Long time..

What's up girls?

In September I re-discovered Zumba and fell in love with it. Now I do Zumba 3-4 times a week depending how many times we have the better Zumba available. I mean we have 3 different instructors and only the one makes the best Zumba.

Then I have 1 latino hiphop/week. If that's not enough I also do bodypump and -jam when I feel like it or have time.

I've lost about 11 pounds and enjoying been normal weight again. It's not entirely thanks to zumba I've learned to control my eating. I don't eat candy or chocolate anymore. I've not missed them at all. No take out pizza or kebab or burgers. I had a burger lunch once but that was all I ate all day and I wasn't even hungry later so it was cool. I have this policy, if you want to eat something sweet or otherwise unhealthy, make sure it's so delicious it's worth it.

If I had my way I would just Zumba everyday and not do anything else.. Too bad I have to work :(

Another bad weekend :(

This weekend was my first weekend in NYC. I had an appointment with my trainer last Wednesday, and at the meeting he said make sure that I eat well and exercise this weekend as I could undo all of the progress we'd made so far. However, in NYC I was at a conference so they provided the food (which usually did not have a healthy option) and I went out too. I tried to sub beer with vodka or another less calorie option, but I'm not one for drinking liquor. However, we did do a lot of walking. Probably 5 miles or so a day, but I forgot my tennis shoes so I didn't get any other more intense cardio in. I also didn't strength train.

Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. All I can do is keep moving forward and hope that I can keep up with it now that I'm back in Buffalo. I just have to stay strong and not give in to junk food as much. Today, I put off eating a donut, and didn't eat, didn't eat, but by about 11:30 I didn't have a healthy snack packed so I went and had a quarter of a donut just to tide me over to lunch. That was completely unnecessary.

So, I think I need to start thinking about some small goals and contingency plans for when I am faced with situations that I typically give in to.

Summer

Hey all,

Summer came and I lost my job, which is something I've known for 18 months, and been looking forward to. Since I now have all the time in the world I decided to re-join my gym and go there every morning instead of work. And I must say I've been doing just that. It's only been a week or so so it's not much yet but I'm hoping to keep it up.

I'm trying to eat light and healthy, but then I am also wondering that since I am exercising almost everyday should I eat more? If nothing happens then I better look into that more closely.

The site I mentioned before is www.heiaheia.com it's for keeping up with the exercising. I used to have a very low goal, 2 hours/week, and it was really pathetic when I couldn't even reach that, but last week I did 508% of my goal. This week I changed the goal into 5h. After 2 days I'm only about an hour away from my goal (I spent four days at mom's).

Oh **** I better get going or I'll miss Bodyjam.

Long time!

Hey,
I hope everyone's been doing well! It's been a long time for me. I'm currently in Buffalo NY for the summer, and have been really good since I've been here. I stopped buying meat so have been eating salad and black bean burgers at home, and I don't keep junk food around so that's good.

I do eat lunch on campus with a meal plan, but have been pretty good so far, avoiding drinks, desserts or eating too much. I started running again, but was having problems with my calves, so I joined a gym. So far I have done a few classes there, boot camp, spinning, and core. I also started with a trainer today. He kicked my butt! He does a lot of functional exercises so I did stuff with a kettlebell, lunges, pushups, step ups, planks, some sort of jumping thing, abs workouts. We're going to workout together 2 times a week. Other than that I'll go the other 3 days to do different classes. I guess we'll see what kind of plan he puts together for me.

Right now I have to keep a nutritional journal of what I've been eating, for my next appointment on Monday. I was definitely obese, my body fat was 33.9% and the obese starting zone is at 33.5%. He was impressed with my strength and cardio though, so he said he'll be able to push me soon. We also did all my measurements which I have never done before, so I'm excited to see how they change.

He said people usually lose 10-15 lbs in the first week or so, and if I keep it up I should be down 50 in less than 6 months. I'm only in Buffalo so another 6 weeks, so I need to get in a good habit so that I can keep it up after.

