Water Aerobics/Biko Training Day

I went to water aerobics this morning for the first time, and I liked it!!!

Polar Numbers:
Time: 57:26
Calories: 559 (60%)
HR
Max: 153 (84%)
Avg: 119 (65%)
Light: 46:58
Moderate: 8:36
Heavy: 0:08 (wow lol)

Training Session (i was a dork and forgot to start it for 12 mnutes...oops)
Time: 21:42 (should be 33:00)
Calories: 223 - (I am guessing around 350)
Max 161 88%
Avg: 122 67%

Light: 19:46
Moderate: 1:12
Heavy: 0:28

Last Day in Atlanta

Today was the last day of class. I had some grapes for breakfast, and I didn't do too badly at lunch other than a few hard candies in class. However, in the afternoon, I had TWO cookies in class. However, I did better after that to make up for it. :)

Grains - (2/6) flour tortilla
Veggies = (3/3) lettuce, onions, green peppers
Fruits (1/2) - grapes
Protein (5/5)- steak
Dairy (0/0)
Oils 5/5 - salad dressing, cookies
BAD - two cookies

I was good and went to the Active Trainer and Elliptical when I got home.

Polar Numbers

Wii Active Traner
Time: 34:35
Calories: 300 Fat 50%
HR
Max 153 (84%)
Avg 113 (62%)
Light 22:27
Moderate: 8:00
Heavy: 3:38

Elliptical
Time: 26:11
Calories: 426 (30% fat)
HR
Max 186 (102%)
Avg 156 (156)
Light: 0:41
Moderate: 4:42
Hard: 20:48

Not so good today

So, today was hard. We had lasagna for our meal at lunch. Hard to really figure out how to count lasagna. I did have salad first, and then I had only a smallish piece of lasagna. The other thing that has been hard is the hard candy and some small chocolate bars in class. Then, for dinner, we went to PF Changs. I had Kung Pao Shrimp. I also decided that it was a good day to rest from working out. I am looking at it as some positive as I ate much less than I would have two weeks ago. Good days and bad...tomorrow will be better.


Not really sure how to count food, so I am not even going to try. :)

Did it AGAIN! (patting self on back)

I didn't really want to go work out tonight, but I did it anyway. A bunch of people I work with were having cocktails in the bar, and I really wanted to just chill with them. Instead, I had water and then I went to the gym. I walked a mile, ellipticalled a mile, and rode for 4 miles on the stationary bike. I didn't swim today.

On the elliptical, I actually went pretty fast (for me anyway), and I felt GOOD. :)
Polar Numbers
Time: 51:24 Calories: 802 (30% fat) HR Max: 182 (99%) Avg: 152 (83%)
Light: 5:15 Moderate: 16:13 Heavy: 29:56
Food:
Grains (6/6) bread, croutons, popcorn, cereal Veggies (2/3) - lettuce, brocolli Fruit (1/2) banana Dairy (2/2) Milk, blue cheese Oils (5/5) - mararine, salad dressing Protein (5/5)- steak, grilled chicken Bad stuff - hard candy in class, lasagna was the lunch served in class. Tried not to eat too much

Patting Myself on the Back

Today, I got to Atlanta, and I went to eat with someone I work with. He suggested Taco Mac as it is somewhere he can watch a hockey game. I said it was fine as I figured I could find something I liked. When I got there, there was the temptation of chips and dip - it came with a triple whammy of cheese, spinach and artichoke, and salsa. OH NO! I tried to be kind of good, but I had several chips and dip. Then, I ordered fajitas. I only ate half the meat, and I only had two tortillas. Better than I normally would have done. I also didn't have the rice. I got back to the hotel feeling a bit defeated. My first meal away from the house, and I didn't do great. Not as badly as I would have 2 weeks ago, but not great.

So, I was in my room, sleepy, and trying to talk myself into working out to make up for it. I came THIS close to just going to bed, but something told me that I would feel a lot better with myself and that I would sleep better if I just went for it. So, I got my shoes, workout shorts, and my polar, and I headed to the fitness center. I also took my bathing suit thinking I might swim a few laps. I started on the treadmill, and I did some intervals of walking and jogging. I did about 20 minutes. Then, I was going to do the bike for a few minutes, but it was bothering my knee a bit and the machine never would turn on (I cannot possibly ride a boring stationary bike without the cool gadgets that tell me the time, speed, distance, etc). So, I only did that about 2 minutes or so, and then I went to the elliptical to see how my knee would do. Well, it was GREAT! I am not sure what happened, but I just got into my groove. I even went FAST (well, for me). At one point for a few brief seconds, I went 7 mph on the elliptical!!! I mainly went between 5 and 6 which is already fast for me.

