Motivation Monday

You know what? There's an athlete inside me somewhere.

When I'm panting for air and my muscles are trembling with strain and exhaustion, I can feel her, deep down inside me telling me I can DO this. One more rep, 30 more seconds, I have it in me.

And, in those moments I feel like I can conquer the world.

She's the reason I push forward on the days when working out seems like the worst idea in the world.

I can see glimpses of her now, through this stubborn layer of fat that has trapped her and tried to smother her one piece of cheesecake at a time. She's starting to break through after three years of effort. You'd think she'd be too tired by now, but nope. Not this girl.

I like this girl. She's strong and smart and confident. Her body responds when she wants it to do something - like jog up the stairs on the way to Zumba or finish that last vinyasa in Yoga X. Sore muscles? No problem. She'll just work through them.

And now that she's peeking through and speaking up more often, I'm all the more eager to meet her. How I wish I could just unzip the fat suit over her so she could step out right now. But then, that would be taking the easy way out and this girl? She doesn't take shortcuts or cheat.

So I'll keep doing what I'm doing and she'll keep on doing what she's doing and before we both know it, the time will be right.

I'm so looking forward to that day.

Oh, and I'm down two more pounds for a total of 12 lbs in three weeks.

Motivation Monday - BOOYA Plateau!

How's THIS for motivation?

On January 2, I started a fitness challenge. I'm doing P90X, following a basic TeamBeachBody nutrition guideline, using Shakeology and going to Zumba three times a week.

Week one: way sore, only lost two pounds. This brought me to the weight number I have been battling against for the last year and a half.  Maybe I've lost inches. ::crosses fingers:: Nope.

So I have a choice - leap of faith, trust the plan, stay on my current path or give up and be at this same weight this time next year (or heaven forbid even heavier). Yeah. that made it easier.

Week two. Last Thursday, I had a doctor's appointment. One where I knew I'd have to be weighed. Five weeks prior was my last appointment and the doctor mentioned that I'd gained a few pounds. And um, yeah, it was before the holidays so I can't blame Christmas or New Year's.

I hadn't weighed since that Monday so I really had no idea what my number would be and I was determined not to be stressed about it. It is what it is, and even if I haven't lost any more than the two pounds from Monday, at least it was two pounds down.

So I hop on the scale and move the weight to where I thought it should be. Too heavy? Sa-weet! Slide it down, slide it down, slide it down. Five pounds down.  By the doctor's record, I've lost 13 pounds in five weeks. And today when I weighed in, I was hoping that my scale  - which tends to weigh me a couple pounds heavier than the doctor's scale - reflected that same number.

Well, it didn't.

It was two pounds LESS.

::sprinkler:: ::running man:: ::MC Hammer U Can't Touch This::

Should I dare take measurements? Romi used to weigh and measure me every two weeks when I was working with her. I had a general idea of what my measurements were (mostly my waist measurement), so imagine my surprise when I had lost inches in my chest, waist, hips, thighs (TWO inches in EACH thigh, thankyouverymuch), biceps and calves. 9 inches in total. Ten pounds in total. In two weeks.

Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that all day long. Good bye plateau. I will not miss you. Buh bye!

All pumped up that I now weigh right around what I did on my wedding day - ten years ago - I headed to the gym to do the chest and back workout.

Woooooooooweeeeee! What a struggle I had today.  Everything felt so hard, but I looked back at my records and I'm steadily improving. And the sweat was actually rolling off me. Attractive.

I went to Zumba this afternoon and was drenched in sweat after that class too. But I loved it. Tomorrow is freakin' Plyo. I do not love plyo, but I'm determined to master it.

Can't wait to see what next Monday brings.

Motivation Monday - Free* - Week Four, Day 1

I had another doctor's appointment today and was pleased that my weight over Thanksgiving stayed pretty much the same. I was up less than a pound, and I am absolutely okay with that!