Fun stuff! How's it going for all of you out there now that it's summer???

it's been a while!

hello, ladies!


it definitely has been a while since i (or anyone else for that matter) posted last...but that doesn't mean i haven't been thinking about my health!


first off, i am definitely liking my new gym. i know i've talked about it in the past, but i'm starting to see some results, which is really exciting...clothes fitting more loosely, dropping a couple pounds (into the 140's finally!), and i'm challenging myself a lot more than i used to. yay!


i joined sparkpeople.com.  annika, i don't remember if that's the site you mentioned before or not, but i finally got around to joining it...and i'm really glad i did because i'm tracking what i eat and learning a whole lot about food and fitness and overall health.  i even made a new friend who has become my walking buddy! :)  so if you're on that site, or want to join it (for free), my username is karebare00 - become my friend!


my weakness is still chocolate...i am trying to incorporate it into healthier things, though (like chocolate milk or weight watchers chocolate fudge bars). but, i guess it's not the end of the world if i have chocolate, as long as i'm having it in small portions and am tracking it. 


any good things happening in your lives? i know that lisa's changed her workout routine and has felt more energy because of it....please share! 

feasts

well, easter's coming up....what are you ladies doing to help curb the gorging? ;) i know that whenever i go to a family gathering, i want to try EVERYthing, which usually leads to stuffing myself.  i'm not quite sure what's on the menu for sunday, but maybe i'll just try to do some portion control!

and of course, tony's mom is having us over for dinner tomorrow...AND i have a potluck tonight.  is it horrible that i was considering skipping the potluck just so i don't eat too much?

maybe i'll have some slimmetry before eating and carb blocker after. we'll see.

in other news, i've been feeling kind of lazy lately in the workout department.  which, when i think about what i've done this week, isn't that bad.  i worked out on sunday and tuesday, and probably will force myself to go to the gym today and tomorrow.  when i thought about that, i was like "wait! since when did 3-4 workouts in a week turn into being lazy?!" i guess this is a good sign; i'm getting so used to working out, that when i don't, it feels like something's missing!

happy easter!

me

Previously I was eating low fat and exercising like mad for about 2 months. Got no results.

Last week I went back to low carb diet. I also got sick so I was unable to exercise at all. Surprise surprise I've lost about 3 pounds in a week. No counting calories, only carbs. There is a downside.. my stomach doesn't work all that well after a week of low carb, but..

I'm hoping to get to normal weight soon

new kettlebell instructor

yesterday, rebecca and i got to class, and there was a new guy there.  apparently, he's a certified kettlebell instructor.  he taught us a lot of the basics of kettlebell that i didn't know before (that you only hold it with the tips of your fingers at a certain angle, and what-not).  we did circuits, which was cool....not having to do lunges for practically every exercise was nice!

i do kind of miss the trx training, but i do know some different things to do on that now, so maybe i could do that on my own.

i read that strength training is sometimes more imperative to weight loss than cardio is - because having more muscle burns more calories faster. at the same time, i haven't seen much of a weight difference since starting at the new gym.  i do feel more toned in general, and yes, i know that muscle weighs more than fat, but i don't know if i can keep chalking it up to that.

i also read (from women's health magazine, btw) that to know how many calories you should be eating (or drinking), you should multiply your weight by 10, and add a couple hundred if you work out regularly. and if you want to lose weight, you should subtract 500 from that amount, and you should lose a pound a week.

reading this made me consider counting calories. i've generally been good about eating healthy food lately, but if i actually want to lose weight, maybe i should step it up. but here are my concerns: what about food that doesn't have a calorie count  (like homemade stuff)? i can write down how much my yogurt and lean cuisines are, and look up somewhere online how much my orange is, but how will i know what everything that doesn't have packaging is worth? also, if i start counting calories now, does that mean i have to do it forever?

it's like i'm the slow kid in class

i did end up going to the ab blast/cardio mix class yesterday...and no, we didn't go outside.  we DID do a ton of hard drills/exercises, though....and everyone else there didn't seem to have too much trouble with it. probably because they do it regularly. so yes, i'm the slow kid in class. one of these days, the instructor will stop saying to me "it's ok, just go at your own pace." or "it's a hard class, do what you can". hahaha!

