Month: January 2015

Fitness Stat-urday 2015 – Weeks 3 and 4

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Fitness Stat-urday

Starting Statistics on 01/03/2015

  • Weight:  144.4 Pounds (I gained 2 pounds between my holiday challenge and weigh-in, good gawd!)
  • Body Fat %:  22.9% (I gained here too – oops!)
  • BMI:  22.6

Goals for the Next 10 Weeks (Ending 03/13/2015)

  • Weight:  135 Pounds
  • Body Fat %:  <21%
  • BMI:  21.1
  • Total Miles Each Week (Average):  25-30

Week 3 Ending 01/23/2015

  • Week 3 Statistics
    • Weight:   137.8 Pounds
    • Pounds Lost or Gained:  0 Pounds lost
    • Body Fat %:  21.9%
    • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.0% Lost
    • BMI: 21.9
    • Workout Days (goal is 6 days):  6 Days
    • Time Spent Being Active:   4 Hours 42 Minutes
    • Miles Run:  21.3 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Saturday – Humus, carrots, smoked chicken
    • Sunday– Chicken 🍗 and avocado sandwich
    • Monday – Butternut squash soup 🍲
    • Tuesday – Spinach salad
    • Wednesday – Curry burgers
    • Thursday – Spinach salad
    • Friday – Free night – Mexican!
  • Exercise: 
    • Saturday – Treadmill walking (21 minutes), ab work (13 minutes)
    • Sunday– Running outside!!!! (60 minutes)
    • Monday – Treadmill running (50 minutes), walking (10 minutes)
    • Tuesday – Treadmill running (43 minutes), walking (7 minutes)
    • Wednesday – Ab work (13 minutes)
    • Thursday – Rest
    • Friday – treadmill running (60 minutes), walking (5 minutes)
  • Notes: 
    • I’m likely not weighing in this week since I’ll be out of town starting EARLY Thursday morning. I could use Thursday’s weight, but that’s 2 days and 2 workouts early… And I like using my scale.
    • The weekend was hard on my body. Ha!
    • We are having tremendous weather here, allowing me to run a bit outside and just feel motivated to keep on keeping on.
    • I finished the week strong with a long treadmill run in Friday while on vacation. I ate reasonably well so felt good about that as well!
    • 138.4 pounds on Thursday when I left and 21.8% body fat… But those aren’t official numbers

Week 4 Ending 01/30/2015

  • Week 4 Statistics
    • Weight:   137.8 Pounds
    • Pounds Lost or Gained:  0 Pounds lost
    • Body Fat %:  21.3%
    • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.6% Lost
    • BMI: 21.6
    • Workout Days (goal is 6 days):  5 Days
    • Time Spent Being Active:   4 Hours 53 Minutes
    • Miles Run:  21.19 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Saturday – Tijuana train wreck
    • Sunday– Chicken and avocado sandwich
    • Monday – Meatballs
    • Tuesday – Meatballs (again!)
    • Wednesday – Butternut squash soup 🍲
    • Thursday – Greek chicken
    • Friday – Date night!
  • Exercise: 
    • Saturday – Treadmill running (55 minutes), walking (5 minutes)
    • Sunday– Treadmill running (51 minutes), walking (5 minutes)
    • Monday – None – rest day
    • Tuesday – None – umm….
    • Wednesday – INS.ANI.TY (52 minutes)
    • Thursday – Treadmill running (54 minutes), walking (6 minutes)
    • Friday – Treadmill running (61 minutes)
  • Notes: 
    • I was forced to do INS.ANI.TY on Wednesday because the treadmill appeared to be broken after a power surge in the house. My husband fixed it when he got home, but it was a nice reminder that I like that workout and should be doing it more often!
    • Back to 137.8 on Thursday before saturday weigh-in. We have date night tonight (Friday) so I’ll use today’s stats.
    • I’m thrilled with my body fat %. I saw 21.1% for two days, so that’s promising!
    • I’m confident I’ll hit my goals this session. I’d like to exceed them. 6 weeks to go!

