Monday, March 22, 2010

Monday Blues

Well, I guess it was more weekend blues. I haven't really worked out since my last blog until this morning. Result: Depressing Thoughts.

I'm very happy with myself and even with my looks after working out. Be it the endorphins or just knowing that I'm making progress keeps me from giving in to self-loathing thoughts.

This morning I made myself get back into it with a 10 min resistance workout using my custom video routine. I wasn't able to do as much because 5 days without exercise has left me relatively out of shape. If I can at all tonight I'm going to the gym to get 15-30 min of Cardio in and work back up to my 45 min stamina.

I did read my 3 chapters of the gospels this morning first thing: Matthew 27 & 28 and Mark chapter 1.

I have also started praying for my baby every day that he will receive and trust in Jesus.
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YAY! I made it to the gym! Had to skip a class to do it, but I got 30 min on the treadmill. 2 miles, 200 calories. Incline 3-4% (300 vertical ft). I ran in 3 spurts. It felt so good! I MUST do a little cardio every day just for the endorphins.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sick Day Sweats

Well I made it to the gym thanks to my husband bringing some Aleve: Cold and Sinus home. I felt awful all day but an hour after taking Aleve I could breathe again. I hit the treadmill for 40 minutes, burned 200 calories and walked 2 miles. The calorie burn was so high because I kept the incline between 3-4.5% and walked at 3.7 mph for 10 min. I was very happy with that since I didn't work out on Monday. I'll do my resistance workout this morning and see if I get a chance to go to the gym for cardio. If I do make it to the treadmill I'll do some running today. That 40 min felt great yesterday, but I could have kept going. I'll need to run and push myself harder so I'm worn out in the same amount of time.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Great Breakthrough!

Today I got a lot of housecleaning done! I also cooked a Zucchini Casserole for a couple in our Sunday School class that just had a baby. ( I forgot to get a picture of it ;( It smelled yummy, so I'll have to make another so I can try it!)
This evening I didn't expect to get a chance to go to the gym so I decided to do extra resistance training while watching the Biggest Loser.

I used a 5 lb dumbbell in each hand and strapped on my 2.5 lb weights to my ankles for the leg lifts. I used a resistance band for the leg press. The bicep curls were the easiest so I did 2 sets of 20 interspersed throughout the rest of the arm routine. I did 10 lunges with weights on each leg.

Then my loving husband came home early and I had just enough time to get a workout at the gym before it closed at 8. Stats:

40 min
2.75 miles
336 calories

I did burst training to get this great turnout.
5 min warmup
6 min run at 5.6 mph
2 min cooldown
5 min run at 5.5 mph
5 min cooldown
4 min run at 5.4 mph
walked out the remainder
Even during the running my Heart Rate didn't get about 169 (upper limit for fat burning zone)! I have lowered my heart rate and endurance has improved literally by minutes. I have NEVER in my life trained myself to run even in 6 min spurts. I may just run a 5k after all and solidify my husbands admiration for all time! ;) 

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Mid-Week Progress

Thanks to my husband's kindness I made it to the gym. I walked/ran 1.8 miles, alternating incline from 1-5%, burned 200 calories. The whole half hour I was wearing 2.5 lb strap weights on each arm.

I made 2 casseroles for lunch with my grandparents too!
I really need to change that tablecloth for Spring!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Cooking At Home

I'm using this week of college Spring Break to hone my casserole skills. Here's what I'm making:

Monday was Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake:

Today I made Southwestern Taco Pie

and prepped the Blueberry French Casserole for breakfast tomorrow:

Healthy Hair!

I got a haircut, and it has done wonders! The epidural caused me to lose a lot of hair for months 3-4 after the baby. Now that its finally stopped shedding, I REALLY needed some shape to it. My stylist at GreatClips, Debra, is so intuitive. She gave me EXACTLY what I wanted without even seeing a picture:
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Here's something I found that encouraged me this morning because I'm a trusting optimist: "In short, women who were optimistic and held the expectation that good things, as opposed to bad things, would happen to them were 30% less likely to die from heart disease than their pessimistic counterparts. The study also found that trusting women were 23% less likely to die of cancer than their cynically hostile or highly mistrustful counterparts. It appears that a pessimistic approach to life and hostile attitude toward people opens one up to illness and can shorten one’s life. This is a powerful lesson for those seeking peace of mind, good healthand longevity. So, I suggest you begin injecting a bit of hopefulness and positive thinking into your day and start reaping the wellness benefits of optimism." - Dr. Sklare

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring Break Shake-Up

So, I was good today and did my resistance routine before showering and before breakfast. It was crucial that I did it then because we spent the rest of the morning at the Health Department waiting to get the baby's shots. I haven't made it to cardio yet today. I'm debating whether to get a babysitter and go to the gym or do Cardio Salsa with Netflix.

