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.