Short version is 39:42 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
627 calories - 30% fat
HR
Max - 182 (99%)
Avg 153 (84%)

Light - 2:54
Moderate - 10:08
Heavy - 26:40

Food:

Grains (7/6) - cheerios, bread (2), tortillas (2), chips (2)
Veggies (3/3) - lettuce, onion, green pepper, tomatoes
Fruits (1/2) - banana
Protein (5ish/5) roast beef, steak - roughly 5 oz maybe 6
Milk (2/2) - cheese, cheese
Oils (5/5)- fajitas and cheese must have had a lot

All in all, I am proud. :)

Biko the Trainer

I meant to put this up the other day. This is Biko, my personal trainer. He is at Sport and Field and is incredible if you are looking for a trainer.

Mini (ok, Very Mini) triathlon

I decided that a lofty goal along with other goals would be to work up to a “sprint” triathlon which is 3.1 miles running, 12.4 miles biking, and 0.6 miles swimming. My goal is not even to do an actual race but to train for it and do it myself even if it is slower than slow. I think the different types of activity will help me stay engaged. So, I decided that each week, I will bike, run, and swim during the week, and then each weekend, I will try to do a little more of a mini triathlon. So, today, I did 4 miles on the bike, 0.3 miles swimming (would have done more but it started lightening), and 1 mile running (I actually did this on the elliptical due to the same storm). WOO HOO! It was fun. So, next week, I am going to try 5 miles on the bike, 0.5 miles swimming, and 1.25 miles jogging/walking.

My polar numbers for the biking/swimming (and the walk inside to change and the walk to the pool) were:

Time: 55:57

Calories: 771 – 45% fat

HR

Max – 162 – 89% of max range

Avg – 143 – 78% of max range

Light – 9:01

Moderate – 29:50

Hard 16:50

The biking was pretty slow because the polar kept beeping to tell me I was going over my heart rate. It was annoying to go so slow. I guess I just need to keep working on it so my heart will chill. J

My polar numbers for the elliptical and the stretching afterward(I did the heart rate training from the polar but it was way too slow and was driving me nuts, so I pushed it for a quarter of a mile…thus the 180 HR)

Time: 25:50

Calories: 390 – 35% fat

HR

Max – 181 – 99% of max range

Avg – 150 – 82% of max range

The OwnZone said I should keep it between 137 – 147 which was very hard to do.

Light: 1:58

Moderate: 11:04

Hard: 12:48

Food

Grains (4/6), cereal, bun (2), 100 cal popcorn bag

Veggies - (2/3) lettuce, grilled corn on the cob

Fruits (1/2) - banana

Milk - (2/2) - milk (0.5), cheese slice, blue cheese (0.5)

Protein - (3/5) - hamburger 3 oz

Oils - (5/5) butter (2), salad dressing (3)

Discretionary - ketchup, mustard

Wii Active Trainer - Great workout!

Today, I did the Wii Active trainer with plans to do some elliptical or a walk/run outside or a bike ride. However, that thing kicked my butt. I was sore already after an hour. It went crazy today with lunges to the side, to the back, and to the front, AND it made me do more squats. I must have made it mad yesterday. Then, it wanted me to jump up in the air over and over like I was doing tricks on an inline skate ramp. HA! It also had some upper arms, and then the super fast running in place and high knees. It said I burned 300 calories but my polar using my heart rate said 600. Hmmm....

The polar said:

Time: 43:51
Calories: 618 - 50% fat
Heart Rate - Max 176 - 96% of max HR range
Avg - 144 - 79% of max HR range

Light - 16:20
Moderate - 21:01
Hard 6:22

Later, I did some cardio kick boxing, dancing, inline skating, basketball, and baseball. My polar kind of went wacky and said my heart rate was over 200 when I wasn't even working hard and I manually checked it and found it normal. So, I am not sure what to count for that one.

Here are the numbers
Time: 36:03
Calories: 489 - 35% fat
Heart Rate
Max - 206 - 113% (this was probably more like 168 if I had to guess)
Avg 142 - 78%

Light 16:18
Moderate: 16:33
Hard: 3:12

I guess you might have notifced that I got a new polar watch. My old one (the beloved F4) died, and I really missed it once I started working out again. This F11 is AMAZING. I had to drive halfway across town to get one as none of my usual places had it. I went to Feet First in Tampa where they were SUPER friendly and helfpul. In fact, I think it was one of the best customer service examples I can recall in a while. Anyway, the F11 measures your fitness level as a resting heartrate and it also develops your OwnZone which is the heart rate range you should work in based on on your warmup. IT IS HOT. It also will come up with programs on how to improve your fitness level by designing programs to work your heart rate in the light, moderate, and heavy category. I am starting this, and I will let you know how it goes.

