gymcoach79's Journal

I'm back
Jul 08 2009 12:41

After hitting my goal weight a week before the family wedding, I was too scared to weigh in again in fear that I weighed myself wrong of that I might have gained weight....then I refused to weigh myself the week after the wedding because I was afraid that maybe I partied too hard.....unfortunately, I have the same excuse this week as I did last.  I did have to go to the doctor though, so eventually life has caught back up with me.  After 3 weeks of not counting what I eat and not getting on the treadmill...even once....I have gained a pound back.  A blessing in disguise I tell you.  :)  So here I am, back to finish what I started, and get rid of the last 15 (I guess its now 16) pounds. 

I tried a Pilates class yesterday for the first time.  I felt guilty because I wasn't sweating (and I sweat easily) and I thought that the workout was kinda easy.  I was upset because I have limited time to work out with my kids and all and that there had to be a better calorie burn than that class I just did.  Today, my tummy is a little sore. So I guess I will try it again tomorrow and see how it goes.  The gym also offers a Plyometrics class that looks interesting and I will give it a go next week (its only offered once a week and I couldn't make this weeks).  Here's to hoping I wake back up and get back in my groove.  I would still like to be at my goal by the end of next month, but am realistic about the fact that I just slacked for 3 weeks and I need to be okay with that.....

Glad to see you all again and I look forward to dropping a jean size...or something!!!

I did it!!!
Jun 14 2009 16:18

I can't believe I did it! I have lost 37lbs since January and hit my goal of weighing 175lbs by the family wedding that we have this month....actually, I have a week to spare! It was long, hard and at times inconsistent, but for the first time in a long time, I stuck some thing out.  I want to thank everyone here for their continued support and hope they all have had the same luck.

I get to start working on my "final goal" sooner then I thought....I am now aiming to be 160lbs. I tenatively have set the goal for my birthday in a couple of months, but it might be too aggressive.  Hopefully I just want it by the end of the year.  I have lost all my pregnancy weight and weigh basically what I weighed when I met my husband. Another 10lbs will be what I weighed when we got married and the 160 marker is something my husband has never seen before.  Unfortunately I think my children have shaped me differently, so although it is lighter, I don't think it will necessarily look smaller.  Oh well.

Today I hit something that I honestly didn't know if it was possible or even realistic for me.  Today I feel good about myself again.  Watch out 160, I'm coming for you next!!!

Not great timing...
Jun 02 2009 10:13

After trucking along for so long doing good, I have finally slowed......

It started several weeks ago when I noticed my big toe was hurting while I was running on the treadmill.  I ignored it and kept going, estatic that I got 5 miles in in 1 hour before I finally caved and looked a little closer at my toe.  I think my sneakers have been too snug.....My big toe is deeply bruised on the nail and I think I am actually going to lose that nail.....so I figured I would stop running for a little bit and let it rest.  It finally feels better and I plan on resuming running this week.

Well, as long as that was on hold, I figured this week might be a good week to throw off my metabolism too.  No salads for the whole week!!! Without really planning, my "week off" turned into a maintanence week where I ate whatever I wanted (umm, pizza...) and stayed pretty close to my maintanence calorie level.  So I'm happy I managed to take a little break without doing any damage.  Of course the family wedding is now this month and I am 4lbs shy of my goal, so it wasn't the greatest timing either....

I also did my dress fitting too......I ordered the dress one size smaller then they recomended (because I was optimistic about weight loss) and they still had to take the dress in almost 3 inches on top where it's fitted....yeah!!!!  It was a great feeling walking out of that dressing room with the dress just hanging.  Then the seamstress just started pulling inches of the dress and pinning what needed to be taken in.....good feeling.

So, as I mentioned before, I have about 3 more weeks to get the last 4lbs off and my husband is 3lbs away from his goal at this point too.  It might be close, but we will see. Hopefully being this close will give us both some motivation to go a little harder, a little longer and without thinking of dessert too much...LOL

Hope everyone is doing well. Happy to be back and excited to be back on track!

