Satunday Sessions

Hello everyone?  Hope that you're having a great weekend!  I am busy, busy, busy but wanted to get a SS post in before the weekend was gone.


Last weeks goals were my New Year's year long goals, so I am going to recap my goals from two weeks ago.

1. Track my food all week. 

I did okay with this.  I am still not back to how diligent I was in October.  I need to make this more of a priority and I know it.  I need to know that when I am not tracking I am probably choosing something that is not the best and trying to fly under the radar. I know that I need to get this under control and hopefully this will be the week!

2. Set some major goals and challenges for the New Year.

I posted all of my goals for the New Year last week for you to all see and I got a lot of positive feedback, so that makes me even more excited to make 2011 the healthiest year that it can be!  I think I set some realistic and some challenging goals and I am excited to tackle them all!

New Goals...

1. Take two new classes at the gym.

To avoid a gym rut coming on.... who am I kidding?  I am in a gym rut.  I go to the same classes over and over and I barely sweat because I am used to them.  I need to step up my workout schedule and this week is the week for total kick-butt cardio at the gym to hopefully shed some serious pounds.

2. Try 3 new healthy recipes.

I have several cookbooks with delicious and healthy meals in them and I have not tried many of the recipes.  I need to try out some new food, some new recipes and get out of making the same stuff all the time because it leads to cravings of missed fattening and sodium packed foods that I don't want to eat.

Some other things that will be changing about the blog, but that aren't necessarily goals are...

1. Posting more recipes

2. Posting my weigh in every week no matter what 

3. Posting more pictures with each post because let's be honest they are more fun.

4. Updating my progress photos

Gym Buddy

Good morning!  I am happy to announce that I have a new gym buddy!  It is my sister Claire and she is also trying to lose a little weight (not quite as much as me) and she invited me to a workout class last night.  We have done a couple of the classes before, but had never tried this class which is called the MIXX.  We were a little nervous walking in and when we got there the class had already started and it was packed and looked intense.  We both weren't sure that we were at that level yet, but were still determined to get a good exercise in, so we headed over to the machines and decided to workout on the ellipticals. 

Claire had never worked out on an elliptical before so I gave her the run down and we were on our way!  I recently had a personal training session and the guy I worked with said it is important to switch up your work outs for optimal weight loss.  He suggested working out on the elliptical or treadmill for 10-15 minutes, follwed by arm machines for 10 minutes, another 10-15 minutes of cardio of your choice, followed by abdominal machines.  Then you add another 10-15 minutes cardio and finish with the leg machines, crunches and push-ups.  It is a great work out and you leave feeling like you really accomplished something and the part that I love is that you get 45 minutes of cardio in without standing there and staring the clock down hoping for the time to end.

So, we have made a plan to work out together about 3 times a week and then to do our own thing when we have time or together if our schedules align.  We are going to do a mix of Zumba, Soul Grooves and Hip-Hop as well as the aboved work-out regimine sprinkled in there.  She is also taking a Spin class, but I am not sure that I am ready for that yet.  I will tackle this working out at least 4 days a week challenege and see how it goes!

Three letter word that I hate... GYM

So, is day four of my lifestyle change and I have done really well with the eating portion of this journey.  I am eating 3 well-portioned, healthy meals and small snacks in between them.  I am feeling great already and feel like I have already lost weight (I am only weighing myself once a week, so check back on Sunday to see the results).

So, what is missing you ask?  Well good question, but I think you already know (I already know even though I don't want to admit it).  The gym, working out, moving this body, working on my fitness... you get it.  I need to get off of my rear and get moving, especially since my job requires that I sit for almost 8 hours a day.  So, tonight my boyfriend came home and said lets go work out.  Normally I would make any excuse in the book to NOT work out.  It's that time of the month, no clean socks, sore fingers... yes sore fingers, I said ANY excuse to not go.  Well, anyway we went to the workout room in our apt and I did the elliptical for 15 minutes and was feeling pretty good, but I was definitely feeling the burn in my legs.  I decided to hop off and do some weights and try to incorporate some interval training with my cardio work out.  After doing some weights and crunches I was pooped and hadn't eaten dinner, so I decided to call it and head up for dinner.  Ron and I made a pact to be active every night even if for the first week we don't workout for longer than 30 minutes (cardio and weights).  It helps to start somewhere.  It makes me feel like I can do this if I start to gradually integrate working out with the healthy eating.

Also, I have a VERY busy weekend with family events and other activities, which always means tons and tons of FOOD and SWEETS.  To try and prove to myself that I can really do this I have already looked at the menus at places we are going and made a food plan to help me stay on track.  I love how being healthy feels and thus far I love how easy it has been.  I know, i know talk to me in a few weeks and hopefully I have this same optimism.  Wait, scratch that I WILL have that same optimism and dedication to this.  As Perez Hilton says, "nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels."