Starting Anew

One thing that I like about weight watchers is that you start anew each week. Did I go over & beyond all of my points last week by 90 someodd points? Yep. But today begins a new week! I have a clean slate & have goals to meet!

Also, I ran today to make up for missing it yesterday. This morning, it was about 38 degrees at sunrise (6:45 am). I had NO idea how to dress for that. Really. Not a clue. I used to live where it snowed & now have no idea what to wear when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

So, I took to google aka the oracle, and she told me that there's this great website where you can enter your sex, temp, time of day, wind conditions, weather conditions,whether you prefer to be cold, hot, or in between, and how hard your run will be, and it tells you what to wear. http://m.runnersworld.com/what-to-wear

So I wore:

Socks

Shoes

High impact sports bra

Exercise capris

Long sleeve active long underwear shirt

Regular exercise shirt

My coral dayglo running jacket

Fingerless gloves with mitten flaps

I was perfectly comfortable and took off the gloves halfway through the run.

My phone crapped out after 10 minutes, so I don't have all the stats, but I ran about 2.7 miles in around 30 minutes. The last few blocks were at a sprint in order to beat the recycling truck home so that I could bring our bin to the curb. However, James' car was blocking the gate on the driveway and The space left was about 10 inches too small for the bin. So I ran inside yelling for him to move his car, exhausted from my run, the sprint, and the sense of urgency to get the recycling out. This took him completely by surprise and he freaked out thinking I was hurt, and we missed the recycling pickup, and garbage pickup once again. All in all, it was a rather amusing scene, at least to me.

Someday, I will learn to just put it out the night before.

Today is weigh in & weight watchers meeting at lunchtime, then I'm going back to the dermatologist to have a follow up on my fitbit reaction & see what I can do to help it heal faster & without scarring too much.

Here's a picture of what I decided to wear to work today. I think the run clouded my judgement of how many shades of red/orange/pink are okay to mix.

Never mind, I still don't think you can overdo it with these colors. Coral forever is my mantra.

~Katie

Heavy Lifting!

Today, I did not have a single exercise that I used dumbells lighter than 20 lbs. I used 35 lbs dumbells on at least 3 exercises. That means I was lifting a total of 70 lbs! Can I tell that to me 12 months ago?!

Granted this was all sumo squats, rows, and bench presses, so large/strong muscle groups. Doube row with 30 lbs dumbells in each hand? CHECK!

The bench press, butterfly press, and overhead extension really make my Heartrate lower since I'm on my back.

Hopefully it's not rainy nasty tomorrow morning & I can get my run in before work. Because I weigh in tomorrow, and I'm about 90 points in the hole this week. That means that I depleted my 29 daily points every day, 49 weekly points, and all of my 41 activity points, then ate/drank more on top of that (88 points, ouch!). I'm going to take the fact that I actually tracked as a victory?

Because the body still counts it even if you don't tell yourself. Right? There's no reason to hide from the fact that I way over indulged this week. There were celebrations, staycation, and a change in my workouts this week. Plus, my favorite Girl Scout cookies arrived. I will fully admit to eating far too many of them.

I've also lost a bit of weight. I think. We'll see what the Weight Watchers scale says tomorrow.

~Katie

Of Note

Today was the Burn Intervals day, which I needed for the extra 9 points. 

During the workout, I noticed some major improvements I've made. Since this is the program schedule I was doing this time last year, I can look back & see how far I've really come.

1. When I go from the runner's lunge to the hamstring stretch, I can both go all the way into the runner's lunge & pull out of it & transition to the hamstring stretch without pause or putting my foot down/dragging. I could not go into the full  runner's lunge for a number of months & still had to drag my foot across the ground long after that.

2. The W lifts in the bicep interval. I'll admit that this is the first time I got through them without putting the weights down, giving up completely, or doing plain bicep curls only. Seriously. This exercise gets me every time. The move involves the Deltoids, which is a total weak spot for me. Guess what? I did them the whole way through. With 5 lb weights, even (I tend to go down to the 2 lbs weights for the more trying moves).

3. I can run. No, seriously. I can actually run again without stopping & needing to walk. Even in high school, after only a couple months off, my first 5k was at a slower pace than I've clocked out this week. And it would wreck me. I would be sore for days.

4. I finished my 20 burpees, with good form, in less time than they did. I didn't step out, either. I jumped for all 20. Went out into plank and then jumped up. And was surprised.

