Abdominals Engaged

Why do I feel like i haven’t posted in days? Anyway today I worked with Michelle and we did a lot of abwork. We did a couple of a crunch machines. She also had me sit on a bench with my feet secured and through the medicine ball at me as i crunched up and through it back. I did this exercise on the exercise ball Tuesday, this time it felt so much better-absolutley no back  strain.  The floorwork entailed me laying on my back and Michelle standing by my head, I grabbed her ankles and she pushed my legs straight and to the sides as i lifted back up. I felt those! What was interesting though and not sure why, is that when i was doing the leg lifts and when i was crunching up on that bench i felt my thigh muscles get strained too. Is this ok? I felt it more in the thighs than I did in my abs, but I did feel something in my abs.  We did some punching bag work. I definitely have to bring my gloves next time, because they only had the half gloves that only cover the top part of your hand, and they didn’t seem to be padded much as my knuckles were red afterward.  Then we ended the workout by me throwing a medicine ball up at the wall and squatting as I caught the ball. Those were kind of cool, and another exercise that made squats bearable. After my workout with Michelle was complete I hit the hip adductor and abductor machines and did 2 sets of 15. 

So Michelle asked me so how is the eating going as I was doing the leg lifts. “Are you helping me out in that department?” Oh my god thank god I lost a pound I felt good about telling her that. And she almost screamed in Joy when I told her i quit soda 2 weeks ago. She was so happy. Now I fell bad because the last two days I havent really been counting my points because we went out to dinner last night and ate breakfast in the cafe buffet this morning. So I tried my best but it’s crazy. I had a cup of scrambled eggs, 2 sausage links and a whole wheat pancake-all that i think is like 20 points! So I am doing my best it is what it is.

Exhausted but had a good workout

I am so dead tired as I write this. I had a good workout with Michelle today. We did mostly machines which is better I think. I read an online article about how women should be working out like men. Women should not be afraid of bulking up because our bodies are just not made that way. If we want to build some muscle we have to confuse our bodies and challenge it every workout. So while I was warming up on the bike on the upper level, I was watching the guys weight lift on the lower level. I noticed that a lot of them were doing one-armed rows on a bench, same position you’re in to do a triceps kickback. I will probably do more of those on my own.

So the workout. We started off with me laying on an exercise ball and Michelle would throw a medicine ball at me and as I crunched up would throw it back. But after a few throws I felt some achyness in my midback, so we moved to one of the ab machines. This one you sit down, pads are on your chest, and you just push your torso down and then up.  So much more better on the back! I did some squats on this barbell machine, that wasn’t that bad. Chest presses with 10 lb dumbbells were the first set, but it was a little easy so we moved to a 30lb barbell, I definitely felt it which is good. Another exercise was on those cable machines and with one hand would pull the cable from the left side of my body to the right and vice versa. I feel like one of Michelle’s priority is to widdle the waist down since most of the exercises have the obliques involved.

After working out with her I did a mini workout on my own. I layed on the exercise ball and did some triceps with a 15lb dumbbell. I did some biceps with 12 lbs. Then I moved to the hip ad and abductors. These were my favorite machines years ago.  I did 85lbs on each machine. And that was basically it. I definitely feel like I can use a nap right now.

Keep Ulla Running for Dunkin Donuts

I had the biggest craving for a coolata today. I looked online and it was only 6 PLUS points, with skim milk though. I love skim milk so I didn’t care. Purchased the coolata and I guess skim milk doesn’t mix well with that coffee gunk they add to it.

Coolata with skim milk

It didn’t taste the same, and I had to constantly stir to get the substance beige again.  I will have to check the difference between skim, whole, and cream which is what I have been drinking all this time.

Needless to say I ran today. I didn’t work out this morning so I figured the coolata would force me to go to the gym.  I thought if I run for 60-70 minutes which normally is the time it takes me to run 6 miles I gain 9-11 activity points. So I am still ahead with my 6 point gross looking but slightly tasty coolata.

The gym was just insane tonight. I really am hating going the few tiems that I have in the evening. It’s a struggle to a machine and then you have to stop your workout halfway so no one thinks your on the machine for 30+ minutes.  So I ran at a slow comfortable pace for me which is 5.1 and switched it up with a 5.2 and 5.3 here and there. So I ran straight for 4 miles then kicked it up a notch and ran at 6.5 for a .25 mile. Then I exhaustedly(Did I just make a word up?) walked my incline for .50, then finished it off with a .25 walk. I earned 9 activity points! I almost tried to talk myself into earning more but ten more minutes would have been 2 points, and I really didn’t need the extra points at that point. I’m glad I clocked out when I did because I’m sore. My left knee(the good one) has been bothering me the last few days. Not sure if it is weather related or not. I might have to swap knees with that Kneed it wrap I use. Keep you all posted.

It works-1 pound lost!

