Week 7 Update

Week 7 was my idea of the perfect week.  I stuck to my guns in terms of food and alcohol all week, kept up with my workouts, ate well, and saw awesome results.  Ideally, every week of this challenge would go that way, but we can't have everything.  Or can we? 

Physical Activity:
-3/16/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-3/17/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/18/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/19/13: BODYATTACK
-3/20/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/21/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 800 meters total

I'm still sticking to the 30 Day Shred 3 times per week plan, which is working out really well.  Incorporating that DVD for the month of March has meant that I've been working out 6 days per week most weeks, which seems like a lot but since the DVD workouts are only 25 minutes it's completely manageable.  I also reached another running milestone; I can now run 2 miles on the treadmill without stopping!  Since I have more time and energy on Saturday mornings as opposed to week nights after working all day, that's the day when I spend a little more time on the treadmill, usually about 45 minutes.  When I first started I would tend to run for a few minutes, then walk for a few minutes, then run again etc.  Now that I've worked my way up to running longer distances at a time, I can run 2 miles on the treadmill, then walk for a few minutes, and then run another mile before cooling down.  I know my progress is somewhat slow, but it's still progress!

Food:
Week 7 kicked off with St. Patrick's Day last weekend, which I somehow managed to survive in a completely sober fashion.  I stuck to my 3 drink maximum at a St. Patrick's Day party with my friends.  I was able to have fun and enjoy myself while still respecting the guidelines I had set for myself ahead of time, so I was very proud of myself for that.  I also fell in love with a new snack last week: mixing greek yogurt, berries, and granola.  I know this is not a new concept for a lot of people, but I'm just getting on the parfait train now and I'm loving it.  Altogether it's under 300 calories, so it's a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth without putting my calorie count in danger.

Cooking:
Last weekend I cooked St. Patrick's Day dinner for the first time ever!  Growing up in a half Irish household, I was raised on corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but this was the first time I've ever made it.  I did it in the crock pot, and it came out amazing!  At a table of 7 people, the corned beef literally disappeared before our eyes.  I had made A LOT of veggies, so there were leftovers of those for me to have throughout the week.  Yum!

Weigh-In:
I'm always a happy girl when I can see positive results in number form on the scale at the end of every week.  I also get nervous the night before about not making my 1 pound per week goal, but week 7 was a very successful week in my eyes.  Thanks to my hard work, I lost not 1, but...

2 POUNDS!!!

This brings my total weight loss to 9 pounds in 7 weeks, and I still have 8 weeks to go to lose the remaining 6 pounds.  I was ecstatic about this progress and can only hope that it continues in the coming weeks.  With dedication and hard work, I'm confident that I can keep seeing results like this.

Workout Song of the Week: Gnarls Barkley

This week my workout song comes as a suggestion from my good friend Shannon.  I'm sure he'll be happy that he FINALLY gets a mention in my blog!  He had recommended this as a workout song a few weeks back, and as soon as I heard it I understood why.  It's so upbeat right from the beginning and really motivates you to get moving.  This week's workout song is: Gnarls Barkley "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)"

The music video isn't bad either, you should check it out!  If the fact that the song is actually named "Run" isn't enough to convince you that it's great for cardio, the energetic combination of Cee-Lo Green's unique vocals and Danger Mouse's hot beats will surely win you over.  Their soul sound provides a great rhythm for running, and the song is just short enough to be perfect for a quick sprint on the treadmill when you're trying to pick up the pace.  Listen and let me know what you think!

Workout Song of the Week: Adema

A lot of great workout songs are upbeat, pop/club tracks that just make you want to dance, but sometimes all you really want is a nice hardcore rock jam that motivates you by triggering your rage.  Had a stressful day at work?  Significant other getting on your nerves?  Feel like punching someone in the face?  Those are the times when you need to have more angry, hateful music that pushes you to let out all your aggression on the gym equipment instead of the people around you.  As a prime example of one of those songs for me personally, this week I'm using Adema's "The Way You Like It"

Some people need more intense, aggressive music to get them through their workouts, and if you're that kind of person, this one's for you.  When this track comes on my iPod while I'm working out my cardio, it puts me in the perfect ass-kicking mood that forces me to pound out my frustration on the treadmill.  I know the song is old, but it's still a great example of a heavy rock tune that's still upbeat enough to keep you moving during a workout.

What are some of the angrier songs that keep you motivated during your workouts?

