So... This is Awesome

This is awesome!

http://mashable.com/2013/11/12/russian-subway-squats/#:eyJzIjoiZiIsImkiOiJfNGEyZ29qdWFqYXY4aTN5emhqcHcxdjdmdTVfIn0

These people use a subway so they obviously live in a city. When I lived in Europe for 7 months and walked everywhere I dropped 50 pounds easily. You buy far less groceries when you have to walk there and then back with them. J  When I lived in New York for a summer we walked to work or walked to the subway to get places. Cities that have this type of transportation people normally do not have cars so they walk more than we do here in Kansas City.

Subway Summer in New York

 

Yes the real Eiffel Towe!

 

 

 

We live in Kansas City, a very spread out city, that the majority of people have cars and use their vehicle for transportation. Just made me think about they are already doing more physical activity than most of us just by doing daily tasks. We get up and get ready so might walk around our house a little bit, sit in a car for a commute to work, sit at our desk for long hours at a time, then sit in our car for the commute home, sit and eat dinner, or eat/drink dinner as you drive somewhere to sit in a meeting (busy schedules here people) and then sit or lay to watch tv, and then go to bed. For most of us there is not a lot of walking. The most walking is probably from the parking lot to our office. This is unless you have a non-desk job of course.  I know I can be working at the computer at work and realize at 2 or 2:30 that I hadn’t gotten up to eat or go to the bathroom. Whoops. So I am starting a challenge with myself to get up and leave my desk at least three times a day, walk to the other end of the building get water and come back. Lindsey if you are reading this you can hold me to this and even join me!

Hmmmm should I make the challenge even harder? Maybe punish myself for being a horrible blogger and not blogging much anymore? (Please view previous blog.. things have been a little crazy!) Okay Okay! Thinking I should challenge myself and anyone who wants to do it with me…. 30 squats, 30 jumping jacks, 30 burpies before you get in your car in the morning. On a suit and/or (heel for the ladies) day maybe these should be done before you get dressed J Because they did 30 to get their subway ticket we will stick with the 30.

But back to the video clip Russia. This reward system is awesome! I always said I would run on a treadmill for an hour if it spit a chocolate chip cookie out for every mile. Also reminds me of this commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO7iCbtlcIc. We can be motivated to work out with fun, interesting concepts or rewards.

So would those people have done squats on their own… no. Would these women have jumped on a treadmill? No. They were motivated by a reward. When is feeling better and looking better not a reward. Maybe because these rewards are instant and tangible. Okay I will talk more about awards in my next blog…

 

So... workout buddy?

Disclaimer! If rambling, bad grammar, and writing mistakes offend you, you better stop reading now..

The last few weeks have been… well crazy! Indescribable!

Last week I had something every single night and wasn’t able to work out.

 

My (soon to be) sister in law moved in on Sunday. We were roomies before my fiancé and I got engaged so it’s like a reunion. So Monday was our first work day as roomies again. She came upstairs from her room in shorts, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt. I was in yoga pants (even though I have never done yoga, not even once), a t-shirt and tennis shoes. She said she was going to go for a run. I said why don’t you just come workout with me. It is free your first time. I caught her in a moment of weakness and a moment where she didn’t have time to make an excuse. We filled up water bottles and rushed out the door. Anyone who knows me knows I am always running somewhere. I am not the most punctual person which is the opposite of my soon to be family. So the urgency probably played a factor that she really didn’t have time to think about it and decide. My punctuality is a flaw I know it. I like to cram so much stuff, obligations, events, tasks in that I can’t possibly do them all or do them on time. For example this Saturday I have three things going on. A wedding, a charity event, and a friend’s birthday and of course they all overlap and I can’t possible clone myself by then so I will be running around like an idiot. Okay Okay back to the topic of working out. This is a great example of how my need to overflow my day leads me to be forgetful and get sidetracked. But that is something great about working out at the gym. While I am there I have to focus on what I am doing. I am not distracted by the 800 emails on my phone (seriously I have over 800 I need to get to), the facebook messages, the direct business tasks, the organization responsibilities, work, social obligations, family obligation, chores, paperwork, shopping list….Instead it is me, the music, a mirror I try to avoid looking at, the dry erase board, some other ladies (depending on how many came that night) and a trainer. Yes I avoid the mirror. I normally stand where the dry erase board is front of me. One so that I can read the board (without glasses) and two that the board covers up my reflection from shoulders down. When looking in the mirror it is like one of these things is not like the other. And it is so easy to compare your bodies to others. Yes and the number of other ladies working out just depends on the night. Sometimes it is just me or one or two others. Oh yea back to my (soon to be) sister in law and us working out.

