January GOAL check-in

January Progress check-in!

Fitness:
*Establish a no-budge workout schedule (can vary week to week, but must be established by Sunday of that week)
      -Gym at least 3 days per week (possibly including a morning work out)? GOAL MET (see below)!!
      -Weight training at least one of those days GOAL MET (4 lifting days)
*Keep track of workouts on elliptical to continue to motivate progress (ie. total strides, calories burned, etc) GOAL MET!
*Take 2 yoga classes per month and 2 pilates classes FAIL (0 classes)
*Drop 2 inches from my waist measurement by April, decreasing my risk for negative health associated risks GOAL IN PROGRESS (1 inch lost!!!)
*Lose 10 pounds by April 1st GOAL IN PROGRESS (-2 pounds!)

Food:

*Drinking at least 20 oz of water per day GOAL MET 
*Eating home cooked meals 3-4 times per week GOAL MET 
*Invest in slow cooker recipes GOAL IN PROGRESS (2-3 slow cooks done this month)
*Drink <2 nights per week (no drinking at home) GOAL MET!!!

The month of February, I am going to continue with these goals. I am thinking of adding variations in the month of March, but for now, this is a good start. I cannot believe the progress I was able to make this month. I know keeping track of my workouts, taking body measurements weekly and tracking my gym visits were key in keeping me motivated! Excited to get after it in February!

Weekly workouts recap!

Its been a while since I have posted. This past week was unreal. So many after work commitments- all very good and lots of fun. That being said, I struggled to get my workouts in this week. But sticking to my do or die commitment, I squeezed in 3 workouts last week. They werent pretty, but I got them in.

A few weeks back, I borrowed my roommate's Nike Fuel band to get an idea of what a typical day looks like for me as far as how many steps I take, estimated calories burned, etc. This is what I learned: I burned ~1700 calories in one day (including 30 minute workout) and walk just over 5 miles in a day. This was good information and helps me know how much more I need to burn during my workouts if I want to continue to chase after my goals.

This week I am linking up with Meghan @ little girl in the big world for Weekly Workouts Recap.

I got to the gym Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. Monday's are always the easiest for me to get my workouts in because I watch the Bachelor and Biggest Loser while on the elliptical.

Tuesday was a struggle. I tried to complete a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, but struggled through it and only did about 10 minutes of it. I completed the 45 minutes, but it was rough!

Saturday I drug myself to the gym after a rough Friday night, but I knew I had to go because I made the goal of going 3x/week. I was able to complete the HIIT workout, but was only able to muster out 30 minutes. That being said, I did lift before the workout and was so stinking proud that I even made it to the gym!

Tonight is weigh in and also taking measurements. I set some pretty profound goals for myself and I am chasing after them! Will have an update this week!

Off weeks

This week has been a bit busier than last week and consequently I was not able to get to the gym as many times as i would have liked. Since my weight loss goals have not changed, I have had to make some changes in other areas, as not to undo the work I have done thus far.

When it comes down to it, if you want to lose weight (or in my case, inches from my waist), there is only one way. There must be a calorie deficit. Meaning quite simply:

Calories burned must be > than calories consumed.

This can get tricky when you are unable to make it to the gym, but here are a few adjustments I made this week:

-Portion control:
This is big! Just because the food is in front of you, does NOT mean you have to eat it ALL. If you're eating out, before you start eating, divide your meal in half. Eat only half. If you're home, use the small salad size plates so you don't overfill it.

-Walk more:
I knew I was not going to make it to the gym the second half if the week, so I took long brisk walks on those off days. The weather has been freezing, but I knew it would be the only way to keep my calorie deficit going. Here are things I did: got off the bus a stop or two earlier and walked the extra blocks, quickened my pace when walking to the bus, took a short walk at lunch, walked each day while on vacation in Bend.

-Drink more water:
This one is easily the hardest for me to do consistently. Drinking water gives you the sensation of being full.

I guess I will know exactly how successful I was when I weight/measure on Monday. The fact is, getting to the gym 5x/week is difficult and I cannot have the mentality that I go to the gym so I can eat what I want. I have to take responsibility over what I consume- especially on weeks like this one.

Keeping track!

In the past few weeks, I have found one of the things that helps the most to motivate me is keeping track of my progress. I have been writing down the results of my elliptical sessions so that I can push myself harder! For example, I know that if by 15 minutes I have not burned at least 200 calories, I am behind my pace. Or, if I dont hit ~6500 strides in 45 minutes, I am going to be behind my average pace. Here is the chart I have going in an excel spread sheet so that I can keep track of my progress and also push myself harder each week! Just one of the things I have notice that helps me!

 

	1/6/13	1/6/13	1/7/13	1/8/13	1/11/13	1/12/13	1/13	1/14
Strides	6766	6660	6700	6556	6927	6825	4540	6583
Calories burned	602	597	604	590	619	620	414	606
Level	10	10	10	10	10	10/11	11	10
Duration	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	30 mins	45 mins

Also, I have become a bit obsessed with the "check in" function on the 24 hour fitness app. Every time you visit the gym, it marks the day on the calendar blue. And now, I have become obsessed with turning as many days as I can blue. Tell me this is not motivating!