Week 2 Update

Well, week 2 went very well and I'm happy to say that I have not lost my motivation yet!  I managed to exercise 4 times throughout the week and despite a few challenges I faced in regard to food, I still made some good progress.  Here's the recap:

Physical Activity:
-2/9/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-2/11/13: ran on the treadmill for 25 minutes
-2/12/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 600 meters total
-2/14/13: used the elliptical at the gym for 30 minutes, then walked at an incline of 12.0 and a speed of 3.0mph on the treadmill for 10 minutes

I haven't taken any of the classes that I want to try at the gym yet, but this was only the second week.  I varied my exercise from week 1 by adding a new machine to my regimen.  The elliptical is a nice change up from the treadmill since it's easier on your joints, and that uphill climb at the end that day really worked my thighs and glutes!  I also had to squeeze in a super quick workout on Monday since I had a date to get to, hence the 25 minutes, but more on that below...

Food:
Last week held its fair share of food challenges that most people trying to eat healthy will eventually face: I ate out a few times, had a date, and had other people cooking for me.  First things first though, I allowed myself to have a cheat day.  I think it's really important for people who are trying to lose weight to have a cheat meal or a cheat day once in a while, as long as you can do so without completely falling off the wagon.  For me, a cheat day doesn't mean that I eat all kinds of unhealthy foods that would totally negate any healthy choices I made earlier in the week.  To me it means not tracking every single thing I ate that day, and eating things I enjoy without worrying about calorie counts etc, while still keeping in the back of my mind that I am ultimately working towards a goal.

Last week I also dealt with eating out on a first date, thankfully not on Valentine's Day!  How does one go about making healthy choices at a restaurant while at the same time not coming off as a total health nut?  I think I found the answer: go out for tapas!  My date and I ended up at a Spanish tapas restaurant here in DC, which was perfect since we ordered just a few small plates to snack on and we were able to have a variety of dishes.  We each picked one or two things to try, which meant I was able to choose one of the healthier dishes on the menu without ordering, say, a salad (not that there's anything wrong with salad!).  If you can, squeezing in a workout on the same day as a date can really help you feel better about going out for dinner or drinks (or both!).  It increases the amount of calories you can have that day, but working out in general also makes you feel good, so it can help alleviate any stress you might be feeling about going on a first date and help you make a good impression! 

In addition I ate homemade pizzas last week prepared by my friends.  Granted, the pizzas were relatively healthy since they were mostly topped with veggies.  Homemade pizza might not be quite as greasy or fatty as ordering a pizza, but it is still pizza, so I tried to limit myself to 2 slices and be especially health-conscious with the rest of my choices that day.  In my opinion, it all comes down to moderation.  I do believe that you can eat pizza, just not the entire thing.  You can have a few drinks when you're out with friends, just make sure to keep an eye on how many you're having.  Completely cutting out things you love from your diet just isn't realistic because it's not maintainable.  Eventually, you're going to want to eat a cookie, and you should be able to, as long as you don't eat the whole package.

Cooking:
My goal to start learning how to cook for myself is coming along nicely.  I really don't know how to cook, so I know I need to take this process very slowly and just learn one thing at a time, so last week I decided on chicken, sweet potato, and brussels sprouts.   I had never made brussels sprouts before, but my roommate cooks them a lot and I really do like them, so that was high up on my list of things to learn, and it was actually pretty easy!  I did them on the stove with a little olive oil and voila!  I just need to cook them longer next time since they were a little on the crunchy side.  I must confess, I bought the chicken already marinated and pre-packaged, but I did have to put it in the oven so I think that still half counts as cooking.  I give you:

roasted garlic and white wine chicken, sweet potato, and sauteed brussels sprouts!

This was such a healthy and tasty dinner.  I'm a big sweet potato fan, and they're a great starch to eat instead of having rice or pasta.  

Weigh-In:
I was really excited by my initial 2 pound loss after week 1, and I was even more excited to see that the progress continued for week 2.  I lost...

1 POUND!!!

I have now lost a total of 3 pounds out of 15 with 13 weeks left to go in my challenge.  I'm so happy to see my efforts really paying off and while 3 pounds isn't quite enough to start seeing changes physically, I can definitely say that I feel better in general and can tell that the changes I'm making are good ones.

On to week 3, featuring more forays into cooking and hopefully attempting a new class at the gym!