 

While in the car I was trying to describe the class format to her. That you come in and the board has the workout written on it. That there is normally some cardio as a warm-up and the cardio is then sprinkled in throughout the rest of the workout. The rest of the workout being strength training and normally ending with abs. That it is only girls and a cute gym. That compared to other bootcamp gyms it has a lot of equipment. Bosu balls, foam rollers, jump ropes, bands, TRX, barre, box for box jumps, exercise balls, different weights of medicine balls, free weights and kettle balls, stretching straps…She told me she has never done a class format. I explain that it is at your own pace and the trainer just comes around and helps you have good form and answers any questions or provides modifications. I think once she agreed she instantly started regretting it. I think it is a good value because a personal trainer at the gym is $40-$60 an hour. And I get a trainer to myself or with a few ladies for an hour with 4 class times a week for $98 a month.

 

We walk in the gym and the trainer says oh wow this is a really hard workout. That it is not a typical workout. Meaning not a good one for a guest to try. It was not at your own pace. There was no time or breath left for talking. And the trainer wanted to do my body fat %. So she had to get the equipment together for the workout herself. So I guess I should report on my body fat. I have lost 3% body fat. Which isn’t huge. But I did have the lake this summer and a lot of stress. So I then got to jump into the warm up (jump roping for 3 minutes). The workout was a series and variations of burpes, lunges, squats, mountain climbers, kettle balls… We would do each exercise in the series (like 3-4 )for 60 seconds and then 45 and then 30 or something like that. So say burpes for 60 seconds, mountain climbers for 60 seconds, squats with weights for 60 seconds, and then go through all again but 45 seconds and then all again for 30 and then rest 20 seconds. There wasn’t much talking but some choice words and us asking how much longer. How much longer was a justifiable question because the trainer would get distracted and forget and we would do it for like 120 seconds. LOL I guess extra credit. And cool down with abs.

 

But afterwards I think she really did like it. I think I might be able to get her to come to one a week. I want her to try a more normal one. Last night her and I we still feeling the burn. J

 

I will keep you updated on any % of body fat change or if I can con her into going with me again.

 

So... When to work out?

Everyone has their struggles working out. Everyone is busy. If working out was easy and convenient we would all be skinny. You have to figure out what works for you. How you can fit it in your life.

I am so jealous of all the people who can work out in the morning and get ready for work really fast. I get up at 6am to get ready for work. I use to get up at 4:30am and be at bootcamp by 5:15am. I was always late to work because I wouldn’t get home till 6:40am. I would be late to work and then by 2:00/3:00 just not be there mentally. I was scared I was forgetting things and would make a mistake at work.

Those of you in a corporate setting understand where I am coming from too that if you get there at 8am and take a lunch and leave at 5 you are perceived as doing the bare minimum. If I came to work with no makeup and hair on top of my head it would be viewed as I didn’t care. People would ask me if I was sick. People who stay late are viewed as working hard. It is a social pressure in the corporate world. It’s just how it is. So coming into work or leaving early for a workout doesn’t look really good. Plus I have work to do.Being busy at work is good too. If I had nothing to do I would be worried about my job.

I am jealous of those who get to work out at work. My only workout equipment at work is walking to the bathroom or to reception and carrying packages. There is no workout facility. There is no shower. So if you go run during lunch you will be a sweaty mess the rest of the day. Lately my lunches have been a protein shake at my desk while working. I am not complaining about my job. I love doing events and enjoy the people I work with. Fitting my workout in at work is just not an option for me that’s all.

So I started working out at night. But night has its own challenges. Scheduling out my workouts is difficult. I could work late every night. Tonight I only stayed until 5:30 and came home and changed clothes and was there just in time for my workout. Then I got home at 8pm. Still have to shower and fix something for dinner. I am unfortunately not one of those people who can shower at night and then not need to shower in the morning. Night workouts can easily be pushed aside for work, work events, organization commitments, family obligations, wedding planning, my direct sales business…
Then I need to find time for my fiancé. I have neglected our relationship by working all the time before and never saw him even though being in the same house. I cannot do that again. Then being a 20 something professional without kids there are friendships to maintain, dinners, happy hours, client lunches, weddings, birthdays, bachelorette parties, football games... that can easily get you off track. Then try and sprinkle in going to the bank, post office, house work, grocery shopping, Dr appointments… I can tell you right now there are light bulbs burned out in my house, laundry that needs to be done, paper work to go through, rooms to be cleaned, we are completely out of zip lock bags, things I cannot find and other house items… But those just aren’t making the priority list.

