Strategy Update

I think I'm done with the bulk of my weight loss. Perhaps I'll get down another few pounds, but the majority is done. I've finished my 4 weeks on the thermogenic supplement, so I'm done with that now. I think it did help me lean down quite a bit, although I'm sure I could have gotten here without it, albeit perhaps a bit slower.

My main goals for December are to maintain the gains that I've made and then secondarily to lose perhaps another pound or 2. The beginning of January I'm going to hit it hard in preparation for my trapeze performance on the 16th.

I think December is going to be a tricky month. I need to figure out indeed how many calories I can take in without gaining weight. Also, Christmas and New Years are coming up - both of which are wrought with food temptations. I have to admit, it felt so good eating that Banana's Foster. If you're going to splurge, it might as well be something really incredible. Unfortunately, I've done my share of splurging for a while, so I need to get back into the groove. It tends to be easier diet-wise during the work week. I have my nutrition schedule, and it's easy to stick to, since I don't have much free time. Then, after work, I'm usually pretty busy with exercising.

I'm also going to need to be thinking about what comes after January. Do I take another trapeze class? Or perhaps the Lyra (similar to a trapeze, but it's a hoop in the air that you do tricks on)? Or am I finished beating my body up with aerial acrobatics? I don't know.

Sunday, Week 21 (with Progress Update)

My progress from this week has been unusual. I think I must have gained some muscle because although my weight went up, my measurements went down. I suspect the big dinner yesterday affected the weight in. Tomorrow, I'll bet my weight will be back down. It's been fluctuating quite a bit this week over the days.

Regardless, I don't look at this as a step back or anything. I do need to get my will power regarding eating cleanly under control a bit better again, though. This past week has seemed more of a struggle with that.

But, I have some interesting news to report. As I was preparing for my big night out, I got it in my head to try on some of my old dresses to see if they would fit. First, I tried on my wedding dress. It fit great! Then, I tried on my high school prom dress. It fit, too! Then, I tried on my 8th grade formal dress. Somehow, it fit as well - a bit tight to zip, but it fit. So, this means that I am back to the size that I was at least in high school. I had 2 big weight hover points back then 108 lbs and then 112 lbs - but I had much less muscle. I'll bet my body fat percentage is probably about the same as it was back then.

Progress:
Weight: 114.2lbs (137.8 baseline, 113.2 last week, up 1 from last week)
Waist: 25.5 inches (31.5 baseline, 25.75 last week, down .25 from last week!)
Below Waist: 27.5 inches (33.25 baseline, 27.75 last week, down .25 from last week!)

Food:
Breakfast: Egg Beater Omelet (100/16), Clementine (50/1)
Post Weights: IsoPure (75/18.75)
Lunch: Turkey (170/25) w/ 1/2 Asiago Cheese (40/2.5), Veggies (50/0), Salad (25/0)
Post-Run: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Dinner: Tilapia (98/21), 1/2 Baked Pot (55/1.5), 1/2 cup Creamed Spinach (60/1.5)
Post-Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75)
Snack: Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom (35/2), Shared Pie (120/1)

Total Calories: 1143
Total Protein: 126.5

Exercise:
Weights: Full Upper Body
Warm Up - Joint Rotations, Light Stretching
Assisted Chin 2/0, 10/35, 8/35, 6/30, 5/30
Assisted Dip 10/40, 10/40, 8/35, 6/30, 6/35
Bicep Curl 10/25, 8/27.5, 6/27.5, 5/30, 8/27.5
Lat Pull Down 10/50, 8/50, 6/55, 6/60, 6/60
Shoulders OP 20/20, 12+8/20, FR 20/10, 16+4/10, LR 20/10, 20/10, P 20/25
Chest Press 10/45, 8/45, 8/50, 5/55, 6/55

Treadmill - Fun Run, Varying Speed to Buffy Music, 4 mi, 40:20
Stretching

45 minute Ice Hockey Class

Gold's Gym Synopsis

I really enjoyed the 7-day pass at Gold's Gym. There were a lot of fun classes, and the gym has a lot to offer. I'm pretty sure I'm going to join.

My favorite cardio classes were the Body Step and Body Jam. The Spin class was excellent exercise, but it wasn't as much fun. The Zumba was lots of fun, but it wasn't as intense. So, the Step and the Jam were definitely my favorites.

I also enjoyed the mind/body classes - Yoga and Body Flow. They were low intensity classes, concentrating mostly on stretching and core strength. The music was relaxing, and I left the classes feeling loose and relaxed. But, these classes are not for high calorie burn. So, it all depends on what you're looking for. They're also helpful for improving balance and co-ordination.

As for the weights, I was most impressed with the abdominal and lower body weights. The upper body weights I have at home are just as good as the ones at the gym. (Granted, I have a really nice weight set.) But, the lower body and abdominal machines are far superior to what I have access to at home.

Swimming was really fun. I can definitely see doing that every week or so. The one drawback was the chlorine smell afterwards. Even after my bubble bath, I could still smell it on me. But, that's a small drawback. It was cool being able to see, though. This was my first time in a pool since my Lasik. I've been in ocean water but not pool water. Also, the hot tub jets gave an excellent water massage on my back, leg, and arm muscles.

Overall, I think Gold's Gym can provide me with lots of flexibility. You have to make sure to get to the classes early, though. They fill up quickly. I wouldn't NEED Gold's Gym to continue progressing with my fitness goals, but I think it will provide some fun variety to my workouts.

Saturday, Week 20

This was my last day with the Gold's Gym 7 day free pass. I took my very first spin class. It was a very intense class (probably because of the effort I put in - you control the resistance level and speed that you go). I don't think that I would want to "spin" too often, but it was a good change. The cool part about the class is that she turned out the normal lights, and there was a black light. So, everyone glowed. I liked that part. Then, I did some abdominal exercise and heavy stretching.

Tonight is a special night. I'm getting all dressed up and am going out for a date night! Dinner downtown and then to see the musical Cats. I have lots of choices for dresses now, since I'll be able to fit into everything! I'm very excited.

Food:
Pre-Post Workout: IsoPure (75/18.75)
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 turkey (20/4.25), Chicken (150/27), Broccoli (15/.5)
Dinner: Landry's - Shared Appetizer (Combo Shrimp and Mushroom Fondue/Spinach Artichoke Dip) (300/2), Salad (dry, as usual) (10/0), Braised Pork (215/32) w/ Asparagus (40/1) and Corn Grits (145/3.5), 1 Glass Zinfandel wine (100/0), Shared Banana's Foster (500/4) = 1310/42.5 (Rough estimates, could be way off.)

Total Calories: 395 + dinner = 1705?
Total Protein: 61 + dinner = 103.5?

Exercise:
60 minute Spin Class
Abdominal Weights:
Torso Twist: 30/10, 30/10
Abdominal: 50/10, 55/10, 60/20
Heavy Stretching

Friday, Week 20

Thanksgiving at our house was a success. It was a small, intimate gathering. Everyone seemed to have a good day, and it was stress free. I probably ate a lot less than I normally would have. I definitely drank much less (which is good). But, I did splurge some and even had some pie. But, today it's back to the routine. In fact, I'm going to go lower calorie today (targeting around 1000). Some of the estimates from yesterday could have easily been low, so I want to balance things out.

Going to the gym with my friend yesterday was a lot of fun. We even went swimming! It was more of a cardio workout than I had remembered. The gym had a lap pool with 3 long laps. Luckily, it wasn't crowded, so we were each able to get our own laps. I did all the strokes I could remember - normal, breast, butterfly, and the 2 back strokes (not sure of the names). I know there are more, but I never had much formal swimming training, so I don't know them. I might research on the internet.

Today, I'm going do the Body Jam class. I'm hoping it's a fun cardio workout. I rounded out blasting my back and bicep muscles yesterday, so it's definitely a cardio day. The only strength training I could see doing is abs. But, I'll probably wait for tomorrow on that.

Food:
Pre-Post Workout: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)
Breakfast: Salad (25/0), Turkey (170/25)
Snack: IsoPure (50/12.5), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (203/30.5), Clementine (50/1)
Dinner: Turkey (170/25) w/ 1/2 Asiago Cheese (40/2.5), Veggies (50/0), Broccoli (30/1)
Snack: Sweet Freedom Fudge Bar (35/2), Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)

Total Calories: 1068
Total Protein: 130

Exercise:
10 min Air Max Cardio Machine
Stretching
60 min Body Jam Cardio Class
60 min Body Flow Class
30 min dog walk
Treadmill - 25 min, 2.2 mi

The Body Jam Class was awesome. It was a great workout. Plus, it was fun. I was lucky to have someone who knew all the routines right in front of me, so I was able to catch on and really give it my all. Then, a lot of the people were going right into the Body Flow class, so I did that too. It was a good stretching/cool-down (although there were some intense pilates moves in there for the core, too).

Thursday, Week 20

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It should be a good day. My mother-in-law is coming over with a turkey and cranberry sauce. And, one of our friends is over, too. So, it will be 4 of us. I'm making many side dishes - creamed spinach, broccoli, stove top stuffing, salad, and a ham puff pastery appetizer. I also have 2 dessert options - lemon marangue pie and 100 calorie apple crisp. I'm not going to go crazy with food today, though. I'm going to stay within my normal calorie range for the day, with a few splurges mid-day.

Ugh, I think I might be getting sick. My voice is hoarse, and I have some congestion. That won't keep me down, though.

Our friend over is the one who convinced me to try out Gold's Gym, so we're going to go work out this morning. Back/biceps is my target and then we're going to swim some laps. I might try to get in a run later today downstairs. My calves are still blitzed, but my quads are still strong. This is the first time it has ever happened that way. I suppose it's from all the pilates and yoga.

