I had to skip yesterday's Day 9. For some reason, during my rest day my hamstrings on both legs painfully tightened up and they were so sore I couldn't imagine dancing around on them.
Today they were better, but definitely not at 100%. I decided to pop some Advil and do the workout, because I hate missing days.
Having completed this program (though I did not follow it to the letter), I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It's a lot of fun, while also being an incredibly intense workout. You WILL sweat! And you will have a blast doing it, because I know I did!
I found myself MAKING time for my workouts, whereas before when I wasn't fully committed I wouldn't make it a priority. It always took a backseat to what was CONVENIENT to do. My favorite convenient thing to do was watch TV or play around on the internet. Now I look forward to my son's nap so I can pop in the Zumba DVD and dance around and lose weight!
And I am losing weight, the family is starting to notice. They complimented me all yesterday and my mom even said last week that I'm looking more toned.
Well, the California trip is in 2 weeks. I'm going to troupe practice tomorrow and then I am restarting the ten-day program on Monday! That means the Wednesday before we leave will be my last day and hopefully I will look amazing! Five more pounds? Doable!
Just have to avoid making more blueberry cobbler... that was a BAD (albeit delicious!) decision. Goals: drink lots of water each day, limit coffee and full-sugar soda. Make healthy meals, stick to the calorie allotment
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Zumba Day 7
This is my 50th post! Go me!
I just finished Zumba Day 7 of their 10-day Weight Loss program, and I feel awesome! Yesterday's workout left me feeling SO sore today, my abs and back hurt something fierce, and my legs feel so heavy!
But I did the 50 minute Cardio Party DVD and I rocked it as best I could!
And I will continue to push myself to not skip workouts - they don't get boring, and they're SO fun. Tomorrow is a designated rest day, and I may actually give myself a rest. If I feel up to it, I will try out the 20-minute Express routine, because I am in LOVE with the results I'm seeing!
The last time I weighed myself on my Mom's scale at her studio, which was six weeks ago, it said I weighed 185.5 which was an amazing number considering it said I weighed 191 only two weeks before that. Today, I weighed myself again.
180!!! I'm so excited! Eleven pounds GONE in 8 weeks, and I vow to NEVER put that weight back on! I'm almost down in the 170's again! I haven't been there in over two years!
My plan is to continue choosing healthy meals, eating salads and vegetables without dressings, drinking water, and nothing high in (empty) calories, avoiding sweets and salty snacks, and picking only whole grains and other complex carbs.
I definitely don't think I'll be down to my original goal of 165 by March 11, but I am excited to be near 175 by then!
I just finished Zumba Day 7 of their 10-day Weight Loss program, and I feel awesome! Yesterday's workout left me feeling SO sore today, my abs and back hurt something fierce, and my legs feel so heavy!
But I did the 50 minute Cardio Party DVD and I rocked it as best I could!
And I will continue to push myself to not skip workouts - they don't get boring, and they're SO fun. Tomorrow is a designated rest day, and I may actually give myself a rest. If I feel up to it, I will try out the 20-minute Express routine, because I am in LOVE with the results I'm seeing!
The last time I weighed myself on my Mom's scale at her studio, which was six weeks ago, it said I weighed 185.5 which was an amazing number considering it said I weighed 191 only two weeks before that. Today, I weighed myself again.
180!!! I'm so excited! Eleven pounds GONE in 8 weeks, and I vow to NEVER put that weight back on! I'm almost down in the 170's again! I haven't been there in over two years!
My plan is to continue choosing healthy meals, eating salads and vegetables without dressings, drinking water, and nothing high in (empty) calories, avoiding sweets and salty snacks, and picking only whole grains and other complex carbs.
I definitely don't think I'll be down to my original goal of 165 by March 11, but I am excited to be near 175 by then!
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.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Being sick sucks
As does taking care of a 16 month old who caught the cold you had... atleast we aren't sick together. I'm at the tail-end of a cold that kicked my butt... and I'm not one to let sniffles or a headache interfere with my life.
