Buff Mamacita

I wanted everyone to know that I'm really enjoying my personal training sessions at the gym! My trainer is an awesome guy, and we have the same sense of humor, so our sessions go by really quickly because we're always cracking jokes. I've done a total of 6 training sessions, and I can see (and feel) the improvement in my muscles. I'm making more and more progress each day. I can't wait to find an outfit that will flatter my new body once I reach my goal.

The reason I am doing Weight Watchers is do develop a healthy lifestyle for myself and a healthy body before I become a mother (2013?!). My training sessions compliment this lifestyle, and I'm so proud of myself for diligently striving to reach my goal. I'm going to be a buff mamacita one day!

Puppy Mode

So I did something that is so unlike the old me--I put myself first. I signed up for another 11 training sessions with Paul. That's right, I spent a lot of money on just me; nobody else really benefits from it but me. Although I still feel awkward that I have no idea to what extent this investment payoff will be in comparison to other ways the funds could have been used, for example, paying extra principle on our mortgage results in less interest paid to the bank. Regardless, I'm optimistic that learning how to exercise and use my body as a machine (more importantly one that I understand and can control) will benefit me for the rest of my life. In the grand scheme of the universe, it's a small price to pay for knowledge. I'm going to be in what I've dubbed "puppy mode" because I'll be following Paul around the gym (right on his heels), probably feel like I'm bigger than I really am (meaning that I can take on more than I'm physically able to), and being in a growing stage.

My goals are to do two resistance/strength training workouts per week, continuous cardio activity for 30 minutes (+/-) three times per week, and on a daily basis, work on stretching, increasing flexibility, and/or strengthening weak muscles (without a doubt my lower back). If I can get more activity in, it only adds to the positive end results. As ambitious of a person that I am, I need to take the time to listen to my body to see if I'm ready for more or less.

Probably my best stretching resource is going to be my pilates DVD with the resistance ban. For doing cardio (inside the house) and working my muscles just a tad bit more, I'll resort to my Punch! DVD. If it wasn't so freaking Africa hot right now, I'd play tennis with my husband outside. When I go for walks or jogs, I'm going to being the jump rope so I can pause intermittenly and give the ol' ticker a boost before continuing on. I'm going to research some creative and fun ways to bring sexy back to balance. =D

On Saturdays after my WW meeting, I'm going to the gym. It's less than a mile away, and I'll feel great for having such a productive morning!

oooo, That's Sore

Last night we went to the gym for the first time since February. We worked out with the machines. Yeah, this morning I could tell that I had gotten the major muscle groups. I'm so sore, but I'm so proud of myself for taking charge at the gym. Hopefull this upcoming week I can start my personal trainer sessions (three free ones with my membership). I hope I heal quickly!

I Think I Finally Get It

I've been doing Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Plan since the beginning of the year, and I've lost over 25 pounds, which I'm really proud of. The first two weeks of May I wasn't enthused about doing any exercising. Instead I focused on painting our kitchen and second living room. The week of May 16th I kicked myself into gear. Monday night I did the WW Punch! workout DVD and went for a 2.3 mile walk. Tuesday morning Marshall and I went for a 1.5 mile walk. Thursday night we jogged the majority of our 1.5 mile neighborhood "track." Friday morning I did Punch! again before work. Needless to say, my exercises for the week focused on muscle toning and cardio.

This morning at my weigh-in I went up .2, and to be honest, it don't bother me because I knew that it meant I had increased my muscle mass while at the same time loosing fat. My meeting leader Pam is helping all of us overcome our behavior of letting the "little black box" or scale determine if we had a successful week as a fit and healthy person in the fat burning mode. I finally experienced what she has been stressing.

I am going to continue walking, jogging, and Punch! (kickboxing) DVD because I want to strengthen and tone my muscles. I want to fit into smaller pants. I want to wear tank tops and not even think about how my arms look. I want to get a bathing suit for my trip to NC for when I go to the beach. Even if I don't see my weight change very much over the next few weeks, I hope I can celebrate the positive physical changes I'll be seeing.

Before the Dawn

This week my WW goal has been to exercise more because I know that activity can make gradual changes and have dramatic results. Monday night I did a 50 minute Pilates DVD. Afterwards Marshall was my personal trainer, and I did 25 minutes of strength training. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I have gone for a walk from 6:00-6:45am. Then I shower, and get ready for work. I'm going out again tomorrow too. I'm going to try to walk every morning Monday through Friday. I like the alone time and being able to just focus on myself. This also means that I need to be going to bed earlier too, which is a plus. I'm really happy. :D

Gonna Have Abs!

Tonight I was browsing through the channels on TV, and I came across the HSN channel. It's the constant, "You need this; buy it now!" one. I'm sure you've seen it or another similar program. Well, the product they were featuring was really interesting to me. It was the Ab Circle Mini, which looked like a lot of fun. Moreover, it appeared to me that the user's body weight and momentum really contributes to the movements. It's a full body work-out that really focuses on the core and lower body. I asked Marshall to come see it to get his opinion. He thought it looked like a good product, which to me meant that he would use it too. I listened to a testimonial from a woman who sounded just like me, meaning that all of her "trouble" areas we'll call them were the same as mine. After using this Ab Circle Mini, they are disappearing.

Part of my 101/1001 is to lower my BMI, so if I can burn fat and build muscle by using this machine for just minutes at a time throughout the entire day, why not? It even had free shipping. I hope it is here by next weekend!

Tennis

Marshall use to play tennis in high school, and from what I hear was really talented. When we were living in Jacksonville with our friend Dan, we got two tennis rackets and a tube of tennis balls. Tonight was the first time (in over a year) that we've dusted off the rackets to go play.

I loved making Marshall zip across his side of the night--left, right, forward, backwards and across--with my unpredictable returns. We both enjoyed the exercise, which is a nice switch from the pilates and yoga DVDs we normally use. We went to the tennis courts on Marshall's college campus. Now that we know it doesn't take long to get there, I do hope we'll go more often. I'm especially curious to see if I get any better with more practice.