Rough Draft Run

Today my friend Stephanie and I went to Marion, Iowa where our race will be in 2 weeks from tomorrow. We decided to run the course and time it. Our time for the 5K (3.1 miles) was 33.34 so we were just under an 11 minute mile. Not the best, but I have to say this. I ran the entire thing without walking. This is the first time in about 3 years that I've ran that far! Next week we will do it again to see if we can improve our time. Last time I did a 5K which was I think 3 years ago, my time was over 35 minutes, so I'm doing better already.

Starting to be serious

There is a time when running becomes easier, really. I thought it was a lie too.

For a few weeks I have ran off an on. About twice a week for a little over a mile or so. One day I actually went 2 1/2 miles, but it wasn't fun.

So last week a friend named Stephanie and I ran down the street a while and back after our Body Sculpt class. Found out later on it was 1.2 miles. So that was decent. Then last Wednesday Stephanie and I ran that distance again. On Monday we decided to run further. We went a total of 3.3 miles. Our goal was only 3.1 a 5K distance, but it ended up being a bit further than that. We did walk between a 1/2 to 3/4 mile of all that, but over all we were running most of it.

Today we only ran 2.1 miles, but again it was running almost the entire way.

On Friday we will both go to our race place and try to run the entire 3.1 miles and record our time. We are both hoping to do our race in 30 minutes or less, this would be just under a 10 minute mile. Then plan is to run at least 6 more times in the next 2 weeks because our 5K race is on May 15th at 8a.m. in Marion, Iowa.

This will be my first race in about 3 years, last one was in Columbus, Ohio with my sister and it was also a 5 K. I haven't ever enjoyed running, but I have to say when I was running this morning, I was smiling and I liked it!

Wish us luck.

The End of the Competition

Well it's finally the end.

My final weigh in was this morning. I weighed in at 139.8

So I lost a total of 6 pounds in 8 weeks for this little weight loss contest. Not the best considering that my goal was 2 pounds a week for a total of 16 pounds. However if you take into account that my heaviest weight was on January 15th, my weight loss has been 13.2 pounds, since on January 15th I weighed 153.0.

Sad to report, that I can't say that I ate the best. I ate better than usual, but not perfect. I exercised a bunch more by adding running to my schedule. Not a lot of running, but I did add at least 2-3 miles a week, with sometimes up to 6 miles a week.

Over all I lost almost 4 percent of my weight in this contest!

It's great to be in the 130's once again.

51

I didn't realize that I really was getting in super great aerobic shape. I mean I knew I was pretty fit, but with this whole weight loss thing never in my favor and all the charts saying I should be 15-25 pounds lower than I am, it kind of bums a person out.

I went to donate plasma on Friday and they also take all your vitals. Everything has to be in check to donate.

Your hematocrit levels have to be between a 38 and 52.

Your Protein levels have to be between a 6.0 and 9.0

Your blood pressure, temperature and pulse must also be in normal levels.

I've always had a high pulse and figured that was just me. Within the last year I've seen both a drop in blood pressure and a major drop in pulse. Here's a sweet example:

I used to average a blood pressure of 130 over 75 and 125 over 70 both great numbers

Well recently my blood pressure has been 115 over 65 or a tiny bit lower.

AND my pulse that used to be in the 90's all the time even sitting down. Has been coming down to the 60's and 70's in the last year. If I came in to donate plasma right after I had exercised, then I'd be in the 80's for a pulse, but if I hadn't exercised that day yet, then my pulse was in the high 60's to 70's.

However on Friday I came in, I had been up for about 4 hours, hadn't exercised yet, but I had eaten breakfast, ran around the house and been active. It was recorded as 51 on Friday.

The lady looked at me and said wow, you must be doing really well in getting fit.

I felt super great about that pulse.


So there you have it: I may not be what the charts say for weight for now, but my body is reacting to all this exercise and says in loud volumes, "You are healthy"

Maybe a little too much salt in my diet

This week I gained a pound, so I'm at 142.4

I was doing almost everything right with eating and exercise until this last week. It was Spring Break and not only did I snack a few times that I knew better, but we took Daniel to his favorite place for dinner for his birthday and he picked "Old Country Barfae" as I call it. I ate too much there and I had and ice cream sunday at our Church women's social.

Then on top of that I missed 4 Body Sculpt clases because they are on a sign up basis and because of Spring Break there weren't enough to take the class so it was cancelled. So between the snacks and less exercise I failed to loose weight I gained it.

Lucky me!

Excuses aside, it's time to get back to work.

Monday I walked fast/ran 2.5 miles total
Tuesday I taught Body Sculpt, went on the Eliptical machine for 10 minutes of hard intensity, then taught Zumba, then took another Body Sculpt class from my fitness coordinator to get ideas for my class.
Wednesday I taught Body Sculpt and then after ran 1 super fast mile at 10 minutes 9 seconds. (that's fast for me)

HOpefully this week will be the pound loss plus another pound to make up for last week.

Not as much as I hoped

So it's the 3rd week in the weight loss contest at Ladies Workout Express.