I am feeling pretty confident that I can do this and get fit. I have the trainer to help me stay on track, the Wii Active Trainer to do some fun things that I normally wouldn't get to do, the elliptical at home, the Sport and Field machines and equipment, and of course my bike and neighborhood pool. I think that sounds like NO EXCUSES. I simply must stay focused. Can I do it?

Mike decided that he hadn't been cruel this week, so he decided that we should bake the cookies from the cookie dough bought from school fundraisers. Ummm...week two of a diet and you are going to bake all of the cookies? REALLY? So, I was a very good girl and didn't eat them. I did think about getting my exercise by torturing my husband, but instead I used the Wii Active Trainer. :) At dinner, Katie wanted to make Velveeta and Rotel which is one of my all time favs, but luckily for me they decided to wait until tomorrow. I was strong though. :)

Food for the day...

Grains (4/6) - Cheerios (2), white wheat bread (2)
Veggies (3/3) - lettuce, brocolli, asparagus
Fruits - banana, apple
Milk - (2.5/2) - milk (.5), sliced cheese (1), blue cheese (1)
Protein (6/5) - 1 tbsp peanut butter, 2 oz ham, 3 oz chicken
Oils (5/5) - 1 tbsp italian dressing, 2 tsp blue cheese dressing
Discretionary - mustard, extra half milk, extra ounce of protein
Did not get all of grains in (wow..I think that is a first in my life)

Cardio Day and Wii Active Trainer

Today is a cardio day. However, Morgan and I bought the new Active Trainer program for the Wii. It has a 30 day challenge on it, so I am going to do it. Today, I did the first challenge. It was a general workout.

1. Walking
2. Short run
3. squats
4. long run
5. boxing
6. inline skating
7. side lunges
8. bicep curls
9. Squat row
10. side lunges
11. inline skating
12. boxing
13. squats
14. long run

It said it was 20 minutes and 169 calories burned.

Then, I went to work on the elliptical. I was at 6 minutes of intervals when Morgan came and said my loving husband had dinner ready.

An hour and a half after dinner, I went to "finish" my cardio workout. I got cranking, and I didn't stop! I did 35 minutes on the elliptical!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did 3.0 slow intervals and 4.5 fast intervals. My heart rate still doesn't go below 150 but it is going up to 180 and down to 150. Progress. I was so very proud and felt SO good with my accomplishment. I stretched after that, and I did 40 crunches and 20 leg lift things. Whew...

Food Today

Grains (5/6) - cheerios, 2 slices white wheat bread, wheat hamburger bun
Veggies (2/3) - lettuce, corn on the cob
Fruits (2/2) - banana, apple
Milk (2/2) - milk, cslice of heese
Meat (5/5) - 2 TBSP peanut butter, 3 oz hamburger
Oils (5/5) - 2 tsp margarine, 3 tsp salad dressing

Cardio Day

Today, I did 20 minutes on the elliptical. That is my longest time on there at a time yet. I was very proud. I did 2 minute intervals of 2.5 and 4.1. It felt really good.

I also started the dietitian plan today. I get the following each day

6 grains
3 cups veggies
2 cups fruits
2 cups milk
5 oz equivalents protein
5 tsp oils

This is a 1600 calorie diet. I also get 160ish discretionary calories to use on things that might not be in here.

Today I had the following

Grains (5) - 1 Cup cheerios, whole wheat pita, 1 cup pasta (2 grains), 1 slice french bread
veggies (3)- 2 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cup tomato sauce (2 veggies)
Fruit (2) - banana, apple
Milk (2) - 1/2 cup milk, 1 small yogurt, 1 oz blue cheese
Protein (5) - chicken 2 oz, ground beef 3 oz
Oils (5)margarine 2 tsp, salad dressing 1 tbsp (3 tsp)

Trainer Day #3

I was excited to go to the training session. Today, we did measurements, and then we warmed up with the stairs and the 1k ball again. This time, he had me go all the way up the stairs and back down. I did that 5 times (2, then rest, then 2, then rest, then 1) For the weights, we focused on arms. I felt much more comfortable today and knew better what to do in each machine. I felt like I was getting the hang of it. :)

I had a few minutes after the session, so I went upstairs and did 10 minutes on the treadmill in intervals - 2 min at 2.5, 2 min and 4.1, 2 min at 2.5, 2 min at 4.1, 2 min at 2.5. WOO HOO!

Rest Day

My legs were REALLY sore today, so I did a rest day. No cardio, No Weights. Tomorrow, I meet with the dietitian. :) Oh yeah, Krishan introduced me to this livestrong.com application which has an iphone app that syncs with the website. It is HOT.

Training Session #2

I was very excited to go for my trainer session. I was supposed to come "cold" without warming up so that I could get measured. However, someone else was getting measured, so we decided to do it Thursday. Biko took me upstairs to warm up. We started on the bike for 3 minutes, and then we did a fast interval (115 rpms or higher) for 2 mins, then slower (75 rpms) for 2 mins. We were about to do another fast interval, but I asked if we could do something other than the bike. I am not such a fan of stationary bikes. So, we went to the treadmill. I did two slow and two fast intervals there. Then, we went downstairs to work on the machines.

