Goodbye

I've got some workouts to report but just haven't logged them.

But unfortunately this will be my last post & in about a week, I'll be deleting it. I'm working with a publicist for my business (they sought me out) and it means things like this need to be removed.

I've purchased a fitness journal from etsy and I'm going to begin using that as soon as it arrives in the mail. To be honest, I've always preferred written "planners" than online versions but because of my business, I switched to online. I think the new planner/journal/log will really help to set goals & SEE them laid out in front of me. This blog is almost too hard because it can very quickly become out of sight out of mind!

I also want to begin writing down everything I eat, which is too difficult if I have to get to a computer & log in to do it. The planner will make this more possible. My diet has been completely out of control but we've been driving back and forth so much to be with family that we're eating on the road 2 meals a day. Not good. Lack of planning & emotional eating for sure.

Megan, since you were the only one following this blog, I'm still really excited to read along on your blog and I hope you'll stick w/ it. I'll tweet every now & then & let you know my progress!! :)

Workout 14 AND 15 AND My WORST day ever!!

Okay I'm being a little dramatic, it wasn't my worst day EVER, just a really bad day.

Monday, I was so gungho if you recall. I worked out TWICE in one day and was feeling great. I was feeling committed.

Then Tuesday I threw it all way. Straight down the drain it goes- good bye!! Wave to it as you see it swirl down the toilet.

I went to relieve Michael's parents from hanging out 24/7 at the nursing home. I sat there while they went home, showered, took naps, ran a few errands, etc. I had PLENTY of time to do some stretches or do any number of exercises. But I didn't do any of those things.

Not only that, but because Michael's parents had been living in this small room, they had a bunch of food there. And his parents do not eat healthy at all. They're the worst at snacks and desserts. His mom has a dessert after lunch & dinner...it's no wonder my husband was a chubby kid.

I KNOW myself well enough to know that I cannot be around that stuff because I will eat it.

And I did.

I ate a lot of it. Then they ordered dinner from an Italian restaurant and not only did I have spaghetti & meatballs but also garlic bread and like I said, they always have dessert so I had a few bites of cheesecake and chocolate cake they ordered.

It was bad.

I was feeling really guilty for doing it too. And the thing with being a financial coach is that my acute awareness of how what I SAY I want to see happen and what I ACTUALLY DO are two different things. It's like I can coach myself to say how ridiculous I'm being. It's bad.

Health is 80% diet and 20% exercise and activity yet I keep trying to make stupid decisions on the diet and what I put into my body and then try to make up for it on the workouts. It's never going to work that way.

Today, at least I worked out... twice...

First, I headed to the gym & did some leg exercises. I did 3 different supersets:

Set 1 - 3 times through
KB swings (15 reps)
Walking lunges (10 each leg) w/ 40# bar

Set 2 - 3 times through
Step ups holding 2 kbs
Wallballs (blue ball at the gym) 10 reps

Set 3 - 3 times through
Donkey kicks 8 each leg
Heels on the ball, hip extension 10 reps

Then I did all my foam rolling exercises.

Then tonight after work I ran for 30 minutes then walked for 10 minutes. I don't know my distance because I accidentally turned off my GPS while running but it was slooooow going- probably 12 minute mile at least b/c my legs were so fatigued from the leg workout earlier.

Workout 13 - Holy Hot Run

I've been say Day 1, Day 2, etc to count my workouts but I shouldn't be saying "day" I should be saying "workout #" b/c today I worked out twice and I'm counting them both.

I realized yesterday after reading my intentions for the month that my goal was 25 workouts this month...for some reason I had in my head it was 20 so I thought I was right on track (if not ahead)... now I'm realizing I'm actually behind. So, I'm stepping up my game a bit and fitting it in more than once per day if necessary!

I ate lunch then waited for my stomach to settle and headed out for a jog. I jogged but every 2 minutes or just over, I would sprint for 30 seconds. I kind of imagined I'd do that for 3 miles but honestly, it's just so god awful hot here in Phoenix already. It's 87* out right now but if you've ever lived in Phoenix you know that when the sun is beating down on you, it feels way hotter than that.

I ended up going ---

2.55 miles in 27:29

I'm pretty happy with that because that's a pretty good pace for me considering the heat! Average pace = 10:46/mile

Now I'm a sweaty gross mess but I feel great. Glad I got that done.

Day 12 - Weight Lifting

I headed to the gym this morning before work and got in some good training.

Lat pull downs (3 sets)
Narrow grip pull (3 sets)
Bench press (3 sets)
Chest flies (3 sets)

Then I did my hip & leg exercises on the foam roller which felt great.

I have a goal of doing those exercises every day between now & my tri. Otherwise, I'm going to be hurting that day & I know it! So even if we end up traveling, I'm going to do any exercises I can without a foam roller... I've got a few stretches I cand o.

Getting back on track

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to eat clean until my triathlon. I had a bad weekend of partying and ate like crap.

This week I'm going to have to be flexible. My husband's Grandma is not doing well. Hospice was brought in yesterday and she's not expected to make it a day or two even. While she lives in AZ now, her funeral and everything will be held back in Michigan so we'll likely be heading back on Thursday through Sunday. Everything is up in the air right now.

My plans are to workout Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday since those days I know we'll be here for certain.

On another note, I'm feeling MUCH better! I took fish oil and all my vitamins the past few days which I think has had a really positive impact w/ my hormones and how I'm feeling. 

Day 10 & 11 and Emotional Mess

Quick update before getting into the thick of this post:

I worked out Monday morning- did a HIIT workout that was super tough. Only slightly modified from the first time I completed it on February 21st yet I shaved a few minutes off my time. Here's the WOD:

BLOCK 1: 3 times through
KB Swings (10kg) 15 reps
Plank (jack + knee) 10 total (5 each leg)
Tricep extension 10 reps
Lunge + Bicep curl (12# dumbbells) 20 total (10 each leg)

BLOCK 2: 3 times through
Side plank left 10 reps
Side plank right 10 reps 
Burpees 10 reps
Superman w/ Pull 10 reps

BLOCK 3: 3 times through
High Knees 20 reps
Push-ups (modified) 10 reps
Donkey kicks (knee bent) 10 reps each leg
Mountain climbers 30 reps

BLOCK 4: 3 times through
Good morning w/ circles (10kg kb) 5 reps  *Sweaty hands so I switched to the dumbbell after a while which was easier to grasp*
Sumo Squat 20# 10 reps
Knee plank w/ Arm Pull (8# dumbbells) 10 reps (5 each arm)

Time was just around 31 minutes if I recall (forgot to save it on phone).

Wednesday morning I went for a 2-mile long walk in the morning with my  neighbor which was wonderful. It was beautiful outside.

I haven't worked out since.

Now to the stuff I really want to try and document...

I'm really feeling the effects of having the IUD come out. I'm an emotional wreck. Anyone who knows me knows I'm hyper-rational and a control freak so to feel so out of control emotionally is horrible for me. I'm having a lot of anxiety right now yet I can't pinpoint the cause exactly (because there isn't anything causing it except my hormones being so out of whack). 

This past weekend I was really anxious and I told Michael I wan't sure why. I told him "I have so much anxiety right now and I can't turn it off. I can't tell you why. I know it's not rational yet it's how I feel." Talking about it helped.

Then early this morning I had a bad dream. I had a dream Michael left me because he was having a mid-life crisis. He said he wasn't happy and needed to take some time to figure things out. It was horrible. One of those heart-wrenching dreams you can't wake up from. I finally woke up & Michael was already awake getting ready for work. I asked him to come lay in bed with me and cuddle and I told him about the dream. Of course, he said he loves me with all his heart and he can't live without me. Then, in typical Michael-fashion of cracking a joke when I need it, he says, "Plus, if I ever do that just tell me I can go buy a corvette and it will all be ok." At that point I just started BALLING. I mean, WTF? So not like me.