Food:
Breakfast: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Pre-Post Workout: IsoPure (100/25)
Snack: Salad (25/0), 1 turkey (20/4.25)
Lunch: Thanksgiving Dinner - Turkey (150/25), 1/2 cup Creamed Spinach (60/1.5), Broccoli (30/1), Wine (100/0), 1/4 cup Stuffing (80/1.5)
Dessert: Apple Crisp (100/1)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)
Dinner: Turkey (150/25), Broccoli (30/1), 1/2 cup Creamed Spinach (60/1.5), Veggies (50/0), 1/2 wine (50/0)
Snack: Lemon Pie (200/0)

Total Calories: 1395
Total Protein: 104.75

Exercise:
13 min Air Max Cardio Warm-up

Back and Biceps Weights
Assisted Chin: 0/1, 40/10, 46/8, 52/5
Arm Curl: 30/10, 15/10, 30/8
Incline Pull: 50/10, 65/10, 75/10, 90/8
Back Extension: 50/10, 70/10
Biceps Curl: 30/10

30 minutes Swimming, minor stretching in pool after

Treadmill - 26 min, 2 mi

Wednesday, Week 20

Last work day before the Thanksgiving holiday. Today I'm going to try a Zumba class! It should be excellent cardio. And, tonight we're going out to Emporer's Wok for dinner and then to see the movie Twilight.

Food:
Breakfast: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Snack: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25)
Lunch: Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (203/30.5), 1/2 Baked Pot (55/1.5)
Snack: Clementine (50/1), Boca Burger (70/13)
Pre-Post Exercise: IsoPure (75/18.75)
Dinner: Emporer's Wok (targeting 600 calories/30 protein)

Total Calories: 688 + 600 = 1288
Total Protein: 87 + 30 = 117

Exercise:
50 minute Zumba class
25 minute Air Max Cardio Machine
Stretching

Tuesday, Week 20

I was wondering if I would be able to walk today after all the lower body work I've been doing lately. Luckily, I can still walk. I am fairly sore, though - especially in the hamstring/thighs. Today, I'm going to concentrate more on the upper body, as well as on stretching.

Oh, and my Body Step class last night was awesome! It was so much fun. Plus, I worked up a really good sweat. There was fun music, and the instructor was upbeat and fun. She even sang along to some of the music! The really good thing is that you can add additional height to the step, so you can always increase the intensity of the workout if it's too easy or decrease it if it's too hard.

Food:
Breakfast: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27),
Snack: Clementine (50/1), Fiber One Bar (140/2)
Pre-Post Exercise: IsoPure (100/25)
Dinner: Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (203/30.5), 1/2 Baked Pot (55/1.5), Broccoli (60/2)
Snack: Fudge Bar (50/3), Chocolate IsoPure (25/6.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1218
Total Protein: 137.5

Exercise:
45 minute Yoga Class at work

Chest/Triceps Weights:
Triceps: 50/10, 60/10, 70/10
Chest Press: 50/10, 55/10, 60/10
Fly: 30/10, 35/10, 40/10
Shoulder Press: 15/10, 15/8
Lateral Raise: 10/10, 10/10
Free Motion Chest Press: 30/10

60 minute Body Flow Class

Monday, Week 20

The workout variety was really good for me yesterday. My hamstrings and shoulder muscles are especially sore, so that's good. Today will be more of a cardio day. I'll be doing a step aerobics class tonight after work. This week I'm going to try to target 1200-1300 calories per day. I think I'll need the extra calories to support the extra workouts that I have planned. Somehow my yogurt didn't make it into my lunch bag today, so no yogurt for me today. I need to pay more attention while I'm packing my lunch. I just have so much to bring with me every day.

Ugh. Pilates on top of the leg work (especially the thigh weights) from yesterday made for a tough class. But, I suppose that's the idea. Pilates at work is usually very easy for me. I feel the burn now, though. Strangely enough, though, my abdominal muscles are still relatively un-sore. I wonder what I would need to do to change that. No use thinking about that right now, though. I still have to get through a 60 minute step class tonight after work. Hopefully, that will be very aerobic rather than muscle intensive. I'm going to need to work my upper body more tomorrow.

Food:
Breakfast: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), 1/2 Pork Chop (140/22), Clementine (50/1)
Snack: Pear (100/0), Fiber One Bar (140/2)
Pre-Post Exercise: IsoPure (100/25)
Dinner: Salmon (130/22), 1/2 Baked Pot (55/2), Cauliflower (30/1)
Snack: Skinny Cow (100/4), Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)

Total Calories: 1210
Total Protein: 123

Exercise:
45 minute Pilates Class
60 minute Step Class
Stretching

Gold's Gym

Ok! I'm back from Gold's Gym! It was a lot of fun. I did a LOT. There was a mix up regarding the initial appointment time, so I did some abs and lower body weights in the morning before the Power Yoga class. And, then I did the fitness assessment and sample personal training session. Needless to say, I'm pretty tired right now!

My body fat percentage was 20.5%, which is on target with what I was thinking it was. So, that was good validation of progress. At the wellness fair at work about a month or so back, it was a bit over 24%. This means that I'm definitely losing fat and not muscle.

Based on some of the internet body fat charts, athletes have a body fat percentage of 14-20% for women. I think I'm going to target 18%. From my calculations, that would probably put me at 110-112 lbs, depending on if I gain additional muscle while losing fat. It's unsafe for women to go below 10-12%, so I definitely don't want to go too extreme. But, even simply maintaining my 20.5% would be fine for the trapeze performance. My costume already looks good right now.

I was very impressed at Gold's Gym. It was very clean, and the people were all very nice. They offer a lot of good classes, too. The Power Yoga class was awesome. There was a separate studio room for it. There were dimmed lights and relaxing music. It was a more intense yoga class than at work - but that could have just been because it was 60 minutes rather than 45.

At the end of my trial free week, I might very well join up. It was a lot of fun, and there are lots of weights that I don't have at home. It would offer a lot of variety. I might drop the ice skating after these sessions are up, and take some classes at the gym instead.

Sunday, Week 20 (with Progress Update)

Wow! I was not expecting a 2 lb weight loss this week. I must be getting down pretty close to my goal weight now. For next week, I'll be happy if I simply maintain my current weight, perhaps with transferring some fat to muscle.

I think I'm getting pretty close to my ideal waist size. There's not much more fat there to lose. I do still have a bit to lose in my lower abdomen below the waist. And, I have a bit to lose in my hips and in my arms, though. I really hope that Gold's Gym has a way to measure body fat percentage today. I would love to get an accurate measure.

Like I was saying yesterday, this week I'm really going to mix it up. I'll be trying a lot of different classes at Gold's Gym, and I'll be doing different weights there as well as some swimming. It should be a good week for my body. Plus, hopefully the variety will be a lot of fun.

Progress:
Weight: 113.2lbs (137.8 baseline, 115.2 last week, down 2 from last week!)
Waist: 25.75 inches (31.5 baseline, 25.75 last week, down .25 from last week!)
Below Waist: 27.75 inches (33.25 baseline, 28 last week, down .25 from last week!)

Food:
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4), Clementine (50/1)
Post-Exercise: Chocolate IsoPure (110/25)
Lunch: Egg Beater Omelet (100/16), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Snack: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5)
Dinner: 1/2 Pork Chop (140/22), 1/2 Baked Pot (55/2), Cauliflower (60/2)
Post Ice Hockey Class: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)
Snack: Big Boca Burger (100/18), Jello (10/0)

Total Calories: 990
Total Protein: 123

Exercise:
Weights: Abs/Lower Body
Glutes 40/10, 50/10, 60/10 (both sides)
Hip Abduction: 40/10, 40/10, 50/10
Hip Adduction: 40/10, 50/10, 60/10
Incline Situps: 20
Abdminal: 50/20, 60/20
Torso Rotation: 30/20, 30/20

Stretching
60 minute Power Yoga

Personal Training Session:
10 minutes on this Air Max Cardio Machine - warmup
Circuit:
15 Squats with Ball against wall and 10 lb dumbbell curls
20 Lunge, Step Up, Press with 8 lb dumbbells
10 medicine ball pushups (5 with ball under each hand)
20 medicine ball situps
1 minute jumping rope
Did the circuit twice, 2nd time with 10 lb dumbbells on the Lunges one.

45 minute Ice Hockey Class

Gold's Gym Week

I signed up online for the 7 day free pass as well as a free fitness assessment for tomorrow at 9am. I called, since I didn't get a confirmation of the fitness assessment, and I'll be meeting with a trainer Frank tomorrow. I'll be able to do the fitness evaluation and then go to the Power Yoga class for 10am!

So, this should be pretty exciting! I made up a schedule for the week, based on the classes that this Gold's Gym offers. My friend is coming over for Thanksgiving, so maybe he'll go with me to work out on Thursday. Once you're a member, you can go to any Gold's Gym, I think.

Sat - Running, Ice Skating, Rock Climbing
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Sun - Personal Trainer Assessment 9am, Power Yoga 10-11am, Ice Hockey 7:30pm
Mon - Pilates at Work, Body Step 5:30 - 6:30
Tues - Yoga at Work, Chest/Triceps, maybe Swimming
Wed - Zumba 5:30 - 6:30, Yoga Stretch 6:30 - 7:30
Thurs - Back/Biceps, Swimming
Fri - Body Jam 9-10am, Swimming
Sat - Body Flow 10:15 - 11:15, Legs/Abs
---------------------------------------------------

Again, this is just a potential schedule. I'm ignoring my usual rest day, so I'll probably need to make the next week a lighter week. But, this will definitely change things up from the normal routine. It will give lots of variety for cardio, and I'm interested in doing the classes that focus on flexibility.

Strategy for the Week

I had been planning on mixing things up quite a bit this week, with a week pass from the Gold's Gym that a friend goes to. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, ice skating on Tuesday and trapeze on Thursday are both cancelled. But, it doesn't seem like my friend is interested in doing the whole Gold's Gym thing. I could do it on my own - the website offers a free one-week pass to anyone. I could go to the one close to my house. It offers different classes than the one near work that my friend goes to, but it could work. I wanted to try out several of the classes, and I wanted to use some different weight machines. And, I wanted to go swimming. Plus, I wanted to see if they could measure my body fat percentage for me again.

I figured it would be an awesome change to vary up my fitness routine. Also, today I'm planning on going rock climbing again. I'll bet that I'm able to climb so much better now that I'm in such better shape. I was thinking of getting a 10-pass punch card. I'll have a whole year to use it. Regardless, this week I definitely want to change things up.

Saturday, Week 19

It's the weekend again!