So any night I make it to my night workout I view as a personal victory but there is a sacrifice being made somewhere else. A sacrifice I hope continues to pay off. I have only lost 12 pounds. But it is better than nothing. It can get frustrating when you make sacrifices and don’t see any immediate results. You have to motivate yourself to keep going even though it isn’t easy. 

I wish luck to those of you trying to fit a healthier life style in their life. 

So... I am punishing myself for not posting blogs regularly

I have not been good about posting blogs. I am sorry. I am punishing myself for not posting blogs regularly by posting the below photo.

 

Work has been really busy with numerous events and projects at the same time.

Trying to get the last bit of the summer in we can at the lake house.

The wedding planning to-do list is growing at a rapid speed. OMG it is getting so close.

Been working out at night if we do not have a wedding appointment.

I have not been doing a very good job of taking care of the house. Do not ask me where anything is because there is no way I could tell you.

Adding Pure Romance parties to my schedule to help pay for some of the wedding items.

Visiting my grandma in the hospital. Who now, I am happy to report, I will be visiting her at her house.

Calendar filling with fall weddings and football games.

Cannot sleep. Normally it is 1am when I fall asleep and I get up at 5:45.

Okay so I could easily take all this stress and busyness and make excuses not to workout. Last night I was so stressed, but I turned it into motivation.

 

I am so glad I went even though I was still sore from Tuesdays. One of the girls who work out at the daily burn has a t shirt that says it all. “Sore as hell and back for more” I truly enjoy the workouts. Well maybe not right that moment while doing them. But I love the format. 4 night classes during the week and they have days classes I cannot attend because of work. But you show up and foam roll and then the workout is on the dry erase board. It is different every day. The trainer  is there coaching you through the workout, correcting your form, encouraging and motivating you. Normally there is only me and one or two other girls so you get a lot of attention. Which is good and bad. LOL It makes you honest with how many reps and makes you push harder and dig deeper. You do it at your own pace. Tuesday night I talked it wasn’t only good physically but mentally to talk about some things going on. The class is somewhere we can vent and support each other. Last night I did not want to talk. I kept looking at the board not knowing how the heck I was going to get through it. But I did it! Would never have done all that was on the board without the trainer and the other girl there. Love the format! Love the trainers!

 

Here is my desk before going to the gym.

 

Here I am after the gym. A little sweaty!

 

 

So...Time to refocus!

Time to refocus! I have gotten off track. I have let lake trips, 4th of July, and work affect The Jessica Lose Weight Mission! I have been giving into temptation and it needs to stop. Wedding planning, appointments and work have had something almost every night for the last few weeks causing missed workouts. I need to get serious! If I am going to miss a workout I need to get up in the morning and workout. Just hard to do on 4-5 hours of sleep as is without waking up early but I need to do it.  I am hitting reset. No more excuses.

I have made an expensive step in the right direction. I ordered Shakeology.  The shakes tastes amazing. I actually can’t wait to have it in the morning. I have some Profit shakes at home too. I am going to try and do a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch or dinner, a healthy meal and a few healthy snacks throughout the day.  I do not want my body to go into starvation mode, so don’t worry, I will still hit the daily calorie goal. Speaking of calories... my trainer gave me the calorie goal of 1700.  My issue has been on non workout days (weekends) I will not make healthy choices, a double wham to the diet. I am going to aim for a 500-1000 calorie deficient every day. Meaning burn 500-1000 more calories than I eat. So on days I workout I can eat more. I got bodybugg and it will help me keep track of calories burned and consumed.

 

On days I workout I burn anywhere from 2700-3200 depending on how insane Mendy is that day. On days I don’t work out I burn around 2200-2400 calories. So I will eat 500-1000 under what was burned that day. The body bugg will make me more conscious of what I put in my body. If I am swamped that day and cannot find the time to work out I know I will have to eat less to hit my deficit. Wish me luck I have tried this before and fallen off track. This time I do not care I look like an idiot with an ugly black watch and armband because I look like an idiot wearing jeans in the summer because I cannot wear shorts. I look like an idiot wearing a sweater over short sleeves and tank tops to cover my arms.

I am sorry I have let any readers down and I am sorry to myself, I have let myself down. I let excuses and a busy schedule push me off track. And I regret it.

 Here is looking forward to positive posts with positive results in the near future!

 

So... Is there really any good time to be on a diet?

