So, I’m a big, fancy runner now! Well, not full runner, but I’m getting there. my trainer started me running this week but is easing me into it. I have to say, I was a bit reluctant when she first suggested it. After all, I have NEVER been a runner, never been athletic, and, frankly, the thought of my DD’s bouncing around was not very appealing. Luckily, I have really good sports bras. 🙂 I have always wanted to run but never thought I was athletic enough to do it. But, thanks to my trainer, I have surprised myself yet again!

Lauren started me walking on the treadmill for the first 5min at 3.3mph as a warm up. On the 6th minute, she cranked the speed up to 5mph and I am to run at that pace for 1 minute. When the minute is over she slows it back down to 3.3mph. This goes on for 40-45 minutes: 4 minutes walking, 1 minute running. I really feel good during that 1 minute of running and it helps with my endurance (or lack of) to have that 4 minutes to catch my breath. Over time she would like me to increase the running time and decrease the walking time. I blasting through calories like crazy! This running technique is perfect for me as it is challenging but not to the point where it’s too strenuous for me. If she had me start by just continuously running, I’m afraid it would be too much and I would lose interest. I’m surprised at myself because I’m really enjoying it, and it’s not as scary as I thought it would be. I’m a horrible klutz and my biggest fear was taking a digger in the middle of the gym. As of today (knock on wood) I haven’t had that happen.

I do have to admit, the first 2 days I did this run/walk I was incredibly sore. I mean reeaallllyyy sore! Legs, butt, ankles, even the muscles on the top of my feet were sore. I didn’t realize how many muscles we use when running. But I ran for the third time last night and am not nearly as sore as I was a few days ago. My trainer and I came up with a workout plan that incorporates the run/walk. Mon, Wed & Fridays will be my legs and butt for strength training and my lighter cardio (stationary bike, rowing machine, fast walk). Tues & Thurs will be arms and abs strength training and my run/walk days. I’m a pretty happy gal right now!

The only hurdle I’m having at the moment is tracking. But this has always been hard for me to do. I start the day writing everything down, but by the end of the day I get distracted by one thing or another. I know that tracking is one of my best tools to reach my goal by December. I’m getting better, but it’s still a bit of a struggle. Still, I’m not going to get distracted from my goal. If I really want to reach my goal weight by December, I need to be strict in my tracking, keep hitting the gym at least 4 times a week, and stay positive. So far, my goal is pretty attainable.

Liz

P.S. – If you wish to follow my blog or check me out on Facebook, scroll to the bottom of this page!

So, I’ve had a few set backs this last week. Foudn myself starting to revert back to old habits. After I injured my leg I decided to take a day or two off from the gym. Then we had mandatory overtime at work which also cut into my gym visits. MISTAKE!! I noticed it started becoming easier and easier for me to stay sitting on the couch. Now there are some excersises I need to be careful of until my leg fully heals, but I could have worked other parts of my body. I was getting lazy. Boooooooo!

I also have a wonderful candy dish at my desk that I keep filled with amazing treats. I broke my own rule: “never sample your own merchandise.” I was getting stressed and bored at work so I would grab one piece of chocolate, then another, then another. You see where this is going?

Well, with the lack of excercise and the snacking on all things bad, I’m sad to say I gained 1.8lbs last week. My own fault. So I purchased a diet & fitness journal off of Amazon. If I have learned anything from Weight Watchers it is that tracking is key to successful wieght loss! This journal has a spot to log all of my meals (including the nutritional info) and all of my daily excercises. I can also track my vitamin intake, enregy levels, and water intake. It’s a great little book I now take with me wherever I go. I plan on decorating it the same way I decorated my WW’s points tracker: with inspirational photos to keep me motivated. Photos of my journal will be on my Facebook page.

I know there are going to be ups and downs on this journey. But the whole point of the “journey” what I learn from the experience. So far, I’m learning a lot!

