Day 62 Get Fit Challenge...slowly recovering

I ended up sleeping with the body wrap on last night which let me get a better night's sleep so that definitely helped. Since I woke up feeling better today I ended up being able to take Max for a walk all the way around the lake without feeling like I was going to die. 

I ended up taking another massive nap this afternoon in hopes that the extra rest will help with the recovery and besides who doesn't like lazy Sunday afternoon naps. 

I am hoping that tomorrow I am still feeling this good as I am going to try to go to the gym to get my HIT workout and cardio in. 

Day 61 Get Fit Challenge...Officially on the Injured List

Well I did not sleep well at all last night as I tossed and turned trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, but it seemed like no matter how I positioned myself my rib cage still throbbed. 

This morning when my mom was talking to my brother she mentioned my injury to him and now I am in a body wrap to help support my midsection and I am only allowed to do low key cardio for the weekend possibly longer until it heals. 

My diet has been changed as well to help compensate for my lack of exercise. So until I am able to get back to normal I eat my normal meals for the first, third, and fifth meals but the second and fourth are now snacks made up of really low fat low carb yogurt with either a banana or some pineapple. 

I have to say I am very nervous about gaining back the weight I've already lost because I still have so much to lose and not very much time to do it in. Hopefully this injury heals quickly so I can get back on task. 

Day 60 Get Fit Challenge...All the Pain

Remember how yesterday I worked out and thought I would be ok? Well that bit me in the ass today. I can't sit, lay, stand, curl up without having horrible pain through my lower rib cage and around my left side. 

I did manage to walk around the lake tonight to try to get some cardio in. I am going to try to get to the gym tomorrow to do the HIT workout and cardio becuase I just don't have time to be injured and not workout as the wedding is officially 3 months away and I only have 2 months of hard core working out before things get put on hiatus. However if I feel this bad tomorrow I might just have to settle on two bouts of cardio instead. 

Injuries suck!

Day 59 Get Fit Challenge...working out with an injury

This morning I was feeling a bit better and went to the gym to do my morning HIT workout and cardio. I was worried I wasn't going to be able to do a lot of the exercises because of it hurting my rib cage but I was able to get through everything without it hurting though I was really winded after every exercise. I didn't do the row machine for cardio because I thought the motion would be bad on the ribs so I did 45 minutes on the stepper instead.

Tonight's weight workout was chest and it went ok even with the injury. I was a bit worried that the strain of lifting would really affect my rib but it was actually ok. For cardio tonight I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and that is when my rib started hurting. The arm movements of pushing and pulling made me really feel the strain on my rib area and after we left the pain really set in and has been with me all night. 

I am afraid I might have pushed too hard too fast today and I might be paying for it tomorrow....grrr!

Day 58 Get Fit Challenge...Injuries are not fun

So remember how last night I said I thought I had pulled something in my rib cage? Yeah that little nagging pain turned into stabbing pain and kept me up off and on all night as I couldn't get comfortable. This morning I woke up and it wasn't any better every little movement I made felt like someone was stabbing me in my lower left ribs. So morning workout did not happen and instead I sat in the hot tub for about a half hour hoping it would help. I took it easy all day hoping that things would loosen up enough that I could work out tonight but no dice. I probably could have gone but I didn't want to put more stress on it and make it worse and be out longer. I am hoping it feels better tomorrow so I can workout and get back on schedule.

Day 57 Get Fit Challenge...a little bit of progress

Today I woke up and didn't feel like I had to drag myself to the gym this morning which was a win. The HIT workout went pretty well this morning. Cardio went well today too. In the 25 minutes I was on the rower I managed to row 5,000 meters which was an all time high record for me. I also upped the intensity of the stair stepper to 15 for the 20 minutes I was on it. 