I stocked up on all the ingredients to make a new and different casserole every day. All of them are pasta and potato free, with fresh ingredients, albeit lots of cheese :)~ Yum! I did get low- or non-fat cheese though, so I'm not backsliding. I just need to use this week to polish up on my domestic skills. 

Here is what I'm going to do for cardio tomorrow: Cardio Salsa in the morning, and Treadmill Burst Training in the evening. This was my inspiration:

Break It Up. Finding it hard to fit your workout into your schedule? Breaking your cardio routine into two separate exercises actually promotes higher fat loss. "Two 15-minute sessions of high-intensity aerobics per day (before breakfast and after your last meal) is more than twice as effective as a single low-intensity 60-minute session," says Timothy Harris, Director of Athletic Development at Adaptagenix Biosciences. "Focus on brief, intense, and more frequent aerobic exercise for faster results."

If exercising more than once a day is out of the question, try strength/interval training. "Break up your [lifting] exercises and run on the treadmill for three minutes in between to keep your heart rate up and strengthen your muscles in the same amount of time," says Kevin Gianni, author of Lifestyle Fitness Points System. "You will spend less time in the gym and see better results."

Saturday, March 6, 2010

New Toys!

As I have been experimenting with different workouts, I have found out what equipment I can use every day. Friday I walked with my mom on the track for 45 minutes. It was my light day after my amazing Thursday. I did find that if I don't do resistance training in the morning it probably won't happen (like a devotional).
 

Today I bought a pair of purple 5 lb dumbbells, 
jump rope and exercise bands.

While watching Burn Notice and Caprica (gotta love Hulu),
I used the dumbbells to work out my upper body, held a plank for 45 seconds, and did lunges and leg presses with the bands and dumbbells.
My baby was very entertained by my activity and got fussy whenever I would sit down. :) I have some Nutrisystem food and I ate one of those 250 cal meals. I snacked on Kroger CARBmaster yogurt. This yogurt is awesome because it is low in calories and carbs, but each one has 12g of protein (which I need to build muscle in me and supply my baby.


Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Amazing Day

Ok, so it didn't start out amazing. But it got there. I managed to do a Plank before I left for class at 8 am. I got some homework done that was due today and took a test. No thrills yet, but I ate well. So after tutoring and Biology Lab, I finally got the chance to go to the gym! I considered putting it off til my husband got home, but boy that wouldn't have worked!

I got to the gym and found out about Spring Break group fitness classes for next week. Then I hopped on the treadmill. I took it easy on the incline today.
I warmed up for 10 minutes at around 3.5 mph. (While reading my anatomy study guide)
Then I ran for 5 minutes at 5 mph and I was amazed that no part of me was hurting and I wasn't even out of breath! My heart is getting stronger! That made me excited.
I walked at 3.5 mph for 2 minutes before raising the incline to 4% for the next 3 minutes.
The second burst was more difficult because I picked up the pace and walked 5 minutes at 4.0 mph at 4%, then lowered it to 3.5 mph keeping the incline for the next 3 min. 4.0 just REALLY hurts my shins!
After that I dropped the incline to 2%, walked 5 min, then ran for - get this - 8 MINUTES(!) at 5.0! That's the longest duration I've EVER done straight-through!
At that point I took the incline all the way down to zero and walked it out to the 45 minute mark.

Stats:
Kept HR (Heart Rate) between 140-160
2.6 miles
300 calories burned
45 minute workout

Can you say "ENDORPHINS"?!? :)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Finding a Balanced Routine I Can Live With



Today I'm ironing out my plan and trying to get it organized. I've been pulling together resources from different fitness articles and I'm trying to incorporate what I have available. I may have to buy some 5 and 8 lb dumbbells though because my video uses them. I'm using my wrist/ankle 2.5 lb weights right now and that makes me tired, so I'll get more comfortable with them and wait to spend money on dumbbells until I'm in the habit of resistance training. (Yay, Dave Ramsey thought-process!)'



 Today I wore the ankle weights as I walked around campus. I felt like Marley from "A Christmas Carol".
I felt much lighter once I took them off.
So remember, when you're having a down day, if you carry some weights for awhile and then take them off, maybe you can psych yourself out and have a great day after all. :)

Here are my healthy lifestyle priorities:

1. Proper nutrition
2. High intensity resistance training
3. High intensity interval or "burst" cardiovascular training
4. Strong support network for accountability and motivation
5. Proper rest and recovery



1. For my nutrition regulation, I take Prenatals and a cod liver oil supplement.
I have Crunchy Raisin Bran with skim milk every morning with a Slimfast for breakfast.
For supper I'm going to cook something with lean meats, maybe use Progresso light soups. (Richard likes to smile when I'm suckered in by advertising. Such as Biggest Loser endorsements of Extra sugar-free gum.)
I have changed my snacks to cucumber sandwiches or carrots with glazed walnuts (instead of chocolate). (I have been eating A LOT of chocolate recently! This is strange for me because I never even liked chocolate until after my baby was born in October. Weird.)