Today I wasn’t feeling in the mood to workout, but once I got to the gym and Michelle was waiting for me the feeling went away. The workout actually flew by we concentrated mostly on abs.  I also did some this back and chest machine.  After the workout i felt like running so i ran only 15 minutes sort of a combo. I ran half mile at 6.5mph, then a quarter mile i walked at an incline of 8.0, then back to running at 7.0 for quarter mile, then walked the next and last quarter.

So exciting news I lost a pound! What’s exciting about it is that it has been a few months since i was under 195. And i am using my weight watchers scale, I tested it by putting 10 pounds of weights on it and it was right. So I am just going to use this scale from now. I do have to take my measurements, but I never know exactly where to measure, have to look into that.  It’s been a week since I started the WW Plus Program and already a pound weight loss. I guess eating right really trumps the exercise, since I have been running for some time and haven’t seen a dent. Probably because I have been eating like crap.

Today I am going out to a movie and dinner with my mom and sis. I talked them into going to Chili’s since I know they have a weight watchers menu. This isn’t as hard as I thought!

6 mile

This morning I was feeling my best in the running department, even with a few gulps of Gatorade. Apparently the electrolytes weren’t be replenished, who knows. In any case, I ran for probably 3 miles and walked on an incline for a mile. I completed this in about 48 minutes which gave me roughly 6 activity points. I really think that was my big motivator. It’s funny because now I don’t know if I am being motivated by doing another half marathon. What I have realized in the last few weeks is that I am content with 6 mile a day runs. I don’t need to overdue the time or mileage anymore. I know I was attracted to the half at first because it sounded like such an accomplishment, which it was last year. But now I am more along the lines of just running 10k’s and I think I would be pretty satisfied with that decision. So that is the latest news in my running diaries.

This morning I had a hungry gal breakfast…well points wise at 9 points. But it’s ok because I just clocked in 6 points for food. I measured my activity points with moderate because of the walking, I figured better to underplay the activity points then over count them.  SO breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled(4 plus points-still surprised that an egg has 2 points), veggie burger meat(2 plus points-I was in the mood for sausage so I figured a veggie burger is the next best thing), slide of Kraft American cheese(2 points), and 1 point for 4oz of regular Snapple. The thing I am most happy about is being able to drink my Snapple, and just a little fulfills me since it has so much sugar.

Tomorrow I have a weight training session with Michelle.

Weight Watchers Plus FREE 7 day online trial

So the snow/ice has gotten me a little off my routine. I didnt go the gym yesterday AM because of the icy roads. I was so turned off by the packed gym during evening hours that I really didnt feel like going yesterday evening and watched the Bishop family win 500k on Minute to Win It. Yeah I know I could have DVR’d it and gone to the gym, just been spoiled with the empty gym during morning hours. This morning I didnt work out in the AM either, i just wanted some sleep! My body has been achy for the past few days, probably from the ice shoveling. Will it ever end?!

Since I have no workout news to share, I wanted to let everyone know that they can go on weight watchers website and sign up for a free 7 day trial. I just did this yesterday and I was able to get my plus points, a yummy recipe i made for dinner which i will share on a separate post. This morning I was looking at their cheat sheet section which is kind of cool. You select Chinese Buffet and they have some foods that you can click on and it tells you 1 cup of this is X Plus points. For example, white rice 5 points, fried rice is 10 points. Stay away from the orang chicken it was liek 15 points yikes! suprisingly, 2 spare ribs are only 4 points. I would have that would have had more because of the fat. So check out the site, you will have to enter payment information but just mark your calendar and cancel on day 7 so you won’t have to pay and you can print and save on a word document any information you will  need to get you on the right path!

WW calculator APP

Last Night after my 5.75 miles I felt like I ran a marathon. I was a little surprised at the feeling. I can’t explain it either. I went to bed early and got started at 5:30 this morning. I trained with Michelle for 30 minutes. We worked with the Bosu and exercise ball. We also started working with the medicine ball. She stood about 3 feet away from me threw me the ball, I caught it squatted and touched my ankle and then threw it back to her. That made the squats interesting.  She also had me go on that double crunch machine as I call it. She put 30 pounds on it, I did 2 sets of crunches, then did side crunches by shifting my legs. I notice I have no problem feeling my obliques when I work out, but my abs not as much. Maybe it is due to the extra layer of fat that the frontal abs have compared to the side abs. I could be wrong.

Anyways I finished my workout with 26 minutes on the elliptical. What’s funny is the thing that was motivating me was earning the activity points. I felt like I was yelling out mama needs a WW ice cream, let’s earn it in 15 minutes. Too funny. I tried doing the points before but it was just a hassle remembering my points for the day. I even went out of my way to create this excel spreadsheet, with the formulas for activities and logging in my food points. But I’d have to remember to log all the food in. Now, they upgraded the WW calculator app to include the activity points calculator as well as a daily tracker. So I can look at my phone at 12pm and know how many points i have left etc. The new app has the new PLUS points calculations which take protein into account int he formula. So much easier now! It is definitely worth the 99cents!

