Well, I finished the first week! Yippee!
I've decided to repeat week 1. I just don't feel ready to move to week 2 yet. I've been doing strength training on my off days. The strength training is going well, but I feel a little overwhelmed (or at least my body does). I'm going to repeat week 1 and continue doing the strength training on my non-C25K days. Fingers crossed that next week I'll be able to move on to week 2!
I'm very proud of myself. Most days I felt way too tired to do it, but I did it anyway. I stuck to my plan and, for that, I commend myself.
I'm hoping I can work a new pair of running shoes into the budget this weekend. I desperately need them. My feet have been killing me!
Here's what I did for strength training yesterday:
For arms:
Bicep curl/Shoulder press combo- 3 sets of 15 (10 lb. weights)
Tricep extensions- 3 sets of 15 (10 lb. weights)
For legs:
Squats- 45
Sumo squat holds- 3 for 30 seconds each
One legged calf raises- 45 for each leg
The sumo squat holds did a number on me. I am SO FREAKING SORE!
Today I did Week 1 Day 3 of C25K. I am super glad it's over for the week. I struggled today.
Tomorrow I will do more arm and leg strength training and Sunday I will rest. Aaahh, rest sounds good....
I probably won't update on each workout next week since it's a repeat. I'll just update at the end of the week :)
Have a great weekend, y'all! Until next time....
Friday, September 27, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
C25K (Week 1 Day 2)
Today was tough, but it's done. I'll go into that a little more in a minute.
Yesterday I did a little strength training. Nothing hardcore, but I was sore today so I guess it was hard enough. For my legs, I did 12 lunges (these bothered my knee, so I didn't stay on them for long), 25 squats, 3 wall sits (I didn't time myself, but if I had to guess I'd say maybe 30 sec. each time), one legged calf lifts (3 sets of 15 on each leg). For my arms, I did curls, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions (3 sets of 15 on each exercise with 10 lb weights).
I was feeling it today. I didn't sleep well last night and I have a headache today. Nothing too horrible, but just enough to make me feel a little sick to my stomach. I was so close to putting my workout off until tomorrow, but I didn't.
Today's workout seemed 3 times harder than Monday's. I'm sure the soreness and the headache played a big part in that. I felt like I was going to collapse when I finished. It felt like there were tiny pulses of electricity quickly dispersing all over my legs for about 5-10 minutes after finishing my workout. It didn't hurt or anything, just feels strange. This has happened before but I have no idea what causes it. As long as it doesn't hurt and goes away, I figure it's okay. My gosh, I'm so tired right now but I'm glad I decided to go ahead and stay on plan.
Today's C25K workout was exactly the same as Monday.
My plan is to do the C25K three days a week (M, W, F). I'll do strength training three days a week, also (T, TH, SA). Sundays will be an off day. Ooh, that sounds nice!
My mood is a little off today, so sorry if this post is boring. I'm having to tell my fingers to type because I'm so tired.
Until next time...
Yesterday I did a little strength training. Nothing hardcore, but I was sore today so I guess it was hard enough. For my legs, I did 12 lunges (these bothered my knee, so I didn't stay on them for long), 25 squats, 3 wall sits (I didn't time myself, but if I had to guess I'd say maybe 30 sec. each time), one legged calf lifts (3 sets of 15 on each leg). For my arms, I did curls, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions (3 sets of 15 on each exercise with 10 lb weights).
I was feeling it today. I didn't sleep well last night and I have a headache today. Nothing too horrible, but just enough to make me feel a little sick to my stomach. I was so close to putting my workout off until tomorrow, but I didn't.
Today's workout seemed 3 times harder than Monday's. I'm sure the soreness and the headache played a big part in that. I felt like I was going to collapse when I finished. It felt like there were tiny pulses of electricity quickly dispersing all over my legs for about 5-10 minutes after finishing my workout. It didn't hurt or anything, just feels strange. This has happened before but I have no idea what causes it. As long as it doesn't hurt and goes away, I figure it's okay. My gosh, I'm so tired right now but I'm glad I decided to go ahead and stay on plan.
Today's C25K workout was exactly the same as Monday.