It started Thursday night with a stuffed nose and a throat tickle and my Saturday morning I had every symptom in the book. Needless to say, I haven't done much exercise since then. I kinda fell off the wagon with the 10 pound Slimdown, but you know what?
This morning I weighed myself and I'm down to 181!!!! Ten pounds gone since the beginning of the year!!!
I guess six weeks isn't a bad length of time in which to lose ten pounds. I've purchased two pairs of pants recently, neither of which fit as tightly as they did brand new, so I'm VERY pleased with that.
Also, my arms continue to gain definition, and I'm looking forward to running again soon so I can get gorgeous gams to match!
A couple bellydance performances coming up, maybe I'll even need to take in my costume! That would be excellent, and I definitely wouldn't mind doing the extra sewing if it came about because I had lost weight!
California trip is a month away. Going to firm up as much as I can in the next four weeks to prepare. Certainly I could do another 5 or ten pounds between now and then, right?
Also- I purchased the Zumba DVDs! They will be here next week (hopefully), and I'm really looking forward to sweating my buns off!
It started Thursday night with a stuffed nose and a throat tickle and my Saturday morning I had every symptom in the book. Needless to say, I haven't done much exercise since then. I kinda fell off the wagon with the 10 pound Slimdown, but you know what?
This morning I weighed myself and I'm down to 181!!!! Ten pounds gone since the beginning of the year!!!
I guess six weeks isn't a bad length of time in which to lose ten pounds. I've purchased two pairs of pants recently, neither of which fit as tightly as they did brand new, so I'm VERY pleased with that.
Also, my arms continue to gain definition, and I'm looking forward to running again soon so I can get gorgeous gams to match!
A couple bellydance performances coming up, maybe I'll even need to take in my costume! That would be excellent, and I definitely wouldn't mind doing the extra sewing if it came about because I had lost weight!
California trip is a month away. Going to firm up as much as I can in the next four weeks to prepare. Certainly I could do another 5 or ten pounds between now and then, right?
Also- I purchased the Zumba DVDs! They will be here next week (hopefully), and I'm really looking forward to sweating my buns off!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
It's amazing what you can do...
...when you finally put your mind to DOING it. I honestly cannot think of a reason why I didn't just DO this last year, why I spent so much time fretting about food or being able to find time to exercise.
It isn't hard. When you're overweight, the only thing that's truly difficult is controlling your portion sizes and going without sugary drinks.
Seriously, it's all in the calorie count. And it's very simple. Find a calorie calculator that will show you how many calories you need to eat each day (I like this one). Me, I shouldn't eat more than 1200 calories per day if I want to reach 165 lbs by mid-March.
When you're used to consuming twice that amount in one day, this does seem like starving yourself. But you're not. You're retraining your stomach to feel full with NORMAL portion sizes in it.
And if you're serious about losing the weight, it doesn't even seem like a punishment.
Case-in-point: On January 1 of this year, when I made my resolution, I weighed 191 on Wii Fit.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm around 7 pounds lighter. Boo. YAH.
Matt needs the computer so he can study but I'll write more soon.
It isn't hard. When you're overweight, the only thing that's truly difficult is controlling your portion sizes and going without sugary drinks.
Seriously, it's all in the calorie count. And it's very simple. Find a calorie calculator that will show you how many calories you need to eat each day (I like this one). Me, I shouldn't eat more than 1200 calories per day if I want to reach 165 lbs by mid-March.
When you're used to consuming twice that amount in one day, this does seem like starving yourself. But you're not. You're retraining your stomach to feel full with NORMAL portion sizes in it.
And if you're serious about losing the weight, it doesn't even seem like a punishment.
Case-in-point: On January 1 of this year, when I made my resolution, I weighed 191 on Wii Fit.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm around 7 pounds lighter. Boo. YAH.
Matt needs the computer so he can study but I'll write more soon.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Family Christmas!
