First Mini-Goal

This week is my second week of my personal training sessions. I am LOVING it. The soreness isn’t half as bad as it was last week, and I am already moving up in weights which is so motivating to me. Linda definitely makes me work hard and I walk out feeling like jelly. Since I started working out and eating healthy, I am happy to say that I have lost 16 POUNDS!! Fifteen pounds was my first mini-goal….so I am very very excited.


This morning’s work out was a little hard. Yesterday, I received some sad news about a friend and it really weighed on my mind all night long and again this morning when I woke up. Ten minutes into my workout it really made me realize how important me getting healthy is and completely changed my thinking to really pushing myself. This made a world of difference. I finished my workout strong and really felt good about it. When I got home my hubby was standing at the door, welcomed me home with a big hug and whispered…. “I am soo proud of you”. It was just what I needed.

As we were leaving for work, the sun was peeking through the trees, reminding me once again how lucky I am to have a second chance.

Finals, Fair, Family, and Friends

Sorry, this is definitely on the longer side....

This past week has been a whirlwind and I am happy to say I survived.

Last week was finals week and three of the four classes were all writing finals… 2 papers, an essay final, and 1 multiple choice final. I was a little nervous, but was happy to see my grades:

It looks like my fall schedule is going to be tough.

I am extremely happy to have another quarter done. Only 4 more to go!! YAY!! Now, I have 3 weeks off to concentrate on me, and I couldn’t be happier!

Sunday, I took a break from my finals and we met up with Amber, Tony (Amber's husband) and Misty to take the kids to the fair. We had such a great time. It was really nice to get all the kids together; we definitely need to that more often. The day was full of pony rides, games, prizes, carnival rides, laughter, and l think there might have been some cotton candy purchased for the kiddos. (Jaiden, of course, wouldn’t eat any) I thought I would share a few of the pictures:

Once we got home, I still had one more final to do. After finishing, I was drained and all I wanted to do was just lay around. I called my mom and she had just finished with her 25,000 step work-out (10 miles) and then I got on the computer and read Brea’s and Jamie’s recap of their 5k from Sunday morning. They did soo awesome!!  The phone call with my mom, my daily phone conversation with my sister, and my firends' blogs was all the motivation I needed to get up and do a 45 minute work-out on the treadmill. Thanks ladies!  I am so lucky to have a great motivation and support system :)

A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM

My mom sent this to me today....and it was just what I needed.   It's a little long, but totally worth reading if you want a good laugh :) THANKS MOM!

(I have a final to finish tonight, so I will probably recap today's training session after my final)

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my Husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 25 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Tyrone, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY:  Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Tyrone waiting for me. He is something of a man-with a natural curl in his hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Tyrone gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Tyrone was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY:  I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Tyrone made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile….
His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:  The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was ok as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Tyrone was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Tyrone put me on the stair monster. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Tyrone told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other stuff too.

THURSDAY:  Butthead was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny woman to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine--which I sank.

FRIDAY:  I hate that jerk Tyrone more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little aerobics instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Tyrone wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:  Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:  I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds and chocolate bars!!!

My First Day of Training

Today was the big day!

I survived! (and to be honest….I think I could get addicted) I woke up at 3:57 am, before my alarm clock, and decided to lay there for the next 30 minutes. I got up at 4:30, brushed my teeth, got dressed, laced up my tennis shoes and jumped on the treadmill to warm up. I walked on the treadmill for an easy 20 minutes and then gathered the rest of my stuff and headed out the door.

Linda was already there (I was even 7 minutes early) with her clip board in hand. She had me warm up (again) for 10 minutes on the elliptical. The 10 minutes went by pretty quickly because we chit chatted about her vacation and about our trip to the fair. Today was just an evaluation of where I am at phsyical wise, so we did a mix of exercises, just to get a baseline. First, we started by doing squats, lunges, and push-ups. Can I tell you how much I despise push-ups? They suck, and I suck doing them.

Next, we worked on my arms by doing Lat pull downs, shoulder press, bicep curls, and tricep extensions. During these exercises I told her how my calves have been bothering me lately, so we detoured and we did calf raises. Finally, we ended by working with the stability ball. First we did crunches, and I really liked it, but then it got bad. She wanted me to roll over and do back extensions, and everything was fine and I got to the 6 rep and it hit me, that horrible nauseous feeling. Thinking it would just go away, I continued to try and finish my 15 reps. With each rep it got worse and worse.

Sooo…yes….I ran to the bathroom and gagged. I hadn’t eaten, so there was nothing to really come up, but still, it was just as nasty. I was so embarrassed…leave it to me….

All and all, it was a really great experience, when I was done I felt like jelly, and I can’t wait to back on Wednesday!