Food:
Pre-Run: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4), Pear (100/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Post-Ice Skating: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)
Lunch: Chicken (150/27), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2), Broccoli (30/1), Clementine (50/1)
Post-Rock Climbing: Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5), South Beach Bar (140/10)
Dinner: Tilapia (98/21), Broccoli (30/1), Apple (80/0), Pudding (60/2)
Snack: Jello (10/0), Chocolate IsoPure (55/12.5)

Total Calories: 1188
Total Protein: 131

Exercise:
Treadmill: 31:49, 3.5mi (6.6mph, last .05 mi at 7mph)
(Also, 2 min warm-up at 5mph, 2 minute cool-down walking at 3.5mph)
Stretching

Ice Skating Free Skate - 30 minutes
Rock Climbing - 10 climbs, climbed to the top 7/10 times, climbed to the top of 2 courses, much improved

9th Trapeze Class

My trapeze routine is really starting to come together! I'm actually believing that I will be able to do my entire routine by mid-January.

I arrived early to class (as usual). I changed into my blue costume, but I had brought all the costumes with me just in case. My instructor thought the blue costume was really pretty, but she wanted to see all the costumes on me. So, I put on a fashion show of sorts (at least that's what she said). She liked all of them, but she especially liked the black one and the blue one (my 2 favorites). So, I left the black one on to see how it would work on the trapeze. I had been concerned about that one since there was so much bare skin, and I didn't know if the costume would interfere with the tricks. As it turns out, it worked amazingly. There was no interference.

Later on in the class, I changed back into the blue costume to try it out. Pretty much the very first trick, after the double knee hang, I went to grab the bar with my hands, and I found that the skirt of the costume was completely covering the bar! So, that was a problem. I'm going to have to cut the skirt shorter to see if that will help. But, most likely I'll wear the black costume. The skirt kept falling down on the blue one when I was upside down.

My instructor said that I look very fit in the black one, and she liked that one the best. Another girl liked the blue one, saying that it looked really pretty while I was up on the trapeze. So, I'm going to give it one more shot after I cut the skirt down. But, most likely, I'll go with the black one.

So, I learned how to do the shoulder stand at class last night. It actually wasn't too difficult for me. You have to lift up into an upside down straddle (that's the hardest part), and then wrap your legs around the ropes. Then, you slide down so that the bar is on your neck/shoulders so that you're balanced. Then, you let go with your hands and extend your arms out. From there, I went into a straddle back balance. So, it made for a nice sequence. It was really cool. When I was doing the trick as part of my routine, she had me do it starting from a sit rather than a stand. Once I was upside down, she said that I was too low and that I wouldn't be able to do the trick. I thought in my head "I'm too low. No problem." And, I just muscled myself upwards into the correct position, almost effortlessly. I think she was impressed. I felt completely in control of my body.

I ran through almost the entire routine all in a row. I skipped the forward roll, though. And, I had a heavy spot on the ladybug at the end. So, I almost did the entire thing already. I just need to build up some additional endurance. And, I might wind up changing the ladybug to a crucifix for the end. It's a bit less strength intensive, but I think it would be just as effective of an end to the routine.

I practiced quite a bit on my own, too, while the instructor was working with the other students. And, then at the very end, I had the instructor spot me on the forward roll, so that I practiced that trick. It was sooooo much easier this week than the first time I did it. I have gained so much strength in the past couple of weeks. I didn't even hesitate or adjust my grip or anything. I just went, and was completely in control. I don't think I'll have a problem with that trick inside of the routine.

And, after the class, we did conditioning - 25 push ups and 30 crunches (although I did more like 50 crunches). We did heavy stretching before class, like always, and I did some stretching after class as well.

Also, we found out more about the performance night. We're going to perform as part of the 9:00pm show on Friday, Jan 16th. We'll have a dress rehearsal during our Thursday class the night before. The show itself is free, but people will have to pay for admission to the City Museum. It's apparently open until 1am on Friday nights! And, we can invite as many people as we want. We're going to get a couple of vouchers for free admission to the museum, so that will be helpful. I'm thinking that I'm going to try to get video and pictures on the night of the dress rehearsal as well as on the night of the performance. That way I'll have more than one chance to get a great performance. My husband is on board with that, and hopefully I'll see if my other friend can come Thursday night as well to take pictures. That way I'll have both pictures and video.

But, this is really going to happen! It's very exciting. No class next Thursday for Thanksgiving, so we'll have a break.

Friday, Week 19

There are several scenarios for today (or maybe more), depending on where we go to dinner. We wound up going to Macaronni Grill, which was good. I had the "Skinny Chicken" dish, which is tasty. But, I was still hungry after the meal was over. But, that's been typical lately. I suppose it's because I never eat a "big" meal anymore. The glass of wine was bigger than normal, too, and it left me feeling a bit tipsy (almost in a bad way). My tolerance for alcohol is way down. Any more than a glass is too much for me now.

The movie Twilight that we were going to go see was sold out. It was just as well anyway, though, because I was out like a light once we got home early. I'll really need to go see the movie earlier. A 9:30pm showing is not a good idea for me. Maybe we can go during the day on Thursday or Friday, since we have off from work for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: Boca Burger (70/13), Clementine (50/1)
Dinner: Skinny Chicken (330/42), Wine (150/0), Bites of appetizer (100/.5) - Macaroni Grill
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)

Total Calories: 1270
Total Protein: 133

Exercise:
Rest Day!
30 minutes of walking at lunch

Thursday, Week 19

I got home really late yesterday, after doing that presentation for work. So, I didn't do any additional cardio. My trapeze costumes had arrived, so I wanted to try them all on. Amazingly, all of them fit well and were flattering. I wound up trying each one on multiple times, trying to decide. I think I've decided on which one I'm going to use. I'm not firmly settled, but I am leaning in one direction. I brought them all with me today, though, so that my instructor can take a look.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), Pear (100/0)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: Pork (120/23), Clementine (50/1)
Pre-Trapeze: Fiber One Bar (140/2)
Post-Trapeze: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Sole (90/21), Broccoli (30/1)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1040
Total Protein: 124.25

Exercise:
90 minute trapeze class

Wednesday, Week 19

Yesterday sucked as a day on the whole. I almost threw my plan out the window after I got home from work. My husband had suggested pizza (jokingly), and I actually considered a night of pizza and wine. I didn't feel like going to ice skating. Plus, it was too late to get my blades sharpened before class. I wasn't really wanting to use the rental skates, which were my only other option.

But, I sucked it up and stuck to the plan. I had my pork, veggies, and 1/2 baked potato for dinner. I went to ice skating and used the rental skates. They sucked, but not as bad as my blades would have been since I messed them up on Sunday. I started learning backwards crossovers. So, it was good that I went. I didn't particularly have "fun", but I'm not sure I would have had "fun" regardless.

Tonight, I have a Web Technologies presentation over at a local university's computer club. I'm all set. My presentation materials are on cd, so I should be good to go. I fit into my size 3 business suit this morning, which is my favorite one that I haven't been able to fit into in I don't know how long.

I brought my own water into work today - tons of it to make my hot tea and to have to drink plain. It was heavy to carry. I'm not sure when I'll trust the water at work again. They sent out a company wide e-mail saying the water was safe to drink, blah, blah. But, that was a different story from what my husband heard yesterday. So, I don't know. I'm going to bring my own water at least until the end of the week.

Oh, and today is food day at work. There are Krispie Cream donuts and tons of other pasteries in the microwave room. Just another set of temptations to be avoided. I brought Fiber One bars again. I didn't see any fresh fruit, though. Maybe they'll have some later this morning.

I'm going to take it easy tonight regarding exercise. I might do some light cardio while watching the Biggest Loser. I might not do anything, though. Maybe I can get some stretching in. I still feel off this morning.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Snack: Fiber One Bar (140/2)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Pork (120/23)
Snack: WW Salisbury Steak (200/19), Clementine (50/1), 3 Muskateers Mini (25/0)
Post-Presentation: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Salmon (130/23), Pudding (60/2), Jello (10/0)

Total Calories: 1055
Total Protein: 109

Exercise:
2 - 10 minute walks at work, walking at a university

Tuesday, Week 19

Today, a lady who works at my company (she actually sits in the cubicle next to my husband) got hit by a car (they think another employee at our company was driving). She was walking from the parking lot across the highway from the office building. She was correctly walking with the cross-walk light. The driver had a green light but was turning left. So, he was clearly in the wrong. She was pregnant, due in March.

I've walked that same path countless times. If my husband hadn't dropped me off at my building this morning, I could have been walking that path around the exact time of the accident. One of Tyree's co-workers actually witnessed the accident and had to talk to the police. It makes me feel ill, the tragedy of it all. Two entire families lives have just been altered irrevocably, and all they were trying to do was go to work.

People get complacent. And, they get careless. I know I've been getting complacent about safety. There are things that you simply can't control (such as getting hit by a car), freak accidents like that. But, there are things that you can control (such as being as small as I am, playing in an ice hockey game). I need to give a bit more thought to decisions that I make. Certain risks serve no purpose. Life is fragile.

Ugh. I just found out that a water main broke at work and that the water has been contaminated. No wonder it tasted bad. I thought I was getting sick and that my taste was just off. So, I've been drinking bad water all morning... This has NOT been a good day so far. On a good note, though, it seems as though the woman at work (as well as her baby) is going to be ok. So, that is VERY good.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: Boca Burger (70/13), Clementine (50/1)
Dinner: Pork (120/23), Cabbage (70/1), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2), Pudding (60/2)
Post Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)
Snack: Skinny Cow Fudge Bar (100/4)

Total Calories: 1115
Total Protein: 124.5

Exercise:
45 minute Yoga Class
30 minute Ice Skating Class

First Ice Hockey Game

If you'll notice Sunday's post, I played in an hour long ice hockey game. A bunch of us chipped in and rented the rink for an hour. We split into 2 teams and played an actual game. I'm not sure what the final score was, but I think my team scored more goals than the other team (mostly because our goalie was amazing). She (note, I said she) blocked almost everything that came at her. She couldn't have been much more than 13 years old, but she plays on a league. She was fully decked out in the massive goalie padding, and it was crazy how many pucks she blocked.

