Sunday, July 31, 2011

Gettting off track during the weekend

I was thinking today about how it always seems so hard on the weekends to stay on track.   I usually like to think of my weekends as break time, but I think it's causing me a bit of a problem.   I am taking my break time to the extreme. At first it was, only giving myself Saturday's off, but lately it has become a let me just take the whole weekend off.    This morning after jumping on the scale and then immediatly off,  thanks to a weight gain I thought "now how could I have possible gained weight, after  my numerous attempts at exercising and counting calories this week."  Of course this also, caused me to go into a panic.  Then I thought about all the bad things I ate on Saturday and Friday, and how I tend to over do it, so a little light bulb went off and I started thinking that maybe I shouldn't be giving myself so much freedom on the weekends.   I know it is important to take little breaks because we all need them and it helps us from getting bored and frustred, but I think I need to monitor my breaks a little more.  I also noticed how hard it is to come off my break, and it made me realize that maybe what is happening is that even though I am working so hard during the week, whatever calories I have burned off, I have just added them back into my diet when I take my day off.   So, although I don't want to; I think I need a new plan of action.  I don't exactly know what that new plan of actions is so here are some options: 1) I could not give myself a day off and count calories all the time no matter what, 2) give myself a little day off but watch my portions and not just pig out, 3) only give myself one "off" meal on the weekends, but keep the rest of the meals healthy."         I think part of what is hard for me on the weekends is that my weekends usually involve hanging out with friends and family so I never know what exactly I may be eating, but there has to be a way for me to control this a little better.   ANY SUGGESTIONS?????    

Friday, July 29, 2011

Getting motivation from a duck!!

Last night I was feeling a little off after I went to bootcamp.  It's one of those thyroidless things that I can't exactly explain.   Well, because I was feeling off, I started to feel sorry for myself, but then I thought  "I need to find something to motivate myself."  So I started looking up athletes without a thyroid, well not much came up there was some info. on Gail Devers, and Carl Lewis I had read that before but it was nice to see it again.  Olympic champions who have thyroid disorders and have won medals, now that is inspiring, but I still was in search of a person who didn't have a thyroid and was being successful and then ... I found it,  my inspiration!!!!!  I came across a youtube video that said.. No thyroid, no Problem so I clicked it and there it was, exactly what I was looking for.  It was a story about a football player who plays for the Oregon Ducks and had his thyroid removed at the age of 8.     He had thyroid cancer at the age of 8, and of course had his thyroid removed but he did not let that stop him, he continues to play football!!!   Now that in my book is amazing, someone who suffered from disease at such a young age, but continued on his path of determination.      I felt so motivated by him, that this morning I got out of bed and went to bootcamp again.   I just thought if this guy can do this, and he has lived the majority of his life without a thyroid and he is okay, then I will be okay too!!!     Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to watch college football especially the Texas Longhorns, but it looks like I will have to add another team to my game watching schedule, I just have to see this guy play!!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Zumba wii

Once again I didn't make it to bootcamp this morning.  This was my own doing though, that's what I get for hanging out with friends and staying out later then I planned.    Ugh, I hate that feeling when you set a goal for yourself and then you go a little off track and feel so guilty!! So, I decided try the Zumba CD I have for the Wii.  It wasn't bad, but I definatly prefer the live class.     I can see how it could be helpful; on those days when I really want to Zumba and dance my time away but just can't make it to a class, but it just isn't as exciting as attending class in person.    It does seem kind of fun because it's kind of like a little game where you challenge yourself so I can see how that would be motivating.  I also liked that you don't have to do a full Zumba class on the wii, you can pick maybe 1 or 2 dances which would be beneficial if you just want to get in some quick exercise.    Eitherway,  itt motivated to try and get to a Zumba class later on tonight, or if I can figure out what time Bootcamp is in the evening I will do that.       Yesterday I didn't exercise, just to take a day off but now I feel like I need to double up on exercise today.  I didn't do much of the Zumba on the Wii so I am trying to figure out where I would burn more calories.  I  do kind of feel like dancing though so maybe Zumba will be a good option :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

I came out on TV!!!!

The bootcamp I attend is sponsoring a program to help needy children get school supplies.   The local news came out and filmed us, and I happened to be in the background for several clips!!!   I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed this morning because we had to be there at 6 am but, I had so much fun, burnt some calories, and came out on TV!!!    I know this may not be a big deal, but to me it is an adventure that I hadn't planned for.  Seeing myself on TV, actually gave me encouragment to keep on exercising it was kind of like a little motivator.    Besides it's not often that we get to come out on TV!!! 


Saturday, July 23, 2011

Taking on the bump in the road!!!

