Day 8

Did well on the food today. Then we did mini golf for 30 minutes. That should count towards the 13 minutes of run/walking. 

Day 7: staycation

Made it to the indoor water park resort. Remembered hiking boots for the underground caves but not the tennis shoes for the gym! Went into the enclosed park where the air was filled with chlorinated water. I only lasted 15 minutes before becoming nauseous. I'm now laying in the hotel room with a case of the dizzied. When I feel better I'm gonna walk in place for ten minutes because like I said, I forgot my tennis shoes and can't go to the gym! And I not only forgot my Kindle charger. I forgot to charge my Kindle! It's at a quarter life. 

Off to a hilarious start!

Day 6

I'm still down for the count. Nose is running less. Fever isn't so hot. But I'm still feeling weary and fatigued. This is probably a mild flu and not allergies. The good thing is that I was able to have a tight reign over my diet today. Though I was pretty immobile, I was able to save 500 calories while still getting high quality foods inside me.

Here are my goals for the week:

Begin Ab's Challenge

Wednesday, April 1st: 30
Thursday, April 2nd: 75
Friday, April 3rd: 120
Saturday., April 4th: 50
Sunday, April 5th: Rest

Begin Jeff Galloway Conditioning Program

I ran the Jeff Galloway Method for my First Half Marathon. I followed his First Timer's Program for Completion. Now I want to follow his program for Time. I conveniently forget what my time was for the first half marathon. Let's just say I wasn't last, but I could see the last runners coming up behind me!

The Galloway Method encourages walking in the midst of the running. I want to run at a 12 minute per mile pace. With that in mind, I'll aim for a 2:1 ratio. I'll run two miles and then walk a mile. I say miles now, but I will be aiming for running 2 minutes then walking a minute until I get my running foundation back up.

*My race goal for a foundation is to run 5 miles straight without needing to walk. So if I run 5 miles, then walk 1 mile, I'm already halfway done the half marathon! I'll just need to run another five miles, walk one more mile, and then run the final mile and a quarter! Brilliant right!

WEEK ONE
Mon: 10 min run/walk
Tues: 15 min walk
Wed: 13 min run/walk
Thurs: 18 min walk
Fri: off
Sat: 1 mile run/walk
Sun: off/walk

I head off for vacation tomorrow. Luckily the resort we're staying at has a fitness center. So, I'll be on the treadmill on Monday and Tuesday. We'll be hiking through underground caverns on Wednesday, so I'll easily get my thirteen minutes in. But I may just get up before the kids and run around the hotel before we head out for our cave, maze, and rope climbing adventures.

I downloaded the Blogger app on my phone, so I'll be updating.

Day 5: On the Ropes

I just googled "best exercises to do while sick." Like I said before, I only get sick when I do something new. And then I get derailed. I was not gonna get derailed this time! I have a stair stepper at home. I climbed for exactly 88 seconds and my heart beat so fast I felt like I'd run a marathon.

I'd get really derailed if I got sicker, so I'm gonna sit down and not fight whatever's running through me.

But for those who are interested, walking, jogging and qi gong are best when under the weather. However, they give such low calorie rewards. Twenty minutes of any of them only yields about 100 calories.

Day 4: Spring Is Here

I didn't grow up with allergies. They were gifted to me with age. After my workout yesterday I began to run a mild fever. I often shake up stagnant germs in my body when I begin any new eating or exercising regime. So I chalked it up to that. But then I noticed, it only got bad near an open window or when I was outside.

I was about to call in sick for the exercising, but I didn't. I got off my butt...and then sat back down -on a stationary bike. I've never been attracted to this exercise. It didn't seem like you were doing anything. Just sitting there working your legs. Boy was I wrong. It was like doing crunches for thirty minutes straight!

*Warning: Potential TMI** Warning***
I know I'm going to have the best bowel movement of the week tonight!

I also downloaded the My Fitness Pal app. And I love it. It recognizes so many of the boxeterian, packaged vegetarian, foods I eat. It told me that after my food intake of 1837 calories and my exercise which burned 309 calories, I have a deficit of 522 calories!