5. I'm sure there's a Five, but I can't quite recall it right now.

That's what I call serious progress!

~Katie

Sticking To It

Some days, it's incredibly difficult to stick to my given Weight Watchers Points. I've pretty much given up any hope of being out of the red this week. Pizza at girls night sealed the deal. 

But that doesn't mean I am going into today with a mindset to eat everything (as much as I wish I were). Instead, I went for a run this morning. And I plan on having a quiet night at home this evening. Not full of snacks and not full of sitting on my tuckus. It's chore night!

So without further ado: my workout recaps.

Last night, before the pizza and girls night, I did Push Circuit 2. It's heavily focused on the shoulders, with some lunges thrown in for balance. And oh, the shoulders. I've increased my shoulder press weights, but really need to start pushing that (ba dum ching). The delts kill me every time. I have managed 12.5 lbs and want to push to 15 lbs by the end of the 4 weeks. The lunges are again limited by how long I can grip 30 lbs dumbells. I'd like to get to 35 lbs soon.

This morning was a run. I did just under a 12 minute mile pace and ran for about 30 minutes. I just couldn't kick myself out of bed early enough to run for 45 minutes. But I did manage to escape from the very comfy bed! Pretty good little run. I've set a goal to increase my pace to a 10 minute mile in a month or so. Then I'll be able to run farther in my alotted time. Right?

Don't you love my dayglo coral running jacket? Much visibility. Wow. So windstop.

~Katie

Running In My Neighborhood

Saturday morning, after my Push Circuit workout, I went for a run. I'm calling it a run because I managed to keep an 11 minute/mile pace for over 3 miles, only pausing to grab water or wait for cars to pass. There is something wonderful about running in my neighborhood. When I first moved into the area of Houston that I live, I did so mostly because of the walkability and the community. I've forgotten that in the past couple of years.

I haven't been walking or biking as much. I've been staying inside. And that is something that I am working to change.

Because my run on Saturday renewed that feeling of community.

I took the side streets over to the top of the Heights Esplanade, where there's a running trail that winds down all the way to I-10. It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was out, the cool breeze was blowing, and there were PEOPLE!

People walking dogs

People planting trees for the community

Friends bringing their babies for walks

Playgrounds full of kids

It was exactly why I moved there. And I needed that reminder at a time that I've been waffling between what our best route forward should be. Do we stay & build? Do we move and have a larger home for a smaller mortgage? There are many questions that we'll be weighing over the next couple years. And until then, we'll stay. Because I love our neighborhood.

I also love running. It's a pain sometimes, but it's something that I've done for 2/3 of my life. I began running in track and cross country in middle school and continued competing through high school and on my intramural team in college. Since then, I've cycled through periods where I run more and I run less. I have had years where I went from work straight to the running trail around Rice University. I have had years where I only got out to run about once every week or two. I've had years where I ran every day at lunchtime. I've had years where I haven't run at all. But the skillset that I've ingrained in myself from the years of running competitively stay. I critique other runners' techniques noting what their stride or manner of gait will lead to what types of injuries and imbalances. I try to turn that off, and just critique my own running.

Running becomes a meditative state for me.
I rarely run with music or headphones, since I learned when I wasn't allowed to have them for competitions. 

I keep time with my heart and my breath and my footfalls.

Breathe in for two footfalls,

Breathe out for two footfalls,
step step breathe
step step breathe
Meditation

Lead with the hips
Relax the shoulders
Keep a relaxed curl in my hands
Push off with the back foot
Stride up, not out
Drive with the hips
Relax the arms

Breathe in for two footfalls,

Breathe out for two footfalls,
step step breathe
step step breathe

I owe myself a run tomorrow morning. This morning was too foggy to safely run where there were cars driving.

~Katie

P.S. I figure you guys might like an update on the Fitbit Force issues I've been having. I took advantage of the trade in/partial refund offer, and sent in my Force in exchange for the One (I think I got a lemon, though, but that's not the point). After less than a week of using the steroid cream my dermatologist gave me, I determined that the patch was sufficiently healed to discontinue the use and let the natural healing begin. Steroid cream will thin the skin, and I didn't want to have it thin too much as to impair the healing process. The skin has started growing back, and I put neosporin on it to keep it from drying out and to encourage the healing process. Seems like it's working!
The small patch on the right wrist stopped after I put the steroid cream on it for two days and is unnoticable, unless you're me and you know exactly what to look/feel for.

