Day 200

I just got finished doing 25 mins of Turbo Jam Cardio Party Mix #2. Truthfully, I feel like I'm starting to get sick so I'm surprised I did that much. It was difficult, but I think a lot of it was mental because they DO have the low-impact version. I didn't do the whole 43 minutes either. I'm definitely not where I was at when I was doing turbo Jam before. I'm sure I have to work my way up to that point but today I definitely don't feel very well. I'm glad I'm getting this over and done with LOL. It should be like this EVERYDAY! Oye.

One day at a time. One choice at a time. I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.

Day 130

Oye I dint feel well at all.  I'm starting to spike a fever. Before I started to feel this way I did some floor exercises. I did (tried to do) planks and push ups. Definitely something to improve upon. I also did my measurement this morning. There isn't much change from last month and I gained some weight. Could have been much worse considering the dreaded and regrettable cookie day and the stress I've been under with work.

I still haven't figured out a good format for my measurements so I'm just going to post the way that I did last month until I figure something better out.

246.6

2/5/16
241.1
Hips 53
Waist 44 r index finger length above bb
R/L thigh 27 (9 above crease in leg)
Under breast 38
R arm 13.5 (1/2 way)
15.5 under armpit
L arm 14
16 under armpit

3/1
238.8

Hips 52
Waist 44
Over bb 52
R/L th 26
Under br 36.75
R arm 13
Und armpit 14.5
L arm 14
Und ap 15.5

4/1

237.8 56.6%

Hips 50.5
Waist 43
Over bb 48
Under br 36.5
R/L th 26.5 / 27
R arm 13
15 Und ap
L arm 14
15.25 Und ap

5/9/16

239.8 57.7%

Hips 50
Waist 43
Over bb 50
Under br36.5
R/L th 26.5 / 26
R arm 12.5
Und ap 14.5
L arm 14
Und ap 15

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.

Day 54

I still don't feel well. I have no appetite and my stomach hurts. We sent the kids to bed early for fighting (best decision ever!) So I get to go to bed early too.

I forced myself on the elliptical tonight and was only able to do 10 mins. Better than nothing. I really hope I wake up better!

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength

Day 53

I have been feeling less than normal all day. I have a sour stomach, body aches, a headache and I feel exhausted and nauseous. Ugh. I drank a lot of water and didn't each much. I feel yucky.

I just worked on biceps and shoulders today,  3 sets of 10 with 5# bicep curls and shoulder shrugs with static holds. My arms wobbled and shook the whole time. I need to sleep this off. Hubby said he could hear my stomach from across the room. I need to sleep this off. I pray I wake up better. I have a busy day tomorrow!

One choice at a time. one day at a time.

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.

Day 17

I feel like I'm starting to get sick again. I'm feeling worse today than I have in a couple days and I'm wondering if I'm trying to do to much, like it'd stress related. Maybe it's allergies again. IDK

Anyway I worked on biceps.  Three sets of 10. I'm tired so headed to bed.  I need to start trying harder.Maybe I don't have God in this as much as I should. Definitely can't di this by myself. New day tomorrow.

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Day 13

Today I was able to get on my elliptical early this morning and got in 30 minutes. Definitely feeling much better today.  Off to bed to try to get on longer tomorrow morning.

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Day 12

Today was the first day where I felt like my energy washroom completely drained. I didn't do my elliptical again as my cough is still pretty bad, but I'm going to make it my goal to get on tomorrow. I'm definitely feeling better,  just not 100%.

For the past few days I have been working on strength training.  As I lay here typing this out, my legs, arms and shoulders are quivering. It's not pain,  just that tightness you get when you know you're working your muscles (sore but not painful like a pulled muscle). It's a great feeling. One of my favs!

Tonight I did legs and shoulders. I did static lunges and reverse lunges, both which I hate. My knees creaked the entire time despite special attention to my knee:toe placement (I should probably start taking glucosamine again). I did 10 reps of only 2 sets each, but I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow.

I did shoulder shrugs with 8 lbs, 3 sets of 10, RPE at about 6-7 by the second set. Love it!

I also did some bent arm dumbell deltoid abductions. Three sets of 10 also with 8 lbs, RPE was at about a 6.

I'm tired so I'm gonna go to bed.

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Day 11

Today I'm FINALLY starting to feel better. IDK if it's bc I finally found the right med combo,  or if I'm actually getting better.  Regardless, I decided to continue with the weights.  Once upon a time I used to be a gym rat, although you'd never know looking at me know. I love Love LOVE strength training (funny side note: my phone just tried to autocorrect "strength training" with "eyebrows" lol). I used to journal extensively what I did and would come up with different plans based off of a combo of my "data" and results.