Tonight was leg day for the weight workout and we worked hard. So hard in fact that I think I pulled something in the left side of my rib cage while I was doing incline leg presses and my knees are already sore. 
I decided to print out a log to record the reps and weight for the weight lifting as I keep forgetting what weight we start each exercise out at. This will also be good because now I can track my progress and increase my weights every couple of weeks (well if I can). 
Since it was so nice today we decided to forgo the cardio cooped up in the gym and instead went home and took Max for a walk around the lake. 

Day 56 Get Fit Challenge...I can't put my arms down

Ever noticed that when the weather is meh outside it's really hard to get motivated to do anything let alone go to the gym at 8:30 in the morning? That was this morning for me. With all of these storm systems that have been rolling through the Midwest these past couple of weeks it has been making it really challenging to get the energy to go to the gym for my morning HIT workout and cardio. Once I'm there it usually takes me about halfway through my first HIT cycle before my body starts to wake up and get going. 

Tonight was biceps and triceps for the weight workout. I don't know what it is about working those muscles out but whenever I do I always feel like they are so puffed out that my arms don't go all the way down and I'm walking around like a gorilla.

Also I don't know what it is about the gym but for some reason they always have the Food network on in front of the cardio machines and tonight it was all about fried foods. Deep fried mash potato balls stuffed with ground beef, deep fried cheese balls that had 5 different kind of cheese in them, a PB&J sandwich that was dipped in french toast batter dredged in frosted flakes and pan fried in a cup of butter...A CUP OF BUTTER! You're killing me over here. I've never had my mouth water so much during a cardio session. And it's not like you can change the channel because they are all preset and my only other options for the other preset TVs were Fox News (hard pass on that) or some show about people that kill alligators for a living. Needless to say I was good and hungry when I got home. Granted it wasn't for the chicken and veggies but hungry none the less. 

Day 55 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In and Measurements (month 2-well close enough)

Ok so technically it hasn't been exactly two months yet but I was told to weigh and measure every two weeks now. So this morning before everything else I did just that. 

Here are the measurements from June 1st:

Weight: 249 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 40 1/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 47"

Hips: 47 3/4"

Thighs: 28 3/4"

Calves: 18 1/2"

Here are my measurements from today:

Weight: 239 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15"

Waist: 39"
Stomach (around the belly button) 43 1/4"

Hips: 46 1/2"

Thighs: 28 1/4"

Calves: 18"

Now if my math is correct that is a loss of 10 pounds and 7-3/4 inches in 21 days which is not bad. 

Here are the pictures from June 1st:

Here are the pictures from today:

Honestly I don't see a big difference or where the 7-3/4 inches came off of, but a loss is a loss even if you really don't notice it. I do wish it was a bit more as there is only 14 weeks until the wedding and I am still miles away from where I want to be. 

The good thing about weighing and measuring in the morning before everything is that when I went to the gym this morning I worked a lot harder. I think it's because I saw where I was and where I still need to get to and it's a bit of a motivational push. Hopefully that sticks with me for the next couple of weeks until my next weigh in and measurements. 

Day 54 Get Fit Challenge...Trip to Costco

Today was a bit of a throw away as we had to go to Costco to stock up on more food for the next few weeks. We did manage to get in the HIT workout and 45 minutes of cardio before we headed out. 

It's crazy to think that you can waste a whole day driving to Des Moines and back to go grocery shopping. However it is worth the time spent because of the money you save by buying in bulk. It is always a test to go to the Costco especially on Saturdays because it's sample day. I got really excited a couple of times at the possibility of being able to get some different foods but when I did the fat equation it turned out the chicken sausages and ground turkey were not 10% fat or under so looks like I'm sticking with chicken breasts for another three weeks. I did end up getting some new marinades for the chicken to mix it up a bit this time. 

Tomorrow is weigh in and measurement day, obviously I'm nervous (cause when am I not really) and I hope I have as much of a loss as I did my first month if not more. 

