Resisting the temptation-hooray!

Tonight isa bakesale fundraiser at my daughter's school. I have been busy busy busy baking and making chocolate covered goodies for this event. I've made cranberry/white choc chip cookies, semi-sweet and milk chocolate chip cookies, no-bake cookies, chocolate chip pecan cookies, chocolate covered oreos, chocolate covered peanuts, white chocolate covered peanuts, and white chocolate covered pretzel stacks. That's a lot of sugar infused treats to be in my house at one time and I have to say.... today I passed the test. I made most of the chocolate items earlier (they stay fresh longer), but I made the cookies today (because a good cookie is only good if its fresh and to me if its over a day old its no longer fresh). While I was making these cookies today I only ate 2 cookies (normally I can gobble a half dozen before I am done baking!) And one of these was just to test it to make sure the flavor was spot on. Well, after I had made all the batches I decided to sit down with a non-perfect warm one (one of my favorites, pecan/chocolate chip) and eat it with a tall glass of milk. I poured my milk. Took my crooked cookie, and sat at the table to gaze out the window and enjoy a few peaceful minutes eating my cookie.



Lots and lots of bake sale items



But a very strange thing happened. I sat there and sort of felt sick to my stomach (the way I feel AFTER eating 6-8 cookies). I thought to myself, you know this is what I always wish WOULD happen (get the stuffed uncomfortable feeling BEFORE I slide, so that I don't slide.) Well, it finally happened, I felt yucky before eating it instead of after (when its too late and regret it), so I stopped. Looked at that cookie. Looked at my milk. And decided to not eat the cookie. This really is unheard of for me and not anywhere close to my normal behavior. So I consciously took the moment to think about it and decide to make the right choice. Why eat something if you know you are going to feel like crap afterwards? Its only worth it, if it has a positive consequence, not a negative one. I have no idea if this is a one-time fluke or if I'm onto something mentally. But I chose to forego my cookie today and I'm glad I did. 



Cute stickers I put on each baggie. Aren't they adorable?



This is my undrank glass of milk and all those beautiful cookies just waiting to be sold and make some moolah for our school :)

Progress

Using this space to sort of track what I'm doing.  Still haven't done a workout tape lately, but my hips are getting sore from running so I may do that Fri instead of running. Tuesday I did  4.5 miles, and yesterday I did 8.75 combined miles (4.5 on the AMT and 4.25 on the treadmill, plus a 3mile walk outside with my good friend Jen). Today I got in 3.5 on the treadmill.
I'm still at 150, so I know in order to see some real results I need to make some wiser eating decisions (fried green beans at Louie's probably shouldn't be one of my choices. They were tasty though and I wanted to try them ). I will keep you posted. Summer is coming and that means being at the pool every day, so I'd like to be in good swimsuit condition, plus we have a trip to Vegas planned for June and since my hubby will be golfing every day I'd like to feel comfortable sitting at the pool with all those young whipper-snappers who will probably be there :)
So that's my progress, still working on it.

beautiful breeze

I've been keeping up with my running on the treadmill, doing at least 3.5 miles a day. However, I am finding it really hard to work in those BL and Jillian workout tapes. I am consistently using my weighted hula 20+minutes at least every other day, sometimes more (this is an easy exercise to squeeze in because I don't have to be in gym clothes to do it and it doesn't make me sweat so I don't have to shower after).
Sunday morning before church I had an amazing (albeit short) run on the treadmill with all the windows open. It felt so nice to have that cool morning breeze blowing on me and smelling the spring air even though I was inside. I'm going to need to remember to do that more often, it was great!
Haven't really improved my eating much lately, which I know is what holds me back. I have a huge bakesale to prepare for this week, so I know I'll be nibbling as I'm baking, but after that I am hoping to really start making wiser food choices so I can see some results on the scale and in the fit of my jeans :)  Summer is coming!

finished strong

Today I didn't start my day with my workout as I normally do. Instead, since my hubby was off work we didn't set an alarm and we slept in. Then after taking my oldest to school, my youngest daughter and I sat and read books for well over an hour together. Throw in a quick trip to the hairdresser to get her hair cut, then lunch, and it was off to school for her. It was a beautiful day today so I wanted to exercise outside, so after dropping her off I took a 30 minute bike ride, then came back home and grabbed my dog and went for a 1.5 mile walk/jog with her. The problem was, these bits of exercise didn't seem like enough (it was already warm enough that it was harder to run outside than I had hoped). Consequently, I was feeling a little down-trodden, like I hadn't gotten enough of a good workout in for the day, especially knowing that my hubby was going to be out late at the carshow so the girls would want to watch a movie and eat junkfood tonight. Wasn't feeling too good about my lack of effort.
But....
after I finished the dog walk, I went and hopped on the treadmill and then cooled down on the AMT. I'm happy to now say I finished strong!
30minute bike ride
6.5 miles covered outside/treadmill/AMT combined
yeah!

6-pack in 6 weeks

Ok, so I've got a new goal. My fitness life seems to be a constant journey. A bit up and down (which I am trying to stop), but a continual process, none-the-less. Therefore, I sometimes get bored or worn out from doing the same things over and over. Other times I'm so motivated I'm like the energizer bunny going, going, and going. I'm trying to stop that up and down cycle and maintain more of an even-keel in my fitness.