It's been about 5 hours since the dream and I am still feeling anxious about it. I'm feeling anxious about work (no reason), I'm feeling anxious about my home (no reason), my dogs (no reason), etc.

I made an acupuncture appointment for Monday and hopefully that will help. I'm on the verge of tears constantly which is just crazy. I'm never like that. 

I'm hoping this is just temporary and a side effect of having my hormones go into overdrive in the past week. 

I should exercise MORE to release some endorphins and try to counteract the negativity I'm feeling yet I have no drive to do it. 

Day 9 - Run while camping

Just documenting a 30-minute run we completed yesterday on the trails near our campsite. I believe it was about 2.65 miles in that time. It was INSANELY windy and at one point I felt like I was running in a tornado.

Boring post but I wanted to make sure I didn't forget to count it.

I'm excited for a much CALMER week this week compared to last. I feel caught up on sleep and ready to start the week! I can't wait!

On a positive note- I did GREAT eating healthy while camping.

Then I came home and our tenants left a BUNCH of junk food at the house and I totally scarfed! aaah!! Dang it!!

If it's in front of me, I cannot say no to it. That's why I don't buy it!!!

4 hours of sleep

The house is clean, we're packed and I'm on my way to my office for my US News & World Report interview. Whew, I don't know how it happened exactly but everything got done.

Well, I do know how it happened actually... I went to bed at 12:30AM and set my alarm for 4:30AM so I got 4 hours of sleep.

But it's all done and in about 6 hours we'll be heading camping for the weekend which is EXACTLY what I need right now!! I need it so desperately bad!!

I plan to do a ton of hiking, walking & trail running so I'll get some workouts in and overall I know the weekend will be so good for me.

Day 8 - Morning Weights

Gawwwwwd! Woke up early to go workout and walked out my front door to see my front yard totally flooded. One of our irrigation tubes or valves or something broke and there was water everywhere. Spent 30 minutes panicking, then making calls, arranging repairs, etc.

But, I finally made it to the gym with just barely enough time to lift a few weights:

Wide grip lat pull down 65# 3 sets of 8
Narrow grip row 60#(? I think) 3 sets of 8
Dumbbell hammer curls 2 sets of 8 at 15# then 2 sets of 8 at 20#
Tri extension 30# 1 set of 8, 2 sets of 10
Bicep curls w/ curl bar (5# total- 3 sets of 8)
Tricep rope pull down 3 sets of 8 at 40#

And home I went to check on status of repairs & get ready for the day.

Whew, got it done but definitely not what I had in mind.

I had some meetings then had my appointment to have my IUD removed.

Good God does that ever F-ING HURT!! It's my 2nd one so I've done it one time before and it hurt just as bad then too.

I left, with cramps, and went to Pei Wei for lunch and got Pei Wei Spicy.

Pretty sure that's not in line with my diet but it was COMPLETELY EMOTIONAL! I had a "lady appointment" which is not f-ing comfortable to begin with, let alone feeling crummy afterward and I was hungry.

Stupid but awareness is key right?

Stressed & Overwhelmed

I'm so stressed and overwhelmed I can't even start working on what I need because I don't know where to start.

I have so many "urgent" things but I'm also exhausted so where do I begin? Ugh...

We rented our house this weekend and we have to be out by 11AM Friday morning.

I have my group coaching program Thursday evening and client meetings ALL day which means I won't be home until 9PM.

We're going camping Friday though so at some point I need to load up the car with all our camping gear (no small feat). I need to pack, pack up the dogs and I need to clean my house, turn over all the bedding and get it ready for the guests to arrive.

And Friday morning I'm being interviewed by US News & World Report, which is an AMAZING opportunity, I'm not even really sure I can believe it's happening, but I need to prepare.

I was also invited to be the expert for an article on Capital One's website that goes out to 40,000 people and another for Grandparents dot com online magazine so I need to type both of those responses to the questions they sent me.

I have a gazillion hours worth of work to do and there's simply not enough hours in the day. 

Day 7 - Morning Cardio

Crazy morning- we're staying at a friend's house but our renter's check out today. So I have to pack everything up and head back, including two dogs & all their stuff.

But I'm filming for a segment on national TV at noon so I have to pack everything up, get the dogs home, workout and get to the office by noon and I have to look decent.

So I got up early and headed to the gym and got some cardio in. After lifting weights yesterday on my lower half, my legs were sore and some cardio seemed like a good idea.

I biked for 20 minutes doing the hills 2 workout on the bike. I think I got almost 5 miles in...

Then I ran on the treadmill doing the workout my PT friend gave me-

1 minute jog (5.5)

30 second sprint (7.5)

30 second rest (feet on sides of treadmill)

12 times through so 24 minutes in total.

The last 2 rounds I did 8.0 for the sprints instead of 7.5. It was definitely difficult. I was a sweaty mess afterward and had to sit down to catch my breath. It felt great.

Now off to work!

Day 5 & 6 Workouts and Self-Sabotage

Friday I didn't workout.

Saturday I went for a 30-minute run. It ended up being about 2.67 miles. I felt like I was SPRINTING but the phone kept shouting out at me that I was running at a 11:30 pace or so. Gosh, that sounds so slow but I swear, I was running so fast. LOL For whatever reason, I felt like I was working so much harder than I actually was.

Saturday we went to the Arizona Opry with Michael's grandparents. We each got a gluten free meal, which was really nice of Michael's grandma to think about pre-ordering for us. But I ate a sugar-free pudding AND a root beer float.

There's a story behind me & root beer floats... I did not have my first root beer float until 2006. Michael & I were on our one-year wedding anniversary vacation and he ordered one while we were in Las Vegas. I thought he was crazy. It sounded gross- root beer and ice cream? What? How had I lived 20+ years of my life without hearing about this crazy ass idea?

He ordered one to-go and we left the restaurant. We proceeded to cross Las Vegas Blvd (which is a very busy street) where I took my first drink. And I stopped. In the center of Las Vegas Blvd. It was that good. It was heaven and pure bliss in my mouth.

And I was immediately pissed for missing out for 20+ years of my life.

Now whenever we go someplace and they announce that they have root beer floats, I order one. I have a lot of time to make up for!!

Either way, not good for trying to lose weight.

We're staying at a friend's house this weekend since we rented out our house and we offered to make them an Indian dinner of Butter Chicken, rice and naan.

So there I was eating naan after eating a root beer float and some pudding. It can't possible get worse.

Oh, but it can.

We proceeded to have a good ole time hanging out, drinking like college kids, and eating chips, crackers, and more crappy food.

The good? I haven't laughed that fricken hard in a long time. We had a total blast!

Sunday:

We woke up early despite a solid hangover and sat on their back patio drinking coffee, chatting, playing with the dogs and eating breakfast. Then we took the dogs for a long walk- I'm not sure how long exactly but more than 2 miles, probably less than 3 miles. Then we headed to the gym where I did a bunch of leg exercises:

Back squats 90# (15 reps - 3 sets of 5)
Deadlifts (2-25# dumbbells - 3 sets of 10)
Lunges (40# bar - 3 sets of 8 each leg)
Good girl & Bad girl - 3 sets of 10 60# for good girls, 50# for bad girls
Donkey kicks - 2 sets of 10 each leg 50#

Then I did some foam rolling and then we did a plank set which was SUPER HARD!!

I weighed myself at the gym today and I weigh 153 so technically I've lost 2 pounds but considering my weight fluctuates daily I'm not giving it too much thought. Given how crappy I've eaten, it should have gone up, not down!

