Summer Slim Down!

Like many of you I've struggled with my weight for many years beginning in earnest in my early 30's. Lately I've really fallen off the wagon and been run over by it. I'm trying hard to regain some control and get a routine going. My dear friend Linda is starting a summer slim down and she's so inspiring that I have decide to stop making excuses and get to work. It's really helpful to have someone who's on a similar journey to talk to about your challenges.
I'm excited to get started. I have a healthy eating plan, a workout plan that's not dependent upon me getting to the gym and offers lots of variety. I'm very motivated. I'd like to lose 30 lbs. by my next birthday. It's a very reasonable goal and only calls for me to lose 1-2lbs/week. I'll be checking in here, with Linda and with online support groups regularly to help me stay on track.
Do you have any summer fitness goals?

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

This is my first week at the new job and I have to admit I haven't quite figured out how to work and workout on the same day. I know lots of people do it. They get up early or go after work. I guess I just have to make the decision and then follow through. The real challenge for me is that I'm not one of those people who just loves exercising so I will use any excuse not to go. I guess I will try getting up early next week and working out before work. I was used to getting up at 5 am, so that shouldn't be that different. I can work out for an hour and then get ready to start my day. Anyway, I made it to the gym 3 times this week. I'm also down a couple of pounds. I have cut out a few things from my diet that shouldn't have been there anyway and that's helped. I'll keep working on the other things. I've been following the plan put forth from my coaching connection coach. He has me using weights and doing cardio to target the areas I want to improve. So, far, so good.

I did it!

Run, Sabrina, run!!! I kicked off the new year with a my first 5K. I did the New Year's Resolution Run at my local YMCA. I can't say enough what a sense of accomplishment it was to finish it. I absolutely am not a runner and my pace is along the lines of a geriatric patient with a walker. But, I put one foot in front of the other and finished it. WooHoo! I'm already planning another race in April, it's a 4 miler. I'd like to be able to finish in 50 mins. I'll begin my training in a few weeks and will focus on increasing my mile time. I don't know that I'll ever really enjoy running, but it is good to have a fitness goal to work towards.

Where's my high?

So I started running about 5 weeks ago with the help of the nifty Couch to 5K running app on my iphone (love it!) and I have yet to experience that fabled "runner's high". Instead I spend the entire time thinking "I'm going to vomit!". I'm so not a runner. The only payoff I've gotten is that when I remember to wear my heart rate monitor I can see how many calories I've burned during my half hour of agony; and as I'm dying the entire time with my heart ready to leap out of my chest, it's a lot. I'm serious, where is my freakin' runners high? I mean how long, how far and how fast do I have to run to get it? I really admire those people who say cheerfully, I run 5 miles a day. I don't know if I'll ever be one of those people. I'm up to running just under 2 miles and I have to psychic myself up days in advance of my proposed run. It's really pathetic. So, I ask if you've seen my runner's high, that you send it my way. Fast!

Feel the burn and a recipe

I am super excited. I'm really trying to adopt a good exercise routine. I started to change my eating habits last April after seeing an episode of Oprah with Bob Greene (I just love him). I gave up sugar, lots of processed and white things. Then I really started working out in earnest in October, slacked around the holidays...tried to step it up again in April, to that end I began to keep a food journal and see a nutritionist...oh and I joined a real gym. Well since I wasn't in the worst shape, I found the classes doable which was good, but since like Bob says...my eating is not perfect so I either needed to workout more or eat less. Guess which I picked. I decided last week I would start running. Me, a runner? Well, I got online and found a program that takes you 9 weeks to go from the couch to a 5k (3.3 miles). I thought that was a bit fast for me. So, I'm modifying it to be about 16-18 weeks. I'll do some weeks twice before moving on to the next. So, I've been jogging on the treadmill like this, 3 mins of walking at a brisk pace then 3 min of jogging and I repeat that for 20min. Next week I'll add time to get to 30 mins. Eventually I hope to be able to go for an hour at least but you have to start somewhere. I'm serious about this too, I even purchased new running shoes and a heart rate monitor. Very fancy. After today's workout it said I had burned 1205 calories. Kick ass! I don't know if I believe it, but I feel good. Got to be sure to get in that protein though or I'll lose muscle. Tomorrow is spinning. I got a seat cover so I hope my but doesn't feel like it did the first time. Well enough about this. You're probably looking for a recipe aren't you?
Funny, after all this talk about weight and fitness, I'm going to share a dessert recipe that I got from my friend Linda. Well...all things in moderation right?

Linda's strawberry pie

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons strawberry Jello (1 3-oz package)
1 1/2 pint fresh whole cleaned strawberries
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust (pre-baked)


Directions:
Blend sugar, cornstarch and water together and cook to almost pudding stage. Add Strawberry Jello. Place drained whole fresh strawberries into baked deep dish 9 inch pie shell. Pour cooked mixture over berries. Chill 2 hours at least. Top with Cool Whip.

Gym Rat

Well, who knew I'd love it so much. It's early in, but I'm finding it amazing that I can do it. I'm amazed that my body, which I ignored and neglected for years is responding to the attention and wants to push on. I look forward to going to class each day and love checking out the schedule to see what class to take next. My branch of the Y is new and probably doesn't have as many classes yet, but there seems to be something every day that I'm interested in checking out and that keeps it interesting. It helps that the kids seem to like going and it gets them out of the house for an hour or so. I like that I'm doing something just for me that promotes my sense of health and well being. I feel good and proud of myself! You go girl!