Bad Kim

Naughty Kim

bad bad bad... I guess the best I can say about today is... I didn't have have junk food.  Well, that may be debatable, I had two different kinds of sandwiches that came from the freezer and went into the microwave.

Worst of all... I didn't exercise. AT. ALL.  I didn't have the greatest night of sleep - but it wasn't that bad I couldn't have gone for a walk.  My body was a bit tired from the day before - but it wasn't THAT bad I couldn't have gone for a walk.  I was just so fucking blah today... I knew I needed to take it easy, but I'm horrible at taking it easy.  I'm going to be on my feet a lot tomorrow, I especially need to take it easy today.

Wahhhhhh

Whiny me.  I hope I sleep better tonight.  I just need a good day.

10K

Yowza!  It's nearly 930 at night and I have taken over 10,000 steps for the day!  This is a new high!  and I didn't even wear my pedometer for the first hour I was up and about!!  

I felt much better this morning, no more tired body feeling.  I had several plans today - one of which was having a grilled cheese sandwich.  I did.  From a grilled cheese sandwich place in town.  It wasn't my first choice place - and while it was very good, when mine is good mine is better.  But it was a huge indulgence, but it was needed.  It was a really good dose of comfort food.

I made time, I made myself go to the Y and walk for 40 minutes.  Of course I hate the first 10 minutes or so.  Well, actually hated the first 25 minutes or so.  But I got to listening to some good podcasts, and sure enough I start of 17 minute episode when I only have 12 minutes left of treadmill time!  I really contemplated pausing it and going back to listening later, but I finished my workout with continuing to listen.  :)  Sooooo...  I did 46 minutes on the treadmill.  Yay me!  I can't find my HRM wristband (dammit, being a slob is a real PIA sometimes!) but I know my heart rate didn't go much further than the upper 140's - for the most part it was always between 127 and 135.  for 46 minutes!!  That's great!!!  

Except for that grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and accompanying creamy tomato soup... I ate solidly good today.  Whenever fresh blueberries are on sale, I buy them.  And I have a fair amount of sliced almonds... the two of those combined on top of some kind of bran cereal in the morning is YUM-O!  No blueberries, but today I bought a bunch of dried cranberries.  Its so nice to have serious amounts of favorite things on cereal - sure, they make cereals with these things, but the amounts are skimpy.   Oh!  and I got some cottage cheese, the Light and Lively kind I like.  That'll be good with breakfast, or as a snack... who knows... its all about making good choices with food.  And that won't happen unless you have GOOD choices in front of you.  

No more junk food!!!

I still can't believe that I did over 10,000 steps today... 

Tired me...

Physically tired...  I knew I did too much yesterday.  I was feeling it in my knee (really between a 3 and 4, on a scale of 1-10) and as it got closer to bedtime, I was feeling it in my heels as well.  I took two Advil and went to bed.  8500 steps yesterday!  I think that may be a new high for me since I've worn the pedometer.

Well, so what I did today... walked Winstead Hill track 2 times... really hoped to do 3 times but I was just physically tired and tired of walking.  It was a total of 28 minutes.  My body still feels tired.  I think I need to keep the 28 minutes all I do today.  Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

I ate fairly well today.  But I need more choices, better choices around me.  Ugh.  Cream cheese can't go on everything!  And I bought ice cream a few weeks ago... when the hell will I ever think I deserve that?

I'm tired.

Hike

Too much of a hike.

I'm feeling it in my right knee a bit.

I really wonder if maybe I'm getting a touch of arthritis or something in my right knee.  The last 6 months or so, whenever I get close to overdoing it on anything, I feel it in my right knee.  And while its not a screaming pain, its just bothersome because I'm just not used to such discomforts in my joints.

Well, okay - enough whining about my knee.  I hiked part of the Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park.  I'm not sure of the mileage we did (we - I was with the kids) as we only went from the Deep Well parking lot to Dripping Springs, and then we walked back via the ROAD, because the kids insisted it was EASIER.  Not that much "easier" heck!  It was LONGER via the road.  Ugh.  They just wouldn't see it any other way, but what the hell.. I wanted more steps to take anyhow.

We were out there walking for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  My average heart rate was 127 and my peak was 166.  Those hills really get me.  Ugh.  I'm so out of shape.