Tonight I need to plan my week of workouts & we can't go grocery shopping b/c we're not at home until tomorrow (Monday). My doctor's appointment to have my IUD out has been pushed back (by the office, not me) so I'm a bit disappointed that won't be happening on Monday anymore.

My new health insurance takes effect April 1st so I've checked that task off my to-do list. YAY!!

Day 4 of March - Not as planned

I originally planned to go to yoga this morning but was not feeling it. I looked at my schedule and I have been loving swimming lately and I could go. So I moved things around a bit.

This is where I need to know that making adjustments and being flexible is ok. Yes, I had said I'd do 1 yoga per week, 1 bike per week and 1 swim per week. But this week I've biked twice and swam twice but did not do yoga. Is it a big deal? I've worked out, I've stayed active, I've pushed myself which is really the point so although it's not "as planned", it's not bad either.

Today I swam laps:

8 x 25m every 45 seconds **** This is a big deal for me. Usually I start over every 50 seconds so I cut 5 seconds off my recovery time. That may not sound like a lot but it makes a huge difference over the course of 8 rounds!

Then I did 4 x 50m with a 30 second rest in between each set. Again, another good workout.

Overall, not a ton of distance but I had to hurry back and do some coaching late tonight so I fit it in and that's what's most important. It felt great- I loved being outside after being inside at my desk & computer all day. It was exactly what I needed- being inside in a dark, hot room for yoga was simply not calling my name.

And I packed my lunch AND dinner today so I've ate healthy all day, drank tons of water, AND taken my vitamins! Score!

Also, I've applied for our new health insurance & already been approved. I've even pre-cancelled my old insurance and am getting a bit of a refund.

I also reclassified all our 2015 HSA contributions & made them 2014 so I'll save some money on taxes and I still can contribute more this year (just not as much since it will be prorated).

I even submitted all our claims to AFLAC for our wellness benefit ($60/year per person for getting your eyes checked, teeth checked, OR a physical done). But I never did it last year so that's 2 years worth for 2 people coming back to us. Again, I'm planning to contribute all of it to our HSA so we can beef up our medical savings a bit before we're no longer able to contribute.

I've also been going to bed at a decent time (around 10PM) and getting up earlier... my goal is 6AM and it's been more like 6:20-6:30 after hitting snooze but considering I don't have to be work until 9:30, that's good. It's hard to get up when you don't "have to."

I'm really in need of a massage though. I can feel it. All this training is making my body scream for a nice, relaxing massage. Note to self= get one scheduled.

Day 1, 2 & 3 of March workouts

Monday:
Walk in the morning on treadmill
8 mile bike ride at the gym after work

Tuesday:
Swim
200m, 60s rest
150m, 45s rest
100m, 30s rest
50m, 15s rest

I really really wish I would have timed myself. I did not look at the clock when I initially started. It was a GREAT workout. One of my favorites because I don't usually do that far of a distance.

The WOD from CrossFit Endurance actually called for that THREE TIMES. I did it once because it was a doozy. I'd like to work up to two then three times through.

Wednesday:
Got up early & went to the gym. Did some weights:
Narrow grip pull 60# x 2 sets of 8, 65# x 1 set of 8
Wide grip pull downs (don't recall the weights)
Bicep curls 3 sets of 8 at 10#, 1 set of 8 at 15#
Tricep extensions 30# 3 sets of 8

So upper body essentially. Then I went home & walked the dogs and THEN I biked to work! Yay! 6.34 miles there and 6.2 back (started timer a little late coming back).

So I also got a 12+ mile bike ride in today too! YAY!

I am feeling really good. I went to lunch and had Indian cuisine so lots of rice and naan, this was one of those days I KNEW I'd cheat. The last time I got Indian I didn't eat naan but this time I wanted it!!

My plan is to do yoga tomorrow morning before work then a HIIT workout Friday morning.

March Intentions

I weigh 155 pounds.

I weighed myself this morning (March 2nd).

I could write all my thoughts about this because trust me, I have a lot of them. But they're all bad. They're all really really negative and really toxic so I won't put them in writing.

I refuse to give them that much weight.

Instead I will do something about it...and that's where my March intentions come into play.

I'm officially signed up for a triathlon on May 3rd so I have two months to train for it. It will NOT be easy because we've rented our house out 3 times in the next month which means keeping routine & being consistent is going to be a challenge. But I'm going to do it nonetheless. I have to.

I will meal prep and meal plan every week regardless of my schedule and where I'm resting my head that night.

I will plan my week's workouts

Swim 1x each week

Bike (>8 miles) 1x each week

Run (>2 miles) 1x each week

Yoga 1x each week

HIIT 1x each week

Get new health insurance- MUST happen in March!

Workout 25 times in March (can have 6 rest days essentially the entire month or 1-2 per week)

Eat Clean

Look at my schedule and identify days I am "allowed" to cheat - be strict & make good decisions!

I will go to bed around 10PM and get up at 6AM throughout the month of March

I will lose 5 pounds

Now... I gotta get to work because I have a lot of these things that I need to do for this week yet!!

Getting caught up

Bah. I had a bad weekend. I definitely did not stick to the game plan. As soon as February was coming to an end and I hadn't created a game plan or intentions for March, I just kicked my feet up! LOL I had no standard to try & shoot for so I didn't shoot at all.

Today I went to the gym this morning but walked on the treadmills- got 2 miles done.

Hubby really wanted to go to the gym tonight and he can't get in without me so I went again. I did 8 miles on the bike in 33 minutes and burned 308 calories. I didn't want to go at all so I was glad I did 8 miles.

I noticed something. I say the following a lot:

"I got to the gym, that's all that matters."

Mark my words, I'm going to stop saying this... it's not true. It's NOT "all that matters." If I want to lose weight, "just getting to the gym" is not good enough. I need to go and push myself and stop settling for "just getting to the gym."

Gotta reflect on February & set some intentions for March.

Day 14, 15, and 16 - Walking and a Two-a-day

Is walking considered a workout?

Yesterday, Wednesday, I didn't workout per se but I woke up and went for a 2-3 mile walk with my neighbor. Does that count? I'm thinking of counting it... I didn't sit on my duff all day and truth be told, it felt just like what my body needed. After a few days of working out really hard core, a walk was perfect.

Today was a near perfect day!!

I woke up and went to a 90-minute flow yoga class this morning. It was a doozy, I was drenched in sweat! But I always feel so incredible when I leave there- long, limber, flexible, and strong. I love it.

I went to the office for a client appointment then went home for lunch. I have to be here at the office super late tonight for a group coaching webinar I do Thursday evenings so I thought I'd take a break and go home for a bit.

I ate lunch- I had little bread pieces with goat cheese, fig jam and proscuttio. Not exactly "clean eating"- with the bread and all. But it sounded really good! I was craving goat cheese for some reason and along with the fig jam, it was delicious!

Then I headed to the office and had another client appointment over the phone.

I had a few hour break so I opted to go for a run. I ended up doing 3 miles in about 33 minutes so nice & fairly easy. It's beautiful outside here today- a perfect 77*.  I loved being outside in the middle of the day!

I have a million other "work" things I should be doing but honestly, they can all wait. There's nothing urgent and there's something about getting out and going for a jog midday that feels amazing!

So I'm counting both of today's workouts which means I'm up to 16 workouts so far in February. With just two days left in the month, I won't likely hit my 20-workout goal but I did good considering I was sick the entire first week.

Day 13 - A phenomenal swim

I'm so happy with my life & schedule right now. Either it's all coming together because of the intentions of this blog OR it would have happened anyway and I'm just aware of it because of this blog. Either way, I'm happy. Things feel super balanced right now.

I woke up this morning & had a couple of phone appointments.

Then I headed to the pool to get in a swim.

