If I was Going Somewhere, I was Running!

For my cardio yesterday I "ran" for 45 minutes. My pace was an 11:30 minute mile and I completed 3.9 miles. It was good to get running again; I felt a bit like this:



I was very sore and tired afterwards; but after I got up this morning I felt okay.

Today I'm going to do Day 8 of the Bikini Body Mommy challenge and an additional 35 minute jog as well. The Bikini Body Mommy challenge is 10 minutes of as many "Body Builders" as you can do. A "Body Builder" is:

Each Body Builder consists of these 8 steps:

1. Position dumbbells under shoulders in a plank position with toes parted wide.

2. Perform push up.

3. Row with right arm keeping elbow close to side.

4. Row with left arm keeping elbow close to side.

5. Contract your Abs and jump your feet in towards your hands so you land in a crouching position.

6. Stand up

7. Bicep curl

8. Shoulder press with BOTH arms over head.

This completes ONE repetition.

After #8, Return to the start (Plank Position) and repeat as many times as you can during the 10 minutes.



We'll see how much I feel like running after doing those for 10 minutes. =)

Skipped My Workout Yesterday... Bad Tiff! Bad!

My hamstrings have not been happy with me over the past five days. But no, I'm not seriously injured. =)

Confession time, I did not workout yesterday. Which means my rest day was now yesterday and not today. I also came to the realization that I have four days in a row where I will be going to events that are not going to be low-calorie friendly. I can make it a point to watch how much I eat, but I think I'm also going to need to put in some extra work-out time to make sure my weight doesn't start creeping back up after only one weekend.

The first thing I did when I started was cut back how much I ate. I actually did that for almost two weeks before I started working out again. The next change I will make is to what I eat. Not that I can never eat anything bad for me ever again, but right now I'm at the point where I'm not really eating that much healthy food, I'm eating mostly just less food. And I do eat healthy food some of the time, just not as often as I should. I need to reverse the trend and make healthy food my norm and the junk food the once-in-a-while, not the other way around.

Last night when I made dinner I did look up healthier options using what we already had at home. And I'm happy to report that even our 5 and 9-year-old ate their entire dinner. Here's what I made:

Skillet Salmon and Parmesan Potatoes

http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000001991051,00.html

Grilled Parmesan and Pepper Asparagus (I had to cook it in the oven but it still turned out great!)

http://www.katiescucina.com/2013/05/grilled-parmesan-and-pepper-asparagus

While starting out to lose weight, just eating less will work for a while. But if I really want to change my body, I'm going to have to make the switch to eating a healthier diet, not just one that is lower in calories. For me to do this and to stick with it; it's going to have to be a gradual change over time.

But that is a long-term goal. Today my goal is a cardio workout where I burn 400 calories. I'll let you know tomorrow how that works out for me. ;)

Working Out Right Before Bed = Bad Idea Jeans

I mentioned that yesterday I did my 12-minute workout at 11:30 at night. Less than an hour later I went to bed. To illustrate how that worked out for me; today I've mostly resembled Sheldon in this scene:



Note to self: Given the time I want to go to bed and the minimum amount of sleep I need to be a fully functioning adult the next day, I should probably complete any workout I intend to do before 8pm.

So much for that plan. I did today's workout at 10pm. I also didn't look at the YouTube video with the warm-up, cool down she suggested. Guess I'll save that for next week. My legs feel like jelly but I do have to admit the workout seems to be getting easier. That or I'm not trying as hard as I was on Day 2.

Tomorrow is the last workout before a full rest day and it's cardio day again. It's still pretty cold where we live so I'm going to do another indoor workout and go with the 20 minute High Intensity Interval Training again. I have the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD so I will do one of those workouts. It's a 2 minute warm-up, three 6 minute interval circuits, then a 2-minute cool down. These workouts also require hand weights which I already own. Honestly I'm not sure where I'm at strength-wise so I'll probably use 5 lb weights this time around.

