Oh what a lovely day off

Day off from working out, that is.

I woke up refreshed. Still need to call the plumber to come by in the afternoon.

Today, it's going to be my second Weight Watchers meeting. I'm hopeful. But weighing in at meetings is different. I wear different clothes each week. So my weight will fluctuate. At home, I weigh in the buff. This week has been a pretty solid 180.8 every single day that I've weighed.

But I feel better. I feel like my tummy's slimming down & my back is, too.

Here are some milestones I'm looking for:

1. Break the 180 barrier. My body likes to hover right above a big 10. Breaking through the 180 will hopefully lead to a drop off to just above 170, then I'll plateau a bit and then break through. But it's the first big 10 that arrests me.

2. Lose the hangover belly pooch that is right above my c-section scar. This scar seems to highlight any belly fat I have I get a pooch right above it because it is all scar tissue.

3. Lose the back folds. Right above my waist in the back, there are those folds. They are slowly, but surely disappearing. When they finally do, I will rejoice!

4. Fit into my other size 32 jeans. Then my size 31 jeans. Then my old jeans that are 31, but must have shrunk.

5. Have definition in my upper arms.

6. Do A pull up!

I think that's enough goals and milestones for now, right?

~Katie

Work it out!

When you come home from work,
And the pipes have gone berserk,
Work it out!
Work it out!

When you do a load of wash,
And it overflows the sink,
Work it out!
Work it out!

When the plumbers are all home,
But you can still use the John,
Work it out!
Work it out!

Tonight's ode to plumbing gone wrong brought to you by a 90 year old house.

Push circuit 1 was able to usher me out of a frustrated temper tantrum. Somehow, I feel much better after pumping some iron.

All bicep exercises used 15 lbs today!

~ Katie

Some Days

by a.bower

Some days, I feel like a lump.

I don't want to wake up early.

I don't want to get to work on time (okay, so no one really pays attention to when I get in as long as I'm getting my work done and get in before 10 am and don't leave at 3 pm).

And I lunkerhead. I get up at the last possible moment to get my teeth brushed, put on decent clothes, feed the animals, grab snacks for work, and make a shake to drink on the way to work.

Because I know that I have time after work to work out. And I do.

But those days. Those days are also the days that I feel bumply, lumpy, bloated, fat, and like I'm not making any progress at all.  Those days, like today, are the days that I have to try really hard to make sure that I'm NOT being a bump on a log.

So today, today I am going to walk to lunch. And I will have a great lunch with protein, and veggies, and a little bit of fat & dairy. I have to figure out the points when I get there and may need to bring some back for an afternoon snack or for lunch tomorrow. Oh, yes, lunch tomorrow! I'm going to Weight Watchers with my mom tomorrow at lunchtime and will need to have food ready at work for afterwards.

So today, I will not be a lump on a log.

I will walk.

I will work.

I will work out after work.

And I will  have a great date night with my man.

Because I weigh in tomorrow and I can't let myself misbehave. I would like to make it below 180 by Friday even though I've been pretty much stagnant all week.  MUST MOVE MORE!

~Katie

How to spend points when you are HUNGRY!?

It would help if I did not push "Publish" before I actually wrote the post. Sorry.

I'm sitting here at work. It's my rest day for working out. I am HUNGRY!
I have had more water, just to make sure it's not thirst masquerading as hunger.

I have eaten the two bananas I brought as 0 points backup.
I have eaten about 2 cups worth of grapes I also brought as 0 points backup.

And my body is screaming at me that I didn't bring more to eat that is
1) Not fruit
2) Not fruit
3) PROTEIN

I am going to a get-together tonight and figured that I need the points for dinner and snacking and a glass or two of wine so I'm not being forced to fixate on my food while being social.

What HAVE I had today?
Chocolate Shakeology (3 points, 17 grams of protein)
2 bananas
2 cups of grapes
Egg-O-Licious from My Fit Foods (7 points, 12 grams of protein)

I don't know what's being served tonight, but I know that I'll probably have 2 glasses of white wine, which rings in at about 10 points, depending on the pour.
This leaves me with 11 points for dinner & sweets.

And that's fine. But I'm still HUNGRY. Now.

And I'm just whining. Because I should have thrown in a yogurt. A good pack of protein with 2 points.