I felt so strong in the pool today. I felt healthy and energetic. Here's what I did:

200 meter warm-up
8x 25-meter repeats on the 50-second mark
8x 50-meter repeats (each 50-meter takes me about 1 minute and 6 seconds and I'd start again on the 1:00 mark following (so about a 50-second rest).

It was definitely a full recovery but that's okay, it felt good. I was keeping a nice, slow, even pace.

Also, I tried to increase my lung capacity which you do by going under water and essentially holding your breath as long as possible. I can hold my breath for a whopping 10 seconds! It's bad!! I need to work on this!

I officially registered for a triathlon on May 3rd, which is in a 50-meter length pool. The one I train in is 25-meters so the purpose of the 50's today was not to go all out or anything, but just to get accustomed to that being my only option the day of.

I'm also proud of myself because I planned ahead and packed my lunch today!! The meeting I have next is further away than the pool so I packed my lunch and now I'm sitting at a coffee shop on the way, getting some work done, updating my blog and eating lunch. I ordered an iced coffee so I didn't feel bad using their wifi or taking up one of their tables.

I mean, how can I not be happy when I'm sitting outside enjoying this beautiful weather? Here's my set up currently... it's not hard to be happy!

Big Day

Big day in our world.

I scheduled an appointment to have my IUD come out.

It's a few weeks from now.

Eek.

That is all.

Making up for an unfortunate morning

Despite going to bed late, we got up early (before 6AM) to join some others for our first group ride on our bikes! I was nervous but also excited. It was a 15-mile loop we could do once, twice, or even three times.

Most importantly, I was excited to meet with other like-minded people. These were individuals in Michael's running group but they're the select few who also swim AND bike. I was so excited to meet them.

Unfortunately this happened on the way -

Yup, a flat tire. For the first time ever, I actually BLEW a tire. It went from fine to flat in seconds and we heard it. Crazy!

We have roadside assistance which was great b/c they towed it to the tire store where we bought the tires and we also bought the warranty. They put a brand new tire on it for only $10 and the tow was free too! Jam!

Unfortunately, the whole ordeal took about 3 hours so no bike ride for us.

I'm happy to report that today was still a SUPER PRODUCTIVE day. I can honestly say I accomplished everything I hoped to.

1. We meal planned, grocery shopped and prepped.
2. I cooked dinner tonight!
3. I ate a healthy snack of mozzarella cheese, grape tomato, cucumber and pesto.
4. I worked out (see below)
5. I took the dogs for a walk
6. I cleaned, put away laundry, picked up the backyard, wiped down the kitchen, etc. I always like starting the week with a picked up house.
7. I took a nap (I mean, I did get up before 6 :P )
8. I planned my workouts for the whole week
9. I took all the things I want to get done this week and added them as to-do's on my calendar so I have an idea of which day I'm hoping to accomplish each one.

I'm feeling great!

Here's the workout I did tonight, just a leg strengthening workout:

Back Squat on smith machine
60# 4 rounds, 8 reps each (hard!)

Dumbbell deadlifts
2-20#ers 2 sets of 10 reps and
2-25#ers 2 sets of 8 reps
***Can and will go heavier next time

Walking lunges
40# bar, 4 sets of 8 reps each leg

Leg extension
70#, 4 sets of 8 reps held the last 4 in the last round

Reflection + Intention

What do I think about this past week?

If I were to give myself a grade, I suppose I'd give myself a B+.

I worked out 4 times including one trip to the pool. Could be better but not bad. All really good workouts too so I feel strong.

I ate well this week despite a bunch of eating out. I made good choices with the things that I'm okay eating. My goal mostly with food is to avoid sugar or processed foods and to limit starchy carbs, but eat good fats and lots of protein. Friday night we went out to dinner at our favorite sushi place then we had plans to go hang out at a friend's out afterward. So I had a Coke at dinner for the caffeine just b/c I was tired and didn't want to be a dud later. I also had sushi, which by itself isn't bad but I love eel which of course has the famous eel sauce which is sweet & sugary. Then I had 2 glasses of wine at our friend's house. So that was probably my worst day all week, and I can live with that.

I had 2 work meetings during the week- ordered a salad at one and chicken pad thai at the other.

But I know I can do better. Recovering from being sick last week we didn't make it to the grocery store nor did we meal plan. Boy does that ever throw a wrench into things. We were scrambling all week to eat, make meals, etc. Not good. I also had a couple of opportunities a couple of the days to workout but I didn't. I was lazy and I knew I was doing it. I was purposely avoiding working out so not good.

What do I intend to accomplish this week?

• Meal plan and meal prep. I will do this on Sunday.
• Schedule all workouts - add to calendar before week begins
• Lift heavy weights 3 times (chest/back, bis/tris, legs)
• Do HIIT 2 times
• Do treadmill sprints 1 time
• Attend yoga 1 time
• Swim 1 time
• 10+ mile bike ride 1 time
• Schedule social media posts for March (work thing)
• Schedule appt to have IUD removed (or at least call about this)
• Begin process for new health insurance application
• Buy a heart rate monitor
• Register for the next triathlon

Status of February Intentions I set:

Given it's the last week of February and I had specific goals set for the month, I thought I should recap how I'm shaping up. I have one week left to try and accomplish these:

* means I did it

X means I did not or will not

Here are the things I WILL DO in February:
X 3 out of 4. See note above, missed this past week 1. Meal Plan & Prep each week  -

X 3 out of 4. Nope but I did ok working out w/ the exception of the week I was sick. 2. Fitness & Workout Plan each week

*Working on it (There's really no rush here)  3. Have IUD removed (Eeeek!)*Working on it (There's really no rush here)  4. Switch over health insurance (one that has maternity coverage)
*The one I'm doing is in May, I will do this by month end 5. Register for a triathlon in April
X SO CLOSE! 6. Exercise 20 times
X Nope and looking at my calendar for this week, there's absolutely no day I can bike. Bummer 7. Bike to work 3 times
* Will buy this week 8. Buy a heart rate monitor/Garmin triathlon watch and begin using it
*YES!  9. Make smart decisions over lunch meetings for work
*YES! 10. I will not cheat and I will make good decisions on Super Bowl Sunday.
*YES! 11. In February, I will enjoy the Wine Tasting party we're having at our house, but THAT IS IT!!
*YES! 12. I will not cheat & I will make good decisions at the party I was invited to on February 13th.

I have a lot to do this week in order to hit most of these. I feel like I would have really killed it this month if it weren't for getting sick right on Day 1. That just put such a kink in all my plans because it took me a week just to get caught up and rebound. Plus, when you're sick for a week and there's only 28 days in the month, it's really hard to workout 20 days total.

If I can finish the month strong and accomplish some of these goals that can still be achieved, I will feel really good about the month of February!!

Day 10 - Holy hell I sweat a lot

Today was such an amazing day.

I "slept in" until 8:00 AM. I say slept in because I didn't set an alarm but that's what time I awoke. That's a perfect time for a Saturday morning in my opinion - you don't sleep so late that you feel you've wasted too much of the day yet you still feel like you got to "sleep in".

We sat around and enjoyed our morning coffee than Michael & I headed to the office together for a few hours.

Then we went to lunch and sat outside on the patio at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Then we went to the dog park. It was absolutely gorgeous outside today- a perfect day to spend outside.

We came home and got ready to head to the gym. It was a doozy but I'm so proud of myself and I'm feeling phenomenal. I kicked my own butt big time!!

I started with a HIIT. It took me just under 35 minutes to get through this entire thing 3 times and by the end, I was a sweaty, sweaty mess. The last few exercises took me forever- I kept having to stop b/c I had pushed myself so hard I thought I was going to barf. But I finished.