Early Birthday Present

I mentioned in my first post that I was thinking about investing in an elliptical machine. While we were shopping over the weekend at I asked my hubby if we could take a look at the different elliptical machines so I could start researching the different brands and styles. I really liked the Nordic Track CX1055 Elliptical, but the price tag was a little too high. I decided to look on craigslist just to see what they had available and I found one near us that is 2 years old and hardly ever used. Last night we made an appointment to go and take a look at the machine to make sure it was in good condition and that I like the way it felt. It’s perfect!! (And I liked the price too) Sooo.....we are going to pick it up tonight after work as an early birthday present! I cannot think of a better birthday gift.

My mom and sister have both recently asked me what I wanted for my birthday as well. I decided that whatever I asked for would aid me in my journey. I asked my sister for a water bottle and a cookbook and I gave my mom a list from my “Get Healthy Bag” to choose from. When I met with my trainer last Thursday night, she suggested I have a “Get Healthy Bag”. In the bag, I would carry with me (everywhere) my nutrition plan, a notebook and pen, my water bottle, emergency snacks (that are approved in my nutrition plan), my Calorie King book, my workout accessories (hair bands, pedometer, heart rate monitor, sports towel, socks), vitamins, and iPod. She also suggested that I leave a separate bag in the car with workout clothes and shoes. I made a list of things I didn’t already have and sent it to my mom to pick and choose (I might have added an iTunes and Wegman’s gift card in there as well).

Last night I did not work out….at all. I was pretty down about an appointment we had that afternoon and just really needed some quality family time to lift my spirits. So, Lewis, Jaiden and I all crawled into our bed and watched Dora, jumped in the bed, cuddled….and it involved lots and lots of Jaiden hugs and kisses!! It was just what I needed!

I did weigh in this morning and I have lost another 1.6 pounds. I was actually surprised since we have eaten late almost each night this week, which is never a good thing. This brings the total to 12.2 pounds. Today at lunch I made my workout schedule for the next three days and read over my newly received nutrition plan. It has everything broken out day by day and even has shopping lists (of course you don’t have to buy the items you already have).


Check It Out:

Family Day At The Fair

Today was so much fun!  We took Jaiden up past Baltimore to the Maryland State Fair. 

I knew that there wouldn't be a variety of healthy food available, so before we left I had banana yogurt, banana nut granola, and three strawberries.  It was very very good!

We arrived at the fair around 11 am and it was already packed.  Jaiden was really excited and he immediately saw the helicopter ride...

The next couple of hours were full of games, moon bounce fun, rides, lots and lots of slides, and a couple of twisty rides.

Jaiden had such a good time....its hard to believe he isn't a baby anymore....he is growing up way too fast.

I did take some pictures that I thought I would share

Lewis and I did split a yummy slushy at the fair.  I had about a quarter of the cup and Lewis had the rest.

OK....OK....and there may have been one... or two... bites of a funnel cake consumed as well. 

Busy Little Bee

Today was a really busy day! I am in week 9 of 11 for school and this week is a killer. I have 3 papers and 4 other assignments due by midnight Sunday. Taking 4 classes was been really challenging, but it will all be worth it in the end. I was trying to get as much done as I can today because we have a fun filled weekend planned. It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend weather wise, so we plan on spending as much time outside as we can. Tomorrow we are going to the Maryland State Fair and Sunday we are heading to Solomon’s Island to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa. It will be Jaiden’s first time at the fair and I hope we have a great time. I also took some time to map out our family activities for the month of September. It looks like we have a busy month ahead; Jaiden has a play date next weekend, we are going to see Walking with the Dinosaurs, and we might try to squeeze in a trip to Sesame Street Place the one weekend Lewis and I are out of school.


Last night I had my meeting with my trainer. We finalized my nutrition plan, took my beginning measurements, and finalized my workout schedule. I will be training three days a week at 5:30 AM. Now, anyone one that knows me, knows that I love my sleep, so this will definitely be a huge adjustment for me. When I called my mom and told her, she just laughed….my husband did the same thing….I wonder if they are trying to tell me something ;) She is on vacation this upcoming week, so I officially start Monday September 14. Until then, I will just continue to do my cardio workouts on my own.


My workout today was hard. I wanted to try something a little different. I walked one minute, jogged one minute and then ran hard one minute. I did this eight times. I really tried to push myself running. I did notice that my calves are still really tight, making it a little more difficult. I am hoping with time, they will just start loosening up. I have been stretching the past couple days after warming up for about 5 minutes. It seems to be helping.

Say Hi to My New Friend

I feel much better about my workout today. A few weeks back I bought myself this handy dandy pedometer. I try to wear it every day to keep track how many steps I take each day. I was running late this morning and forgot it, so when I started my workout I was determined to hit my 10,000 steps today. My calves were still really sore, so I definitely took it slow, but I didn’t give up (even though I wanted to a couple of times). I ended up with 11,205 steps and 3.54 miles. I am happy with it.  I really need to change the time I work out.  I usually dont start until 8:30 after Jaiden goes to bed.  By then, I am really tired and have an even harder time "winding" down afterwards.  Its looking more and more like I am going to have to start getting up earlier.

