Awesomeness is Exhausting.

Seriously. I'm so worn out from being awesome all week. =P haha but really, let me tell you about it!!

Monday I tried a new class!! It's called "body sculpt" and then there's like 10 mins of straight abs at the end. Holy crap it was such a good workout. It was like a super high energy group training session. My balance is apparently awful so some of the stuff was really hard for me, but it was fun.

Tuesday I had an hr with josh (who apparently has a man/trainer crush on my super buff bf) and we did upper body. This translates to arms, chest and back; and then the hardest ab circuit he's ever had me do. It was like 5 diff things and I only did it twice. I felt so accomplished when I was done though. That's always the best feeling. =)

Wednesday I did spin, of course! Unfortunately it was a different instructor bc Nichole was sick, so it took a little getting used to. And then today I did Zumba again!! Both of these I burned less calories than I did last time but it's because Wednesday the teacher was running late, and today I was running late. Haha. So today I was also supposed to train for 30 mins with josh but he had to leave. But instead of going to take a nap like I REALLY wanted to, I went BACK to the gym. I let Will suggest what I did, and then added hips and abs on top of that. I went HAM, as they say. Lol. Here's a pic, actually.

Sooo yeah. I gave myself a really freaking hard ab circuit if you couldn't tell. I'm trying so hard to actually see results next week! And of course, by this summer. But jeez I need to get some sun before then. Maybe now that it's nice I'll actually start doing some of my mileage outside. What a concept, huh?

Gym Juggernaut

Y'all... I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed Zumba class. I knew I would, but I didn't realize I was gonna have so much fun! Especially because 2 of the songs we danced to were straight off my workout station. I burned close to 1,200 calories in that hr class and I enjoyed every minute of it. After that I actually had a pretty positive sauna experience. Haha. It was more crowded but all the women in there were normal->big and chatty so until they left it was ok, then I got to lay down and it helped, I think. I actually strained my left lat[timus dorsi] so instead of training with josh we just talked while he showed me some stretches.

They must've helped bc I felt better enough today to go to my hour group training and burn 800 calories with Nichole. =) I kinda wimped out on these pike things she wanted us to do at the very end bc any way I did them my back was yelling at me. Haha. But it was a fun circuit training thing where we went in a rotation and did all sorts of stuff. The hardest for me was probably the jump roping. I was really good at the beginning but as I got more and more tired the harder and harder it got. Haha. My favorite was this weird ab thing I've never done before but I really liked. ...I just tried to explain it but I kept having to delete it bc it didn't make sense. Lol. Maybe I'll draw you a picture later. I think I'm gonna add it into my ab sets next week. =)

Speaking of next week- I'm gonna be hitting it hard again(I've gone to the gym 5 days in a row this week!). I'm planning on going to spin Monday, an hr with josh on Tuesday, spin Wednesday, and Zumba on Thursday. Bc week after that will be time for measurements again!! I WILL be down to a 14 by the beginning of this summer. It will happen, I am determined. I'm not ready for a bikini yet or anything, still too much back-fat-roll and thigh jiggle, but I'm slowly but surely getting there. Hmm, you might not have wanted to know the specifics on that, sorry. Lol. The main thing is, I will be down to a size where they SELL bikinis, even if I shouldn't be wearing one yet. Lol.

You know what else I shouldn't be wearing? These red soccer shorts I've been living in for the last like, 8 years. They're way too big but because they're also a tad on the short side, they're starting to be inappropriate for public wear. At least if I'm doing ab stuff where lifting my legs is involved bc my thighs are small enough now where the leg holes are way too big. Haha. More TMI for those of you I don't know as well, but there it is. Lol. So favorite red shorts are officially retired for gym use! Yay! This means I need to go find a pair that actually FITS me! Such a novel concept. Lol. Now where's the closest adidas outlet?

Saunas Suck, Surprisingly

Hey guys! So, Wednesday spin class was pretty good today. Every week my endurance is up and I can TELL! Gotta love results you can actually feel even if they're not measured. Yesterday I was on the elliptical for 30 mins and I did 2.3 miles so I feel pretty good about that. I burned 850ish calories yesterday and 750ish calories today so I am gonna step it up tomorrow bc I like to have at least one day in the gym a week where I burn around 1200 calories.

Also, tomorrow I'm going to my first Zumba class!! I've been wanting to try it for ages but I didn't want to go by myself and I couldn't find one at a time I liked, but now they offer one tomorrow at the same time as my spin class was today! A few of us were talking after spin and we're going tomorrow so we all have friends to help us laugh at ourselves. =) I'm really excited! And of course I will let you known how it goes. So tomorrow I'm going to Zumba in the morning and then I have a half our with josh in the afternoon, and THEN Friday morning I have an hour small group with Nichole. So basically I'm using this week to go to the gym every day and kick my butt back into gear. I'm gonna be so exhausted. I'm still a bit sore from legs on Monday, but yesterday after I did my ab circuit [ 3 x (20 flat bicycles, 12 leg-extensions/reverse-crunches/whatever-you-call-them, 20 Jesus sit ups)] I decided to try out the sauna. My glutes and quads were still killing me(I was cursing myself for doing those 2 extra sets of leg presses the day before) and I knew that supposedly the sauna helped.