More progress
May 14 2009 11:31

My May goals are going well. It's about half way through the month and I am a little short of halfway through my personal challenge for May. Not too bad, but I will have to pick it up a bit for the second half.

My work on the treadmill is getting better....last night I ran 5 miles for the first time ever! More amazing, I did it in an hour! That's faster then it took me to run 4 miles just a month ago!  Other times for me.....2.5 miles - 28:49, 3 miles - 34:42, 4 miles - 47:55 (almost 15 minutes faster then a month ago!) and now 5 miles - 59:56.  I feel like I am getting stronger.  I guess the frustrating part for me is that I am still having trouble running at a consistent pace.  I can run a mile or mile and a half jogging, but then I have to walk to catch my breath.  Last night I decided to jog for 5 minutes at 5 to warm up and then do some HIIT training. I did 1 minute at 4 and then 30 seconds at 9 for 6 or 8 sets.  I then switched to 1 minute 4 and 30 seconds at 7 for another 6 sets or so. Finally, I went 2 minutes 4 and 1 minute 9 for a couple more sets.

I remember when I first tried doing the intervals it was killer to just make it to 6 sprints.  Now I can switch up intervals for 25 minutes before I have to start taking longer walk breaks.  I guess I'm not a runner, but thats okay as this HIIT stuff is a bigger calorie burn....I hit somewhere around 750 calories burned in my hour on the treadmill last night. It's also weird because 2 miles is almost a minimum for me these days. Mile 2 - 3.5 really sucks and its mentally tough for me.  Once I get to that 3.5 mile, the last half mile generally isn't too bad...maybe its because I see the end in site. That's why I did another mile last night to see.  I'm starting to have my glimpse of how runners don't feel anything anymore and can just go.  Then my breathing gets difficult or my knees start to ache, but there are those brief windows where it really feels good.

I'm out of town this weekend for work, so I think I am going to skip my weigh in until next week.  My goal is 175lbs by June 20th, but maybe with some good running I will be able to drop those 5lbs this month. I won't be disappointed if I don't, but gosh that would be great.  My overall goal when I started was 160lbs. That was a 52lbs weight loss and honestly, I didn't think it was realistic. Now I'm starting to think about if I want to go for 10 more pounds after that.

Keep up the good work everyone....together we can do this!

Still going....
May 11 2009 09:36

Another 2lbs....yeah! Now down 32lbs and only 5lbs away from where I would like to be by the end of next month....it looks like that goal is going to be attainable!

Yesterday was Mothers Day and I said to heck with it.....I haven't REALLY let loose since I started, so I told myself at the start of the day I would let myself eat whatever I felt like....it started at breakfast. I tried to eat, but basically I had my normal breakfast with one extra scoop of cheesy hashbrowns.  Hmmm.  I was full and it tasted great. 

Lunch was up next, but I was so full from breakfast, that I napped right through that meal. LOL  I can't remember the last time I missed a meal.  Alright, so it was January before I started counting my calories and never ate breakfast. But you get my point.  By the time I woke up and realized I was hungry, dinner was only about an hour away, so I had a glass of water and decided to wait.

Dinner was wonderful. We decided to have steak in honor of Mothers Day.  We also had baked potatoes, but I opted for a sweet potato, which tasted really good.  I had some salad too and then had a glass of pop. I havent really had pop in the last 4 months, so it kinda tasted funny and wasn't really quenching my thirst, so that was short lived.

Looking back on the night, I'm thrilled. Even when I allowed myself free reign, I still skipped right over chips, didn't enjoy the pop and really didn't have huge portions anyway.  It was a nice reinforcing sign that this has really developed into a lifestyle change and I trust myself even more.  It was nice to eat for a day and not count calories, but it was even nicing looking back on the day to realize my "natural full" is basically what my maintance days are anyway. Yeah!

