Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Most Awesome News

Hello lovely readers. I have such great news. I'm a teacher; an official teacher with her own classroom and everything! Finally, all of my hard work has paid off. I'll be teaching second grade students this school year and I cannot wait. Give me a moment while I do a happy dance.

Okay, I'm back. This most awesome news came on such a good exercise day too. Got to love that workout high. Today's spin class was GREAT. I felt like everything fell into place. When the instructor gave us beats to count to while we pedaled to the music I kept up with it. Then I took a look at my reflection in the mirror along with everyone else and it was cool. Everyone was in sync and looked like we were dancing. I was just in this happy place. I also made it to a new top speed when we do sprints. My top speed today was 130 rpms. If you asked me at the beginning of my spin class adventures if I thought I could do 130 rpms for one minute I would have laughed. Today I did it.

A funny thing is happening. I'm finding that I enjoy spin class more than Zumba. I don't look forward to going to Zumba. I didn't go today because I needed the time to drop resumes off at schools (this was before I got the awesome news). Guess what- I didn't even feel bad that I was skipping out on Zumba again. I felt relieved.

I think I know why Zumba is not working for me. I put my all into spin class so when that hour goes by I feel like I accomplished a huge goal. I feel great after my workout. I get a smoothie ( a skinny one), go home so I can clean up and just rest for an hour or so. Everything feels beautiful and right with the world. It's my time. The thought of having to go back at it again in an hour and half is just annoying to me. I can't really enjoy my time and then go on with the rest of my day. Let's face it, I went from absolute couch potato to taking on a very hard exercise class. As much as I am enjoying my spin classes, I want my exercise to be done and over with; and one hour is just enough. It's in the morning, I'm done by 9:30 a.m. and can move on with my day.

Some contemplating has to happen since I spent money on the Zumba classes, but I feel like my mind is made up. I don't feel like I'm wimping out. I feel like I'm being smart about it so I don't burn myself out. If there is one thing I know about me, it's that when something becomes unappealing I will not stick to it because I don't see the point. It's like a fat free dressing I purchased. I bought it figuring I'd give it a try. The stuff was horrible. The bottle of ickiness cost me $3.00 so I tried to use it again but I couldn't it. There was no appeal. I didn't see the need to continue eating something that was so nasty to me.  Why keep on doing an exercise class if I don't enjoy it? Exercise should be fun to a point. So that's my only dilemma right now.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I hope to keep this gravy train chugging with a weight loss. Until tomorrow!


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Weigh In Update

So this post should have been available for your viewing pleasure on Thursday since that is my weigh-in day. However, I had an interview for a teaching position that afternoon and I was a bundle of nerves. I couldn't type because I was literally shaking from anxiety. It was my first interview ever as a professional so hopefully you can understand where I'm coming from. Being an adult is scary. 

Then to add to the nerves I had an interview on Friday. I couldn't type that day either even though I was up at the crack of dawn with plenty of time to post. Interviews are intense. I hope to get a job soon because I don't know if I can take it anymore. I'd rather go to spin class 4 times a week then endure those interviews. I hope to get good news this week. 

Moving on... I got on the scale Thursday morning to a pleasant number. According to my scale I weighed 246.4lbs. That's a 0.6 weight loss. I'll take it! It like removing two McDonald's Quarter Pounders from your hips. To those that say, "I just lost half a pound"  here is what one pound of fat looks like and then mentally divide that in half. That's still a lot of fat that disappeared from your person. 

Also as promised, the chronicles of my summer work. On Wednesday I went to spin class for the second time. Body snatchers most likely invaded me because I actually looked forward to going. So I get in there, get my bike adjusted, and sit down on the seat to strap my feet in when the searing pain in my behind starts. Oh my goodness, but was my behind angry at me for putting right back on that bike seat. In the words of a fellow spinner, "Will you ever get used to the pain?" 

Posterior pain aside, my second spin class was successful. I did not begin to feel sick to my stomach until 40 minutes into the class. It was a smart decision to not eat just before working out. The water I sipped did not nauseate me. I got out of my saddle a lot more this time around and even made it to 103 rpms when the time came for it. Proud chick right here! Naturally I was starving after the workout so I went next door to Smoothie King and got a delicious yogurt and strawberry smoothie which was delightful and filling. By the way, eating fruit is a big deal for me since I'm freaked out by it. Don't ask because I think I need fruit therapy. 