My plan is to do the C25K three days a week (M, W, F). I'll do strength training three days a week, also (T, TH, SA). Sundays will be an off day. Ooh, that sounds nice!
My mood is a little off today, so sorry if this post is boring. I'm having to tell my fingers to type because I'm so tired.
Until next time...
Monday, September 23, 2013
Couch To 5K
Hello, friends. Hope your Monday hasn't been too terrible. It's always a struggle for me to get going again. Nevertheless, it hasn't been terrible.
I've decided to go through a program called Couch to 5K, again. Yes, I'm no stranger to this program. This is probably my 5th time attempting it. I completed it about 5 years ago. Since then, I've played around with it on and off. The last couple of times I tried it, my knee started giving me problems so I quit. I'm hoping this time will be better.
I thought I'd journal my progress as I go. For those that aren't familiar with the program, here's a link to it. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
There's also a free app for it. I downloaded it to my iPhone and that's what I am using.
I've made myself a few promises this time.
1.) I will take it slow. My lovely "all or nothing" mentality comes into play here. I usually dive in full force. To the point of over-doing it, injuring myself, and burning out too quickly. If I need to, I'll repeat weeks. Actually, I'm sure I'll need to. If it takes me 6 months or a year, that's fine. I'm sure my pace will be laughable to some, but that's okay. I don't care. I'm not doing this to win an award.
2.) I will listen to my body. In the past, I've tried to do too much "extra" stuff and I end up paying for it. Not this time. I won't do any running on my off days. I'll probably do some weight lifting on those days. Or maybe just walk.
3.) I will not obsess over the scale. Anytime I start something new, I always weigh myself. And when I don't live up to my expectations, I get super frustrated with myself and I let it get me down. I started the program today and I didn't weigh. In fact, I'm not going to weigh. I won't obsess over the numbers this time. This is about SO much more than a freaking number!
4.) I will not obsess over food, either. I will do my best to make better choices, but I'm not going to count calories. My plan is to eat fewer carbs on my off-workout days and eat more carbs on my workout days. I guess it's kind of like carb cycling, just not sticking to an exact number.
I have accepted the fact that the weight will probably come off slow. I'm okay with that. I'm not going to let my world revolve my weight, for once. That stops now.
So, today I completed Day 1 of Week 1. It wasn't terrible, but it was clearly evident that I've let myself go. WAY too much. Here's what today's workout consisted of:
5 minute warm up walk
1 minute jog followed by 1.5 minutes walking (repeat this 7 more times)
5 minute cool down walk
Total of 30 minutes
I did this on my treadmill. It is cushioned and until I find out how my knee is going to do, I think I'll stick to the treadmill. My pace was super slow. My jogging pace was at level 3.5 and my walking pace was at level 2.8. I should probably be ashamed of that pace, but it is what it is. I finished the workout and that's what is important. My legs and ankles were on fire when I finished. My back was killing me. I felt terrible and yet awesome at the same time. Yay for me!
I am going to try my best to update after each workout. So, until next time...
I've decided to go through a program called Couch to 5K, again. Yes, I'm no stranger to this program. This is probably my 5th time attempting it. I completed it about 5 years ago. Since then, I've played around with it on and off. The last couple of times I tried it, my knee started giving me problems so I quit. I'm hoping this time will be better.
I thought I'd journal my progress as I go. For those that aren't familiar with the program, here's a link to it. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
There's also a free app for it. I downloaded it to my iPhone and that's what I am using.
I've made myself a few promises this time.
1.) I will take it slow. My lovely "all or nothing" mentality comes into play here. I usually dive in full force. To the point of over-doing it, injuring myself, and burning out too quickly. If I need to, I'll repeat weeks. Actually, I'm sure I'll need to. If it takes me 6 months or a year, that's fine. I'm sure my pace will be laughable to some, but that's okay. I don't care. I'm not doing this to win an award.
2.) I will listen to my body. In the past, I've tried to do too much "extra" stuff and I end up paying for it. Not this time. I won't do any running on my off days. I'll probably do some weight lifting on those days. Or maybe just walk.
3.) I will not obsess over the scale. Anytime I start something new, I always weigh myself. And when I don't live up to my expectations, I get super frustrated with myself and I let it get me down. I started the program today and I didn't weigh. In fact, I'm not going to weigh. I won't obsess over the numbers this time. This is about SO much more than a freaking number!
4.) I will not obsess over food, either. I will do my best to make better choices, but I'm not going to count calories. My plan is to eat fewer carbs on my off-workout days and eat more carbs on my workout days. I guess it's kind of like carb cycling, just not sticking to an exact number.
I have accepted the fact that the weight will probably come off slow. I'm okay with that. I'm not going to let my world revolve my weight, for once. That stops now.
So, today I completed Day 1 of Week 1. It wasn't terrible, but it was clearly evident that I've let myself go. WAY too much. Here's what today's workout consisted of:
5 minute warm up walk
1 minute jog followed by 1.5 minutes walking (repeat this 7 more times)
5 minute cool down walk
Total of 30 minutes
I did this on my treadmill. It is cushioned and until I find out how my knee is going to do, I think I'll stick to the treadmill. My pace was super slow. My jogging pace was at level 3.5 and my walking pace was at level 2.8. I should probably be ashamed of that pace, but it is what it is. I finished the workout and that's what is important. My legs and ankles were on fire when I finished. My back was killing me. I felt terrible and yet awesome at the same time. Yay for me!
I am going to try my best to update after each workout. So, until next time...
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Quest for the Perfect Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte
A quest, it is.
I was determined to find the recipe for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte. I even drove out of town to a Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte to compare with the recipes. I found 3 recipes that I thought would be great contenders. *Sigh*....I did NOT find the perfect recipe. But, it wasn't for a lack of trying. I felt like a mad scientist in that kitchen! :)
I can't in good conscious say that any of the recipes compared the Starbucks version. There is one recipe that was on the right track but I couldn't get the "sweetness" right. It wasn't sweet enough and when I added more Splenda, it then tasted overly "fake" sweet.
Here's the recipe that was the best.
1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup strong coffee
2 tbsp. 100% pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1.5 tbsp. Splenda
Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan on medium/low for about 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly. If you don't mind a little pumpkin puree texture, just pour it in a cup. If you like your lattes smooth, strain the mixture into a cup. The texture didn't bother me. It wasn't very gritty or anything to me.
**Please don't expect this to taste like Starbucks. It doesn't.
It was okay, but in comparison to the Starbucks version it fell short. It was almost there, but something was missing. I almost think a tablespoon of organic maple syrup would have done the trick (in place of some of the Splenda). I didn't have any, so I couldn't test that theory. I did like the flavor that the coconut milk added, though.
A tablespoon of organic maple syrup is only 13-14 carbs So, even if that was used instead of Splenda it would still be WAY less carbs than the original Starbucks version. Maybe I'll try that next time.
I had some leftover coffee in the pot, so I poured some into a cup, added a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin puree (or maybe a tablespoon?), a little Splenda, and some SF Coffee Mate pumpkin spice creamer to it and it was just as good as the recipe above, maybe better.
So, the quest for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte is still in motion. Not much success today, but at least I learned some things that work and some things that don't.
It's all part of experimenting. I may try again next weekend. We'll see.
Until then...
I was determined to find the recipe for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte. I even drove out of town to a Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte to compare with the recipes. I found 3 recipes that I thought would be great contenders. *Sigh*....I did NOT find the perfect recipe. But, it wasn't for a lack of trying. I felt like a mad scientist in that kitchen! :)
I can't in good conscious say that any of the recipes compared the Starbucks version. There is one recipe that was on the right track but I couldn't get the "sweetness" right. It wasn't sweet enough and when I added more Splenda, it then tasted overly "fake" sweet.
Here's the recipe that was the best.
1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup strong coffee
2 tbsp. 100% pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1.5 tbsp. Splenda
Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan on medium/low for about 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly. If you don't mind a little pumpkin puree texture, just pour it in a cup. If you like your lattes smooth, strain the mixture into a cup. The texture didn't bother me. It wasn't very gritty or anything to me.
**Please don't expect this to taste like Starbucks. It doesn't.
It was okay, but in comparison to the Starbucks version it fell short. It was almost there, but something was missing. I almost think a tablespoon of organic maple syrup would have done the trick (in place of some of the Splenda). I didn't have any, so I couldn't test that theory. I did like the flavor that the coconut milk added, though.