Still going on the treadmill.  My goal is 500 minutes this month and I know I am somewhere around 125 minutes, so I am about on pace.  I know I have got a couple more 4 mile times in and times are still getting faster, and without a whole lot of effort.  My best 4 mile time is now just under 53 minutes....not record breaking by any means, but good for me and thats good enough. I treated myself and got a new DVD for a different cardio workout and got some of the fancy things to go along with it.  I figure it's been several months, I'm sticking with it okay and I need something to shake my routine up again.  I really want to drop that last 5lbs by the family get together at the end of next month. Some of them haven't seen me since Christmas, so I think 35lbs or so should be noticeable. I'm excited to see if they say anything, but I won't let it bother me if they don't either. Another group of people who are constantly "dieting" with no results.....

Hope everyone had a great weekend and that we are all sharing in some great weather.  Keep up the great work all!

1 more important pound.....
May 04 2009 12:41

I lost one more pound this week.  Normally, I would probably be frustrated with only 1lbs in the week, but this week I am over the moon.  That 1lb represents the 30th pound I've lost......30 pounds!!!

I started this journey in the beginning of Jan at 212lbs, out of shape and unhappy with myself.  Today I stand proud at 182lbs.  Did I have off days? Of course! I hardly found the treadmill in the month of March.  Did I eat the best? Absolutely not! My addiction to Buffalo Wild Wings (and a few other restaraunts) was hard to break and I did eat there.....however I have learned to modify my orders.  Instead of an order of 18 wings, I have a side salad and order 6 wings....that I still take home 2 and use on a salad the next day.  Instead of always asking for fries for my sides, I ask for steamed vegetables.  No more eating the endless bread they bring to your table.  I always order water to drink (cheaper bills too!!) I ask for a "to go" box before I start eating if I know that I'm hungry and box up the excess portion so I'm not tempted by whats sitting on the plate in front of me.

Could I have lost more weight by this point? Of course. Do I care? Absolutely not.  I have done this slowly and I have done this RIGHT....which is most important.  I've learned to get on the treadmill a couple times a week. I've learned to eat out, which in reality is something I'm going to do in life, I've learned to estimate calories and track for the day, I've learned what a true portion is and, most importantly, I've learned to say NO to food...especially when I'm bored. I have truly made this a change, not a diet, and that's why I know its going to work and going to last.

I'm not done losing. I still would like to be at 175lbs by the end of next month, which may be pushing it, and 160lbs by my birthday in a couple of months, but we will see from there.  I need to find what is attainable and comfortable for me. 

A real eye opener happened for me yesterday. A family member made a comment to get out of their way and I mentioned I had 30lbs less in their way.  The response back was that I still was "no twig".  I'm not sure how that made me feel.  At first I was mad. I felt unsupported and like they didn't care, which they may not.  Then I let it go.  I'm 60lbs lighter then his wife, who is constantly "dieting", so maybe it was a little bit of jealousy on their part too. I don't know.  But I do know it took me about 3 minutes to get over it, not take it to heart and, most importantly, not let it deter me, which is something that would have easily happened before.  Eyes on the prize, you know? I can do this!!

Treadmill is going well. I managed to get another 4 mile night in and dropped a little more time (another minute or 2) and am anxious about running tonight...LOL Can you believe it? I'm excited! It's gonna suck, I'm gonna sweat like a pig, I'm gonna go slow and I'm gonna feel so great when I'm done.  :)  Definitely a twisted feeling that I would have never believed I would feel just a couple months ago.

I'm happy.  I'm happy I stuck this out, I'm happy that I'm not a quitter, I'm happy that I'm having success and I'm happy I feel good.  Watch out size 14 jeans, I'm coming for you next!

Frustrating to be so close
Apr 27 2009 09:32

I achieved my goal according to my little Wii guy.....I lost 2lbs in the last 2 weeks.  2.4 actually.  I'm excited I was able to do what I set out to, but frustrated because had I lost that other half a pound, I would have hit the goal of 30lbs total to date.....oh well.  Its still 29lbs that I should be proud that I have kissed goodbye.  183 from 212 since January is still unbelievable to me.  I feel great and confident that I can hit my (end of) June goal of 175.  I hope to weigh in with the Wii guy in another 2 weeks, down another 2lbs, but secretly I am pushing for 4lbs so I can be in the 170's....we will see what I can do!