Our family decided a few years ago to give up trying to do everyone's Christmas plans ON Christmas day, because all us sisters were trying to be with each other AND with our boyfriend's/husband's (respective) families all within 12 hours. Add in the children and the holiday seemed more like 12 hours of hell than a nice relaxing and fun day.
So we decided we could live with have two Christmas Days. The 25th apart, and another day during January when we could all get together and exchange gifts and eat finger foods.
That day, this year, was yesterday. We went to out mom's studio, because that was the only place big enough, really. I won't go into the details or list all the gifts given, because it doesn't actually relate to my blog. What is relevant is what I put in my mouth and what kind of exercising I did.
Needless to say, I ate a lot of junk. Atleast, it really FELT like I ate a lot of junk. That night, when I wrote everything down, I realized that I hadn't had a ridiculous amount.
A handful of crackers, a couple small bites of cheese, a small slice of salami, a couple small slices of turkey, two apple slices (no caramel dipping sauce!) and one two-inch piece of Rice Krispies treats, homemade. Add in a big diet Dr. Pepper and the calorie count isn't sky-high.
However, earlier that day I had an entire Costco Poppy Seed muffin to myself, and later that night I ate a Fast Break candy bar. That is most likely what pushed my calorie count over, but I'm making up for it today. For breakfast I had one egg cooked over-medium on top of a plain, whole-wheat english muffin. 200 calories and I'm still satisfied even though it's been a couple of hours since I ate.
I read around the internet that drinking 16 oz of water around 10-15 minutes before eating has been proven to help you eat less calories and, subsequently, lose more weight if you're trying to slim down. Because your stomach already has water in it, there will be less room for food. Your brain will receive "I'm full!" signals from your stomach after eating less that you would if you started chowing down with empty tanks.
That being said, I'm definitely going to start trying this, starting tonight at dinner, and at restaurants too. It's easy to order water along with your regular drink, and it doesn't cost any extra! In fact, you could save a lot of money if you replaced all your drinks with water (as long as it isn't bottled!). No more buying 4-dollar fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks, no more soda, cut out sugary "juice" drinks, etc. You'll save around 150 calories per 8 oz (depending on the drink), and after replacing a weeks worth of drinks (about 25) you'll have lost a pound! (In other words, you'll have cut out 3500 calories.) I have a really nice water bottle I use and I try to keep it full all day, I find that I drink atleast one full bottle (24 ounces) in a day, usually two, and a full bottle for every workout I do.
Speaking of workouts I completed week 4 of the 10 Pound Slimdown program! And I did all the workouts for this week on the day the calendar said to, and I didn't skip ANY! Go me! Monday and Tuesday are the last two days of the 30-day program, so I think I'll just go back to day 1 and start the whole thing over. I've lost 5 pounds! I'm loving my arms, and if I flex my calf muscles I can see definition starting to come out there too!
Also good news: the pants I bought a few days before Christmas last year (which were a size 16. UGH!) are a little loose! They didn't fit in the waist to begin with (I have to fit pants to my widest part: hips and butt!) but now they don't stay up at all! Also, both pairs of my old maternity jeans are officially falling apart and cannot be worn anymore, which couldn't come at a better time, because I'm finally shrinking!
I just stepped away from the computer to try on my old size 11 jeans, and I could only pull one of them up all the way. Even if I could wear them, I don't know if I would considering the shape they're in. Once I get down to my goal weight I think I'll throw them all away. I may keep my favorite pair, but the others need to go. I'm only keeping them now to use as a means of tracking my progress. Once I look good in my old jeans, I'll know I did it.
And, having really started to see changes, I'll definitely be keeping it up. It's just a matter of deciding to DO it, and to give it your all.
And, apparently, splurging a tiny bit on special occasions.
Next special occasion: MY BIRTHDAY! I'll be turning 21!