Day 53 Get Fit Challenge...TGIF

It's Friday and the weekend is upon us which you think wouldn't matter to me as I'm not working at the moment so every day is like a weekend to me but I still do look forward to the weekends for some reason. Maybe it's because my parents are home and I have more of a "normal" schedule. 

The HIT workout this morning was ok. The back of my legs were sore this morning so the leg work for the HIT workout was more difficult than normal. You would think after three days that my leg soreness would be done but I think that upping the incline up on the elliptical and increasing the intensity on the stair stepper is doing a number on the legs this week. 

Because it is Friday the gym closed at 7pm. By the time that mom got home, changed, and we drove into town to get to the gym we only had an hour before it closed so we were only able to get our back weight workout in. Because we were in and out so quickly we took Max for a walk around the lake to get our cardio in when we got home. 

Tomorrow is Costco run day as I am out of chicken and need to stock up on veggies and eggs again. Hopefully we can get up and going to the gym at a decent hour in the morning to get the HIT workout in then up to Des Moines and back and still have time to get the weight workout in before the gym closes at 7pm.

Day 52 Get Fit Challenge...oh you very sweaty

DOMS is kickin' my ass today but the morning HIT workout and cardio seemed to help stretch my legs out a bit. As I went down to the locker room to change my shoes and leave a middle aged Chinese woman was getting changed at the locker next to mine. She looked me up and down and said, "Oh you very very sweaty. You must have done hard workout." After spending 3 years in Korea this statement did not even phase me and honestly I found it quite amusing that regardless where you are in the world it seems like Asians are nothing but consistent. After explaining to her that I had been working out for two hours she smiled and said, "Yes, very good workout."

Tonight the gym was less crowded because of all the rain we had been getting today so it was a bit easier to get our chest supersets in. The chest supersets are getting a bit easier so next chest day I'm going to ramp it up to make it more challenging. Made some gains with the pec deck and seated incline press by being able to put another 10 pounds on each of them. I also increased the incline on the elliptical machine tonight as well and that felt pretty good for the 45 minutes that I was on it. 

Day 51 Get Fit Challenge...

This morning's HIT workout was rough as the leg soreness kicked in over night and most of what HIT consists of is squatting. Throw in 25 minutes on the row machine and 20 minutes on the stair stepper and I ended up limping out of the gym two hours later. 

Tonight was supposed to be a chest weight lifting day but when my mom got home she was so exhausted that I let her nap for an hour and a half. When she got up she was so sore that she just could muster the energy to workout and after my morning workout and soreness as well we decided to forgo the evening workout and pick it back up tomorrow. 

Day 50 Get Fit Challenge...leg day I did not miss you

My morning HIT workout seemed to go a bit faster today even though I had to run around the gym to gather all of the items I needed since they can never seem to stay in the area they are supposed to. I don't know what it is with people having no gym etiquette. Seems like no one can put stuff back where they got it or clean up their area after they use it. 

Tonight we finally make it to the gym to lift and let me tell you after going 4 days without lifting leg day really sucked tonight. It's crazy how quickly your body loses it's strength but it takes so long to build it up. I would have thought that with keeping up with the HIT workouts and the cardio it wouldn't be too bad, clearly I was wrong. I'll definitely be feeling it tomorrow.  

Day 49 Get Fit Challenge...tornado warnings

The morning HIT workout was hard today half way into my first cycle I was already dripping sweat. For the next two weeks my cardio has been bumped up to 45 minutes so today I added an extra 5 minutes to the row machine putting me up to 25 minutes with an additional 20 minutes on the stair stepper. 

I also found a new recipe to get my veggies in that is a spin on coleslaw that's not too bad. 

10 oz bag of coleslaw (I picked out all the carrots cause I can't eat them on this program)

1 red, yellow, orange, and green bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups of tomato cut into long slices

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 TBSP sugar alternative (splenda, truvia)

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

Combine the veggies together in a container with a lid and shake well to mix.

In a separate bowl combine the vinegar, sugar alternative and spices and whisk together.