Today's thoughts about getting smaller - I'll have less issues with things like my knee aching!  Clothes will fit better.

I had a fairly light dinner - a big bowl of my minestrone soup and homemade bread.  A salad wouldn't have been a bad thing.  Oh well.  It was just the dinner I wanted.  :)

and I'm copying these 10 rules from Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, who writes the Weighty Matters blog

1. Breakfast within 60 minutes of waking up.
2. Eating every 2-3 hours.
3. Meals with a minimum of 300 calories for women and 400 calories for men.
4. Snacks with a minimum of 100 calories for women and 150 calories for men.
5. 8 or more grams of protein with every meal and snack.
6. Limit refined/processed foods to the smallest amounts you need to be happy.
7. Drink only as many calories as you need to enjoy your life (ie. minimize juice, alcohol, sugared beverages, milk etc.)
8. Exercise for 40 mins or less and all you need is water. Exercise for more than 40 mins and add 100 carb based calories per 40 minute block to be consumed immediately before, during, or immediately after exercise.
9. No forbidden foods.
10. Always, always, always, consider the calories of your dietary decisions in the same manner you consider price tags with your purchases.

This list of rules was copied from here - and I will be following these rules.

Day Two

Earlier today I made my Minestrone soup - or rather I should say, I made Gourmet magazines Minestrone soup (recipe here)... yummmmmO!  This is the 3rd time I've made it in about as many months.  I once added up all the calories that went into making the soup, and I came up with 2,000.  When I decided that my servings of it are about 1/10th of it, I realized that's a 200 calorie bowl of super duper yummy lunch!  Well, thats not the only thing I have with it.  I generally pair it up with a pair of  White Castle Cheeseburgers from the frozen food section.  It is 290 calories, and just okay on the calorie vs filling me up department.  But a 500 calorie lunch that I LOVE and fills me up heartily is a wonderful thing.  Otherwise I'll have some kind of bread with it. Tomorrow I'm making ciabatta bread... mmmmmmmmm... that'll be guuuuuhhhd.  Can't wait.

Sooooo... I also got some exercise in.  I went to the park nearby and walked for 40 minutes.  Finished up with walking up all the stairs to the where the monuments are.  THAT got my heart rate up.  I peaked at 173... my average was otherwise 140.  Three times while walking, I jogged for a bit.  Felt good, and I actually had myself stop when my heart rate got up to 150.  **I'm supposed to be taking it easy with my workouts**  these are baby steps.

I'm proud of day two.

I look forward to a smaller me - clothes will fit better.  Exercise in itself will help me sleep better and give me more energy.

Starting off

Well, when I got dressed this morning, I dressed in work out clothes. I also made sure I had eaten enough so that my energy wouldn't crash through the floor.

I was going to go to a nearby park that has a somewhat hilly walking path. As I got to the end of my street, I recognized what those bits of water were that was hitting my windshield - duh, rain! So I turned back and went home for my MP3 player.

I don't listen to anything but my surroundings when I'm outdoors exercising, and its just the opposite when I'm indoors - I need to listen to something, music, a podcast, a video, even tv if there's something decent on.

Well, enough about the details... I did 40 minutes on the treadmill. Simply walking. Kept it simple, in fact, I didn't even note how many miles I did. Oh well. As many people say about many things, it's not just about the numbers. I love my number crunching though. I did pay attention to the time, I did just over 40 minutes. My average heartrate was 127 and my peak was 144. That is just fine. Just fine.

New Year

New Year, new things, new life, new opportunity.... same 30 (40?) pounds to lose. I'd think 30 is reasonable, very reasonable for a year. 40 I wouldn't push myself to do in one year.

Gotta think baby steps. Just walk a few miles each day. Wear my pedometer, get up to that 5 mile daily goal. And then we'll push it beyond. I really would like to become a runner again, a better runner than before. I'll start with walking, throw in bits of jogging. I need to learn how to use that foam roller I have - supposed to be good for IT band issues.

So, baby steps for me will be,

• walking/simple cardio/hiking - at least 40 minutes per day. Every 10th day off.
• two strength training workouts per week.
• two stretching sessions per week

This is my plan for this month. I should be able to report daily here.