We focused mainly on the legs today with a little arms. We also did this back thing where you go stand in this contraption at a 45 degree angle with support under your legs. You bend down to the floor with your arms crossed and then back up to where you are straight. I did 20 of those, but then my back was so cramped that I had to stand there for a min. I guess my back is pretty weak. Then, we went to his squat thing. I couldn't get up at all. Embarrassing. I have NEVER been good at squats, so now I have a new goal. Biko was nice though, and he took me to the wall with the big ball behind my back. I used that to do squats, and it worked well. Next, I was on the mat and I had to hold the big ball between my legs. I would pass the ball to my hands and then back to my feet while touching the floor at the top and bottom each time. Whew. I could only do 15 of those too.

Felt GOOD. I am starting to kick myself. I really enjoy working out even when it feels like I am going to die, and I love the feeling after. WHY don't I do this all the time??????????

Cardio Day

I was SO proud of myself as I got up and went to the in hotel gym to workout. I did 5 minutes on the bike to warm up. Then, I did 5 minutes on the elliptical but I was having a hard time getting my heart rate to go up and down - it just pegged on 170 and wouldn't go back down. So, I went to the treadmill and did 2 minute increments of 2.5 mph and 4 mph which worked nicely with my heart rate. 4 mph is jogging with my short legs. I did that for 20 minutes. WOO HOO!

I finished with some crunches and stretching.

Back in the Groove

I have finally gotten myself motivated to get back into shape. I was doing so well with the couch 2 5k program until I got sick and then had kidney stone surgery. The kidney stone ordeal went on for quite a while, and then I just flat out wasn't motivated. I can use lots of excuses such as my company being purchased twice in one year, never being at home because of travel and kids activities, eating out a lot due to work and travel, etc. However, the real truth is that I just didn't focus on it and I took the easy way out.

SO, now I am massively paying for it. I actually finally found motivation after watching the Biggest Loser episode where they ran a marathon. I was completely amazed. In 17 weeks, they went from barely being able to do any exercise to 2 of them running a marathon, 1 walking it in a pretty good pace (couldn't run due to an injury), and one who was the least fit and the sickest walking it even though he had major difficulty with blood pressure, knee injuries, etc. I literally cried when they went across the finish line. What an inspiring thing to do! I finally said, "Ok, if they can do it, then I can do it." I set out determining what path I wanted to take. I believe strongly that the Biggest Loser has success because it uses exercise as the main component and then works on food choices as a secondary. So, I found the Sport and Field gym here which has a Weight Loss plan. It basically is either 8, 16, or 24 personal training sessions and meetings with a dietitian who develops a personal food plan for you. You get measured weekly or every other week depending on preference. The only downfall for me with this plan is that there is no lap pool, and I love to swim. However, I have a community pool that I will just have to try to use instead.

My brother also decided to do it with me, so that has been awesome. I went to my first training session with Biko (he is the BOMB!) today. I was a little nervous, and I was pretty unsure of what I would be able to do. In the week before this, I started using the elliptical machine at my house for 4 minutes in the morning and then 4 minutes at night. Then, I increased it to 5 min, then 6 min, and then I found I could do 10 min! However, doing the elliptical is putting my heart rate very quickly to the max heart rate, and it is pretty difficult for me to take it back down. So, I was a little nervous. From the only 3 training sessions I have ever had (they were the free ones at a gym and I don't think those are really like "real" training sessions).

Biko had me hold a 1kg ball and run up and down the stairs twice. At the end of each stair run, I would jump up in the air with the 1kg ball and touch the wall 15 times. Then, I rested. Then, I did it twice again but I only jumped to the wall 10 times. Then, I rested. Lastly, I went up the stairs twice again with 10 jumps after each. WHEW. I felt my legs BURNING but it felt so GOOD.

Biko then took me through a combination of the different weight machines. Some leg machines and but mainly arms. Then, he had me lie down on the mat and do crunches where I had to get the ball from his hands and put it back into his hands 15 times. Then, I had to hold the big ball between my ankles and lift it in the air and down 20 times. I had to do it in 2 sets of 10 because my back was killing me. He had me put my hands under my hips. That helped. I was SO proud of myself when I was done. WOO HOO! I am to work on cardio on the off days by doing 2 minutes at my low end of my heart rate range (110) and then doing 2 minutes at the top of my range (172) and then 2 minutes low and 2 minutes high, etc.

I also started watching my calories and trying to stay below 1600. I am not really doing anything specific until I meet with the dietitian on Thursday. I am trying to get more fruits and veggies in though.