Pour dressing over veggies and shake to combine. 

Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to marinate all the flavors together.

I think I will use this even after the restrictive diet is over cause I think it would go really well on brats and is a great summer side in general. 

We didn't get over to the gym tonight because there were tornado warnings all over the area. We didn't get hit with any of them but we got some major thunderstorms and crazy winds.

Day 48 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In Day

This morning I was not looking forward to jumping on the scale as Aunt Flo is in and all the ladies knows what that means...weight gain. However, this morning I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the scale and it read 242 which means a loss of 3 pounds for this week with all the hormonies none the less so uber win there. 

Since my grandparents were in today for Father's Day and we had the wedding dress fitting mom and I just did the HIT workout this morning. I felt a little guilty about not getting lifting in again today but tomorrow is Monday and things can go back to normal with the workouts. 

The dress fitting went well today. I've lost so much in weight and inches that it was practically falling off of me which made it hard for my grandma to see a true fit but made me feel great to see the progress. Thankfully the taylors at the bridal shop are awesome and said they will have no problem altering the dress so to just keep doing what I am doing and they will take care of the rest. Though come towards the middle of August I will have to go in for alterations so hopefully by then I will have lost another 30-40 pounds (fingers crossed that's about 10 weeks from now and if I keep losing 3-4 pounds a week it's well within my reach) and they can make it fit me like a glove, assuming I don't lose too much more before the wedding.

Tomorrow is Monday and with the hiatus in lifting that means it's leg day...bring on the pain.

Day 47 Get Fit Challenge...damn you mother nature

Ok ladies I think that any woman who works out on the first day of their flo deserves a medal. Let's face it the only thing you really want to do then is stay in your comfy pajamas curled up on the couch watching sappy chick flicks and eating a tub of icecream...right? Well apparently that doesn't fly on the fit challenge. Oh and you think cravings on a no carb diet is bad yeah wait till those hormones kick in...this is going to be a week of hell.

What did I do today? HIT workout and cardio...twice! I swear with every squat and core engagement that I did today my ovaries were screaming out, "WHAT THE HELL LADY! DIDN'T YOU GET THE MEMO? WE ARE OUT OF BUSINESS TODAY." The only thing that kind of made up for my two hours of torture this morning was that my mom treated me to a spa pedicure for all the hard work I've been doing, which was awesome...Thanks Ma!

On top of all of this I have a weigh in tomorrow and a wedding dress fitting. Talk about worst timing ever. Pray for me and those around me tomorrow it's going to be a doozy. 

Day 46 Get Fit Challenge...what do you mean the gym in closed?

Ah Friday end of the work week and everyone's most anticipated day. Today was a nice day it was warmer the sun was out and everyone and there mother was at the gym in the morning. I don't know why high school students are up and functioning at 9am during the summer, but I wish they were all still at home in bed sleeping. That is what summer vacation is for right? Sleeping in? No, not these kids they are all at the flippin gym attempting to lift weights and failing so badly it makes me want to smack them all upside the heads. 

Thankfully the only time I have to be around them is during my cardio as my little hallway stays pretty empty minus some random older person who thinks doing 15 sit ups and 10 minutes of staring at my craziness is a great workout.

This afternoon I got restless so I took Max for a walk around the lake and enjoyed being out in the sun. Today was also a grill day so I make up another batch of chicken on the grill for the week. I also found a recipe for a bell pepper slaw that I want to try out to mix up the veggies a bit. 

Tonight mom and I went into town to hit up the gym only to find out that it was closed when we got there. I mean seriously who closes the gym at 7pm on a Friday? Apparently the one we belong to. New summer hours they say, so must remember that Friday, Saturday, and Sundays the gym closes at 7pm. 

Day 45 Get Fit Challenge...Off Day

I love off days but they are so uneventful for a blog post as all I do is cardio and there is really nothing to report. 