I just read about diet foods that are deceptively unhealthy, such as ground turkey that has a high fat content. It is important to cook with meats that have low fat content. Non-fat foods can be deceptive because their sugar or carbohydrate count can be high. This is something that diabetics have to be especially conscious about. I actually developed Gestational Diabetes and it has just now gone away, thanks to diet and exercise.

2. My Resistance Workout
Plus some other simple plank exercises because my obliques are pathetic ;)

3. My burst training is the Treadmill routine that I posted in the last blog entry. I will do that routine 5 days a week or two days in a row, resistance train at home, then repeat. If something comes up and I can't make it to the treadmill, I will use a cardio video at home in my living room. That way I will be without excuse.
4. Accountability: That is what this blog is for. My husband is also a strong motivator for me.
5. Rest and recovery: taking a day off of burst training every two days. Also, I MUST get enough sleep every night (6-8 hrs).

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

FitPLAN

Highest weight: 200 lbs
Present weight: 158 lbs and holding steady
Goal weight: 140 lbs

Obstacles: 
Needing to breastfeed every few hours makes mobility limited.
 
and
Walking fast makes my shins hurt!

Fat Combating Techniques:
Walking quick enough to keep my heart rate at 155 for at least half an hour.

Also, I have discovered that my obliques are VERY weak, so I'm going to start my mornings with a swivel plank and then the Good Morning workout from fitnessmagazine.com: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/videos/total-body-workouts/drop-a-jeans-size-2009.htm
or my 5 minute Pilates with cords DVD for toning.


A week ago, I had worked up to walking 45 min at 3.6-4.0 mph, alternating 4-6% incline on the treadmill. (I love the treadmill cause I can set up my anatomy homework and study while I walk. VERY focused study time.)
Last week I didn't make it to the gym on any weekday, and apparently taking the stairs to class just doesn't cut it when it comes to maintaining muscle stamina. I got on the treadmill Saturday and was in awful pain in 10 minutes. I will have to keep up my walking routine every day to work back up to that level of endurance and intensity.

My goal is to walk for 45 min every day. Every day I will alternate intensity since I'm keeping the time the same. This outlines the general pattern:
  • Warm Up: Walk easily, then briskly: 5 minutes
  • Power walk: 2 minutes
  • Run fast (but don't sprint): 4 minutes
  • Repeat Steps 1 & 2: 6 times
  • Cool Down: Walk easily: 4 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Today is Tuesday, and I was able to meet my goal activities!


As for meals:

Crunchy Raisin Bran with Chocolate Slimfast for breakfast

I carried carrots and glazed walnuts to class but managed to not eat them until this afternoon ( I was in class from 8-3)

After the mid-morning baby feeding, I had a granola bar

When I got home from class I had Banquet Chicken Tenders and the carrot/walnut snack I'd packed earlier
I also had a 60 cal yogurt

I drank oodles of water and 1 pack of 5 cal Strawberry Energy Drink Mix in one of the water bottles

After the workout and the concert I attended with the baby (now 9 pm), I'm having parmesan pasta (made with only water, no milk) with cucumbers and canned chicken. I actually properly portioned this pasta! I don't know that I've EVER done that before. Literally. There is plenty left for later.

I'm fighting the urge to go for one of those tiny white chocolate meltaways to reward my awesomeness...but NO! Know why? Because of you ;)

and...ACTION!

Welcome to my first blog post! I am starting this blog thanks to an article I read about blogging away the last 10 lbs. :) Sounds funny, right?

Blogging for accountability will supposedly hold me to my action plan and motivate me to make the changes that will lead to attaining my goal. This is my commitment to the experiment.

I will make a separate post with my action plan later. Right now, I'd like to explain why I chose this name for the blog and what has brought me to pursue weight loss.

On October 16, 2009, I gave birth to a baby weighing 9.9 lbs. The next day I still weighed 200 lbs. Ironically enough, I got off the birth control pill in order to lose weight in January of '09. That plan backfired. ;) Right before I got pregnant, I weighed 158 lbs. I had started that January on a course to get down to 140. Now I am renewing that plan, only with a different date.


I promised myself that by the time I finished breastfeeding him when he's a year old that I would be back to 140 lbs. Breastfeeding has so far enabled me to lose the baby-weight. It burns about 500 calories a day, so with little formal exercise I have lost 40 lbs. Some days I even see 156 on the scale when I wake up in the morning! Those are great days! :)

In order to be at a maintainable 24 BMI I need to get to 140 lbs. It would be great if I could do it by Graduation on May 7th. I would appreciate the accountability of knowing you will be checking up on my progress.

As to the name:
I chose "Reforming Mom" because I may post about progress in my spiritual life, what I'm learning about God and how that is changing me. Reformed Theology is about being transformed into the image of God. So as my body is reshaped I am also going to be seeking his truth and will for my life and I may share that here sometimes. I welcome your feedback, advice and debate. Check back tomorrow for my gameplan!