So far so good

I have exercised the previous three days which is very good for me.  Friday I really didn't want to (a crummy nights sleep before)... but I was soo much better off for it.  Moving is good for me.

So, Wednesday night I did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  Thursday afternoon I hike Percy Warner for about 3 miles. And Friday morning I did 30 minutes of cardio (10 on elliptical trainer and 20 on treadmill inclined).

BUT - damn.  I HAVE TO do something today.  I don't know what.  I otherwise feel lousy in about 5 different ways.   AND - part of my deal along with the 7 days of 30 minutes was a NO JUNK FOOD mandate.  And my husband went out for early voting this morning and came home with my favorite Hardee's sausage biscuits.  AND Hash Rounds.  I love Hardee's sausage biscuits.  So I REALLY need to move my ass today.

GOOD FUCKING GRIEF!!!!  I can NOT allow myself Hardee's ANY MORE!!!!  I just looked this up - I had 1,140 calories in those two sandwiches!!!  Looking up this kind of information will do WONDERS for me and turn off my appetite for it.  If I had known, there is no way I would have eaten that.  And I probably had close to 300 calories in Hash Rounds. And I had a gatorade - 80 calories, and nearly 16 ounces of orange juice for 200 more calories.  DAMMIT!  I had ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY CALORIES this morning!!!!!!! 1,720 calories - in one meal.  Just foul and disgusting.  No wonder I'm as big as I am.

Looking further, I'm probably close to 100 grams of fat for that meal.  Sodium is outrageous.  Hardees has this information easily found on their website - even has a calculator to add it up for you.

Things must change

I currently weigh the most I've ever weighed - and that includes being 9 months pregnant with big babies.

I haven't slept well all year.  Up until I started Ambien last week - I only had three solid nights of sleep all year. And even with 4 nights of Ambien under my belt - only one of those has been a solid night of sleep.

My blood pressure the other day was high.  140 over something.  Not good.

I want to fit into clothes better.  I want to feel better.  I KNOW that eating better and moving more will do wonders for me.  But its still so easy to turn to comfort foods and sit on my ass.

NO MORE.  At the doctors office I was 186. The last time I weighed myself I was 176 and that was bad enough.  I've known I've been getting fatter.

I just came across this quote I liked before and I need to have have this copies everywhere:

A body in motion wants to remain in motion. A body on the couch wants to stay there.

Soooo.... I need to go back to better habits, the habits that had me weighing 145 a mere 5 months after I had a 9 and ½ pound baby.

A good solid breakfast.  A good solid lunch, a good solid snack.  A healthy light dinner.  THIS MEANS NO JUNK FOOD.

Of course I like to reward myself with food.  I have a Spanish test a week from today.  If I get at least 30 minutes of cardio EACH day - and avoid junk food - then I am allowed my favorite chimichanga next week.  I think every week I will reward myself that way.  Nothing crazy - maybe the week after I will have a fantastic cheeseburger somewhere.

I have GOT to move more, and I have GOT to eat better.  Because I'm taking Ambien, I'm not drinking... soon enough though I won't be taking that and I will need to cut back my drinking another way.  Maybe make a deal with myself.  For every drink I have - I owe myself 15 minutes of cardio.  Maybe that'll be a start with negotiations with myself.

If I'm to get to 150 pounds - I've got quite a ways to go.  :(  I can do it that.  I just have to be determined.  This will actually be the first time I've really had to TRY, and try hard, to lose weight.

Tonight, it is my plan to go to the Y and do 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  Tomorrow I will dress for a hike and do 2.5-3-ish miles at Percy Warner, temps will be considerably cooler tomorrow, that will be GREAT.

Will do 3 for 3

I am SORE!  Achy achy leg muscles.  I've got a whiny-ass daughter who won't get off my case about every damned thing.  Everything I touch or think about or imagine FALLS down and SPILLS out all over the floor.  THAT WOMAN in the grocery store parking lot driving like a maniac, taking that turn too fast and then gunning it where **I** have to hit MY BRAKES for HER, and then she ceases to drive, she's just kind of moving around the parking lot then.  WTF!!!!!  I just want to leave.. ...to go home, make lunch, drop, spill and knock-over everything in my vicinity.