But no crazy drinking binge for me. If I wasn't a mom I'd probably resign myself to getting drunk but I'd rather have a nice dinner with my fiance and go see a good movie, and maybe stop somewhere for a drink. Nothing fancy.
So we decided we could live with have two Christmas Days. The 25th apart, and another day during January when we could all get together and exchange gifts and eat finger foods.
That day, this year, was yesterday. We went to out mom's studio, because that was the only place big enough, really. I won't go into the details or list all the gifts given, because it doesn't actually relate to my blog. What is relevant is what I put in my mouth and what kind of exercising I did.
Needless to say, I ate a lot of junk. Atleast, it really FELT like I ate a lot of junk. That night, when I wrote everything down, I realized that I hadn't had a ridiculous amount.
A handful of crackers, a couple small bites of cheese, a small slice of salami, a couple small slices of turkey, two apple slices (no caramel dipping sauce!) and one two-inch piece of Rice Krispies treats, homemade. Add in a big diet Dr. Pepper and the calorie count isn't sky-high.
However, earlier that day I had an entire Costco Poppy Seed muffin to myself, and later that night I ate a Fast Break candy bar. That is most likely what pushed my calorie count over, but I'm making up for it today. For breakfast I had one egg cooked over-medium on top of a plain, whole-wheat english muffin. 200 calories and I'm still satisfied even though it's been a couple of hours since I ate.
I read around the internet that drinking 16 oz of water around 10-15 minutes before eating has been proven to help you eat less calories and, subsequently, lose more weight if you're trying to slim down. Because your stomach already has water in it, there will be less room for food. Your brain will receive "I'm full!" signals from your stomach after eating less that you would if you started chowing down with empty tanks.
That being said, I'm definitely going to start trying this, starting tonight at dinner, and at restaurants too. It's easy to order water along with your regular drink, and it doesn't cost any extra! In fact, you could save a lot of money if you replaced all your drinks with water (as long as it isn't bottled!). No more buying 4-dollar fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks, no more soda, cut out sugary "juice" drinks, etc. You'll save around 150 calories per 8 oz (depending on the drink), and after replacing a weeks worth of drinks (about 25) you'll have lost a pound! (In other words, you'll have cut out 3500 calories.) I have a really nice water bottle I use and I try to keep it full all day, I find that I drink atleast one full bottle (24 ounces) in a day, usually two, and a full bottle for every workout I do.
Speaking of workouts I completed week 4 of the 10 Pound Slimdown program! And I did all the workouts for this week on the day the calendar said to, and I didn't skip ANY! Go me! Monday and Tuesday are the last two days of the 30-day program, so I think I'll just go back to day 1 and start the whole thing over. I've lost 5 pounds! I'm loving my arms, and if I flex my calf muscles I can see definition starting to come out there too!
Also good news: the pants I bought a few days before Christmas last year (which were a size 16. UGH!) are a little loose! They didn't fit in the waist to begin with (I have to fit pants to my widest part: hips and butt!) but now they don't stay up at all! Also, both pairs of my old maternity jeans are officially falling apart and cannot be worn anymore, which couldn't come at a better time, because I'm finally shrinking!
I just stepped away from the computer to try on my old size 11 jeans, and I could only pull one of them up all the way. Even if I could wear them, I don't know if I would considering the shape they're in. Once I get down to my goal weight I think I'll throw them all away. I may keep my favorite pair, but the others need to go. I'm only keeping them now to use as a means of tracking my progress. Once I look good in my old jeans, I'll know I did it.
And, having really started to see changes, I'll definitely be keeping it up. It's just a matter of deciding to DO it, and to give it your all.
And, apparently, splurging a tiny bit on special occasions.
Next special occasion: MY BIRTHDAY! I'll be turning 21!
But no crazy drinking binge for me. If I wasn't a mom I'd probably resign myself to getting drunk but I'd rather have a nice dinner with my fiance and go see a good movie, and maybe stop somewhere for a drink. Nothing fancy.
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