Here I am and Labor Day's right around the corner. The past three years passed in a blur. I feel like I just moved to Carlisle and started law school and here I am three years later, a law school graduate who just took the bar, is jobless, and back living in East Tennessee with my mama. Life is great!
Now, most people, when they hear I am jobless, get one of two expressions on their face. 1) The sympathetic but hopeful look, which goes along with the "I'm sure something will turn up soon" words of comfort. 2) The panicked look of astonishment, especially when I give them my total nonchalance shrug. The first group goes without saying. The second group tends to be other law students - half of whom are lucky enough to have procured employment (either by luck or sending out hundreds of resumes) and the other half are in the same boat, but can't fathom my calmness. Heehee. Not that I haven't looked and applied, but I'm just very picky. I quit a pretty comfy job to come back to law school to do something specific. I have no intentions of caving into the panic and getting a job just to have a job. If I need money, Walmart is always hiring. ;-)
So here I am, hanging out with no money and actually happier and more content that I ever was when I made the big bucks. In fact, I'm going through my stuff and downsizing even more. I had to downsize when I moved to Dallas. I moved from a two bedroom, three story townhouse to a 1 bedroom/1 office apartment. Then I moved from that apartment into an even smaller apartment in Carlisle. All along the way I've been sloughing off the excess, but I still held onto a lot (all of which is in my mom's basement). After living for the past year out of a suitcase in other people's homes, I've finally realized what I really did know, but never accepted - I don't need the majority of this stuff. In fact, I'd say at least 3/4 of what I have needs to go. All those articles about living simply, downsizing your life, cutting out the excess are true. I've already increased my eBay usage, but as a seller instead of a buyer.
As I slowly filter out the crap, I actually feel better and better. I had already pulled myself out of consumer debt and had given up credit cards (except for the emergency only one), then I got out from under a car payment, and now the discarding of the excess. Now, if I could just find someway to make the law school loans disappear... but overall, life is pretty good.
Live simply and simply live.
Monday, August 30
Monday, June 21
Back in the Saddle Again
I got kinda lazy at the end of the semester. The week of debauchery (mainly drinking & eating yummy, but bad for you, bar food) was the week leading up to graduation. Then I spent the next two weeks at my mom's, which means I did okay in the eating department, but hardly any exercise, except the walking around the outlets in Pigeon Forge, TN. So, a bit of weight gain, but nothing impossible to fix. I came back to PA resolved to work out like a maniac - not only to continue my getting in shape journey, but as a major stress relief for all this bar studying.
But to back up a bit... before graduation, my friends Rachel & Sarah got me to go to a spin class at the gym. (For non-gym folks, spin class is basically stationary bicycling with an instructor who tells you what to do.) Prior to them dragging me, I had always been afraid of spin classes. I would always see the most in shape people go in and the few times I peeked in, it looked really intense. I was intimidated. But one class & I was hooked. When I got back I started hitting the 6am Mon/Wed/Fri spin class, plus going at least once on either Saturday or Sunday. Like Dennis says in Run Fat Boy, Run, spin class is a life changing experience. And boy, oh boy, how it has upped my fitness.
So, I hit spin class at least 4-5 times a week. It's a 50 minute class and you burn around 700 calories. Amazing. Then I've been lifting weights 3-4 times per week for 30 minutes. On strength training days, I usually aim for 60-75 minutes of cardio. On non-strength days, I aim for 75-90 minutes of cardio.
Another thing I've been religious about is tracking calories. I was doing just the food journal, but not really keeping a calorie count. That all changed with the free LoseIt app for iPhones & Touches (http://www.loseit.com/). It's such an easy way to keep track of both your calories & exercise. Similar to the WeightWatchers program, except instead of points, you actually track calories. You set up your goal - where you are now & where you want to be, and then you select how fast you want to get there (no more than 2 pounds per week). Every day, I enter my current weight, then throughout the day I enter my food & exercise. My goal is 40 pounds, so I can eat approximately 1284 calories per day. Oh but wait, if you exercise, that's negative calories, so that's more you can eat! Here's a typical day for me:
268 calories for breakfast
+ 584 calories for lunch
+ 311 calories for dinner
+ 790 calories in snacks
Total 1952 calories for the day
Yep, that's well over the 1284 budget for the day (went a little overboard on snacks), but wait! I did 50 minutes of spinning that day. So.
1952 total food calories
- 675 calories burned during spin class
Total 1277 - which means I was under budget by 7 calories.
Awesome, huh? You can also track fat, carbs & protein. Right now, I only track protein, because I've noticed on days I feel hungry more often, those are days I haven't had a lot of protein. It'd be smart to track fats & carbs too, but that's just a bit too much data for me right now. You can also go on LoseIt's website (see above) and do all sorts of reports & graphs.
A couple things to note. 1) Calorie budgets will change based on your current weight. 2) I use LoseIt's approximation of calories burned during exercise, but from what I've researched, I think they're a little low - but rather low than too high. 3) The exercise calories burned do not take extraneous things into account. For instance, did you know that you burn MORE calories doing cardio AFTER a strength training session? Yep. The best time to do cardio is the 90 minutes AFTER doing strength. So on strength days, I warm up for 10-15 minutes, do strength, THEN do the bulk of my cardio. Plus, for every pound of muscle you build, you burn 400 more calories just sitting. So many reasons to strength train.
Anyway, back to my original purpose of this post - spinning. I highly recommend it. Not only does it burn an incredible amount of calories, it has been most beneficial in my marathon training. My endurance has definitely increased and my legs are looking much leaner - always a good thing.
So, my challenge to you for the month - try something you've never done before. Whether that be a new class, like spinning, or a new machine. Remember, mixing it up is the way to counteract plateaus.
