Getting (Wii) Fit

It sure has been a bumpy ride getting back in the wagon. I'm getting back into my exercise routine albeit very slowly. There's really no excuse for my laziness. On a good note, my shin splints have eased up considerably. I think the new sneakers and gel insoles have made a huge difference.

I had a $40 certificate for Best Buy and had no idea what to buy...until I remembered the Wii Fit! I called ahead and had one put aside. I intend on using it in conjunction with my regular workouts at the gym. I'm going to try for 30 days straight and then I'll alternate days or do a double workout if I'm feeling energetic.

The games are fun and gave me a nice burn in my legs. The short distance run left me out of breath. I exercised this morning so that might be why it was difficult for me. I really like the balance games and have yet to try the yoga poses. I might do the yoga in the morning to start my day.

Here are a few more exercise games for your Wii:
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009
Golds Gym Cardio Workout - 3/31/09
EA Sports Active - 5/19/09

Hi, Remember Me?

It's been a tough couple of weeks trying to fall back into my routine after vacay. I've had a lot on my mind lately. I've been a little preoccupied with planning and researching for a possible change in my life. My health has sort of slipped from the forefront but I've made a few strides to keep things on the right path. Some of my bad habits have come back to haunt, especially not drinking enough water. I haven't tracked my food intake since before vacation. I've been stress eating a bit although no where near as bad as in the past. I've slipped in a couple of workouts since returning but I need to really get into the gym on a regular basis again. First step's admitting I have a problem...right?

The good news is I'm down a pound from my pre-vacation weigh-in. I was actually up 4 pounds when I got back which I'm sure was due to sodium and dessert overload. Spring is around the corner so it's time to kick back into high gear. I'll start tracking and planning meals tomorrow.

Side note: I just re-discovered Fage yogurt. I tried it once without a sweetner and was overwhelmed by the tart taste. I decided to try it again with Splenda (yea, I'm weening myself off) and my usual granola. It is DELICIOUS! It's expensive but if it makes me look forward to breakfast than I'm all for it.

Beginning to Love the Treadmill

Never thought I'd say this...but...I love the treadmill. I really do. It's so challenging some days but there are days, like today, that I feel like I've really accompished something. Right now I'm fluctuating between a 30 and 40 minute speed walk. I always run in the middle for a few minutes. Today I tacked on another minute. A personal best! I've also noticed my breathing and heat rate is steadier than a month ago. My goal is to be able to jog a 5K without stopping. Hoping to accomplish this by autumn. Here are some things that cross my mind while exercising:

"I only have ONE body and one life." wait, is that from a commercial?
"They're just legs, they can take the beating!"
"I will look so much better in my 30's than my 20's."
"I will be a MILF one day!"
"I want to be the old lady that still exercises."
"I am stronger than I think I am."

My weight loss has slowed down a bit but I'm happy that I had a loss this week. I exceeded my calorie limit by a little bit a couple of days and I skipped a couple of workouts. I had a stressful week but I'm back on track and looking forward to a great weigh-in next week.

EDIT: I knew that first quote was from a commercial! Check it out here. Boy, talk about TV affecting the subliminal mind. LOL

Peek into My Fridge and Goals

Click to enlarge photos. Here's a peek into my fridge after 1. a new, and clean fridge was delivered and 2. after a weekly grocery trip. As you can see we really love dairy. Well, I actually love dairy. I might even be addicted to cheese. Yogurt with granola and strawberries is a breakfast I can't have just about everyday. I don't eggs though. That's for the hubby. We refill the water jug from the tap with our Brita filter. Diet soda isn't great, but we love it. There are potatoes and cassava in the crisper drawers. There are also tons of condiments, dressings and spices on the fridge door.

Lots of fish and chicken towards the back of the freezer. The garlic naan is a bit high in calories (190 each) but they make a good lunch when topped with marinara sauce and part-skim mozzarella. We usually keep a bag of broccoli and other veggies around for quick dinners. The frozen mango and passion fruit (middle) are great for shakes. Haven't made one in a while, might have one for lunch tomorrow.