Looking forward to my first rest day on Thursday! =)

Exercise... Some Motivation Required

I waited until 11:30 pm to do my workout for the day. The workout probably took all of 12 minutes. But that's just what kind of day it was.



I did manage to do all 20 tricep dips the first set without a break. The second time around I only made it to 11.

Tomorrow we're supposed to do 3 sets of 8 exercises (like we did in day 2). Here's the workout:

1. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS / 10 PER SIDE / 10 SECOND REST
2. BURPEES 10 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
3. PUSH UPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
4. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 1 MINUTE REST
5. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
6. SPEED SQUATS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
7. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
8. ELBOW PLANK 1 MINUTE HOLD / 2 MINUTE REST

She also gave us a reminder to stretch after workout out. I have a tendency to skip that part so I'm glad she included the reminder and a link to her stretching video:



Even though I'm sure I could stretch on my own; it'll be good to see a video so I don't forget something and to help me make sure I follow through.

I'm also planning on starting my workout before 11:30 at night. Hopefully I'll actually get this workout in before dinner.

You Dead? Yeh Man.

So in the interest of saving time I decided to do the High Intensity Interval Training today instead of a simpler 45-minute cardio exercise. I did four 6-minute circuits (plus the warm-up and cool down) of the Jillian Michaels "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism" DVD. For those doing the math, my total work-out time was 34 minutes today. How did I feel afterwards? A bit like this...



I'm glad I did it this morning so I'm done for the day; but I'm still feeling a little apprehensive that I'm only half-way through week 1.

So what's in store for tomorrow? This:

1. PUSH UPS 20 REPS/10 SECONDS REST
2. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 10 SECONDS REST
3. PUSHUPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
4. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 1 MINUTE REST

5. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS (10 PER SIDE) / 10 SECONDS REST
6. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS (10 PER SIDE) / 10 SECONDS REST
8. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 1 MINUTE REST

9. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
10. ELBOW PLANK 30 SECOND HOLD / 10 SECONDS REST
11. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
12. ELBOW PLANK 30 SECOND HOLD / WORKOUT ... FINISHED

So only a 10-second rest after exercises 1-3, 5-7 and 9-11, but there's a one-minute rest after #4 and #8. And there is no repeating this series so once I finish #12 I'm done for the day. My nemesis Tricep Dips return, so far the most I've been able to do is 12 without stopping to take a break. Tomorrow my goal will be to complete 15 before stopping to rest.

For those interested in doing these, so far I have needed no gym equipment. The only thing I needed was a dining room chair. I'm working out on a carpeted area; but if you have hardwood or tile you'll probably need a mat too. The Jillian Michaels DVD also requires no equipment except the DVD, and it's one I know our local library carries or if you have Amazon Prime you can watch it on instant video for free. If you want to buy it, it costs about $10. No I don't get any money if you buy these things. :) I'm just telling everyone what I'm doing to try to help people who want to work out but may not have a lot of money to spend on gym equipment, membership, etc.

Three days to go in Week 1, first rest day is Thursday.

Oy vey.

Well... That Sucked

I just finished "Day 2" of the Bikini Body Mommy's challenge. To tell the truth, if I hadn't written in a blog yesterday that I was absolutely going to do this today I probably would have skipped it because we had so much going on. Do I feel great and accomplished because I finished Day 2? To be a little more accurate I feel like Sully in this video...



The worst part was? I had a longer than 2-minute break between the first and second rep because something came up at home. It was bad enough, I can't imagine how much worse it would have been had I only taken a two minute break.

I did finish every exercise without stopping with the exception of... tricep dips. Sigh. I really suck at these; and if I recall I didn't ever feel like they got easier with time.

My gluteus maximus is sore. Like I didn't want to sit down for the rest of the evening sore. Like I want to cry right now sore.

Tomorrow is cardio day. We have a choice between a 45-minute cardio session OR 20-minute HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout. I was originally going to go with the 20-minute HIIT, but given how my gluteus maximus feels I think a 45-minute jog might be easier.

