Random Thoughts

So I pulled out my total gym yesterday. It has been years since I have used this. Mainly because every time I have thought of it I have been pregnant. I do really like this machine but have not used it steadily since the summer of 2003. I remembering toning up and dropping 2 sizes that summer (I was only a size 9/10 when I started it). So now I am curious how fast I will tone and lose weight on it now.

This machine is rather expensive, if you buy it new, but I remember making payments on it for a couple years so it was more affordable. I like this idea better then a gym contract because after a couple years I don’t have to pay anymore and I still have the machine.

I had to break down and measure myself because I need to know where I am at in order to accurately monitor my results. Sadly enough I had not lost any measurements since my last measuring BUT… I have noticed more changes, so I know I must be gaining more muscle.

My portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner are smaller and I am feeling very satisfied. I have gone from eating 2 eggs and 2 whole grain pieces of toast to only 1 of each and I do not feel hungry after. I have also noticed that my portions are getting smaller and when I load up the plate too full I am not forcing myself to finish it. So even though my inches have not gone anywhere I know I must be making positive changes because of this. I also have a lot more energy and am less tired during the day.

I have also noticed in my upper arm where the very “faint” line was before actually has even more definition. It kind of dips now so I can see my deltoid muscle line more and this makes me happy!

Now let’s see what this total gym does, I will give it two weeks.

So I have decided to not measure every week but rather about every 2-3 weeks. The reason is not because I am not doing the work, it is because it is such a slow change I don’t want to get frustrated seeing the slowness of the inches coming off. This would be very discouraging. I would rather measure a bit less and see a bigger improvement to help with that extra esteem boost.

I have been doing really well. I am actually working out almost every single day, yes 7 days a week. It is getting to the point where I WANT to work out more and will do what I have to, to find the time. I even got up at 7am this morning and made my husband’s lunch and got a 40 min work out in before my infant woke up. I have been keeping the 3 pound arm weights and leg weights and after I do the initial 20-25 min of toning and turbo moves, I feel like I have a lot of energy and run in place for about 15 min. I could have run longer today but my son woke up and stopped that real quick.

I have been a lot hungrier the last 2 days and that has been hard. I am pretty sure it is PMS because I wanted to eat an entire chocolate cake 2 days ago but stopped myself at one small piece. It is hard to track this as I have had an endometrial ablation done and do not have any more periods so I forget when I am suppose to PMS. So I still go through the eating surge for 2 days but that is it, so I will take it!

Yesterday I went to my tap class and they measured us for a jacket for the June show. I just wanted to scream AAAHHH! The measuring tap in front of my peers was so horrifying. I don’t know why I let it get to me, so many past humiliations I guess, but this really bothered me.

When I came home I let it consume me for a long time but something clicked later that night and this morning. I was not the only one in that class that was horrified with the measuring tape. We are all older woman that are all different shapes and sizes. I have a goal and I need to remember that I am working hard for that goal and this is just a stepping stone in that process. I am going to use this as a positive note to drive me even more to achieve my goal of becoming a healthy me! If I don’t do this then I will be back to where I was in high school and I can’t go back there. I WON’T go back there. I have to many people in my life counting on me to be sane and good to myself.

I added another goal this morning. This one is to not fit that jacket when it comes in. I am hoping that I will have to pay someone to have that jacket taken in before the show!

I had to make a quick note about something I saw on the Tyra show today. She had her nutritionist on and she said that she helped her be “healthy not skinny.” I love this statement. She also said that she is like 20 pounds heavier then she was before and she is healthier now than when she was 20 pounds less. I love that she is being a role model for woman to know that super skinny is not healthy. Curves and all we can all be beautiful woman.

This is my goal, to be healthy, not just skinny. I will never be a pencil thin woman but I can be a healthy woman and look wonderful. I have hips and a medium bone frame, I will never be a stick and will not strive for that. I have a long way to go and it is just nice to know that there are still a lot of positive role models out there.