But to back up a bit... before graduation, my friends Rachel & Sarah got me to go to a spin class at the gym. (For non-gym folks, spin class is basically stationary bicycling with an instructor who tells you what to do.) Prior to them dragging me, I had always been afraid of spin classes. I would always see the most in shape people go in and the few times I peeked in, it looked really intense. I was intimidated. But one class & I was hooked. When I got back I started hitting the 6am Mon/Wed/Fri spin class, plus going at least once on either Saturday or Sunday. Like Dennis says in Run Fat Boy, Run, spin class is a life changing experience. And boy, oh boy, how it has upped my fitness.
So, I hit spin class at least 4-5 times a week. It's a 50 minute class and you burn around 700 calories. Amazing. Then I've been lifting weights 3-4 times per week for 30 minutes. On strength training days, I usually aim for 60-75 minutes of cardio. On non-strength days, I aim for 75-90 minutes of cardio.
Another thing I've been religious about is tracking calories. I was doing just the food journal, but not really keeping a calorie count. That all changed with the free LoseIt app for iPhones & Touches (http://www.loseit.com/). It's such an easy way to keep track of both your calories & exercise. Similar to the WeightWatchers program, except instead of points, you actually track calories. You set up your goal - where you are now & where you want to be, and then you select how fast you want to get there (no more than 2 pounds per week). Every day, I enter my current weight, then throughout the day I enter my food & exercise. My goal is 40 pounds, so I can eat approximately 1284 calories per day. Oh but wait, if you exercise, that's negative calories, so that's more you can eat! Here's a typical day for me:
268 calories for breakfast
+ 584 calories for lunch
+ 311 calories for dinner
+ 790 calories in snacks
Total 1952 calories for the day
Yep, that's well over the 1284 budget for the day (went a little overboard on snacks), but wait! I did 50 minutes of spinning that day. So.
1952 total food calories
- 675 calories burned during spin class
Total 1277 - which means I was under budget by 7 calories.
Awesome, huh? You can also track fat, carbs & protein. Right now, I only track protein, because I've noticed on days I feel hungry more often, those are days I haven't had a lot of protein. It'd be smart to track fats & carbs too, but that's just a bit too much data for me right now. You can also go on LoseIt's website (see above) and do all sorts of reports & graphs.
A couple things to note. 1) Calorie budgets will change based on your current weight. 2) I use LoseIt's approximation of calories burned during exercise, but from what I've researched, I think they're a little low - but rather low than too high. 3) The exercise calories burned do not take extraneous things into account. For instance, did you know that you burn MORE calories doing cardio AFTER a strength training session? Yep. The best time to do cardio is the 90 minutes AFTER doing strength. So on strength days, I warm up for 10-15 minutes, do strength, THEN do the bulk of my cardio. Plus, for every pound of muscle you build, you burn 400 more calories just sitting. So many reasons to strength train.
Anyway, back to my original purpose of this post - spinning. I highly recommend it. Not only does it burn an incredible amount of calories, it has been most beneficial in my marathon training. My endurance has definitely increased and my legs are looking much leaner - always a good thing.
So, my challenge to you for the month - try something you've never done before. Whether that be a new class, like spinning, or a new machine. Remember, mixing it up is the way to counteract plateaus.
Friday, April 16
Staying Motivated
So, I've been feeling pretty good about myself. Getting lots of compliments from folks, fitting better in clothes, moving down clothing sizes, more energy, etc. But I realized this has made me slack off - both with cardio (which I always hate) and with food & my food journal. I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. So this week, I took a hard look in the mirror and am renewing my commitment to my health. Because this isn't about fitting into a certain size or seeing a certain number on the scale. This is about getting as healthy as I can and then staying healthy. I've made great strides to that goal, but I still have a ways to go.
So how to stay motivated?
Well, taking a hard look in the mirror helps. Yes, like most women, I'm overly critical on myself. But at the same time, I can't just think oh, I'm doing so good because my clothes are baggy. I have to appreciate my success, but then acknowledge I have many miles to go. For me, taking a hard look in the mirror sans clothes helps with this. I see areas that I'm still not happy with, which makes me put on the shoes and move, even if I don't want to.
I've also set up some rewards - both short and long term. First, if I do the cardio I need to do during the week and stick with that schedule for the month, then I'll reward myself with a new pair of shoes. Ahh... new shoes. Is there any better reward? Then, if I get to where I want by August (which is bathing suit ready), I'll go shopping for a new outfit PLUS shoes (always have to have the shoes & I'm thinking a really good pair, like Badgley Mischkas). Then my long term reward is a shopping spree for a new wardrobe. Becauseif WHEN I get to where I want, I'm gonna need them. ;-)
I want to encourage two things. First, in previous attempts to get healthy, I used certain foods as rewards (like ice cream). Clearly, this never worked for me and is almost counter-productive to my long term goals. I recommend using non-food rewards - whatever works for you. For me, it's shopping and shoes. Second, take out the "can't" and "ifs" in your vocabulary (notice I stuck out the "if" in the previous paragraph). Be like Yoda - do or do not, there is no try. It is amazing how changing your vocabulary will effect your mental state. I WILL do my cardio and WHEN I meet my goals, I get new shoes!
So, that's my plan for staying motivated.
So how to stay motivated?
Well, taking a hard look in the mirror helps. Yes, like most women, I'm overly critical on myself. But at the same time, I can't just think oh, I'm doing so good because my clothes are baggy. I have to appreciate my success, but then acknowledge I have many miles to go. For me, taking a hard look in the mirror sans clothes helps with this. I see areas that I'm still not happy with, which makes me put on the shoes and move, even if I don't want to.