BLOCK 1: 3 times through
KB Swings (10kg) 15 reps
Plank (jack + knee) 10 total (5 each leg)
Tricep dip with kick 10 reps (way too easy, need to do these differently next time)
Lunge + Bicep curl (12# dumbbells) 20 total (10 each leg)

BLOCK 2: 3 times through
Side plank left 10 reps
Burpees 10 reps
Superman w/ Pull 10 reps
Side plank right 10 reps

BLOCK 3: 3 times through
Tuck jumps 10 reps
Push-ups (modified) 10 reps
Donkey kicks (knee bent) 10 reps each leg
Mountain climbers 20 reps

BLOCK 4: 3 times through
Good morning w/ circles (10kg kb) 5 reps
Ski squat + Row + Tricep (8# dumbbells) 10 reps
Thrusters (8# dumbbells) 10 reps
Knee plank w/ Arm Pull (8# dumbbells) 10 reps (5 each arm)

Then I did bis & tris workout with some heavy weights but I gave myself a full recovery before starting. Trust me, it was needed.

Seated hammer curls 15#
4 rounds of 8 reps

Overhead tricep extension 25#
4 rounds of 8 reps

Seated Curl Bar Bicep Curl
(Bar w/ 2.5#s on each side)
4 rounds of 8 reps

One arm bicep curl w/ cable 20#
3 rounds 8 reps of each arm

Skull crushers 30# roll bar
4 rounds 8 reps, Did slow negatives on final round


***Post to follow with coming week's intentions and past week's reflections.***

Day 9 - Morning exercise

My girlfriend lives right down the street from me so for accountability, I've been picking her up on my way to the gym. If I know someone is waiting on me, I go. When it's just, I make every excuse under the sun.

I got up early after going to bed at midnight and REALLY wanting to hit snooze. Got to her house and texted her to tell her I was there. She wasn't feeling well so wanted to skip and apologized for the late notice.

I told her late notice is actually great b/c if she had texted 10 minutes prior, I wouldn't have gone.

Why?

Why can't I hold myself accountable?

That is so annoying!

I went to the gym and did the treadmill workout from the trainer a couple weeks ago:

1 minute on - 6.0mph
30 seconds sprint - 7.5 mph
30 seconds rest

12 times

The final round I sprinted at 8mph. It was a doozy and I was a sweaty, sweaty mess.

Then I headed over to do chest & back. My goal was to do 2 exercises for each but I ended up only doing one. This heavy lifting thing is tough work! I was fatigued quickly so it's something I really need to work on.

Narrow grip cable pull 75# 4 rounds of 8 reps each.
Chest press with 20# dumbbells 4 rounds of 10 reps each.

Felt good on both. I really should have kept going but oh well. Better than nothing I suppose.

I've been eating really healthy lately, drinking tons of water, and taking my vitamins. All around, I feel well-balanced right now which is no surprise since my work schedule isn't over the top. As soon as I have a busy week at work, all hell breaks loose and I can't maintain any other part of my life.

This blog helps me to document my awareness of it at least. It helps. Same w/ my awareness that had my friend texted 10 minutes sooner, I would have bailed as well. Awareness is the first step!

Day 8 - Swimming again

I finally made it back to the community pool yesterday for a nice, long swim!

Gosh, I love, love, love swimming. Seriously!

You must control your breathing...because you know, if you don't, you choke on a bunch of water...and I find it very rhythmic and peaceful, but also a good workout.

And today, woowee my feet, ankles & shins are killing me! It's from the paddling. I didn't even notice it yesterday but today, I'm definitely sore.

But a good sore.

I did 20 lengths in the pool, which I'm happy with since it was my first swim in months.

I didn't workout today but I'm getting up early to go to the gym and I'm so excited. I'm finally feeling better! Yay!

7th Day and Sick Day

Yesterday Michael and I went rock climbing, which I'm definitely counting as my workout. We were sweaty and we used muscles I normally wouldn't work. I loved it!! We got annual passes as a gift about 5 months ago that allows us to go as often as we want for just $5 each. It's the first time we cashed them in but we'll probably go back! It was fun.

For some reason, yesterday I felt crummy all day and as the day went on, it just got worse and worse.

I thought and secretly hoped it was just allergies.

Nope. Sick again.

Can you believe that? I cannot!!! I NEVER get sick and now it's twice this month! My throat all day today has been in severe pain, my sinuses are going nuts, etc. I pretty much did nothing all day and still feel like shit.

So today was my one day off this month which means I need to workout the rest of the month to hit my goal of 20. Not sure that will happen if I'm not feeling any better tomorrow and if not, I'm not going to beat myself up. 

6 of 20: Friday morning legs

I'm proud of myself AGAIN because I did get up early yesterday and workout before my busy day. And I'm glad I did because I totally forgot I had a party to go to last night. I went straight from work and arrived to the party late. I asked if she had food b/c if not, I was going to stop on the way. I was starving (it was 7pm) so I didn't want to get there, see only junk food, be starving and then end up making poor decisions because of it.

She said she had food.

She had junk food.

I was still MOSTLY good. I ate a lot of fruit, a few meatballs and only 1 dessert item. I had 2 glasses of wine.

Not perfect but also much better than I would have done a month ago. I would have ate a few of everything before!!

Here's the workout I did yesterday morning:

24 minute treadmill workout
1 minute at 5.5mph
30 seconds at 7.5 mph
30 seconds rest
Repeat 12 times
I did it all at a 2* incline

Next time I'll go faster, although it was still challenging, it could be harder.

Legs:
Back squat 4 rounds 8 reps each at 50#
Walking lunges w/ 40# bar 4 rounds 8 steps w/ each leg
Leg extension machine 70# 4 rounds 8 reps each ----> held reps at the top to make sure it was hard enough, will go heavier next time.

5 of 20: Biceps & Triceps

I'm SUPER proud of myself. Despite having a super intense and super crazy day, I got up early and went to the gym beforehand! Score 1 for this gal!

I really didn't have the time OR the energy to do cardio or a HIIT workout but I did do 45 minutes of solid weight training.

And I went heavy!

Seated Hammer curls 15# dumbbells
4 sets: 10 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Skull crushers w/ 30# curl bar
4 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps, 10 reps

One arm bicep curl w/ cable 20#
4 sets: 8 reps each
*Super hard

Overhead tricep extension 25#
4 sets: 8 reps each

Bicep curls (seated w/ curl bar w/ 2-2.5# added)
3 sets: 8 reps each

Each of the exercises was heavier than I normally would have done. By the 4th round, my arms were shaking and it all felt really good.

Friday is another INSANE day so I guess that means I'm working out early again. That kind of stinks because I worked until 9pm tonight (it's 10pm now and I feel like I'm JUST NOW winding down finally). It's unlikely I'll be able to go to bed soon so getting up early is not going to be fun.

There are 16 days left to February and I have to workout 15 more times. Dare I skip tomorrow then be forced to workout every other day this month? Or should I bank it for another day this month?

Record Keeping Workout Update

I did this workout on Monday but it doesn't look like I updated the blog with it.

I like to use this blog as a way of tracking these so it's out of order, but here it is.

Do each superset twice before moving on to the next grouping:

40 seconds on, 15 second rest

Deadlift
Lunge + Row

Deadlift toes out
Ski squat + Tricep Extension

Deadlift toes in
Curtsy lunge + curls

Squat + Overhead press (thruster)
Halo + Good morning

Wall sit w/ lateral raises
Side lunge w/ ventral raise

Bridge w/ chest press
Back superman + pull

24 minutes in all.

Quick little workout when in a hurry. Toughy but goody.

4 of 20: Critique from Personal Trainer

I'm in a marketing & networking group with a bunch of others. It's our duty to meet with one another and learn about each other's businesses so if I'm sitting with a client, I can refer them easily.

One of the other members is a Personal Trainer so this morning I went to his gym.

I showed him the exercises I've been doing lately and said, "Here - critique this." So he did.