but then i remember that they won the madison's biggest loser, and i know they've worked with people more out-of-shape than me and have whipped them up into being more fit!  it's just that the people in my classes seem like they're REALLY in shape!  it's ok, though. i'll suck it up!

i'm sore in places i've never really been sore before. hahaha...i guess that happens when you take a class that feels like it's almost a bootcamp!  i'm getting used to being sore, i just hope that my body will soon get used to it. (and, my back is fine this week, which is great!)

yesterday, i was proud of myself for eating all healthy foods throughout the day. i think i'm going to get flaxseed (which is supposed to help reduce cellulite) and fiber powder to put onto my food. might give me a boost that i need!

...a little less sore...

kettlebell/trx class was still difficult yesterday, but i made sure to use lighter weights and i paid more attention to my posture. it's really easy to bend over too far when using kettlebell weights! 

but, yeah...my back isn't as sore as it was last week! woot! my legs are killing me, though...probably because the instructor is a huge fan of lunges and squats. merp.

i think i'm finally getting the hang of trx, too...i'm better at figuring out what angles to go at (the more upright you are, the easier it is, so that's what i did), and balancing when my feet are in the straps.  i also think that the activities we did on them weren't as intense, which means that the instructor probably evaluated our skill level more since last week.

there's another lunchtime class tomorrow called ab blast/cardio mix, which i might try. it's a little intimidating, because i've seen them go outside and run (and i'm not so much a runner) and do drills, but i might as well try it once, right?  hopefully my coworkers won't be watching too much (they can see the outdoor classes from the window.)!

that's all i have for now. happy st. patty's day! (note the green font?)

am i doomed?

i am going to be taking the kettlebell class again today - using lighter weights!  it took me until saturday last week to feel fully recovered from the tuesday class. :-/

i told rebecca that if i hurt myself again, i'm probably not going to do that class anymore.  at least i got some moves i can add to my regular workout routine.  oh, and they're changing the class schedule on april 4th....we're going to have power kickboxing (which includes weights), and spinning at night. not gonna lie, i'm kind of intimidated by spinning, but i might as well try it once and see what happens!

and here's an article from womenshealth.gov about carbs.  they send me emails every once in a while about diet and exercise. it's kind of nice!

oh my gosh....

yesterday, i left work early to go judge a forensics (speech team) meet.  rebecca and i decided to try out the "intro to kettlebell and trx" class.

i don't think there was anything "intro" about it! there were many women there, and the trainer, cory, was doing it for the first time.  now, cory is this really muscular guy who looks like he never stops lifting weights.  he's pretty hardcore.

anyway, rebecca and i struggled, especially with some of the trx exercises (they are ropes that hang down with handles on them and you use your body weight with them)....we had to pull ourselves up from the floor using only our arms in the ropes. doesn't sound (or look) that hard, but once we were doing them, i was grunting!

both of us are really sore today, which is making me question if i should go to kickboxing tonight, because the trainer for that is also hardcore, and is apparently doing new (and harder) choreography tonight.  i was having issues just bending over to pick something up from the floor this morning!

which brings me to my next concern....after every class i take at the gym, my lower back hurts. rebecca doesn't always feel the same way. do you think this is normal? (i know that lisa has had some back issues before, too!)

Hi, I'm Lisa...

...and I'm addicted to food!!

Here's the deal: I like food way too much. Some call it emotional eating, others call it lack of willpower. I call it an addiction. Now, I know I shouldn't be throwing words like "addiction" around, and I've watched plenty of the Discovery channel's shows on food addiction. However, I think it best suits me.

Working out is coming easier and easier, especially since I now have buddies that I feel comfortable socializing with while working out. It feels like "me" time again.

So, how do I cut ties with the junk food? I have been eating healthier during the day, but at night with the bf, it's any one's guess what will enter my mouth. (last night it was Taco Bell!)

I'd love to hear how you guys are able to overcome urges to eat junk food. Keep in mind, I have to be in the right mood to cook, which is not often. I usually take dishes duty.

Another week

So, last week (starting Tuesday) I started my diet. For the first few days, I wrote down all the food I ate and the calories, fat and cholesterol in each. After a few days, I really got the hang of what I could eat, and was eating similar food all week.