I've also set up some rewards - both short and long term. First, if I do the cardio I need to do during the week and stick with that schedule for the month, then I'll reward myself with a new pair of shoes. Ahh... new shoes. Is there any better reward? Then, if I get to where I want by August (which is bathing suit ready), I'll go shopping for a new outfit PLUS shoes (always have to have the shoes & I'm thinking a really good pair, like Badgley Mischkas). Then my long term reward is a shopping spree for a new wardrobe. Because
I want to encourage two things. First, in previous attempts to get healthy, I used certain foods as rewards (like ice cream). Clearly, this never worked for me and is almost counter-productive to my long term goals. I recommend using non-food rewards - whatever works for you. For me, it's shopping and shoes. Second, take out the "can't" and "ifs" in your vocabulary (notice I stuck out the "if" in the previous paragraph). Be like Yoda - do or do not, there is no try. It is amazing how changing your vocabulary will effect your mental state. I WILL do my cardio and WHEN I meet my goals, I get new shoes!
So, that's my plan for staying motivated.
Wednesday, March 31
Results at the end of Month 2
Today ended Month 2. At the end of the second month, I've lost 7.5 pounds and 7 total inches. Although the body fat % didn't go down that much, Jovonn was quite pleased to see I'm still losing significant inches, especially in the waist & hips, which is a difficult place to lose.
So only 6 more weeks to go, as I leave Carlisle on May 16. At the end of month 3, I'm hoping for another significant loss to rocket me into summer where I'll be doing this all on my own. With the days getting longer and warmer and my increased energy, I am trying to stay focused on my long term goals and not get discouraged by where I think I should be versus where I am. Let's just hope I can keep up this trend until I take the bar at the end of July.
So only 6 more weeks to go, as I leave Carlisle on May 16. At the end of month 3, I'm hoping for another significant loss to rocket me into summer where I'll be doing this all on my own. With the days getting longer and warmer and my increased energy, I am trying to stay focused on my long term goals and not get discouraged by where I think I should be versus where I am. Let's just hope I can keep up this trend until I take the bar at the end of July.
Thursday, March 25
One Step at a Time
It's been a few weeks, so here's the update.
Spring Break was the week of March 7. I went back to Tennessee with good intentions of getting out everyday & at least walking 30 minutes. Well... that just didn't happen. First, I was mentally exhausted. Second, it rained the majority of the week. But, I did keep to my goo eating habits and when I got back to Pennsylvania, I had lost a pound. A week off sometimes does you good.
Then back to working out regularly... well... again that didn't happen so well. The first week back, I did have 3 strength training session (an extra one to make up for my week gone). But I didn't make it into the gym on the other 2 days to just do cardio. But no worries. I still lost another 1.5 pounds.
So this week has been back on the bandwagon. I didn't make it Tuesday because of meetings and errands, and I hate going after 4:00pm because it gets so crowded. But I did go today and did my 75 minutes. The best part is I ran a 1/2 mile without stopping - and that's saying something since I run slow. Yep, I felt pretty darn awesome, especially considering 2 months ago I could barely run one minute. Plus, I'm doing low, mid & high incline intervals now. Here's what I did:
0-4 minute: 3.7 mph @ 5% incline
4-9 & change minute: 5.3 mph @ 1% (my 1/2 mile)
10-15: 3.7 mph @ 5%
15-20: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
20-25: 3.7 mph @ 2.5%
25-30: 5.3 mph @ 1%
30-35: 3.7mph @ 2.5%
35-40: 3.7 @ 5%
40-45: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
45-47.30: 3.7 @ 2.5%
47.30-50: 5.2 @ 1%
Then I did 20 min on the eliptical. And although incredibly sweaty (I don't glisten, I sweat), I have felt fantastic since - almost hyper. It's incredible how much energy I have lately, then you add a runner's high on top of that. Oh man, what a great feeling.
Next Wednesday is my 2 month measurement. I'm a little nervous, but at least this time, the scale is starting to reflect my hard work. If you remember, my first month, the scale didn't move AT ALL! But I still lost 15 total inches and 2% body fat. So never go by the scale alone. But it is nice to see the scale move.
Until next Wednesday...
Spring Break was the week of March 7. I went back to Tennessee with good intentions of getting out everyday & at least walking 30 minutes. Well... that just didn't happen. First, I was mentally exhausted. Second, it rained the majority of the week. But, I did keep to my goo eating habits and when I got back to Pennsylvania, I had lost a pound. A week off sometimes does you good.
Then back to working out regularly... well... again that didn't happen so well. The first week back, I did have 3 strength training session (an extra one to make up for my week gone). But I didn't make it into the gym on the other 2 days to just do cardio. But no worries. I still lost another 1.5 pounds.
So this week has been back on the bandwagon. I didn't make it Tuesday because of meetings and errands, and I hate going after 4:00pm because it gets so crowded. But I did go today and did my 75 minutes. The best part is I ran a 1/2 mile without stopping - and that's saying something since I run slow. Yep, I felt pretty darn awesome, especially considering 2 months ago I could barely run one minute. Plus, I'm doing low, mid & high incline intervals now. Here's what I did:
0-4 minute: 3.7 mph @ 5% incline
4-9 & change minute: 5.3 mph @ 1% (my 1/2 mile)
10-15: 3.7 mph @ 5%
15-20: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
20-25: 3.7 mph @ 2.5%
25-30: 5.3 mph @ 1%
30-35: 3.7mph @ 2.5%
35-40: 3.7 @ 5%
40-45: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
45-47.30: 3.7 @ 2.5%
47.30-50: 5.2 @ 1%
Then I did 20 min on the eliptical. And although incredibly sweaty (I don't glisten, I sweat), I have felt fantastic since - almost hyper. It's incredible how much energy I have lately, then you add a runner's high on top of that. Oh man, what a great feeling.
Next Wednesday is my 2 month measurement. I'm a little nervous, but at least this time, the scale is starting to reflect my hard work. If you remember, my first month, the scale didn't move AT ALL! But I still lost 15 total inches and 2% body fat. So never go by the scale alone. But it is nice to see the scale move.
Until next Wednesday...
Thursday, March 4
Triggers and Motivations
Two post day!
First, a hooray moment - I've made it to 90 minutes of cardio (20 eliptical, 50 treadmill, 20 eliptical). I started at 60, worked up to 75, and now 90. And the runner's high kicked in very nicely today.