I managed to lose 7 pounds in January. My goal was 8 pounds but I'd call it pretty much a success. Here are my accomplishments for January:

• Exercised 10 days


• Increased my treadmill time by 5 minutes, increased speed by .5 mph


• Tracked my food intake everyday

Here are my goals for February:

• Exercise 4xs a week (16 days)


• Drink more water


• No eating after 8:30pm


• Increase treadmill time by 5 minutes


• Exercise and track calories while on vacation

Update and Reflection

I have to say, I'm really proud of myself. I haven't been so diligent about logging my food in...years...ever? You can check out my food log by clicking The Daily Plate button to the right. I had a few days of going over my calorie limit. In the past this would have thrown me into a spin but now it's a way to see my mistakes.

I think I might have finally taken the blindfold off. I hate looking in the mirror. HATE it. But I took a long look and see that I've really neglected my body. It's as if I didn't really know I was fat, I just ignored the situation. Well, it's time to like what I see in the mirror again.

Successes

• Lost weight two weeks in a row!
• Logged my food for two weeks in a row.
• Taking vitamins (just about) every day.

Failures

• Only exercised once in the last two weeks. I've been sick with bronchitis. I'm finally on the mend and will workout at home for now.

Problems

• Still not drinking enough water. I want to buy a reusable 1/2 gallon container to fill nightly.

Lessons Learned

• Logging food right before or soon after allows me to see how many calories I'm allowed for the rest day. The days I've gone over are partly because I logged my whole day at once. If I would have known I was close to my limit, I probably would've cooked a lighter dinner or skipped dessert.
  
• Planning a daily menu is far easier than trying to plan for a week or longer at a time. I list my meals for the following day on my dry erase board in the evening.

A Cold is No Excuse for Failure

I've been able to ignore the fact that I'm sick...until today. I woke up with a stuffy nose, sneezing, dry throat, and a congested/phlegmy chest. I don't think it's anything worse than a cold but I know I'll have to skip the gym today. A few sites I read advise against working out while sick. It really sucks because I actually want to go. I worked out for the first time in a very long time on new years day. I forgot how much I enjoy the treadmill. I had a serious self-pep talk and pumped up the house music. I hope my symptoms will subside by Monday. I don't like to take medicine unless absolutely necessary. I'll be plugging in my humidifier and drinking lots of lemony green tea (I still have loads of lemons from my master cleanse debacle.) I'll also do some floor exercises and deep stretching in loo of the gym.

I've been following a 1700 calorie limit since jan. 1. You can see my daily plate by clicking the link in the side bar. So far, so good. The hardest part is eating in regular increments and planning meals. Eating under 1700 cals is not so bad. I feel like I'm eating more food than ever before. I'll definitely fall off of the wagon if I don't eat every 3-4 hours. We just stocked up o groceries to avoid last-minute take-out orders. I've also placed my vitamins in plain sight in my bathroom. I'm currently taking a daily vitamin, complete EFA and folic acid.

In short, I refuse to let a microscopic pest throw me off course.

And if you're wondering, I've changed the blog title to Getting Fit in 2009. No excuses this year.

Staying Hydrated is Work

Am I the only person who finds it difficult to drink water? I love water. Icy cold, please. But for some reason, I will go hours and not drink a drop. There are days where I will not have 1 glass of water the entire day. I usually drink coffee, fruit juices (I know, loaded with sugar) and diet soda. Yes, we know the pros and cons of diet soda. But water will always trump any other liquid. I am very picky with water. I drink from the tap, but after reading this, I try to keep a distance. My fav brand of bottled water is Smart Water. The best/purest tasting water on the market imo. But, as I'm trying to be a greener person, I want to invest in a reusable bottle. Not to mention the cost. This leaves me one option. Filters. I have an old Brita jug my mom gave me but never used it. I haven't researched the cost of filters but it's something I need to do.

Anyway, I'm going to start drinking at least one cup of green tea daily. Tons of benefits plus the H2O. I might even set a reminder via email.