Is there really any good time to be on a diet? I can find excuses to not eat healthy every season of the year just about. Winter is the easy one. Winter is full cravings for hot comfort food. Comfort food to me is normally something loaded with carbohydrates. Sometimes with cheese and meat or even fried cheese and fried meat. Think about what is normally served at a football watch party… carbohydrates, cheese, meats! But YUM! It isn’t just the cold weather and the need for comfort food; I can make excuses about the holidays… thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, holiday treats. Oh those sugar cookies  and hot chocolate will get you every time!

Fall for me has tons of excuses too. I am a huge football fan! When you think of tailgates and football watch parties your normally don’t think of health. You think of appetizers and snacks with a side of clogged arteries. And drinking those empty calories! And when I drink it just makes me want to eat unhealthy food even more.

Summer everyone wants to be in shape and look good in their swimsuit. So why is it our calendar is filled with BBQ and social events that normally have unhealthy food. BBQs may have a fruit tray or a veggie tray surrounded by carb-loaded sides, grilled and sauced meats and plenty of desserts and even sugary summer adult drinks. The healthy food gets lost in the maze of tasty unhealthy food.

We weekend at the lake and the lake has plenty of temptations. At the lake it is perfectly acceptable to be drinking alcohol before noon. If you go to any of the restaurants on the water the menu is filled with a wonderment of carb, cheese, meat combinations! Onion rings, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, sliders, chips and salsa, spinach dip, cheese dip, nachos, hamburgers, French fries, chicken fingers… oh bar food!

So let’s see I have covered Winter, Fall, Summer… Spring what excuses do I make for Spring.

Spring is so short in Kansas City. Heck it snowed in May this year. So the comfort food excuse can extend into the spring months here. Spring has Easter candy! Yes I am 28 years old and still get Easter baskets. If March is considered spring to you, there is St Patrick’s day… um alcohol. March Madness parties. I can’t wait to sit down with my spinach salad and watch MUs basketball game tonight… said no one ever!

So this last weekend was a perfect weekend to have excuses. It was flippin 4^th of July. Let’s see BBQ, Beer, and Fireworks. Oh and to top it off, we went to the lake. Thursday, 4^th of July we had a workout at Fit By Burn. Despite being up really late Wednesday night from a 3rd of July party, I got up and made my 6:30 workout on a few hours of sleep. I slept through my alarm, I woke up 10 minutes before I was supposed to be there. I could have easily said “ugh I won’t make it in time” and skipped my workout. But instead I jumped up and threw on tennis shoes and a workout bra and rushed to my workout. I actually think I even wore the shorts and tshirt I was sleeping in there. Geez I hope I put deodorant on and brushed my teeth for the girls. I was a few minutes late but was able to jump right in on the warm up (run the liberty square 4 times). That moment I wasn’t so glad I made the workout. Then when I came back and looked at the board and saw the box jumps, rope slams and all the other “fun” activities Mendy had planned for us I was pretty sure I should have stayed in bed. But I knew I had eaten a burger the night before and most likely that would be on the menu Thursday night also since we had another 4^th of July party to attend. So we had an hour and 20 minute workout. And afterwards I did feel really good about going. 

Then I went to the college track down the road and ran 4 miles. I had a weird goal of running 4 miles on the 4^th. I use the term run loosely…. more like jogging… more like a mall speed walker would be able to keep pace with me. But hey I still did it. Then Friday we had a morning workout too and I attended despite being out the night before again. Friday we left for the lake. Last year I would drink TONS of frozen margaritas. This year we made a 5 gallon jug of water added 2 bottles of strawberry run and a couple packets of crystal light lemonade. Yes still not the best for the diet but still an improvement. I could have just used the excuse it is a holiday weekend and not worked out at all and ate whatever I wanted. I did show some self control and it was an improvement from last year. Not perfect but at least better than it could have been. So I guess a small win.

There is not a good time to be on a diet. There is ALWAYS temptations. Always situations that you can make an excuse. 

But …

So... Thank You Katie!

A fellow Bearcat’s story is sooo inspiring! 

I have been getting discouraged lately and feeling disappointed in myself. I feel like I take one step forward to only take two steps back. I will lose weight and then gain it back. Then I saw Katie’s photos and her blog.

Wow talk about transformation!

 

She didn’t give up and look at her now!

So inspiring!

Katie you are remarkable!

Please go check out Katie's Blog

GO KATIE!!!

Katie you are more inspiring than you could ever know. Thank you!

http://youcanrunoryoucanhide.blogspot.com/2013/06/half-my-size-after-10-years-without-mom.html