A tablespoon of organic maple syrup is only 13-14 carbs So, even if that was used instead of Splenda it would still be WAY less carbs than the original Starbucks version. Maybe I'll try that next time.
I had some leftover coffee in the pot, so I poured some into a cup, added a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin puree (or maybe a tablespoon?), a little Splenda, and some SF Coffee Mate pumpkin spice creamer to it and it was just as good as the recipe above, maybe better.
So, the quest for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte is still in motion. Not much success today, but at least I learned some things that work and some things that don't.
It's all part of experimenting. I may try again next weekend. We'll see.
Until then...
Monday, September 9, 2013
Do You Love Yourself Enough?
I was perusing on Facebook today, looking back at some posts over the weekend that Chris Powell posted, and I came across a post that really made me stop and think.
"The more you love yourself, the more you keep your promises to yourself." What have you done today to keep a promise you made to yourself? - Chris Powell
It really got me thinking. Do I love myself enough? Do I love myself at all?
Hmmmm....
My conclusion....probably not. I am my own worst enemy, critical of my every action. At times, I loathe myself. Frustrated by my failures, I tell myself that I'm not good enough. I. am. hard. on. myself.
Why do I do that?
To a certain point, I think it's okay to be hard on ourselves. It makes us strive to be better. To improve. To grow. But, do we go too far?
Sometimes. Most of time, in my case.
If I spent more time focusing on the improvements I've made, would my attitude towards myself change? Would I be more apt to succeed? Would I start to love myself more? Would I be able to keep my promises?
I think women, as a whole, are very critical of themselves. We spend way too much time wondering if we look too fat in our jeans. Asking why we can't be as successful as the person sitting next to us. Wondering why we can't look like her. Or, her. Or, her. Relentlessly comparing ourselves to other women while our self-confidence and self-worth gets thrown in the trash. Why do we do that?
So, I'm going to vow to try to do better. To give myself a fighting chance. To rejoice in my victories. To renounce the urge to beat myself up, mentally, when I don't make a goal. To look in the mirror, every now and then, and say "You are enough.".
What will you do to make sure you keep your promises to yourself?
"The more you love yourself, the more you keep your promises to yourself." What have you done today to keep a promise you made to yourself? - Chris Powell
It really got me thinking. Do I love myself enough? Do I love myself at all?
Hmmmm....
My conclusion....probably not. I am my own worst enemy, critical of my every action. At times, I loathe myself. Frustrated by my failures, I tell myself that I'm not good enough. I. am. hard. on. myself.
Why do I do that?
To a certain point, I think it's okay to be hard on ourselves. It makes us strive to be better. To improve. To grow. But, do we go too far?
Sometimes. Most of time, in my case.
If I spent more time focusing on the improvements I've made, would my attitude towards myself change? Would I be more apt to succeed? Would I start to love myself more? Would I be able to keep my promises?
I think women, as a whole, are very critical of themselves. We spend way too much time wondering if we look too fat in our jeans. Asking why we can't be as successful as the person sitting next to us. Wondering why we can't look like her. Or, her. Or, her. Relentlessly comparing ourselves to other women while our self-confidence and self-worth gets thrown in the trash. Why do we do that?
So, I'm going to vow to try to do better. To give myself a fighting chance. To rejoice in my victories. To renounce the urge to beat myself up, mentally, when I don't make a goal. To look in the mirror, every now and then, and say "You are enough.".
What will you do to make sure you keep your promises to yourself?
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Crap
....describes my day. Or week, rather.
I feel like crap. I look like crap. I've eaten like crap.
My son kind of embarrassed me at church last Wednesday night. I heard him yell out "What the crap!" on the playground. Talk about embarrassed. You're probably thinking that that's not so bad. But, my son has voice that exceeds all others. Truly, the loudest little boy in the world. It's not an exaggeration, either. And, I have no idea where he gets "crap" from. Okay, okay. I say it WAY too much. Bad mama.
Anyway, it's been a crappy day. My son decided to choose the day his mama felt horrible to continuously whine about school. Any other day, the whining probably wouldn't have seemed so bad, though.
