Downward Facing Dog

I don't think I've ever told anyone before, but I've always wanted to try yoga because I liked the way the name sounded - like yogurt.  I actually hate the taste of yogurt but I wish I liked it - smooth, cool, creamy, nutritious.  So the word yoga has always kind of made me feel good - smooth and happy.  When I found out my gym does yoga, I was really excited because I wanted to try it.  This afternoon J had Punkin so I decided to stop at the gym and do my regular workout - 10 on the Arc Trainer, 10 on the elliptical, 10 on the bike (if my thighs could handle it), my strength training and then 10 on the treadmill to finish it all up.  I usually burn about 400 calories during the cardio (not including all the weight training) so I come out of there feeling totally wiped out but really good about all the calories I burned.  I was on my way to the gym when I noticed the class schedule sitting on the front seat of my car.  I checked it out and saw that they had a BodyFlow class at 4:30, which was just about the right time for me.  I wasn't sure about taking it because Megan (my trainer) had suggested I take BodyJam or Zumba first, but I really wanted to get into a class (ANY class) and that one sounded interesting.

So I get to the gym and the first thing that excited me was that I realized we got to take our shoes off!  Anyone who knows me knows I hate wearing shoes and I avoid it whenever I can.  So finding out I got to do the class in my bare toesies was awesome.  There weren't a lot of women there, which was just as well since I wasn't really sure what to do and with less women there for the class, there would be less women to stare at me.

I enjoyed the class...it was a cross between Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga.  Parts of it were really relaxing (child's pose):

and other parts were rough (variations of the plank):

and by the time I was done, I was really feeling it.  But I'm very glad I went and I want to go back.  I think right now I'm in this mode where I want to try most every class at least once to see what it's like, then pick the ones I like the best and make those my regulars.

Namaste.  :-)

BEYOND exhausted

The last time I felt this physically drained was the day I moved into this apartment.  We spent three hours going up and down three flights of stairs carrying boxes and heavy furniture, then drove across town and spent three hours going up and down a flight of stairs carrying boxes and heavy furniture in the pouring rain.  When I went to bed that night, my muscles hurt so bad it took me hours to fall asleep. Then once I actually dropped off into the land of noddy-blinky, I slept so hard I woke up with a massive headache.

Before then, I can't remember when I last felt so drained.

I really wanted to try a class at the gym this morning, but they weren't doing anything I felt physically prepared to do.  So I decided to just go and try some of the cardio machines like Megan told me to.  I actually got there around 10 this morning, which in itself is odd since I'm not a morning person.  But I really wanted to get there and get it done so I could enjoy the rest of the day.  I wanted to go to the Humane Society and look at dogs and I wanted to take Julianne swimming, and I figured swimming would feel great after I was done working out.

Once I got there and got Julianne settled in the kid's area, I did the elliptical first.  I had decided I would do each machine for 10 minutes and then move on to weight training, but evidently my body had other plans.  I started on the elliptical and did the ten minutes, plus about 3 minutes of cool-down, and burned 178 calories.  I was pretty pleased with that!

Then I decided to move on to that other machine... I don't know the name.... the one that looks like the elliptical?  Anyway... that thing SUCKS.  Do you hear me?  It SUCKS.  It was killing my legs and I couldn't seem to control the speed... I don't know if it was just the way my body works or if I picked the wrong setting, but I only burned 68 calories on that one before I had to get off.  I moved to the bike, but it was working the same muscles as the previous machine and it kept upping the resistance and by the time I hit 40 calories I was dying.  I pushed through to 50, but at that point I was ready to lay on the floor right there in the gym and die.

I needed a break from the cardio machines, so I decided to head to the weight training.  I did biceps, triceps, deltoids, traps, chest press, shoulder press, ab press... my muscles were KILLING me.  They hurt so bad and I was starting to get nauseated, so I decided to finish up on the treadmill, then go home and die in the privacy of my own bedroom.  I burned 124 calories on the treadmill (damn that last stubborn calorie!) and then I was done.  Altogether I burned 419 calories (not including the weight training) and I'll tell you that right now I'm ready to drop.  I'm taking tomorrow off because it's Mother's Day, but Monday afternoon I have my next training session with Megan.  I'm anxious to see how that goes!

Small steps!

I’m trying to change little things to help in the battle of the bulge.  I try to get up and walk around my classroom more while the kids are working instead of sitting at my desk, grading papers or doing progress reports.  I take the long way when I walk to the office (although that won’t be a problem next year since I’ll be in a portable and every way is the long way to the office) and I try to pick parking spaces that are father out in the lot, especially when I don’t have Julianne with me.  Instead of asking for fries in the cafeteria, I ask for a double helping of veggies and then I drain all the butter juice off of them before I eat them.  I know that individually, each of those things is not going to make a huge difference.  But if I combine them all together, they make for a healthier lifestyle and better eating habits.

