Day 260-18

Okay day. There’s something about mom’s house that makes me want to sleep in. Not that I had anything pressing this morning, but still.

Used mom’s weird treadmill this morning – ran for 18/2, 254 calories, 1.56 miles. However, this one didn’t ask for my weight so I’m sure those calorie numbers are off. I did run 4.5 for 3 min; 5.0 for 9.5 min; 5.5 for 2 min; 5.0 for 3.5 min; CD for 2. It was okay. I may run again tonight if I’m motivated since I probably won’t have time tomorrow.

Day 256-14, 257-15, 258-16, 259-17

Okay…so I missed my update from Friday: I did elliptical first at X-train Rev, level 5 for 20 minutes. I burned 344 calories, for 2.98 miles. My HR was 159/144 at the end. Then I moved to the treadmill – random instead of manual to get some hills in, level 3 since I hadn’t done this before, and at 5.0 speed. I ended up with a HR of 155/121, 135 calories and 1.15 miles. Not bad…good burn.

Saturday and Sunday I had good intentions to get in but with packing and church it just didn’t happen.

So today I ellipticaled 30 minutes – Xtrain Rev again, but I altered it a bit. I didn’t follow the program b/c I’ve been having some issues with that (not long enough going one way and too long others), so I broke it down by 5’s for the most part. Totals were in the end level 6, 351 calories, HR 154/134 at end and 1.87 miles. Not bad. I think I can do better.

Tomorrow I’ll be running on Mom’s treadmill – should be interesting. Then Wednesday I’m basically in a plane all day, but hopefully once we land and get settled I can find the gym and get a workout in. We’ll see. I’m just hoping I don’t lose my momentum.

Day 255-13

Good day today. I’m still feeling the burn which either means I worked new muscle groups or I didn’t stretch well enough, or I just need a nice hour in a hot tub to loosen things up.

Tried the X-Train Reverse on the Elliptical today for 15 minutes at level 5. I was a little disappointed because I started going forward first (which maybe was wrong) and it wasn’t until 5 minutes that it had me switch directions. Then it switched back after 2 or 3 minutes it told me to switch back. But then, nothing. I finally switched back to going backwards at 12 minutes for 2 minutes and then one minute going forward again. I probably did that all backwards though. Maybe I’m supposed to start backward first. I’m not sure…does anyone know?

Anyway…Elliptical I burned 185 calories and went .99 miles. I avg’d 67 rpm’s going forward and 60 going backwards.

After that I moved to the treadmill because I realized I hadn’t run in awhile. 18 minutes total – well 15/3 – with an ending of 163 calories, 1.41 miles on a 1.0 incline and random speeds. It felt good to run again and I realized I’m really not doing well on breath support. I had noticed this last night singing, but I’m not sure how to work on that. Maybe running will help.

I get to see Keith tomorrow. YAY!

Day 254-12

Someday….my weight will go.

Until then, I keep ellipticating. Today final total of 630, 5.45. miles, 170 HR, 65 rpms, random levels/minutes (5/5, 6/10, 7/5, 8/5, 7/5, 6/5), for 35 minutes total. THEN I did another 5 minutes on level 4 for the X-train reverse mode. This was new to me…pretty cool too, though I don’t like the stop and restart thing every minute or so. But it was good to work some different muscles for once. Tomorrow I’m going to split my time. I think I’ll run for 15 or 20 minutes, then ellipticate on x-rev for 15 or 20. It was a good burn.

Day 253-11

UGH I suck…still not eating well. I can’t seem to get a handle on it. Went to Major’s last night for MH’s b-day and had the spinach cheese dip – very yummy but OH so bad, and then because it was MH’s b-day we got a free dessert – cheesecake, which was good but again OH so bad. I’m glad I’m working out or I’d be ballooning back to where I was Aug.1. But that’s not helping the lessening of the weight I have now either. Blech.

Elliptical again – 30 minutes (I’ve been getting up too late to do 45); 384 calories, random levels (5, 6, 7,6), 2.06 miles. I’m thinking it depends on which machine I’m on for what my cals and miles end up being, though I was going slower today. tomorrow – MUST go 45 minutes at least, and maybe hit the weights.

Days 250-8, 251-9, 252-10

Well…I suck. :(

This weekend for food was awful. I’ve reverted to my comfort foods – chips, cookies, cakes. I might as well admit it. And it’s not good.

Didn’t work out all weekend – well, Saturday and Sunday. I set my alarm with good intentions but guards just wears me out. I was so tired I couldn’t pull out of bed before my normal 4:45 time slot. Oh well.

Today – Ellipticated, 30 minutes, random pattern, random levels (5,6,7,6,5), 4.61 miles, 533 calories.

Day 249-7

Ellipticated again today. 30 minutes, 383 cals, 2.05 miles, 164 HR, and random levels: 4 for 5min, 5 for 10min, 6 for 10min, 5 for 5min. I’m thinking I could start at level 5 next time and go up from there, just to shake things up.