I don't really think that I played any position in particular in the game. I don't really know any of the positions (besides the goalie), nor do I really know the rules of ice hockey. We were able to rotate out so that 2-3 of us were always on the bench. I played probably 45 minutes of the time (if you can really call what I did playing).

Playing ice hockey was pretty much the most prolonged terrifying activity that I've ever done. The experience was terrifying from pretty much the moment I got onto the ice. There were so many of us on the ice at one time. And, it started out with about a 10 minute warm-up, where there were about 20 pucks out on the ice, people skating and shooting every which way. I felt like I was in a battle field, just trying to dodge the people and pucks.

The game started, and they set me up as a "forward" and told me that the center guy was going to shoot the puck my way right after the drop. Luckily (in my opinion), the other team got the jump on the drop, so the puck went the other way. My first rule of the game was to Not Die. My second rule of the game was to Not get run over. My third rule of the game was to pass the puck to a teammate as fast as possible whenever it came to me so that I wouldn't get converged upon. These guys were absolutely crazy! There were guys flying by me so fast. I did a ton of self-talk during the game. "Don't die" was a common mantra. So, was "Oh, God!" I also did some good visualizations of making myself smaller to avoid getting run over. There were some pretty close calls, as I jumped out of the way. It was a blur of jerseys. Luckily, it was easy to know who was on my team vs who was not as well as knowing which end of the rink was my team's goal. So, I didn't make any stupid mistakes like shooting the puck in the wrong direction or to someone on the other team.

To tag in and out of the game, it was very unstructured. You just kind of went to the side, climbed over the half wall, and someone took your place. Likewise, to get back in, you had to climb over the wall onto the ice. I would have been content to stay on the sidelines more, as I can't imagine I really helped my team out very much. But, it seemed like whenever I tagged out, someone was there before I knew it to put me back in the game. I think my eyes must have been wide with terror pretty much the entire time. Luckily, no one could really see past your helmet.

I definitely remember wondering what I had really gotten myself into. Plus, one guy pummeled into another guy, knocking him over the half-wall!!!! I'm still having flashes of that moment. And, guys were crashing into each other left and right. It was the most insane thing I've ever experienced. It was definitely the most dangerous sporting activity I've ever done. I'm so little. I could just imagine getting clobbered. I did my job well, though. I avoided all injury during the game. After it was over, they said I did really well, and they want me to play again next week. Yeah... Uh huh... No... I was extremely lucky last night, but I don't have a death wish. If I play every week, it's only a matter of time until I get creamed.

The good thing was that I was extremely maneuverable on the ice. I was able to evade quite proficiently. So, my skating ability was not a problem or a hinderance. My level of terror was a huge issue. Personally, I think it was probably a good thing. My survival instincts definitely took over.

After the game, my husband came out and took some video of the ice hockey lesson. Unfortunately, right before the lesson I was trying to show him where to go to get into the bleachers. I didn't realize that I was stepping out onto the tile. So, foomp. I came crashing down. Luckily, I was wearing my girdle, so I wasn't injured too much. Just jostled quite a bit. But, it messed up the blade on my right skate, so it kept sliding out on me. It will be fixed once I get my blades re-sharpened, but I wasn't able to skate to my full ability for the video because of it. So, I'm going to have to get him to come out again to take more video. The video he did take had some good moments, though. It shows me scoring a goal in one of the drills. So, that was cool. Once we edit it down a bit, I'm going to try to post some of the video to this site. Leave it to me, though. The injuries I get from ice skating/ice hockey are never when I'm actually on the ice. Very ironic.

But, to sum up. Ice hockey is extremely terrifying. I'm glad I experienced it. But, I don't think I will ever do that again. I definitely do not have a death wish. I was very lucky last night.

Monday, Week 19

It's been an absolutely crazy, busy day at work today. So, today begins my speed interval running training. I'm going to do .25 mi at a really fast speed, with .25 mi recovery jogs. Plus, I'll do a good warm-up and cool-down of jogging. This will work the muscles differently than my normal long run at a constant speed. I was reading about different types of running training, so I think this will be good. Plus, it should mix things up a bit and give me some variety in my runs.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), 5.8oz Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (205/30.5), Clementine (50/1)
Snack: Soy Beans (100/8), Pear (100/0)
Post Run: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)
Dinner: Sole (90/21), Cabbage (70/1)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1110
Total Protein: 125.5

Exercise:
45 minute Pilates Class
Treadmill - Intervals, 3.65 mi, 35 min (top speed 8.5mph)
Heavy Stretching

Trapeze Costume

I had no luck at either of the stores that I went to yesterday. Between both stores, there was only 1 real "costume", and it didn't work for me. I did learn something, though. I fit very well into a variety of adult size small leotards. Also, I learned that I don't like ones that have a scoop back (not enough support).

So, I decided my best bet was online. I went to several websites, but I had success with pumpers.com (a site that my trapeze instructor recommended). It was a crazy time consuming process. How did I know what would look good on me? The costumes were all in the $80-$90 range, so I didn't feel like spending so much on something that might not work. Plus, there were so many choices - what fabrics, what styles. Then, I saw the clearance section. That was a godsend for me. There was a limited selection, with pre-defined colors. There were a number of possibilities in Adult Small. And, the best part was that they were 1/3 of the price of non-clearance costumes. So, I bought 4! It cost less than the price of 2 regularly priced costumes. And, I'll have a selection, so something is bound to fit and be flattering on me.

http://www.pumpers.com/Arquan/ArCart/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductID=4603
http://www.pumpers.com/Arquan/ArCart/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductID=4609
http://www.pumpers.com/Arquan/ArCart/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductID=4655
http://www.pumpers.com/Arquan/ArCart/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductID=4573

These are the costumes I bought. I'm not sure how much longer the links will work, since they are on clearance. The bad part is that the site says that the ship date is Dec 12th. So, I called and left a voicemail and e-mailed to see if I can get them shipped sooner. Since they're on clearance, I would imagine that they're already made and ready to go. I e-mailed my instructor, and she thinks they're all beautiful and that one is bound to work out.

It was a stressful process. But, I'm so glad I found that clearance section. Otherwise, it was too much of all my eggs in one basket. I spent probably a couple of hours scouring the web trying to find a costume. So, I'm glad this process is finished!

Sunday, Week 19 (with Progress Update)

I'm getting closer to my goal weight now, although I'm still not exactly sure what my goal weight is. I think I've lost fat in my thighs this week. My husband noticed (and I did as well) that they are visibly smaller. Also, I think I've gained some additional upper body strength from the trapeze class. We'll see how my weights go today.

Last night, I felt a bit of congestion and itchy/watery eyes. So, I'm hoping that I'm not getting sick again. The weather's been in such a state of flux, though (warm, cold, warm, cold). I think it's been messing with people. Hopefully it won't interfere with anything.

As I said, I'm going to be targeting 1100-1200 calories per day this week. Hopefully, that will keep my metabolism going strong and will help with energy levels. I also might tone down the exercising during the week a bit as a recovery week for my muscles.

Progress:
Weight: 115.2lbs (137.8 baseline, 116.2 last week, down 1 from last week!)
Waist: 25.75 inches (31.5 baseline, 26 last week, down .25 from last week!)
Below Waist: 28 inches (33.25 baseline, 28 last week, same as last week)

Food:
Post-Weights: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75), Milk (20/2)
Breakfast: Egg Beater Omelet (100/16), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Chicken (150/27), Stir Fry Veggies (30/1)
Dinner: 5.8oz Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (205/30.5), Cabbage (70/1), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2)
Snack Between Ice Skating: Wendy's Small Chili (220/17)
Post-Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1140
Total Protein: 135.25

Exercise:
Weights: Full Upper Body
Warm Up - Joint Rotations, Light Stretching, Hand Stands
Assisted Chin 1,1,1,2/0, 10/35, 8/35, 5/30, 5/32.5
Assisted Dip 10/40, 10/40, 8/35, 4/30, 7/35
Bicep Curl 10/25, 10/25, 6/27.5, 4/30, 8/27.5
Seated Row 10/50, 8/50, 6/55, 6/60, 8/55
Shoulders OP 20/20, 16+4/20, FR 20/10, 20/10, LR 20/10, 20/10, P 20/20
Butterfly 10/20, 8/20, 6/20, 4/20, 6/20
Push-Ups 10, 5
Superman Holds (in seconds) 40/30/25/20
Abs - 20 4-point crunches

1 hr Playing Ice Hockey (our group rented the rink)

45 minute Ice Hockey Class

I did unassisted pull-ups again today. I was able to do 2 in a row, gripping inward. Otherwise, I was able to do 1.5 gripping outward. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more each week.

Saturday, Week 18

Ok. So, I lied. I decided to run today even though I said I wasn't going to. After the hearty dinner last night, I woke up feeling energized. So, I figured I would take a run. Also, I read in my running magazine that people running 5K races typically do 20-25 miles a week. I'm way under that. So, I figured that 2-3 runs a week is definitely not too much. Of course, I'm doing a ton of cross-training, too. I'm not sure that I have a goal of than many miles a week. But, perhaps I can work up to 10 miles per week.

Today, I'm going to 2 places to see if I can find a trapeze costume. Wish me luck!!!

Food:
Pre-Run: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Post-Run/Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4), Clementine (50/1)
Snacks While Costume Shopping: IsoPure (50/12.5), South Beach Bar (140/10)
Lunch: Egg Beater Omelet (100/16), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Post-Tae Bo: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Salmon Filet (202/34.5), Cabbage (70/1), Stir Fry Veggies (30/1)
Snack: Jello (10/0), Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1097
Total Protein: 131.5

Exercise:
Warm-Up: Joint Rotations, 1 min walking, 4 min jogging at 5mph. Calf stretches.
Treadmill: 3.5 mi @ 6.6mph, 31:50. Good run. Had a loose stride, which was helpful. Mile 2-3 was the hardest. Once I hit 3mi, I had a late surge of energy, so I ran to 3.5mi.
Cool-Down: 4 mins walking, 20 high kicks each leg, moderate stretching
Abdominal: Sets of 20 and 10 - 4 point crunches
24 minute Tae Bo Transformation DVD

Check In for Today

I have been absolutely starving today. I'm not sure what's up. I'm glad I'm planning on a really nice dinner tonight. I think my body must be clamoring for more calories. I think I'm going to have to increase my calorie intake a bit in the upcoming week. Hopefully, that will solve the problem. I've also had a real lack of energy today. Perhaps it's because of beating up my body so much at trapeze class last night, though.

