I feel great.

After being back on the south beach plan for the past week, I am doing so good. I had a plan and have stuck to it. Sure I may have given in here or there, but it’s like a half a bagel vs the entire thing so I forgive myself. Or I don’t hold it against myself, whichever.

I still haven’t made it to the Y but I’ve been active with the kids - I made up a fun run for them last week. We ran around a section of the yard and did funny things like pick up a big leaf and then drop it and watch it fall, or stopped at the gate and counted the bars on it, and when we ran by the truck we had to touch the mirror - my short three year old nephew couldn’t do it though so he was frustrated. But it was fun! The weather goes from cold one day to really nice the next so we are just taking advantage when we can.

I am going to the Y tomorrow and will have a scale check. It’s been a while for that! But my clothes are fitting awesome. Nothing is tight and a couple pairs of jeans are loose/baggy. It really annoys me to have baggy clothes, not that I want them super tight, but they need to fit right! I’m not going shopping for at least another week or so - I doubt I’ll lose a size or such by then, but I don’t want to continue losing weight and have whatever I wear to Chris’ graduation be too big or not look right.

So yay! I’m doing awesome - I feel great - I’m getting exercise even if it isn’t at the Y. I am interested in seeing the scale because I know the number has moved but really, I’m excited to go shopping later. I love trying on clothes after having lost weight.

How are you doing?

I have felt discouraged since last week. I have no idea why since I have lost a few pounds and I was doing great working out every day. But I ended up skipping the Y three of five days last week - effectively only working out twice. Well three times if you count walking a mile here at Dad’s place. I made great time on that one because I was upset so I walked as fast as I could without running and burned that energy rather then acting out.

I weighed in today to find I have gained three pounds. I was very disappointed - for a few minutes. My pants are still loose (if not looser then last Monday) and maybe it’s muscle I’m gaining and fat I’m losing. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I had to force myself to go to the Y today. I just did not want to go at all and did not have any interest in working out, getting sweaty, none of it. Once there I did twenty minutes on the treadmill - a good, slow warm up, and then running for six minutes (yay one more then last time I ran!) and a good cool down. Today was also a strength training day and I had a good workout on the machines. Even though I stretched afterward, I feel a little bit sore this evening. That may be because I did two reps rather then just one after a long time since last doing any or because I didn’t play basketball like I was. After I was done I just wanted to get out of there so I skipped the sauna/steam room though I wanted to sit in one of them today.

Starting tomorrow I am cutting out bread from my diet. I had a hard time following South Beach simply because I was restricted and for some reason when I am told no you can’t have that - all of a sudden that’s what I want! I know I will lose weight following the plan but making up meals or a menu plan was too much for me to handle while thinking about working out and running and taking care of kids.

At least I am going back to workout out every day. I’m going to reevaluate next Monday because I know I am not eating poorly.

After a week of doing what I thought would work with running on the treadmill, I finally realized maybe this isn’t the way to do it. Sometimes it’s trial and error right?

Well I did what anyone with a track coach for a college roommate would do - emailed her, then bugged her on IM until she said she’d call me. After catching up on the latest gossip in each others lives she gave me a workout routine to follow.

I was supposed to start yesterday, but I skipped the Y, so I started today instead. I figure I’ll make up for skipping over the weekend. I’m running on the treadmill and I figure I’ll work my way up to running on the indoor track they have, but the family run I am shooting for is outside.

So my routine is to warm up for a few minutes, three to four, and then run at whatever pace I can do for five minutes. I am just starting out so today I ran for five minutes at a 4 mph - which I think is a 15 minute mile. I did great the first 3 - 3:30 minutes - then I started thinking I am not giving up, I am doing five minutes because I will run that family run.

After the five minutes was up I did a four minute cool down then moved on to strength training. I’m not sure when I am going to up my minutes running or the mph but I’m set to email her tonight so I’ll keep you posted.

I do need a new pair of shoes - I’ve been running/working out with the shoes I wear every day and I know that’s not smart. I’m going looking this week for cross trainers - I’d like to be able to run/walk and play basketball and I don’t want a specific shoe for any of those activities.

I am still so happy over losing four pounds!

I also have been

doing cardio every day
strength training three times a week
drinking plenty of water
only having one portion at meals (no seconds)
only weighing myself once a week
more active with my kids
telling others what I am doing and having them motivate me

And I gave my college roommate a call to ask about how to train to make that mile and a half in fifteen minutes. She’s a track coach now and ran track since at least high school (if not before) through college. She had some great tips for me and I’m emailing her every day to let her know my progress, how I feel, etc. I will run that mile and a half!

I had a weekend filled with kids. Saturday we didn’t get to the Y because they don’t have childcare and my brother had to help my Dad with something, thus no sitter. No biggie, we managed to get a few crafts done that were a long time coming!

But yesterday I grabbed a few of my nephews (okay, I had them dropped off) and had them hanging out here. My husband suggested we buy the kids a new video game because he is missing them so much and figures thats a good contribution he can make. So we buy Mario & Sonic at the Olympics.

I have always thought the Wii was a good workout tool - you do have to get up and move around and
that makes kids (and adults) tired. My kids rarely want to read how to play a game, they just want to jump in and get started. But this game takes a bit of reading - which each new game you play has the specific instruction when you start, if you select to read them.

So the kids are playing and getting frustrated here and there so I grabbed the controls and did one of the track events - wow hello biceps! Or triceps? Upper arms anyway. And I only did two races. It did feel good and I am going to jump on and play again soon.

After the Wii we all went outside and play basketball - oh what I learned there!

