Fitness Friday

This week has been tricky. Kind of. Since signing up at CUT, I've stopped taking Sunday off and also doubled up on my workouts on Monday and Tuesday in order to kick my own but into winning my DietBet. Well, it worked... but then also I think my scale went a little wacko. The pictures below show my weigh in for the first DietBet, my weight in for the second DietBet, and on the right is my weightout for the first DietBet.

My scale decided to weigh me out at 143, yet when the scale was back by the tub where it usually is, I was of a more acceptable and realistic-seeming weight. However, I still used this weight for my weight out since I had the scale in the same exact spot for my other two weigh ins, so I just went with that... but now, superstrangely, I'm weighing the same with the scale in either spot. This makes me wish I had one of those big manual scales.

Anyway, after reaching my DietBet goal (I won $39.16!), and feeling good about having doubled my workouts on Monday and Tuesday, I doubled up again on Wednesday for an hour spin class followed by an hour of Zumba. I had planned on Thursday being a one-class kind of day, but then this happened Wednesday night:

Hello, impromptu cheat dinner!

And then also this:

Oh yes we did.

Yes I ate the whole burger. No, I didn't eat the whole dessert. Jamie and I couldn't even finish it between the two of us. Let me tell you why I allowed this...

Once upon a time there was a restaurant called Beachfire that lived a block away from our house. Jamie and I spent a lot of time and money there. (Without Beachfire, we never would have become friends with Jarrod and Kaitlyn!) We loved their food; the burger being my favorite. The dessert show above, the After Dinner Mint, was just.. oh my god. I do know how to eat healthy there, and often times I opted for a salad with grilled salmon. But then, one day in March of last year, our beloved Beachfire closed.

Now, Beachfire still has a location about 20 minutes away from us, which we decided to visit on Wednesday night. Yes, I could have eaten a much healthier meal, but you know what? I haven't had a full-on cheat day in a long time, so I decided to go all out. After all, I did make my weigh in goal and I am in the middle of one bitch of an Aunt Flo visit... so I went for it. Let me tell you, it was so delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it.

Ten minutes later, however, I felt like crap. Not mentally, though. I did not and still do not regret my majorly caloric dinner, but I felt really not-good, physically. As odd as it is to say, I'll take that as a victory. This means that my body is now used to eating healthfully and appreciates nutrition, and I have to listen to it if I want to keep from feeling that gross ever again. This isn't to say that I won't do this again, but it definitely won't be very often. It does make for a good reminder as to why I prefer to make the food choices that I do, though.

So back to Thursday. (Remember when I was about to tell you about Thursday but then went on a major tangent?) Thursday was going to be a one-class day until my cheat, so on Wednesday night I scheduled myself for a spin/pilates class to follow the spin/body pump class that I had previously scheduled.

The problem with having been doubling up on work outs is that now I'm starting to feel like one workout isn't enough. I know that it is, but I kind of like doing two work outs. The problem with that is that it takes too much time out of my morning, and it has caused me to slack on the things I need to do at home, with work, and this blog. So today, I shook my booty at Zumba for an hour... then I considered staying for an hour of Body Pump, but then went home instead.

When I got home, I noticed that I received a couple Paypal payments that I was expecting, so I treated myself. This treat isn't a cheat, or shoes, or a mani-pedi (though I have my eyes on some really epic wedges on Poshmark). No, I bought something to help me monitor my progress and motivate me to push harder.

Polar FT40 Heart Rate Monitor from HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com

I've been seeing these all over Instagram from fitness people that I follow for a long time, so I finally took some time this week to research HRMs and find the best one for me. I ordered it today, and it will be here on Monday! I'm really excited to start using it to see how many calories I'm actually burning rather than kind of guessing based on what the internet thinks I burn during, say, 30 minutes of spin. I'm sure I'll be following up on this in next week's post.

As for this week's numbers, there's no change from last week. While I did reach my goal for the DietBet on Wednesday, I'm hanging onto some severe bloat and water weight from this wretched period which has caused me to bounce back up to last week's weight and measurements.

My goal for this weekend is to keep my eating in check and to try not to drink too much green beer (or more likely, just beer in general). This will be difficult, but I'll do my best.

Iffin' y'wanna follow my fitness&healthy-eating Instagram, my username is @fitgosam! 

Fitness Friday

Hey check that out! I kinda have some muscles! I've been noticing more definition lately and that puts me in a pretty good mood. You know what else puts me in a good mood? The rest of the results that I'm seeing.