Workouts are going pretty good this week. I have kept the weights in all my workouts this week, 3 lb dumbbells and 5 pound leg weights. I have been able to work out every day but one day. Each workout has been approximately 40-50 min. I also went to my Irish class Monday but I did not dance much so I am not going to count that as one and I have a 45 min. tap class tonight and I did get a 30 min today.

What I have been doing is a lot of toning exercises and some of the turbo jam moves with all the weights. I am really sore both arms and legs so I know it is working! It is a good sore though. I have made up some awesome new workouts with the weights. I lay on the floor (on my back) raise my legs and arms straight up to the ceiling and bring my arms and legs out and in at the same time, it hurts but I can feel it so it is good. I also will bring my legs to one side (start the same way) and rotate my arms with the weights the opposite and I can really feel this in my obliques. So we will see in a few days if this is helping as good as or better then the video workouts.

1-3-09                                        1-11-09

Bust: 44                                      Bust: 43 ¾ (darn! ¼ inch loss)

Waist: 46                                    Waist: 45 ½ (1/2 inch loss)

Hips 48 ½                                  Hips: 48 ½ (no loss)

Thigh-1: 27 ¾                            Thigh-1: 27 ½ (1/4 inch loss)

Arm: 13 ½                                 Arm: 13 ( ½ inch loss)

Total loss since 1-3-09 = 1 1/2 inches (this is in 8 days, not so bad!)

First measurements
Nov 2009                               1-11-09

Bust: 44                                   ¼ inch loss

Waist: 48                                2 ½ inch loss

Hips: 49                                  ½ inch loss

Thigh (one): 28                       ½ inch loss

Upper arm: 13                        no loss (but did gain and lose 1/2 inch)

Total loss since first measurements Nov 2009 = 3 ¾ inches

I can see that adding the weights to my workout on my legs and arms during my turbo cardio workouts has enhanced the weight loss a bit. I have not been walking the dog either because we have had tons of snow and I have no boots so I actually did less workouts but with the added weights it has still increased the inches loss. I started walking the dog again last night so if I can keep this up AND keep the weights maybe even more inch loss next week. We will see!

Wed 23rd: Cardio party (about 40 min)
Thurs 24th: 20 min workout and 18 min burn (from learn and burn CD)
Friday 25th: Christmas, NO workout
Sat. 26th: So tired NO workout
Sun 27th: 20 min workout and 18 min burn
Mon 28th: Turbo sculpt (about 40 min)
Tues 29th: Ab jam (20 min) and 18 min burn
Wed 30th: Turbo sculpt
Thurs 31st: No workout cleaned 3 hours and cooked 3 hours for party.
Fri 1st: Cardio party with 1.5 lb arm weights (only 23 min because baby woke up)
Sat 2nd: No workout, went with husband to work on computers for his work for 3 hours
Sun 3rd: Cardio party with 1.5 lb arm weights
Mon 4th: 32 min..of 40 min. turbo sculpt and dance class 1 hour.
Tues 5th: 18 min burn and 10 min. of 20 min. ab jam.
Wed. 6th: 15 min Disney Dance grooves DDR and 25 min. turbo jam while watching a movie (did moves while watching a movie with 1.5 lb arm weights)

Thurs 7th: 20 min of turbo sculpt today and added 5 pound weights to my legs and used the 3 pound dumbbells. I got bored and then turned on the cardio party and did 15 min with the same weights. I got bored again and ran in front of the TV for 15 min with the weights so did a total workout of about 50 min

Fri 8th: Did turbo sculpt with 5 lb leg weights and 3 lb dumbbells for 20 min. Phone rang and did not want to stop so ran in place with leg weights 15 min. while on phone, did some leg lifts during that running too. Hung up phone and did 15 min cardio party with leg and dumbbells weights for a total of 50 min workout.

Sorry if you could hear me breathing on the phone Mitch, I wanted to talk to you but did not want to stop working out either. Have to take advantage while the 4 month old is asleep and the 3 ½ year old will let me work out!!