For cardio today I walked Max around the lake once in the morning and again tonight. It's nice walking around the lake in the mornings. It's quiet as all of the people who fish or come to the "beach" haven't made it out yet. It's also usually cooler and there is always a good breeze that carries the fresh cut grass and scent of flowers through the air. It is a good time just to zone out and enjoy being outside and not worry about the wedding, or the diet, or finding a job, or all the other things that I worry about all day every day. 

I was really tired today and ended up taking a 3 hour nap this afternoon. Aunt Flo is coming to visit soon which could be the explanation for the tiredness and general feeling of bla today. With her arrival that will probably mean this Sunday when I weigh in I'll probably not see any loss and possibly a gain because of the wonderful hormones she brings with her, so I am not looking forward to that. 

Day 44 Get Fit Challenge...back day

The HIT workout went well this morning. I noticed that my break time between complexes is decreasing which is great. I am also noticing that my jump rope skills are getting better and I can make it through the 30 seconds without stopping, through the 45 seconds only stopping once, and through the minute stopping twice. Planks are going well and I am thinking of adding a third set. 

Since we did 3 of the back exercises last night we worked in an ab workout tonight after our weights. I think I need to start working in the ab workout more to help strengthen my back. I do get quite a lot of ab work from HIT and weight lifting in general because with most of the exercises you engage your core, but I think taking the extra time to really just focus on it will be beneficial.

Tomorrow is an off day so all I have are my two sessions of cardio. It's supposed to be really nice tomorrow so it looks like Max is going to get two walks around the lake, which of course he will be more than excited about. 

Day 43 Get Fit Challenge...burning biceps

This morning's HIT workout went a little bit smoother as I didn't have to run around and collect all the different equipment from every corner of the gym. It also took me a lot less time to set everything up so I got through things a lot faster. I really like that my morning cardio now consists of 20 minutes on the row machine and 20 minutes on the step machine. Next week I jump to 45 minutes of cardio twice a day so I think I will up my row by 5 minutes and see how that goes. 

I've started sitting in my parents hot tub after my morning workouts for about 45 minutes which is really helping with the back and knee pain. Granted it's summer but as of right now the weather hasn't been too hot in the mornings and early afternoon so it's not unbearable. It also lets me get a little sun on my white white skin and a little Vitamin D does a body good.

Tonight the weight workout was biceps and triceps. I think I need to start printing out and bringing the weight workouts with me because I am getting confused about what we do on what days and I accidently added in 3 back workouts to our bi's and tri's. Oh well little extra never hurt anyone. Will be interesting tomorrow though as that is back day. My poor mom she's gonna say, "What we just did this last night." Sorry Ma! She's been doing really well with me at the gym. She already went through this program herself and is in maintenance mode so she was only going to the gym every other day. Now she goes with me for my 4 on 1 off and she does two a days with me on the weekends (which really kicks her ass as she never had to do two a days) but she's a pretty good trouper through it all especially after working all day. 

Food wise I am ready for new vegetables as I am about cucumber and tomato salad out and getting bored with finding ways to use bell peppers. Also now that the weather is warmer I really don't want to eat lots of hot foods so I need to figure out a way to do some cold dishes with the chicken and veggies that isn't salad with no dressing.

Day 42 Get Fit Challenge...why are there so many high school kids at the gym?

This morning when I got to the gym it was packed. Thankfully the area where I do my HIT workout was empty so I gathered all of my equipment and got to work. About halfway through my first cycle an older woman started working out in the same area doing what I can only assume is some kind of physical therapy. She gave me some strange looks as I moved from one exercise to the next. I really hate it when people stare at you in the gym if you are doing something other than what they know or when you are really focusing on pushing the air out of your body with each rep, but with older people I don't mind I just pray they don't start talking to me while I'm trying to get through my workout. 