I joined a DietBet game, which offers a monetary incentive to lose 4% of your body weight. Earlier in the week was tricky for me, though. I felt like I hit a plateau and wasn't going to be able to push through enough in time for my final weigh in next Wednesday. Luckily, and I say "luckily" due to a night of beer and another night of wine, I pushed through! I'm back on track and only have to lose about a pound by Thursday in order to split the pot with all the folks that hit their goal. So far, since starting the game on February 13th, I've lost 5 pounds!

I credit my recent success to two things. First, my healthy eating. While my alcohol intake hasn't drastically improved, I've been pretty strict with my diet. There's a saying, "Abs are made in the kitchen" and it's totally true. While I'm far from having visible abdominal muscles, I'm seeing a difference in how my body looks and feels since really cracking down on my diet. Second, changing up my work outs.

A week and a half ago, sitting on the couch after dinner, I decided to check my work email. I had a new project sent to me by my boss. Do you guys even know what I do? Have I shared that here before? Anyway, I work as a designer for a custom rhinestone apparel company. I'm fortunate enough that I can work a flexible schedule at home, which I love. Anyway, I got this project and it was for the logo of a new fitness studio that had just opened about 10 minutes away. Do you guys watch Real Housewives of Orange County? Welp, it's Tamra and Eddie's new studio, CUT Fitness. I found their website and saw that they were offering a fantastic special: your first five classes are free, with no monetary commitment. I signed up that night and went to my first class the next morning.

The class I took was 30 minutes of spin and 30 minutes of Body Pump. (RHOC fans, it was taught by Eddie.) Body Pump, being mostly a barbell class, was something completely new to me. Between that and the different style of spin, it was a really great kick in the pants that I definitely needed. I've gone back twice since to help supplement my 4 days a week at the Pilates studio and still have two more free days left that I'll use on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I definitely accredit the following numbers to adding those new workouts to my schedule.

March 8th, 2013 (-since 3/1/13, -since 1/4/13)

• Weight - 147.6 (-1.2, -6.4)
• Calf - 13.5" (-0.25, -0.25)
• Knee - 15" (-0.25, -0.25)
• Thigh - 23.75" (-0, -0.25)
• Hips/Butt - 41" (-0.5, -0.5)
• Belly - 38.75" (-0.25, -0.75)
• Waist - 30.25" (-0.25, -1.25)
• Bust - 36.25" (-0.5, -1.75)
• Arms - 11.75" (-0.25, -0.5)

Check that out! This week I've lost 1.2 pounds and 2.25 inches! I'd say that's better than last week's 2 pounds and 1.5 inches in SIX weeks. 

Now, I know my DietBet isn't over yet, but I wanted to continue to challenge myself. Lucky for me, I happened to get an invitation this morning from Lauren at Pink on the Cheek to join another DietBet! The buy in for this one is only $10 (the one I'm currently in was $20) but I think it's still enough to keep me motivated. This new one officially starts on Sunday the 10th, which means it will put my final week the same week that my family is here visiting. This will definitely be a challenge!

Fitness Friday

Uhm, so... remember when I was all stoked that I busted into the 140s while in Ohio? Well, apparently there's something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull because I arrived home, safe on Sunday night, and by Monday morning I had crept back into the 150s. (Though I suppose it may have also had to do with an impending menstrual cycle.)

This photo is irrelevant. 

Fortunately, with returning home came returning to the Pilates studio. Unfortunately, not having worked out in 3 weeks and not having done Pilates in 4 weeks, I've found that my strength and endurance have regressed.
Not only did I realize that I had reverted back toward my original state of being a weakling on my first day back, but my instructor (who reads this, so everyone wave to Bridget!) decided to throw in some crazy let's-roll-back-onto-our-shoulders-with-our-feet-in-the-air move that I had never done before which only reiterated the fact that I lost a lot of strength over four weeks.

Getting back into spin has also proved challenging. I lost a lot of endurance in my inactivity, unsurprisingly, but hopping on the bike in the first two days of my period wasn't helping either. Intervals (where you go back and forth between seated and standing on the bike) proved really difficult with an angry uterus. Cramps also lead to headache for me, so my two spin classes this week were pretty unpleasant thanks to my own body. Though, even through my menstrual discomfort, I could tell that I still could have pushed myself harder on the bike. I'm hoping to do better in tomorrow morning's spin/power sculpt yoga class. (I've never done power sculpt yoga. I hope I don't die.)