Second, just a quick stat in case anyone is interested. I'm doing a 5K (~3.1 miles) in 44.04 doing the intervals (walk, 2 min run, walk, 2 min hills).
Okay, so now for the real topic, triggers and motivation. I thought a lot about this while on the treadmill today. When folks normally talk about triggers, usually it's food related and a negative thing (sugar, caffeine, etc.). But triggers for me, or at least how I've started thinking about them, are things that trigger me to feel better - about myself, about exercising, about life in general. Today I was triggered by my runner's high and completing 90 minutes of cardio. I felt fantastic and ended up happy, even though earlier in the day had been crummy. The Legally Blonde quote came to mind (slightly modified: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot [people], they just don't." Heehee. YAY for endorphins! So what triggers you?
And even if you give in to a negative trigger, so what? It's not the end, just a road bump. Like today, I had a really crummy morning - 2 job rejections, to add to the growing list of rejections. To make myself feel better, I went to my fave Italian restaurant for lunch and had a calzone with sausage and a large mountain dew. Later, I started feeling guilty. But I stopped. I did nothing wrong to feel guilty for. Should I have choosen a salad over a calzon? Probably. But I thoroughly enjoyed the calzone. It was one meal on one day when the rest of the week I have eaten very healthy. So, what's the big deal? NADA. So my advice is allow yourself to give in once in a while. It made me feel better, I'm less likely to binge later on (if I keep denying myself), and it was a one meal deal. So enjoy your calzone or whatever floats your boat (yum, floats).
I also use music as a trigger. My playlist is all music that typically makes me smile or start tapping my foot. So between that and the BPM are the main reasons I picked those songs. Think Pavlov's bell - use the same songs over and over again for your cardio routine. Sooner or later, when you hear those songs outside the gym, you'll instantly want to start moving.
As far as motivation, the sky's the limit. Anything can be a motivation, as demonstrated by the 10001 books on motivation, dieting, working-out, etc. I think the key is to figure out what motivates you and then tap into when are you motivated. Many people view working out as a chore. It takes time out of your day, time that you could be doing something else. When I had my very first session, I had to rate on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very) how motivated I was. If you're not motivated, you won't do it. It's just that simple. For some reason, this time around I was motivated. And for me, working out with a trainer helps that - I have a specific appointment 2x a week that I'm paying for, so I'm super motivated to show up. Then I'm not only showing up, I'm putting 110% effort into that work-out because I like getting my money's worth. For some folks, weighing on the scale every day or every other day is motivation. For me, weighing does the exact opposite - I see the scale and it doesn't tell me what I want, so I say forgedaboudit and then go back to bad habits. But when I'm working, I can see the changes even if the scale isn't currently reflecting it. Then I love to strength train, so that helps my motivation. But if you don't, then maybe look into other options.
So find out what motivates you and tap into it. Then get some good tunes and get off the couch and join me at Disney World January 2011 for the marathon weekend!
First, a hooray moment - I've made it to 90 minutes of cardio (20 eliptical, 50 treadmill, 20 eliptical). I started at 60, worked up to 75, and now 90. And the runner's high kicked in very nicely today.
Second, just a quick stat in case anyone is interested. I'm doing a 5K (~3.1 miles) in 44.04 doing the intervals (walk, 2 min run, walk, 2 min hills).
Okay, so now for the real topic, triggers and motivation. I thought a lot about this while on the treadmill today. When folks normally talk about triggers, usually it's food related and a negative thing (sugar, caffeine, etc.). But triggers for me, or at least how I've started thinking about them, are things that trigger me to feel better - about myself, about exercising, about life in general. Today I was triggered by my runner's high and completing 90 minutes of cardio. I felt fantastic and ended up happy, even though earlier in the day had been crummy. The Legally Blonde quote came to mind (slightly modified: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot [people], they just don't." Heehee. YAY for endorphins! So what triggers you?
And even if you give in to a negative trigger, so what? It's not the end, just a road bump. Like today, I had a really crummy morning - 2 job rejections, to add to the growing list of rejections. To make myself feel better, I went to my fave Italian restaurant for lunch and had a calzone with sausage and a large mountain dew. Later, I started feeling guilty. But I stopped. I did nothing wrong to feel guilty for. Should I have choosen a salad over a calzon? Probably. But I thoroughly enjoyed the calzone. It was one meal on one day when the rest of the week I have eaten very healthy. So, what's the big deal? NADA. So my advice is allow yourself to give in once in a while. It made me feel better, I'm less likely to binge later on (if I keep denying myself), and it was a one meal deal. So enjoy your calzone or whatever floats your boat (yum, floats).
I also use music as a trigger. My playlist is all music that typically makes me smile or start tapping my foot. So between that and the BPM are the main reasons I picked those songs. Think Pavlov's bell - use the same songs over and over again for your cardio routine. Sooner or later, when you hear those songs outside the gym, you'll instantly want to start moving.
As far as motivation, the sky's the limit. Anything can be a motivation, as demonstrated by the 10001 books on motivation, dieting, working-out, etc. I think the key is to figure out what motivates you and then tap into when are you motivated. Many people view working out as a chore. It takes time out of your day, time that you could be doing something else. When I had my very first session, I had to rate on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very) how motivated I was. If you're not motivated, you won't do it. It's just that simple. For some reason, this time around I was motivated. And for me, working out with a trainer helps that - I have a specific appointment 2x a week that I'm paying for, so I'm super motivated to show up. Then I'm not only showing up, I'm putting 110% effort into that work-out because I like getting my money's worth. For some folks, weighing on the scale every day or every other day is motivation. For me, weighing does the exact opposite - I see the scale and it doesn't tell me what I want, so I say forgedaboudit and then go back to bad habits. But when I'm working, I can see the changes even if the scale isn't currently reflecting it. Then I love to strength train, so that helps my motivation. But if you don't, then maybe look into other options.
