A Smidjin at a time

So today I made it back to my beloved spinning class. I had passed on spinning for the 6 weeks of bootcamp, and now that it is over back to spinning I went. And boy did I choose a good one to make it back too. It starts off with a quick warm up, then 15 straight minutes on the bike, with no rest periods. Then we played a "game". At least that's what Olivia called it. Musical bikes (we just had to grab the bike not have to get back on), each time someone lost they had to go run the stairs till the rest were done. How little I knew the stair running would be the most restful part of the whole evening. Cause then we really got down to business. On the 12th day of Christmas my Trainer gave to me...30 Minutes of torture! 12 Jump Squats 11 alternating side crunch/knee raise 10 mountain climbers 9 standing jackknives 8 push-ups 7 reverse lunges 6 squats 5 lateral side raises (with weights) 4 plank jacks 3 burpees 2 jumping jacks 1 minute of Plank We started with

Today I thought I would share with you an actual workout from boot-camp. Haven't shared any of those with you all yet. I was dreading today for 2 reasons. One, I hadn't been to the gym in a week, and two it was treadmill day. I do not like treadmill day. Mostly because I do not like running, I suck at it. Like I can run for about 30 seconds and then I am back to walking. Good thing that was the interval today. 2 minute warm up, 16 minutes of 1 minute 30 seconds "slow" pace (she had written down 6.5 mph) followed by 30 seconds at a "fast" (increasing each time) pace intervals, after 16 minutes repeat the pattern starting at minute 2. I stayed on for all 32 minutes, and I even followed the interval pattern. Just not the speeds that were written down. See her fastest speed listed was 10 mph, yeah I didn't even pretend to go anywhere near it. I just started off a lot slower than the "rest" pace (6.5 mph) and made sure to increase my speed each ti

For starters, Where have I been? Obviously not blogging that is for sure. I would try to catch you all up, but it has been way to long. So I will just tell you a couple stories from the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, yours truly managed to walk right into a door as it was being opened into the hallway. Caught my arm on it (thankfully not my face/head), shook me so hard I had a headache almost immediately. Dealt with the headache for several days (including a trip to the docs for a shot of pain meds), and then the neck pain started. I've had my neck adjusted twice so far by a chiropractor and I might me doing that for a while. Yes it has been an adventure. I started boot-camp at the gym again. It is so much different than a year ago. For starters there are only 3 of us in the class this time. Myself, my friend Jessica and a gal named Stacy. They were both in the class I did last year.  I haven't felt like it was gonna kill me, yet. I did have a little episode of feelin

The beginning of the school year, even when you aren't a teacher or a student always has a feeling of a new years start over. This year even more so for me. See after a couple months of working 12 hour shifts, I am finally going back to my "normal" 8 hour shifts. Which means several things: *A schedule that allows me to get back to the gym consistently. No more working through my favorite classes. I have missed my Monday/Wednesday torture, I mean spin class. And I certainly can tell that I haven't been to yoga in a while. It's gonna be like starting all over again. I know it will come back, but I know it will also be frustrating to remember what I used to be able to do and not quite be there for a few weeks. But I will get there. I got there once, I can do it again. *Getting back on schedule means that I will be able to eat on a better "schedule" again. The one that is what I am supposed to be doing. These 12's have been hard on that. *Better s

Sometimes I take the journey for granted. I get so focused on getting to the goal, or more accurately how far away the goal seems, that I forget sometimes but all the stuff I have learned, and loved and grown through on the journey itself. And so to remind me and you my friends and loved ones, here is a little synopsis of the journey. I was never a skinny kid, at least I never felt skinny. And that continued up into my teens where I always wanted to lose weight but never really did anything about it. And then there were the college years. Oh I took PE courses (easy A's and we all know an A is an A), but I made up for it in cafeteria food, and still I knew I was overweight. I even joined gyms, but still I never seemed to lose weight. And then somewhere in the middle of my really long season of working the 4-midnight shift I started using the gym/rehab room at work after I got off. Just me and the treadmill and worlds dumbest criminals. It was actually a good time, and if I didn

Last you heard from me I said  would tell you more about 50 pounds coming soon and bike research. So here it is. A couple years ago, Mom made a deal with me. Knowing I had a lot of weight to lose it helped give me some goals. The Big one, Lose 100 pounds. If I can do that I have been promised an Alaskan Cruise or a trip to North Pole Alaska. But first, in order to get to 100, you gotta get to 50. Lose 50 pounds and mom gets me a BIKE! I have always loved biking, I just don't have one. So a bike, and a bike rack for the car, and a helmet (mom is an ICU nurse after all), and one pretty biking outfit complete with shoes. After my weigh in yesterday I am so close. 10 pounds in 10 days! Meaning I am only about 8 pounds or so away. I better hit up all the bike resources and do my research on what I want. Plus the Coach purse I promised myself for hitting the 50 pound mark. As I left my doctors office today I started thinking about where this all started, training for the half maratho