~Katie

Burn it off! & Recharge

I rather like this change in schedule for my workouts. My long cardio day is Saturday morning, when I have time to devote to it. My second cardio, also long, is on Monday. Today, I did it in the evening, & after a long and early day at work.

Burn it off! Is an intense cardio workout of drills at very high intensity. You really so burn it off. Since I can barely breathe, let alone speak during this, I rate it as high intensity aerobics in weight watchers & earned 7 points.

This is followed by Recharge which is yoga-esque. I find it much easier to do barefooted. My shoes plus the mat plus the carpet gets in the way. Plus, I like being able to exercise my toe-gripping. This earned me 1 point for the 20 minutes.

So 8 points up for the day! I think I've earned myself a beer. And so I poured one for us. I decided to test my free-pouring guesstimate of 12 oz and decanted it into a measuring cup. Sure enough, 12 oz! So the beer was only 6 points!

Note: I have had some of the beer already in this photo, so what is left is about 8 oz

~Katie

March Challenge Group

So the whole impetus for starting this fitness adventure has been that my friend Jennifer Burgess runs a challenge group each month. I jumped in for February & it's been a great experience! Having others who are also just starting or restarting their fitness regime & going through a lot if the same struggles is great!

She still has room in her March Challenge Group! Also, she's running a contest with it. One member of the group will have their BeachBody Challenge Pack refunded, so you get the fitness program, and Shakeology for the month FREE!

How do you sign up?
Message her on FaceBook (where the private group interacts) and she'll let you know how to choose your materials and what to expect! http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.m.burgess.12

Happy Challenge!
~Katie

Early to bed, early to rise

I woke up much earlier than usual to work. Not work out. That will happen after work. Today will be a long day.

The day after

Recap of yesterday:
Workout
Wrestle with website
Shower & get ready
Wedding (eat, drink, drink, drink, dance, eat, dance, drink)
Wrestle with website
Dinner
Movie
Drink
Sleep

Consumed about half of my weekly points and all of my remaining activity points.

So today, I knew I needed to work out, and may need to work out again later in order to refill my ability to maybe have a beer at some point.

And I did Burn Circuit 3, upped weights on just about every exercise, but my deltoids are very weak and 10 lbs may be too much still. But I try!

~Katie

Hard at work

Woke up early to get in a workout and eat & shower & get ready for an 11 am wedding. Today was Burn Intervals and Ab Burner & I actually did the abs today because I made sure to have enough time!

Some exciting news in the paper today! The article on my business came out! It's on the front page of the business section! Woohoo!

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Hand-knit-yarn-cozies-wrap-drinks-in-comfort-4301955.php?t=4ffe792f7c97c6371e

~Katie

Jeans

I love clothes.

Really. A lot.

So much so that I spent 2-3 years taking near-daily photos of my outfits & posting them to the wardrobe_remix group on Flickr.

And I love a pair of great-fitting jeans.

And right now, I have a single pair of jeans that fits & doesn't give me too much muffin top. I bought these & another pair last year when I was tired of never wearing jeans because none of mine had fit for a year. The other pair is too small right now.

The current pair? I realized this morning that it has a hole in the crotch because my thighs rub together. Hoping I can slim down enough to wear the smaller of my two large jeans before the hole gets to a noticeable size and/or position.

I still have about 7 pairs of size 31 jeans that I'm dying to wear again. Like old friends waiting for some love.

~Katie

Push Circuit 2

Today's workout focused mainly on glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders. My shoulders aren't quite super strong so I used 10 lbs on most of them. Some moves, I can go up in, others I really struggled at 10 with. I chose 15 lbs for most lower body exercises and went to 10 for some single-leg moves.

It was my first time, so I'm giving myself slack to learn the moves.

It's go texan day everywhere but my office. And it's Lent, so no BBQ.

Tomorrow morning is a tight schedule. 70 minute workout plus a wedding at 11 am. So I have to actually DO my hair. This calls for starting the workout at 7:30 am on a SATURDAY! If you know me, you know how foreign this is to me.

And we have to get out and buy a ton of newspapers since the article on me will be out & I need a bunch to send out to family & friends!

~Katie

Here we go again! Weight Watchers

So a big part of my struggle is with my intake. I've been eschewing tracking because I don't really want to be honest about what I eat and what I drink every day. And I've been shooting myself in the foot. As evidenced by the only slight change I experienced over the past month.