Also, I'm wondering if I haven't been getting enough fat in my diet. I do take an omega supplement every few days. Plus, I have salmon about once a week. Otherwise, though, my diet is very low fat.

It's so confusing to know exactly what to do. Thus far, I guess I must be on the right track. My weight loss has been at a healthy rate, and I've gained a ton of strength and cardiovascular fitness as well.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

I think I'll probably try to target 1150-1250 calories/day next week. That's about 100-200 more/day than I've been doing this past week. That plus today's approx 1380 should do the trick.

Perhaps I'm simply over-training, though.

With Thanksgiving week coming up, I think I'm going to be getting a one week free pass to Gold's Gym to work out with a friend. That would be really good. I think my current exercise routine is getting to be repetitive. It would be really good to change things up (swimming, different exercise classes for cardio, new weights, etc). I think that will be really useful.

8th Trapeze Class

As you probably guessed from my Friday post, trapeze class stepped up another level again. Man, am I sore! I wish I had an ice pack taped to my right neck/shoulder area. I put my body through a beating last night. Ok. Enough wining. That will get me nowhere.

The good news is that I have a preliminary routine choreographed. It's a pretty intense set of tricks, so I'm possibly being over ambitious. I will definitely need to build up some additional stamina to be able to do it all. I have no idea of how long the entire sequence takes to do (because I didn't go through the entire thing yet). I would bet it might be around 3 minutes, although that's a simple guess.

Routine:
Front Pullover Sequence (Beat to Front Pullover, Front Balance, Catcher's Hang)
Beats to get hands apart (since they will be together coming out of the Catcher's Hang)
Split Under the Bar
1 Knee Hang
Free leg around straight into 2 knee hang
L-Up
Free Handed Hammock
Pull Up to Squat
Double Arm Flag
Sit and Style (seated sideways)
Shoulder Stand
Straddle Back Balance
Angel Sequence (angel, reverse angel, 4 hang, ankle hang)
Transition to stand (perhaps do standing split?)
Forward Roll
Ladybug

Some of the major concerns that I have about my routine are as follows:
1. I'm not sure about after the catcher's hang, doing the beats (swinging), while moving my hands apart so that I can go into the next trick. I'm not sure that will look graceful. So, I'll have to see about that one.
2. The Free Handed Hammock is difficult on the more narrow bar, since my back is longer than the bar. That's where I hurt my neck/shoulder so much. But, after the "bad" time, I tried again, and it was better, so perhaps it will work out fine.
3. I still haven't actually done the shoulder stand trick yet, so hopefully that one will work for me. That will be the first thing I learn next week.
4. Will I have enough stamina to be able to do this entire routine, especially with the Ladybug at the end? (That's the trick where I'm curled up in a ball, holding on with 1 hand.)

Luckily, I still have several months to keep gaining strength. Already in just the past 2 weeks, I've seen dramatic improvement. Between additional strength and losing the remaining extra weight, hopefully it will be enough to allow myself to do this routine. I might change my running strategy from long sustained runs to high intensity intervals of 5 minutes in length (with recovery breaks in between). If I can train my body to expend tremendous amounts of energy over a 5 minute period, perhaps this will help me build the necessary stamina to make it through my routine. So, instead of running at 6.5mph for almost 30 minutes, I can start running at 7mph - 8mph and perhaps beyond in 5 minute intervals, and then have 2-3 minutes of recovery at maybe 5mph.

Also, there are 3 weeks where we're going to be on break from trapeze class - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I'm thinking of trying to schedule a private lesson somewhere between Christmas and New Year's, since 2 full weeks off is a lot, especially so close to the performance. If I can get in an hour private lesson the last week in December, I think that would be very helpful.

This weekend, I'll be on costume patrol. I might have found one already online. It's hard, though, since I can't try it on. Plus, I don't think I can return it if it doesn't fit. So, that's a tough one.

Friday, Week 18

Oww. Owww. And, more owwww. Man, my body is sore from trapeze class - the right side of my neck/shoulder area especially. Plus, I have these red marks near my neck, going across my back where the rope and bar hit. I'm pretty sure it was from the free-handed hammock trick on the narrow trapeze bar. My hands are about on par for normal the day after trapeze class. But, it's worth it. More about trapeze class in a separate post.

I'm very glad it's a rest day (although I forgot about that part this morning - hence the crunches). I want to go higher calorie today to mix things up with my metabolism, so I figured dinner out would be a nice change. Plus, hopefully it will be relaxing and fun.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: Boca Burger(70/13), Clementine (50/1)
Dinner: Saganaki (40/1), Lamb Shank (200/30), Veggies (50/0), Rice (50/0), Small Baklava (175/2), 1/2 Wine (50/0) + 100 calories misc for undercalculations
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1380
Total Protein: 127.75

Exercise:
20 4-point crunches (oops), Light Stretching
Rest Day!!!!!

Thursday, Week 18

Things have been going well this week. Thursdays are my favorite day, with my trapeze class. I love progressing. Plus, now that I have my music selected, I'm going to be started on building my routine. this week I've been a bit lax with my stretching. I'll need to work on that more next week. At least I get good stretching in yoga and in trapeze class. I have stretched some every day. But, I need to get my side split flexibility better. I should be doing the high kicks every day for dynamic stretching, too. The good thing is that once I'm past the fat loss concentration phase, I can focus more on flexibility.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), WW Chicken Santa Fe (140/20)
Snack: Pear (100/0)
Pre-Trapeze: South Beach Bar (140/10)
Post-Trapeze: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Misquette Chicken (170/30), Broccoli (60/2)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1100
Total Protein: 126

Exercise:
20 4-point ab crunches
90 minute trapeze class

Wednesday, Week 18

My knee is feeling better today, so that's good. I'm definitely NOT going to run on it until Monday, though, just to be safe. After work today, I'm going to get a massage, so that will be awesome for my muscles. Hopefully, it will have me loose for tomorrow's trapeze class. For exercise today, I'm going to use the elliptical machine while I watch the Biggest Loser episode from last night. It should be a good day.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: HC Minestrone Soup (210/8), Clementine (50/1)
Post-Massage: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Tilapia (110/23), Broccoli (60/2)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1070
Total Protein: 125

Exercise:
Walk into work
35 minutes - Elliptical Machine
Light Stretching

Official Race Results Posted

The official 5K race results have been posted online:
http://www.fentonmo.org/docs/Great%20Gobble%20Race%20Results%2011-08-08.pdf

If I had been in the 20-29 year old age group, I would have won 3rd place, since I was faster than the 3rd place winner of that group! Dang. Just a bit over a month too old! :-)

Regardless, I came in 6th in my division (out of 11 people). So, I was right in the middle of my group. I was thinking that I had been farther towards the back of the pack. So, that was a pleasant surprise.

Tuesday, Week 18

My right knee has been acting up again. It's probably from running on the hard pavement for the 5K race plus the heavy treadmill running last night. I'm going to take a break from running through the weekend, so I'll be switching to alternate cardio activities. That's the good thing about fitness. There's always something that you can do if one body part is stressed too much.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75) w/ Milk (20/2)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: IsoPure (50/12.5), Pear (100/0)
Post-Weights: Pudding (60/2), Soy Beans (100/8)
Post-Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)
Dinner: Tilapia (110/23), Broccoli (60/2)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1060
Total Protein: 123.75

Exercise:
40 minute yoga class

Warm-Up: Joint Rotations, Light Stretching, and 20 high kicks with each leg
Lower Body Weights/Abdominal
4 Point Abs - 20 reg, 16 oblique
Leg Press 10/85, 10/95, 8/95, 6/105, 8/95
Leg Extension 10/25, 10/25, 10/27.5, 8/30, 8/30
Regular Leg Lifts 40, 28, 20, 14
Weighted Ab Press 20/35, 20/35
Lunges 20/20
Squats 20/20
Crunches, Bicycle 30 of each
3 V Holds

Heavy Stretching After
30 minute Ice Skating Lesson

Trapeze Song Decision!

I've made my decision about my trapeze song. It became crystal clear on the drive to work today. I'm going to do Angel by Sarah McLachlan. I captures the essence of everything that I want to do with my performance. I can already envision a number of moves to the music. And, I think I can find a costume that will be amazing for it. I want to be the epitome of beauty, elegance, grace, and strength. This song is perfect for what I want to do. The song has a powerful message, too. It fits everything that I want to project.

Monday, Week 18

I scheduled an hour long massage for Wednesday after work. I wanted to get one today (actually I was scheduled for one for Saturday), but it hasn't worked out. The massage therapist was sick on Saturday, so I'm going to a different location for one this week. But, she was only there until 4pm today, so that wouldn't work. And, Tuesdays are crazy, with ice skating and all. But, Wednesday will work out great. I can't wait.

The past 2 weekends have been so intense physically. I've stepped up my game so much. The results have been evident, though. I'm probably going to need to tone it down here pretty soon. My body is going to need the recovery time.

One good thing is that for the second time in a row, I was able to stop an on-coming leg cramp in my calf muscle. I've never been able to do it before, but this morning was the second time I've stopped one. I just forced my leg out straight, pushing through the heel. It stopped the cramping right away.

Food:
Breakfast: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), 5.8oz Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (203/30.45)
Snack: Boca Burgers (70/13), Clementine (50/1)
Post-Run: Kashi Waffle (85/4), Sugar Free Syrup (20/0)
Dinner: Turkey Tenderloin (200/38), Broccoli (30/1)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1098
Total Protein: 138.95

Exercise:
50 minute Pilates Class
Treadmill: 3.1 mi (5K), 28:32
Stretching

Progress Photo

This is a picture from this morning. You can actually see my abdominal definition. This is me at 116.2 lbs.

First Pull Up Ever!!!!

For the longest time, I've had the goal of being able to do an un-assisted pull up. Even during my last fitness journey, I didn't quite reach that goal. Throughout high school and college, I was never able to do even a single one.