Weekend ahead. I’m going to have to figure out if I’m going to run at 4:30 and wake up mom or wait until night. If I wait until night, then I’ll only be able to do it Saturday night, since my gym is closed by the time I get home on Sundays. Hmmm…dilemma. Well I’ll figure it out. When I was here last weekend I didn’t work out at all, so trying to make it work isn’t a vital thing…though I know I feel better when I do. We’ll see how the weekend goes, I guess.

Smiley's!

Just realized that I haven’t put smiley’s on my calendar in 2 weeks! My calendar looks yellow now. :) yay.

Day 248-6

Morning came way too early today. I could have used another hour of sleep but I pulled my flabby butt out of bed and made it to the gym anyway. I ellipticated for 30 minutes, 374 calories, 2 miles, and alternated levels this morning – started at 4 for 10 minutes, level 5 for 5, level 6 for 5, level 5 for 5 and 4 for 5. A different workout – sort of.

I still enjoy going to they gym in the morning but today wasn’t quite as satisfying as before. I think I’m just too tired to enjoy it today. It has nothing to do with the weather – I love his dreary, gray-day weather, and besides at 5am all you see are stars anyway. Oh, and I made myself stay up instead of taking a nap when I got home…I actually feared laying down because I figured I wouldn’t get back up. Good thing I really have nothing on my calendar tonight – well a few errands and laundry but otherwise I can crash as soon as CSI is over. Thank goodness.

How freakin' cool is this?!?

I don’t have an iPod, but I want this jacket!

I know it's only Wednesday...

10 things I’ve learned this week

1. AM workouts rock!
2. Patience is good.
3. The ability to ignore is better.
4. Reading good articles while ellipticating makes time go faster. And works your brain as well as your body.
5. Ellipticating burns more calories – though the calorie counter can be deceiving.
6. Running helps your cardio more, though it can be harder on my knees.
7. Spinach is good in many, but not all, things.
8. Writing stats of running times (cals, miles, etc.) while running doesn’t work well.
9. Running on the far treadmill, away from the fan and people, is not only quieter, but helps you sweat more.
10. Stretching is key!
11. (one more for good measure) Napping in the morning is awesome.

Day 247-5

Not feeling well this morning so I ran for 30/5 instead of ellipticating (plus I wanted to take a longer nap this mornign). I did pretty well in the end actually – 324 cal and 2.8 miles. I started a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress throughout the week, plus I want to track how many calories these machines say I’m burning throughout the week so I can make this. Of course, my eating habits probably won’t help, but at least I’m trying.

I do need to work on my eating. I’ve been baking a lot lately – a nice stress reliever – and I can only give away so much. I’m trying to watch how much I sample, but it’s hard when chicken and salad are losing their appeal. Maybe once I get back from Alaska my focus can return. Plus I’ll be able to grill again, which will help.

One other thing I need to start is lifting again. I have a sheet from Keith to follow, but I’ve been scared to start…I think it’s the intimidation of Bally’s. I need to get over that.

Day 246-4

Elliptical today again – I’m starting to love this machine, which is odd since I used to hate it. Maybe getting older makes your head change. Very possible since when I was a kid I hated grapefruit and spinach, and now I love it…yes LOVE it.

So elliptical, 770 calories, 6.67 miles, level 4 random pattern, 65 avg rpm, for 45 minutes. Not bad. I got started a little later this morning, so my whole morning was off a little (of course, it’s still morning, but nonetheless).

Last Wed-Fri I had been able to work out and NOT take a nap when I got home, but the last two days ellipticating for 45 minutes really took it out of me, so I’ve been back to napping for 10 minutes or so after I shower. It’s not bad, but makes my morning a bit more rushed, though I’m still getting to work on time - sometimes even early! shocker!

Day 243-1, 244-2, 245-3

What a foolish weekend. Haha…get it? Saturday and Sunday I missed the gym, due to timing issues. But Saturday I made angel food cake and cupcakes. SO not on the SB diet but it had been a year since I had had any, so why not. The cupcakes didn’t turn out very well – my pans and oven suck. The cake was okay – in a loaf pan, which was a first for me. I’m going to try these this week and take them home for guards – or if I have enough and get them done on time, I may bring them Wednesday to choir. Osmo will be there, which is cool.

My eating plan has been sucking lately. Popcorn has been calling out to me and winning. SO not good. Anyway, so today to make up for that, I ellipticated for 45 minutes, 762 calories, 6.6 miles, 65rpm at level 4. These numbers seemed odd…maybe it was a 2 or 1 day for calories, and a 3.5 for 1 for miles. So either I need to increase my level or the machine is off. But if you can trust those machines, than this rocked. I read a lecture my friend gave to her workplace while I worked out. That made time go so much faster and really kept me going.

