Lacing up my running shoes and getting back out there yesterday felt so good. I've been looking forward to this all Winter.
I went out there on a whim, it was wet and cold and near sundown, and I had a bowl of chili sitting in my stomach, but I just decided to go for it.
And I'm really glad I did. I set my iPod to the Week 6 Day 2 intervals (10 mins jogging, 3 mins walking, 10 mins jogging), thinking that I could run at least 10 minutes straight, and if I didn't need the 3 minute break, GREAT! I'd keep running through it. I resigned myself to take it slow, steady, to not get winded, to take drinks out of my water bottle and to not give up.
And I did it. All 23 minutes of running, I DID IT. And, by some stoke of luck, I ran FARTHER in those 23 minutes than I did running 25 minutes back in December.
?!?!?!
It was mind-boggling, it truly was.
Until I remembered, I've lost over 15 pounds since then! Plus, Zumba has probably increased my leg strength, endurance and breathing efficiency! I am ecstatic! I was not expecting to do as well as I did and I was practically jumping for joy at the end.
Today I did Zumba sculpt and tone. My quads are sore but it didn't affect my dancing much. I'm thinking I could do Zumba three times a week, plus running 2-3 times a week, and then troupe on Sundays.
I don't want to push myself too hard, but I'm thinking about running my first 5K race this summer and I'd love to do it in under 45 minutes.
More later.
Showing posts with label zumba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zumba. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Zumba Day 6
Last Sunday was my first rest day, but I have troupe practice that day and since we are preparing for our trip to California we danced for the better part of THREE HOURS. And then we went and did a ten-minute performance.
Performances always wipe me out more than practice does, since it's so high-energy and you've got adrenaline pumping through you and you're smiling and sweating and, not to mention, you're wearing at least ten pounds worth of beads and fabric.
Overall, it was a fun night. But I did NOT miss the Zumba workout!
Monday I did the cardio party, and today was sculpt+tone and the flat abs routine. I was sweating the entire hour-long session!
The funny thing about Zumba, though, is that you feel SO energized afterward. I feel like I could go out and run a mile or two! I don't feel drop-dead tired like I did after the regular interval strength training and cardio yet I know I got just as good of a workout!
At any rate, I'm halfway through my first ten days, I've lost about a half-pound so far, but I have noticed my pants are slightly looser. Maybe their promise is for real! How nice would that be???
Teehee. Even if I don't lose a ton of weight, I'm going to do the 10-day program over again after I finish this first round. Then I'll take a few days to rest before the California trip, and hopefully I'll look better than I have in a long time!
Fingers crossed...
Performances always wipe me out more than practice does, since it's so high-energy and you've got adrenaline pumping through you and you're smiling and sweating and, not to mention, you're wearing at least ten pounds worth of beads and fabric.
Overall, it was a fun night. But I did NOT miss the Zumba workout!
Monday I did the cardio party, and today was sculpt+tone and the flat abs routine. I was sweating the entire hour-long session!
The funny thing about Zumba, though, is that you feel SO energized afterward. I feel like I could go out and run a mile or two! I don't feel drop-dead tired like I did after the regular interval strength training and cardio yet I know I got just as good of a workout!
At any rate, I'm halfway through my first ten days, I've lost about a half-pound so far, but I have noticed my pants are slightly looser. Maybe their promise is for real! How nice would that be???
Teehee. Even if I don't lose a ton of weight, I'm going to do the 10-day program over again after I finish this first round. Then I'll take a few days to rest before the California trip, and hopefully I'll look better than I have in a long time!
Fingers crossed...
Friday, February 18, 2011
Zumba Days 1 and 2
My Zumba DVDs arrived in the mail two days ago, and I am in love with this form of exercise! I've always loved dancing, and I love how sweaty I get during belly dance troupe each week, but my body has become accustomed to the moves and I don't think two hours of dance a week is enough to kick my butt into shape.
I heard about Zumba for the first time over a year ago. My sisters both asked if I wanted to go with them to the local community center and take a class with them. At the time, Jamison was less than four months old, so I declined. But my interest in Zumba was peaked and I began looking into it over the summer last year. I wanted to take a weekly class at the college this winter but it didn't work out. Then I found out the grange hall down the street from our house offered classes twice a week, but they were on nights I had other things to do.
So as the last resort: I purchased the DVDs online. And I love them! I just finished the first hald of day 2 of the 10-day accelerated weight loss plan, which is the sculpt and tone workout. I still need to do the flat abs workout but I'm expecting company and don't have time now. I'll do it later. But let me tell you - I am covered in a layer of sweat! And near the end of the routine my arms were shaking and my moves were not energetic in the least... but I finished and it feels more like I went to a party than anything else.
More information on the 10-day plan: They claim I could lose up to an entire pant size in ten days if I follow their calendar of workouts and I adhere to their nutrition guide.
Well, the guide basically has me eating nothing but protein and barely any carbohydrates, which, yes, that will cause you to lose weight but I'm not going to stick to that at all, so I plan to eat as healthy as possible, stick to my calorie budget for the week and see how it goes. There are two rest days built into the calendar but I might throw in the express routines on those days just to get more cardio.
I'm going to get it done and I'm not going to make excuses! There are twenty days until we leave for California and my goal is to be down to 170 pounds by then.
More later.
I heard about Zumba for the first time over a year ago. My sisters both asked if I wanted to go with them to the local community center and take a class with them. At the time, Jamison was less than four months old, so I declined. But my interest in Zumba was peaked and I began looking into it over the summer last year. I wanted to take a weekly class at the college this winter but it didn't work out. Then I found out the grange hall down the street from our house offered classes twice a week, but they were on nights I had other things to do.