• Blocking an 8 year old will be fun for you and annoying for him
• If a basketball goal is set at about 6 feet, I can make it from way back there
• Seriously, I hit some awesome shots! It felt great.
• Teaching little kids (4 and 6 years old - my two) to play basketball can be fun
• If you hear someone say “your Mom is base” and you start running, everyone will join in the chase even if they declined to play before.

We had a great day. A little video game fun, a little outdoor fun, a little cooking fun. It’s just like I imagined living here would be - and I am going to make sure it happens again. Kids prove that working out and/or getting exercise is fun!

We are heading to the Y today and I will check in for the Spring OSW later.

I am feeling great! The past few days I have had awesome workouts.

On Tuesday I thought wow I can really do this. On Wednesday I pushed myself and ran a minute more then on Tuesday. On Thursday I did skip the Y because I cooked a family dinner for my brothers birthday party. And yesterday, Friday, I had my best workout so far.

I accidentally pulled the emergency stop on the treadmill and it stopped on me after ten minutes. That lost everything - the distance I walked/ran and the calories I burned. I started the machine back up and did another 20 or so minutes, but I just don’t remember. I pushed myself and did an extra thirty seconds (compared to Wednesday) of running. Afterward I did the weight machines and stretched.

My Dad was at the Y at the same time and the kids love playing basketball with him. So I grabbed the kids from the childcare and we all went to play basketball. Of course the kiddos are pretty short people so they couldn’t make a shot but they sure tried. We played for about twenty minutes and left.

I think adding playing basketball was a great idea because last night was the first time I was not exhausted and also sore. I felt great! I am excited that after just one week of working out every day I am really making progress.

I did my Y orientation today - the orientation is when they go over all the machines, teaching you how to use them, figuring out what works for you. We also went over heart rates and what I should shoot for in working out. We did a workout with all the machines, one rep per machine, after I did a very short warm up on the treadmill.

So far my plan is to go on Monday-Wednesday-Friday to do the treadmill warm up (cardio) and then all the machines - working upper and lower body. On Tuesday and Thursday I will do the treadmill warm up and then swim - or not swim, depending on … whatever, my mood, time, etc. On the weekends I am going to be sure to be active with my kids - I’d like us to go for walks or even just play, like playing soccer in the yard.

My goal is to lose 15 pounds in two months. I also plan on running a 20 minute mile and a half - sure that sounds easy for some people, but I haven’t worked out since last spring, seriously worked out I mean. The mile and a half is something being done before Chris graduates in May - its a family run the morning of graduation. Sure it is a military run, but I’ve heard it is a slow pace (thus my wanting to do it in 20 minutes). I know I can do a 20 minute mile already, that’s not hard, but just add “run” to that and I shudder. I really don’t like running.

I had another great workout today at the Y. I did a mile and a half walk/run - I tried the cardio and the fat burn settings but ended up finishing on manual. Afterward I got ready to leave but ran into my Dad at the child care and we all played basketball for about a half hour. The kids were frustrated they couldn’t make a shot but of course they are short and the hoop is far up there. Dad has a hoop at the house and it is much lower so we will probably play basketball this weekend.

I’m meeting with a personal trainer - or at least he works for the Y, I just assume he’s a trainer - tomorrow afternoon. He is going to do an assessment and an orientation with me that shouldn’t take longer then a couple of hours. I had no idea what the assessment was - I figured I’d have to jump on a scale and … well, that’s all I could think of! But I talked to a friend and she said they will most likely figure body fat and weigh me and a few more things. I am definitely not looking forward to that!

The workouts make me tired, normal I’m sure, and I am going to start doing South Beach in the next couple of days. I plan on making weekly menus and the only bad part of that is taking into account feeding my kids. I’m sure they will  eat whatever I make though.

We went back to the Y again yesterday! I walked and ran just over a mile and then swam for about twenty minutes. I felt so tired after that! I’m trying to push myself on the treadmill - I grabbed a magazine but after a few minutes couldn’t read it. Then I read an article that said if you can read while you are working out, you aren’t pushing yourself. And I need to push myself.

On Monday I mostly walked a mile and also did the elliptical for a bit and I was tired afterward. I felt like I had a good workout. Yesterday I felt like I had a better workout. I’ve never followed a specific thing while working out, just working on machines here or there and walking or swimming. I am meeting with a trainer on Friday to go over the machines and do an assessment. I’m not exactly sure what we are going to do but I’d like for the trainer to give me a routine to follow.

We are going back today and I plan on doing the same thing as yesterday. Once I get a routine down I’ll switch the workout up. But for now, I just need to get moving.

Last week the kids and I decided we would start walking every day. We went out on Monday before lunch but it was so hot we didn’t last longer then a few minutes. We talked to our neighbors who said they would love to go with us - and that was the end of it. Twice last week I couldn’t go to sleep before 3AM, which meant I slept in, which was too late for a walk. I figured okay today is a new week, a new start to walking every day.  Waking up early didn’t help, we all woke up early today but that just gave us time to clean up and have a good start to our day and week.

It is starting to cool off here so we can walk later then 9AM, maybe we’ll actually start doing so soon.

I’ve been trying to watch what I eat, I’ve lost a few pounds and need to get back to planning what we are going to eat. We’ve been grocery shopping at Costco, which means we have the equivalent of a small store in our pantry. This weekend we didn’t do that great, we had pizza (a huge one from Costco so we had leftovers for a couple of meals), wings and hot dogs. Not the greatest diet, not by a long shot! I don’t mind cooking but sometimes it feels like we are eating very heavy foods. Maybe we’ll have a salad tonight.