Finished with my HIT workout I moved to the row machine to do half of my cardio. The row machine is located in with all of the weight machines and sits next to the track. From what I have seen it's also rarely used, so when a person is actually on it people tend to stare at them. I find it a great way to 1. get my cardio in and 2. people watch at the same time. Now I am not sure why every high school student in a 30 mile radius was at the gym this morning but man do they need some help with their workouts (esp the boys who I'm assuming are lifting for football). These guys do maybe 6-7 different exercises but it takes them over an hour because they talk and play on their phones more than they do work. And the girls lordie they are more concerned with getting the boys to look at them than doing any kind of lifting.

In short it makes to feel very thankful to be out of high school but at the same time I just get this urge to slap them all upside their heads. After almost taking 3 different guys out with the row machine because they walk by it too close (like you can't see me on it? Please) I finished my last 20 minutes of cardio on the stepper which pretty much means my legs are going to hate me tomorrow. 

Tonight was chest and when my mom and I got there around 7pm the gym was still really busy, which again odd as most of the time it's pretty dead by then so we had to create a space to get our workout in amongst the old timers, high schoolers, and Asians in jeans. I really wish they would rework this area to give people more space as all of the equipment is basically right on top of the thing next to, behind or in front of it. Lifting and cardio completed we left quite tired. We'll see how my body feels in the morning hopefully it's not too sore as it will make the HIT workout pretty difficult to get through. 

Day 41 Get Fit Challenge...new HIT workout

It's Sunday which means it's weigh in day. Got on the scale this morning and lost another 4 pounds which means I am not failing here on my own in Iowa woohoo!

This morning my brother went to the gym with me to rework my HIT workout, and of course in true fashion he upped it a couple more levels.

This is now my new HIT workout:

Wall Sits holding 10lb medicine ball over head 2 sets at 30 secs
Parallel Ninja Stick 1 set at 30 secs each side (we are not quite sure what this one is called but it uses a weighted bar that is tied on one end with an exercise band)
Giant 25 pound medicine ball throws 1 set of 30 reps
Thrusters with a 45lb bar 1 set of 30 secs
Jump Rope 30 secs

Reverse Ninja Stick 1 set at 30 secs each side
Isolated shuffle with 30lb kettlebells 4 sets
Incline Close Grip Push ups 4 sets of 30 secs
Jump Rope 45 secs

Sweep Ninja Stick 1 set at 30 secs each side
Box step up with knee crunch 4 sets (straight, left, right, straight) at 1 min
Plank 2 sets at 1 min
Jump Rope 1 min

It's definitely going to be a new challenge but I am excited to take it on.

Day 40 Get Fit Challenge...new leg workout

Since it's the weekend my mom joined me at the gym this morning for my HIT workout and cardio. I worked in the row machine today as part of my cardio to break it up a bit. It wasn't too bad. I did 20 minutes and felt good but I didn't want to push it too much so I did the next 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. 

My brother came in this weekend and he has added a new leg workout to the mix tonight. It's pretty intense to say the least with 2 warm up sets and 3 working sets. We started with front squats then went into leg curls then a weighted pelvic lift and we finished with bulgarian split squats. Apparently there should have been some weighted walking lunges in the mix there but thankfully he forgot and we didn't have enough time to do them and cardio before the gym closed. 

Tomorrow he is coming with me to the gym to rework my HIT workout. I have to say the last time this happened things got a lot harder, but I am curious to see what he switches out to challenge me with. 

Day 39 Get Fit Challenge...off day and sunshine two of my favorite things right now

Some hoity toity school once did a study about how sunshine and good weather has an impact on a person's mood, it's totally true. 

Today was an off day so I decided to save the gas and not drive the 25 minutes into town to do my two cardio workouts. Instead Max and I had two walks around the lake. We took our first walk around the lake midmorning. The sun was out and there was a decent breeze couldn't ask for a better day. Because it was so nice I let Max decide our route around the lake today. We ended up having about three different detours before we made it back around to the house where both of us extremely hot but happy. 

