Six Months To A New Me

Back up 3 pounds today.  Blegh.  My own stupid fault too.
E., if you are reading this, we seriously have to go to the gym tomorrow.

It’s confirmed.  I’m now down 7 lbs. (it was true yesterday and it was true again today, so I know it wasn’t a fluke!!)
3 more and I get to spend my Victoria’s Secret giftcard as my 10 lb reward.

With arms and back still sore from yesterday’s weight work, I decided to focus solely on cardio when I snuck out to the gym at lunchtime*.  I don’t want to fall into an elliptical rut, so I decided to try the stair machine.
I burned 50 calories in 5 minutes on level 7 and thought I was going to die.
So I went over to the treadmil and alternated 5% incline and 7% incline every 5 minutes at a 3mph pace.  I did that for 30 minutes.
And then like an idiot I went back to the stair machine, did 5 more minutes, and nearly passed out.
But on the bright side, I burned well over 300 calories again.
*I know I am lucky to be able to get out to the gym at lunch, but believe me, if work doesn’t pick up again soon I am going to have to sell my membership or pick up more babysitting jobs!

Wowie wow wow! I can “feel the burn” tonight!
I did 24 minutes of cardio on the elliptical and spent the rest of my 40 minute workout doing resistance bands (bicep curls, tricep exercises, and this wacky exercise that mimics using a bow and arrow), crunches, and back exercises.  My mom pointed out at Christmas that my stomach sticks out.  Lovely, Mom.  But it did get me motivated to work on my abs and back.  I may never have a six pack, but perhaps at least I can get the surrounding muscles toned so that they’ll pull my pooch a bit tighter.
The diet plan I am on is for 90 minutes of exercise a week.  And it occurred to me that if I do 40 minutes at a time like I’ve been doing I can hit 80 in like, 2 workouts.  How efficient! 

I hopped aboard the scale today and was met with a happy number.  That number that is still the 6 lbs I have lost since I started all this.
Sure, that’s 14 more to go, but the main thing is I did not GAIN weight from the holidays.  So there!
Tonight I am hitting the gym and really looking forward to it.  I squeezed in a couple (albeit short) walks while visiting my ‘rents and did 2 days of exercises with the resistance bands.  It was better than nothing.  And I like to think it helped.
Also?  I am in total detox today.  I had some granola for breakfast, popcorn at lunchtime, and hot chocolate with soy milk this afternoon.  I’m not trying to starve myself or anything, my body is just so sick of heavy, sugar-laden foods that it feels good to eat light and fill up on fiber.

I heard more than one comment while home about how much weight I’ve put on.  Great.  Even though I’d lost 5 lbs since I was there at Thanksgiving!! (though it’s probably all gone right back on by now)  I am still working at it.  I will allow myself until January 2nd to continue to indulge in ridiculous holiday treat fests, but the booze and the sugar have to go back after that.
On the bright-ish side, I didn’t see my 95 lb friend…

At 3pm, I finally had time to take a lunch break and go to the gym.  I did 25 minutes on the elliptical and arms, back & chest work with the free weights.  It’s amazing how much of a struggle the weights were after a mere week of not working out.
Tuesday I DID walk all around downtown in 3 inch heels so I am counting that as exercise.
Anyway, I’m done for the week.  I now have to go to the doctor at lunch tomorrow, and in the p.m. I have to do laundry and pack.  Unless I am feeling really motivated to go to the gym at like, 10pm, it ain’t happening.  But perhaps I can at least squeeze some work in on my exercise bands.  I also think I am going to toss them in my suitcase and use them at my parents’ house.
Knowing I’m going to see my little 95 lb best friend is not making me too ecstatic about the break from exercise.   Still, I’ve not gained a bit of weight this month which is kind of a small miracle.  Once all this holiday hoopla is done I really should have more time and energy. 
And better eating habits, too.

All week I had plans to exercise.  Today it was going to be at lunch.  None of it has happened.  And you know what?

Whatever.

I fretted myself crazy over getting so much done the past two weeks, that today I finally just pooped out.  As in, I can’t do anymore, and I am struggling to even focus on my computer.

I’m okay with that.

Tomorrow I’m still going to aim to hit the gym at lunch, and tonight I may pull out the exercise bands I bought at TJ Maxx yesterday for an absurd $5.00!!  I’m going to try those exercises I found in Self Magazine so that I can practice and hopefully not end up taking the little cards into the gym.

I weighed myself in my pajamas and later took a shower, dried off, and weighed myself again sans pajamas.  I weighed more.  Explain.

Diet crashed and burned this weekend.  I’ve been consuming far too much sugar and I can feel the difference.  I’m becoming even more irritable and tired than I was before the holiday stress hit.  Today I carefully logged all of my foods and made healthy choices.  I also ate on an actualy *schedule*.  Fancy that.  Since groceries come tomorrow, I may order something tasty, filling, and as healthy as possible for delivery tonight.
I’m going to try a stint on my step machine (something I haven’t stepped on in a really long time–probably last winter) or possibly do a yoga tape before bed (the preferable of the two in my mind, honestly).  I figured out I can get to the gym Wed. at lunch, Thursday at lunch, and Friday evening.  I’ve really kept at the exercise but I’m backsliding on the diet. If I can make it through the holidays and get myself back on track, that would rule.

I am so cramped for time the next week I could cry.  Well, actually, I have cried about it, but not as much the last couple days.
Still, it was so important to me today to make time for the gym at lunchtime (since I didn’t get up and go at 7:30 as I had hoped).  So I’ll be up working a little later tonight.  So it goes.  See, I have not been good about tracking my eating this week.  Again–the busy, running around, shoving food in my mouth, and not taking time to type it all into the Self Diet Club database.  I was doing okay until the PMS hit hard, and then I got a big tin of toffee almond cashew popcorn (yep, you read that right) from a vendor and I am scared of how many calories I may have consumed today alone.
Point being, I made sure at least I went to the gym. I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes of arm work before heading home.  I did my bicep curls on a wobble board and one of the personal trainers even remarked that what I was doing was really good for my arms and also my core.  Yay, me!
That’s the count for the week because I have no time tomorrow for the gym.  Still, happy with the longer gym stints.  Don’t think I’ll be stepping on a scale until January 2nd, though.  :p