the difference running outside makes.

today i'm sore.
and it feels great.

when i stand up from sitting my thighs are stiff from my solid run last night around the lake. my initial plan was to go for an easy jog around the lake, taking in the evening sights, enjoying the cool autumn air, but when the walking man lit up on the traffic light i took off at a pace that was much faster than i expected. i felt lightweight and fast and strong--i felt amazing--until the homestretch when a cramp in my left shoulder tormented me; and then, about 2 blocks from home, my left knee started searing in pain but i pushed through.

it was my first outside run of the season and it was refreshing and wonderful.

i forget, sometimes, how great it is to leave the regime of the gym and just run. no machines. no calorie ticker. no texts distracting me. just me with my thoughts and maybe some music.


even better that when i got home, jeremy had texted that he wanted to take me out for a black & tan sundae. big smile.

exercising--sometimes i just don't wanna.

the days are getting shorter with autumn peeking around the corner (although, officially, it's still a month away on saturday, september 22nd) and that's making it even harder to get out of bed in the morning to hit the gym. when the alarm goes off at 5.00a, it's always a battle against myself. a super-sized version of me is pulling me back, deep into the cozy comfort of my fluffy white bed; the remaining pea-sized me is shaking her pom-poms and cheering me on to pull on the restricting attire i ambitiously laid out the night before.

sometimes the cheerleader wins and, less often, i think, the bed wins. i don't always wanna go and it isn't always fun but i'm always glad to check that box for the day.

this week i made it to the gym tuesday night and then thursday morning. morning has become my new preferred time and here are some reasons why:

1. i get the machine i love. some of the cardio machines are jerky, not as smooth as my favourite, number 25. when i was there tuesday night, number 25 was occupied and i had to suffer through a jolted workout. luckily, the man using 25 exited when i was only 10 minutes into my cardio portion so i was able to hop over and use 25 to finish up.
2. it's quiet and i have less distractions. only a few people scattered among the equipment, the gym music playing overhead is nearly inaudible, and texts aren't filling up my phone. 
3. it's over and done with and the rest of the day is mine to do what i please--facetime or skype with family, see jeremy, go to bed early, etc. 
4. i feel lighter and stronger in the morning since i don't have the extra weight of the day fighting against me. 
5. i'm more alert throughout the day when my day jumpstarts with a hard morning workout. 
6. my eating is more manageable. i'm less inclined to snack or nibble on crap and more satisfied with the lunch i brought rather than going out with the team. 

just because i'm blessed with a self-discipline toward exercise doesn't make it easier or more enjoyable. but i'm always glad when i've done it and i always feel better after.

A New Goal

Yesterday I had my 6 week post-baby check up, and had some surprising news. I am down 3 pounds from what I weighed before I got pregnant. Mostly my body has been shifting around a lot. My pants are a bit loose in some weird areas, but my shirts are almost all too snug on top and too loose around my rib cages but my tummy is a bit flabby. And my muscle is sadly lacking! 6 weeks of no weight lifting took a toll!

So here is my new goal: to maintain my weight as is, but build up my muscles. This will take a lot of eating right and exercising. I started today with a gentle arms work out (to build back up to it) and some yoga. I'm going to slowly add in some more cardio and heavier weights.

I'm hoping to report here when I can do a longer work out/lift heavier weights/see my tummy flab decreasing. Feel free to join me!