Sneaky treadmill & Aspartame

I wasn’t feel well thru the night so I decided to not do my AM workout. It’s amazing how it affected my day, feeling tired and rundown for most of it. I got home after work knowing that I  need to go to the gym, especially since I clocked my food on my WW app only to find out when I eat dinner I will be 7 points over my allotment. :O So that kicked my butt into gear to get to the gym.

I do not miss the evening gym hours, with the parking lot full and the machines crowded as well. I finally found a treadmill and no one was going to get me off of it. I ran 35 minutes and then quit and restarted as I looked around me to make sure no one could call me out on it. I ran/walked incline for 19 minutes, restarted again. Then I ran 19 more minutes. What I found interesting was that because I restarted a few times, my brain saw 5 minutes, 10 minutes not 40 minutes or 50 minutes so I think that gave me more energy and didn’t make me feel bored. So I logged 73 minutes 5.75 miles. The best part when I logged my minutes in my WW activity app it said i burned 12 points! OOO I have some room for dessert now! 🙂

Since Friday, I have had no diet soda because I am trying to give up soda but most importantly the Aspartame that is in the soda. A few years back a coworker and I gave up the diet soda because we had read for the first time all the bad things Aspartame can do to your body, from headaches to breathing problems.  After the gym I went to the supermarket to stock up on fruit and some low cal snack. To my surprise Aspartame is in the sugar-free Jello, so I got regular. Aspartame was also in Dannon yogurt, so I got the WW yogurt. I didn’t realize how much stuff that I eat on a regular basis has this junk in it. Food for thought.

RUN-EAT-DRINK

RUN: Today, I ran for 20 minutes and followed it up with 15 min on the elliptical. Not one of my sensational 6mile+runs but I still burned some calories.  I have 2 months to go for this half marathon and still haven’t cracked 8 miles. I need to crank it up and get moving.  I looked at the calendar and I think I have plenty of time, but still worried about it. I guess worse comes to worse I will walk what I can’t run, but I really want to run as much as I can.

 EAT: I started counting points this week, not so difficult. Of course I have a spreadsheet with formulas to make it easier.  And the best part is that running for 60 min buys me almost 4 more points, but then I wonder would you lose that much if you ate what you just burned-probably not. Since I am a dessert person I will tell you my favorite WW dessert which I have been eating for years: CAPPUCCINO LATTE popsicles and the strawberry ones are yummy too. These things taste just like my coolatta’s, which by the way I haven’t had in 2 weeks or so. They are under 100 calories and only one point, I still think it’s a misprint but it’s true 1 point.

 DRINK: I think I kicked the soda habit! Yeah!! Since Sunday I have had only the half can of soda I had on Monday. I am very excited that I haven’t had any soda in 3 days.  I have drunk so much lemon water I think I am going to turn into a lemonhead. I just heard one of my cubical neighbors cracking open a can of soda. I miss that sound. I think the whole soda thing is just a ritual, like I need to drink a soda to replace boredom or to replace my hand being empty in a meeting and a soda is easier to carrier. WHO KNOWS as I sip the lemony water sitting on my desk.

WEIGHT WATCHERS BODY FAT SCALE

Yesterday I finally purchased the Weight Watchers Body fat scale at bed bath for $29.99 less my 20% coupon=$23.99.  I have been eyeing this scale since I started my journey almost 6 months ago. Now if you remember I first got my body fat measured back in January after a fitness class so I have a baseline figure from then. My husband is very skeptical about this scale. He thinks how can this measure your fat, he doesn’t buy it. I read the manual, and it sends an electrical pulse through your body that measures fat.  The pulse travels quicker through water and muscle, so that is how the scale measures the body fat.  It does state that if you have a glass of water, or have just worked out the levels of fat won’t be accurate bc the water level was just increased. I measured myself this morning because of this, but also bc any smart woman will weigh herself in the morning when she is at her lightest!

I will be tracking my stats at the bottom of this page.  Results show that I have lost 1% body fat from the running, and I have lost 5 pounds since I started. Those 5 pounds I lost a few months ago though, I have been riding that for the last few months. It seems that I have been using the running to support my dunkin donuts coolatta habit and any junk food I choose to eat hence no more poundage loss. So plan now is to ramp up the running and cut down on the junk food to see more pounds lost. I think it is very possible and I have no doubt that if I continue to run and watch my junk food intake I can lose some poundage.

So in a nutshell my goals this summer:

• Increase running mileage to burn more calories to get rid of fat!
• Start weight training so I can build more muscle to get rid of fat!
• Cut down on junk food for ultimate fat loss!
• Cut down on soda so my belly can deflate hence look like I have less fat!