This morning marked the first time ever that I have done a pull-up, completely unassisted. For it to count, I first jumped up so that my chin was above the bar. I held there for a second or two. I went all the way down, and then I brought my body all the way back up so that my chin was above the bar.

I did this twice (NOT 2 in a row). I did it once on my own. And, then I did it once with my husband witnessing.

It was such a rush to be able to accomplish this. I'm not sure that I ever truly believed that I would succeed in this goal. But, I did it, and it feels amazing.

Summary of Progress

I've been at this for a while now. I think it's time to take a look back to see how far I've come. Here is a chart summarizing my progress over the past 17 weeks.
17 weeks (119 days): Total Weight Loss: 21.6 lbs Total Waist Lost: 5.5 inches Total Below Waist Lost: 5.25 inches
Start of Week:	Baseline	2	3	4	5
Weight:	137.8	134.8	135.4	134.2	135.8
Waist:	?	31.5	31.25	31	31
Below Waist:	?	33.25	33.25	33	33
Start of Week:	6	7	8	9	10
Weight:	132.8	130.8	130	126.4	126.2
Waist:	30.25	29.75	29.25	29.2	29
Below Waist:	32.75	32.75	32.75	32	32
Start of Week:	11	12	13	14	15
Weight:	125.4	125	123.2	121.8	120.6
Waist:	28.5	28.5	28	27.75	27
Below Waist:	31.75	31.75	31.25	29.75	29.75
Start of Week:	16	17	18	19	20
Weight:	119.8	118.6	116.2
Waist:	27	26.75	26
Below Waist:	29.75	28.75	28

Race Raffle Prize - Usana Health Pak 100

Holy Crap! The prize that I won at the race for the raffle is worth $128!

http://shop.usana.com/shop/jsp/onlineServices/shop/ProductDetail.jsp?ts=1226240743188&sessionId=AFC25B5AAAAD44443E69668F44B57312.worker4

http://products.usana.com/en/products/us/essentials/health_pak.shtml

Apparently Usana is a super high end vitamin/nutritional supplement company. At least that's what the price suggests. That's crazy! Wow! I won a really good prize. Considering that I only paid $20 to enter the race (and I got a t-shirt out of that), this was pretty awesome! I can't wait to use this. At that price, I can't see buying more, but I'll definitely take advantage of it while I have it. If I take 1 packet per day rather than 2, this will last me 2 months.

Sunday, Week 18 (with Progress Update)

Another week down! I am now down lower than my Hawaii trip weight. So, I have exceeded that weight loss journey. Plus, I think my body fat is probably a fair amount lower, too. I can see quite a bit of definition in my abs. I'm possibly in the best shape that I've been in since college. In the next month, I should be getting to my goal weight of 112. Once there, I'll have to see if I have any more weight to lose, or if I need to switch to a maintenance mode.

Progress:
Weight: 116.2lbs (137.8 baseline, 118.6 last week, down 2.4 from last week!)
Waist: 26 inches (31.5 baseline, 26.75 last week, down .75 from last week!)
Below Waist: 28 inches (33.25 baseline, 28.75 last week, down .75 from last week!)

Food:
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Post-Weights: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)
Lunch: Chicken (150/27), Broccoli (30/1)
Snack at Circus: South Beach Bar (140/10)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Post-Tae Bo: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)
Dinner: 5.8oz Tyson's Beef Shoulder Filet (203/30.45), Broccoli (60/2), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2)
Post-Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1068
Total Protein: 127.95

Exercise:
Weights: Full Upper Body
Warm Up - Joint Rotations, Light Stretching, Hand Stands
Assisted Chin 1/0, 1/0, 10/37.5, 8/37.5, 6/35, 4/32.5, 5/35
Assisted Dip 10/45, 8/40, 6/40, 4/32.5, 5/35
Bicep Curl 10/25, 9/25, 7/27.5, 4/30, 8/25
Lat Pull Down 10/45, 8/50, 7/55, 4/60, 8/55
Shoulders OP 20/20, 15+5/20, FR 20/10, 20/10, LR 20/10, 18/10
Chest Press 10/45, 9/45, 7/50, 4/55, 7/50
Push-Ups 7, 5
Superman Holds (in seconds) 40/30/25/20
Abs - 1 set of 16 4-point crunches, 1 set of 16 4-point crunches obliques
Heavy Stretching After Weights

Tae Bo Acceleration DVD - 19 minutes

45 minute Ice Hockey Class

Party Food Temptations

I experienced my toughest personal temptation challenge at the party that my husband and I went to last night. It was an election celebration party (although the party conversations didn't really center on politics - it was more like a generic adult party).

I planned to have 1 glass of wine, and to skip all the food, since party food is typically all bad (health-wise). I succeeded on the wine front, although the glass I was served was huge - more like 1.5 glasses. So, I went over 50 calories there, which was fine. It was a V. Sattuti (a California winery) 2006 Zinfendel. It was actually a really good wine, with some nice spice to it. Once I finished that, I switched over to water.

There was a feast of a spread of food. And, to my surprise, so much of it looked amazing. There were homemade-looking cookies that I wanted. There was a thin cake with a cream icing on it with caramel and a slice of apple that I wanted. There were these chocolates filled with liquor that I wanted. I wanted to try one of the meatballs from a crockpot. I wanted to try the pasta and creme sauce that the hostess had made. The list goes on and on.

But, I knew I had my weigh in the next morning. So, my strategy was to take nothing on my own (except for 1 strawberry). From there, I allowed myself to take the tiniest nibbles of some of the things that my husband took (from his plate). This automatically controlled my portions tremendously. The most that I had was of this Indian appetizer thing. It looked like a giant fried won ton from the outside, but on the inside, it had some spicy rice, curry, veggies thing. So, by nibbling from my husband's plate, I completely avoided the entire fried crust, and got to enjoy small tastes of the rice/curry/veggies. It was awesome and something that I never would have thought to pick up because of the outside appearance. Plus, the wine interplayed with it, adding this amazing spiciness, enhancing both the food and the wine. I also took tiny nibbles of 3 jam-filled tarts, and boy were they good.

But, I left it at that. I avoided the cookie yet again! It was tough, though. If it had been a Sunday night, the temptation could have gone very differently for me. I might have tried that cookie, which could have opened me up for the apple cake dessert, etc. It could have easily gotten out of control. A year ago, I probably would have had 2-3 glasses of wine, and probably 1000+ calories of food. What a difference this fitness quest has made.

So, overall, I was very proud of the way I handled myself at the party. Aside from the food temptation, I actually had a lot of fun. We don't get out to parties very often, so this was a good experience.

5K Race Details

I ran my first 5K race today! It was an awesome experience. My time was slower than I had expected (30:25), but it was very cold out. It was about 42 degrees, but weather.com reported that it felt like 34 degrees. So considering I had never run this course and that I don't have any experience running outside in cold weather, I was very pleased with my performance.

I had my iphone on an arm band with an awesome musical playlist on it (mostly Evanescence). The Body Glove ear buds were problematic, though. The right one fell out shortly after the start of the race and never did go back in. The left ear bud did better, but I did have to put it back in my ear like 5 times during the race. So, there were some equipment problems during the race. But, at least I got to have my music, so it was definitely better than not having it.

My clothing was perfect. I had an inner layer of a body tight short sleeved shirt and tights, and then an outer layer of sweat pants and a fleece pullover. The pullover was awesome because it had a pouch in the front with a zipper, and it was red, which made me easy to spot. I also wore gloves, which was very good. I took them off towards the end of the race, though, and put them in my zipper pouch.

Overall, the running experience was awesome. The start was difficult because I wasn't used to breathing in the cold air. But, my body adjusted, and I got into a decent rythym. I began to fall behind a lot of the front runners. There seemed to be quite a few really experienced runners in the race. I think many of the newbies were probably intimidated by the cold weather. But, not me!

I had a cheering section of my husband and friend, who came and cheered me on at the 1/2 way mark and then at the end. They got some awesome pics and video of me. I wound up taking about 4 walk breaks after the first half of the race. I suppose I need to learn more about pacing. By the end of the race, I was running very low on energy, but when I turned the final corner, I heard cheering, so I was able to pick up the pace and run pretty fast towards the finish line.

Calculating my average speed for the race (30:25), it turned out to be 6.12 mph. So, not bad overall. It's under 10 minutes per mile. On the treadmill, I've run much faster, but considering the outside conditions, I'm happy. Regarding comparing my performance to the other racers, I wound up in the middle of the pack, probably closer to the slower end. But, I definitely turned in a solid run for my first 5K race. The fastest person's time was around 20 minutes, and the slowest time was around 40 minutes. So, I was smack dab in the middle of that. Not too shabby for a novice!

After the race, I had my IsoPure Shake to refuel. Then, they did the medals and raffles. To my surprise, I won the very first raffle - a 60 day supply of multi-vitamins! So, that is something that I'll put to use and will save me some money. I also got my t-shirt for running in the race.

Then, my husband, friend, and I went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch, where I had a huge salad, some chicken noodle soup, and some fruit. It was an awesome morning. I highly recommend doing a 5K race to anyone who enjoys running. It's really cool that I was able to do this with less than a week's notice. I look forward to improving my time in my next 5K race, perhaps one in the Spring of 2009.

I'll be posting some pics from the race, and possibly my post-race interview. So, stay tuned.

Saturday, Week 17

It's race day! I'm all set. I have my iphone set up with my playlist. I've determined my race clothes and my pre and post race nutrition. I'll post later today or tomorrow with an update on how the race went. I'm very excited! It is cold, though...