1.5 miles left in my 30 in 30 challenge, which I'm hoping to knock off tonight.  Then I have a couple days where I'm not sweating a distance or anything while on the treadmill.  For May, I think my challenge will be "May Minutes".  If I aim to get on the treadmill 4 times a week for 30 minutes at a time (16 days of 30 minutes), that would make for 480 minutes of treadmill time.  Round it up for a nice easy number and hence the goal....May Minutes will shoot for 500 minutes of cardio workout time.  Again, its something to aim for some consistency, but this time speed won't matter to rack up miles. I'm sure I'll still watch, I'm sure I'll still push myself, but this time I'm putting the emphasis on the amount of time put into my effort, not the amount of effort into a short time.

I have also thought strongly about doing a 5K or some other type of run this summer. I have never done one before, as I am NOT and never was the running type, but I think it would be a great thing for my mind and something to say that I've done in life.  It would also force me to face my fear of taking my exercise plan outside. As mentioned in some other posts, I have discovered I am obsessed (and a little addicted) to my treadmill. Not so much in doing it, dont get me wrong, but in the security of being in my basement without passing by drivers laughing and to my electronic board, which helps me run 5 mroe seconds, 10 more calories or one more quarter mile.  I'm not fully commited to this plan, but I like the idea. We will see.

New 1.5 mile time is 16:37, thats another 70 seconds shed, and a 2 mile time of 21:40....another 3 whole minutes!!!!  Times were accomplished by doing some HIIT training.....1 minute on 4, 30 seconds on 9.  I did it for a whole 20 minutes, which got me 2 miles.  The first time I tried the 4/9 interval, I think I did it 2 times (a whole 3 minutes) before I said "screw it!"  Now I won't say its easy, but it's easier then when I started.  I think I'm gonna stay with this interval set for another week or 2 before I push myself to try it on a 30 second 4, 30 second 9.....the thought of that makes me grasp for air already, but oh well!  I CAN do this! I refuse to quit, as some around me have, and I WILL accomplish my goals.

Thin isn't easy....if it was, everybody would be!!!

Times are melting away...
Apr 24 2009 13:09

I'm thrilled with how my 30 in 30 Challenge is going.  The initial thought was to use it as motivation to get on the treadmill once a day for a mile and to emphasize consistency. Knowing that i had never done more then 2 miles before, I really didn't see any other option with it. By the end of the first week, I was already at a small deficit and starting to worry. But having a tangible goal, something I can mark off on paper on a daily basis, was really the key to finish this out. I have had to push myself to walk/run as far as I could in order to make up for some lost days (mostly out of my control as there were health and work issues) and actually got myself to go 4 miles.....twice! It's exhilerating to accomplish something that you didn't think was possible.  All the while, I would just think "Skinny isn't easy....if it was, everyone would be!!"  That being said, as of today I have 26.5 miles logged....only 3.5 miles left to do in almost a weeks time.....totally doable! I am now working on ideas of what I can do in May to keep myself going.

Times on the treadmill just keep getting smaller and smaller too. Every time I hit a new personal best, something I can't imagine doing better at for awhile, I lose another second or two.  Recently I have improved my 2 mile best time to 24:43, dropping 50 seconds. I also dropped my 3 mile time to 39:54, saving myself a little more then 3 1/2 minutes! My 4 mile time is now under an hour at 55:51, almost 6 whole minutes faster then the first time I tried it.  Finally, I did catch a time for a 2.5 mile distance at 32:43. Having these times written down on a piece of paper near the treadmill is a great motivator to run a little harder or longer when I think I can get close to the time. It's made me a stronger person by pushing myself. 

