this morning my alarm didn't go off at 5:30- no idea why. the 6AM alarm did go off, and i bounced up, ate, and got down to the pool. i knew pretty much right away it was gonna be a rough one-the water felt like molasses- but i figured it'd get easier. it really didn't, and i felt like i was going to be sick. i did 6 sets- all in the 2:30's- and half of a 7th. at that point i knew i needed to call it done for today on the swimming. i hated quitting early, but i didn't want to risk not bein able to swim tomorrow from being overtired, or worse, drowning because in my exhaustion i inhaled water. i came home, showered, and rested awhile- the nausea and headache didn't fade. at 9:30, i started-for the first time- level 2 of Jillian Michaels' Six week Six pack. i struggled, but got through it. I'd say over half of it is lunge based or otherwise aggravates my still sore knee. most of those lunge based moves also didn't seem to be engaging my abs in a way i could feel very much- this might have been in part because due to my injury i wasn't able to get as deep into them as i'd like- standing ab moves are also usually less intense but still effective anyway. This led me to create a circuit that combines all my favorite no impact ab moves with a few cardio intervals, so i can get a great ab workout while my knee finishes healing. it's a little sore right now, but i don't think i made it worse during today's workout, so that's good.
it's funny that this happened on a day when i swam so badly- the first swim workout that i started without finishing in almost 2 months of swimming!!!! - but i'm finally at the point where i WANT to work out during the day- by which i mean right now, i am dying to get up and moving-swim, abs, arms, whatever- but i'm holding off because i really want to be able to swim hard tomorrow and friday and saturday. i'm irritated that i missed my swim yesterday, and that today's went so badly, so i don't want to do anything to hurt the rest of the week. i've also been spending no time at the pool lately. hoping to change that tomorrow and friday.
oh, and as long as i do some kind of workout tomorrow, i'll finish June at 22 workouts! that may be an all time record for me-i don't think i've ever had a month where i only missed 3 scheduled workouts before. here's shooting to miss even fewer in july!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
186.4
that's this week's official weigh in. i can't believe it. i mean, i know i've earned it. i know i've been working hard enough. wowsers. it;s literally been almost 6 years since i saw any number in the 180's on my scale- until last week. when i weighed in ay 189.8 last monday, i thought "it'd be awesome to see 185 next week..." but, like any good Biggest Loser Devotee i knew better-if you dropped a big number this week, next week will be small. that;s how it goes, and i was prepared. Well look at this. big numbers 2 weeks in a row! (i'm gonna estimate last week at about a 4lb drop- it's hard to say because i was a bad girl and weighed myself too often, but it's between 3-6.) I'M SO VERY EXCITED!
That good news was needed as i woke up this morning, because i missed my swim today. :-( i just could not get to sleep last night. it was probably close to 1 am when i finally drifted off. i slept in late today (around 9:20) and decided not to beat myself up. i'll do a little strength training at some point, but i think my body does need a teeny break. i've been pushing really hard in the pool, and i don't wanna overtrain and burn out. i have this mentality of "well on the Biggest Loser..." but reality is that i am not surrounded by medical professionals and as much as i know about training, i'm not Bob or Jillian. i need to do what *I* can do and do it well.
i started panicking last night a little bit- What am i gonna do when it's too cold to swim outside? well, it'll take a little more determination, and a bit more time, but i'm just gonna have to take my act to the gym. i've still got a solid 10-12 weeks here at our apt pool though. i do have to have a solid plan, though, because maintenance is the toughest part.
oh! Measurements.
Weight: 186.4 (3.4/23.6)
Waist: 32 (.5/4)
Hips: 42.25 (.75/3.75)
Thigh: 23.25 (.75/2.75)
Bicep: 11.5 (0/1.5)
That good news was needed as i woke up this morning, because i missed my swim today. :-( i just could not get to sleep last night. it was probably close to 1 am when i finally drifted off. i slept in late today (around 9:20) and decided not to beat myself up. i'll do a little strength training at some point, but i think my body does need a teeny break. i've been pushing really hard in the pool, and i don't wanna overtrain and burn out. i have this mentality of "well on the Biggest Loser..." but reality is that i am not surrounded by medical professionals and as much as i know about training, i'm not Bob or Jillian. i need to do what *I* can do and do it well.
i started panicking last night a little bit- What am i gonna do when it's too cold to swim outside? well, it'll take a little more determination, and a bit more time, but i'm just gonna have to take my act to the gym. i've still got a solid 10-12 weeks here at our apt pool though. i do have to have a solid plan, though, because maintenance is the toughest part.
oh! Measurements.