Staying on the topic of challenge, I joined a weight loss challenge. Roo over at Nice Girl Notes started a game at DietBet.com and opened it up to all of her readers. The premise is that you and all the players pay some money; in this instance, it was $20. You submit an official weigh in to the DietBet referees (which includes photos and a secret word) and once it's approved, you're in the game. The game is that you have 28 days to lose 4% of your body weight. If you don't, you're out $20. If you do, then you split the pot with everyone else who reached the 4% lost goal.

So Roo's game has 175 participants putting the pot at $3500. A lot of people would have to fail for me to get a huge chunk of that, but I'd be happy just getting my 20 bucks back with maybe some extra change to toss into Paypal for a rainy day. The game only started on Wednesday, but I think I've been doing well at keeping motivated. My only two things that stand in my way are alcohol and having switched my Pilates membership to 4 days a week to save some cash. BUT! So far, I'm on the right track. My 4% equals out to 6.1 pounds, which would put me at 146.5 on March 13th. Today I am at 150.8, so I really only have 4.3 pounds to go!

I anticipated Valentine's Day being a significant obstacle, but I really didn't do too badly. Jamie knew I was doing this challenge, so he didn't bring me home any sweets to keep stashed in the house. I ate quite healthfully all day and was looking forward to a homemade meal made by Chef Husb. He, for the past week or so, has been adamant about cooking at home on Valentine's Day; he wanted to grill up some nice steaks and pop a bottle of wine. I was so down with that. He even asked me over instant message yesterday if I had any diet restrictions for dinner. (I said no white rice or white potatoes!) Then, about 15 minutes later, he decided he wanted to go out. While slightly annoyed that he changed his mind last minute, I shrugged, "Okay, let's do it."

It was so worth it.

Grilled lamb with polenta and asparagus was my choice, and I think it was a good one. The portion wasn't huge; I ate it all and didn't feel over-stuffed. We split a really fantastic tiramisu for dessert, and even after that, I didn't feel like I over-ate. I felt full enough and satisfied. I did, however, drink a flight of wine at dinner followed by a tall pale ale and a short lager at our local spot to grab good craft brew. I must have done something right, though, because it didn't show on the scale today or in the form of bloating. (I guess I could probably attribute that to massively upping my water intake the past few days.)

My goals for this week include eating smartly, cut back on the alcohol (there's no way I'm giving it up!), and find a way to be active on the days I don't have spin or Pilates.

Do you have any fitness goals right now? How did Valentine's Day affect your diet? (I, honestly, am surprised that I did so well!)

Fitness Friday

After a somewhat indulgent weekend, I think I fared pretty well this week in the healthy eating department. Sunday was probably the worst day in terms of not-so-healthy eating, but it was the best day in terms of deliciousness. On our way back from shooting, Jamie and I stopped for lunch at Slater's 50/50. With a menu full of ridiculously tempting burgers, I managed to make a slightly better choice and get the turkey burger shown above which came topped with smoked gouda and a grilled portabello. I cut it in half and ate the smaller half, bun and all, then fork-and-knifed the other half, eating only the meat. Unfortunately, two Stone Pale Ale's didn't save me any liquid calories. Sunday evening was Chinese take-out and moscato (It pairs well, right?) at our friends Ella and Chris' place to watch and laugh at the Oscars. (No regrets!)

Really, that was probably the worst day. Saturday night we hosted dinner and cards and BSing for Jarrod and Kaitlyn, which proved to be pretty healthy (if you don't count the wine and beer.) Jamie grilled up some chicken breasts and I made a pretty tasty quinoa salad.

And then Monday, I made Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers! (The recipe calls for sliced roast beef, but I used steak.) Jamie wasn't "ohmigawd this is delicious", but I really liked them.

So really, eating healthy isn't a problem for me. It's not difficult for me, and I like it. What my problem is, as we all should know by now, is alcohol. I. Love. Beer. And. Wine. I tried to go the week without either of those two, but come Wednesday afternoon, I see a Facebook post from our favorite local spot for craft brews announcing that they've just tapped Pliny the Elder. If you're a beer person, you probably know that this beer, rated #3 on Beer Advocate's top 250, is kind of a big deal and it goes fairly quickly once it's tapped. So of course I had to stop in for one before I headed to the grocery store to buy stuff to make salads for dinner. Okay, so, because Jarrod also happened to be there, I had two. Geez. (Jamie was being good and was at the gym!)

