Back on the Grind…

Well, it finally happened.  My alarm quacked at 5am (it really is set to quack), and I worked out.  Now, let’s be honest.  I haven’t exercised in weeks, about five or six to be exact; I’m a little rusty.  But, I’m feeling much better than I was, and starting is the hardest part.  I didn’t go crazy, but I did work up a little sweat and breathing was hard.  The circuit I did took less than ten minutes, but here’s what I decided.  Since it’s been so long since I’ve worked out, anything is better than nothing.  And even though it was short, I really did FEEL it.  So here you go:

50 Jumping Jacks

25 Crunches

10 Tricep Dips

15 Squats

10 Lunges (each leg)

25 Russian Twists

20 Standing Calf Raises

10 Push-ups

30 second Plank

50 Jumping Jacks

If you’re feeling adventurous, or if you’ve been working out consistently and want more of a challenge, double or triple this circuit.  But trust me, you’ll feel it after one round.  I’m easing my way back into the game.  Stay tuned for Weigh In Wednesday to see where I’m starting over from.  I’m still going to attempt my 33 by 33 challenge, but I know I’m at a slight disadvantage right now.  No crazy diets or anything like that, but I’d like to get as close to that goal as possible.

Have a great week everyone.  And remember, it’s never too late to start!

And the Hits Just Keep Coming…

I have been MIA for weeks; not only MIA from keeping you all up-to-date on my weight loss efforts and other fabulousity, but it seems from my every day life in a way.

I should have posted a Weigh-In:  Week Five this week, but, and please excuse my language, shit got crazy.  The headaches got a little better, but then school started.  Getting back on that schedule wasn’t easy, and although I was waking up at 5am, I wasn’t working out the way I wanted to.  I ended up gaining back the weight I had lost, but figured that I could easily get back on track.

The Universe had a different plan.  Last week, I had some back pain.  And let’s be honest, pain is something I live with.  I chalked it up to walking into something and figured it would go away on its own.  Cut to this past Tuesday where the pain became sharp and stabbing and I could barely walk.  I ended up in the ER with a bladder infection.  Who knew?  I had NO symptoms.  None.  Ain’t that a kick in the urinary tract?  It didn’t stop there.  Of course not.  Wednesday found me back in the ER; the infection wasn’t content in my bladder and decided to invade my kidneys.  AWESOME.  103.5 fever.  Chills and sweats ALL day and night.  Achy body.  Migraine.  Nausea. Dizziness.   And still the back pain.

Things are going well today, but I don’t want to jinx myself!  If the fever stays under control today, I won’t have to go back to the hospital.  I’m pretty positive.  So, I gained weight back.  I missed nearly the whole second week of school.  And I’m taking more meds right now than anyone my age probably should.  But, I’m on the mend.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to work out again, or eat things other than Ritz crackers and chicken broth, but I will.  I’m just going to have work extra hard to reach that goal.  But right now, I’ll just be happy to be healthy, regardless of what the scale says!

Weigh-In Wednesday: Week Two

Okay.  It’s the end of the second/beginning of the third week of my self-proclaimed 33 by 33 challenge.  And in all honesty, it’s been a bittersweet week.  Let’s get down to business, and then I’ll explain.

The verdict:

-3

Yup.  I lost three pounds, bringing my two-week total to -6.4.  Pretty awesome.  Here’s where the “bad” news comes in.

I haven’t worked out all week, and I’ve barely eaten.  This has not been a choice; in fact, it’s killing me to just lay around.  I’ve been suffering from a migraine for over a week now.  I’ve gone to the doctor, had some blood work, and just yesterday had a CT scan.

I don’t know if any of you suffer from migraines, but I’ve NEVER had one like this.  One day, there’s an ice pick in my face, the light makes me feel like Vampire Bill, and all I want to (or even can) do is sleep.  The next day, it’s a dull ache with the dizzies – the sober drunk girl.  And on and on and on.  I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night because of it.  I’ve been even more forgetful than usual because of it.  I’ve got more unexplained bruises than normal because of it.  This just sucks.