Also, I just wanted to clarify on one of my recent posts. I was not holding Kate Upton up as an image of what I think I should look like. I saw the image and immediately thought that that's me, that's my body type, that's what I feel like. And that I realize that it's her full-time job to look like that. She trains for hours a day and eats restrictively to achieve that shape. She's also 10 years younger than me. I do not think, nor am I aiming to have that body. I do not think that it is a failure on my part, nor am I holding it up as the epitome. I simply realized when I saw it and thought that it was how I feel that I have turned a huge corner in my mental health. After a year of hard work, I have gone from someone who constantly picked herself apart and apathetically thought I was not sexy or attractive at all to someone who feels like a sexpot supermodel on the inside. And that is a huge turnaround in body confidence that I wanted to share with y'all.

Push It

Today was Push Circuit 3, circuit of the epic boots.

But for real, it's a difficult circuit, and I rocked it. While I can do sumo squats with 30 lbs, I may not up the weight and instead work on form. I'm just not sure if I'm doing it correctly to target the right muscles.

Tomorrow is Burn It Off, and then I have my first weigh in at Weight Watchers. Yikes! Part if me doesn't want to, but I know it will be good for me. Right now I'm weighing in at around 175 on my home scale, so I expect to be around 178 at the meeting. 

Honestly, though, it takes putting on clothes and seeing that it doesn't fit or feel that great to realize I don't look like this anymore:

Kate Upton in her zero G photoshoot

Granted she's 21 & measures around 36-27-36, which is not too terribly far from what I measured when I was a size 8 & 26 years old. She's 5'10", too, so the proportions are similar. I will never look like that again, and it's not my goal, but I'd like to get close, since that's how I FEEL about myself.

Yep, in a year of working out, I've regained my inner-diva & body confidence. Now, I just need my body to fall in line with how I feel, right?

~Katie

One Run Down

I did it. 

I actually went for a jog this morning.

And I didn't walk or stop.

~Katie

Hello Tuesday

Evening workout was Burn Intervals. I was having such a difficult time and considered giving up a few times, but pushed through the whole 46 minutes.

~Katie

Back Again

I was over at my mom's house on Sunday night going over a bunch of wedding details and I made mention at how difficult I've been finding it to give a care about earnestly trying to lose weight. I'm all over the place. One day, I'm doing it, I'm portion control lady with goals and drive, the next, I really just want to live on my rump with my head in a chip bag.

And I'm tired of it.

My wedding dress came in the perfect size for me. I have my first fitting on March 22, so I have just over a month to get into ship shape and then maintain.

Well, my mom suggested we do the same thing this year that we did last year for Lent, commit to go to Weight Watchers meetings together. We get to see each other each week, and I'm starting to realize that going to the meetings actually DOES help me stick to it. So I figured, why wait until Lent starts, when I can start right now? So I shelled over the bucks for the monthly pass and I tracked every last ounce of food and beverage yesterday. Yes, those few glasses of wine, generously poured, I tracked every ounce of it. The chocolate pieces? Tracked.

I tracked my workout, which was Push Circuit 2. Which only got me 3 points, because Weight Watchers doesn't give weight lifting very much credit. My heartrate monitor says that I burned 300 calories in that circuit.

And I do have to say that there is a big reason that I love ChaLEAN Extreme. I know EXACTLY how much I've improved. When I finished the program last year, I was still using 7.5 lbs for my deltoid lifts. I've been using 10 lbs for deltoid lifts in the Burn Circuit, and now that I'm in the Push Circuit, and my goal is 6-8 reps, I'm using 12.5 lbs. I want to be able to use 15 lbs for 8 reps by the time I get to the 4th week. I'm using 30 lbs for my squats and my lunges. Last night, I'll admit to feeling a bit lackadaisical about my workout. The first week is usually difficult to guage what weight to use, and I think I got most of them right, but I also was happy to get to 6 and didn't push myself to get to 8 reps on some of the exercises that I really think I could have done. I was just tired. So those 30 lbs single leg squats? I only did 6 when I probably could have done 8. I'll push myself to do all 8 next week and then bump each dumbell up to 35 lbs and hopefully push some of them up to 40 lbs by the end of the circuit. Squatting 80 lbs total? That is some serious business and I can't wait to get there!