Friday night started the derailment. Brian and I went out for fish fry, which was ok since I got the baked fish. Not so ok, that there was melted butter to dip the fish in (believe me, it needed it). I ordered vegetables instead of potato, however they were sauteed in butter. And I had a roll with butter. But otherwise ok. In the future, I think we'll stick to our local diner that has a cheaper all-you-can-eat fish fry, with healthier sides.

Saturday, I was doing ok, until family dinner, which I like a little too much. I was hungry, and as Karen can attest, Fern's casserole is a little hard to pass up on!

Sunday, I grazed. I bought a new washing machine, so I was at home most of the day catching up on laundry.

Towards the end of last week, I was feeling thinner, and more full of energy. Yesterday and today, I feel like I have a food hangover. Any suggestions on how to remedy it, other than just starting my diet again (that's the plan)?

woah.

the biggest loser challenge at work is coming to a close. i did not partake because everyone who did it had to put in $100 and there wasn't any chance of me winning because some of the guys had a LOT to lose. they started it january 1st, and now they're finishing up.

so far, the winner is ron, who lost 41lbs. that's crazy! he joined the same gym i go to, and he worked out every single day for 2 hrs a day...so i know he worked hard for it. i asked him if he'll keep at it as much after the competition and he said yes. maybe HE should be my workout buddy! :P

bruce is the other top contender....he doesn't weigh in until thursday, though, because he started that many days after everyone else. i know he was way over 300lbs to begin with, and i can tell he's lost weight, so it might be a close call.

yeah, as i told olivia, if i lost 41 lbs, i'd be an unhealthy waif! ;)

gettin' back to it!

late last week, i caught a nasty cold. i'm still having coughing attacks and am congested, but i'm a LOT better than i was earlier this week! 

anyway, needless to say, i hadn't really worked out for a while. yesterday, i finally got back in the saddle and went to the gym. and let me tell you, it felt so good!  who would've known i would actually enjoy working out?!

i plan on going again today, and hopefully i won't cough or need to blow my nose as much as yesterday. yech.

still around the same weight, but i feel slightly more toned than before, so that's good! i've been reading my health magazine for some additional exercises, and a couple of them i already was doing in my routine. sweet!

this week wasn't so great for food, though....mainly because it was safety training week for work...which means that i had to help prepare some not-so-healthy food for over 100 construction workers.  there weren't any other places to pick up food, and it was free, so i ate it. i didn't overload my plate, though, so hopefully that's good? and i opted for fruit instead of donuts for the breakfast. :) oh, and a blueberry muffin. hehe!

i'm glad that subway has their $5 footlong promotion again, because sometimes i like to stop there for lunch and buy a footlong, eating only half and then saving the other half for later. that's what i did today....so i'm going to have a sweet onion chicken teriaki sub for dinner. :D

i still think i need to scale back a little on some of my meals, and i considered doing another vegetarian kick, but that was impossible this week. (they served steak, pulled pork, burgers and brats at the safety training...). maybe next week i'll consider it.  i liked doing it because it pushed me out of my comfort zone when ordering food and i ended up cooking more, and making things i don't normally make (like boca burgers, tofu burritos, etc). i'll think about it!

i can't wait until spring, so i can go walking outside again! it feels so good to do that, and definitely boosts my mood!

Bad Week

Last week I had a pretty bad week, I went to my workout class on Monday, but after that I was super busy, and feeling down and did not go the rest of the week or do anything except class and work/study. I also ate a lot of junk food. This week I'm back on track, went to class yesterday and today and got my butt kicked. I really do need to start running again though since I will be running a 5K when I'm in Madison on the 14th and I want to be able to kick Pete's butt, and keep up with the friends I'm running with. It snowed again this weekend, which means I won't be out on the streets like I want to be, but hopefully I can force myself to go on the treadmill just to keep going. I also need to do better at eating healthy, and really cooking my veggies from my farm share. I've been avoiding them.