I was so pumped up when I left his office, then just by chance I had a client cancellation so I headed straight to my gym!

First, he challenged me to do my HIIT stuff for 30 minutes at least.
Second, he challenged me to follow that up with heavier strength training.

He said if I want to lose fat and look better (yes, that's my goal... I want to look better...) then he said I'm close, I just need to do a bit more weight training.

So here's what I did:

THREE TIMES THROUGH!!!:

Squat Jumps x 10
Plank Punches x 10 each arm
Lateral Raises x 10 (8#)
Burpees x 10
Side Plank w/ Rotation x 10 each side
Tricep Kickbacks x 10 each arm (8#)
Step ups to a lunge x 5 each leg (2-15# weights)
Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press x 10 (12#)
High Knees x 20
Tricep Extension x 10 (15#)
Bridge w/ Chest Press x 10 (2-15# weights)
High Kicks x 20

My total time to do the above 3 times through was 30:16 and it was HAAAAAARD!!
He challenged me to break as little as possible. I really tried to picture him standing next to me :)

Then I followed it up with some chest and back work. He recommended 4 different exercises for 5 sets and 8-10 reps each.

I'm not gonna lie, I couldn't do all that. I did 3 exercises, 4 sets each. But, it's good to have something to work toward and I definitely felt great about what I was accomplishing. Here's what I did:

Narrow Grip Pull 75# 4 sets of: 8 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps, 6 reps
Straight Arm Crusher Overhead 15# dumbbell 3 sets of: 8 reps
Chest Press 15# dumbbells 4 sets of 12 reps


He also gave me a cardio interval to try.
60 seconds jog
30 seconds sprint
30 seconds rest

All on a 2* incline. 12 times through that 2-minute interval so 24 minutes total

He also said I should eat leaner beef and cut out the brats (which we eat a lot). He recommended adding more fish to the diet and brown jasmine rice instead of white, red potatoes, and walnuts.

3 of 20 - Long way to go

My original goal was to workout 20 times in the month of February. Sounded reasonable.

Then I got sick and was out of commission for a whole week.

Today is February 10th and I've worked out 3 days in a row. I didn't post yesterday but I went to the gym in the morning before work with a friend. We did a quick 24 minute workout that was full body. It was perfect - nice & quick but got it done before heading to the office. I was proud of myself.

Then this morning I'm just finishing up with Yoga.

So with 18 days left in February, I need to workout 17 of them in order to hit my goal.

I've decided I'm still going to shoot for it but I'm also not going to be super upset if I don't stick with it either. After all, it wasn't because I took  a week off due to laziness, I was sick, which was completely out of my control.

Today's yoga class was amazing - it was just what I needed considering all the strength training I've been doing. I get so incredibly tight from lifting weights and not properly warming up & cooling down. The lack of stretching really shows during yoga when I can barely get into some of the poses!

But, I always leave feeling super limber and my hips feel more open, etc. I need to make sure I'm incorporating it into my weekly workout schedule for sure.

3 down
17 more to go

Cheers!

Tough Workout Done

I headed to the gym and did another tough workout today, similar to the one last week just before I got sick.

I started with a treadmill workout

Minutes        Speed     Incline

3 warm-up     5             0

2 base            5             1

3 push            5             2

2 base             5            1

1 all-out         5.5          3

1 walk            3.5         0

_______________________________

1 base            5            1

2 push           5             2

1 base            5            1

2 push           5.3          2

1 base           5             1

1 all-out        5.8          3

1 walk           3.5          0

_______________________________

1 all-out        5.8          3

1 walk           3.5          0

1 all-out        5.8          3

1 walk           3.5          0

1 all-out         6            3

1 walk           3.5          0

Instead of sprinting, I tried to increase the incline and use that to get my heart rate up. It was easier than the sprint version I did a week ago. I need to push myself a bit more than this the next time I do this workout - either increase the incline some more and/or pick up the pace at the same time.

Total Distance 2.20 miles

Total Calories 268 

Time 27:02

After that I did 4 blocks of 5 minutes each. Here's the 4 blocks...

Block 1

Squat Jumps x10

Plank Punches x 10 each arm

Lateral Raises w/ 8# dumbbell x10

I made it through almost 3 full rounds (just a few reps shy doing the lateral raises).

Block 2

Donkey Kicks @ 40# on machine x 10 each leg

Side Plank w/ Rotation x 10 each side

Burpees x10

I made it through one full round then all the donkey kicks and about half the side planks.

Block 3

Step Ups to a Lunge (holding 12# dumbbell) x 5 each leg

Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press 12# x10

Mountain climbers x20

I made it through two full rounds then all the step ups and about half the bicep curls the 3rd round.

Block 4

Tricep Extension 20# dumbbell x15

Calf Raises x 10 each leg (on side of treadmill)

1-minute Sprint

I made it through one full round and ended with about 30 seconds left of the sprint the 2nd round. The next time I do this one, I will choose a 15# dumbbell instead of 20#.

Back to the World of the Living

After being sick and taking time off work for 3-4 days, I finally started feeling like myself on Friday. I pretty much slept all week before that day. No working out, barely eating, and when I did it, I was all about comfort food. I did okay with the exception of an ice cream shake one evening.

I have no excuses. I was feeling crummy and wanted ice cream. I'm a kid sometimes.

Today I'm committing to make February my best month yet, despite the shitty start.

I doubt I'll be able to hit my goal of 6 pounds lost this month but I'm okay with that... I still want to do everything I can regardless.

Today's Action Items:
1. Clean & put laundry away- my house is a disaster from being sick.
2. Do some food prep- we have a ton of food left from last week since I barely ate. I need to determine what is still good and edible and what is getting tossed.
3. Go workout.
4. Schedule all social media posts for February- I'm way behind with work stuff like this. So working on Sunday is a must.
5. Make a calendar of February workouts so I can see if I can still hit the "20 workouts this month" target. I'm thinking I'd need to workout everyday from now til the end of the month for that to be possible. So we'll see...
6. Schedule any days this week I can bike to work.

Time to honker down and get back into the swing of things.

Sick

Well, it wasn't a hangover I had, I had the flu.

And it's sticking around apparently.

Not a great way to kick off February at all.

Sabotage

Wow, I went from the best day ever yesterday... having tons of intentions for February and feeling like I could do this.

Then we went to a friend's house last night & I got super drunk and had a total fricken blast and now today I'm feeling like poop.

I'm not wanting to do anything except sit on the couch in my pj's all day.

Unfortunately that's not possible because we're having people over for the Super Bowl so I have to clean my house and get ready. I kinda feel like it's going to be 5+ hours wasted because I can't leave yet I don't really care to watch the game either.

Blah.

If I'm committed then I need to muster through today and get productive. I need to act on my goals regardless of how I'm feeling right at this minute and just suck it up cupcake.

February Intentions

One of my clients is a personal trainer, and a very, very good one. He & his wife have multiple trainers who work under them, they work 6-7 days per week and they have a huge client base. I mean, they are super legit.

They shared this article on FB today and it was just what I needed to read. I even bookmarked it to read often when I need a swift kick in the rear. It's "The Brutally Honest 6 Reasons You're Still Overfat." And it really is brutally honest but I hate sugar-coating stuff. I have always responded best to a bit of tough love and it's simply the way I tend to communicate as well. Direct and Honest but also Compassionate and most importantly, coming from a place of caring and that's why I'm saying things. That's how I read that article & it was just what I needed to read.