Since it was an off day I tried to be a bit more active in between cardio workouts, which wasn't hard with the list of chores I got handed today. Water all the flowers, fold all the laundry, grill up the next batch of chicken, pick up all the sticks in our yard and our neighbor's yard, scoop up all the dog poo, rise out the garbage cans, you know fun-ish house b!tch stuff like that. Add to that all the wedding crap I did today and it was almost like working a full day at a real job. 

Tonight when the temperature cooled off a bit my mom and I took Max on yet another walk around the lake this time the opposite direction we usually go to break it up a bit. We also seemed to do more of a power walk as we wanted to make it back to the house before dark. Hopefully Max wasn't too upset he didn't get to stop, sniff, and pee on everything he wanted to. 

Tomorrow my brother is in town for a visit before he and his fiance move to North Carolina. While he is in he is going to re-work my workouts to fit more with the equipment I have access to at the new gym, and I am curious to see what he comes up with. I have a feeling he is going to crank it up about 10 notches but everyone needs a little push and hey with an even more challenging workout who knows I might get some of the gym motivation back because I want to conquer it. 

Day 38 Get Fit Challenge...naps are a cure all

It truly is amazing what a three hour nap will do for your body. 

Today I woke up at 6:45am like I always do and just couldn't get going. In a zombie state I got ready to head to the gym. I was even so out of it that I forgot to put protein powder in my shake and couldn't understand why when I was shaking it up it wasn't turning a chocolaty color. While I was sitting on the couch waiting for my shake to digest so I could head to the gym I passed out. Like passed out cold where a bomb could have gone off next to me and I wouldn't have flinched. I woke up at 11:30am feeling so much better like I had life back in my body again. 
Though I did feel bad about missing my morning workout clearly my body was telling me that sleep was needed if I was going to function properly. I did end up taking Max on a walk around the lake to get my cardio in, and I did do my back weight workout and cardio tonight at the gym so it wasn't a complete loss of an exercise day. I've found that in life you take the good days with the bad and aim for having more of the good ones. 

Day 37 Get Fit Challenge...hitting a motivational wall

You know how you start something new and it's exciting and fun because you don't know where it's going to lead you then about a month in you get over the honeymoon phase and you just kind of feel meh about the whole thing? That is what I am dealing with today with this fitness challenge...meh. My knees and lower back are in a constant state of sore, I am tired most of the day, and my workouts feel more like chores than exercise. I am worried that I am burning out and I'm only a month in to what is probably going to be an 8 month program and then the rest of my life trying to maintain. I got up this morning and seriously thought about not doing any workouts today or the next day or the next. Then I thought about all the people that I would disappoint by not seeing this out by giving up because I'm bored and over it because it has become monotonous. So I went to the gym, I did my workouts, and sadly I didn't feel better after I still felt, meh.

I think about what it will be like after I finish and I've reached my goals and all I see are the things I cannot do. I cannot eat carbs. I cannot miss a day at the gym. It makes me feel sad that for the rest of my life I am going to have to live like this if I want to be healthy. The idea of doing two a days for the rest of my life and never eating bread or cheese or potatoes or rice or ice cream or anything for that matter that is not a lean meat or vegetable depresses me. I loved food. I loved eating different foods and trying out new meals from all over the world and tasting all the flavors each country had to offer and how they blend into all that goodness on your plate. Now I hate food. I hate that I am limited and everything I eat tastes the same. Maybe this is the craving stage of things. Whatever it is if I don't figure out a way to get over it and get my motivation back it is going to be a very very long 7 months.

Day 36 Get Fit Challenge...feeling my age

This morning when I got up lots of things were popping and cracking and my knees just ached. Nothing will make you feel older than when this happens. All this soreness made my HIT workout and cardio difficult to get through this morning. Cardio was especially difficult on the elliptical because my knees were really bothering me and the machines they have there don't go flat so you're always on an incline which didn't really help my case any. 

