Follow Your Heart February!!!!

Of the hundreds of people who read my post on the blog and facebook - TWO - are doing FYHF with me - Scab and Elise from work.  I am ready to get into it tomorrow.  SUPER GOOD FEB begins with dinner on Friday night and a party on Saturday.  I can do it!!!!

Elise having a healthy snack.

For the century....

My first time playing cricket!  Tickled away down the leg side.  :)

Not great for the environment

I shopped for healthy snacks for work today - just like at fat camp.
Small apples
12 unsalted almonds (in a ziploc)
4 celery sticks (in a ziploc)
1 tbsp natural peanut butter (in a ziploc)

I am hoping this not only helps me but the guys. I am sure they will be much happier with a small apple than potato chips, candy bars, or McDonalds.

February is ALMOST here!

What are you going to do to get healthy? Join me in Follow Your Heart February! NO EXCUSES EVERY DAY!

1 - Track EVERY calorie EVERY day.
2 - Keep UNDER my 1800 calories EVERY day.
3 - No alcohol.
4 - Exercise EVERY day.
5 - Water, water, water.

Are you with me?

Goals - 2013

A new year with a new set of goals:
1 - Lose 52 pounds (1 pound per week)
2 - Run 5 5ks OR 10ks.  At least one 10k.
3 - Try Bikram yoga
4 - Join a tennis comp
5 - Try jumping rope and hula hoop
6 - Create a support group

Goals - 2012

 It's that time of year and I haven't really shared anything on last year's goals and this coming year's goals.  First things first -2012 fitness goals. How did I do?

1 - Lose 52 pounds.
I came up short on this one. I lost 23 pounds and while this is WAY short of my goal, I am still happy.  I lived the life I wanted, never felt deprived and I am still on the journey to get me to my final goal. I feel successful.

2 - Finish the Couch to 5K program.
Did it!  I really wanted to start running as exercise and I am now a runner. Or more of a shuffler, but it still counts.

3 - Run 5 5Ks.
I kicked this one!  Just to review:
Race 1 - 28 Feb 2012 - Wyndham 4k - 38:04






Race 2 - 1 Apr 2012 - Run for the Kids 5.2k - 49:23











Race 3 - 22 July 2012 Rock & Roll Mini - 49:31

Race 4 - 16 Aug 2012 - Elvis is Alive 5k - 46:00











Race 5 - 16 Sept 2012 - Make a Wish 5k - 44:41












Race 6 - 25 Nov 2012 - Color Run 5k - 38.59









Race 7 - 24 Dec 2012 - Kluth Aumann Xmas 5K - no official time

It is cheating but it counts

I weigh in on Sunday mornings and since it was my first week back, I knew I would have some issues.
My body adjusting to the time zones and sleep deprivation.
Getting back on a schedule.
Two glasses of champagne on the flight.
Two glasses of champagne at the races.

So, I waited to weigh myself until after I ran my 4.5 miles.I was down .5 pounds which was definitely dehydration, but I am taking it.  Down .5 pounds this week.

I'm not dissing Ruby

I am not sure why, after 17 months, I am still on task with my weight loss. More importantly, why is this time working when so many other times failed? What was the tipping point? I don't know.

But, I do know what WASNT my tipping point.  I just found some notes from May 2009.  I was watching Ruby on TV with the family and Erma turns to me and says "Auntie, you look like Ruby.  My niece compared me to a 500 pound woman.
And it wasn't the tipping point.

Were you good this week?

If I can answer yes, then I let myself have Friday night dessert. I try to keep it under 250 calories which still gives you lots of options. Tonight's treat? A mini Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream  255 calories of YUM!

The boys

Upon my return I find out that Kabazza and Joel are training at the Tan.  I don't want to join them because their workout is waaaaaaaay beyond what I can do but knowing there will be someone there gives me accountability.  So, I run the Tan and meet up with them at the end.

They are working too hard.

I HAD a plan

I have a whole bunch of new strategies:
 - strategy for work
 - strategy for exercise
 - strategy for special events
 - strategy for meal planning

And unfortunately my travel strategy went right out the window when I sat down on the plane and they said my nine favorite words to me...."May I offer you a glass of Champagne Mumm?"
Yes. Yes, you may.

Back in the groove

I have finally been able to lower my weight!  I now have lost 54.1 lbs [24.5kg].  My sidebar had been stuck at 53 pounds for many months.  TOO many months!  But that yo-yo of the past few months is done.  I lost 9.8 lbs [4.4kg] at fat camp and am back on track for a great 2013!

 - I am down to my lowest weight.
 - I lost 9.8 pounds and 9".  (There may have been some creative measuring?!?!?!)
 - I am officially under 100kg NEVER to go back!
 - I am 6.5 pounds from getting my next charm.
 - I am 8.2 pounds away from HALF WAY.
 - I am 18.8 pounds away from ONE DER LAND.

I did it!

I hit all of my goals while I was here.  Today was stop sign #8 - a real mental challenge.

I learned the rowing maching.
I did the rowing machine during class.
I did two cardio every day.

In ten days, I hiked 8000ft and 34.4 miles all before 9:30am.
I wish I had measured the size of my bum.  I know it must be smaller.

What number did I hit?

Thursday is treading and here is my fake treading pic - and how do you know it is fake?  Yes, because I am smiling.

One of the problems I was having is switching between my miles and kilometers.  So, I brought a little table with me today.  I also wrote down what I hit at each level so I can keep improving.  Do you see that circled number?!?!? 8.2 miles per hour!!!  [13.1km]  Even if it was only for an eye blink, it was still yeah!!!!!

Don't compare yourself to other people, but...

I just finished my seventh stop sign and I am really proud of that.

In the van on the way back I commented that Deb, the hike guide yesterday, was running back and forth.  Today's guide told me that Deb RUNS stop sign every morning BEFORE she comes to be a hike guide for 2.5 hours.  Then she swims laps at Fitness Ridge. #$%^$#%^&*

Only two more days!

Started out this morning doing my 6th stop sign hike.  Not every day can be your best and I was about 3-5 minutes slower than I had been over the past week.  This is ok with me.  The important thing is to do it and finish it.

I also had two very difficult mountain classes this afternoon.  The first class went up in incline/speed 15 times and my second class went up 18 times!  My bum better look good after all this incline hiking!

another goal - check

Today was a better than yesterday, of course!
It was 10* warmer which is still cold, but every little bit helps.

Hiked my 5th stop sign - here with Kelly who hiked her second.

I also had a goal of learning how to use the rowing machine and then actually use it in a class.  So I did and I did!  I used for 20 minutes of cardio intervals.  I am sure my arms, back and core will be very sore tomorrow but I am really proud for giving it a go.

Where do I begin?

It is 9*F [-13*C] in Ivins - coldest snap in 10 years.

Monday mornings fat camp does not do the stop sign hike.  So I usually do a bit of the gym or whatever cardio I feel like doing.  I rented a car this weekend, so I thought I would do the good thing and go for the stop sign hike by myself and then go drop the car off.

It is 9*F [-13*C] in Ivins - coldest snap in 10 years so there was NO ONE in the entire Snow Canyon.  No one from fat camp and no locals.  Just me and the rocks and I am singing "Sister Christian" at the top of my lungs because how often are you exercising where no one can hear you?  I hear a "clink".  My car keys fell out of my pocket so I pick them up and go on my way.

It is 9*F [-13*C] in Ivins - coldest snap in 10 years so I just end my hike at about an hour.  It is so cold and I am not appropriately dressed.  An hour is still a good effort.  I get back to the car and the key chain broke.  The key fob is there but the car key is not.

It is 9*F [-13*C] in Ivins - coldest snap in 10 years and I now have to RE-HIKE the hike I just did to look for the car key.  So I take another hour hike and find nothing.  I flag down the park ranger as I have no phone and it is 9*F [-13*C] in Ivins - coldest snap in 10 years.

After an hour, the tow truck comes for the car, the fat camp people come and pick me up and I haven't unthawed until I do two cardio classes in the arvo.

Rough, rough morning.

I should have stayed at fat camp

Saturday was suppose to be a fun day!  We found the #1 sports bar in St George to watch the game, I found Kelly (who was a Packer Backer) and I was going to get away from fat camp for a few hours.  Grrrrr......

We get the #1 sports bar and guess what?  They are not watching the game!!!  The 6 tvs they have, all have the Broncos/Ravens in OT.  So I ask the manager to put it on a little TV and he won't do it.  (picture of Kelly in Packers beanie watching the Broncos.)  Grrrr#1.

Then we order our glasses of soda water when the two skinny girls next to us order the largest platter of deep fried food I have ever seen. It was ginormous!  RIGHT NEXT TO US!  She thought it was funny that I wanted to take a pic.  Grrrrr#2.

I don't need to tell you how the game ended.  Grrrr#3.
Shoulda just stayed at fat camp.

More importantly...

I have found a friend from Oregon who is a Pack fan.  We are heading out to watch the game at a bar - only ordering mineral water, of course!!!!  GO PACK GO!

New strategy

It doesn't matter how cold it gets here (and it has been COLD for the hikes) my pace is absolutely the same.  So today I tried something new.  I knew that Leslie from NY walked a little bit faster than I do so I knew if I tried to keep up with her, I would have a better time.  The strategy worked!  I yelled to her at the 3 mile mark - "Leslie, you took 7 minutes off my time!"  She yelled back, "You took 7 minutes off your time!"

And she was right!  :)  Here we are at the top.  My 4th of the week.

Survived Day 4

The tendenitis is fine so it was back to the old grind today.  Started off with my stop sign hike in exactly  1 hour 30 minutes.  Ended the day doing two treading classes - one on the treadmill and one on the elliptical.  I was wearing Ginger's bracelet and went absolutely crazy reaching new personal best on treadmill.  Thought I was going to vomit but didn't so I consider that a HUGE win.

Tomorrow they have predicted 11*F [-11.6*C] for our hike tomorrow with possible rain.  NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!!!!

Bad day :(

My tendinitis has struck me down and I am not sure why.  Usually I know what activity caused it but I am left hobbling around and no walking/exercise.  I have been popping Advil so hopefully tomorrow I am back on it.

Whats up with the weird guy?

Back to hiking stop sign everyday.  That is 4.3 miles up 1000ft elevation.  For my first hike, I did ok.  my best time is 1:15 and my worst is 1:45.  Today I did 1:28.

It was a beautiful hike, as usual, but gosh was it cold!  Tomorrow I will wear more layers.

Weird guy wouldn't get out of my shot.