September: Before/After

Finally another update! 

I think next time I'll include the beginning pic, a middle pic, and recent. That might give perspective. Nevertheless: 

Before: 268

Now: 228

Fitness & Nutrition: Week 30

Monday:

Fitness- did this three times in my basement

30 jumping jacks
5 burpees
20 squats
30 crunches
10 standing calf raises
30 mountain climbers
10 pushups
5 tricep dips
20 lunges
5 burpees
30 vertical leg crunches
15 squats
40 russian twists
20 mountain climbers
30 second plank

Tuesday:

Fitness:

16 mile bike ride- 1.5 hours

20 four count hello dollies

20 four count scissor kicks

20 crunches

Wednesday:

Nutrition:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/hyazvac?date=2012-09-19

Fitness:

Arms and Shoulders

Thursday:

Nutrition:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/hyazvac?date=2012-09-20

Fitness:
2 miles on elliptical, resistance @ 15-17
20 scissor kicks
20 knee tucks
:45 plank
1 mile run, 1 mile walk

Friday:

Nutrition:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/hyazvac?date=2012-09-21

Fitness:

Saturday:

Nutrition:

Fitness:

Sunday:

Nutrition:

Fitness:

I'm overall happy with my efforts this week. Friday-Sunday was very difficult for me to find any time to exercise, as my friend was visiting from out of town. I don't think that should be an excuse...and we did go on a few walks/hikes together, but I think for next time I should plan ahead for exercise.
But for my first week without a trainer, I feel happy about my accomplishments.



Full Fat, Please.

The more I read about nutrition, the more I have faith in the natural, full-fat foods. You know, like meats, cheeses, eggs, raw milk, nuts, veggies, and fruits. I had a meal the other day that many dieters would NEVER consider eating: A piece of toast, topped with a fried egg, fresh mozzerella, and avecado, followed with a glass of raw milk. It was delicious, satisfying, and certainly nutritious. Sadly, I think a lot of Americans have this viewpoint that has been skewed by the FDA about low fat foods being the healthiest foods available, and the only ones you can eat to lose weight. I hope to consolidate what I've learned and share my viewpoint in detail some day. But for now, I'm sticking with the real stuff.

Bike Rides and Picnic Tables

I went on a really long bike ride recently and realized how much I enjoy exercising now. I mean, it's not like I love it and look forward to it like I would going to a concert or something. Ha! So I guess it's the mental and physical feeling that is so pleasing. I got half way done with my bike ride, sat on a picnic table, bathed in the sun for a while, and then did some ab workouts. Since when do I do ab workouts on a bike ride!? I then hopped back on my bike and rode for another hour. No, I don't have time to do cardio exercise like that every day, but when I do get the chance, I really, really enjoy it. It's such a good feeling to (know your alive....?) know that I'm making a choice to be healthy, and that if I keep up the work on all sides, I will continue to see results and restore my body to a healthy state.

BMI

Yes, I understand that I'm overweight and am working towards healthy Hannah, but doesn't this seem a bit extreme? I don't trust BMI calculators, and neither should you. There's too many factors it doesn't account for.



And I'm pretty sure a healthy Hannah isn't going to be at 125lbs

 

 

Potatoes

Today marks a pretty significant point in my weight loss journey.... I've lost 40 lbs!

You know, like 4 sacks of potatoes....

Trainer-less

After 29 weeks, I'm saying goodbye to the luxury of a personal trainer. I thought about it for a long time before I made the decision, but I knew that I would need to move on by myself eventually, and it just seemed like a good transition time. When I first signed on with her at NFPT, we started with a 12 week contract and eventually kept going because we saw great results. Now, I've absorbed a wealth of knowledge about weight lifting, cardio, and nutrition, and I'm ready to soar on my own wings. Or at least I'm hoping something like that works out.

So what's my plan?

Well, I still want to keep up with lifting weights, and I have a membership at the gym at Purdue, so that should help. They have a TON of equipment and it's in a fairly convenient location. I have the training schedule that I used from NFPT and hope to knock out the weights as often as possible. I have to admit, I will really miss the motivation and the accountability that Lydia provided. Not to mention her help with proper form! Ah, her role in my weight loss has been priceless and I know there will be a huge void as I transition. I'm thankful that we're friends and I'll still see her around Lafayette!!!!

So I guess I'm excited and nervous all at once. I have confidence that I can do this on my own, and really, there's nothing on my mind that even hints at quitting or or giving up.

Fighting

I've been fighting ALL DAY to resist that bowl of chocolates in the back room.......

5K: Hornet Hustle

After the Zoo Run Run, I decided to sign up for the Hornet Hustle 5K with my friend Megan. Despite her athletic self, she had never participated in one, and I thought it would be fun to get out there with her! She started running every morning, and I quickly knew that she would fly right by me on race day.

Personally I had 3 goals for this one:
1) Run it in under 30 minutes
2) And/or beat my last race day time which was 33:16
3) Run the whole race without stopping to walk

I geared up for the race as much as possible, by running different courses around town. I honestly enjoy running quite a bit now, but I know it's not the greatest cardio exercise for my body type-- my knees and heels normally are sore after I'm finished so I try to only run once or twice a week.

(um just a personal note: it's hard to be honest with myself and say that I enjoy running, when before I wouldn't ever consider even a small chance that I could enjoy it...)

Megan and I before!

Anyways, back to race day. It was great to have Megan in sight for a while, but then I lost her and had to start playing this mental game... telling myself that my hard breathing was not a sign that I should slow down, and that I knew my body could do so much more than I give it credit for. Along the way, I tried to distract myself with the sights, smells, and people around me. I played yo yo with these two adorable girls that were probably 1/3 my age but were pretty motivating. I kept telling them "great job!" when I would run past them, even though inside I was like "Oh my! I better be able to keep up with a ten year old!" Also, it was great to see me and Megan's husband along the way, cheering us on. What support!

On the last mile, there just so happened to be more hills, and I was contemplating walking for a bit. On the way up the first hill, a girl passed me who would become my pace setter. She was jogging a bit faster than I normally would, but I really wanted to knock out all my goals! I followed her all the way home and tried not to let more than 5 feet come in-between us.

I finished the race at 30:55, and I didn't stop to walk once. I was pretty proud of myself! I really hope to finish under thirty the next race, but now I'm just going to keep exercising!!!

Way to go, Megan!  She got 2nd in our age group, finishing at 26:02!!!!