My awesomeness ended after spin class. I did not make it to Zumba Toning because of my cat. He had a rabies shot late Tuesday evening and was lethargic from it. It was one of the common side effects that he presented, but he was still not his energetic self when I got home from class. I thought it was best if I monitored him instead of leaving him for another hour and half to make sure he was okay. He turned back into his usual playful self a bit after noon so all was good in the world with him. Zumba is canceled for Monday. This makes Wednesday's class pretty scary looking. 

That's it for me. Sorry for the HUGE post but this chick had a lot to say. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Tropical Storm Debby has made it a rainy Sunday and I like it. 

Monday, June 18, 2012

Work Out Hell

Oh my goodness, what did I get myself into? Today kicked off a summer of Monday and Wednesday workouts. Also, I didn't think it was good enough that I signed up for one exercise class, I thought it would be stupendous stupid to sign up for another one. The cherry on top (because I hate cherries) is that both classes are on the same day! I've created my very own hell. You know what? I'm going to power through it and kick my fat's butt this summer.

My morning started off with a spin class. People warned me about the intensity of such a class, but I just shrugged them off. Oh dear lord, my behind hurts. After getting my bike situated to my height, I strapped in my feet on the pedals and began to pedal the bike thinking, "This isn't so bad. I can do this." Three minutes into sitting on the bike's seat I felt my tail bone throbbing! I had at least 57 more minutes to go and the class hadn't officially started yet. Needless to say, my behind continued to hurt through the rest of class and continues to hurt this very moment.

So many thoughts run through your head during an hour of spin. Thoughts like, I'm stuck to this darn bike with no where to go. My feet are trapped, God help me! Or this lovely mantra: I am not going to puke. I am  not going to puke. Then there is this horrendous thought: I'm sweating like a pig. Water. I need it. Oh GOD no, why did I drink the water? I'm not going to puke. I'm not going to puke.

I'm proud of myself though. Not once did I stop pedaling that bike. I may not have done 100 rpms (highest was 59 according to my monitor). I may not have stood up off my seat as many times as the other participants, or for as long when I did; but I managed to complete the entire class without giving up or losing the contents of my stomach. That deserves a pat on the back.

Once I got home from spin it was time to take a quick shower, change work out clothes and head out to Zumba. Only I forgot about one word that I should have remembered. The class is Zumba Toning. I still figured I could survive the class. It was only one more hour. I've danced before so I thought it would be like getting back up that horse that I had fallen off of for the past 10 years. Oh how naive I am. There were mini medicine balls involved. You could choose a 4lb ball or a 5 lb ball. There was no way I was lifting 5lbs. Plus the 4lb ball was purple; on color alone it won out.

I never did so many squats in my life. There was salsa, cha-cha, kickboxing and mat exercises involved with this class. The mat exercises reminded me of the Tracy Anderson Method system that I purchased last summer. I only made it through a week of the DVD's and I was done. I think I let out a moan without thinking about it. I do believe I said, "No! Not Tracy Anderson!"

I'm sore. I'm dehydrated. I'm tired. I'm going to do it all over again on Wednesday. There will be weight loss this summer and there will be fitness taking place. No more couch potato status for me! Although my couch feels pretty awesome right now.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Take That Pizza!

Hello again. I am still doing a victory dance. I faced the pizza dinner with my family and came out on top. With my aunt and uncle visiting, my grandma thought it would be nice to have a family dinner. You don't know my grandma though- food is a big affair. And then we always have dessert to follow, at least three of them.

Usually when I eat pizza my inner self says, "How often do you eat pizza? Have more. Have more!" Then I don't eat just one piece. When I don't stop at one piece I go from two, then to three, and then it's a shameful amount. Oh, and I don't count a single slice. On Friday, I put an end to that routine. I saved all of my Weekly Points (the 49 extra a W.W. gets a week) so I could enjoy pizza and dessert AND count it all. That is a major success story for me.

Remember that wall work out? I've still be doing it. It's getting a little easier. I hope I can continue to do it once I start spin and Zumba. I know me. If I take on too much at once my brain tells me to quit. Perhaps it's a couch potato defense system? Well if it starts to feel like too much, I'll drop the wall work out because spin and Zumba will tens time more fun.

Have a fantastic Sunday! I'll report my exercise story for all. It should be interesting. Until then, ta ta!


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Wall Workout

In my ever continuing search to find some kind of work out routine that is fun, challenging, and something I will want to do; I came across a pin for a "wall work out". It looked simple enough so I thought I'd save it to try it out. Here's the link in case anyone is interested. The wall work out.