So find out what motivates you and tap into it. Then get some good tunes and get off the couch and join me at Disney World January 2011 for the marathon weekend!
Tuesday, March 2
New Cardio Playlist
So back in December, I had to reinstall the operating system on my Mac, which meant I had to do a complete wipe and reinstall. I thought I had everything backed up on my external harddrive. Well, I plugged in the HD and it started smoking. Not a good sign - it was fried. I lost almost everything, including all my music, which meant I had to recreate my running playlist. I took this as an opportunity to improve it. I did keep many of the original songs, but I've changed some out. This one is the 60 minute list.
Just to quickly explain - I do mine by the beats per minute (BPM). I start off low and gradually pick up until I peak at 160 BPM, then slowly come back down. I also include 2 dialogue clips from the movie Run Fat Boy Run. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I love Simon Pegg, but moreover, the movie just really inspires me. So the first clip is just for fun and the second one indicates the 10 min mark, so you can stretch if you so choose before getting into the higher BPM songs. The (#) indicates the BPM.
1. Dialogue Clip
2. Girls & Boys In Love by The Rumple Strips (95)
3. Single Ladies by Beyonce (98)
4. Story Problem by The Envy Corps (103)
5. Move Along by The All-American Rejects (113)
6. Dialogue Clip: Motivation
7. SexyBack by Justin Timberlake (120)
8. Get The Party Started by Pink (130)
9. According To You by Orianthi (132)
10. Viva La Vida by Coldplay (136)
11. Little Of Your Time by Maroon 5 (144)
12. Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis (152)
13. Everyday I Love You Less & Less by the Kaiser Chiefs (160)
14. I Like That by Air Traffic (160)
15. Perfect Day by Hoku (155)
16. The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf (133)
17. Keep on Running by Goldspot (131)
18. Clocks by Coldplay (129)
19. Everybody's Changing by Keane (96)
20. Sugar Water by Cibo Water - cool down
I tried it out today and it works pretty well. There are a couple of places where the song ends, but the track has a few extra seconds on it... I'm going to try to fix that. Also, there's one or two songs I'm not completely happy with, but they do work. If you'd like a copy of it, just send me your mailing address & I'll mail you a copy.
I'm working on a 90 minute version that will increase, then slack back off, then increase again. I'll let you know when it's ready.
Just to quickly explain - I do mine by the beats per minute (BPM). I start off low and gradually pick up until I peak at 160 BPM, then slowly come back down. I also include 2 dialogue clips from the movie Run Fat Boy Run. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I love Simon Pegg, but moreover, the movie just really inspires me. So the first clip is just for fun and the second one indicates the 10 min mark, so you can stretch if you so choose before getting into the higher BPM songs. The (#) indicates the BPM.
1. Dialogue Clip
2. Girls & Boys In Love by The Rumple Strips (95)
3. Single Ladies by Beyonce (98)
4. Story Problem by The Envy Corps (103)
5. Move Along by The All-American Rejects (113)
6. Dialogue Clip: Motivation
7. SexyBack by Justin Timberlake (120)
8. Get The Party Started by Pink (130)
9. According To You by Orianthi (132)
10. Viva La Vida by Coldplay (136)
11. Little Of Your Time by Maroon 5 (144)
12. Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis (152)
13. Everyday I Love You Less & Less by the Kaiser Chiefs (160)
14. I Like That by Air Traffic (160)
15. Perfect Day by Hoku (155)
16. The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf (133)
17. Keep on Running by Goldspot (131)
18. Clocks by Coldplay (129)
19. Everybody's Changing by Keane (96)
20. Sugar Water by Cibo Water - cool down
I tried it out today and it works pretty well. There are a couple of places where the song ends, but the track has a few extra seconds on it... I'm going to try to fix that. Also, there's one or two songs I'm not completely happy with, but they do work. If you'd like a copy of it, just send me your mailing address & I'll mail you a copy.
I'm working on a 90 minute version that will increase, then slack back off, then increase again. I'll let you know when it's ready.
Month 2
This week officially started Month 2 of the Get In Shape extravaganza. And we have kicked it up a notch . . . or three. Apparently my 15 inches have motivated Jovonn as much as it motivated me, because he was no-holds-bar, kicking butt yesterday. I did like 6 different types of squats, plus the leg extension and seated leg curl. Then, at the end, I had to do 2-45 sec. wall squats - one with feet shoulder length apart, then one with feet together. My legs were already jello - I tell ya, he's showing no mercy.
So, this morning I went to do my regular cardio (75 min). Oh man did my legs feel heavy. So heavy, in fact, I only did 2-min fun intervals. By the end, my legs felt like lead. But hey, I was there & working it & that's what counts. I did my 75 minutes, stretched & went home. Now, when I sit too long, it's hard to get up! My tushie & quads are definitely feeling it, but I keep thinking that it's all good - pain just means things are getting tight & small!
While I was at the gym today, I ran into my friend Noff, who's such a total gym rat (he has beautiful arms - I mean, really, really gorgeous, big, strong arms). He congratulated me on the lost inches & body fat. He told me that a lot of trainers & health nuts are following The Abs Diet. Apparently it's the new cool thing. Amazon also has one that's specifically for women. I don't know if it's any better/worse than anything else. But it seems reasonable. I think the key is portion control and moderation. Americans have just gotten out of control with portions - we think bigger = better. Yet that's not necessarily true with food (unless you're talking about having more veggies). I read that the average Italian restaurant plate is really equal to 4 servings. Plus, free bread, salads, free re-fills - it adds up, quickly.
Then Noff told me the best news ever - for every pound of muscle you add, you burn like extra 400 calories. Isn't that fabulous motivation? And the reason why I don't look at the scale. In fact, this time around, the scale didn't move down that much - only about 5 pounds. But that's because my body is balancing out between fat & muscle. So I refuse to weigh every day - I might weigh once a week. Always in the morning and never after working-out.