I really enjoyed my little 1 mile jog on Saturday, so I'm going to try to get in a run 3 mornings a week. It's not too chilly in the morning, now and James wakes up early to work out. Theoretically, it shouldn't be difficult for me to just kick myself out of bed and jog while he works out. I'm such a lazy morning person. He wakes up at 5:30 am, drinks his E&E, preps for his workout and then does 2 T25 workouts and is showering by 7:10 usually. I usually hear his alarm, and then promptly decide that I can't possibly do anything until he finishes showering at 7:30/7:40, so I reposition my eyeshade and roll over to have another 2 hours of rather pitiful slumber. Why is it pitiful sleep? Because I barely sleep during this time, I toss, I will myself to sleep, and instead I just listen to ShaunT directing James' workout and then I listen to him shower, and then I realize that if I don't get out of bed and get ready, then I'm going to be late to work because I've only left myself 45 minutes to get ready.

What COULD my morning look like?
Wake up when James does at 5:30 am, prep for my run.
At 6, start my run
Finish around 7 and then have breakfast while James showers, then get ready for work at my usual time.

Why does that seem so difficult? I already have cruddy sleep during those 2 hours, so why not cut my losses and get in some extra exercise?

And what better way to start than tomorrow? I would say today, but this morning has already passed and I have my cardio workout this evening. Is it ambitious to assume I'll be able to run for an hour? Absolutely, but I may as well keep that time open.

So running and Weight Watchers...watch out world!

~Katie

Fitbit Force Update

I figure that this is probably one of the best places for me to document my issues with the Fitbit Force.

Yes, they continue.

So, Friday the 7th, I had bandaged my left wrist & wore the Force (with duct tape & the lace wristlet) on my right hand. I discontinued usage that evening completely.

Over the next week, my rash on my left wrist continued to develop, to the point that James encouraged me to see a doctor.

The dermatologist said that it looked like a burn and she gave me steroid cream to put on it 3 times a day. I saw her on Thursday, February 13.

It now looks like this.

So it's starting to heal.

HOWEVER, remember how I wore the Force on my right wrist for a single day?

Well, tonight, I discovered a rash.

That's exactly how my left wrist started out.

And I haven't worn it for over a week.

This seriously disturbs me. This is also why I'm documenting my issues clearly on here. 

I'm starting to think that this may be something other than an allergy and something related to radiation. Ugh.

I hope the cause is discovered soon. If this continues to happen to people, there may be some major repercussions.

~Katie

Push Circuit

I owe you photos & measurement updates.

All I can tell you is that I weighed 176.1 lbs this morning.

We're going to be radio silent this weekend at a retreat we are on our way to right now. We being James & me.

Since we're not supposed to have tech with us, I decided to do my workout slated for tomorrow, Push Circuit 1, this evening before leaving.

Push circuit focuses on very few reps with very high weights. You aim for 6-8 reps for each exercise & more of them have breakdown sets. They are also single moves (ie bicep curls instead of squat + bicep curl).

I did 8 push-ups, just forgot to fill that in. I need to add weight to the tricep extension overhead.

Going to try to sneak in a 7 minute workout or run during this retreat, but don't know the schedule, yet.

~Katie

Take A Step Back

Yesterday was an emotional day. And I didn't go in prepared. 

I've been trying to listen and pay attention to what my body is telling me. I've noticed a pattern, and then promptly forgot about it. 

Like most women, I have days that are rather hormonally influenced. And yesterday was that day.

On days like yesterday, I find it difficult to see the positive. I find it difficult to view most things rationally. I take everything as a failure on my part. Most of those days end up with me in tears at some point.

So this is my look-back. My reframe.

1. I have made progress. I am significantly stronger & more fit than I was last year.

2. I will look great in my big white dress. I chose it because it makes me feel pretty and happy. That will not change.

3. I made a couple good decisions last night. Rather than crumble and eat my emotions last night, I made a calming cup of tea. There are goo goo clusters & Girl Scout cookies in my house, so the ease of access was there. I chose, instead, to drink a soothing cup if tea & take a bath. (I had Shakeology for dinner, as well)

4. I reached out to talk through my turmoil rather than swallowing it & let it fester.

5. At the end of the day, I have an amazing support network, I have not given up on my journey to health, I have the love of an amazing fiancé, and I have muscles.

So all in all, things aren't that bad. I just needed to reframe my view.