13 pounds later--

this is me, 13 pounds from last year. i'm down 2 (or 3) pant sizes, depending on the brand and style. i'm wearing a smaller shirt size by 1 (or 2), depending on the brand and style.

the picture really doesn't demonstrate my loss, especially since the tee is loose. the loss is most noticeable in my chest, waist, hips and thighs; my neckline is more visible and my back is more defined. 

losing 13 pounds was never my vocalized goal. sure, i wanted to lose some weight and add some tone and definition--who doesn't?!--but i didn't expect to drop that much. it's exciting and motivating and annoying. how is it annoying? because it's expensive. many of my clothes don't fit, and i don't mean they're loose or a little too big; they're too big. pants can be pulled down after they've been dried in the dryer and shirts just hang on me looking ridiculous (or scoop too low in front). i stare longingly at some of my favourite skirts while a few dresses i've been flirting with wearing can be worn comfortably. 

i think i finally discovered the right balance [for me] of building muscle and burning fat. now it's your turn. 

ladies, we cannot live by cardio alone. pull those free weights out and start curling! get back to pushups. do lunges down the hallway with the baby strapped to your back. every little bit counts--i assure you. if you're cycling, mix in some intervals--turn on a full sprint for 3 minutes and then rest for a minute and back to a sprint. it'll not only increase the power of your workout but it'll make the time go by faster. all of these things will kick up your metabolism and free you from having to count calories. the trick is pushing yourself until you feel those muscles scream and fight against you. 

i'll step away from the microphone now. stay active ladies. 

Still riding.  Yesterday I saw a handsome buck drinking from the stream just below the bike trail.  He was rather magnificent.  I can like deer and admire them "in nature"; not so much when we find them on the road...

I went for a lovely bike ride this morning.  Felt so good to be out.  Actually, it felt really good to be up and out of bed.  My problem is if I don't get out right away I find all sorts of things to get in the way - feeding animals, starting laundry, changing sheets, etc. etc.  One day does not a routine make, but I would do well to work at this.

sugar-free for a month?

is anyone interested in going without unnatural sugars with me for a month starting sunday? i need to get my tush in gear and back away from the sweets again. anyone? anyone?

be mindful of sugar in bbq sauce and ketchup.
altoids are ok--the sugar is minimal.
greek yogurt with honey is a-ok.

ChooseMyPlate.Gov

Hi Ladies! I have discovered a wonderful tool! On the My Plate (formerly known as My Pyramid) web site, there is an awesome tool called the Super Tracker. When you register, this tool allows you to plug in your information (age, height, weight, physical activity level, etc) and calculates your daily healthy food allotments. Then you can plug in what you eat, and it will calculate how you are doing according to your plan. It calculates all sorts of wonderful things to help you stay on track--sodium intake, fats (saturated vs. oils)intake, empty calorie intake, and of course your basic food groups. It also has an option to click if you are pregnant and how far along you are, including all of those "extra" tips into your plan. I am so happy I discovered this tool--it has been super helpful in making sure I am getting what I need, and not too much of what I don't need. :-) And I was surprised about a few things--like how much sodium is actually in many foods that I wouldn't expect, and how little protein I was actually getting when I thought I was doing fine!

There is also a physical activity tracker as part of the Super Tracker. It has tips about amounts and types of physical activity you need to reach certain goals. If your goal is to lose weight, you can plug that in. If it is to maintain, you can plug that in. If it is to stay healthy during pregnancy (bingo) you can plug that in. Then you record your physical activity daily and it will show you how you are doing with your weekly goal, and let you know what types of exercise you need to reach the goal for the week. It is an awesome motivator!!!

If you do both, then at the top of the screen it will show you the progress for physical activity as well as food progress for the week/day. I love this tool!

If you have trouble staying on task with food and exercise, or just want to know how you are doing with one or the other, you should check this out. It is awesome!

Let's get to it!

Where are you girls? I need inspiration!

Stuffed

There are going to have to be some serious changes after this holiday.

announcement:

i am down 2 [gap and j.crew] jean sizes from last year at this time. hurrah!

my jeans are too big.

hooray!
yippee!

i pulled on my favourite "winter" jeans today and they're too big. they're too loose in my tush, in my thighs and around my waist. while i'm thrilled at this new outcome, i'm also slightly bummed--although this mild sense of sadness was fleeting. i love these jeans. i love their weight and colour and contour. plus, they're not made anymore which is really heartbreaking.

nevertheless, the joyful fact remains: they're too big. happy day!