 

Fitness Stat-urday 2015 – Week 2

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Fitness Stat-urday

Starting Statistics on 01/03/2015

  • Weight:  144.4 Pounds (I gained 2 pounds between my holiday challenge and weigh-in, good gawd!)
  • Body Fat %:  22.9% (I gained here too – oops!)
  • BMI:  22.6

Goals for the Next 10 Weeks (Ending 03/13/2015)

  • Weight:  135 Pounds
  • Body Fat %:  <21%
  • BMI:  21.1
  • Total Miles Each Week (Average):  25-30

Week Ending 01/16/2015

  • Week 2 Statistics
    • Weight:   137.8 Pounds
    • Pounds Lost or Gained:  1.8 Pounds lost
    • Body Fat %:  21.9%
    • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.3% Lost
    • BMI: 21.6
    • Workout Days (goal is 6 days):  6 Days
    • Time Spent Being Active:   5 Hours 47 Minutes
    • Miles Run:  27.65 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Saturday – Chinese food
    • Sunday– apricot chicken, mushrooms, sprouts
    • Monday – Panera
    • Tuesday – leftover apricot chicken, spinach salad
    • Wednesday – Smoked meat and green beans
    • Thursday – Spinach salad
    • Friday – Date night – free night!
  • Exercise: 
    • Saturday – Treadmill running (60 minutes), walking (15 minutes)
    • Sunday– None – rest say
    • Monday – Treadmill running (50 minutes) walking (14 minutes)
    • Tuesday – Treadmill running (60 minutes)
    • Wednesday – Treadmill running (51 minutes), walking (14 minutes)
    • Thursday – Strength class (50 minutes), treadmill walking (23 minutes)
    • Friday – Treadmill running (50 minutes), walking (10 minutes)
  • Notes: 
    • What a week! I dropped my weekly (sometimes twice weekly) pizza for an awesome bacon salad, and that seems to have made a difference. We’ve also been eating more spinach salads at home for dinner
    • It felt great to lift weights again. It’s been too long!
    • I’ve met my mileage goal both weeks so far, and it’s been quite easy. Running has become my lazy workout and I need to get back to IN.SANITY next week
    • This weekend is going to bring me a couple of outdoor runs. I’m so excited!
    • Safely in the 130’s is so close, I can taste it (137.8 this morning, and safe is 136 or less)!

 

Found!

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health

My husband has gotten on the purging bandwagon with me (8 garbage bags so far, with a basement full of tubs just waiting for me!) and removed his final items from our son’s closet this morning. He shouted that he had a surprise for me, then came into the bedroom, like my prince in shining armor, and presented me with these!

My jeans! The ones I bought when I was 144 pounds (for like, a minute!) that I said I needed to lose 4 more pounds for, but never did. The jeans I thought I donated last year because I swore I’d never be that small again. The jeans I’ve regretted “donating” since dropping weight these last 7 months.

And… They fit… Perfectly! They may be 6-7 years old, but they’re perfect right now!

(It turns out I kept all of my small skirts too, and I think that’s because I ran out of steam last year while purging. Dumb luck…)

Fitness Stat-urday 2015 – Week 1

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Fitness Stat-urday

Starting Statistics on 01/03/2015

  • Weight:  144.4 Pounds (I gained 2 pounds between my holiday challenge and weigh-in, good gawd!)
  • Body Fat %:  22.9% (I gained here too – oops!)
  • BMI:  22.6

Goals for the Next 10 Weeks (Ending 03/13/2015)

  • Weight:  135 Pounds
  • Body Fat %:  <21%
  • BMI:  21.1
  • Total Miles Each Week (Average):  25-30