I made it all week at work successfully avoiding all temptations (the CNO's candy basket, the leftover pizza from the meditech party, the cafeteria). I was little afraid for the weekend, the structure is not the same. When I went to work I would pack my little lunch bag and everything I needed was right there in the fridge. Weekend, with errands out of town, totally different story. So I planned and I did what I could. Usually if i had errands to run I would have grabbed something at the coffee shop while getting my latte. Today I had my breakfast at home before heading out to grab an Americano with a splash of half and half. And before i left the house I was sure to grab a couple of the meal bars to throw in the glove box and have ready. I knew I would be in Salem over lunch which meant needing to figure out a safe place to have a safe lean and green meal. My coach had said  that the Baja Ensalada at Baja Fresh with salsa as dressing is a safe choice, if you have them not put on

As many know, I recently decided to take at least a break from Weight Watchers. I have been a stale mate for a while and my head and my heart could no longer take the lack of progress. Which lead to finally making the decision to try something I first thought about almost a year ago. At least I know it wasn't a spur of the moment decision. I decided to start Medifast. For those who don't know, Medifast is a very regimented program built on the 5 and 1 concept. 5 medifast prepackaged meals and 1 "lean and green" meal. A Lean and Green is pretty much what it sounds, lean protein and non-starchy vegetables. And it's actually a lot of food on the plate. I think I have seriously doubted my ability to finish every time I am done measuring out my food. There is an adjustment curve that is for sure, no fruit, no breads and not all the packaged meals are as good as the others. I love the Hot Chocolate, I know that is one I will keep drinking. Not a fan of the chocolate p

Well, it's time to make some changes. I am very proud of the 32 pounds I have lost in the last 2 years. But to be honest, with you and myself, the first 24 were in the first 6 months. Meaning these last 19 months have been an up down, up down battle with the same 8 pounds. I have tweaked my weight watchers every which way in that time and I have finally decided to say "I'm Stuck". Which is why I have made the decision to back burner weight watchers for a while and try something else. I still love Weight Watchers and everything they have taught. I know that without the tools they taught me I would have regained those original 24 pounds in these last months. I still recommend them whole heartedly to anyone looking to lose weight. With that said however, at this point, my head and my heart aren't there. They can't handle the up one week down the next up the next down the next. I would like more than one week in a row where I have a loss on the scale. Which is why

Slow and Steady wins the race...right? That's what "they" say. And by they I really really hope it means scientific research. Cause if it's just hearsay I am gonna scream. Because even though I hate hearing it said by others (it is not encouraging when you are hearing it for the 587th time in a couple of months), I cling to it as well because it is one of the things keeping me going. When it takes "normal" people only like 6 months to lose 30 pounds, it has taken me 2 years. I really hope what they say about the slower you lose it the more it stays off is true. Cause at my pace I should never have to worry about those 30 pounds again. Warrior Dash is coming up in September. I just requested that weekend off and I really hope I get it so that I can have a near goal to train for. I know it will help. As long as I don't get sick for the weeks leading up to it. 

You've all heard the song Yesterday by the Beatles. Well this is my ode to TOMORROW. Tomorrow is 2 years since I "officially" started my weight loss journey. For many June is an end. It's the end of the school year in whatever form it applies to you. But for me, June was the beginning. The beginning of taking my life and health and future seriously. And oh my goodness that changes I have made that aren't even conscious thoughts any more. Like the other day I'm driving home from Portland and realized that I had completely missed getting cake at my friends wedding the night before. And it was not because they didn't have enough, it was cause I was having way to much fun out on the dance floor. I without even realizing it choose calorie burn over calorie consumption! I am so excited to see what healthy choices I make for my future tomorrow.

Not that there, the other there. It has almost been 2 years since I walked the half marathon. It's almost been 2 years since I joined Weight Watchers. And  almost 2 years since I found out I have PCOS. And what an amazingly long, and short, and fabulous and frustrating 2 years it has been. I am not even sure Roller Coaster is the best way to describe it. I have learned so much about eating and working out and how to best treat the PCOS. And yet I have so much more to learn and grow. It can certainly be overwhelming if I let it be...even when I don't let/want it to be. I try to focus on what I have learned and who I have taught and how far I have come. I know that I am in a much better place than I was then. Every time I feel like Olivia is trying to kill me in spin class I just think of how much simply walking wore me out. And every time I go to the doctors and we have to add/change another med, I try to remember the lab values we have fixed and that it's better to catch al

I actually made it back to the gym today! And not just to the gym, but to the always intense Cycling and Having a Ball class. It felt so good to be back. Boy do you get out of shape fast though.  Hoping that the only muscles not hurting tomorrow are the lungs. With that said, I have seriously been slacking off on the weight watchers...again. No wonder my weight loss has plateaued...again. But, I have done so much better today (minus the chex mix). And tomorrow will be a good day too. It really will, I just know it.