I am ready to stop making excuses of putting my health & fitness on the back burner. I'm ready to do this and do it consistently. I want my body to be as healthy as possible going into a pregnancy but mainly because I want to be able to continue that into the pregnancy. I don't expect to quit then, but I don't want to start then either. I have to start now, once and for all! LOL

I want to lose 6 pounds in February. That's my ultimate goal and here's how I can accomplish that (plus a few other things):

Here are the things I WILL DO in February:
1. Meal Plan & Prep each week
2. Fitness & Workout Plan each week
3. Have IUD removed (Eeeek!)
4. Switch over health insurance (one that has maternity coverage)
5. Register for a triathlon in April
6. Exercise 20 times
7. Bike to work 3 times
8. Buy a heart rate monitor/Garmin triathlon watch and begin using it
9. Make smart decisions over lunch meetings for work
10. I will not cheat and I will make good decisions on Super Bowl Sunday.
11. In February, I will enjoy the Wine Tasting party we're having at our house, but THAT IS IT!!
12. I will not cheat & I will make good decisions at the party I was invited to on February 13th.

Looking at my calendar and planning ahead, I am noticing that I attend a lot of parties. Those are fun but they're also really challenging when trying to make good decisions. Hence the reason I plan to read that article above over & over again in February!!

Cheers!

Toughest Workout in a Looong Time

I didn't post yesterday but I actually went to the gym BEFORE work! Yay- score one for this gal!! I should be able to go every morning but I tend to sip my morning coffee & just relax instead.

I did an arm workout with a bunch of supersets.

Hammer Curls (15#) w/
Overhead Tricep Extension (20#) w/
Bentover Flies (10#)

Skull crushers (10#?? I think) w/
DB Chest Press (15#)

Cable Rows (60# x 10) 3 sets

Pull-ups (assisted, maybe 56#) 10 reps x 3

I *think* I did that 3 times through.

Then today I went to the gym because I found this workout here and wanted to do it. Boy oh boy was it ever hard!! By far the hardest I've pushed myself in a long time!! (and I didn't even do the row part because our gym doesn't have a rower). Here's how I tweaked the workout:

START: Treadmill workout
Minutes     Speed
3 warm-up     5
2 base           5.5
3 push          6.5
2 base           5.5
1 all-out        7.5
1 walk           3.5
________________________
1 base           5.5
2 push          6.5
1 base           5.5
2 push          6.5 *walked for 10 seconds
1 base           5.5*walked for 10 seconds
1 all-out       7.5
1 walk          3
________________________
1 all-out       7.5
1 walk          3
1 all-out       7.5
1 walk          3
1 all-out       8
1 walk          3

Total time = 27 minutes
Total calories = 283
Total Distance 2.53 miles

Then I did the following circuit training WOD:

Block 1 (5 minutes total, circle through as many times as possible):
Squat to hammer curls 15 reps (12# dumbbells)
Burpees 10 reps
1-minute sprint on treadmill (6.5mph)
***In 5 minutes, I completed one full round then a bunch of hammer curls & squats.

Block 2
Overhead tricep extension 12 reps (12# dumbbells)
Reverse lunge hop 10 each side
1-minute sprint on treadmill (6.5mph)
***In 5 minutes, I completed one full round then all the tricep extensions & lunge hops and about 20 seconds of the sprint.

Block 3
Side lunge to shoulder press 12 reps (12# dumbbells)
Single arm row 12 reps each side (12# dumbbells)
Side plank dips 5 each side
***In 5 minutes, I completed one full round then 6 more side lunges.

Block 4
Deadlift to row 15 reps (12# dumbbells)
Plank punch 10 punches each arm
Superman extensions 15 reps
***In 5 minutes, I completed one full round then all the deadlift rows & plank punches.

I was one drenched, nasty mess by the end of it. I am definitely a sweater when I workout. I wish I wasn't but oh well, I don't think there's anything I can do about it. My triceps are so sore from yesterday's WOD and now today's. But boy am I ever feeling great!!!

***Will post again with my plan, intentions, thoughts going into February.

Another perfect day

Yes I'm on a roll!! Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration but I had another great day so I'm feeling good.

Woke up and had a couple of meetings first thing. Then stopped by the office for a couple hours, ate lunch and got a bit of work done. Then left and met a girlfriend for a quick coffee date.

I quickly headed home and changed into workout clothes then went to the gym. Had I not gone right then, I knew darn well I wouldn't have gone at all. So I got 'er done!

Then I went shopping and bought a few new workout clothes!! :P  That's always fun!!

Here's my workout:
Leg press
90# x 10
110# x 10
130# x 10
150# x 10
170# x 10

Dumbbell deadlifts with 2- 20# dumbbells. 30 reps.

40# short straight bar walking lunges x 30 steps.

Then this timed workout:
10 burpees (with pushup)
Plank hold on bosu ball (thumbs touching, legs/body straight) - hold as long as possible (maybe 20 seconds)?
10 KB Swings w/ Fuschia KB - I don't know the weight of that one, just the color ; )

Time = 7:56

Then I ended with 3 plank holds on the bosu ball, each one was 30 seconds each. I'd really like to focus on my core strength, I know it's something I need to improve.

ALMOST perfect weekend!!

This weekend was just about perfect and it's not over yet. Here's my original list w/ the things I accomplished crossed off:

Go hiking
Go for a bike ride*We biked the Usery Pass loop through a regional park so I got my outdoor fix of hiking along w/ a bike ride so I'm counting both. We also went for a long walk around our neighborhood Saturday night.

The bike ride was HELLA HARD! Oh my gosh, but I loved it. I love doing something where you can't quit (because we're 10 miles away from our car)- I am a little brat and start cursing like crazy but I also LOVE challenging myself physically. The ride was 22.5 miles long and we climbed 1,000 feet in elevation. My phone said I also burned about 1,000 calories so that's good!! Wahoo!! 

Go out Saturday night w/ Michael just the 2 of us*I invited friends but they couldn't join us-luckily. As soon as I asked I thought to myself, "Why did I just do that?" I do that all the time- I'm more worried about making sure everyone else is happy, having a good time, enjoying themselves than I am myself sometimes!!

Go to the gym 1xNope! No gym trip for us :(

Pick fruit from my citrus treesPick up yard then relax in my hammock chair*I went to a used bookstore near my house & bought "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed which really just seemed to be the perfect book for me right now. We picked up the backyard and then I read for about 30 minutes in my hammock chairs- until I got sleepy then I went upstairs & took a nap!

Make a fire
Nope! But honestly, it was just too warm and not really necessary this weekend.

Call my girlfriends
Nope! They're on my list though! Just no time.

For next week---Meal plan & grocery shop
DONE!!! We cooked a bunch of meat on the grill along with a HUGE bowl of veggies. We also steamed some broccoli and then I pre-made a bunch of salads too! Oh, I also cut up some fruit & broke that up into serving size baggies for the week. I wish I would have timed myself because between the two of us, I'm sure it took an hour tops. But BOY DOES IT FEEL GREAT to have that done. I know I'll make good decisions this week because I can quickly grab and go!

Exercise plan
I'm working on this now so it will be done!! I was going to bike to the office tomorrow but I have a feeling I'm barely going to be able to walk, let along bike 15 miles. So, not happening. 

Overall, I feel like it was such an amazing weekend. Productive, Health-focused, Relaxing, etc. A HUGE part of this was because I didn't work at all. That is so crucial and I realize it so clearly. 

So, let's hope for a productive week at the office so I can continue to make the most of my weekends and non-work hours!

My Weekend Intentions

With the exception of a hair appointment Sunday morning, I don't have any plans which is SO VERY AWESOME!!! There are a few things I really want to make sure I achieve this weekend:

Go hiking
Go for a bike ride
Go out Saturday night w/ Michael just the 2 of us
Go to the gym 1x
Pick fruit from my citrus trees
Pick up yard then relax in my hammock chair
Make a fire
Call my girlfriends

For next week---
Meal plan & grocery shop
Exercise plan

MOST IMPORTANTLY and this is going to be tough... I have a perfectly scheduled week next week. That means I have appointments but it's not JAM PACKED FULL like some weeks. Because of that, there is NO REASON why I should work this weekend.