Breakfast: IsoPure (50/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4), Clementine (50/1) - 8am
Post-Race: IsoPure (50/12.5) - 10:30am
Lunch: Sweet Tomatoes - Salad (50/1), Big Chunk Chicken Noodle (170/15), Fruit (100/1)
Post-Ice Skating: IsoPure (50/12.5)
Dinner: Salmon (202/34.5), Cabbage (70/0)
Pre-Party: South Beach Bar (140/10)
Party: 1 wine (150/0), Party Food (100/0)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5)

Total Calories: 1353
Total Protein: 123

Exercise:
5K Race! 30:25
26 minute Tae Bo Ignition DVD

Friday, Week 17

Whoo hoo! Another week down. My muscles are a good sore overall. The trapeze class was a good workout. I have my 5K race tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! My goal for today is to add a bit of extra carbs - hence the potato in the afternoon and the wine with dinner. Also, I'm going to rest my body. Hopefully, I can get some good stretching in today, though.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (50/12.5), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: IsoPure (50/12.5), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2), Clementine (50/1)
Dinner: Skinny Chicken (330/42), Wine (100/0), Bites of appetizer (100/.5) - Macaroni Grill
Snack: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1165
Total Protein: 126

Exercise:
Rest Day
Stretching

7th Trapeze Class

Trapeze class was awesome last night. My instructor really liked all 3 musical selections. She said that she could see any of the 3 working for me. So, my homework for next week is to finalize my music selection. So, if anyone has any opinions, please let me know. As I said in my post about it, I can see all 3 working, but each one is different and awesome in it's own way.

Another thing is that class solidified that I will be doing my own solo performance. I'm 99% certain of this. So, that is very exciting. Also, once I've selected my music, I need to find my costume. She would like to see us bring in our costumes the week after next.

Last night's class there were only 3 students - the ballet girl and the guy were absent. This gave us lots of individualized attention. We learned some new tricks and started thinking about tricks that we each want for our performances. Next week we're going to start putting together our routines. It's very exciting.

We started with learning the Iron Cross. This was very much like the Double Arm Flag trick that I described several weeks ago, but it was from standing. Essentially, from standing on the trapeze, we wrapped our arms around the ropes so that the ropes were held in tight into are armpits (this part was very important to the success of the trick). Then, we put our legs out from the bar, behind it, so that we were supported by our arms. From there, if we could (which I was able to do), we had to push the ropes outward to the side (this part was different from the double arm flag), so that they formed a cross-shape. Once in position, we could bring one leg to the other knee, etc, to stylize.

The next thing that we did was that our instructor taught us how to climb this really thick rope. We had to wrap our right leg and step on top of the rope on it on our left leg. Then, we had to pull up with our arms to climb and move our legs up. In between each "step" in the climb, we had to be in a position so that we could be standing with our feet. So, the pressure alternated between the upper and lower body. I was able to climb the entire rope on my first try. This was mainly just a strengthening exercise.

The next trick was the Forward Roll. This one I about had a heart attack doing the first time. From standing on the trapeze, you put your arms waist high. Your arms are in front of the ropes, holding on with your thumbs facing down. Then, you lean forward so that your body forms a triangle against the ropes. From there, you essentially flip your body over, and wind up sitting on the bar. Everything was fine until it came time to do the flippy part. It felt like I had no leverage from that position. Also, the backwards grip was awkward. It took several grip adjustments until I attempted it. As soon as I did it, I could feel new muscles in my forearms burning. And, I felt the rope trying to tear out of my hands. But, my hands held, and I found myself sitting on the bar, almost magically somehow. It was a pretty cool feeling. I honestly don't remember how my body made it to the sitting position. I just wound up there somehow. My first question was "was that right?". I wasn't sure if that's how the trick was supposed to end. But, it was, which was cool. I did the trick 2 additional times. The second time was MUCH better than the first. I didn't fear plummeting head first to the ground quite so much. The third time was even better. I was much more controlled with my flip. And, I was able to keep my legs completely straight with the toes pointed. I did re-adjust my grip once, though, before doing it. So, there's definitely still room for improvement. But, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do that trick in my performance.

Then, one of the girls was doing a Straddle Back Balance into a Bird Hang. It looked really cool, so when the instructor asked us if anyone else wanted to try it, I spoke right up and tried. This one was cool. You start from sitting on the trapeze. You lower yourself in front of the bar until the bar hits just a bit above your tailbone. Then, you swing your legs up in a strattle split. So, you are hanging upside down, balancing with the bar just above your tailbone and your inner thighs on the ropes keeping you balanced. From there (and this is where it got really complicated - I don't exactly remember it right), the bar winds up where your leg meets your body at a 90 degree angle. Your other leg comes around and grabs the rope by the knee. And, then you hang down. The bar where the leg meets the body is where your weight is being supported. It hurt a fair amount, but I'm not sure I had the bar in the exact correct position. But, it was a cool trick. Next week I'm going to do this sequence again, adding a Shoulder Stand to the beginning of it. And, I think that's going to go into my performance, too.

The final trick we learned was the Amazon. For this, you sit sideways on the bar. Your left hand goes on the bar with the thumb facing your butt. Your arm has to be locked out. Then, your right hand goes above you. The rope comes over your right shoulder/neck for the other point of support. From there, you swing your body so that your hips come around the outside of the bar. Then, you let go with your right (top) hand. So, your weight is supported by your locked out left arm. Your neck/shoulder and your hips help stabalize the position. I did this trick twice.

Then, we did some conditioning - 25 push-ups and 20 dips. I also ended with some stretching.

So, it was an awesome class. I'm going to be doing some pretty advanced tricks in my performance. It will be awesome. Also, my double-ups and L-ups have gotten really smooth. I no longer hit the bar on the way up. I felt a lot stronger, too. I'm not doing the straight legged double up, but I might not do that kind anyway. I'll have to see. But, I used to really struggle on the L-Ups (the transition from the double-knee hang to sitting on the bar). This week it was really easy. I think the drop in body fat is really helping. Also, I'm gaining strength, too. It's very exciting. This is really starting to come together.

Oh! And, I bought this new salt/oil scrub product for my hands. I think it's helping.

Biggest Loser Talk at Work

Bill Germanakos, the 4th Season Winner of NBC's Biggest Loser Contest spoke at my work today regarding his experiences with weight loss and being on the show. He lost 164 pounds (49.1% of his body weight) in 34 weeks!

It was an extremely interesting talk. He was an excellent speaker. He talked about numerous events in his life - being unable to ride a roller coaster at Six Flags in front of his daughter, being unable to fit into a booth at a restaurant - and how they weren't even enough to motivate him to change. His true pre-cursor to change was when one of his friends died, and he saw his friend's daughter at the funeral and thought how unfair it was that she would never have her dad be able to walk her down the aisle. He thought his own daughter and how he would be damned if he would kill himself by being unhealthy and deprive her of that experience if he could help it.

I got to hear about a bunch of different insider type information about his experience on the show. He said that they calculated their calories based on 7 times their body weight minus 25%, which for him was about 2400 calories when he started. But, one day a week (Monday for them) was a high calorie day. But, not just a couple hundered calories extra. 2500 calories extra! Enough that he had a dominoe's pizza for his extra calories every Monday on the show.

Applying the formula to me (7 * 118) - 25% = 619 calories. So, perhaps this formula only works with obese people. I don't think that 619 calories/day is a good idea. And, then the extra calories would probably be about 833 (since my body weight is about 1/3 of his starting weight, I took 2500/3 = 833). So, the high calorie day for me would be 1452. Like I said, I have a feeling this formula only really would work for obese people. The idea of a high calorie day once a week is interesting, though. I don't really do that. Of course, I don't really have too much weight left to lose. So, I'm not sure that I need to worry about this now.

He said that there were 3 key things to his success on the Biggest Loser:
1. He prepared for it. He went to the gym before the show started and did lots of weights. This helped him not have the complete body shock that a lot of the other contestants had.
2. He put the control into the experts hands. He listened to what they said. He followed their advice. And, he never complained.
3. He was determined to work harder than anyone else. The other contestants were in the gym 5-6 hours a day. He was in the gym 8-9 hours a day.

Some other things that he said were that he gave up drinking beer. He hasn't had beer since before the show. He also hasn't had any bread (except for Subway) since before the show. He hasn't had any white bread or pasta since before the show.

Bill said that his journey isn't over yet. He hasn't met his goal yet. His goal is to be alive and healthy to walk his daughter down the aisle. So, it's a long term goal.

He also spoke to the fact that telling people what to do (e.g. saying, you need to lose weight, or "do you really need to take another trip up to the buffet?") will only backfire. He said to instead research and get the information of a certified dietitian, and give it to someone. That might actually help them.

Overall, it was an awesome talk, and I'm very glad to have heard him speak.

Trapeze Musical Selections

I've chosen 3 musical selections to take with me to trapeze class. I've given a lot of thought to each one, and I think each one would make an excellent trapeze routine.

In no particular order:

1. Solitary Ground by Epica. This song is very beautiful and melodious. It has a sense of urgency to it, too, and I feel an energy from the song when I listen to it that I think would help keep me energized throughout a trapeze performance. The meaning of the song is good. It is about having a sanctuary, a safe place where the singer can retreat into. The trapeze performance could be the embodiment of this place.

Here is the refrain:
"In me there's still a place that fulfills me
A sanctity here that I call home, I run to
When winter descends
If I try, can I find solid ground"

This song is the most unknown of the three, as Epica is not a well-known group. That could be a good thing, though. For this, I picture a red costume (although I'm not completely sure about that). I see the red as emphasizing the turmoil around the singer, and the singer trying to get to her solitary ground. This conflicts somewhat with the idea of epitomizing the sanctuary that I mentioned earlier. But, for some reason, I picture red and maybe gold or silver as colors in the costume.

2. Angel by Sarah McLachlan. This song is probably the most gentle and ethereal. It has a very soothing tempo, and I can visualize a trapeze performance emphasizing beautiful lines, gracefulness, and elegance. This song is about finding peace and comfort. I can picture a white, light blue, silver type costume. This song might be the easiest to perform to, since it is the slowest and most flowing song.

Here is the refrain:
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there

3. My Imaginary by Evanescence. This is the fastest song of the three. It has an amazing energy. It also has an excellent meaning to it. The trapeze performance would be showing the imaginary place where the singer goes to feel safe and happy and fulfilled.

Here is the refrain:
In my field of paper flowers
and candied clouds of multiply
I lye inside myself for hours
and watch my purple sky fly over me

I can see this as being a playful performance. I picture a lavender costume, perhaps with some other color(s) in it, too. The music evokes an energizing quality from me, just like the first song does. But, this has a more surreal quality to it - more of a fantasy aspect to it, since it sets the scene for an imaginary place.