1:43:40...that is my official time for the 10k race I walked in yesterday. Which is 5 minutes and 20 seconds slower than last year. But I do have to say I am much happier with this years time, and this years race in general. For starters after being sick and not working out for a few weeks and thus not knowing if I would really even be able to do it at all, I completely removed any goals I had. Well I did want to do it around the 2 hour mark, but really finishing alive was my goal. This year I did the race with a friend of mine who walked with me the whole way. We talked, we admired other peoples running outfits, others pre-race prep, we stopped and took pictures, we thanked the cops who were stopping traffic for us, we encouraged and commended the women pushing the double stroller with toddlers alone, we stopped and posed for pictures for my mom and dad who came out to watch and cheer, we thanked the volunteer who told us we looked beautiful about halfway through (I'm sure he said

Lessons I have learned in the last 4 weeks: *I actually have missed the gym. Due to being sick I wasn't wasn't able to work out for 3.5 weeks. And it have driven me crazy. I would want to work out but would have no energy by the end of the day. So on my rear I have rested. I managed to make it back Monday to the spin class, and that might have been a bit much. *Sometimes taking it easy is still pushing yourself to the max. I went to that spin class with the intent of easing back in, taking it easy. And I did, and yet that was one of my hardest classes ever. 3.5 weeks away from Olivia's class is about 3 weeks too  many. *That promise I made last year to train before doing my next race...broken. *Asthma sucks. It hasn't really been a big problem since we moved from Louisiana. My doctor and I acknowledge it's existence, he writes for the inhaler, I keep it with me, I maybe take it before something that I know is gonna be a tough workout. Pretty much I take use the

In my last post I mentioned taking a rest week. Not really a choice but I wasn't feeling well and with one person already being out off work there was no room for me to be so sick that I couldn't work. So I took a week off of working out. And well....I am still sick. So the bad news is I have taken this week off of the gym as well. The good news is. I am missing the gym. I am missing my spin class, I am missing zumba and I am missing going for walks. I am doing another race in a little over 2 weeks and at this point having been off for 2 weeks I am pretty sure there won't be very much running at this race. But who knows, I am doing it with a friend this time so there will be someone there keeping me going when I want to slow down. So here is hoping I feel better soon and am able to start working out again. 

I am taking this week off from the gym. I was actually taking a nap monday instead of going to the spin class that I love. And today I started getting that tickle in my throat. You know the dreaded tickle. And since there is no room at all in the work schedule right now for anyone (else) to be out sick. So instead of trying to "sweat it out" which never works me, I am at home resting. And trying just about every home remedy I. Cold-eeze, lemon ginger tea. And vicks rubbed all over my..feet. I don't know, my friend says it's part of the secret, so I am trying it. Here's hoping they all work...

So I think to myself "I should go blog, I always do well (staying on plan) when I blog". And then I sit down to blog and there is nothing. I am proud to report that I have been faithfully going to the gym. And with the exception of last monday when I was curled up on the couch in pain, I have been to spinning/sculpting class 2 a week since the year started. I am actually starting to see improvement. I even upped the weights for a couple things today. I even have worked in a yoga class once a week for the last 2 weeks.  As much as my health is my driving factor I gotta admit lately it has been the idea of a vacation in October/November to Hawaii that has really been getting my butt to the gym and pedaling. I gotta look good laying on those beaches in a swimsuit right? And hiking those craters and waterfalls, and attempting to not fall over "Stand up paddleboarding", and laying on those beaches. So with that in mind, let the swimsuit window shopping begin. http://

You know what they say about keeping the ball rolling. That if you stop doing something you lose momentum and it gets harder to pick it back up the longer you are off. Holy cow, is that true. I missed one spin class, one, and when I went back today it was so hard. And we didn't even do that much spinning did we. I missed Monday, which means I hadn't worked out in 4 days, hadn't done a spin class since last wednesday. And boy did I feel it. I felt like I was starting all over again. Course maybe that did have something to do with why I was out Monday. Man, I did not like feeling that way. If I ever do get real appendicitis I think I might be crying like a baby. But what I really wanted to share was that I bought a new shirt today, that is a size MEDIUM! I know the pictures look good, I just wish I felt as 'skinny' as those pictures look. Getting our brain and our mind to realize the same thing is sometimes really hard.