My goal, and this may not be realistic, is to NOT work at all this weekend. Oh boy, can I do it? We'll see!!

Intentions & Honesty

I was going to write about my "goals" but a girlfriend of mine has been using "intentions" which I really like better...

I used to be SUPER INTO GOALS. I've always been really goal-oriented and would set them then achieve them. It always felt really great but lately (the past year?) I have not been able to set a goal that I find motivating.

I think it's due to contentment. It's not complacency, which implies unhappiness or laziness. It's true contentment. I'm satisfied with how things currently are so I don't have this drive to change things, although at the same time, I think things could stand to be just a bit better and there's things I want to work on, they're not crucial. And that makes it so hard to push myself or stick to something consistently because if I don't, is it really a big deal? Probably not.

The truth is, my husband and I are finally talking about starting a family. We've been married 9.5 years and we finally feel like we're ready. I want to be my healthiest self once we do start trying. I'm 33 years old so I want to make sure my body is healthy & I've been taking care of it. I'm also acutely aware of the fact that if I am unable to make my health a priority now, I definitely won't be able to do it when a baby enters the picture. And call it vanity, selfishness or naivety but that's just not okay with me. I grew up with parents who were not healthy and didn't take care of themselves and I want my child to see the opposite. Don't we always duplicate what we saw as children OR overcompensate? Haha!

MY BEST SELF
When I imagine who my best self is, it's this person who is active, loves to be outdoors, barely sits at the computer or the TV outside of work hours and makes the most of being productive & active. That's definitely not me right now... but I want it to be! I work a lot. I sit at a computer all day then go home and grab my laptop and resume working while watching TV. I think this may surprise people b/c I hear all the time "Kelsa, you're so productive, how do you get it all done?" HA! Sometimes I feel like I'm living a lie or representing something that's not accurate. I don't mean to do it but I don't want anyone to feel like I've got this shit figured out when I don't. Or most importantly, I want to be outdoors more, I want to soak up the sun and keep my body and mind fresh & moving. It's important to me and I don't want to just be this person "sometimes" or when it's convenient with my work load, I want to be this person first and a business person 2nd.

MY INTENTIONS:
1. Eat clean & drink lots of water: I'd like to introduce a cheat day once a week otherwise I'd like to eat clean- meat, fruits, veggies, etc. And I need to make sure I'm not getting too many calories from liquids which can be a weakness for me. It's not pop thankfully, but I drink a lot of coffee & coconut water or tea before water. I need to drink more water FIRST then those things can follow. Things will help me achieve this include meal prepping & planning ahead.

2. Take my vitamins: I am deficient in a few things due to a genetic disorder in my family. Normally I do not even notice it like some other family members because of my healthy diet for the most part (they eat out fast food like every meal). But, I need to take my vitamins every day, no exceptions.

3. Do my hip exercises 3x per week. My husband shares an office with me now so he has all his fitness equipment here. If I have 20 minutes in between clients, there's really no excuse for me to do my hip exercises. I've had hip issues for a really long time and I can only imagine how bad this could get during pregnancy or while giving labor. I need to stay on top of it and take care of myself because I feel soooo much more limber and terrific when I do them.

4. Go to yoga 1x per week. Same as #3- I feel incredible after I go so I just need to do it.

5. Workout at the gym 2x per week.

6. Walk/Jog, swim or bike 2x per week. I'm a wuss and although I live in Phoenix, it's too cold to go to the community pool for me right now but soon it will be perfect so I can't wait. Until then, I need to get on my bike (even if that means biking to/from work) or go for a jog or long walk.

Things that will help me to accomplish all the fitness & active intentions I have are to plan my schedule for the week in advance. Block out time to do each of those things and then follow through on them.

7. Attempt to change my biological clock. I currently stay up until midnight and get up around 7AM. I'd like to go to bed a little earlier & get up earlier. I'm lucky enough to be able to set my own schedule and I usually start seeing clients at 9AM or 9:30AM. There's no reason why I can't accomplish the above things first thing in the morning. In my head, I could workout at 6 or 7AM but I never see myself working out late at night so I need to shift my schedule a bit.

8. I'd like to go hiking a couple times each month. Gosh, I LOVE the outdoors- it just does something for me- my attitude, my perspective, my confidence, everything! Again, I need to schedule these for weekends we have coming up & make it a priority. Otherwise, the weekend comes and goes and we never get on a trail.

Rebound Day

So yesterday was kinda a mess but today is shaping up to be better.

I had someone who was scheduled for first thing this morning cancel. It's the 2nd time she's cancelled the day before which really ticks me off but I've decided it was for the best. I slept in an hour later than normal, cleaned a bit this morning when I got up and took time to pack my lunch and dinner. I have another really long day but an exciting day. I have a new group coaching program starting tonight that goes from 7:30-8:30 so I'm expecting to be at the office 'til at least 9.

So I'm proud of my self for packing a healthy lunch & dinner. I also swung by the grocery store on my way to the office & picked up cucumber, mint leaves and lemon for my water. I do so much better with water consumption when I put something in it!

I have a 2-hour block of time this afternoon between clients and my goal is to go walk around outside, even if for 10 minutes. The Vitamin D and just moving around will really help I think because sitting at my desk & computer for 12+ hours today is not smart.

I'm going to take a minute to post about my goals & challenges here too soon... Here we go!

Hump Day

It is FOR SURE a hump day! Gosh, what a crazy day. Next week looks sooo much better, I just have to power through.

I was up late working last night to get ready for today. Woke up early & had to drive an hour north to give a presentation. Got back to the office 3 minutes AFTER my next meeting was supposed to start and it's been nonstop since.

That's why I haven't really eaten since breakfast. I had a smoothie really early but it's now 5:20 and here's what I've had in between:

1 Protein Bar

Yup. That's it. I am about to have an orange and some lunch meat before heading to another networking meeting starting at 7PM.

Few more days, few more days, I can do it!!

Ending the weekend right

Despite a bad couple of days, I feel like I ended the weekend strong or at least rebounded a bit!

Well, w/ the exception of that one slice of cake. But, it was a slice of Jane Dickey cake... you can't pass up her cake. It's divine. I don't know how she does it.

Otherwise I had a good breakfast of eggs, bacon & coffee. I had chicken salad for lunch and drank lots of water & made sure to take my vitamins. I got a couple of hours of work done & even snuck in an hour nap.

Then we went to the gym.

I did some bis & tris dumbbell work.
Hammer curls 2- sets of 15 with 15 pound weights - nice & slow
Concentrated bicep curls 2 sets of 10 with 15 pound weights
Tricep dips on the edge of the bench
Tricep press (overhead) w/ a 15 pound dumbbell

Then I did a quick workout
5 rounds of
5 overhead squats w/ the yellow kb (I think they're 10kg each)
20 mountain climbers (10 w/ each leg)
10 captain's chair knee raises
Time was 7:39

Then I ran home from the gym. Total distance was 3 miles, time was 34:52 but I felt really good the whole time. I wasn't going for any speed medals or anything, just a nice jog home from the gym. And it felt great.

Now I have A TON of work to do so I'm back at it. Michael is thankfully out doing the grocery shopping.

This week is going to be nuts. I have no idea how I'm going to fit working out into the mix. I am so completely bombarded with work I have to do for my business & it's likely to consume all my time. My goal is not necessarily to workout often but to make really good, healthy decisions with my diet. I want to eat really clean because I need the energy and focus to get all this work done.

Michael is home now so I'm going to prep a bunch of veggies and salads for the week and hopefully stick to my game plan of healthy eating.