Liz

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Taking-Back-My-Inner-Pinup/490501264346055

So, I discussed my stalling weight loss with my trainer, Lauren. She has been taking a look at my meals and we think we nailed the problem…or should I say “problems.” As many of you are aware, I’m a snacker. I eat when I’m bored, sad, happy, relaxed, pretty much any time there is food avail. I have been this way my entire life. It didn’t become a problem until I hit my late twenties. Now, it seems as though I look at a piece of candy and I gain a pound. Such is my burden.

First issue: So, I have had a really bad sweet tooth lately and I maintain a pretty impressive candy dish at work. While this is usually not an issue (I rarely sample my candy dish goods), lately my sweet tooth has become overbearing and I have been partaking in the evil ritual of snacking. Especially when it comes to chocolate & peanut butter. Reese’s Peanut Butter eggs? Forget about it!!!

Second issue: my beer consumption needs to taper off a bit. Now this one will be a little bit difficult for me. You see, I also write a beer blog and part of that blog is trying new beers, new pubs, and new breweries. My consumption is nothing to worry about habit-wise (4-5 beers a week max) but it IS an awful lot of empty calories. I don’t drink at all during the week. On Saturday I will have a beer with lunch and one with dinner. I may have a third later in the evening while relaxing with my hubby. On Sunday I will have one with lunch and maybe one with dinner and that’s about it. Now, that may not sound like a lot but when you break down the calories it really adds up! The average calorie count on a pint of beer is about 180-250 calories. That means I’m drinking 900-1250 calories a weekend. That’s almost about my calorie allotment for an entire day! That needs to change and quick.

Third issue: Not enough fresh food. I do eat, what I consider, a lot of fruit and veggie. But not nearly as much as I should be. I DO eat processed, frozen foods simply out of convenience. After all, I have a full-time job (with the occasional overtime), I write 2 blogs, I’m an amateur photographer, and amateur seamstress. Plus I have a house to keep clean. Time is very precious to me and there is never enough in a day to get everything done. So I don’t always have time to prepare anything and microwave meals are quick and easy. I usually buy Weight Watchers brand or other “healthy” brands. The deal is, these are NOT healthy as a staple. They are OK when you are in a pinch, but one should not live off of these meals. They are processed and chock full of sodium! Lauren feels I need more fresh food, lean proteins, and nuts in my diet and that should kick-start my weight loss again.

You see, I knew before I asked her that I needed to change these issues. The problem was it was easier not to recognize and accept them when I was the only one pointing it out. Having my trainer point this out has made me come to terms with what needs to happen, come to terms with it, and make the necessary changes to be successful. First day on the tweaked diet started today. I will keep you posted.

Liz

**You can also find me on Facebook or follow me via email by clicking the buttons on the bottom of the page.

It’s been a while since my last entry but a lot has gone on! All good things. Since starting fresh on my journey back in January I have dropped about 12lbs! I go to the gym about 3-4 times a week and have invested in a personal trainer. The trainer is a bit pricey but we’ll worth it. For the first time in, we’ll, my entire life I actually look forward to going to the gym. I have said in a couple of my past posts that I have never been an athletic person. I still don’t consider myself one. But I am really enjoying my workouts and feel stronger ever day. My clothes (especially my pants) have become loose, and I actually like what I see in the mirror. Now, I have been a member of gyms before and hated the thought of going. So why is this time any different? It has to do with the choice of gyms.

The first three gyms I joined were the typical “meat market” types. You know, the places where only the already fit go and (unintentionally or not) tend to make people like me feel like crap for even walking in the door. I always felt like I had no right being there because I didn’t look like those other women! Someone with curves was never really a welcome creature in those places. Another issue I with those gyms was the gawking. Having a larger bust (34DD) I was stared at quite a bit during my workouts and it really makes it uncomfortable to want to keep bouncing on the treadmill. The 4th gym I joined was a women’s only gym. I won’t say the name of the establishment but I will put it to you this way, at 42 I was the youngest person there! Again, not the gym for me.