~Katie

There, I Did It

Some days, your mood still doesn't improve with a workout. You still have chores left, dinner to make, and you're already tired and moody. And you feel like you've regressed all the way to where you were this time last year as far as fat percentage goes, with a bit more muscle, so you generally feel whalish. You know that you need to eat better, you know that working out will help. And that big white dress stresses you out to the point of stress eating, which does nothing for the fitting into said big white dress.

I drug my feet when James asked when I was going to work out, but I still did it. There.

Can I have dinner now? Or is it a moot point? Should I just have a Shakeology & call it a day?

~ Katie

Burn circuit 3

So this was the last burn circuit 3 of the rotation. I'll be moving on to push circuit soon! Can't wait!

I pushed myself to improve over last week's performance & my shoulders keep reminding me.

This next cycle is one that I want to knock out of the park. I want to build muscle and slim down. I may end up adopting the James technique of multiple workouts per day. This means we'll have combined workout time of over 3 hours here. No socializing or even slow times, I guess.

~Katie

Fitbit Force Issues

Disclaimer: this is my experience with a rash developed after wearing the Fitbit Force. Photos of rash are included.

I have been wearing a Fitbit since August or so & have LOVED it. I had the Flex up until Christmas, when James gave me my much anticipated present of the Force. I put it on Christmas Eve and continued wearing it continuously until Friday of this week.

Some of you may have read stories about this, but I had not until I suddenly developed a small rash on my left wrist. I noticed a few raised bumps under the band on my wrist on Thursday night. It didn't itch, but it was raised and a bit bumpy & red.

So I figured it had something to do with the metal part under the display, so I put a wrap underneath it, but the rash did not subside.

And then I didn't want to wear it on my right hand either, should a rash develop there, so I discontinued use on Friday altogether.

The rash has gotten worse and developed into blisters and it's rather disconcerting. It's a bit itchy, but I don't want to break it and risk infection. Hopefully, it will heal on it's own, but many resources say that this can only be fully cleared with medical help. Color me unhappy.

Here it is today.

You can read stories about this and other, more intense developments all over the internet. Fitbit is refunding money and exchanging for other models and I so wish that I didn't have to do that, but I know that I can't wear something that causes this.

I had absolutely no reaction over the 5 weeks I wore this continuously. It developed suddenly on Thursday and has continued to get worse, despite discontinuing use. 

Theories range from a metal allergy to it being from the charging port, which is located on the underside of the display and is uncovered. Either way, it takes weeks to break down the immune system and cause a reaction.

I just thought I'd let you know to not risk the Fitbit Force until the design is corrected since I've often raved about it.

I never had any reaction to the Fitbit Flex over the five months I wore it.

~Katie

It's Picture Day!

Starting off with Burn Circuit 2.

Then off to get my car fixed, my nails done, a spa treatment, my makeup done and then engagement photos!

We're going to attempt to get all the animals in the same shot with us. We're not going to try that hard, though. Time is money.

~Katie

Look, Ma!

I did it again!

I worked out, despite feeling angsty & wanting to just pour a prosecco, draw a bath , & read. 

Now we actually get date night!

And my face isn't too horribly broken out for engagement photos tomorrow.

~Katie

Last Night

I worked out.

~ Katie

Yesterday

Did Burn Circuit 3 yesterday. Today, I napped after work, so I'm making up that workout tomorrow, on my rest day.

~ Katie

Burn Intervals

I'm a bit of a Sweaty Betty today.

As in full eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow on during my workout. We went to early Mass and then James & I headed back to the house to workout while my uncle, aunt & cousins went to CCE.

James did a T25 workout. It's his last week of this cycle and he's determined to give it his all.

I did Burn Intervals. There were a few exercises that I didn't use weights for since the band is a bit strong for me to do all of the reps. Guess which muscle!

If you guessed Deltoids, then you win!

Today is rainy, so I may not get in trampoline time, like we did yesterday and the day before. We fly back home to our animals tonight! We'll be in the air during the Super Bowl, so feel free to spoil it for me. I am partial to Denver because of beer. (Good reason, right?)

~Katie

A vacation workout

Yesterday was so much fun. Flying halfway across the country to surprise a 10 year old with donuts at lunch on his birthday. Then hanging out, jumping on a trampoline and having games after dinner to sing happy birthday right at the moment he was born. 

This morning has been nice, and I did my workout with bands. It does take some getting used to, but it gets the job done!

Burn Circuit 2

Now for a few more walks and more trampoline jumping!

~Katie