My mom emailed me with an idea. Join Weight Watchers meetings with her for Lent. Commit to going to the meetings and tracking and using the tools for the rest of Lent.

She used to be a leader & weight watchers has been a side part of my life for a very long time. And I have always thought that I could tackle my weight without it. I could "do by self" to quote a two year old me. This past summer, I used the etools to moderate success. I lost 10 pounds or so. Then I fell off the deep end and stopped tracking & ballooned up t20 lbs. So starting again & committing the hour a week (or two hours today) seemed like too much. When I'm already stressed about what I'm eating, how I'm working out, putting in the work at work that I need to, spending social time with loved ones, and investing time in my business, how am I supposed to cope with one more thing?

How am I supposed to add another thing into a bag that's already bursting?

Except then reason stepped in. This is a tool. It is an organizational method to manage a few of those things that I'm handling loose-pack. It gives me a focus for how to plan meals and how to think about things.

So maybe it's one more hour a week. Maybe, just maybe, it will alleviate some of the load. I have promised to follow through, so I will follow through.

~Katie

Push Circuit 1

Well, today was the beginning of a new month of ChaLEAN Extreme. Push Circuit 1 was intense, single-muscle working. It was about 32 minutes long. No squat plus shoulder press or dead-lift plus row. This was all single focused exercises. Tricep. Bicep. Squat. In three ways each.

Since the goal is to fail at 6-8 reps, you go really heavy. I warmed up with 5 lbs, then used 10, 15, & 20 lbs weights for the rest of the exercises. I'm going to try to push to 15, 20, & 25 lbs next week. Most of the exercises I used 10 lbs on, I could have done 10 reps.

PROGRESS!

And many push-ups. Sloooooooow push-ups.

Also, here's a peek into where I workout & my setup in my living room. I'm allergic to the animals & they cuddle on the carpet, so I have to roll out my mat anytime I put knees to floor or I get red allergy spots all over them.

~Katie

Failure

Failure.

What does it mean to you?

In ChaLEAN Extreme, failure is the point at which you've worked your muscle so hard that you are unable to do another rep in form.
This causes your muscle to rebuild through the rest period and grow stronger.

I have been working most of my exercises to failure in 10-12 reps. I have been trying to make sure I try the next weight up for exercises that I did the week before.  If I was using 5 lbs, I'll use 10 lbs. If I was using 10 lbs, I'll use 15 lbs. Sometimes, I realize that I made a mistake and switch back so that I can actually complete more than 5 reps.  This is one of the issues I'm trying to work through. For some of the moves, I am stronger than 5 lbs, even going super slow and flexing the whole time, but I can't go past 5 reps with the 10 lbs. So what can I do to push past that? What can I work through to get up to the weight I know I can tackle? Perseverance.

This morning, I felt like a failure, despite what my body has been telling me, I felt like I had not achieved anything.

So taking a lesson from weightlifting, I'm taking it as a sign that I can get stronger. Still. I am still capable of continuing. I am still capable of succeeding.

I often feel like I've failed at tasks at work or with my business. But maybe I'm just working myself to breaking? I need to work a different "muscle group" and let the one I've failed at rest a tiny bit. Not ignore it and never address it again, just work on something else, focus on another aspect for a little bit. I have lots of balls in the air right now. I need to give them each their due attention for cycling amounts of time. Not work on one at the detriment of others, but work on one until I have worked it as much as I can for the day and then switch to the other.

I can do this. I will take a cue from this. Failure is not the end, it's just the beginning.

~Katie

So Demoralizing

Yeah, so I tracked today. I was feeling so good about it.

Yes, I was a little bloated. But I've been working so hard! I've been feeling better! I've been doing so well! Right? I was going to see results!

Well, here they are, in living color. My still fat ass on the internet. The only benefit is that I don't see as much belly fat hangover. That is the one place that I see improvement.
I gained .7 pounds.
I gained inches or stayed the same almost everywhere.
UGH!!!!
---EDIT---
I wish that the waist measurement was actually at my waist. Instead, it's at my belly button. The place I feel I've changed the most is just under the boobs, on the ribcage and my belly. My haunches haven't really changed, and my thighs have gotten larger, but probably mostly because ChaLEAN Extreme is extreme on the amount of squats you do.