So, these are my 3 songs. I'll have to see what my instructor thinks of them. I would be happy with any of the 3. As I said, I can picture each one.

Thursday, Week 17

Today is another trapeze day! I have my 3 pieces of music picked out and burned to cd (thanks, hubby!). More on that later.

At work today, the winner of Season 4 of the Biggest Loser is coming to speak. That should be really cool.

So, today is an exciting day. Between tonight and tomorrow night, I'm going to need to decide on a running play list for my 5K run Saturday morning. Plus, I'll have to figure out what I'm going to wear since it's supposed to be pretty cold.

Lots going on lately!

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (50/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25), WW Chicken Santa Fe (140/20)
Snack: Pear (100/0), South Beach Bar (140/10)
Post-Trapeze: IsoPure (75/18.75)
Dinner: Tilapia (110/23), Cabbage (70/0)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1050
Total Protein: 119

Exercise:
90 minute trapeze class

Riverchase Fenton - 5th Annual 5K Great Gobble Run

Riverchase Fenton - 5th Annual 5K Great Gobble Run
Fenton City Park - Saturday, November 8, 2008, Race Start 10am, Arrive at 9:00-9:15am to pick up race packet

http://www.fentonmo.org/docs/08%20Great%20Gobble%20Trifold.pdf

I'm going to do my 1st 5K race this Saturday! My work had an announcement about it this morning, so I called and registered. I figured this would be my last opportunity for a 5K race this year, since it's getting cold. It's looking like the weather will be clear in Fenton, but cold. So, that will be interesting. I'll have to figure out what I'll need to wear. This is so soon. Since I got sick a couple weeks back, I thought I had missed my chance to do one this year. I'm not really prepared. But, hopefully the experience will be good. Luckily, I've been pushing myself with running more lately, although I still lack outdoor running experience. I'm going to see if I can set up my ipod with a playlist so that I can run while listening to music. I think that really helps me.

My goal for the 3.1 miles is 30 minutes. I should be able to easily do this. I'm going to see if my husband and best friend can come to cheer me on. Hopefully, they can get an accurate time on me, since I don't necessarily trust the race infrastructure to get my personal accurate time. What if there are tons of people, and I don't get to cross the start line when they begin the timing? So, those types of issue. I truly feel like a newbie. The 3K was at work, so it was relatively small scale. This race has 8 different age groups. I'm in 30-39, since I just turned 30. I think that might be an easier age group than 20-29, but maybe the older crowd will be more experienced with running. So, who knows?

It's not like I intend to win or anything. The female course record is 17:33, so I'm a far cry from that. My intent for this race is to get out there, get a good run in, have fun, and experience a 5K race. I think I'm going to schedule a massage for late afternoon Saturday. That should be good for my muscles. Wish me luck!!!

Ice Skating Alpha Class

Ice Skating class was good last night. It's only me and this one other person in the alpha level. The instructor is already teaching us beta skills now. The main alpha skills are forward stroking, snowplow stops, 1 foot stops on each side, and right and left cross-overs. It feels good to actually feel like I'm learning ahead of the normal pace. Lately, with ice skating because I'm so much newer to it than everyone else, I've felt like I'm really bad. But, this class gave a different perspective.

So, the Beta skills that we were learning were backwards half-swizzle (on each side) in a straight line. And, then backwards half-swizzle (on each side) in a circle. These are pre-cursors to backwards stroking and backwards cross-overs.

Wednesday, Week 17

Today is a good day. We have a new president elect. Things are looking up for the country. I just registered for a 5K race for this weekend, so that should be awesome. Tonight I need to get my music selections ready to bring to trapeze class tomorrow night. I think I have it almost figured out. More to come on that.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (50/12.5), Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 2 Turkey (40/8.5), Chicken (150/27), Pasta (50/1)
Snack: Soy Beans (100/8), Clementine (50/1)
Post-Elliptical: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75) w/ Milk (20/2), 1/2 Baked Potato (55/2)
Dinner: Mesquite Chicken (170/30), Cabbage (70/0)
Snack: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1070
Total Protein: 130.75

Exercise:
Stretching
Elliptical: 30 minutes

Tuesday, Week 17

My right knee has been sore since last night. I think I've been pounding on it too much with all the extra intense running. I'm going to halt the running until Saturday. So, tomorrow I'm going to do the elliptical machine (instead of running) while I watch the Biggest Loser.

Today was Election Day. I woke up early (5:40am), so I decided to get up and walk over to the polling place. It was only a few minutes to walk, and I avoided the parking problems. Unfortunately, my last name put me in the looooonnnnnggggg line, so I was there for 1 1/2 hours. I would have been out of there 45 minutes earlier if my last name had started with L-Z. The whole experience was extremely frustrating, but at least I'm done.

I've been pushing myself so hard these past 3 days. I might ease up a bit next week. I'll have to see how I feel. I definitely don't want an injury. The good news is that I can now fit into 2 more pairs of work pants. I had bought them the senior year of college to go to graduate school interviews. They're some of my favorite work pants. So, that was a nice boost. I wore one of them today, and it fits perfectly.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (50/12.5), 1/2 Kashi Lean (70/6.5), 1/2 Milk (40/4)
Snack: Apple (80/0), Yogurt (55/5.5)
Lunch: Salad (25/0), 1 Turkey (20/4.25), Chicken (150/27)
Snack: Boca Burger (70/13), Pear (100/0)
Post-Weights: Choc IsoPure (80/18.75) w/ Milk (20/2)
Dinner: Tilapia (110/23), Cabbage (70/0)
Post-Ice Skating: Choc IsoPure (55/12.5) w/ Milk (20/2)

Total Calories: 1015
Total Protein: 131

Exercise:
40 minute Yoga Class

Warm-Up: Joint Rotations, Light Stretching, and 20 high kicks with each leg

Lower Body Weights/Abdominal
4 Point Abs - 16 reg, 16 oblique
Leg Press 10/80, 10/90, 8/95, 6/105, 8/95
Leg Extension 10/20, 10/25, 10/25, 8/27.5, 8/30
Regular Leg Lifts 34, 26, 18, 14
Weighted Ab Press 20/35, 20/35
Lunges 20/20
Squats 20/20
Crunches, Bicycle 30 of each
3 V Holds

Heavy Stretching After

30 minute Ice Skating Lesson, 20 minute Free Skate

Pilates

The pilates class at work was fun. It was a low to moderate intensity workout, which is good for at work (since I don't want to be all sweaty at work for the rest of the day). It was a good abdominal, back, and inner/outer thigh workout. And, we did a bit of stretching as well. I was able to use the same mat that I bought for my yoga class, so that was good. We did several pilates moves that I had never heard of before (probably because I've never taken pilates). There were different types of abdominal crunches and different types of thigh movements. The instructor said that she would build onto the workout each time, so it will become progressively more difficult (which is good). Most of the ladies looked like it was really hard for them. I suppose my core is pretty strong already, which is why I considered it low to moderate. Some of the moves were tough for even me, though.

Overall, I think it will be a fun class. It's a 10 week session on Monday's. This week's free class was 40 minutes because there was a lot of introductory talking. The time is allotted for 50 minutes, though, so I'm not sure how long the class will really wind up being. Either way it's good. It's nice to get some exercise in the middle of the work day, though. It helps lessen the sedentary nature of my job. Maritz really has an awesome Wellness program set up for employees.

2nd Ice Hockey Class

My 2nd ice hockey class was last night. The good things were that I didn't fall, and I didn't get injured. Also, I did pretty well with the partner drills of passing the hockey puck back and forth. And, I did pretty well with the drills of skating, weaving in and out of cones that were set up.

The bad part was that I sucked at essentially everything else. This week, we moved onto more difficult things. The holes in my skating ability were very apparent. I did not feel like I belonged in the class at all about 75% of the time. We started with stopping drill (which I still can't stop well to save my life). Then, we did drills with skating backwards and stopping (which I can do this one, but I'm soooo much slower than everyone else). Then, he had us do this drill where we're skating in a straight line going forward. We had to sort of hop around and continue skating in the same line, but now we were going backwards. I was in no way advanced enough to do that at all. I sort of turned, but I didn't continue any kind of backwards momentum. In fact, I kept going forwards, which took me in a circle. Sigh.

My husband was going to come last night to video me and take some pictures. Now, I'm so glad he didn't. It would have been extremely embarrassing. I do still want him to come take pictures, although I'm not sure that I want him to witness my being by far the worst in the class. But, we'll see.

Each class, though, it seems like we're going to be progressing into more difficult skating. So, I think I'm going to be getting more and more behind. At least one of the guys who recruited me to be in the class is happy to partner with me for the passing drills (which luckily I don't suck too bad at). So, I don't feel like a total loser. I haven't been skating anywhere near as long as the other people in the class, so I shouldn't feel too bad. I'm probably doing pretty well considering my skating experience. Next week we're going to practice cross-overs, which I'm still learning. Plus, everything is harder to skate while all geared up and holding the hockey stick. Hopefully, though, that won't be a complete disaster.

It's very hard to be the absolute worst person in a class at something - especially since I was probably the best skater in the Basic 1 class. In the Alpha class (which is combined with the more advanced levels), if the lady from my last Basic 1 class is absent (which she was last week), I'm definitely the worst one in the class there, too. If she's there, then we're about on the same level, which is good. I might be slightly better. But, at least I'm not way behind everyone else. I suppose typically I excel at activities that I try. This is a new experience for me - being the worst in a class at something (especially in the ice hockey, where there's such a huge gap between me and the 2nd worst person - who I have no idea who that would even be. No one else stood out to me as being really bad). I suppose this is character-building, though. I'm definitely going to finish out the classes. I'm not going to quit.

Oh, and they were talking about renting out the rink in 2 weeks after our Ice Hockey class. They asked me if I would play. I said, sure, it sounds like fun - but only as long as you guys don't think that I would mess up the game or anything since I'm so far behind everyone else. They assured me that it should be fine, that we would mainly just be messing around. So, I'm a bit wary of that. Hopefully I can improve upon my stopping in 2 weeks so that I'm a bit better before then. Ice skating seemed so easy in the Basic 1 class. The skills are getting so much harder now.