There are also times that I don't look at times.  Sometimes I plan on going 30 minutes, regardless.  Other times I want to burn 250 calories somehow.  Inclines are an option too, but not one I do very often as I find it difficult on my knees, but useful in mixing things up occassionally.  The important thing is there is no set plan...just do what I can, when I can. This no pressure approach is appealing and when I know I'm tired, I can still get on the treadmill because I can decide to just do 1 mile tonight.....and once I get going, it usually turns into more these days. When I'm tired, I walk. When I'm not, I run. When I'm stupid, I sprint. I think the variety is best for keeping my body off guard anyway.

Sunday I will weigh myself in on the Wii Fit. My goal was 2lbs in 2 weeks (the last time that I stepped onto the Wii). If I lose 3lbs, then its the 30lbs mark. I'm excited. Scared and excited anyway.  I feel great, I know it's close, I'm just nervous about seeing where I actually am. I will be back Sunday to let you all know where I'm at. In the meantime, if anyone has challenge ideas for May, I would love to hear them! Have a great weekend all!

Current stats
Apr 20 2009 11:21

Times and distances

1 mile 9:55        1 mile run (no walk)  11:45

1.5 mile  17:47

2 mile  25:33

3 mile  43:27

4 mile 61:32

Longest distance in one time  4 miles

Furthest distance in approx 30 minutes   2.25 miles in 29:25

No speed records broken with these times, but they kick butt for me. I'm proud and I figure if I log them, I can continue to look at the improvement over time. I know when I first started getting on the treadmill, it was WORK to jog at 4 for 30 seconds and I thought I would have a stroke if I did more then 20 minutes.  I still have my days where it hurts and its hard and I walk a lot more then I run, but I broke a 10 minute mile time and I jogged a whole mile straight without stopping to walk...that's exciting! And to know that I COULD exercise a whole hour if I actually had an hour is promising.

Still watching portions and tracking calories in my head...not the best way to do it, but if I log I will get OCD about it and probably limit TOO much, so its best to do it this way for me at this point. Last night I decided to spurlge with pasta....and really, I still ate way LESS then I did before I started CC....it's crazy to see the loss of appetite and the feeling of fullness that you didn't think existed before and even now when I try to go nuts, I can't.  Makes me think this crazy system may be working!!  Down almost 30lbs, see if I can't get another 15 or 20 before the end of summer.

Hope everyone enjoys their week!!

Rough week
Apr 17 2009 10:08

I'm sorry to say that I have not got on the treadmill since Sunday...it's been a really rough week for me, which is especially disappointing since I had such a great weigh-in on Sunday.

My husband went out of town for a couple days at the beginning of the week and I wasn't able to run, which I had figured already because of my little ones at home. Well, middle of the night, they are up sick, so I don't sleep.  They ended up getting so sick, I then had to spend a night in the hospital because one was so dehydrated. Another sleepless night.

We get home, rehydrated, but still fairly sick, and my oldest is clingy to me cause "mommy was gone". Another sleepless night because he woke up every 30 minutes to make sure I was still there. Ugh. So absolutely no exercise, a ton of stress and no sleeping period that lasted more then 2 or 3 hours. I tried to watch what I could, which was making sure I still ate my 3 meals a day that were as healthy as I could and watching portions. It will be interesting to see how my weigh in is this weekend.

That being said, I plan on getting my dress this weekend for the wedding I will be in this summer. I ordered it several months and nearly 30 (wow, 30!!!!) pounds ago. I'm going to ask if they will remeasure me so I can compare those numbers and see how many alterations they are going to have to do. I'm optimistic that I lost some inches somewhere, but I'm hoping my 3 measurements are about 1/2 inch each...don't want to think too much and get my hopes up because really, I have no idea if I lost anything or not. I guess we will wait and see.  The most important thing is that when I ordered the dress I had already ordered the dress 1 size smaller because I was only 1 1in measurement away from that size, so I was hoping that would give me motivation. 

Plan on hitting the treadmill all weekend and getting back on track for my 30 in 30 goal.  Today is the 17th and I have a little over 14 miles logged, so I'm not too far back.  Hope everyone is able to enjoy the same wonderful weather we are having here!