So keep in mind when you hop on the scale, muscle weighs more than fat and the number on the scale isn't the best measure of how healthy you are. The number you really want to see is your body fat %. I aim to lose 12% body fat. I've already lost 2% and Jovonn figures I'll lose more than 2% this month, so I could be close to half-way to my goal at the end of this month. That gives me even more motivation to eat better. Nutrition is 70% of the battle.
Now, I'm more motivated than ever. And I'm looking at doing the Virgina Beach Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in early September - who's with me?
So, this morning I went to do my regular cardio (75 min). Oh man did my legs feel heavy. So heavy, in fact, I only did 2-min fun intervals. By the end, my legs felt like lead. But hey, I was there & working it & that's what counts. I did my 75 minutes, stretched & went home. Now, when I sit too long, it's hard to get up! My tushie & quads are definitely feeling it, but I keep thinking that it's all good - pain just means things are getting tight & small!
While I was at the gym today, I ran into my friend Noff, who's such a total gym rat (he has beautiful arms - I mean, really, really gorgeous, big, strong arms). He congratulated me on the lost inches & body fat. He told me that a lot of trainers & health nuts are following The Abs Diet. Apparently it's the new cool thing. Amazon also has one that's specifically for women. I don't know if it's any better/worse than anything else. But it seems reasonable. I think the key is portion control and moderation. Americans have just gotten out of control with portions - we think bigger = better. Yet that's not necessarily true with food (unless you're talking about having more veggies). I read that the average Italian restaurant plate is really equal to 4 servings. Plus, free bread, salads, free re-fills - it adds up, quickly.
Then Noff told me the best news ever - for every pound of muscle you add, you burn like extra 400 calories. Isn't that fabulous motivation? And the reason why I don't look at the scale. In fact, this time around, the scale didn't move down that much - only about 5 pounds. But that's because my body is balancing out between fat & muscle. So I refuse to weigh every day - I might weigh once a week. Always in the morning and never after working-out.
So keep in mind when you hop on the scale, muscle weighs more than fat and the number on the scale isn't the best measure of how healthy you are. The number you really want to see is your body fat %. I aim to lose 12% body fat. I've already lost 2% and Jovonn figures I'll lose more than 2% this month, so I could be close to half-way to my goal at the end of this month. That gives me even more motivation to eat better. Nutrition is 70% of the battle.
Now, I'm more motivated than ever. And I'm looking at doing the Virgina Beach Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in early September - who's with me?
Sunday, February 28
Results! and What I'm Doing to Get There
Friday, Feb. 26, was truth day - had I accomplished anything in my month of eating better and regular work-outs. I was fairly nervous. I wanted good results, but at the same time, didn't want to get my hopes up too much. I had been weighing myself and the numbers on the scale had moved - just not that much. But I thought I had seen some differences in my face and calves. And my clothes seemed to fit better. Plus, my energy has skyrocketed. But I had just had a rough week. First, on the previous Friday (2/19) I found out I didn't get extended an interview for a job I had wanted. And as a good southerner, I turned to fried food for comfort. Bad, bad. I know better, but I just caved. Then I developed an awful head cold. Sunday, I had gone to the gym to do a cardio workout, but I felt like snot (literally) and didn't really push myself. Then Monday and Tuesday I didn't even bother because between the sneezing and the nose blowing, I figured it was better to rest. I did go to my session on Wed, but again was weak and got dizzy at the very end, so I skipped cardio once again. So by Friday, I was definitely in the "ignorance is bliss" camp.
Before my session, Jovonn, my trainer, measured me - neck, both arms, chest, waist, hips, both thighs and both calves. Then, he made me go through my ENTIRE work-out before telling me the results. He had estimated I'd lose 7 total inches and 2-3% body fat. Well, I did lose 2% body fat, but the inches were incredible. I LOST 15 INCHES! That's right double what he had estimated. He said he's never had a client to lose that many total inches in one month. I lost 3" from my waist alone! And even an inch from my neck. Needless to say, I was walking on sunshine. Jovonn estimates that next month, the scale loss will be bigger and the body fat % loss will also be bigger, but the inches will be lower. I'm okay with that. Any loss is a good loss.
So, I'm well on my way to losing 12% body fat and lots of inches.
For those of you wanting to know what I'm doing, here it is:
1) Food Journal.
In a basic excel spreadsheet, I right down what I eat, how much, what time it is, and how hungry I was on a scale of 1-5 (5 = I'm going to die in 5 secs if I don't eat and 1 = I am so full I'm going to explode, but I keep stuffing it in anyway). And yes, Jovonn looks at this weekly. He has given me a lot of advice based on my goals and my activity level. Nutrition is 70% of the battle. And as a picky eater, I can attest to how hard it is, but I have made changes. I make small changes, stick with that for a while, then change something else. For me, I've learned the hard way to never make drastic changes and to never completely cut out anything. Here's where I am now on a typical day:
Breakfast: scrambled egg whites (equivilant to 2 large eggs) w/swiss cheese & 6 oz. skim milk OR Kashi Go Lean w/skim milk (great cereal w/loads of fiber & protein)
Snack: Fiber One Bar (because I'm usually sitting at class at this point) and/or banana or other fruit
Lunch: sliced turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread w/swiss cheese, baby carrots, apple
Post Work-out snack: vanilla greek yogurt w/fresh fruit (typically blueberries)
Dinner: 6 oz. salmon or tilapia (I try to eat fish 5 days a week) or 6 oz. baked turkey breast, 1-2 cups of veggies (frozen veggies, especially the ones in the individual servings).
Snack: apple or orange or banana and maybe a piece of chocolate (♥)
I'm trying to eat every 3-4 hours to keep my blood sugar and metabolism from crashing. I drink a lot of water and then some kind of juice. My faves are diet cranberry juice and Simply Orange orange juice.