Okay, so how many times do we set a goal for ourselves and then get dissapointed when we have a little bump in the road???  That has kind of been this weekend so far for me, I gained a little,  I got a little discouraged, I tried to get back on track but I had a baby shower to go to today so I was not able to get back on track today.  I know lots of times we say to ourselves, okay I will just start new tomorrow well here I am saying it.. I WILL START NEW TOMORROW!!!!!!!    I am not going to let this little bump in the road become a mountain I can't climb, instead I am going to take on this bump and walk or run right over it!!!!  So with that being said, I am hoping that tomorrow I can start my day off with some exercise whether it be working out at home with the wii or walking DVD, or going early in the morning for a walk in the neighborhood.    Tomorrow is a new day!!! 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Ugh so easy to gain so hard to lose

I weighed myself  today, and I gained .7 lbs . Not the kind of weigh in I wanted to have, but at the same time I wasn't surprised.  I had a little bit of an off week,and went over my calories on Monday, and Tuesday.  I was hoping that I would somehow burn off the extra calories.     Some people may say, well .7lbs isn't to much of a gain, but for a thyroidless girl it is a lot. It takes a lot of exercising and strict calorie counting to lose a lb.    I am trying to stay positive and continue on my path, but it is so frustrating when you work out pretty hard and have a little calorie slip up and bam, the scale moves in the wrong direction.    Well, I guess I can't cry over spilt milk.  I started the day off right; I went to bootcamp, and ate yogurt with banana and granola for breakfast.  I am a little worried because I am supposed to go to a concert tonight and have dinner before, but as soon as I find out where we are going to eat I am going to try and do my best and plan ahead.  So here is an age old question that I think many of use have a hard time answering. Why is it so easy to gain, and so hard to lose????

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Back to Zumba!!!!!

It has been so long since I have gone to Zumba.   In case you have never heard of Zumba it is basically a exercise class that is like a dance party!!!   They incorporate different dance moves mostly latin and have you burning calories in a fun way!!!   Prior to my surgery I had discovered Zumba, and absolutley loved it.   Luckily here in San Antonio we have an actual Zumba studio, they also offer classes at many of the gyms.      I hadn't been since my surgery in September because I was worried about having the energy to get through the class.  I am proud to say I accomplished one of my many goals I have set for myself.  I went to ZUBA today, and I had a blast!!!!      If you are someone who likes to dance, or wants to learn some new moves then this is a class for you to try, and the best part is you don't need a partner.         They do have some DVD's and even have one for the Wii; I have both but have yet to try it because my prefrence is to go Zumba Live  and dance away.  One of the best things about it, is that you can have a blast, learn to dance, and burn mega calories.They say you can burn from 500-1000 depending on how intense you make it.   There is also a toning aspect of it, so some classes and DVD's  incorporate weights.  There is also some fun wardrobe you can buy!!!        In case you have never heard of it or never tried it and been curious here is the link to the officail Zumba website.  

http://www.zumba.com/en-US/

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Leslie Sansone to the rescue!!!

I woke up this morning with a sinus headache and knew that I would not be able to do an intense workout, and I wasn't in the mood to go to the gym and walk on the treadmill. At first I was very hesistant to try these walking DVD's because I thought how silly, that's not walking and it's definatly not running,  but I broke down on day and decided to buy some. Thanks to QVC I bought the Walk, Eat, Lose program.
 Well today I tried the 3 mile walk and I have to admit I was pretty impressed. I didn't feel like I normally would after a 3 mile walk or run (you know dripping in sweat,and dehydrated sometimes), but I did feel like I had gotten in some good exercise and didn't overdo myself. The feeling I had after doing the 3 mile walk DVD was a good one. I was happy that I was able to do some sort of exercise without having to leave my home, and the best part is I burnt some calories ;) What I like about the DVD ,is that it is more then just marching in place (which is what I had imagined), on the paticular DVD that I did she incorporated the use of fitness bands so you get some light toning exercises. She also incorporated other movements such as moving side to side, knee ups, and leg lifts (kicks) during the 3 mile workout. I truly feel that this is a good little tool to add to the exercise kit, paticulary for those days when you know you need to do something but just don't have the motivation to leave the house.   Has anyone ever tried any of  her DVD's??

http://www.walkathome.com/

Monday, July 18, 2011

Step up to the challenge!!!

I was so excited that I lost 1.8 lbs last week!!! Now the hard part is keeping motivated and challenging myself this week to workout and eat as healthy as I can, so that I can have another weight loss this week. One thing I learned last week, was that I tend to do better when I set a challenge for myself. I initially gave myself a challenge that I am not allowed to buy new clothes for myself until I lost some weight. Well, to my surpise I lost weight this past week so does that mean I get to run out and go buy some new clothes??? Technically yes, but I thought about it, and realized that I needed to figure out how much do I have to lose before I can buy new clothes. Right now I am on summer break, I start back at work on August 15th. So, if I want new clothes for work that gives me four weeks. Typically I am lucky if I lose 1 lb in a week, so I am going to give myself the challenge of saying that I can buy something new for work if I have lost 4-6 lbs by August 15th. So with that it's time for me to step up to the challenge.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Yeah 1.8 lbs lost