Week Ending 01/09/2015

  • Week 1 Statistics
    • Weight:   139.6 Pounds
    • Pounds Lost or Gained:  4.8 Pounds lost
    • Body Fat %:  22.2%
    • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.7% Lost
    • BMI: 21.9
    • Workout Days (goal is 6 days):  6 Days
    • Time Spent Being Active:   5 Hours 23 Minutes
    • Miles Run:  26.00 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Saturday – Free night of pizza, cupcakes, oh yeah!
    • Sunday– Greek chicken and carrots
    • Monday – Pork and apple sliders with mashed sweet potatoes
    • Tuesday – Chicken non-tortilla soup
    • Wednesday – Srirachi maple shrimp with bacon and pineapples, carrots
    • Thursday – Leftover chicken non-tortilla soup
    • Friday – Date night!
  • Exercise: 
    • Saturday – Treadmill running (60 minutes)
    • Sunday– None – Rest day
    • Monday – Abdominal work (13 minutes)
    • Tuesday – Treadmill running (37 minutes), abdominal work (13 minutes)
    • Wednesday – Treadmill running (45 minutes), treadmill walking (6 minutes) abdominal work (13 minutes)
    • Thursday – Treadmill running (53 minutes), walking (7 minutes), abs (13 minutes)
    • Friday – Treadmill running (60 minutes), abs (13 minutes)
  • Notes: 
    • Quick gain is a quick loss! I’m shaping up to be around 141 by the end of this week.
    • I’m doing lots of ab work every night as my husband reads to our son, and that’s working out nicely.  I’m sore, but it’s necessary!
    • 140.6 on Thursday morning! Holiday pudge is gone!
    • We have date night tonight (Friday), so I’m stealing next week’s free night for tonight’s dinner. I weighed in on Friday because I never weigh in after a free night!

Perspective… It’s Priceless

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health

I am cleaning out my closet, getting ready to donate all of my “fat clothes.” Last year this time, I did the same thing but with my “skinny clothes” because I thought I’d never be that thin again. I was sort of right… I’m thinner now than most of those clothes would accommodate. But God, I wish I’d kept a few if those things, including a pair of jeans, tags still on, that I swore were impossible since I’d now had kids. Dammit. But I digress…

So I  opened my bra drawer and found heaps of 38D and 38DD bras… Bras I wore while I was doing IF treatments, pregnant, nursing, and just, well, bigger. I was, in a word, stunned. I took one out to show my husband and asked, “really? They were THIS big?”. He was not surprised and just said, “yeah, they were.”

I’ve been a tiny bit relaxed about food this past week, but started a new challenge today. I needed some motivation, perspective, to get it together again. I got that today.

Here is my old bra (38DD) eating my new 34C for lunch. Geesh!

Happy Healthy Holidays – Final Check-in Weeks 4 and 5

by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Happy Healthy Holidays

Things didn’t end up how I wanted, but I ended up weighing less than when I started, so that’s a good thing!  I will admit right here and now – the holidays put me in a “who cares” mental space, which is not good, but I know is normal.  I’m already back at it, but the lingering bad foods in the house are just killing me.  We have one final thing (triple chocolate cake and ice cream) which will be gone tonight.

My Australian friend was here during this challenge which got me off track, as did having my husband home from work between Christmas and New Years.  Having him here was the biggest challenge as there were more enticing things to do.  Yes, I chose fun over fitness!  The good thing, though, is that we all (Australian included) decided to kick off a group challenge on 1/4 (tomorrow) and have recruited others to take part – so it’s turned into a Team USA versus Team AUS thing, which is fun!

New challenge kicks off tomorrow and it will be 10 weeks – INTENSE!  I’m not going to set any crazy goals, but have already decided that the end weight goal is 133 pounds.  That will motivate me, which I need!

Starting Statistics on 11/26/2014

  • Weight:  144.4 Pounds (lost 0.2 pounds between last check (11/22/2014) and today)
  • Body Fat %:  22.4% (lost 0.4% between last check (11/22/2014) and today)
  • BMI:  22.6

Goals for the 5 Weeks (Ending 12/31/2014)

  • Weight:  (Weight – 3.5 pounds)  140.8 Pounds
    • Ended up at 142.2 pounds after a holiday gain after week 4 wrapped up
    • Total lost:  2.2 pounds
  • Body Fat %:  (Current – 0.5%) 21.9%
    • Ended up at 22.3% after reaching my goal in week 4
    • Total lost: 0.1%
  • BMI:  22.0
    • Ended up at 22.3
  • Workout Days (in 36 days):  32 Days (26)
    • Ended up working out 26 days, missing my goal by 6 days (yeah, I got a little relaxed)
  • Strength Workouts:  10 workouts (2 a week)
    • Abysmal!  Ended up only doing 3 strength workouts
  • Trips to the YMCA:  15 days (3 a week)
    • Ended up going to the YMCA 10 days in the 5 weeks, which is pretty good

