Whoops! Blast you real life!

So much has happened since the 19th I hardly know where to begin.  As for my goals from last week - a quick round up...

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2. Have completed W2D1 and W2D2 is tomorrow.  The first day of week 2 kicked my butt! I love it!

2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day. So done... I am still on track with this and I float through my days.  Woohoo!

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable. Yep. I tried to conquer white asparagus... not a fan.

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  Eyebrows got done but my hair is looking too good to cut right now LOL. 

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography. My brain is flooded with new choreography!

Ok.  So, the reason why you guys didn't get these updates on the 20th, or 21st, or well.. any of the days before now is that real life swallowed me whole.  In the best of ways. 

The 21st was the first official event for Trio Fitness. A Zumbathon for the Connor Wayne Combs Foundation. It was a great, sweaty, success.

The Trio Fitness Ladies... gettin ready...

Yeah... we're kind of like the Charlies Angels... of fitness.

Me rocking the Ella Me Copia

All three of us poppin them hips!

The aftermath... a sweaty mess!

Yeah, it was a good day!.  3 hours of Zumba followed by a carbohydrate heavy lunch and a workout hangover and an insane Sunday lead to a week of craziness in work, in Zumba and personally as well.

This time on phentermine has made me realize how addicted I am to food.  The cool thing about the appetite suppressant to me right now is that it makes me only really want to eat 3 times a day...

I've been listening to doctors for so long and all of them have had different ideas about what I needed to do to get the weight off and I've tried to listen to each of them in turn to give their hunches a try. What wound up happening is I wound up being addicted to the constant flow of food and when I tried to change my eating to more calorie dense, lower volume foods it got harder to stay within my calorie range.

But I'm addicted to eating like every 2-3 hours now and the phentermine has killed that addiction because I don't get the hunger signals and even when I do give in and snack on something I eat two bites and my stomach says NO, NO ROOM AT THE INN.  Today I had a bit of an upset stomach (forgot my acid reflux meds) and I snacked on 2 hard pretzels in little bites through the whole day.  That was the extent of my snacks. 

Only eating 3 meals a day I'm eating well below 2000 calories a day unless I force myself to eat something more calorie dense to ensure that I'm not eating too little on my heavy cardio days. 

I have seen a total difference in how my body feels before, during and after my workouts.  My sleep patterns are more even and I feel more rested.  AND today I weighed in 12 pounds down from where I was 2 Thursdays ago.  That's INSANE.  I hadn't lost 12 pounds in the last two months.  Such a huge change.

Aside from all of that I'm enjoying my 5k training, I'm getting psyched up for my Basic 2 Zumba License class this Sunday and the National Dance Day flash mob AND the Zumba convention in 2 weeks. 

There's so much going on that I feel like I'm going 24/7 but I feel more rested and relaxed than I have in a long time.  I love that things are just happening.  It's stressful as hell some days but, overall, life is taking care of itself.  I do have bad days and feel like I can't handle it bit I'm surrounded by love and friendship and some of the best coworkers ever so I KNOW I can get through anything. 

Goals Update - 7/19

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2. Tomorrow morning is W1D3!

 2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day. 160 oz at work.  3 1 quart bottles during workouts and another one going down now.  I'm a fishy!

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable. This will have to be a weekend thing.  I never have a chance to shop during the week.

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  A pedicure, a hair cut, a manicure SOMETHING to pamper myself. Hair cut. Friday.  Eyebrows.  Also Friday!

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography. Conga, Ai Se Eu Te Pego and Ojoitos Chiquitos.  Woohoo! There will be 3 new songs next week.  Success!

Today was much better in terms of the side effects of the appetite suppressant.  I think I just went too low on calories yesterday and that's what made the side effects more noticeable.  Today I focused on fruits and veggies and making sure I still got some carbs in.  I had also gone WAYYYYY low on carbs yesterday.  I feel better.  Let's see if I still feel better tomorrow!

7/18 Goals update

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2. 33 minutes, 1.91 miles. Early mornings SUCK but I did it! I wanted to DIE on my last interval... I don't know if it was because I ran before I took my allergy meds but I was phlemgy and felt like I had it stuck in my throat.  I'd like to avoid that feeling in the future. 

2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day. I lost count... close to 200oz.

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable. Soon!

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  A pedicure, a hair cut, a manicure SOMETHING to pamper myself. Hair cut. Friday.  Eyebrows.  Also Friday!

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography. Fine tuning the Toning choreography for Conga and started learning Ai Se Eu Te Pego.  As I understand it's a semi-line dance that's big in various European and Latin American countries.  A student showed it to me and I aim to please.  Also... I dig the song. 

Tonight was kind of a sucky night.  I had a bit of a headache all afternoon and then while teaching Zumba it got worse.  I skipped the second Zumba class and came home to try to relax.  After eating dinner I felt about 50% better but still kind of blah.  Hoping it was a combination of the long day, the lower caloric intake and stress.

Goals update.. Med update...

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2. 6am tomorrow.  Bring it!

2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day. 160 oz at work.  GLUG GLUG GLUG

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable. Soon!

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  A pedicure, a hair cut, a manicure SOMETHING to pamper myself. Thinking about getting a trim and my eyebrows done after work on Friday.

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography.  More work on Ojitos Chiquitos by Don Omar!

It's been 4 days on the phentermine and I am feeling good.  I am glad I'm focusing on water intake as I think I would be feeling bad.  My appetite is DEAD and I am having to force down my three meals a day.  Tonight after an hour of Zumba I felt a little weak so I slurped down a smoothie from the gym to ensure that I didn't crash.  I am exicted to see where I am when I weigh in on Sunday.  The difference between Friday and today (according to the scales at my respective doctors offices?) 7 pounds.  I know part of it is change in water weight but WOAH.

Weekly goals and a new long term goal!

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2.  Running "dates" set with Matt for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings.

2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day. 152oz of water today... give or take! I was FLOATIN!

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable. Soon!

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  A pedicure, a hair cut, a manicure SOMETHING to pamper myself.

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography.  Worked on a belly dance routine to Ojitos Chiquitos by Don Omar! Very excited.  It's a slower, core intensive routine.  Love the choreo I found but am going to tweak it a bit more before I start teaching.  Hoping to try it out Thursday, maybe.

I have also targeted a new, long-term, goal. 

Matt ran the Cary Road Race 10k in 2010 and I thought I would never EVER be able to do it.  BUT I truly believe that I have it in me.  So much so that I am planning on running it in May of 2013.  That's 9 months.  I can do the C25k program one time through and most of the extended C2 10k plan a few times before then.  Plenty of time to train and push my boundaries.

The final date for the race isn't set yet but as soon as it's up I'm signing up.  I will do this! I'm going to work on getting my 5k time down and then get my endurance up to conquer the 10k. 

I think... I think I might have the running bug.

Goals 7/16-7/22

1. Finish C25k Week 1 and continue with week 2.  - 2 days of W1 left to do this week.  I'd like to get in 3 runs which would have me ending this week on W2D1.

2. Drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day.

3. Try another new fruit or vegetable.

4.  Set aside some time to do something "nice" for myself this week.  A pedicure, a hair cut, a manicure SOMETHING to pamper myself.

5. Spend at least 10 minutes each day on new choreography.  My playlist needs a super overhaul!

Fear Conquered and Goals Update

Yesterday was an AMAZING day.  Matt and I took a day trip to continue our tour of aquariums and general site seeing. 

We went to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher and it was really cool.  Not as interactive as some of the other aquariums we've hit but we had a blast being silly. 

After the aquarium we went to Kure Beach and I faced a big old fear of mine... walking in the sand in bare feet.  When I was a kid I got an infection in the bottom of my foot from a crab pinch on the bottom of my foot and I haven't walked barefoot in sand since.  Well, yesterday I did...

The view....

My feet in the sand!