Trying to look on the bright side, I’m glad this is happening BEFORE school starts back up because I don’t think I’d last a day with all those loud teenagers.  Eeeeek!  I’m sad that the end of my summer is less than sensational.  I don’t know.  Hopefully my doctor will have some answers today.

So, my weekly weigh-in post has turned into an “I have a migraine” rant.  So back to the skinny.  I’ve got 26.6 pounds left to lose, and I’ve got 18 weeks to do it. I should add that I bought two new pairs of pants in a size smaller than I have previously worn, and I’m in a whole new weight decade (that’s what I call each ten pounds).

Weigh-In Wednesday: Week One

Ok.  So, I’ve been committed to my 33 by 33 plan for a whole week now.  This morning I stepped on the scale, and the result was:

- 3.4 lbs

Yup.  I have lost 3.4 lbs in my first week!  That means I only have 30 more to go!!!  Hahaha.  I worked out five out of the seven days, drank lots and lots of water, and was more mindful of what I put in my face to eat.  I’ve been going back and forth all week with the idea of cutting out gluten because I had done some research about it and fibromyalgia.  Apparently going gluten-free can help reduce the pain and fatigue that comes along with FMS.  I’m all for anything that will make me feel better.  This week I definitely cut down on the gluten, and there were some days where I didn’t have any at all.  We’ll see how it goes.

But, all in all, it was  a successful week.  I feel good about my accomplishments.  If I keep this up, I will definitely meet my final goal!

Meal Monday: Banana Ice Cream

I’ve come up with kitschy names for the days of my week for two reasons: 1.) It’s punny, and 2.) It keeps me on a schedule. Today is Meal Monday -recipe day! You are going to LOVE this one. Ice cream. Made from bananas. Sounds a little iffy, but let me assure you that is yummmmmmmy.

This is just another “bananas-are-getting-too-ripe-to-do-anything-with” recipe. A few simple steps gets you creamy – and healthy- ice cream.

So, if you have bananas hanging out on the counter that look anything like the ones below, give this a go!

First thing’s first. Peel and slice your super ripe bananas. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer for an hour or two. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll forget that you put them in the freezer and not remember until the next morning. This, I assure you, is fine.

Once the banana slices are frozen, peel them off the cookie sheet and pop them into a blender or food processor. So, I only have a mini food processor, and I thought it would work. But it didn’t. I ended up having to take my banana mixture out of the processor and use my blender instead. I think I may have to get over to my mom’s house and steal her food processor.

Once you start chopping, pulsing, grinding or whatever you choose, your frozen bananas will start to look like frozen crumbs. Don’t give up! Keep going until it turns into this creamy goodness:

Now, here is where you can get creative! Add whatever flavors you like: peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, chopped fruit, chocolate chips. The list is truly endless. Or, you can add what I did: NUTELLA. Oh yes. I said it. I added about a tablespoon of nutella to my bananas and mixed it for a few seconds in the blender to get this:

Nutella banana ice cream

You’re probably wondering if this “ice cream” has an overwhelming banana taste, and honestly, no it doesn’t. And if you decided to add other flavors to it, it tastes like whatever you add. My three bananas yielded about two cups of ice cream.

Enjoy this delicious ice cream, and let me know what flavor combos you try!

Sweaty Saturday: A Cardio/Strength Circuit

I live in Hades.  At least that’s what it feels like with the 90+ degree temperature and humidity that punches you in the face (and frizzes your hair).  There was no way in hell (hahahaha) that I was going to go outside for a walk/run.  I decided to do a circuit inside, while the air conditioner buzzed and “The Princess Diaries” aired.  Here’s what I did:

30 Jumping Jacks

10 Squats

20 Side Lunges (10 each side)

50 Butt Kickers

20 Crunches

20 Glute Kickbacks

10 Push-ups (on my knees)

10 Tricep Dips

:20 second Plank

No rest between exercises.  Do the circuit THREE times.

With the crunches, I did 20 regular crunches the first circuit, 20 oblique crunches (10 each side) for the second circuit, and 20 regular crunches the third circuit.  I think the next time I do this workout, I’ll do bicycle crunches during that third circuit.