Weight: 186.4 (3.4/23.6)
Waist: 32 (.5/4)
Hips: 42.25 (.75/3.75)
Thigh: 23.25 (.75/2.75)
Bicep: 11.5 (0/1.5)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Gotta get up on Friday...
i didn't want to though. and i definitely didn't want to swim today. it was my best swim yet though, as far as lap times go-every set (10 sets) was under 2:45 and 9/10 were under 2:40. that's mind blowing for me- especially when you consider it's the 5th swim of the week and the first week of doing 10 sets instead of the 8 that i did for the first 6 weeks. i've had to fight for every stroke and kick this week, but it's amazing and exhilarating to see and feel how strong i am getting. i realized this morning as i changed out of my swimsuit that weight loss is not my only reward along this journey. i am getting stronger and faster. i'm still working at my stroke, and i know it'll improve along the way too. i know my breaks between lap sets are a bit longer this week, but i also think that's understandable considering how hard i'm working. that'll improve too.
Strength training this week has been not so great- mostly because the swimming has been exhaisting and i don't want to overtrain, but also because i messed up my knee fairly badly at the beach last week, and i'm trying not to prolong the healing- which limits the exercises i can do more than i initially realized- but i've done a little ab and arm work wed and thurs, and i'm going to do some today-or possibly tonight. monday starts level 2 of my Jillian workouts and i'm both excited and trepidatious about that.
let me end this post by sharing this: one of the brightest moments of my day is when i walk in the bedroom after i swim and my husband is lying there alseep, but he wakes up and grets me with a sweet smile and tells me how proud he is of me for how hard i work. it means so much that he sees it and feels that.
Strength training this week has been not so great- mostly because the swimming has been exhaisting and i don't want to overtrain, but also because i messed up my knee fairly badly at the beach last week, and i'm trying not to prolong the healing- which limits the exercises i can do more than i initially realized- but i've done a little ab and arm work wed and thurs, and i'm going to do some today-or possibly tonight. monday starts level 2 of my Jillian workouts and i'm both excited and trepidatious about that.
let me end this post by sharing this: one of the brightest moments of my day is when i walk in the bedroom after i swim and my husband is lying there alseep, but he wakes up and grets me with a sweet smile and tells me how proud he is of me for how hard i work. it means so much that he sees it and feels that.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
here's a pic!
here's a shot of me in some size 12 shorts that a week ago i could not even zip. go figure. they are still tight but go on and off easily. :-)
*Click*
i didn't know what to call this post, because it's a big deal to me- and hopefully to those of you on this journey with me. It's happened. something clicked in my body, and the weight is coming off. FINALLY.
Back in March, i lost 14 lbs from the cleanse i did, and in april managed to drop another 2 while Scott was in the Philippines, leaving me at 191.8 putting me 18 lbs down from my discouraging weight of 210 on christmas day. Then the week he got back, i started swimming and immediately gained 4 lbs. those 4 lbs hung on and on. until this monday. yesterday, i weighed in at 191.2. i laughed maniacally for a few minutes while i stirred berries into my oatmeal and headed out for the hardest swim of my week. ugh. gotta love mondays.
on a whim, i stepped on the scale again this morning and saw the number i have been praying for: 189.8!!!! i am OUT of the 190's! now, i don't know how much muscle i've gained and how much fat i've lost, but i'm incredibly excited that ALL the hard work i've put in the past months and particularly the past 6 weeks is starting to pay off. based on how things fit today, i'm estimating that i will be able to wear my size 12 jeans comfortably before my birthday. i'd love to shoot for being able to wear 10's by then, but it doesn't look too likely, even now. and that's ok. one day at a time. i said last week or sometime recently that that scale isn't a reliable measure, and i stick by that- unfortunately i did not measure myself at all the measurable points yesterday morning, but i hit the big ones. :-D
i'll present the numbers like this: Starting/current (lost)
Weight: 210/189.8 (20.2)
Waist: 36/32.5 (3.5)
hip: 46/43 (3)
thigh: 26/24 (2)
arm (at bicep):13/11.5 (1.5)
so... that's a start.
i've another 4-5 inches to lose of my waist and hips each, and 6 more off my thighs, so while it's a good start, it is jsut that. i'm really excited at my progress though, and can't wait to see it increase!