So as the last resort: I purchased the DVDs online. And I love them! I just finished the first hald of day 2 of the 10-day accelerated weight loss plan, which is the sculpt and tone workout. I still need to do the flat abs workout but I'm expecting company and don't have time now. I'll do it later. But let me tell you - I am covered in a layer of sweat! And near the end of the routine my arms were shaking and my moves were not energetic in the least... but I finished and it feels more like I went to a party than anything else.
More information on the 10-day plan: They claim I could lose up to an entire pant size in ten days if I follow their calendar of workouts and I adhere to their nutrition guide.
Well, the guide basically has me eating nothing but protein and barely any carbohydrates, which, yes, that will cause you to lose weight but I'm not going to stick to that at all, so I plan to eat as healthy as possible, stick to my calorie budget for the week and see how it goes. There are two rest days built into the calendar but I might throw in the express routines on those days just to get more cardio.
I'm going to get it done and I'm not going to make excuses! There are twenty days until we leave for California and my goal is to be down to 170 pounds by then.
More later.
Monday, December 27, 2010
I will pick up running again once warmer weather hits
It's very difficult to get out there in temperatures dipping toward freezing, with biting wind whipping through your hair and chapping your lips, nose and cheeks. I don't have the right clothing to stay warm and control sweating like many die-hard runners have and I'm really looking forward to milder weather so I can get my butt back out there without hating every second. I can confidently do 25 minutes of jogging. Can't wait to do a full 30 minutes, and then work on doing a full 5K!
In the mean-time, I've been doing exercises on Demand, on Exercise TV. I've picked the 10 Pound Slimdown by Chris Freytag and have been doing it for over a week. For Christmas my mother-in-law gifted me a new pair of 5 pound hand weights and I love them! Lime green and perfect size. But they are definitely a lot harder on my muscles than my 2.5 pound metal ones I had previously been using. I like it though. It's challenging in a good way.
On the home front, we are facing another tax return that should prove to be hefty. Though we are saving the better portion of it, I will have a good chunk for my own spending pleasure. (Hey! I consider it stimulation to the economy!). My plan is to purchase a Wii Fit board for myself. I love being able to track my weight every day, and I also love the Games, Strength moves and Yoga poses available with Wii Fit Plus. I also love my friend's Biggest Loser Wii game, and wish to purchase that as well. Also, I'd love the Just Dance game, and maybe the Zumba Fitness Game as well.
I don't want to get everything at once because I figure I'll get burned out on it. Instead, I'll set up a little reward program for myself. Lose ten pounds on Wii Fit? Buy myself a new game. Lose another ten on that? Buy another new game. And so on and so forth, until I reach my goal weight/goal pant size, at which point my reward will be new clothes!!!!
I'm really excited about fitting into size 11 (or even smaller!!!!) jeans again. The week I broke down and bought new pants. My maternity jeans are getting very ragged. My size? 16. They're a tad loose, but that's my size.
UGH. When I began this blog I had visions of myself being back down to my healthy weight by now. Didn't think I'd weigh the same, perhaps, even MORE than when I started last January.
I'm going to have to take a good hard look at what happened during 2010 and adjust my goals and really overhaul my entire process, because I obviously failed.
Failed. I hate that word. But it's what happened. I didn't turn my lifestyle into one that's healthy. I didn't lose any weight. I didn't drop sizes. I didn't stop eating fast food, drinking soda, or lazing around on the couch and computer.
I didn't. I failed.
Crap. This was supposed to be a happy post about my new plans for getting thin again. Instead I've made myself depressed. I'll write again when I feel better.
In the mean-time, I've been doing exercises on Demand, on Exercise TV. I've picked the 10 Pound Slimdown by Chris Freytag and have been doing it for over a week. For Christmas my mother-in-law gifted me a new pair of 5 pound hand weights and I love them! Lime green and perfect size. But they are definitely a lot harder on my muscles than my 2.5 pound metal ones I had previously been using. I like it though. It's challenging in a good way.
On the home front, we are facing another tax return that should prove to be hefty. Though we are saving the better portion of it, I will have a good chunk for my own spending pleasure. (Hey! I consider it stimulation to the economy!). My plan is to purchase a Wii Fit board for myself. I love being able to track my weight every day, and I also love the Games, Strength moves and Yoga poses available with Wii Fit Plus. I also love my friend's Biggest Loser Wii game, and wish to purchase that as well. Also, I'd love the Just Dance game, and maybe the Zumba Fitness Game as well.
I don't want to get everything at once because I figure I'll get burned out on it. Instead, I'll set up a little reward program for myself. Lose ten pounds on Wii Fit? Buy myself a new game. Lose another ten on that? Buy another new game. And so on and so forth, until I reach my goal weight/goal pant size, at which point my reward will be new clothes!!!!
I'm really excited about fitting into size 11 (or even smaller!!!!) jeans again. The week I broke down and bought new pants. My maternity jeans are getting very ragged. My size? 16. They're a tad loose, but that's my size.
UGH. When I began this blog I had visions of myself being back down to my healthy weight by now. Didn't think I'd weigh the same, perhaps, even MORE than when I started last January.
I'm going to have to take a good hard look at what happened during 2010 and adjust my goals and really overhaul my entire process, because I obviously failed.
Failed. I hate that word. But it's what happened. I didn't turn my lifestyle into one that's healthy. I didn't lose any weight. I didn't drop sizes. I didn't stop eating fast food, drinking soda, or lazing around on the couch and computer.
I didn't. I failed.
Crap. This was supposed to be a happy post about my new plans for getting thin again. Instead I've made myself depressed. I'll write again when I feel better.
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