Tonight I made turkey enchiladas for dinner. They were really good. I topped it off with fresh salsa and a small scoop of non-fat sour cream. (Which I ended scooping off…it tasted better without it.)  As part of my effort to eat healthy I am trying to control my portions, so instead of using my big dinner plates, I have been using my side plates. This way my plate looks full, but really it’s a normal portion.

 

My meeting with my trainer to take my measurements and finalize my nutrition plan was moved to Thursday to give me enough time to read all my menu choices. There were 88 choices for dinner alone!!! I can’t wait to get started!

The Good and The Bad

First the good news:

 Today was weigh- in day.

I was really hoping to see at least a small decrease since I have been eating really well, drinking ALOT more water, and really trying to get time on in on the treadmill every day. I was extremely happy to see that I lost 1.9 pounds this week. This brings my weight loss total to 10.6 pounds. YAY!! I broke the 10 pound mark!

It was definitely a morale booster and I felt great about things all day. I came home and my hubby, Lewis, had pork chops in the oven, so I cut up some tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions for a fresh cucumber/tomato salad. So we had a wonderful meal that included the cucumber/tomato salad, pork chop, and fresh green beans. Yummy…


Now the bad news:

My workout sucked. I wanted to continue my workout from: The Beginning Runner's Handbook 

The workout consisted of: Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Repeat 9 times.

The first 10 minutes was fine, I was feeling good. At about minute 12 my calves really started to hurt, each step starting to get more and more tight and painful. By 14 minutes every step really hurt. I was bummed that I only got 5 cycles in. I guess I will be researching some good stretching techniques tomorrow.

First Step

One month....that’s it.


One more month until I turn 30. Being a wife, mother, and full-time student, I never thought I had time to focus time and energy on getting healthy and exercise. Last month, the reality of turning thirty really hit me, and I wrote out a list of what I had accomplished in life thus far and what my goals were for the future. I noticed that a running theme in my goals was HEALTH; healthier eating, losing weight, expanding our family, exercise, biking, 5K, complete the Breast Cancer Walk with my mom, outdoor activities with my son Jaiden, Muddy Buddy, the list went on and on, and I knew then, no time was better than the present.


I decided to make me a priority.


I researched different exercise options and decided (with the advice from my doctor) to hire a personal trainer to help me get started. I was afraid if I joined a gym, I would feel so overwhelmed and immediately become discouraged. The place I decided on is a private training facility that is small and very inviting. I have been communicating back and forth with the owner for the past couple of weeks and today I met with my trainer for the first time. I was very nervous this morning and had trouble sleeping last night. I didn't know what to expect. Would I be training this morning? Would my trainer and I click? But, what I was most nervous about was really finding out how out of shape I was. BUT, I was ready to face the reality of the situation and take the first step to the new and improved me.


I made it there right at 8:30, and Linda was there waiting for me with a HUGE smile on her face. I immediately felt like I had made the right decision. We first talked about my goals and her food and workout philosophy and then we discussed my diet and work-out plan. Anyone that knows me knows that I am sooooo not into the whole eating food I cannot pronounce, so I was really hesitant about the nutrition plan. But as soon as she showed me the meal options, I was pleasantly surprised. The menu was full of viable options! Food that I would actually eat, and in fact a lot of the breakfast and lunch menu options, I was eating already! I meet with Linda again on Tuesday to take my measurements and learn completely about the meal program. The idea is to eat 3 meals a day and 3 snacks. The daily calorie intake starts at 1500 and then reduces to 1300 by Week 3. Oh! And did I mention it provides you with a grocery list! I will write more about the nutrition program after my meeting on Tuesday.

The personal training will focus on more of strength training 3 days a week and I will do more of the cardio before I go to training and on my off days. I am thinking that I may want to invest in an elliptical machine before the winter. I have been walking/running on the treadmill every night for the past couple of weeks, and while I am enjoying it right now, I may want to have an alternate option. Finally, we discussed the variety of classes they offered. It is usually 5-10 people in each class, so again, it’s not intimidating. The classes that I am thinking about attending are Kickboxing on Mondays and Zumba on Tuesdays!


Ok! That’s the recap! Wish me luck!

I have decided to use this blog to help me keep on track. I will talk about the food I eat, my work outs, my accomplishments and setbacks along the way. I do not to expect to reach my goals overnight, but I am confident that this is a start to a whole new life. And although it is a blog about my journey, don’t be surprised to see a lot about my family and friends because without their love and support, there would not be a journey.

Jamie H.

"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can."