It's difficult to compare the before and after photos because the angle is different and so is the lighting. I decided that the orange/brown look wasn't doing me any favors & realized I had a door where I could get a straight shot.  The height of the camera is the same between the photos, though, as is the way the bikini is tied (as in I haven't been able to untie that knot for YEARS).

Forgot to add the other stats:
Push-ups: James and I did a test last night. I did 3 push-ups on my toes and then 8 on my knees. I didn't time them. I should have. Maybe I'll do that tonight.
Weights I'm using:
Lower Body: 15-20 lbs
Triceps: 5 lbs
Biceps: 10 lbs
Back & shoulders: 10-15 lbs

~Katie
PS I'm still going to continue with this. I'm feeling stronger. So hopefully I can actually shed some inches in the next month.

I'm not happy, but I'm hopeful?

Giving up bread & pasta

When deciding my Lenten sacrifice, I wanted to truly make a change. I could give up alcohol like years past. But I would fail. I'm not ready for that.

I'm making changes to my diet & choices. So where do I break down the most when it comes to choices? When I need something quick & easy. When I'm lazy.

What do I go for? Pizza, pasta, sandwich, chips. Basically anything with bread or pasta or made from dough. So that's my sacrifice. Things made with dough. Tortillas, chips, pasta, bread, etc.

It's not easy. It won't be easy. I'm on the fence as to whether batter counts. But pancakes and cake are close enough to bread that I'm nixing it, too.

Starches I'm allowing? Rice, quinoa, polenta, oatmeal. Real grains. Hearty grains.

~Katie

Minor milestone

Today, I had a minor milestone that makes me hopeful for tomorrow's tracking day.

I was able to hook my bra on the middle clasp rather than the last one!

~Katie

Photo is Creative Commons from WikiHow

Oh, okay

FYI: this is a bit more of the mental health side type blog post.

So, as I was driving home from work, all of the pressure started hitting me. All of the career pressure, small business pressure, fitness pressure, and maintaining a relationship pressure. All of the balls in the air suddenly seemed too much. And I was driving. And I needed to grab fish to cook for dinner because it's Friday, and it's Lent and we only have chicken at the house.

For normal people, that's just life. You prioritize, move on, and deal with it.

I'm not that kind of normal. I'm the panic attack kind. So I managed to make it through traffic and through the grocery store & home while keeping the wolves back just enough to function.

And then, then I cleaned. By the time I'd cleaned enough to get my heart rate down to something manageable and had the ability not to want to throw very heavy things, I was exhausted & hungry. And so I did not do Burn Circuit 3 as planned. I had dinner, and took some deep breaths, and curled up next to my boyfriend and watched a show or two. And settled into the comfort of being loved for being me, flaws and all.

I have a rest day planned on Sunday, so I'm doing today's workout tomorrow and tomorrow's on Sunday.

~Katie

PS dinner tonight was magical. Who knew that throwing diced tomatoes & sliced mushrooms in a hot skillet then steaming the fish (salmon-like) seasoned with Tony Chachery's with them would taste so divine? The mashed potatoes were also quite tasty.

Fears

So here I am, a few days away from the first big tracking day. I might be back down to the weight I started at. Might. And I am stronger, so I'm hoping that I've made more muscle & burned some of this flab.

I'm feeling a bit discouraged. My clothes don't really fit any better. So I'm worried that I haven't made any measurement change.

I don't want this to affect how I stick with the program. I want to give it the full 90 days. I want to change. I hate being 30 lbs heavier than I was just a few years ago. Really. It weighs on me that I let myself get this far gone.

My performance has improved, so that's really good. My triceps still suck, though. I can't do tri push-ups worth a flick.

I'll stick with it. I'll trust the system & keep going. Dash the fears.

~Katie

Squeezed it in!

Squeezed in Burn Intervals between work & Valentine's Day dinner with my man. It was a perfectly executed meal. No dish was too big, or too small, and the protein ratio was high. We ate at the same restaurant that we had the dessert course of our first real date where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Exactly 5 months ago on September 14.

Granted, all courses had a beer accompaniment, so I wasn't the picture of self control.

1st course: tuna tartar with pine nuts & habanero oil
2nd course: steak (fist sized) with grilled asparagus & mashed potatoes
3rd: dessert (I tried both, but didn't go overboard) red velvet cheesecake & chocolate creme brûlée

Oh, and the red red red face that luckily subsided by the time dinner began was totally in season.