2) Cardio
3 days a week I just do cardio - my days are Mon, Tues, and Thurs. I aim for 75 min., which typically breaks down to 15 min eliptical, 45 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical. If I'm having an off day, then it's 15 eliptical, 30 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical
On the treadmill I do intervals and switch between speed and hills & it goes like this:
warm-up (do not count towards min)
0:00 - 2:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
2:00 - 5:00: 5.3MPH at 1% incline
5:00 - 7:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
7:00 - 9:00: 3.7MPH at 7.5% incline
9:00-12:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
REPEAT
Now, I didn't start out running for 3 minutes or climbing at 7.5% incline. I started running for 1 minute and climbing at 2.5%. As I got stronger & my recovery time decreased, I increased the running time and the incline.
I picked 4.0MPH as my walking speed because that's what I'm most comfortable with and it's a speed I can keep my heart rate around 140-145, which is the ideal fat burning rate for my age/weight (per my trainer).
When I'm on the eliptical, I also try to do speed sessions for 2 minutes every 5 minutes or so.
3) Strength Training
On my strength training days with Jovonn, he picks what we do. I love strength training. In fact, life would be perfect if I never had to do cardio again. But Jovonn is really good and has me do a variety of exercises, from free weights and the circuit machines to plyometric exercises and isometric exercises. For instance, on core days, he might have me do as many sit-ups as I can in 45 secs, and then back extensions - 2 sets of each. Then he'll have me do plank for 45 secs (although, he's now bumped it up to 60 secs). Then do 2 more exercises, and plank again. Then two more exercises, and plank again. By the 3d time, I can't hold plank for a straight 45 secs. So, at whatever time I fall, he lets me rest a sec, then I hold again for however much time is remaining - so I'm still doing a total of 45 secs. He also has me do some isolation exercises - where you just work the muscle by itself (for instance, put your elbow against the inside of your leg & do bicep curls - you'll only be using the bicep), but then he'll have me use the muscles together (so, bicep curl again, except this time, starting with my palms facing my sides, then rotating my arm to where my palms are facing up). Oh we have all sorts of fun like that.
Why I chose to pay for a trainer? Yes, it is expensive. But I had gotten to the point where I knew I couldn't do it on my own. I looked at a variety of programs - Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Jillian Michaels, etc. They are all good programs and all fit someone, but just not me. I know myself. I needed the accountability and going to a meeting just wasn't enough. And standing on a scale does not motivate me - in fact, it does the exact opposite. Plus, I have specific fitness goals and wanted the exercise benefit and not just the food focus. I love strength training, but I knew I wouldn't stick with it and wouldn't push myself. Hence, the trainer. As with any program, you do have to be fairly motivated to stick with it. I am. In fact, Jovonn has complimented me on my commitment and determination because he said I am one of the few clients who will actually tell him when a weight is too light. ;-)
So we started right at the end of January and did initial measurements. Friday, Feb. 26, first measurements - so far so good. We'll do the same at the end of Mar and Apr. Then my last day with Jovonn will be May 14 (graduation is May 15). By then, I hope to have made some great progress, enough to keep me going on my own this summer because I have some big goals to meet!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! ☺
Before my session, Jovonn, my trainer, measured me - neck, both arms, chest, waist, hips, both thighs and both calves. Then, he made me go through my ENTIRE work-out before telling me the results. He had estimated I'd lose 7 total inches and 2-3% body fat. Well, I did lose 2% body fat, but the inches were incredible. I LOST 15 INCHES! That's right double what he had estimated. He said he's never had a client to lose that many total inches in one month. I lost 3" from my waist alone! And even an inch from my neck. Needless to say, I was walking on sunshine. Jovonn estimates that next month, the scale loss will be bigger and the body fat % loss will also be bigger, but the inches will be lower. I'm okay with that. Any loss is a good loss.
So, I'm well on my way to losing 12% body fat and lots of inches.
For those of you wanting to know what I'm doing, here it is:
1) Food Journal.
In a basic excel spreadsheet, I right down what I eat, how much, what time it is, and how hungry I was on a scale of 1-5 (5 = I'm going to die in 5 secs if I don't eat and 1 = I am so full I'm going to explode, but I keep stuffing it in anyway). And yes, Jovonn looks at this weekly. He has given me a lot of advice based on my goals and my activity level. Nutrition is 70% of the battle. And as a picky eater, I can attest to how hard it is, but I have made changes. I make small changes, stick with that for a while, then change something else. For me, I've learned the hard way to never make drastic changes and to never completely cut out anything. Here's where I am now on a typical day:
Breakfast: scrambled egg whites (equivilant to 2 large eggs) w/swiss cheese & 6 oz. skim milk OR Kashi Go Lean w/skim milk (great cereal w/loads of fiber & protein)
Snack: Fiber One Bar (because I'm usually sitting at class at this point) and/or banana or other fruit
Lunch: sliced turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread w/swiss cheese, baby carrots, apple
Post Work-out snack: vanilla greek yogurt w/fresh fruit (typically blueberries)
Dinner: 6 oz. salmon or tilapia (I try to eat fish 5 days a week) or 6 oz. baked turkey breast, 1-2 cups of veggies (frozen veggies, especially the ones in the individual servings).
Snack: apple or orange or banana and maybe a piece of chocolate (♥)
I'm trying to eat every 3-4 hours to keep my blood sugar and metabolism from crashing. I drink a lot of water and then some kind of juice. My faves are diet cranberry juice and Simply Orange orange juice.
2) Cardio
3 days a week I just do cardio - my days are Mon, Tues, and Thurs. I aim for 75 min., which typically breaks down to 15 min eliptical, 45 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical. If I'm having an off day, then it's 15 eliptical, 30 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical
On the treadmill I do intervals and switch between speed and hills & it goes like this:
warm-up (do not count towards min)
0:00 - 2:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
2:00 - 5:00: 5.3MPH at 1% incline
5:00 - 7:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
7:00 - 9:00: 3.7MPH at 7.5% incline
9:00-12:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
REPEAT
Now, I didn't start out running for 3 minutes or climbing at 7.5% incline. I started running for 1 minute and climbing at 2.5%. As I got stronger & my recovery time decreased, I increased the running time and the incline.