I think a lot of it (when you have the tools, means and everything) is just to DO it. It's so easy for us to come up with excuses, and not workout or eat healthy for whatever reason, but it's so important that we just DO it. I know I feel SO much better when I'm working out and eating well, and I get super depressed when I eat junk food and sit around, so I just need to kick my own butt and make myself make forward progress.

Lisa, it's amazing how quickly you can improve cholesterol. Before I started working out I had really low HDL (38?) and like 200 cholesterol. After only 6 months of working out I had raised my HDL to 58 and lowered my cholesterol to like 170. As for your goal of weight loss, for me I have a hard time meeting goals like that. So I just make my goal better fitness and general health, although it is not as "achievable" I know that I am more driven to get healthy, than I am to stress about every pound on the scale. Maybe setting some small fitness and diet goals?

I miss TurboKick, maybe I should find a kickboxing class to help replace it, and I would love to start doing Yoga/Pilates again, but my schedule is just too nuts and full of studying...

I'm hoping to start getting out and hiking on the weekends, since we never ended up getting out this winter like we planned.

Hope you guys are doing well!

heia

I came across this website on facebook. www.heiaheia.com it's a place where you can set your own weekly exercise goals, mark what you've done. Network with friends.

Go check it out.

I thought it might be a fun way to keep each other motivated, from a distance.

I just signed up like 5 mins ago, so I don't know much about it, but it seemed promising and quite ideal for this group

The time is now!

I've been pretty quiet on here, mostly because I haven't been taking care of myself how I used to. The main reason is motivation. I have all the "tools" to be healthy, I just am not motivated to use them. What tools am I talking about? I know how to lose weight through diet, I have so in my recent past. I also know how to exercise, and have the proper "tools" to do it. I own a Wii Fit, Elliptical, Stair Stepper, Exercise ball, and yoga equipment/videos. I also belong to Curves. So, lack of tools or know how is not an excuse.

Then, what are my excuses, if it isn't lack of tools, know how or money? Well, it's changes in my life. Having a live-in boyfriend who eats junk food I like. Having the feeling of sharing a meal with him, and enjoying the same foods-junk food. Having a puppy and recently a sick cat that needs my attention. I need to be home after work to attend to the animals instead of going to work out. (gosh, what is it going to be like when I have kids?) And, lastly an excuse is injury. Burning my arm a year and a half ago was the beginning of the weight gain. The shock of an injury. (I'm pretty healthy, until you see below) These excuses, are mind games I play with myself. They are just making me feel better for not working out and taking care of my self.

So, I needed motivation, and I think I've gotten it: higher than desirable LDL cholesterol. While my ratio of HDL (good) to LDL (bad) cholesterol is ok, it could be better. I also was checked for diabetes, which at this time I don't have. While size and image is one thing, health is quite another. Since I'm approaching (gasp) 30 years old, I'm thinking THE TIME IS NOW!

My doctor says I should get my cholesterol re-checked when I've lost at least 15lbs. So, there's my goal: 15lbs in ??? time. I was thinking 6 months, but that seems like long time to procrastinate. Any ideas of a timeline?

Thanks for reading! :)

pilates is pretty much amazing!

not gonna lie...i was pretty nervous about doing pilates. and not just because i was (and still am) sore.  but, i LOVED it!  we were on these pilates reformer machines that moved kind of like rowing machines, but there were a lot more things you could do with it!  we used the foot bar, foot strap, and then there were two straps from the other side of the machine that you can use either your hands or feet in.  i felt like my whole body got a workout, and i wasn't even sweaty afterwards! i really felt refreshed!

the only downside is that we can't go in and use the machines whenever we want, because they're too much of a liability. which means, if we want to do it again, we'd have to pay for personal training sessions, which are pretty pricey.  rebecca and i want to do duet personal training with robin (the woman i've been working with) - combining both strength training with weights and pilates, but we don't have the spare money right now.  so we might wait it out and see if we want to do it if/when we start working overtime in the late spring.

in the meantime, the classes and everything are good at kicking my butt. hopefully i'll start to see the results in my body soon!

and...kickboxing!