Anyway, tonight was deja vu I guess.

I worked my chest and triceps (alternating) for 10 mins.

3 sets of 10 lying dumbell triceps extensions with 8 lbs (RPE 6-7)

3 sets of lying dumbell chest fly/press (combo move) with 8 lbs (RPE 5-6)

Whew! My arms are kickin'!

One day at a time.  One choice at a time.

Day 10

Today I still don't feel well. It was a work day and I just felt achy all day long.

I got home and decided to use my free weights again. I worked on my back and my biceps. I did 3 sets of 10 dumbbell curls, alternating arms, with 8 pounds. My RPE was about a 5-6.

For my back I decided to work my lats with one arm dumbbell rows also using my 8 pounders, doing also three sets of 10 reps. My RPE was probably a 4-5.

Off to bed. I need to get better soon bc it's my older sons birthday party this weekend! I still need to figure out what cake to make him. Oye.

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Day 9

I think I feel worse today than I did yesterday. Needless to say, I did not get on my beloved elliptical trainer tonight after work. I did some squats instead. Three sets of 10 to be exact. It's not much, but I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow lol.

Off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow.

One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Day 8

Still feeling under the weather.  I spent most of the day snuggled under a blanket with my 4 year old (blame l so not feeling well) watching Paw Patrol.

I woke up early enough this morning to exercise but I had to make my other sons birthday invitations to get out by today (his birthday party is next Sat). That took me longer than I expected so I wasn't able to exercise.

I did muster up enough strength right before bed to get on the elliptical. Wasn't long, only 10 minutes, but not bad for how weak and yucky I feel. Hope this goes away soon!

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.  Phil 4:13

One day at a time, one choice at a time.

Day 7

Well it's been 1 full week and I only have 51 more to go.

This morning I did 15 mins on the elliptical with intention to get back on tonight. Ya, didn't happen. Between then and now, something had time to incubate and now I feel icky, cold, achy and my throat hurts. Took some allegra and singulair and I'm off to bed.

Day 1...oye.

Happy New Year!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe how much I dread typing this! I' procrastinated this ALL day. It's not hard, I just don't want to do it. Can't ya'll just read my mind so that I don't have to type this?? There is so much that I want to express, that I just get frustrated (not the right word--I just want to procrastinate...more), because I can't spit it all out fast enough, so I'll make this simple...after all, I have 365 days to do this.

I am going to do 365 days of exercise again. Yep. Again. I did it once before, I can do it again. Right? After getting exercise out of the way to type this now, I wonder if I can. I went through all of this before, so I know that I can do it. I know my legs are going to hurt tomorrow, and that will make the excuses easier to come. Bring it. One day at a time. Right? Looking at it now, I wonder how I am going to do this, becuase of some of the plans I have (more on those later) but I will just look at it one day at a time. God gives us the strength to do what we gotta do, right?

2010 was great, but it went by so fast and I am now disappointed that I didn't make every day count, the way I did in 2009 with exercise and this blog. My motivation back then, was my blog (at first). The only reason why I exercised, was to have a blog post for that day, but now I don't even want to blog, so I have to find the motivation for that, now too. I hate typing. *shrugs*

I am not doing 365 days of exericse, to lose weight--the diet I found and mentioned previously has been much more of a success in that department, but I miss how exercising regularly made me feel. Exercising is awe inspiring and it feels great when you are on a roll with it. It's just hard to get the momentum going at first. I want to be in that place again. I'm afraid that 2011 will go by just as quickly, and I want to be conscious of doing something daily, that is beneficial (I also plan to read the Bible daily). I don't want to cheat myself of time again (that makes it sound like I did absolutely nothing in 2010, doesn't it? lol).

Anyway, today I exercised. I am sick (on antibiotics) but forced myself to exercise. I slept most of the day but turned on EA Active Sports at 8:30 this evening (low intensity). I exercised for almost 20 mins an burned over 100 calories. Not great, but a start.

Have to work in the morning, so it will be interesting to see how this goes. I told Hubby that I would do the Wii again, but we'll see! Oye.

Anyway, hope you all had a happy and safe New Year celebration.

I'll be back tomorrow...oye.

Heres to a great 2011!

I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

I feel itchy, oh so itchy...

The past 2....now 3 days have been interesting. The last 12 hours have been the most interesting.