In January, I joined Anytime Fitness and took up the offer for a personal trainer. I was matched up to my darling trainer, Lauren, and she has been absolutely instrumental in my physical and mental workout. Mental? Yes, mental workout. What I have discovered is that a big part of physical health is your mental well-being. When you are happy with what you are doing and where you are mentally, your physical health improves. Lauren challenges me on a physical and mental level. Just when I think I can’t give one more push up, she encourages me and I always seem to give one more! She tells me that I can do what I think can’t be done and understands what I’m going through. Best investment I’ve ever made!

Liz

Today, weigh-in was better than expected. Down another pound! I’m glad I went to my meeting because I really didn’t want to. You see, I have been a bad girl and my inner pin-up is really pissed at me. As of 8:00 am today I was seriously considering quitting Weight Watchers. My decision in no way had anything to do with the program. It’s me and my life. I have been putting in 10-12 hours a day at work due to our mandatory overtime. Food choices when you are on a busy schedule get much more difficult. My meetings are on Saturday mornings At 8:30 am….one of my only days to sleep in yet I still have to get up early. And to be honest I have been (pardon my language) “half-assing” the program by only tracking part of the time. I haven’t been able to break the 150lb mark since starting WW 8 years ago. It’s not WW’s fault. It’s mine. 110% mine. So, I was seriously considering quitting the program until time and my own self-talk would permit me to stay focused on the program

So I walked into my meeting today and something very unexpected happened. My WW lead, David, began our meeting by handing out little “towels” to each member. Tiny, but symbolic, these small snippets of fabric are to remind us that we all “throw in the towel” at times. We all have our reasons: time, money, physical and mental energy, etc. He said if we are thinking about throwing in the towel, he understands. He’s been there. He just asks that we talk with him or any other WW lead first to discuss our feelings about stopping the program. As I sat there listening to David I thought to myself “how did he know?” Very odd. Out of all of the WW meeting I’ve been to, this was perhaps one of the most important ones. As the “towels” were passed around we were instructed to choose any one we wanted and keep it with us as a reminder that it’s OK to throw in the towel. I chose a towel that had a little bee hive. To me bee hives represent a community. Bees work together and take care of each other. I’m not alone on my journey. I have my WW community there to help every step of the way. And David is the king bee (do bees have kings?). He has felt the way I do. I swear David I psychic!

So, am I throwing in the towel? Not today.

Liz

Weigh-in on Saturday was disappointing but not surprising. I gained 1.8lbs. But I’m OK with that. I have been a lot more active lately with all of the house reorganizing. I feel energetic and want to keep moving. I know my weight is going to fluctuate from week to week and I think I have finally accepted that. I just have to reflect on the last week, make some adjustments, and move forward.

I have been tracking more and more and have really paid attention to my points. It’s getting easier to eat only when I’m hungry and not when I’m bored.

Hubby and I cleaned the garage yesterday. Just as I felt spiritually cleansed when I cleaned out my closet, I feel spiritually and emotionally lighter by getting rid of the crap in the garage. I’m very sore today from all of the rearranging, moving, cleaning and vacuuming I did. It’s a good kind of sore because I can feel the muscles working. Although I think I overdid it a bit (I’m talking really sore today) I want to keep moving, keep cleaning, keep sorting, keep purging, and streamline my life. Things are coming more into focus and I can concentrate much easier now. What’s next? I think we will tackle the front yard and porch before the winter freeze.

Liz

As you can see I have been taking a break from blogging, but not from my journey. I needed to walk away from my blog for a while and recharge my mental batteries. Writing 2 blogs (this one and www.pnwbeerchick.com) along with working on a computer for 8-10 hours a day while trying to maintain a balance with my personal life had been a bit taxing. So I took a break. No big whoop. So how’s the weight loss journey coming? I’m glad you asked.