Tomorrow I'm adding Ab intervals to burn circuit 3. Can't miss it this week!

~Katie

I walked 8 miles today?

In New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Today is the cardio day, but I felt that it would not be good to jump around in the B&B at 8 am.

But we did walk 8 miles!
That's good, right?

~Katie

Oofdah!

Kicking myself out of bed to workout is not easy with a touch of hangover.

But I still did it!

Packed & ready to head to New Orleans after work today! Bringing my computer, bands, and mat so I can stick with the program!

~Katie

Cardio & abs day

Phew! That was a tough workout. The Sumo Burpees kill me every time. I feel like a rag doll by the end, just stumbling around without any form.

But.

I did it!

Still trying to make a plan for NOLA. I'm bringing my computer & bands so I can exercise outside. Don't think the B&B would appreciate the jumping around on Saturday for Burn it off on the third floor. Hoping that it doesn't rain when I'm planning on working out.

I'm seeing changes & feeling changes. I'm paying attention to that rather than the weight because the scale has jumped around a bit. Some gain that I've relost and so I'm back to 181 lbs. hoping these last 2 weeks slim a bit more & I can have both inches & weight change at the 30 day mark. I'd really like to fit into some if my nicer dresses for a friends wedding on the 23rd.

~Katie

Still can't do a tricep push up

While so still can't do a tricep push-up, I CAN use the 20 lbs weights for a couple of the exercises in Burn Circuit 2!

Wahoo! And regular push-ups are getting easier! I may start trying to do 1 or 2 with feet fulcrums!

Gearing up for 4 days in New Orleans for Mardi Gras! This will be challenging with the whole watching my diet thing. It's an open bar from noon until 2 am every night! Luckily, they have craft beer, and I will be limiting my intake and walking at least 30 minutes minimum every day. My hotel is 15 minutes away from the suite. It will be rainy, but we won't let that stop us! Plus staying away from shellfish will keep me from indulging in all the awesome foods in the suite. Maybe?

Must up the exercise quotient those days.

~Katie

Push ups!

One great thing about this program is that I'm getting results. It's tangible. So my weight has gone up a bit. That's fine. My muscles are building! I'm feeling less acutely sore every day.

While I'm increasing the weights I use, my biggest benchmark that I can see & feel changing every day and week is my ability to do push ups. When I started 2 weeks ago, I could barely bend my elbows and push back up. I could go about halfway down before my muscles gave out. On my knees.

I'm still doing push-ups on my knees, but I could do 8-10 of the push-up + leg lifts today. And then did 3 more slow push-up at the end! This is momentous! I may be able to start challenging myself to do some full ones with my feet rather than knees as the fulcrum this week!

Yesterday, I had a bad eating day. Brewed beer with friends & had pizza then had tons of Brie at the Super Bowl party. And ice cream.

This week, I'm challenging myself to work out in the mornings and cook dinner at night. And then planning on feeding my mind as well as body with my second therapy session on Thursday. I've had to go through a whole giant questionnaire & some of the questions are really difficult to answer with just yes or no. Things aren't perfect, but they never will be. However, I'm working on being happy and combatting the lows.

~Katie

Blender in a jar

I need more jars.
Because jars fit on blenders. And you can drink out of jars.

Step 1: add the ingredients to the jar, making sure not to fill more than 4/5ths full
Step 2: invert the blender blade & o-ring onto the jar
Step 3: screw on the blender bottom to the top of the jar
Step 4: blend
Step 5: unscrew the blender bottom & remove blade & o-ring
Step 6: enjoy!

No need to decant.
No need to wash more dishes, just the jar, o-ring, & blades!

YAY!

~Katie

Weekender

Ugh I need to stop weighing myself. I seem to be gaining weight this weekend. But I think I'm losing inches. I've been really good about working out. And I'm feeling strong. So I'm hoping that it's just a lot of muscle building.

Because a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat. So replacing fat with muscle will lean you down while also not budging the scale.

Two more weeks before I have my tracking day. Next weekend will be very difficult. I'm going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. So it's going to be really hard not to indulge my hedonistic side. Guess I'm going to need to kick up the walking a notch. Talking about walking, time to head to the grocery store to grab more breakfast materials so that we're ready for our home brewing tutorial at noon.

Trying to stay with it. Weekends and evenings are difficult to stay with program foodwise.

~Katie