My sister came over today so I could help make play dough for the day care she works at. While waiting for the play dough to cool, because you have to cook it so it turns into the play dough consistency we all know and love, I decided to try out the wall workout that I saved. Thank goodness my sister did not have a camera on her since what she witnessed could have been considered black mail material.

The photo from the article featured on Prevention.com made this work out look elegant. For example, this lovely lady looked lean and elongated.
Pictured: elegance while working out.
 However, I am pretty sure I looked like this if my sister's laughter and my cat's persistent  meowing meant anything.



Pictured: what I felt like- a fluffy rollie pollie



I managed to do the first three exercises before my back cried out in pain, begging me to stop. Fair enough. I've been pretty sedentary for the past year. My back was probably shocked by the extra stress. It hasn't been used to doing hard work in a while. So one of my new goals for this upcoming Weight Watchers week is to the same three exercises that I started today without my back feeling like it wants to snap in two.

What do you think about this workout? Is it something you would try? Let me know! I'm off to dream land now so I can be refreshed for round two of my Resume Run to more of the local schools. Night all!



Monday, June 11, 2012

DIY Frenzy

Happy Monday! Last Monday I was dreading waking up. Mondays are such life suckers. However, it's the first Monday job free. I'm going to enjoy it until bed time and then tomorrow I am on the job hunt. My friend, who graduated from college this past May, is in the same boat as me. So tomorrow will be dedicated to dropping resumes off at the many schools in our district so we can be classroom teachers. I feel like a duck without a pond right now. Hopefully that will be remedied soon.

To take up my time I've been on a cleaning whirlwind. My hubs and I have been in our new apartment for almost three months now and nothing is truly put away in its proper place. Today I took the time to do the regular house keeping and then went into DIY and organization mode. The underneath of my bathroom sink is super organized. My goal is to get some kind of shelving under there. I also put some awesome pictures from my Scotland calendar into pretty frames I got for Christmas. I'll have to have my hubs put them up because he likes to point out that I can never center or level anything I hang. That's fine with me; it's less work.

The final thing I finished for today's DIY fest was my visual weight loss reminder (or as I learned in W.W. - an anchor). The final product came out cute considering it was my first experience with Mod Podge.


To make these I used two washed Starbucks Frappucino bottles. Then I put orange scrap paper labels and hearts on them with Mod Podge. After the labels dried up I wrote down "pounds to melt" and "pounds evaporated" on each to measure my weight loss. There are 100 beads in the first bottle because I intend to lose 100 pounds. That will get me close to the weight I felt good at. I can't wait to move my first bead over to the "pounds evaporated" bottle.

Only a week until spin and Zumba classes begin. I can't wait!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Concession Stand Confessions

Today is the first day of summer! To celebrate, the hubs took me to see Snow White and the Huntsman. It was an awesome movie. I enjoyed every moment of it. Chris Hemsworth is to die for. Also, for those of you who are not a fan of Kristin Stewart because of Twilight movies, let it go and watch her newest film. She did a great job playing Snow White!

Anyway, I headed into the theater telling myself I would only get a diet soda. I ordered Jimmy Johns for lunch so there was no need to even think about popcorn once I got to the theater. I faltered. Instead of popcorn I bought a candy. Now, I was still able to count it because I had enough points, but I really feel stupid because I purchased the darn candy.

Why do I have the need to snack on something while I watch a  movie? It's ridiculous! I wind up finishing any snack before the movie begins anyway because it's too tempting to leave it alone during the previews. If I have the compulsion to munch while watching a movie, then I need to plan ahead because I am too weak to withstand the concession stand. Seriously, I'll bring in a huge bag of celery to munch on. Or pop my own darn popcorn.

So while I'm watching the movie, munching on my REESE'S PIECES, I study Snow White as a stream of thoughts just ramble on through my head. Wow, I wish I was locked in a tower at least I would be on a restricted diet. I'd be dead in the Dark Forest because I could only run for five seconds before I keel over and die. Oh, and a huntsman would never come to my rescue looking like I do. I wonder why there can't be a fat princess who saves the day.  All of this because I failed to stay away from the candy. It ruined my mood for at least two hours so that meant some retail therapy.

Do any of you feel the need to eat while watching a movie? Is it an American thing? Perhaps some of the weight that hasn't been lost will be scared right off of me when the hubs takes me to see Prometheus


Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Proof Is In the Non-fat Pudding

What a dreary Thursday it has been in the wonderful Sunshine State. From 4:00 this morning until later in the evening it has been nothing put pouring rain, thunder and lightning. It was an icky way to spend the last day of school. Eh, it probably reflected my mood too.