BUT! Aside from giving in to beer (did I mention I had beers last night too? Yikes.) I've managed to still keep on track to lose my 4% body weight for the DietBet game I'm participating in, so I'm happy with that. Oh, and guess what? I took photos this month!

Left: 1/4/13 - Right: Today
(click to view it large)

Left: 1/4/13 - Right: Today
(click to view it large)

You can't really see too much of a difference, but I did make a bit of progress. I don't know about you guys, but I can see a bit of difference in my midsection. Here are my numbers:

March 1st, 2013 (-since 1/18/13, -since 1/4/13)

• Weight - 148.8 (-2.2, -5.2)
• Calf - 13.75" (0)
• Knee - 15.25" (0)
• Thigh - 23.75" (-0.25)
• Hips/Butt - 41.5" (0)
• Belly - 39" (-0.25, -0.5)
• Waist - 30.5" (-0.5, -1)
• Bust - 36.75" (-0.5, -1.25)
• Arms - 12" (-0.25)

In 6 weeks, I've lost 2ish pounds and 1.5 inches; in two months, I've lost 5ish pounds and 3 inches. Not bad. While I'm a little impatient with losing right now, I'm still in the mindset that the more gradually the weight and inches come off, the easier it will be to keep off. If you look at my original photos from when I started back in June, I can definitely see how far I've come, and I'm happy with my progress and the fact that even when I wasn't eating properly at the end of last year, I didn't regress much in my numbers. Since June, I've lost 14 pounds and more than 14 inches off my limbs and midsection! Yessir. That's fantastic.

Fitness Friday

Zzzzz...

That about sums up how I feel about this week, though I'm sure you could have figured that out on your own if you had noticed since I kinda left the blog hanging after Monday's super emo post.

Last Friday was a good day, motivationally. (I don't think "motivationally" is a word.) It was my off day at the Pilates studio. Monetarily, I max out at 4 days per week instead of the 5 or 6 days that I am used to and on Friday I was feeling motivated to get some activity in, so I leashed up the dog and went for a walk.

It was one of those random summer teaser days; it was 80 degrees and just plain gorgeous outside. Chuck and I hit the trail that bisects our community. It's very hilly and great for exercise. It was also a great test to see how far I've come, physically. Before I worked out, I dreaded these hills. Jamie always wanted to go hike the trail and I hated it because he'd just crank his way to the top and wait for me to drag my ass up each hill. I felt awful physically and mentally during those walks. This time, however, I never lost steam and that felt great.

Chuck made it about 3 miles before he finally stopped pulling. (He's pretty terrible on the leash; he just wants to GO.) It used to be that at about 3 miles, or sooner, I'd be done. I'd be ready to BE home, not head back. I'd be exhausted and my low back would be so, so angry at me. This time, however, I had a choice. I could take the direct route back home or walk up the looooong hill then zig zag through neighborhoods, up and down more hills to get home. I chose the latter!

This time, my back didn't start bothering me until around 4 miles, which was good because I was close to home. My total walk was 4.14 miles and I wasn't completely dead when I walked in the door. I felt so good and motivated that I wanted to take this walk on every off day during the week.

So my next off day was Monday and... I didn't do it. Then my next off day was yesterday and... I didn't do it. I'm pretty disappointed in myself. I could have made the time, I just didn't, and it has affected my DietBet results this week. While I was ahead of schedule on the weight loss, it's crept back up. I blame water weight. (sure.) Fortunately, I'm still right on schedule, so I still feel safe. I'm not behind, so as long as I can keep up with my eating habits and slip in some more cardio, I should probably be good.

Speaking of eating well?

Jamie grilled up some Cornell Chicken last weekend and when I say "some" I mean "a lot", so we had a bunch of leftovers. When Jamie decided he was tired of having it for lunch, I made a soup with it. Cornell Chicken, if you don't know, is marinaded in eggs, oil and vinegar and some seasonings. The vinegar gives it a really amazing flavor, which lent itself nicely to the soup. Along with that, the smokiness from the grill stuck around and tasted fantastic in the soup. My soup (how many times can I say soup? Soup.) had onions, carrots, celery, kale, and a blend of quinoa and brown rice and it turned out really great. It's probably pretty fatty due to the chicken being skin-on with a lot of dark meat, but the veggies and grains are definitely beneficial so... so there.

Soup.