        I don’t know why I’m finding it so hard lately to stop eating.  In the past, my weight loss method of choice has always been diet, and I’ve done very well on it, even when I’m not exercising regularly.  But this time around, the gym doesn’t faze me and I can’t seem to stop snacking.  I just want to eat everything I see and even my usual self-lecture: “Konnie!  Put down the bag of pretzels or you’ll be fat forever!”  isn’t working.  Not sure why.  I know I need to get back on Weight Watchers so I can put all of my info in the computer and keep track of it, but really, an extra $18 a month in conjunction with the gym membership is just not something I can afford right now, as well as going grocery shopping to get all the right foods.  Why do companies make it so hard for people to lose weight?  Everything they say on TV commercials and in print make you want to feel like they really care about you and they really want you to succeed – but then the moment you log onto the website, it’s BAM!  – here’s a fee for this and POW! – here’s a fee for that and SHABLOOM! – I forgot there’s a fee just for accessing the website. 

I know that it’s all doable WITHOUT the website, but WW online offers a lot of good tools that I really take advantage of, like the recipe builder and the message boards.  It’s really important for me to have the human connection with other people that are trying to do the same thing I am.  Because let’s face it – I can call my mom all I want and tell her I stayed within my points when everyone around me was going crazy, but she won’t be nearly as proud of me as Betty in Lincoln, Nebraska, who is trying to do the same thing and struggling every day just like me to NOT eat the two candy bars the kids brought me for Teacher Appreciation Week.

Achey Breaky muscles!

I'm sore today.

I didn't feel it until I got home and settled down, but my back, inner thighs, chest muscles and legs are sore from the weight training and elliptical yesterday.  I'm pretty sure it's not from the treadmill because I go walking at that pace all the time and I never felt sore the next day.  The soreness isn't debilitating or anything - on the contrary, it feels pretty good, especially when I stretch.  It's nice to remember where my muscles are. :-)

I slept very well last night!  Again, I'm sure it's because I got exercise.  At any rate, it's nice because Tuesday night I didn't sleep well at all and I kept waking up up before my alarm went off because I was afraid I was going to forget my workout clothes.  Speaking of which, I need to get them together and put into the car for tomorrow.  If I wait till the morning to do it, I'll be rushing around like crazy (as usual) and I'll be frustrated.  So if I take just a couple minutes tonight to get stuff together, I can get my morning off to a much better start.

My first personal training session is tomorrow at 4:30, and I'm really excited to get my butt kicked!  I really want to learn what I can/should do to get the maximum benefit out of this gym membership.  I only get three training sessions with my membership so I really need to learn as much as I can during those workouts so later on I'll be able to do it on my own.  Of course, my first goal is to lose weight.  My second goal is to tone up.  I'd rather be thin and flabby than fat and toned!  But if I can be thin and toned, well, then, why complain?  I know I can't do it by walking on the treadmill for an hour a day, so I'm very anxious to learn what WILL get me to where I want to be!

I'll update tomorrow after my workout.

Off to a good start!

I stopped by the gym on my way hjome from work today.  I signed up at the Altamonte location, but the Apopka location (which, who are we kidding here, is really in Altamonte too) is the one I pass on my way home.  So I brought my workout stuff and went there immediately after school.  I dropped Julianne in the Kid's Club and she seemed much more comfortable there than she did in the Altamonte one yesterday, so that's something for me to keep in mind because it really bothered me yesterday to see her sitting on the side of the room, away from everyone else.

Since I haven't had my training session yet, I honestly didn't really know where to start.  But I decided to just do my old standby.  I got on the treadmill and set it for 10 minutes, but I accidentally pulled the kill switch so I don't know exactly how long I was on, even though I think it was around 7 minutes.  I got back on and set the timer back to 5 and finished it up.  The stupid machine kept putting my incline and speed down because it didn't like that my heart rate was 130-140 when it wanted me to be at 125.  So I think next time I go I'm going to pick a different program than the fat burning one.

After the treadmill, I got on the elliptical.  I like that machine.  It makes me feel like I'm running without the pounding on my knees.  Plus, I burn a lot of calories on it.  And that one doesn't mind if my heart rate is 40 or 240, so I can go at my own pace.  I spent a little over 10 minutes on that one.

After that I went over to a fun looking machine and decided to give it a shot.  It wasn't so fun.  I think it was designed to torture people.

I wanted to get in some weight training, so I did some machines that looked relatively easy to use and had clearly posted instructions.  I worked on the shoulder press, something that worked on my inner thighs and something else that worked on the outer thighs.  I feel pretty drained, which I guess is the mark of a successful workout.  I don't think I'm going tomorrow, especially since the guy I talked to yesterday told me 3 days would be enough for me.  So today, Thursday with my trainer, and probably Saturday morning.

I'm on my way.  :-)

Joined A Gym

So here I am starting this weight loss journey all over again.

Joined Lifestyle Family Fitness today.  I have my first personal training session on Thursday and I'm mega-excited.  Tomorrow I'll do the treadmill and eliptical just for grins.

Wish me luck.  :-)