The results:  I was sweaty, tired, and breathing hard when I finished.  It took about 20 minutes to get through three rounds.  This could be a great morning workout; I have time for a 20-30 minute workout before leaving for school (depending on what time I actually get my arse out of bed and how much wandering Molly does on her morning walks).  And I can always do more rounds if I feel like getting really crazy.  But whatever happens, it earned me my fourth smiley face in as many days, and that’s what I’m going for.

Keep moving, folks!  Anyone have any workouts they like doing at home?  Feel free to share!

33 by 33

The title hooked you, didn’t it?  Whatever does it mean?  Let me tell you.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this week.  The summer is winding down.  School picks back up in a few weeks.  Fall is around the corner.  Things are happening.  This second half of the year may mean Thanksgiving and Christmas to some, but for me, it means BIRTHDAY!  Even though the number keeps getting higher, I still get excited about my birthday.  Maybe it’s “only child syndrome” since I know I’ll get lots of attention.  The kids at school always keep a countdown.  I call my mother every day and remind her about the day of birth.  Because clearly she-who-birthed-me would forget without my constant reminders.

So what does my upcoming 33rd birthday have to do with this post?  You may have guessed that one of the 33′s in the title refers to my birthday.  The other refers to the pounds I have convinced myself I will lose by then.  Even more curious now, aren’t you?

On  31 July, I decided that I needed to make a SERIOUS commitment to my ultimate health and happiness.  And honestly, 33 by 33 just sounds good. Maybe the fabulous title of this endeavor will help keep me motivated.  So, on Tuesday, I decided to get back to my health journal (I fell off the wagon).  I also decided to take pictures and measurements.  I will NOT share those with you because I’m sure you like your eyes.  It was made apparent to me by looking at these pictures that I have a double-belly.  Anyone know what I’m talking about?  My top belly sticks out a little farther than my lower belly.  Not the most attractive set of abs out there.

I printed out mini-calendars that I put in my journal to keep track of workouts (and how many days are in this challenge)!

There’s another page with November, December, and my measurements and starting weight.  I did a quick Google search for calendar templates and found these.  I easily got three on a page.  The smiley faces are to let me see when I workout for at least 30 minutes.  The goal is to fill the calendars with smiles!

Yesterday, 1 August, seemed like the perfect day to start. I met up with my best friend and we went for a walk.  I filled her in and she was so excited about it.  She and I were born a week apart, and have been friends for over 20 years.  Last year, she and I made a contract and bet concerning my losing ten pounds in order to keep a newly purchased pair of summer wedges.  I busted my arse, lost the ten pounds, and welcomed the shoes home.  While we walked, my friend and I talked about the things that worked then and how I can make this new endeavor work too.  Here’s what we came up with:

1. BE ACCOUNTABLE.  It’s important to let people know what you’re doing and why.  Therefore, I will be sending pictures of my weigh-in (the number on the scale) to my friend each week.  I will also text her after each workout.  This worked great the last time.  If she didn’t get a text from me, she was on the phone, telling me to get moving.  I will also hold myself accountable to YOU.  I will share my ups and downs with you on Weigh-In Wednesday (It just so happened to work out that way, disgustingly cute, I know.)
2. HEALTH JOURNAL.  It’s also really important to keep a journal, and to do it honestly.  For instance, I had ice cream last night.  Not the way to start, but I wrote it down nonetheless.  I need to see what I’m eating and how it makes me feel so that I can make any necessary changes.
3. BELIEVE IN MYSELF.  Not to get all Weight Watchers and Jennifer Hudson on you, but this is important too.  I know that there will be good days and bad days, but I can’t give up.  Nothing worth anything is every easy, but I need to constantly remind myself that I’m worth it.
4. TRY NEW THINGS.  I will continue to try new recipes and new workouts and will share the good ones with you all.

So, as of yesterday, I’m on a mission to lose 33 pounds by my 33rd birthday.  I have almost five full months (or 142 days) to do it.  I figure if I was able to lose ten pounds in five weeks, I should be able to do this.