I went into work as scheduled on Monday and was sent home mid day. I was called into the directors office at lunch and was given some good news (remember that monitor tech class I took in November to learn how to read ECG strips, but then they didn't train me because it wasn't in the budget?). I was avoiding the director, as much as I love her, because I had been told all day that I would probably get sent home if she heard me (I lost my voice), and so when she called me in, I assumed that was what it was for. She said that they were going to train me, and I exclaimed in my raspy half-voice, "I am so excited! Thank you!"

Immediately she responded with "What's wrong with your voice?" I thought, "awe crap." lol. So she sent me home and said we would discuss the details on Tuesday when I got back to work, if I was feeling better.

By Monday night, I felt a whole lot worse and called in sick for Tuesday. I decided that if I didn't feel better Tuesday mid-day, that I would make a doctors appointment, and I did.

I went to the doctor and he prescribed an antibiotic, Azithromycin, and some cough medicine. He said take 2 of the antibiotic the first day, and then take one for the remaining 4 days. Less than an hour after I took them, I noticed some hives developing on my stomach. I tried to eat dinner but had no appetite (me??? no appetite?? something is definitely wrong lol). An hour later, they were all over my stomach and my bottom. The pharmacy said to stop taking the antibiotic (ya think?) and start taking benedryl so I did, but they kept getting worse. And worse. And worse. I called in work for today as well (Wed) so that I could get things fixed at the doctors office. I went to sleep and woke up covered in hives--head to toe (face, palms, arms, neck, ears, legs, back and all--even armpits!) and they aren't slowing down. How nervous would the patients be to see me if I had decided to go to work today. lol.

Anyway I called the doctors office this morning, and the answering service put me through to his cell phone. He wasn't any help. He said to take benedryl--50mg every 6 hours, which I am doing already. He hasn't seem them, but isn't too concerned with my "rash." lol.

Anyway, back to square one. Hopefully I can go see him, and he will fix the antibiotics and give me a steroid for the hives. This isn't the first time that I have had hives, and I've learned in the past that the only way they go away, for me, is with a steroid. I will play his game though. ;)

Still no exercise, and I am still sick and oh so itchy.

There are so many worse things to have out there, than hives, so I can smile. Definitely not the end of the world, and I am already laughing about it. It makes my hubby nervous though. (that makes me laugh too).

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

I can do this (although I'm not quite sure what I'm doing). I am a star.

Excuses, excuses and more excuses

So it's been like a month since my last post, and I have gotten so far behind in updating here, that I don't know where to start.

I have been exercising at least 4-5 times a week, no less, sometimes more. I am averaging 12k-13k steps at work, and I have been sick twice in the last 3 weeks (son got a cold, then me, then son again, then hubby and now me again). I'm sick right now. I even look sick, which isn't very nice to hear, when you spent over an hour putting on war paint, and primping. lol. It's kinda funny at the same time though. It's not a head cold so I am laying off of the exercise till it goes away.

I did most of the 30 day challenge for February on the Wii EA Sports Active, but missed a day (a work day) and it threw me off on the "game" and so I started it over again in March, but missed 2 days because of being sick/work schedule. My son stopped taking naps during the day and so my "me time" is gone as a result. Lots of excuses I know. Now that it's written and I can visualize my wall, I think I can start to chop away at it. Maybe I need to use a calendar and schedule things in. Regardless, I need to do something because I am gaining weight again. I need to start w/ the measurements and do it all again like I did during my 365 days of exercise in 2009. I can do this. I know that I can.

I also started a bible study with my MIL on Wednesday nights, which I won't be able to do the next 2 Wednesdays because I am working. I need to make my relationship w/ God a priority again and I think that just in general I just bit off more than I can chew for the moment. Exercise is still very important though.

I know that I am not eating enough, but it's so hard to eat when you're busy, and food is the last thing on your mind. AND my oven doesn't work. It is a broiler. I burn anything and everything I put in it, and it makes the thought of food annoying for me, becuase the oven heats at over 550F when set at 300F (my thermometer wont register anything over 550 and the numbers weren't slowing down before it got to "high"). More excuses. I think I am cranky too, so I am venting... sorry.

Anyway I need to go to bed. I feel pretty crappy. I thought I would just pop in to say "hi" while my water is heating up for my theraflu.

I promise to pop in again soon.

Thanks for sticking with me! You guys are great.

I can do this. (I did once before!) I am star.

Day 342 (day 6 / week 48)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I looove me some days off, especially after a doozy the day before (who talks like that?? oh ya, me!). My inner voice lately has been redneckaliscious. I don't know what stemmed it, but I crack myself up. I really do. I'm High-larious.