Well, how does one go about getting in the sauna at the gym? Good question! I have NO IDEA. I didn't have a towel with me, other than my already drenched workout hand towel. Even if I did, I wasn't going to strip down and wrap myself up for a post-workout steam. Ok well I have nice thick boy shorts on and a good sports bra and they happen to both be black, so I could just lay there in my underwear...right? Shows you how far I've come that this was actually my initial plan. But do I strip to my skivvies in the locker room and walk over there in my underwear? I'm not ok with this plan anymore. Ok... So maybe I just wait and take off my shirt and shorts once I get in there? Good plan. So I took off my shoes and socks and left them with my keys in a locker. I took my water and my phone with me, and walked barefoot to the sauna(making a mental note to bring my flip flops next time I wanted to do this). So I take a quick glance at the warning posting, make note that I am not pregnant or drunk so I should be good to go but to leave if I feel dizzy or nauseas(duh?). I open the door and walk in and find not just one, but TWO skinny girls laying in there fully dressed with shoes and everything. Well, crap. So at this point, in my mind, I have no socially acceptable choice but to lay there fully dressed in the remaining spot (which is on the lower "shelf", if you will, and slightly more narrow than the upper one). So there I lay with my two very small and very silent sauna companions trying to be as unobtrusive as I can with about 5 inches of my right side hanging off of the ledge that I'm on. Oh by the way, it's 180 degrees Fahrenheit according to the sign outside, and I'm sweating even more than I was while I was just pounding out my last ab circuit to the 2 step remix while trying to ignore the 5-7 young good-looking guys trying to look impressive for themselves and everyone else in the mirrors by the ab mats.

So I lay there for a couple minutes, trying to move as little as possible while trying to figure out what to do with my arms. Skinny girl #1 gets up and leaves, so I wait til she's definitely gone and get up to move to the upper shelf which should just about be wide enough for my Latina hips. I sit there for a minute to decide how I want to situate my self when ANOTHER intimidatingly thin girl comes in and lays down where ITG(intimidatingly thin girl) #1 just was. Well, crap. Now I don't have room to also lay down, which is apparently the ideal position for cooking yourself post-workout. I sit there and try to decide if I should just leave even though I've only been in here for about 5 minutes when skinny woman #2 leaves. yay! So I move to her spot and lay down, even though that puts my feet about a foot and a half away from ITG but she's listening to her music so she can pretend to ignore me and it'll be all good. So I get comfy and lay down and desperately wish I could take off my shirt but ITG is, again, fully clothed with shoes and everything so I figure I can deal for another couple minutes. Which really, is all I can deal with. The heat feels good on my tired muscles but I am warm natured anyway and this is becoming a little too much for me. I stick it out about 4 minutes after ITG's arrival and then I have to bail. My shirt is sticking to my chest and back, which may look good if you belong in a magazine but isn't a good look for me, trust me. Besides I've drained my water and I want some more. So I try to extract myself as un-awkwardly as I can, and pass another magazine-worthy girl about to go in to cook herself. The room-temperature air feels blissfully cool against my skin and I am suddenly more thankful that I am barefoot. Haha. I enjoyed the heat on my muscles and today I feel like it probably did help, but I don't know if it's worth the awkwardness. I really want to try it again tomorrow after Zumba, but if there is more than one other person in there I just don't know if it's worth it.

I'd cut my losses and just get in the hot tub if I had a swim suit that fit, but un/fortunately, I'm fairly certain my one from last summer would fall off of me before consulting me if it was convenient. And the thought of swim suit shopping right now while I'm right between regular and plus size pretty much makes me want to punch someone. Probably an ITG unwarily making things awkward in the sauna.

Luck of the Mexicans?

Had such a good weekend! Ate/drank way more than I should've, but I didn't gain any weight so it's a wash, I guess. Last week(after tuesday's pizza gorge) I was trying this thing where I didn't eat any carbs with my lunch. I think it helped but hard as I try I just can't maintain a low carb lifestyle. Maybe when my sister is home for summer she can help me and we can do it together. I think it's scientifically valid and obviously working for Cynthia but my inner fat kid thinks it's one step too far. Haha. And also I worry bc my family has high cholesterol anyway, what happens if I go on a diet where bacon is more valid than bread? What's more dangerous- high cholesterol or diabetes? Whomp whomp. Haha anyway, I just feel like I need to switch up my diet bc my body has gotten too used to what I've been doing.

I did hardcore legs today, which I haven't done in a while. Did 3 circuits of lunges, crab walks, 30 twists, 20 Jesus sit ups, 30 sec plank. That was with Josh, I only had 30 mins with him today. After that on my own I did 3x12 calf raises, 2 sets of leg presses(they were pretty tired), and 3x15 both hip abduction and adduction. Now this is a great workout by itself, even though I only burned 500 calories(although for 45 mins with no cardio is pretty awesome) but this is the kind that will actually continue to burn calories as my muscles repair themselves. Paired with the cardio I'm gonna do tomorrow and spin class on Wednesday, this is going to have a more lasting impact than just 3 days of the same cardio.