Remember, I'm trying to get a deficit of 500 calories each day through shrinking food portions and increasing exercise.

Of course I'm an over achiever and got an extra 22 calories in the black!

Day 3

Tilapia and Coucous with Veggies

Walked the track for an hour today. Ignored the distance and focused on the time because I know I can walk a mile in under 15 minutes. That means I likely did four miles.

I'm looking for an app to help me include a food diary on the blog. This calculator says I need to limit my daily caloric intake to 2000 calories per day.

This site discusses how you need to burn (or lose) an addition 3500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day to lose one pound each week.

So far today I had egg whites and turkey for breakfast: @250 calories.

• A Slimfast snack bar: 100 calories

• Chai Tea: 120 calories

• 2 Cups of Tea: 100 calories

• Glass of Orange Juice: 100 calories
• Powerbar: 240 calories
• Veggie Coucous & Baked Tilapia: @500 calories

And I'll probably have a KIND Bar and a cup of Bedtime tea for another 250 calories. For a grand of close to 1600 calories.

My walking burned about 300 calories. So that looks like I need to lose an additional 2800 calories this week to lose a pound. Interesting. Let's see if it works.

Day 2: Miscalculation

So the track I've been walk/running for the past two years is only 1/6 a mile and not 1/4! So all my calculations for 2 years is off.

I didn't manage my time well today and was only able to do 1 mile 1&1/2 on the old way of thinking.

I ate well today. Smoothie for breakfast. Slimfast snack bar -I'm addicted to those things. Marinated chicken breasts, lentils and rice for lunch. And I'll have a Strawberry Slimfast shake for dinner -I'm addicted to those too.

My energy levels were consistent, which is a plus since I've been feeling groggy all month. Wow! The benefits of exercise take effect immediately! Especially when you start slow and not jump into a crazy regime.

Pat on the back for me!

The Firm Cardio Weights Workout Calendar

21 Day Ab Challenge

I'll be embarking on the 31 day abs challenge in hopes of getting ready for swim season.

Here's the schedule.

Day 1: Reflection

You ever feel an itch, like you're supposed to be doing something.
I feel that itch from time to time.
I've been feeling it for a long time.
I have to do something.

I've packed on some weight. Okay a good deal of weight. Being a woman of color, chocolate looks good when its rich. But it doesn't feel good. I don't feel good. So I'm going to do something about it. But first I have to set myself up for success.

So I've started a blog.
My goal is to post every day for a year...and hopefully beyond.
My goal is to get down to 159 pounds by my 40th birthday. I know that's a specific number. I looked really good at 160, but I spent half my life in the 150's. So 159 is my compromise.

I'm a very goal-oriented person. I'm also a very competitive person. I've set some goals. I need to figure out how others to measure myself against -can't help that quirk of my personality. I was born with it. Its not going anywhere.

Any way, goals:

MARCH
From today, March 24th, 2015, until the March 31st I will walk one to three miles every day. Why am I doing that? Because one of my goals is to run a half marathon by the end of the year. My base the first time I ran a half marathon was three miles. I want it to be five miles for my second marathon.

APRIL
The Firm
31 Day Abs Challenge: Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

MAY
Transfirmer
Monthly Challenge: Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

JUNE - JULY
Focus T25
60 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
Insanity

OCTOBER
Half Marathon

NOVEMBER
Triatholon
Planksgivin: Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

DECEMBER
I don't know yet?

TODAY
I got my three miles in on the Jefferson Community track. I spotted myself in the aerobics mirror. I didn't look so fly. One of the main reasons is because I was wearing a mumu. The decision to go to the gym was a last minute one, like I said, I'd been itching for a while to DO SOMETHING. So I dropped off my son and a friend to their Boy Scout meeting, then I crossed the street to the Community Gym and walked the track for 45 minutes. There were a lot of hot guys on the basketball court. They all gave me a matronly smile. Eww.

Yeah, I gotta get my fly back.