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?

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!