This week I am going to be doing some research to determine which protein supplement is best to add to smoothies in the mornings. I will check back with you on that one!

Biggest Loser Inspiration

Biggest Loser is back in full force, this season tackling childhood obesity. Jillian Michaels is back this season and I forgot how much I love her intensity. I started watching the Biggest Loser a few years ago and have loved every season since. I try to time going to the gym when this show is on because it makes me want to work harder, stay on that machine a little longer and be thankful for what health I have.

This week the show was on twice in back to back episodes. Sunday night my roommate and I went to the gym to watch the season premiere (note, I had already been to the gym that morning) and watched as these contestants poured their hearts out in the gym. I have to admit, watching them fall off the treadmill was a little bit painful.

I decided I would post a few of my favorite quotes and things I learned while watching the episodes this week:

"You cant breath? Do what I tell you and maybe one day you will be able to!" Jillian Michaels

"If I told you that you had lymphoma, would you take two hours out of your day for chemotherapy?" Dr. H, Biggest Loser 

"I am going to build soldiers. I am talking fire breathing dragons, I want attack dogs, I want pit bulls on my team" Jillian Michaels

"Give yourself a goal everyday and just get better" Dolvett

"The only real failure you can have in life is to disengage" Jillian Michaels

And possibly my favorite:

Via

Drinking Empty Calories

As it turns out, some of my favorite drinks have a lot of empty calories in them. This month, my roommate is taking the month off from drinking. She (and I) have found we drink far more than we think we do, let me explain. If you were to ask me how much I drink/week, I would probably say 2-3 drinks/week. But then, I stop to break it down and a typical week could include: a drink or two while watching a football on Sunday, wine while watching a tv show on Monday, meeting up with co-workers for happy hour on Wednesday (at least 2 drinks), rough day at work Thursday- have a beer or two at home, and lastly out with friends on Friday and/or Saturday (3-4 drinks). That alone brings us to a potential total of: 10 drinks in one week!!!

So this week, I challenged myself to see what exactly am I up against if I want to meet my goals, but still enjoy a drink or two.

Here are the calories per 12 oz in my favorite beers!

-Big Sky's Moose Drool: 177

-Deschutes' Mirror Pond: 170

-New Belgium's Fat Tire: 160

-Widmer's Drop Top: 140

-Bud Light: 110

Average bottle of red wine: 500-600 calories 

Average mixed drink: 300 calories

Before the New Year, it was not uncommon for my roommate and myself to drink a beer or two with dinner, or split a bottle of wine after a tough week or hard day at work. What I did not realize was how many calories were contained in these drinks. 

An article in a recent Women's Health magazine chronicled the benefits from "going dry", for in this case a month. Here are a few excerpts:

Women's Health:

1. "When booze is on board, your body, besides having to deal with the surplus of calories, prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol over burning fat and carbs."

2. "researchers found that alcohol decreased sleep duration and increased wakefulness"

3.  “Alcohol is a direct neurotoxin, so not only does it kill nerve cells, but it also interrupts absorption of important nutrients and alters the metabolism.” 

Things I have noticed:

1. When I am drinking, I find myself snacking on things I wouldnt normally snack on and eating more (portion size) than I usually eat

2. The gray areas seem to disappear and all that exists is black and white.

3. The last thing I want to do after a night of drink is exercise. I spend most of the next morning convincing myself to get off the couch, let alone get my booty to the gym.

Alternatives without feeling lame:

1. Ask for a cranberry drink or sprite with a lime in it. This gives the appearance of having a drink with the group, but not having the explain why you're not drinking

2. Only have one- I know, sounds basic. When we go out, it seems like I always get at least two beers or mixed drinks. What would happen if I only had one?

3. If you are going out to celebrate something and know you are going to have a lot to drink, swap every other drink with a glass of water. It is amazing the difference I feel on the nights I do this and the nights I do not. Plus, you may end up feeling more full and that could help with portion control

Documentation

I am learning I cannot achieve goals without writing them down. This week, I also learned I need to fill in the details as well. I am an athlete and thus fairly competitive. But the person I am most competitive with is myself. Thus it seems only fitting to make sure I keep track of the details of my workouts so I can continue to strive towards my goals. How can I demonstrate progress if I dont write it down? Sounds basic doesn't?

For the month of January I am going to focus my workouts on cardio with the hope of adding weight training into my workouts in February. I know I need to establish a routine this month and I can only handle so much change and still be successful.

Cheers to a new week of this new year! Here are my mini-goals heading into this week:

-Go TO the gym 3x this week
-Start performing exercises with my patients as able
-Limit drinks this week to only Thurs and Friday night (celebrating friends' bdays)
-Keep eating fruits and veggies and adding Greek yogurt to all meals for protein