One of the reasons why I needed to take a breather was the fact that I had been spreading myself a bit thin. With that mental stress came poor eating habits. Yep, I started reverting back to my dangerous habits of eating when I’m not hungry and sitting on my big butt for most of my waking hours.  I started missing my Weight Watchers meeting because I was too tired to get out of bed on my Saturday mornings or too ashamed of the few pounds I gained. This led to more physical stress in the way of my racing heart issues…again. I had another “come to Jesus” with myself. Enough is enough. I’m causing all of this stress by taking on too many tasks, worrying about small stuff and things I have no control over, and, most importantly, forgetting about taking care of myself.

Needless to say my inner pin-up is kicking me with her lipstick-red stilettos!!! So I finally listened to my inner pin-up, and my husband, and started slowly cutting back on committing to so many things. I’m constantly repeating an inner mantra: “I cannot help those who do not want help. I can only help myself.” I’m tracking my points again and started incorporating more fruits and veggies back into my menu. I started taking the stairs at work instead of the escalator (4 flights) and already notice a positive difference with the racing heart. Basically I’m starting from scratch. Baby steps again, but that’s OK. A huge part of this journey is learning from my experiences by embracing my ups and downs.

I’m feeling much better both physically and emotionally. I’m excited about having my head back in the game. 🙂

Liz

So I was all set to throw myself a pity party. I have been VERY lazy when it comes to my Weight Watchers program. I haven’t tracked in about a month, I haven’t lifted a finger in the way of exercise, and my free time has been spent vegging out feeling sorry for myself. My weight has barely budged since starting this blog and my goal of “taking back my inner pin-up” is farther away than I ever wanted. Needless to say I have been very disappointed in myself. What’s worse is that I feel (in a narcissistic way) that I have let down people in my life with my lack of “commitment.” That’s a more painful feeling than acknowledging my lack of willpower.
So I dragged myself downstairs to the cafeteria all ready to grab a “feel sorry for myself” meal when something magical happened. A mysterious voice called over from the salad bar. I followed this strange but familiar voice over to the salad bar and gazed at all the gorgeous, fresh-cut veggies…and I got excited. For some reason the beautiful radishes, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes caused my mind to flutter and yell out “yum!” I grabbed the largest bowl I could find and piled it as high as I could with as many colorful veggies as the staff would let me have! I thoroughly enjoyed my fresh and flavorful meal. That “familiar” voice was my inner pin-up letting me know she’s still around. I feel a bit motivated now to cancel my pity party and jump back on the band wagon.

Liz

Very tired lately. After a couple of jaunts back home to California within the last few weeks, my early shift at work (6:00 am),  and working overtime I am physically and mentally exhausted. I’ve noticed snacking has picked up a bit lately. Not much, but enough for me to stop myself and ask “do I really want this or am I eating because I’m tired?”  Chances are I don’t really want it. I’ve been waiting until my stomach actually growls before I eat, just to remind myself what actual hunger signals feel like. This may sound extreme to some, but it works for me. Being a person that snacks when bored, tired, stressed, basically an emotional eater, it’s easy to get caught up in the mind-set of “I’m so stressed, I deserve to eat this!” Some of you know what I’m talking about. I have lost a couple of pounds and my new size 10’s are getting looser (yay), I don’t feels it’s from any effort on my part and afraid it’s just from stress and exhaustion.

It’s just interesting how the entre being can be affected by just not getting enough rest. I’m cranky, moody, irritable, snacky, etc. Trying to blog has even become a bit of a chore. After spending 8-10 hours a day on the computer thinking about what to type into a file,  the last thing I want to do when I get home is, well, type some more. And since I also write a beer blog, this mental exhaustion is doing me no favors in the beer world.

When I started this early shift I had great plans to come home after work, throw on my sweats, and go for a walk. Hasn’t happened. Too tired. Instead, I get home, plop my butt on the couch and just veg until hubby comes home. I spend about an hour or two with him then have to go to bed. And in the PNW it’s still light out at 8:00pm during the summer. I’m still looking for that happy medium to balance work, personal life, blogging, and exercise.  Let’s see what I come up with.

Liz