I picked 4.0MPH as my walking speed because that's what I'm most comfortable with and it's a speed I can keep my heart rate around 140-145, which is the ideal fat burning rate for my age/weight (per my trainer).
When I'm on the eliptical, I also try to do speed sessions for 2 minutes every 5 minutes or so.
3) Strength Training
On my strength training days with Jovonn, he picks what we do. I love strength training. In fact, life would be perfect if I never had to do cardio again. But Jovonn is really good and has me do a variety of exercises, from free weights and the circuit machines to plyometric exercises and isometric exercises. For instance, on core days, he might have me do as many sit-ups as I can in 45 secs, and then back extensions - 2 sets of each. Then he'll have me do plank for 45 secs (although, he's now bumped it up to 60 secs). Then do 2 more exercises, and plank again. Then two more exercises, and plank again. By the 3d time, I can't hold plank for a straight 45 secs. So, at whatever time I fall, he lets me rest a sec, then I hold again for however much time is remaining - so I'm still doing a total of 45 secs. He also has me do some isolation exercises - where you just work the muscle by itself (for instance, put your elbow against the inside of your leg & do bicep curls - you'll only be using the bicep), but then he'll have me use the muscles together (so, bicep curl again, except this time, starting with my palms facing my sides, then rotating my arm to where my palms are facing up). Oh we have all sorts of fun like that.
Why I chose to pay for a trainer? Yes, it is expensive. But I had gotten to the point where I knew I couldn't do it on my own. I looked at a variety of programs - Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Jillian Michaels, etc. They are all good programs and all fit someone, but just not me. I know myself. I needed the accountability and going to a meeting just wasn't enough. And standing on a scale does not motivate me - in fact, it does the exact opposite. Plus, I have specific fitness goals and wanted the exercise benefit and not just the food focus. I love strength training, but I knew I wouldn't stick with it and wouldn't push myself. Hence, the trainer. As with any program, you do have to be fairly motivated to stick with it. I am. In fact, Jovonn has complimented me on my commitment and determination because he said I am one of the few clients who will actually tell him when a weight is too light. ;-)
So we started right at the end of January and did initial measurements. Friday, Feb. 26, first measurements - so far so good. We'll do the same at the end of Mar and Apr. Then my last day with Jovonn will be May 14 (graduation is May 15). By then, I hope to have made some great progress, enough to keep me going on my own this summer because I have some big goals to meet!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! ☺
Friday, February 26
One Month Measurements & Goals
So I've been working out with a trainer for a bit over a month now. During one of my first sessions, my trainer did my body fat % and measured everything (calves, thighs, hips, waist, arms, chest). Today I see how far I've progressed in a month. My trainer has high expectations - he's estimating a loss of 3% body fat and 7 total inches. I know I've lost some - some I didn't want to lose, like in the tatas. But, I can tell my calves are definitely tighter and more defined and my arms have more definition. I guess I'll see what the actual outcome is. And of course, this is only the 1st checkpoint - 3 more to go before the end of the semester. My overall goal is to lose 12% body fat and 50 pounds.
In fitness, I know I've gotten stronger/more endurance. I can run longer intervals and overall time, and my recovery is quicker. My fitness goals are to run 2 miles without stopping (then 4, then finally 6), 10 pull-ups unassisted, standing back-bend, and plank to crocodile back to plank 10 times.
My first event of the year, a 5K, is in April. I aiming to do it in less than 30 minutes (so I will consider 29 minutes and 59 seconds a victory). Then I'm trying to find a 10K to do sometime this summer, a 1/2 in the fall, then Goofy Challenge next January. I'm registered, and I'll sign up for Team in Training in late summer.
So, here's to thinking light & airy thoughts!
In fitness, I know I've gotten stronger/more endurance. I can run longer intervals and overall time, and my recovery is quicker. My fitness goals are to run 2 miles without stopping (then 4, then finally 6), 10 pull-ups unassisted, standing back-bend, and plank to crocodile back to plank 10 times.
My first event of the year, a 5K, is in April. I aiming to do it in less than 30 minutes (so I will consider 29 minutes and 59 seconds a victory). Then I'm trying to find a 10K to do sometime this summer, a 1/2 in the fall, then Goofy Challenge next January. I'm registered, and I'll sign up for Team in Training in late summer.
So, here's to thinking light & airy thoughts!
Thursday, February 25
Job Hunting
With 78 days until graduation, the job search has become an all-consuming effort. An absolutely rotten year to be hunting for a position & creativity with a side of flexibility has become the key. It will be nice when the law profession decides to catch-up with the real world and develops a national bar exam instead of individual state exams. But I digress...
So far, I've applied to 33 jobs and have gotten 13 official rejects. I say official because I have no idea if some will ever give me any kind of reply. The creativity comes in that I've applied to non-law specific jobs. The flexibility enters in the fact that I will move anywhere - I've applied to jobs from coast to coast and even overseas.
Anyway, I keep searching, keep asking and keep plugging away. Hopefully, this will pay off (before graduation). Fingers crossed.
And in the meantime, if anyone needs a former MBA, soon-to-be law grad focused on environmental law, well, give me a call.
So far, I've applied to 33 jobs and have gotten 13 official rejects. I say official because I have no idea if some will ever give me any kind of reply. The creativity comes in that I've applied to non-law specific jobs. The flexibility enters in the fact that I will move anywhere - I've applied to jobs from coast to coast and even overseas.
Anyway, I keep searching, keep asking and keep plugging away. Hopefully, this will pay off (before graduation). Fingers crossed.
And in the meantime, if anyone needs a former MBA, soon-to-be law grad focused on environmental law, well, give me a call.
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