Day 242-31

Ran today. Needed to since I ate popcorn last night…I’m so weak! But ended the 30/5 minutes with 2.75 miles and 320 calories. Felt good though. I ran the first 17 minutes straight through, walked for 3, ran for 5, walked for 1, ran for 4, cool-down for 5. Lots of sweat. :)

I’m really enjoying getting up in the morning like this. Of course I yawned as I typed that, but seriously. It’s great to get up and get going in the morning, and often I get to see the sunrise since I’m up so early. I think this exercise thing is helping me too. I’m feeling a bit more organized. ~ okay so scratch that last one. ~

Day 241-30

What a day. It’s raining. I love the rain. But still tired today – trying to catch up on sleep from these shorter nights I’ve had lately. So, I ellipticated (maybe that’s the better verb tense) this morning instead of running. 30 min, 357 cal, 1.91 mil, 60 avg rpm.

Then I read this this morning:

You must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound, according to the United States Tennis Association.
Top Burners in 30 minutes:

(1) Running (450 calories @ 6 mph)
(2) Stair Climber (400 calories)
(3) Step Aerobics (380 calories)
(4) Bicycling/Tennis/Swimming (370 calories)
(5) Rowing (320 calories)

Eating 500 fewer calories per day will result in a weight loss of 1 pound per week. Eating 250 fewer calories per day combined with a 250-calorie burning type exercise will also result in a weight loss of 1 pound per week. Combining diet with exercise is a healthier, more balanced, and more successful way of losing weight than by dieting alone.

I wonder if this is over a day or over a week, or just in general. If I’m burning 350 cal a day, 5 days a week that’s only 1750. I’m only half way there. I wish I could gage how many calories I burn throughout the day – but that’s hard since I’m eating, too. Maybe I just need to also ellipticate at night.

Day 240-29

Whoa. Yesterday was such a long day. Got up and ran, as I stated, then was at work early to help set up for a conference. Worked all day then at 4:15 started helping to set up for another event and was on my feet til 9:15. crashed hard last night, being dehydrated (hardly drank at all yesterday) and hungry (kind of missed supper, save a few crackers with cheese and ham).

BUT still got my BUTT out of bed this morning and ellipticaled (is that a word? Can it be made into a verb like we do with missional? Well, I’m going to.) for 30 minutes, Level 4, 1.90 miles, 330 calories. Nice burn in the muscles this morning. I took a long hot shower to try to loosen things up but I think I just used up all the hot water instead. I need a hot tub.

Day 239-28

Whew…ran this morning, and it felt good to a point. I learned, again, this morning why I prefer running alone. First, if you’re not running in sync with the person next to you, the off rhythm thump-thump-thump of their feet can really throw you off. Second, if the guy next to you is an avid marathoner, it can be quite daunting to try to keep your flabbing butt moving when he looks like a swizzle stick. And third, when the guy next to you not only listens and SINGS to his music, but also proceeds to hold a LOUD conversation with the walking woman next to him (so much so that she would comment and he would yell “what?” so she would have to yell her answer or comment back) the thought of running alone around the lake in the morning becomes SO much more appealing. Guh.

So I ran/jogged/walked for 30/5, 2.56 miles, burned 309 calories (if you can trust the machines), then went home and showered and napped. I really needed the nap today since I woke up at 12:15 this morning having only slept for 3 hours and then tossed and turned for the next 4. I hate that…it just makes the day hard. I’m guessing I’ll be crashing around 8:30 again this week like I did last. But onward through the fog…

Day 235-24, 236-25, 237-26, 238-27

Uffda – weekend was okay, I didn’t eat super great but I wasn’t awful either, until last night that is, when I ate popcorn for supper. man. But I did make a Guinness Cake so that’s a good thing.

Didn’t work out all weekend, but did make it in this morning and did the elliptical for 30 minutes. Can you trust those calorie counters? If so, then I burned quite a few and went over 4 miles. It’s a nice burn at least with mild sweating. I tried to keep my heartrate (if you can trust that sensor too) in the target zone instead of going over like I usually do. Hopefully it was beneficial all around.

Day 234-23

Okay…so peer pressure and stress sucks. Ate ice cream yesterday – way more than I wanted or needed or should have even thought about, and surprisingly it tasted pretty gross (yet, I ate it all). So not good. And then I had a jelly donut today! UGH! And it also tasted gross! What am I going to do with myself… just shoot me, shoot me now.

At the gym again this morning – rough morning getting out of bed since it was a later night last night with church and choir. So I jogged for 5 minutes to warm up, but I was trying to read FEN’s new short-story so I moved to the elliptical for 20 minutes. A smoother ride and intense. I didn’t sweat as much but I got a nice burn in my legs and actually burned more calories faster (if you can believe the computer program on the machine). I’ll have to mix up my cardio I think and add that to the mix on occasion though. It was a nice change.