Week Ending 12/23/2014

  • Week 4 Statistics
    • Weight:   140.2 Pounds
    • Pounds Lost or Gained:  2 Pounds lost
    • Body Fat %:  21.9%
    • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.3% Gained
    • BMI: 21.9
    • Workout Days (goal is 7 days):  6 Days
    • Strength Days this Week:  1 Day
    • Trips to the YMCA:  4 Days
    • Time Spent Being Active:   5 Hours 34 Minutes
    • Average Number of Steps Per Day:  14,602 Steps
    • Miles Run:  25.61 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Wednesday – Smoked meats, green beans, creamed corn
    • Thursday – Butternut squash soup, smoked chicken
    • Friday – Steak tacos
    • Saturday – Turkey pepperoni pizza
    • Sunday – Pepper filets, green beans
    • Monday – Sushi and honey walnut shrimp
    • Tuesday – Christmas dinner!  Pomegranate chicken, mashed cauliflower, carrots
  • Exercise/Activity:
    • Wednesday – None – 10,000 Steps
    • Thursday – Treadmill running (21 minutes), power incline walking (44 minutes) – 14,800 Steps
    • Friday – Treadmill running (25 minutes), power incline walking (40 minutes) – 16,100 Steps
    • Saturday – Treadmill walking (25 minutes) – 11,994 Steps
    • Sunday – Bodypump (40 minutes) – 9,000 Steps
    • Monday – Treadmill running (61 minutes), walking (4 minutes) – 18,065 Steps
    • Tuesday – Treadmill running (57 minutes), walking (18 minutes) – 22,255 Steps
  • Notes and findings: 
    • Gotta hit it hard this week – make up for last week and hitting 141 pounds easily and then losing that improvement later in the week with sickness
    • Focus this week needs to be on strength training
    • On Thursday, I was 140.2 pounds and 21.9% body fat. If this sticks, I have met my goals for this period and I’ll revisit them for the final week
    • It all went to hell on the eve of Christmas Eve – used stats from Tuesday morning

Week Ending 12/31/2014

Week 5 Statistics

  • Weight:   142.2 Pounds
  • Pounds Lost or Gained:  2 Pounds gained
  • Body Fat %:  22.3%
  • Body Fat % Lost or Gained:  0.4% Gained
  • BMI: 22.3
  • Workout Days (goal is 7 days):  5 Days
  • Strength Days this Week:  0 Days
  • Trips to the YMCA:  2 Days
  • Time Spent Being Active:   5 Hours 12 Minutes
  • Average Number of Steps Per Day:  14,421 Steps
  • Miles Run:  25.2 Miles
  • Food: 
    • Wednesday – Christmas eve dinner of petite pepper filets, chicken picatta, roasted carrots, maple buttered Brussels sprouts, mashed sweet potatoes, apple pie, and cheese fondue.  Yep!
    • Thursday – A horrible Christmas dinner of 80’s food.  Enough said!
    • Friday – Artichoke heart pizza
    • Saturday – Frozen pizza doctored up!
    • Sunday – Christmas eve leftovers
    • Monday – Pizza, baked chicken
    • Tuesday – Date night!
  • Exercise/Activity:
    • Wednesday – Treadmill walking (60 minutes) – 16,648 Steps
    • Thursday – None- 6,510 Steps
    • Friday – None- 7,079 Steps
    • Saturday – Treadmill running (60 minutes) – 19,006 Steps
    • Sunday – Treadmill running (60 minutes) – 17,283 Steps
    • Monday – Treadmill running (60 minutes), ab work (12 minutes) – 20,000 Steps
    • Tuesday – Treadmill running (60 minutes) – ? Steps
  • Notes and findings: 
    • Our Christmas dinner on the 23rd started a really bad downward spiral, and I’m fighting to get back to 140.x pounds.  It’s going to be a stretch
    • I ate way too much gourmet popcorn – way too much
    • Too many sugar cookies
    • Too many big meals
    • But…. it’s the holidays!  I need to enjoy!
    • Goals not met, but I ended up 2.2 pounds less than when I started which is really good for the holidays! And my body fat was down 0.1% which is better than a gain!
    • Overall, I’m happy with this little challenge of mine. It kept me on track over the hardest weeks of the year!