Tonight mom and I were supposed to do biceps and triceps but we had a big storm come in with the threat of hail and possible tornadoes so we decided not to make the 20 minute drive into town. I still managed to get my second cardio session in this evening by taking the dog for a walk around the lake. So tomorrow back on schedule weather permitting. 

Other than that not much else did a lot of wedding stuff today to fill the rest of my day by getting all of my North American wedding invitations assembled and ready to mail. 

Day 35 Get Fit Challenge...adjusting to a new gym

I signed up at a new gym today here in Iowa. I was a member there before about 6 years ago so a lot of the layout came back to me pretty quickly. Typically I find that the Y has a bad rep with over priced memberships and shady out of date equipment, but the YMCA here is definitely not that. With membership at $46 per month it's quite a good deal for all that you get. 

That being said it's still an adjustment especially with the workouts that I am doing. I've had to modify my HIT workout as they do not have the same equipment as Impact Fitness does, so instead of heavy rope work I am doing hand tests. In exchange for the tire flips I get to heave a giant 25 pound medicine ball in the air and instead of the sledge hammer I am back to overhead medicine ball throws. 

Since it is the Y a lot of their equipment is machine based though they do have a whole room of FreeMotion equipment. What is lacking though is their weight lifting equipment. I find that a lot of it is dated and needs to be replaced add the very tight space for said equipment and it makes lifting interesting especially with more than 4 people in the area. Needless to say I am excited for my brother to come in the weekend and sort out a new weight lifting workout for me based around the equipment I have access to now. 

Food wise I am trying to branch out a bit and give myself more options so I don't get so bored with eating the same things over and over. This week I've been able to add in lettuce wraps because I found butter lettuce at the Costco and let me tell you I've been pretty excited about them.

I've also found a can tuna that meets all the requirements for my protein needs so that has been a nice break from all chicken. With summer almost in full swing I've been researching some great cold veggie dishes that are light but filling. I've come up with a couple that I am curious to try out. 

Other than that I've been trucking along with my HIT workout in the morning followed by 40 minutes cardio and weight lifting and another 40 minute cardio session at night. This afternoon I took our dog Max for a 3 mile walk around the lake which was nice but I found it made me really tired for the evening workout so I might need to do it a bit earlier in the day so I have enough time to recover before my next workout. 

Tomorrow is biceps and triceps and as I was looking around the weight room tonight I think this one might be difficult to duplicate, but hopefully I'll find some good substitutes for things they are lacking.

Day 34 Get Fit Challenge...Monthly Weigh In and Measurements

Today  I stepped on the scale at my parent's house and it read 249. When I weighed myself at my brother's house before I left on Friday it said 247. There are two possible explanations for this, 1-I managed to gain 2 pounds in two days or 2-the scale at my parent's house is heavier than the one at my brother's. The likelihood of me gaining 2 pounds in two days is slim especially with what I've been eating or rather NOT been eating, so it must be a difference in scales. Since I am here for the duration of my program I'm just going to go with what my parent's scale said. Yes, it only showed a pound lost but that is better than nothing.

Now for the measurements.  Here are my measurements from when I started:

Weight: 260 lbs              

Chest: 49 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 43 3/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 49 1/2"

Hips: 49 1/2"

Thighs: 29 3/4"

Calves: 18 3/4"

Here is what I measured in at today:

Weight: 249 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 40 1/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 47"

Hips: 47 3/4"

Thighs: 28 3/4"

Calves: 18 1/2"

That is a total of 12" for the month! Needless to say I am very pleased with these results and hopefully they continue in the next 4 months especially as my wedding date is slowly creeping up on me. 

Now for the photos. I forgot to take starting photos so I pulled a couple recent ones:

Here are the progress photos from today:

Where I notice the loss the most is from my face and my back.

So there we have it one month down. If the next 4 months goes this well I am going to be happy, happy, happy.