Well after one week of hitting it hard with exercise and calorie counting. I was happily surprosed to see that I had lost 1.8 lbs this week. It isn't much when you take into account how much I exercised this week, but for a thyroidless girl that is a major accomplishment!!!! One thing I decided to do for myself so that I don't get frustrated is to try and give myself one day off a week so that I can have a "free" day and not worry about calorie counting. So today is that day for me, I don't know if it will mess up my weight loss, but I also feel it's important to allow yourself a day off so that you don't get so wrapped up in feeling like you are limited yourself. I did still go walking this morning though.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Don't forget to Hydrate!!!!!! Especially when running outside :)

One thing I keep seeing from the running group I am participating in is HYDRATE, HYDRATE, and HYDRATE (any suggestions on how to do this will be appreciated) especially here in Texas. The email we got today from USA/San Antonio fit gave us the following information:
"Hydration needs continue as well, and generally you need to consume 4-8 oz every 15-20 min. Remember, though, that you should "obey your thirst" and not over drink, and likewise don't ignore your thirst."
This is something I always have trouble with because I fear having to use the bathroom on our running route and there is no where to use the bathroom except maybe a bush where there might be a snake. Lately it has been so hot outside that it feel dehydrated just leaving the house for a couple of hours!!! So I have been trying to drink as much water as I can the day before any intense workouts especially if I know it's going to be outside.
The other thing I have tried is using gels, shot blocks, or sport beans when running long distances to keep myself hydrated and those work pretty good you just have to make sure you drink some water after using them. I personally can not use the ones with caffeine they make my stomach upset but some people I know love the ones with caffeine for the extra energy boost. Depending on the distance and where the run is, I will take a fuel belt with a water botter or two it does add some weight but I guess that's better then passing out on the road from dehydration. This are just some of the things I have tried. If anyone out there has any other suggestions please feel free to comment, I am open to suggestions.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

When you miss your bootcamp..Do a mixture of exercise?

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had every intention of going to bootcamp this morning I even went to bed early, got up early took my thyroid medication and gave myself enough time to eat a light snack before exercising. But, I had one slight problem I thought my workout clothes were dry and while I had enough work out tops on hand I had no workout bottoms except for pants and it is way to hot for pants. So what's a girl to do??? Maybe pick of mixture of workouts?? So that's my plan for today, I am going to go to Yoga to stretch and tone my muscles in order to replace the strength training I am missing in bootcamp, and hopefully a little later do either my walking DVD that I have been wanting to try or go for a walk later this evening to replace the running workout I missed yesterday. Nothing to intense just something to get my body moving.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

To Hot to Trot??

So what is a girl to do when the outside temperature is hotter then an oven?? Does this mean I get to take a break from exercise?!! I think maybe or maybe not.
Today's running schedule says to do 10x30-30 which means run for 30 seconds run fast and then run for 30 seconds slow 10x. That is of course after warming up. This sounds like a good plan but not in this heat. Just taking a foot outside of any airconditioned building is a warm-up in itself ;) So now I have to age old question of what should I do??? Give myself a break today, maybe go to the track later, try out the new walking DVD that I got, go to the gym and use the treadmill (which I don't like, I get bored on the treadmill), use the Wii?? Yesterday the running schedule said to run for 30 minutes but I didn't do that since I went to bootcamp so now I have another question. Do I do the 30 minute run/walk or do I do the speed work?? I am not really trying to work on speed right now so maybe the 30 minute running/walking would be best?

Monday, July 11, 2011

March 2,3,4.. Bootcamp is for losers

Okay I am not in a military bootcamp, but in late June I decided to start an new adventure.
 Bootcamp Fitness,  yes it's crazy and yes it's tough but  I decided to take on a challenge!!     Boy, did I get myself into a challenge.    Why is this a  challenge for me??   Well, if I am having a bad no thyroid day and my energy levels are low then going to bootcamp is going to take every ounce of energy I have .However, I have been doing pretty good with this new dosage so I am happy to say I have survived my 4th day of bootcamp.       
I have always wanted to see what it was like to particpate in a biggest loser type of workout, well my wish has come true.    Today this psycho trainer (he is actually not psycho, he just comes up with crazy hard workouts)  had us doing all sorts of things from running, to jumping, to lunging, to bear crawling and the list goes on.     But since I love to run, I actually enjoyed today's workout; yes I am a little psycho myself when it comes to running.    
After class was done today, several of us where trying to peel ourselves off the floor and of course saw a reflections of ourselves in the mirror.   After all of us complained about problem area's, I reazlied that bootcamp is for losers, all of us there have something we want to lose. I am pretty sure though that we have all lost our minds  by participating in this :)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

No new clothes for me. Time to Track!!!!!

After a weekend of trying on different clothes and realizing that not only did I feel like a rolly polly I looked like a rolly polly..  I decided to start tracking calories.. I told myself that I am not allowed to buy new clothes until I lose some weight.     Here is the problem..
1) I don't have a thyroid and it takes me 2-3x the amount of exercise then a "normal" person to lose a lb.
2) I just started a new dosage of synthroid and I hope it's enough to get me through a workout.
3) Counting calories is just not fun for anyone.. 

So my solution:   sign up for myfitnesspal.com and track away track away track away all...

Oh and I don't know how long the not buying clothes until I lose weight adventure will last so far I have done pretty good. 

Adventures in weight loss

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