Anyway I slept in b/c the Monkey Boy spent the night at Nana and Papa's house and I got A LOT accomplished. I did like 2-3 days worth of cleaning in 2 hours, split up into about an hour each time. Between that I did about 20 minutes on the Wii Fit focusing on strength training and my arms, and boy they are sore today! This just proves to myself that I don't really need weights to do strength training. I just really want them.

I also wrapped Christmas presents for over an hour on the pool table (that thing came in handy for something!). I assembled my son's mini drum set that we got him for Christmas and wrapped that. My hubby came home to me doing it and he said, "boy honey, getting creative w/ the wrapping?" I wrapped the tom-tom, snare and the cymbal all separately, attached to the set lol, and then wrapped the whole thing letting the wrapped cymbal stick out. I am going to have to video tape this Christmas, because it's the first one that The Monkey Boy has any sense of what's going on with and he REALLY loves drums. He wanted a Cars backpack too, and he is going to be SOO excited to see one. Christmas will be fun with him, but I can't wait until I can teach him about Jesus. I wish he could grasp who Jesus is. I don't even know if he understands what I say most of the time, so I don't know if he understands when I talk to him about God. I can't wait to tell him about his best friend and know that he gets it.

Anyway, that's it! I'm still sick but getting better. Yaay! Off to exercise for today :).

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 341 (day 5 / week 48)

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I was still sick but went to work anyway. I took some Claritin for the sneezing, runny nose and eyes and some cold medicine (Vicks cold and flu) for the coughing, body aches and everything else that I felt. They masked my symptoms pretty well for the most part (I forgot to bring the Vicks to work with me), except for losing my voice.

At about noon, I started to feel pretty crappy but I sucked it up because another CNA actually went home early because she wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to cause two times the drama. I figured I didn't have to work on Wed, so I would just finish and get the day over with.

I ended up getting 1/2 of her workload, which was hard, but great for exercise! I walked 18,711 steps! I think that's the most I have ever done in a workday since I started tracking steps (that's 8.86 miles!). I did all of my normal work things, including taking the stairs (my butt burns every time I take them!).

I was glad when the day was over and done with. Exhausted, but glad. I even finished on time thanks to His awesome graces.

The Monkey Boy spent the night at his Nana and Papa's house, so I will get to focus 100% on exercise in the morning. Yaay!

Hope you had a great night!

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 340 (day 4 / week 48)

Today was another workday, but I called in sick again. I feel worse today than I did yesterday. I forced myself to go to the grocery store and pick up some basics and a few Christmas presents (Blu-rays at Walmart), and I forced myself to do something on the Wii Fit--get up and exercise.

There is a whole strength training section on the Wii Fit so I focused on that today, as well balance (my balance is WAY off) and yoga for relaxation. I did 42 Wii Minutes total and walked 3474 steps at the grocery store (1.64 miles). It poured today. I love the rain when I'm not sick lol.

I feel super crappy but am going to attempt to go to work tomorrow. I hope it doesn't bite me in the butt. I have stuff to help w/ my symptoms so hopefully I won't feel this way tomorrow. At least I'm off the next day so I can focus on getting better again w/out having to worry about work. The monkey boy is feeling better so that makes me feel hopeful too (his didn't last long so mine might not either :)).

Have a great night!

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 339 (day 3 / week 48)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

It was a workday but I called in sick. I did some walking, at the store, looking for cold medicine. My pedometer clocked 2440 steps (1.15 miles). Definitely better than nothing being sick. I feel yucky.

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 338 (day 2 / week 48)

I see a lot of green today. Not in my environment, but in my measurements. My first reaction is to always be bummed, but I figure that I have still come a long way from this time last year, and I am human. Things change and things will--especially these numbers, so I'm not so worried.

One of the things that I wanted to prove with this blog was that I am just like you. I am your average everyday person. I am a Christian mom, wifey, sister, daughter, friend, employee and big-fat-hairy-nerd. If I can do this, so can you. I am not any better than anyone else out there, I am not perfect, and I wanted to document my journey to prove to anyone out there struggling like I am, that this is doable, with all of the potholes that come along the way. One of the things that comes along with being just like everyone else is that I stumble too.

This month I gained pounds and inches, but that doesn't matter! I can definitely say that earlier this year, I would have been upset, more than I would have let show, but now it's just a number that I will look back on. It means nothing ultimately because I don't plan on keeping these numbers. I plan on trading them in for even better ones next month, and the months to come. I wont stop just because I had a bad month (or 2 or 3). I hope you don't either.

The other thing I realized doing my measurements is that accountability is HUGE. I bet my numbers wouldn't be so green if I had posted my measurements/picture from November. I did my measurements, but lost them! Can you believe that? lol. I can't for the life of me remember where I wrote them down, what I wrote them down on or where I stashed it. Oh well. Such is life.