 As you know from my recent posts I've gained some weight.

 I'm still happy,

 but I know I need to get back into better shape... love handles are beginning to appear and my tummy is starting to want to stick out (not to mention my REAL problem areas of my butt and thighs being bigger than I like and therefore making certain pants too tight in those areas). So I am on a new plan to get my body re-energized and get back to where I prefer to be (140, 145 at the most).

I have been doing some sort of exercise, whether it be a class at the gym, the treadmill, outdoor running or biking, the AMT, or an aerobic DVD, 6-7 days a week for over 8 years. It honestly shocks me when my gym-rat buddies (yes, this is you, Jen) tell me that they have gone a whole week and only worked out once (this isn't normal for her, but she went through a spell many months ago where she just couldn't find the time to fit it all in). Anyway, when I'd hear that, I'd really be speechless. I have been doing this for so long, that I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't on this schedule. Its crazy, but its just part of my life. Its something normal and expected , and routine for me. Which might be part of the problem sometimes. It sometimes becomes so routine, that I begin to get bored and lose interest which results in less effort and consequently less results. However, I am re-energized to (not go to a super High -no more yo-yo's remember- but to get back on track to get some results). My plan for this is to increase my running.

When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I began running. Just 2 minutes at a time. But I slowly worked it up to 5 min, 8min, 10min, 15min, then 20min. After I reached the 20minute mark I began running more and more. It felt great to be reaching these goals I had never dreamed of reaching, (because if you didn't know, I used to HATE running. I was on the h.s. track team one year and HATED it the whole time. I was the absolute slowest person in every race (except 2), and it hurt my shins so bad. However, I never quit, because I'm not a quitter.)  Well, anyway, the first time I reached 5 miles, then 8 miles it was incredible. Then a friend told me I should run the --------Run. It was a 10mile run I think. I ran it, and LOVED it! I had only planned on running 5k, then walking and taking a break, then running/walking the remainder. But, I missed the 5k marker, so when I came upon the 6k marker I was like "I already went farther than I planned and I feel great, I'll just go to the next marker and see how I feel." I told myself I could stop and walk, but only once I reached a marker. Funny thing was that at every marker I felt good so I just continued on to the next one. I ended up running the whole race which totally surpassed my personal plan/goal and it was awesome. So then I figured if I can run 10, how hard could 13 be? A half-marathon was scheduled 2 weeks later, so I ran it. Its amazing what you can do when you try.

Anyway, this post isn't about running, so to summarize this, I ran a second Half marathon and then began training for my first marathon. I really wanted to acheive that but I found that when I was training for it I began to dislike running. I was putting too much pressure on myself for it and it wasn't fun anymore. I just couldn't will myself to do it when it was no longer fun. I wound up cancelling the marathon and pretty much quit running for about a year and a half after that. I'd jog (slowly) for a mile or two, but nothing long or serious. About a year ago, I was looking through my running log when I realized this (this lack of running) and realized I needed to pick it back up. So that is what I have been doing I've started REALLY running when I'm on my treadmill, not just lolly-gagging and getting only 1-2 miles in. I have found though that I tend to mentally get defeated when I run and get tired and want to take a break but don't. So in order to combat this I took a que from some different training methods out there and decided to set my treadmill programs up where I run a minute, then walk a minute, run, walk, run, walk, etc. I've found this new routine is working really good for me right now. I also set another program where I run about 10 minutes, then walk about 5, then run 10 again. I've found that just about the time I am ready to yell "Mercy!" the treadmill kicks back down to the 'walk' and gives me that break I need, then I'm ready for the next run and I get right back at it.

So all this background info, to say, that is the type of running I am doing right now to acheive my goal of getting back to 140 and toning up my mid-section again. I also am finally using REGULARILY my weighted hula-hoop (thanks Jen and Cindy for getting me back on track with this) so we will see if that helps with results as well. I have also picked up some Jillian Michaels and Biggest Loser Last Chance workout DVDs to intersperse into my workouts, as well as my gym classes. Hopefully with these new plans I will not be as bored and get back on track. Jillians DVD is "6pack in 6 weeks" so that is my first goal. Based on my body-type and how I gain/lose weight, if I get my six pack back, the other areas will get back in shape too, so it will be a total-body recovery. I'm going to give u pictures along the way to see if we can SEE any progress. You know (yes u can laugh Jen) that my ultimate triumph is when I can wear my favorite cute purple shorts again lol, so of course that is the final goal :) and a picture will of course be granted when that happens. :)

Here is my first picture, which by the way was taken 2/16/11 and I am at 150.

You can see I've got the definition (good genes I think) to get my tummy in line (I love those lines on the side and that one at the top), but I want to get rid of the little love handles forming and of course u can't see my butt and thighs yet (ha ha----later folks you'll get a pix after I get some preliminary results, I don't want to scare you with the current situation!)

So there u have it, my plan for the next 6 weeks and a starting point picture.  No matter what though, I want you to know I AM HAPPY. I hope you are too in whatever workout regime you are currently in. That's all folks!