I weighed in today and the results were annoying as ever. I purged a lot from my diet this week and stuck to my points so I expected a result that would make me go "Wahoo!" What I saw this morning wanted to make me throw my scale off of our second floor lanai. I'm still at 247 lbs. I learned two things from this. First, eating on my points and staying on track will keep my current weight maintained. Second, I need exercise to get the fat going.

I am not going to compare my weight loss experience to this one. That would drive me nuts. I do think, however, that my metabolism was different 4 years ago and that is why I got away with a 6 pound weight loss my first week without any exercise. Man, this means I have to break out the old Walk Away the Pounds AGAIN! I'm getting so bored of that exercise routine, but since I'm unemployed as of tomorrow, I don't dare purchase a new one. Perhaps I have to do a YouTube search for some fun things to do before spin and Zumba start on the 18th.

I'm off to a bad start with this new Weight Watchers week too. I only tracked breakfast and then I stopped. After school we went to the principal's home for an end of the school year lunch. The last I had anything to eat was 7:30 this morning and I wasn't able to eat until 2:30 later that afternoon. Another colleague and I treated the pot-luck like a buffet and went up twice for food. A lot of us did though, which proves that teachers are stress eaters. My plan is to just tell myself that my 49 extra weekly points are no longer available and count like a Weight Watchers prison warden tomorrow. And exercise.

Okay so I finished all of last week's goals. I will post a picture of my "visual representation of my weight loss" tomorrow. Now for this week's goals.

1. Get 30 minutes of movement in at least three times this week.
2. Track my points.
3. Not throw my scale off of our second floor lanai.

Now it's bedtime because I have a classroom to finish cleaning up tomorrow. Thank goodness that Friday is here and I can't look forward to sleeping in on Saturday!





Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Dun, Dun, Dun!

Read that title in a more menacing, bad-thing-is-about-to-happen-in-a-tv-show-or-movie kind of way. Tomorrow is weigh-in day. That scale better be kind because with the mood I'll be in tomorrow I'm likely to throw it off of the lanai should I not even lose an ounce. It's the last day of school tomorrow and I have to say good-bye to the first class I ever taught as an official teacher.

That is all. Stay tuned to find out what the results are!


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Cough Free is the Way to Be

I'm finally feeling better. Since Thursday I've felt like I was going to die. I would never wish the kind of sinus pressure I had on my worst enemy. I seriously thought that my head was going to explode! I think I will have to have a quick lesson with my students on how to cover your cough with your hand. I got coughed on all day Friday while I did some reading assessments. I used up half a bottle of hand sanitizer. My husband had fun pointing out how horrible I looked too, but made sure to say, "I'm sorry you feel like crap." Men- they always know when to say the right things. But to be fair I'm pretty sure I did look like this:

So last time I posted I made a list of goals for the week. Since my Weight Watcher weeks begins on a Thursday my health goals begin on a Thursday too, just in case you were wondering if I understood that usually a new week begins on a Sunday. My mind works in weird ways. This is what my list looks like now-

1. Stick to tracking my Points.
2. Sign up for spin and Zumba classes.
3. Make a visual reminder of my weight loss goal.
4. Write down a mini goal.


This is how serious I am about making a lifestyle change. I am willingly going to give up two days a week to wake up early and work out. I LOVE to sleep in when I can since I have to get up early for the work week.  Sure, two days doesn't seem like a big deal, but I'm waking up early to go to a spin class. The last time I got on a bicycle was to ride three laps around our recreational park and I thought I was going to heave. The lovely new bike I purchased then sat on the porch for three years becoming a spider's dream home. Big change for me. Spin class is from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Then I get a bit of a break and I am doing Zumba Toning from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Starting June 18th, I'm sure I'll have plenty of embarrassing stories (yet funny to everyone else) to share.

And my mini weight loss goal has been decided. Last time I joined Weight Watchers I decided to shoot for losing 10% of my weight. However, back then I was 198 when I joined and that seemed more attainable to me. I lost that within a month. With the weight I am at now I did the math and laughed because I knew that would feel like forever. So I decided on 5% which is still a good 12.35 pounds. I would like to lose that as quickly as possible.

So now that I am feeling better it is time to do my nails because I haven't done them in a while. I think I can manage to paint one hand without coughing and messing up my work. It's also a good way to keep busy and not shove food in my mouth because who wants bread crumbs stuck in their polish?