It felt amazing and freeing to finally have faced that stupid fear.  A few years back I went to Miami and walked in the sand in shoes and socks... I felt like a moron. 

The phentermine and I are still being friends.  I actually am enjoying not feeling hungry.  It's weird to say but it's nice to not be thinking about food all the time!

Anyway, outside of that I finally crossed the try the new fruit or vegetable off my list.  When Matt and I went out to dinner the Irish pub had an option of root mash which includes parsnips, carrots, and rutabaga.  It was AMAZING and I plan on trying to make some here at home soon.  I love it as an alternative to mashed potatoes. 

As for the rest of my goals

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day.
One with lunch and one with dinner.

2. Try one new fruit or vegetable. CHECK!

3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.
Failed on this.  Starting it again today with Matt as my running buddy.  I will do this next week. 

4. Pack my lunch every day.
Check! I successfully did this all work week! Woohoo! 

5. Drink my shake every morning.
Check!

6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.
Check!! Crunches were done last night!

I am pondering goals for next week and will update later today!

Goals and end of week update

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day.
CHECK! Getting easier every day. 

2. Try one new fruit or vegetable. Tomorrow! This will happen!

3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.
I do not know why it was so hard to get runs in this week.  I only got in half a one during the work week.  Tomorrow is out for running because of a planned trip to the aquarium.  I'll get in lots of steps though... just not the endurance training I need. 

4. Pack my lunch every day.
Check! I successfully did this all work week! Woohoo! 

5. Drink my shake every morning.
Check! I need to get back to being creative with my shakes.  I drank simple chocolate most of the week.  I need to get back to adding coffee, and fruit and random additives again!

6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.
Check!! Push ups... I will own you!!

My week was absolutely crazy in work, out of work, Zumba related.  Everything was insane.  My credit card number was stolen.  My feet tried to revolt at the end of Zumba Thursday night.  We're running ragged trying to get National Dance Day and Zumbathon plans ironed out for the next two weekends. 

It's totally wild and crazy and awesome and terrible.

I also had a doctor appointment that was .... interesting.  Firstly - most of the nurses at the doctors office know me as the Zumba instructor.  I didn't realize how many of them take my classes or know me by reputation. 

I got venting my annoyance with the slowness of my recent weight loss with one of the nurses.  She mentioned it to the doc and we got talking.  I wound up on a prescription appetite suppressant. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this as I'm not a big fan of pills in weight loss but he and I discussed it and my concerns about the volume of food I've been eating (even if within reason calorically) had me concerned.  He thinks a short term course of this med may help me readjust my eating schedule and find something that works for me.

We'll see if I stay on it.  Today was day 1 and I was SUPER PRODUCTIVE because it made me focused and jittery and I'm way low on my calories for the day.  I feel good and we'll see if this continues.  I see the doc again in a month to see how my weight and measurements have changed with the meds help.

Goals Update 7/11

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day.
CHECK! And this was REALLY hard after the crappy day that I had.  I wanted all the candy and all of the carbonation.

2. Try one new fruit or vegetable.
This will have to happen this weekend when I have a chance to go shopping.

3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.
Half of my W1D1 run done.  Creepy guy at the track... I was the only other person out there.  Followed my gut instinct and went home.

4. Pack my lunch every day.
Check - turkey and cheddar with lettuce and tomato,

5. Drink my shake every morning.
Check! And I made it with cows milk for the first time in a long time.  Out of almond milk... I miss my almond milk.

6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.
Check 60 crunches before my abs said NO MORE!

I will write a more substantial update this weekend about all the crap that has gone down this week and another goal update tonight. 

This is really helping me be more conscious of what I'm doing. I like this!

Goals Update - 7/10

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day.
1 Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi with dinner.  Go me!

2. Try one new fruit or vegetable.
Pondering Bok Choy... maybe kumquat. - need to go shopping.  Maybe tomorrow. 

3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.
This so didn't work out this morning.  My back and chest were so sore I couldn't have done this if I wanted to.  Trying again tomorrow.  *fingers crossed*

4. Pack my lunch every day.
Lunch today was a FlatOut wrap with lite veggie cream cheese and turkey with baked cheetos and a fruit cup.