Though the month is still young, I have the feeling with the exception of valentines day emotions themselves, this is gonna be a good month. Beginning of the month started with my not sleeping very well for about 3 weeks thanks to some extra than normal stress at work. Enter the already scheduled doctors appointment with an amazing doctor whom I love, and I am now a casual friend of Ambien. Taken here and there they have been so amazing and though the extra stress isn't gone I am sleeping better. The appointment was scheduled for once again more follow-up for my PCOS and it's various manifestations in my life. It was a good talk, had lost nearly 4 pounds in the 2 months since the last appointment. Now I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but for someone with a metabolic syndrome it actually is. Had more labs drawn before leaving. And the results came back yesterday. I can't believe how fast it worked but that Lipitor stuff works. My cholesterol levels are SO much BET

Remember back when I talked about taking that boot camp class? It certainly had it's pros and cons. One of the pros was it felt really good to get my workout over and done with before my day even started and to not have to worry about it later. However one of the cons was that with it so early in the morning I found that I felt I "needed" to "reward" my hard work all day later. Therefore I didn't really make any progress weight wise in boot camp. But I did like the instructor. Which leads me to now...Cycling and Having a Ball with Olivia. Well that's it's official name, but we haven't used the ball yet in the 3 weeks I have been going. But it is about half an hour of spinning and half an hour of sculpting work with weights, and some stair running, and some push ups. Geez that woman loves her some push-ups. I do need to start running soon, but I am so happy to actually have a cross-training plan in place that I like.

Well, I did it. I finally made to 30 pounds! I am so excited. I am sure this next weigh in wont be as great, but I finally got passed my 12 month long road block. And boy does it feel good. Next step is 46. I know, not an obvious number, but after losing the first 10% I set a new goal a new 10%.

Yes, it's tax day, and a Sunday, the week after Easter. But more importantly,April 15th is the day for the next race I am signed up for! I am now registered for the 10 Bridge to Brews race in Portland. Yes you read that right, 10k, and you have seen that race name before. You all may remember my post last April titled "Ode to my Legs" where I thanked my legs for supporting me while I walked 10 kilometers over 2 bridges and many city streets without real "training".  Well dear legs, I promise to not do that to you again. I will be working out like you would not believe leading up to it. Especially since this is a repeat race, I know what the course will be like. I know where the hills are, how bad they are (not that bad) and I know that mentally the first bridge will seem really really long. And I am signed up to do with a friend. I am looking forward to doing some training with her as the weeks go looking forward to the race. Somehow things seem to have cl

I have always had grand illusions of running. It looks awesome. It looks freeing. Everyone I know who does it seriously enjoys it. But every time I try it, it never pans out. I buy running magazines an other fitness magazines frequently in the hopes that they will have the "magic" article that explains the secret to it. I have tried the Couch to 5k running plan (interval training) and never make it out of week one. I have tried at various weights thinking maybe it has something to do with how fat I was. But nothing seemed to work. Today I was working out in the hospital gym/PT room with my friend Kelly and she was "enjoying" getting back into it, had one of those preset programs going on the treadmill and was running along. I blindly set the treadmill to "cardio" for 20 minutes. After about 3 minutes it kicked it up to a speed that was just past where it was comfortable to walk, so I decided to try it at a "run" and lo and behold a minute came

Time to catch up on some little stuff. *Most of you know that my car broke down the day after Christmas. And led to a very stressful week spent finding a shop, arranging a tow, arranging rides to work (thank you to the super amazing people who drove me either to work or home from work) and eating cafeteria food 2 meals a day all week. And according to my home scale I gained 5 pounds.  *Due to said car being broke I missed a week of Weight Watchers. Which considering my home scale said a 5 pound gain I am personally glad I didn't make it that week. Because needless to say it was a bad week. However New Years came and with it said motivations to change. And Change happened. I worked out. for 4 days in a row before I took a day off.  * Which means by the time weigh-in day came around this week I had managed to actually LOSE 0.8 pounds since the previous weigh in 2 weeks (and 2 holidays) before. 

In case you missed the obvious, it is now 2012...that's a whole new year. And for a lot of the world it is a time of reflection on things past and looking forward to what is to come. And really I am no different. In 2011 I walked a 10k race. And I did way better than I thought. I didn't really "train" in advance for it, so I was honestly super excited about how well I did. I also completed my very first Warrior Dash! A 5k trail race (with a super steep hill) with a ton of obstacles in through out it. I think I am far enough removed from it to be able to say I would "consider" doing it again...Maybe. I also survived my first boot camp class...at 5 in the morning. I am not sure what I was thinking, and I didn't lose any weight, nor hardly any inches...but in the end I could do real push-ups, you know the ones where I am not on my knees doing them! I do have to admit I was really excited about that. I was excited to start a new 21 day challenge at the gym