Last week I kicked butt with workouts. My 10K bike time is just under 30 minutes, my 8 lap swim so far is just around 20 minutes. If I were able to use the elliptical instead of the treadmill, I could ring in a 2.5 mile time at around 23:20. On the treadmill, my best 2.5 mile time has been about 43 minutes, but I have until almost the end of February to improve that - and all my times. I can work with that. I'm doing back to back workouts - swim and bike, swim and treadmill, or bike and treadmill. I want to get used to the distances and having to switch between the pool, the bike, and the treadmill.

I'm also diving back into P90X weight lifting. I only have one word for that - ouch! But in a good way.

On top of all that training, I'm doing Zumba as many times a week as I can - averaging about four. I'm not sure I'll be able to continue 7:30 Zumba once Robert deploys, so I want to get in as much of it as possible right now.

I was stressed last week about not getting in enough workout time, but I managed to work out Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Not bad for a holiday week and a trip out of town over the weekend. I was actually even grumpy on Wednesday thinking I might not get a chance to workout Friday through Sunday, but we made it work.

Which, really, is what you do when something is important enough to you. You make it work.

Motivation Monday - Free*

On the workout front, I kicked booty last week, working out five of seven days. 

However, on the weight loss front, I did not kick booty. I was up three pounds from last week. Then again, I was eating everything in sight and then some. So it kind of figures. 

The YMCA's in this area just rolled out a new program called Free*. You earn points for working out, volunteering, etc. One of the ways to earn points is to journal about your journey. I'll be blogging about it for the next six weeks. I mean, hey, it's worth 30 points a day if I read the point grid correctly. I hope that by doing this, I can head back down the path I'm supposed to be traveling and getting myself back on track.  

For today, I've done a really good job. I'm doing a modified version of the Fat Smash Detox, allowing myself some protein every day and only following it for a week versus 10 days. After that, I switch back to the eating plan that always works for me (when I follow it) and I should have no trouble meeting my 20 pound weight loss goal by the end of the year. Well, 23 now. 

I also did an intense interval workout with Robert this morning (jogging and mountain climbers included, yo) and then I went to Zumba this afternoon. The indoor triathalon is in Feburary and I really want to be in good enough shape to finish it and post decent times. I was planning on going to a Zumba certification class in December, but when I went to register today, it was sold out. Bummer! So, I'll just have to catch the next one. 

Motivation Monday

Guess what? Today I felt actual motivation for the first time in....well, a while. ::happy dance!::

My workout yesterday went really well and today I made it to Zumba. Even better than that, I made it through Zumba with ease. Much better than the last time I went.

I credit remembering to take my iron pills. I've had trouble with my iron levels for years, but low iron hasn't ever affected my health (other than making me tired) before this go round.

Last week I did manage to work out five times (yay I met my goal) and lost a pound to boot. Not too bad, really considering all that was going on.

Tomorrow I circuit train which I'm excited about because I have really, really missed doing serious weights.

A friend of mine invited me to go with her to a Zumba certification class in early December. If I really hit the cardio hard between now and then (and get clearance from my doctor), I'm going to give it a try. How cool would it be to be Zumba certified?!!?!? Pretty darn cool, I think!

Motivation Monday/Tuesday/When I remember to post it

***It was a pretty busy holiday weekend, which led to Saturday feeling like Sunday, Sunday feeling like Saturday, and Monday just feeling plain odd. I had the Monday post mostly written, but I was engrossed in a book and forgot to post my Monday post on Monday. Lucky for me, my posting/not posting has no real effect on how the world turns. But I do sincerely apologize.***

No change on the scale.  But I only got a workout in on Monday and Friday. I did active things off and on through the week and I was so busy that I kept moving all week and weekend long, but dedicated workouts? Not so much.

However, with my iron level on the rise, at least I don't feel like walking to the mail box requires a similar effort to, say, climbing Mount Everest. Yes, it was that low. Yes, I know that's really dangerous. I'm doing everything possible to fix this...even if it means having to dive into a delicious, thick, juicy yet lean steak once a week or so. It's a hard life at times.