I got on the scale and was only down .4 pounds So over all I've only lost 4.4 in 3 weeks, but I guess that's better than gaining and it's better than nothing at all.

Last week those dang girl scout cookies came in and I ate my fair share. Then on Sunday I had promised to make several dozen cookies for Caleb's show choir thing and during making all those cookies I had plenty of tastes of cookie dough.

So really I'm lucky to have lost weight at all. So for now I'm 141.4

Maybe next week i can report better success!

Working hard to take it back off

One year and 5 months ago I weighed 137 pounds. This was the lowest I had ever been since having children. At that time I was eating exactly right and exercising.

All the charts say that I should be between 120 and 130 for my height. Back then I was in a weight loss contest with Jason and I was not dieting, instead I was paying attention to everything I took in, making better choices and exercising more each week.

After that last weigh in I had a bunch of stuff happen to me that changed me:

Serious emotional stress

Depression

loss of a job that totally crushed me because not only was it unexpected, but it was a permanent job loss with no hope of ever getting it back

Death of my Grandfather

Death of a friend from work

other stressful things in my life

Because of these things I let myself go. Over the course of 1 year and 5 months I gained 16 pounds. I still looked halfway decent, but I could tell this extra weight was on me.

8 weeks ago, I decided that this has to end, this emotional drama. So I started journaling my food intake again and my exercise. I knew once I did things right again I would feel better not only emotionally but physically. I read some things on weight loss and then started doing those things I know how to do to loose the weight.

The first 6 weeks I lost 7 pounds which put me down to 146.

Two weeks ago one of my fitness places that I work out at started a weight loss contest. It had a cash entry fee of $20 because at the end there are prizes to the top losers!!

So I did the weight loss thing. I payed the $20 and signed up. When I weighed in 2 weeks ago I was 145.8

Today was week two and I weighed in at 141.8 Awesome, I was thrilled for I have been working hard. I'm so glad to have lost 4 pounds in just 2 weeks. I'm going to work hard to have a total weight loss of 16 pounds for a final weight of 129.8 If I don't end up with a prize, then oh well, my prize will be the Non-tight jeans anymore and feeling better overall.

Since I already teach 4 all over body sculpting classes a week, 1 Step class per week, 4 Zumba classes per week, and 1 Body Pump class every other week, I knew I'd have to pick something completely different to shock the body into weight loss. I say this because when you are doing the same workouts over and over, week after week your body will just stay the same. So I figured by upping the workouts and eating better I'm sure to drop a few pounds hopefully.

So I've added treadmill work. On Saturday I walked a mile and in between the walk I ran 1.5 miles for a total of 2.5 miles on the treadmill.

Today I only had time for a short treadmill workout, so I ran very fast for a 9:52 minute mile. My fastest time ever, it was hard, but felt so good. I only did one mile at this pace. I'm not a runner usually. And for years I've actually hated running so this is a new thing.

I know my goal will only be met if I work harder than I have been . This is hard, but I would like to see if by doing the workouts that I should be doing and by eating right what weight I will end up at.

Wish me luck!

Must I weigh in?

I was recently at my OB's office for my fun Yearly appointment.

The first thing the nurse wanted to do was get my BP and weight. I didn't feel like letting them get my weight this year. In a bad mood I guess, but I figured, it's not like I'm pregnant and I weigh in twice a week anyway for the Plasma center so I know my weight.

I asked her what my weight was last year and then I told the nurse, "Great, my weight hasn't changed and I'm not getting on the scale."

The nurse looked at me like I was crazy, rolled her eyes and then directed me to the next room.

My doctor who happens to be in our ward, so we know him pretty well said, "I heard you are giving the nurse a bit of trouble. " and then he started laughing.


What I learned from all this is, they really don't care if they get your weight or not so if you don't feel like getting on that scale, DON'T.

Step Aerobics Launch

This past weekend we had our Step Aerobics Launch, this means we present a new release of 12-13 songs to our classes.

The pictures didn't turn out that great, but you get the idea.

Several Inches

I teach aerobics classes at two different gyms. One gym is called Ladies Workout Express. It is a small all Woman's gym.

I started teaching Zumba last November for two days during the week. By December the night Zumba class was thriving, but the morning class wasn't going so well, just not enough interest.

That was a bummer, but I continued to teach once a week. In January I decided that it would be great to teach something else there. I really liked the gym and the people. I presented my idea to the owner. I told her I wanted to do a Body Sculpting type class. I did a sample class and it was a hit. All the women seemed to love it and several signed up to come back. Since then I decided to call my class Total Body Sculpt. This is a class I have totally made up and it's different every time. I really enjoy it and my class does too.

Here's the coolest thing about this class:

Once a month the women get their measurements done, along with weight and body fat compositions. Every woman that has been faithful about going to class at least twice a week has been loosing inches. Lots of inches. Today one of the girls told me that she has lost 3 total inches in the last month. I was so excited for her. This is one story out of many that the woman have been reporting to me. I'm glad they are getting such great results. I hope it continues.