For those who are wondering; you don't have to pay or even officially "sign up" to do this 90-day challenge. So for those interested you can go to the website. They're on Day 21, but I just started yesterday since we were on vacation when it officially started and then I was sick for over a week. You can go back to her earlier posts and find Day 1.

http://bikinibodymommy.com/category/90-day-challenge/

And Day 4 is not a rest day. There is no rest day until Day 7. So I have four more days to go before a day off.

This is not going to be easy...

A Lesson in Humility: Humility 101

I'm writing this immediately after my fit test on Friday. How do I feel? A bit like John Candy from this scene in "Splash":



Not only was it difficult physically; but I started feeling short of breath by the beginning of the second minute. Here's how the numbers broke down:

1. SPEED SQUATS - 24
2. HIGH KNEES - 68
3. PUSH UPS - 10 "real" then 12 "girl"
4. SQUAT JUMPS - 21
5. TRICEP DIPS (did I mention I hate these more than burpees?) - 11
6. BURPEES - 9
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES - 19
8. ELBOW PLANK - 1 minute

Today I have a very short window of time to complete today's workout or it won't get done. To say I'm not looking forward to it is an understatement. Day 2 we're supposed to do eight exercises, then repeat the set two more times (for a total of three times).

Here are the exercises:

1. Speed Squats – 20 reps, then 20 sec rest
2. Elbow Plank – 30 sec hold, then 10 sec rest
3. Push ups – 20 reps, then 10 sec rest
4. Burpees – 10 reps, then 10 sec rest
5. Alternating Lunges – 20 reps (10 per side), then 10 sec rest
6. Elbow Plank – 30 sec hold, then 10 sec rest
7. Tricep Dips – 20 reps, then 10 sec rest
8. Squat Jumps – 20 reps, then 2 MINUTE REST

As you can see, it's the same exercises from Day's 1 test minus the high knees and with an additional elbow blank; but we're just assigned a specific number then rest time. So if it takes us two minutes to do a exercise, we take two minutes, then rest. Then we get to do the whole thing over again. Twice.

Even if I don't post until the next day I'm going to try to write how my work-outs went right after I complete them so I don't start thinking "it wasn't so bad" by the next morning and am not as honest about how difficult the workouts are for me.

Seriously, my abs are already hurting just from the "test" today. I hate to see how I feel tomorrow. It reminds me of the cadre's shirts during basic training: "The easiest day was yesterday."

Until tomorrow then.

Bikini Body Mommy Challenge

So 18 months later and I haven't posted once and I'm farther away from my goal than when I started. So, time to start again. I have signed up for two dietbets. For those who don't know what those are, you bet money on yourself (usually $25) to lose weight in a specific period of time. There are 4% challenges to lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks and 10% challenges to lose 10% of your body weight in 6 months. I signed up for two 4% challenges, one currently going on, and another starting at the beginning of February.

I am also (as of today) starting the 90-day Bikini Body Mommy Challenge. Honestly, this will take me more than 90 days since I have a 2-week trip in the middle of the 90 days and I'm not sure I will have time to work out during it. So, my goal is to finish this around the beginning/middle of May.

I have taken videos and pictures but I'm not about to share them yet. I'm supposed to weigh-in and take measurements on Day 1, 15, 30, 45, and 90. I will update with my weight/inches lost and I will keep everyone updated with how the dietbets are going. The first day of the workout is a fitness test. We do each exercise for 50 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds in between each exercise. The goal is to complete as many reps as possible and to write down your score to compare where you are later in the challenge. Here are the exercises:

1. SPEED SQUATS
2. HIGH KNEES
3. PUSH UPS
4. SQUAT JUMPS
5. TRICEP DIPS
6. BURPEES
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES
8. ELBOW PLANK

I am also logging in what I'm eating and my workouts on myfitnesspal.com

So here we go. Starting over again to see if I can lose weight and complete a triathlon or half marathon in 2014. Let's Do This! =D