last night was my first time taking kickboxing class. i was slightly intimidated, because they were on the last week of the choreography, which meant that everyone else there had been doing it for a while (and she adds on new things to each class, so this was the most challenging session).  i thought i did pretty well, if i do say so myself! i was able to keep up decently, and although i probably was more out of breath than my counterparts, i think i pulled my weight, so to speak.

yes, i am sore today, but i think that my body is getting more and more used to the harder workouts.  my main soreness is in my lower back, and i think it's because that are is harder for me to stretch (i made sure to stretch a ton after the workout).

tonight, we're doing a duet pilates training with the woman i've been working with in personal training.  i'm a little scared because we're using pilates machines (i've never used them), and i am sore, but i know that this will help me a lot. i'm feeling more and more fit, and i'm sure soon my size and weight will show it!

what kinds of workouts are you ladies doing?

personal training session!

wow, am i sore!  i had my first session with a personal trainer yesterday....it was really good, but also really tiring!  she had me doing a ton of new things that i hadn't done before, and i can definitely feel it now!

rebecca and i are thinking about having sessions with her like once every other month.  it's pricey, but they split the cost if there are two of us doing it. i think it would be a good way to keep on track and to learn new and different exercises.

so, yeah, i think that i'm moving in the right direction, and hopefully soon, i'll look and feel more toned!

update

I've been out of the picture for a long time, sorry.
In December, the week before christmas I tried a low carb diet. It was great. I lost like 5-6 pounds in a week, but then came christmas.. I'm sure you know what that means.
But I've been good for a few weeks now. Not doing the very low calorie diet anymore, can't believe all those eggs and bacon and such are good for me in a long run. But I'm still staying away from potatoes, rice and pasta. I don't really even like potatoes so it's not that hard. Just lots of salads and low fat foods, full bran rye bread and fat free yoghurt and lots of fruit. I feel lighter though I don't think I look so nor does the scale say so but..
The best part is I haven't had any desire for candy or other such treats. Staying out of all that sugar should be good.
My biggest problem is my impatience. It's just too hard to wait to see any results.. Oh and exercise. To my defense I've been wanting to go out for a run but it's been -20°C(-4F) for quite a long time and now that it's warmer it's snowing like mad. I can't wait to see clear roads again.
I'm not really a big fan of winter.
This is starting get too messy, I better stop.

Progress...

What a busy semester, however, I'm still managing to keep somewhat on track. I go to my PES class (BodySculpt and Abs & More) 4 times a week, and whenever I have the energy I'm trying to run on the treadmill before class. I just can't wait until it's lighter out later, so I can run in the evening after class. Or when it's not super cold in the morning, so I can run outside before class. This weekend I am running a 5K in Sedona, I'm not super prepared, still haven't been able to run one straight without a couple walking breaks, but I am going down in elevation a couple thousand feet, and I'm hoping the adrenaline will carry me the rest of the way. If I have to walk, I have to walk.

We didn't get out permits to do a Rim to Rim in May, but we might try to do a shorter in and back trip, and hopefully we can get into a better system to start training hikes on the weekends.

Sounds like you guys are doing great. Keep it up! Small steps :)

zumba!

yesterday, i had my first zumba class at the new gym.  it was fun, but intense! the instructor didn't show us how to do any of the moves, just said "follow me....do what i do".  i'm glad i have a little bit of a dance background, because i don't know if i would've been able to keep up!


anyway, i'm pretty sore. my first personal training session is tomorrow, and if it's anything like my coworkers' ones, it's gonna kick my butt! (in a good way, i hope.) 


i'm really liking the gym so far.  i feel like i have so many more options than before. yay!


how are your workout routines going?

interesting information

i heard on the radio this morning that the mayo clinic (which always reminds me of mayonnaise when i hear it!) recently did a study of body fat in "skinny" people....and found that even if you don't weight a lot, you can still have a high body fat percentage.  this reminded me of a conversation that i had with josie a few years back about "skinny fat" girls. they look like twigs, but they have fat, not muscle. crazy!

i went on the mayo clinic's website to see if i found the article, but i got distracted with a different one, which is about nutrition facts and how to read food labels....pretty cool (and it's interactive!). 