The muscle building is the element of this complete weight overhaul that is the hardest for girls to convince themselves to do I think. Although, I would rather do anything than run. Lol I was reading "women's health" and there was a tidbit in there that your body takes 28 days to get used to a new exercise, so you should switch things up every month or so. I really wanna add another class to my workout routine, but all the ones I would add are on Wednesday mornings. I prefer the mid morning classes because I don't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn, or come back to the gym after dinner. I would never actually go if that's when I planned to go. Not to mention on days that I work during the evening classes. Anyway. The point is, I need a Pilates or kickboxing class that I can go to not at single digit AMs or during/after dinner. Oh well, I'll figure it out. I'm just still at a bit of a weight plateau that I would like to get past.

Marching Towards Progress

Well I finally have a good picture where I look noticeably smaller, so I wanted to share those with you. The first half of this wk was a waste bc I was at job training (my company got bought out so I have to re-learn my job under the new company) so I didn't get to work out and Tuesday I ate so much pizza. Lol anyway so yesterday I went to spin and then worked out hard for another 45 mins so I burned 1412 calories yesterday. I was almost at negative calories for the day until I let myself eat some tagalongs. Lol. I don't feel bad about it tho. =P anyway, let's see if I can show these to you.

This first one is from April 2010, just under 2 yrs ago. This was right before I moved home. The next 6 months from there was the biggest point I've been, although I don't know specifically. I didn't have a scale when I was in school, and fat girls don't like weighing themselves anyway. Lol

This is from March 2011, probably about 10 lbs down from that last picture. This is about 5 months after what I'm considering "before". At this point I had been doing Pilates and was a little more conscious of what I was eating.

And this of course is from this past weekend, March 2012. 25-30 lbs less than the previous picture, although probably down I'm guesstimating 35 lbs of fat less. I put on mostly muscle the summer after that when working out with Will, and stayed roughly the same weight the whole summer, even tho I was very slowly losing inches.

My bf% is still going down, faster than my overall weight, so I just have to stay really focused on the positives and not the very slow moving scale progress. I feel stronger every day, and that mix of weight training/muscle building and cardio/calorie burning is going to be the best formula for success, especially when I can keep my overall calorie consumption at a reasonable level.

Bye Bye Miss American Thigh

Traveling for work has been nuts! But I'm home this week and so is my sister for spring break. I'm proud of her, she's lost like 10 lbs since the beginning of the semester. =) we've been doing some of her paleo diet, which is essentially an Atkins-ish diet that has some science behind it. If I knew how to do links I'd give you a few, but you can go search "paleo diet" and I'm sure you'll find lots of interesting stuff. Anyway, Monday and Tuesday I followed her diet, yesterday not so much. Lol. And tonight we're going to have another paleo recipe- carb free pizza. The crust is going to be made out of cauliflower, eggs and cheese. I'm excited to give this a try. The mashed cauliflower I made Tuesday was pretty delicious. But I did make them "loaded" with cheese and bacon to make them more dad-friendly. Lol. Anything is good with cheese and bacon, you don't even need your inner fat kid to tell you that.

Oh I meant to tell y'all, I made Josh re-do my measurements last week and they came out much better. Overall I'm down -1.75 inches from the last measurements. I'm up in the neck, chest, shoulders and calves, I'm exactly the same in the waist and I'm down in arms and thighs. I'd actually lost an inch and a half each in my thighs which made me pretty determined to keep going to spin class. Which is why yesterday I went to 2 classes in a row. "why would you do that?" because I'm crazy apparently. I was so worn out. AND I forgot to wear my heart monitor so idk how many calories I burned. I'm guesstimating somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200. I did the Pilates class with Cynthia for an hour before I did an hour of spin. Luckily in spin 2 of my friends were there so we were all in a row cutting up keeping eachother going. The music Nichole picked also helped a lot. I mean between usher and drake how could I stop? Lol. But the hardest part was the climb set to "American Pie". Aka it lasted as long as the song. I thought I was gonna die! An 8 minute climb?! Usually they're not even half that long. But hey, I did it and I lived to tell the tale.

After all that craziness yesterday I ate (lean cuisine steamed asiago tortellini. Find it! It was amazing!!) and passed out before I went shopping with my sister and 2 of my chronically skinny friends. The long-standing plan was for them to teach me to shop as the skinny do, but since I'm still a solid 16 I was a little apprehensive. So we went to about 3 different department stores and we couldn't find ANYTHING. They were more discouraged than I was, because that is what I'm used to. I told them this is why I've never shopped at department stores, because I tried it once when I was a teenager and decided it wasn't worth the time and hassle and heartache. So after we gave up on that angle I took them to Ross and showed them how I usually do it. "it's ok, we're gonna go in there, I'm gonna find 2-3 dresses that I actually like that are actually in my price range, and then I'll pick the best one. It'll take like 15 minutes." Apparently this boggled their skinny girl minds, because this is exactly how it went down and they seemed shocked. Lol. So I found a cute dress for the wedding this weekend and if I can figure out how I'll post some before/during pics next week.