two, make that three, goals for this summer: 

1. Read/listen to entire Bible - I'm using 90 day YouVersion Bible reading plan. I like the option to listen to it on my Kindle Fire!
2. Complete 6 week fitness boot camp. I usually go to my gym at work - for FREE! but a while back I decided to sign up for a boot camp as soon as my student loan was paid off. Well, as luck would have it, a friend posted a link to a boot camp that was starting a new promotion next week. I was able to try it out last night and while I'm still sore, I think I can hack it!
3. Get crackin' on a plan to accomplish other goals I made at the beginning of the year! Since I've been so focused on the student loan payoff, I've let some other goals slip to the shadows. I know I have much to celebrate in the goal accomplishing department as I have officially scheduled my last student loan payment for Monday, June 17. This has been on my ToDo list for way too long. But now that it's done, I don't want to lose sight of a few other things I want to get done this year as well.

I posted the above goals on Facebook, and now a blog post, so I can't change my mind...or back out now or when things get a little tough in the next 3 months. Yikes!

I'll try to keep you posted on my progress in each of the three goals.

And hey, if you're wondering how to set a goal, this is a good tip I discovered in the last couple of years:

 

Let me know what goals you're working on for the summer, the week, the month, the year...!

{Seattle Sutton's} Experiment

For couple of months I had been thinking about trying SeattleSutton's Healthy Eating (SSHE), and this summer I finally signed up. I wanted to write a summary/review to remember my experience, but I never got around to it. Finally I've gathered a few journal entries from my first few weeks and included edited versions for the sake of this blog entry, and wrote down some thoughts.

Journal Entries

Monday, July 23 - It was the Monday after a couple of weeks of crazy so I made sure to set a reminder on my phone to go pick up the food. I ordered one week...we'll see how it goes. First dinner was twice baked potato, spinach, meatloaf and spiced apples. other than the raisins or whatever they were, it was pretty good! 

Tuesday, July 24 - First full day of SSHE food. It was OK. Dinner was probably the least tasty, but not bad.  

Wednesday, July 25 - SSHE is going OK. Day 2 complete. Ate oatmeal for breakfast...didn't think I'd do that ever :) Was really hungry when I got home so I ate bread with PB&J. Hopefully I'll see a drop in the scale after this week is done. I have to decide tomorrow about next week’s order...still thinking, but it might be worth a month or so trial. I like the portion control it gives me: no seconds. 

Thursday, July 26 - Picked up my 2nd half of my first week of food from SSHE  I'm kind of getting to like this convenience! The food is good and stretching my taste buds for things I don't normally eat. I feel pretty good about how much food except last night I had a large bowl of cereal to accompany my meal. I know the next thing I need to do is to add back in exercising and then maybe I could make some smoothies to help me be full. I'd like to get a magic bullet so I can make them easily. Maybe that will be a goal of mine after losing some weight...say 5 or 10 lbs?

Sunday, August 2 - Have been sick all weekend. Coughing and coughing. Started middle of week just a small, dry cough, but it got worse and worse each day. Not sure if it's allergies or what. Finally got Muscinex cough medicine today. Starting to feel better. 

Tuesday, August 7 - I started SSHE 3 weeks ago. Last week I only did a half week on the program because of multiple events around meal times. Considering I still lost a pound, I'm pretty proud of my success so far. I think what I'm learning most from the SSHE program is portion control is key and making calories count. I really enjoy the variety of vegetables and fruits I've been able to try. I like fresh pineapple! I didn't know before I ate it 3 times in one week. That doesn't say a lot for variety, but I also had apple, peach, and orange in a week! I could never get have that much variety by shopping on my own. 

Thoughts on SSHE

SSHE has two program options: 2000 or 1200 calories each day. I chose the 1200 calorie option and part of the 1200 calories included 2 glasses of milk each day. I started drinking the milk, but when I got sick with a nagging cough, I switched to rice milk and within a couple of days I was feeling better.

Overall, SSHE was a way to jump start some weight loss and to date I've seen about a 10 lbs loss. I liked how you could order week by week and even order a half week. Not having to commit to a month or more at a time was convenient.

I decided SSHE is not a long term option for me mostly because of the cost ($120/week), but also the food does get a bit repetitive even though they have a 6 week menu rotation. I noticed the meals I didn't really like would end up in my freezer for a later time when I didn't order, but then they didn't look very appetizing to me when I was ready to eat them.

Life After the Experiment

In September I started working out regularly again after a 3-month break, and I think working out has helped me maintain the weight loss SSHE prompted. In the past two-three weeks I've started to see about a pound or so loss each week. I think the new loss is due to a focus on planned eating (menu planning!) and an increase in my workouts from 30 min., 3 x per week to 45 min., 4-5 x per week. I took my measurements this weekend and was pleasantly surprised I was down an inch in my waist.

I read some weigh loss blogs and they talk about non-scale victories (NSV):  In the past few weeks I've had a few people notice my weight loss which has been very encouraging! Also my clothes are starting to feel big on me. I'm looking forward to some shopping in the near future!

{goal progress}

One of my goals for the year is to lose weight. One of the steps to reaching that goal was to be more active. Having a desk job does not lend itself to assisting with that step, but thankfully my new work-building has a gym.

The Gym

My Spot - Elliptical Machine #1 to the right of the Stair Stepper

I've been using MyFitnessPal to track my workouts on my phone since the beginning of January. Here are two reports from the site:

I'm quite impressed with my consistency the past few months! (pats self on back ;) 

There is one additional thing that I need to start tracking though, and that is food...which for some reason is a habit that I'm resistant to!

MyFitnessPal has a social network component that I've been reluctant to utilize, but I would like to invite you to join me there if you are interested in fitness. Would you join me?!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.  ~Plato

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ~3 John 1:2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~