The other thing that I am slapping myself around with is something I have been having problems with for a while. Sugar. For some reason I have it in my head that it's all or nothing. I can't find a good compromise in my head, and that, I think, is the addiction talking.

I am TOTALLY making excuses and finding loop holes so that I can justify having it. This is a big problem for me. I don't see it so much, but my hubby calls me on it ALL THE TIME, so every once in a while, like this morning with my measurements and my hubby saying, "it's because of all of the sugar you eat," I get that light bulb that brings me to this place of reckoning.

I think it was last month (the last time that I had talked about it here) I had decided that because my fiber bars had sugar, and my shakes and all of the things that I eat/drink to promote my healthy lifestyle, had a small amount of sugar in it, that I couldn't eat/drink these things, in order to do my "sugar free 100 days." I decided that it wasn't fair to myself or healthy to cut those things out, so I allowed sugar again, just so I could eat those things, and only those things (my fiber bars, meal replacement shakes, etc). That is fine and all but I totally blew it. I baked cookies for Logan yesterday. Chocolate chip cookies. With real butter (I NEVER use real butter!). They are chalk full of calories. The worst part? They aren't that great but I ate them anyway. It wasn't even a minute of bliss worth. It was like, "it's there, so I am going to eat it."

Speaking of bliss, we were at Target a month or so ago and I saw for the first time Hershey's Bliss, Raspberry Meltaways. OMG those are yummy, but so evil! I didn't eat the entire bag. I never over indulge. I always eat the recommended serving size and always count my calories, and I never go over my calories, but it is still a huge problem for me. Can sugar be a bad thing, when you eat it in moderation (liks everyone always says to do) and are accountable for it? YES. For me DEFINITELY YES. Oye. I know I need to give it up, but it's hard. It's my addiction. I will lose that just like I did with all of the inches I have lost throughout this year. I guess next year it will be focusing on these types of things, now that I am hugely aware of them.

My measurements:

Measurements: (day 338 / day 275 / day 10) (- "/# lost in current month)

Wt: 193.0 / 187.8 / 215 (+5.2) (total lost 22 lbs)
Chest: 35.5" / 36" / 43.75"(-0.50") (total lost -8.25")
Waist: 32" / 31.5" / 41.5" (+0.50") (total lost -9.5")
Hips: 41.5" / 41" / 47.75" (+0.50") (total lost -6.25")
Neck: 12" / 12" / 14.25" (-0") (total lost -2.25")
Under bust: 30.5" / 30.5" / 36.75" (-0") (total lost -6.25")
1" below belly button: 37.5" / 37" / 47.5" (+0.50") (total lost -10")
Above my thigh: 38.5" / 36.75" / 44" (+1.75") (total lost -5.5")
R Thigh: 18.5" / 19" / 27" (-0.50") (total lost -8.50")
L Thigh: 18.5" / 18.5" / 27.5" (-0") (total lost -8")
R Calf: 13" / 13.75" / 14.5" (-0.75") (total lost -1.50")
L Calf: 13.75" / 14" / 14" (-0.25") (total lost -0.75")
R upper Arm: 10.5" / 10" / 14" (+0.50") (total lost -3.50")
L upper Arm: 10.5" / 10.25" / 13.5" (+0.25") (total lost -3")
R wrist: 5.50" / 5.50" / 6.25" (-0") (total lost -0.75")
L wrist: 5.75" / 5.75" / 6.25" (-0") (total lost -0.5")

Jan 2009

Feb 2009

March 2009

April 1, 2009

May 1, 2009

June 1, 2009

July 1, 2009August 1, 2009

September 1, 2009
October 3, 2009
December 5, 2009

I don't really have much to say. I am surprised about the calves. I measured them three times because I thought it was some sort of fluke. I am also more disappointed for not being accountable to November with my measurements then, cause now I can't find them. I don't care about this months numbers. They are just numbers. They won't always be these numbers so I don't care. This is what 338 consecutive days of exercise does to your mentality :). Nothing changes, nothing stops. It's doubtful that I will make a loss of 10lbs by Christmas though lol. I'm gonna keep trying nonetheless! lol.

I will post an update later for what exercises I did today. I am feeling a tad under the weather but that won't change anything.

UPDATE: Being sick is no excuse, but in a way it is. I just walked with my hubby and the monkey boy. In doors and around a store a few times for 2 miles. It took us about 50 minutes. Off to bed early. I have to work in the morning. Good night!

I can do this. I am a star.