Back in March, i lost 14 lbs from the cleanse i did, and in april managed to drop another 2 while Scott was in the Philippines, leaving me at 191.8 putting me 18 lbs down from my discouraging weight of 210 on christmas day. Then the week he got back, i started swimming and immediately gained 4 lbs. those 4 lbs hung on and on. until this monday. yesterday, i weighed in at 191.2. i laughed maniacally for a few minutes while i stirred berries into my oatmeal and headed out for the hardest swim of my week. ugh. gotta love mondays.
on a whim, i stepped on the scale again this morning and saw the number i have been praying for: 189.8!!!! i am OUT of the 190's! now, i don't know how much muscle i've gained and how much fat i've lost, but i'm incredibly excited that ALL the hard work i've put in the past months and particularly the past 6 weeks is starting to pay off. based on how things fit today, i'm estimating that i will be able to wear my size 12 jeans comfortably before my birthday. i'd love to shoot for being able to wear 10's by then, but it doesn't look too likely, even now. and that's ok. one day at a time. i said last week or sometime recently that that scale isn't a reliable measure, and i stick by that- unfortunately i did not measure myself at all the measurable points yesterday morning, but i hit the big ones. :-D
i'll present the numbers like this: Starting/current (lost)
Weight: 210/189.8 (20.2)
Waist: 36/32.5 (3.5)
hip: 46/43 (3)
thigh: 26/24 (2)
arm (at bicep):13/11.5 (1.5)
so... that's a start.
i've another 4-5 inches to lose of my waist and hips each, and 6 more off my thighs, so while it's a good start, it is jsut that. i'm really excited at my progress though, and can't wait to see it increase!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Happy Monday!
Hey y'all! i enjoyed my day off from exercise immensely, and am so proud of myself for getting up early and getting right back in that pool! my swim today was almost as good as saturday's! i only get to work out three days this week instead of six, because scott and i are going to VB for my sister's Graduation and a much needed vacation. i am going to try to at least get a solid hour of walking in each day as we do stuff, but no swimming or Jillian Th-Sat. that makes me a bit nervous, but i think what counts is making sure i continue to eat well and that i get right back to it next monday.
i also weighed in today. (cue ominous music!) and i'm down 2.5 lbs from where i was when i last weighed in-which is still UP 2 lbs from my lowest in late april. i have no idea what is up with that. i do know i'm getting stronger by far though and that i am starting to get smaller. These facts have reminded me that when i've successfully lost weight in the past, the measurement hasn't been based on the scale but on a measuring tape. inches are a much better measure of my progress than pounds lost. i'm still going to weigh in as soon as i get up on monday mornings, but i'm also going to measure, because i think that will give me a more realistic idea of how i'm doing. i'm really excited to see the differences that come from these lifestyle changes we are making due to friday's reading, and i know there are many good things ahead. if i can navigate the second half of this week without splurging too much, i'll feel really good weighing/measuring monday.
i also weighed in today. (cue ominous music!) and i'm down 2.5 lbs from where i was when i last weighed in-which is still UP 2 lbs from my lowest in late april. i have no idea what is up with that. i do know i'm getting stronger by far though and that i am starting to get smaller. These facts have reminded me that when i've successfully lost weight in the past, the measurement hasn't been based on the scale but on a measuring tape. inches are a much better measure of my progress than pounds lost. i'm still going to weigh in as soon as i get up on monday mornings, but i'm also going to measure, because i think that will give me a more realistic idea of how i'm doing. i'm really excited to see the differences that come from these lifestyle changes we are making due to friday's reading, and i know there are many good things ahead. if i can navigate the second half of this week without splurging too much, i'll feel really good weighing/measuring monday.
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