5. Drink my shake every morning.
Missed my shake today due to my blender not being clean and not having the time.  Boo!

6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.
25 - 45 degree push ups. Ouchie!

Burned almost 1700 calories in 2 hours of Zumba tonight.  A killer day! Tomorrow I have Toning and then a regular Zumba class. 

OH and I drank 96 oz of water at work today.  I am loving my new Brita filter!

Goals update - 7/9

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day.
Almost did this... I didn't have a soda until dinner and then I had two.  Whoops. I'm pretty damn well proud that I made it to dinner without anything. 

2. Try one new fruit or vegetable.
Pondering Bok Choy... maybe kumquat.

3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.
Hitting the track tomorrow morning at 6:15AM.  Ready to rock and roll... as long as I get up on time.  I hate the mornings.

4. Pack my lunch every day.
Lunch today was a FlatOut wrap with lite veggie cream cheese and turkey with baked cheetos and carrots. 

5. Drink my shake every morning.
My shake this morning was AMAZING.  Caramel Almond milk = love.

6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.
I did 50 crunches, 50 bicep curls, 20 upright rows and 30 shoulder presses tonight after Zumba.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day with a 30 minute jogging session and 2 Zumba classes at night so I KNOW I have to eat well tomorrow to survive it.  Ready for the challenge!

Weekly goals - 7/9-7/15

For the week of 7/9/2012 through 7/15/2012 I am setting the following goals for myself with regard to fitness and nutrition. And some steps I've taken to help keep myself to them!!

1. Only drink one carbonated beverage a day. I bought a new Brita pitcher filter to take to the office and since we're close to the break room I can fetch fresh water and ice just about any time.  That will make it easier for me to avoid the Coke Zero monkey that's so heavy on my back.
2. Try one new fruit or vegetable.  Matt is going to go in on this with me.  Not sure what I'm going to do this week.  Will hit the grocery store this week and browse the produce aisle until I find something that piques my interest.
3. Re-start Couch to 5K and do all of my week 1 runs.  Playlists are loaded and program is on my iPod, ready to rock!
4. Pack my lunch every day.  I've got meals planned and am ready to rock on this one.
5. Drink my shake every morning.  I have everything I need but I will need more Almond milk by about midweek.
6. Alternate doing push ups and crunches every night. I'm trying to work up to 10 full on the ground push ups and 100 crunches at a go.  

I will try to update my blog every day with where I am on these goals.

What are YOUR goals for the week?  What steps are you taking to be the best YOU that you can be?

5K - Third time's a hot mess.

Saturday morning I got up at an ungodly early hour and went to Greenville, NC for a 5K with several of my Facebook training buddies.  Matt ran with me.  Marsh and Chip were there for moral support. 

The weather was super against us... it was hot, it was muggy and I was seriously afraid that I would not finish the race.  I made a promise to myself and my C25K team that I wouldn't give up!  We were all going to see this through.

Kristen and Krew before the race

This was me about to cross the finish line, just before I hit my last sprint to finish strong.

That smile?  Because of the rest of the team cheering me on from the corner!

Official time was 52:38. 

The Krew after the run.  Hot. Sweaty.  Ready for FOOD!

I was about 40 seconds slower than my previous best time but given the fact that 1 mile in I thought my hands were going to explode from swelling and the heat was threatening to make me a puddle on the ground I am damn proud of my time.  I KNOW the next time I run it will be a personal record! I know I can do it in less than 51 minutes... I think my goal will be 50 minutes or less.

The next 5k we're doing isn't until September so I have plenty of time to kick my butt in to gear and get some more speed in to my sprints and get more sprints in to my total time.

My ideal goal is to be able to run a 30 minute 5K.  When I can do that I want to try to tackle the 10K.  I don't think I'm ever going to be a marathon runner, but maybe I will.  I may get there!