in other news, i'm joining the new gym today! woohoo!  i am going to try to get a personal training session tomorrow, since i'm taking the day off from my (first) job. maybe that will help me get adjusted to it. i'm kind of scared, though...i've never worked with a personal trainer before, and i'm not sure if i can do everything they'll ask me to!

i'm probably going to do the zumba class on sunday (provided that my second job doesn't schedule me), and there's kickboxing classes on monday and wednesday evenings, which might conflict with work, so i will have to play it by ear each week.

i'm really happy that the gym is across the street from work, because i usually have the issue of going home after work, and feeling too lazy to work out (this happened yesterday, in fact!)...now, i'll go straight to the gym so i can't make that excuse! :D

wiiiiiiii!

so. i have my wii fit. and i'm having a blast with it!!!

i've been weighing myself every day on it, and apparently i'm losing weight, but i don't know if i believe that, since the normal scale says i'm about the same as i've been for a while. oh well.

next week, i'm signing up for the new gym. i told my current gym i'm quitting, and since it's month-to-month, the 31st will be my last day there, and i won't be charged again. sa-weet! they personally emailed me to see why i'm quitting. when i said that i feel like i'm not having enough direction or variety in my workouts, they offered me 2 free personal training sessions. i guess i could've taken them up on it, but i would feel bad because i know i'm not staying. plus, their gym is tiny, so i'd have to do my session around everyone else.

i talked to hybrid, and they said if i sign up in the last week of january, i'll still get the lower price (i guess it's a month long promotion), and they won't charge me til february 15th. nice!

i've been doing ok eating. i had a few "bad food" days this month, where i ate junk food, but for the most part, i've been decent....eating smaller meals, but more frequently. and, i've felt lost without fresh fruits and veggies, so that's a good sign! ;)

how is january shaping up for you?

New Year!

Hi Guys!
For the new year, I have no official resolutions. However, I'm hoping to get in better shape to do more hiking. I'll be running my official first 5K in Sedona in February. I tried to run a 4mile run on New Years, but had to walk for some of it. We're also aiming to hike rim to rim in the Grand Canyon in May, so in order to do that, I'll have to do lots of hiking. I'm hoping to go for a hike each weekend to build up. I'm taking to PE classes at school, both are more strength training, so I will do those, and then keep running too.

Also, now that I'm back from the holidays. I'm going back to eating healthy. Which means no soda, and try to eat only natural foods.

Good luck girls!

new year, new you!

yeah, it's cliche to have a new year's resolution of getting into better shape....but guess what? it's one of my many resolutions!

rebecca just joined hybrid fitness, which is right across the street from work. it has regular gym stuff, plus extra things like classes (including zumba!), a "fit fresh" cuisine (which is 10% off w/ my insurance), and it's run by personal trainers. it's only $5 more a month than my current gym, if you choose to sign up for unlimited classes. AND you get two free sessions with a personal trainer. sounds like a good deal to me!

i'm just going to wait a month or two, so i don't end up double paying at the gyms. i think it would be a good supplement to my regular gym stuff if we move (the place we looked at has the best cardio and weight room we've ever seen at an apartment complex...plus a pool and hot tub!). and i'm supposed to get my wii fit in the mail soon, so hopefully all of that will help.

i told tony i'm going to try to eat healthier. i've been pretty good the last few days, but when he buys spotted cow, i'll drink it. (not like to get drunk or anything, but i'll have one at night if i feel like it). i feel like beer, especially regular beer is kind of undoing my healthly eating. i told him not to buy it any more! (i usually don't go out and buy it anyway).

here's my main goal: drop to 130lbs by my birthday. that gives me 6 months to lose 20 pounds. i've never lost that much weight in my life....but i think i was around that size when i was in high school. right now, it's a daunting number, but i'm putting that goal out there so that i can hold myself to it!

i guess my main challenge is that i've been staying around the same weight since i started working out consistently about 2 years ago. i'm wondering if it's because of the muscle gain...which isn't bad. honestly, i dont' really care how much i weigh, as long as i feel good and look toned. so maybe setting a number for weight loss isn't the best idea. but it's at least a goal!

do you guys have any health goals for 2010?