Friday I thought it would be a GREAT idea do do some serious weight lifting. After I got my cardio in, I did three sets of chest presses with 20 lb dumbbells, three sets of chest flys with 15 lb dumbbells, three sets of skull crushers with 15 lb dumbbells, three sets of military presses with 15's, three sets of shoulder raises with 15's, and three sets of tricep extensions with 15's. Oh, and three sets of bicep curls with 20's.

And then I couldn't move without pain until today.

I talked to Dad on Sunday and we had a chat about frustration and 'healthy living' changes. I wonder if results will ever happen fast enough for me. Probably not. But I have to keep trying. I thought eating healthy and working out would get easier over time. In one way that's true (it's usually a part of my every day routine) and in one way that's not true (because it's still difficult and sometimes a real struggle). But all I can do is keep on keeping on. Eventually, something is going to click that has not clicked yet. And when that happens, you'll hear my whoops of joy across the land.

Motivation Monday

I'm actually posting this on a Monday!

Progress.

First the bad news. All that frat boy eating I did last weekend and the weekend before? Yeah, well, it showed up as a three pound weight gain this morning. Well, that and the complete lack of daily workouts. (Only two days last week - shame on me! Shame!)

Bummer.

I even peed, showered, and weighed again to make sure. Yep, three pounds up. But - I've got no one to blame but myself.

Yesterday involved a trip to Sam's Club. I sent the rest of the family across the street for frozen yogurt while I wholesale shopped. And I resisted the HUGE bag of peanut butter M&M's which, in my humble opinion, is the best thing ever invented...even with their artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup. That right there? Should have been worth at least a pound on the scale. (oh wait...what if it was?!?! Yikes!) Moving on...

Interestingly enough? Our Sam's Club carries Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero, but no Pepsi Max, which is Robert's favorite thing to drink.

I'm feeling a little sore today from our workout yesterday. My biceps are slightly achy and my butt is reminding me at every given opportunity of my 10 mile bike ride. Serves me right!

I did make it to the 4:30 Zumba class today. I even participated. At the end of the class someone asked me if I come to Zumba often. I said I used to, but I'm determined to get back in the habit. She said the same and mentioned she looked at the clock 30 minutes in and thought about leaving.

ME TOO!

But neither of us did. So that should count for something, right?

My weight loss goal for next week is to lose the three pounds I've gained back.

See you next week!

Hello, Fear, my old friend

Either yesterday or the day before, Robert asked me if I was thinking of riding my bike to the gym on Sunday for our workout. 

Ummmmm....well, I am now?!?

I'm mentioned a time or twenty-seven that my workouts have really been a struggle lately. Part of it is almost certainly lack of proper motivation. Let's face it, the rut I'm in currently may actually be big enough to camp in. 

Last weekend in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee? Not once did I think 'ooooh...we should go hiking or walking or....anything'. 

Not good. And not like me at all the past couple years. 

I thought a lot about that on the way back to Illinois. Is it really just a motivation issue or is it something else?

I didn't really come up with any sort of answer.  I mean, when I work out now, I know I have to listen to my body...but what if my mind is playing tricks on my body and I just think I need to stop/slow down when I really don't. What if I'm taking the easy way out? Stranger things have happened. 

Or...maybe I just needed to take a break from working out. Which, if I'm totally honest with myself, I've kinda already been doing. I'm soooooo much slower on cardio equipment these days. I get tired so easily. I feel like I'm rolling backwards downhill and can't stop. 

So today, I got on my bike and rode to the Y. On the way there, I stopped twice: once to adjust my backpack and iPod, the other because the chain was making a noise that sounded like it could mean trouble. The whole time I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it.   

But I did make it. I went super duper slowly sometimes, but I made it. Even though I was tired, by the time I was ready to leave the Y, I was ready to ride back. And the ride back went much better, much faster, and much easier. And, I only stopped (briefly) for stop signs. 

And I realized on my bike ride home that fear is holding me back just as much as lack of motivation or anything else. And that just will not do.