As much as I like to keep things positive, I'd be lying if I said everything was fine. I'm having a sinus/allergy attack from Hades that I can't seem to shake. Just when I start feeling better...BAM, it knocks me upside the head again with a prehistoric, man-made piece of wood, that I imagine looks similar to Bam Bam's bat from the Flintstones.
When I feel crappy, I eat crappy.
When will I be able to overcome emotional eating? The more I ask myself this, the clearer the answer becomes. I won't. I will always struggle with this. Probably 'till the day I die. Even on my death bed, I'll be craving a freaking DQ Blizzard.
While I haven't flown the coop completely, I haven't done very well, either. Since my appointment with the Endocrinologist (about 6 weeks ago), I've lost about 12 lbs. Doesn't sound too bad, but I lost 9 lbs the first week after the appointment. Since then it's been coming off super slow. 3 lbs. in 5 weeks is ridiculous! Yeah, yeah...I lost. But, not up to my standards.
Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I expect too much of myself. I start out all in. Ready to crush my goals and laugh in their faces as I do it! Then, when I fall short of that expectation, I crash. I crash into my All-or-Nothing, downward spiraling state of mind. "Nothing" being the key word here. It's a problem that I'm very aware of. I've mentioned my All-or-Nothing mindset several times. I'm completely aware of it. I just don't know how to get past it. My mom is exactly the same way, so I know where I get it from. But, how do I change it?
And if I hear, "You just have to set your mind and do it." one more time, I swear....I will hurt that person. Like I haven't tried that before? That is so much easier said than done.
Sorry for my witchy mood. I'm a witch, today. What can I say?
Here's to hopefully having a non-crappy day and a non-witchy attitude tomorrow.
Yours truly,
The Crap-tastic Witchy Woman
I feel like crap. I look like crap. I've eaten like crap.
My son kind of embarrassed me at church last Wednesday night. I heard him yell out "What the crap!" on the playground. Talk about embarrassed. You're probably thinking that that's not so bad. But, my son has voice that exceeds all others. Truly, the loudest little boy in the world. It's not an exaggeration, either. And, I have no idea where he gets "crap" from. Okay, okay. I say it WAY too much. Bad mama.
Anyway, it's been a crappy day. My son decided to choose the day his mama felt horrible to continuously whine about school. Any other day, the whining probably wouldn't have seemed so bad, though.
As much as I like to keep things positive, I'd be lying if I said everything was fine. I'm having a sinus/allergy attack from Hades that I can't seem to shake. Just when I start feeling better...BAM, it knocks me upside the head again with a prehistoric, man-made piece of wood, that I imagine looks similar to Bam Bam's bat from the Flintstones.
When I feel crappy, I eat crappy.
When will I be able to overcome emotional eating? The more I ask myself this, the clearer the answer becomes. I won't. I will always struggle with this. Probably 'till the day I die. Even on my death bed, I'll be craving a freaking DQ Blizzard.
While I haven't flown the coop completely, I haven't done very well, either. Since my appointment with the Endocrinologist (about 6 weeks ago), I've lost about 12 lbs. Doesn't sound too bad, but I lost 9 lbs the first week after the appointment. Since then it's been coming off super slow. 3 lbs. in 5 weeks is ridiculous! Yeah, yeah...I lost. But, not up to my standards.
Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I expect too much of myself. I start out all in. Ready to crush my goals and laugh in their faces as I do it! Then, when I fall short of that expectation, I crash. I crash into my All-or-Nothing, downward spiraling state of mind. "Nothing" being the key word here. It's a problem that I'm very aware of. I've mentioned my All-or-Nothing mindset several times. I'm completely aware of it. I just don't know how to get past it. My mom is exactly the same way, so I know where I get it from. But, how do I change it?
And if I hear, "You just have to set your mind and do it." one more time, I swear....I will hurt that person. Like I haven't tried that before? That is so much easier said than done.
Sorry for my witchy mood. I'm a witch, today. What can I say?
Here's to hopefully having a non-crappy day and a non-witchy attitude tomorrow.
Yours truly,
The Crap-tastic Witchy Woman
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