But I had a good lunch. My gym clothes are in the dryer.  We'll go to the Y when they're done. I'll get the kids in the pool, and then I'll do my 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical trainer.  And that will be day 3 of my plan for this week. Freakin' 3 for 3.

I'm sure somehow... SOME HOW... I'll feel better for it.

Smuggling in a beer, and sitting under an umbrella while I finish my book sounds even better.  Well, I'll have time for that (well, NO beer) at the pool this afternoon.... not cooking dinner tonight.  We can stay a bit longer than normal, I have about 80 pages left of my book, I'll even bring a new book along just in case... well, no.  I kind of miss listening to tunes in the shade.  That will be my reward for finishing a book.

I go to the Y, dressed and ready for a workout.  I take two bags with me.  One is the pool bag, sunscreen, waterbottle, pool toys.  Pool towels get carried by the kids.  The other bag is a gym bag; in it is my swimsuit and bath towel.  After I work out, I will shower to rinse off, then I dry off and change into my suit.  Gym clothes go into gym bag, which goes out and hangs out under an umbrella with me at the pool.  I've done this once before and it worked rather well.  The only thing I forgot was sandals and a cover up for when I'm leaving the Y.  I used a towel wrapped around me and wore sneakers.  I thought my swimsuit and athletic shoes were an interesting combination, even my pain in the ass daughter commented on this too.  but I've worn odder things before with my swimsuit (go to the Final Mental Image at the end)

2 for 2 According to The Plan

Yesterday was Monday, and I did 30 minutes of cardio at the Y as planned.  I intended to keep it easy, and keep my heart rate under 140, but somehow I ended up with an average HR for that time of 149.  Something still doesn't seem right about that - I know for a fact I was under 140 for about as much time I was above 150... so I think my AHR should be lower... but dont' feel like quibbling.

Today the plan was to do a total body strength workout.  While I like working with weights, its been a while.  Again, I told myself to take it easy.  I was maybe 70% through with all that I wanted to do and my energy just crashed, and I really didn't like how I was feeling.  I managed to do a little bit more - so so maybe I did 80% of what I intended to do.  It would have been nice to do more bi and tri work, another shoulder exercise, and at least one more ab exercise.  I was just wiped out and my head felt weird, very weird.  I decided to not push it.

Let's see... I didn't eat more than I needed to last night (although I did have some potato chips because there was just a little bit left in the bag) and I didn't drink anything more than wine with dinner.  Good for me.  I was tired late in the afternoon, but perked up in the evening and was awake until 11.  I slept horribly, waking up for different reasons and being kept awake for yet other reasons.  I had a decent breakfast... but I've learned my lesson this morning.  I need a much better, more solid breakfast on mornings I'm going to lift weights.  ugh!!!

I've just had some cottage cheese and cold pineapple chunks.  Yum!  That has hit the spot nicely.  I've got to remember I'm just starting out again... I've got to take it easier... and I need to remember better what worked for me in the past!  Oh well, its been awhile, I'll learn again.

Gotta move more

I don't like the way I'm feeling lately... tummy not settled,  not eating good for me food, drinking too much. And definitely not moving enough.

I need to eat less, that will help.  Eating smaller meals throughout the day is best for me I think.  Medium breakfast, mid-morning snack, light lunch, mid-afternoon snack, lighter-medium dinner.  Gotta do this.... so where am I today?  Its nearly 1pm, and I've only eaten an english muffin with cream cheese, and I've drank about 2/3 of a cup of coffee.  I'm now having some lemon-ginger tea sweetened with a spoonful of sugar.  I want to eat something else.  Maybe I'll have some tuna-salad scooped up with tortilla chips.

Yes, I will eat... let that settle and then go to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio.  I need this.  The plan I want for this week is as follows:

• Monday, today, 30 minutes of cardio
• Tuesday, 5 minutes warm-up, full body strength workout, 2-3 exercises per muscle group
• Wednesday, 30 minutes of cardio
• Thursday, 30 minutes of cardio
• Friday, 5 minute warm-up, full body strength workout, 2-3 exercises per muscle group.

Maybe a hike Saturday... maybe.

I know when I've been active before, I'm better motivated to eat better. Junky food just isn't good fuel for being active.

I'll check in with this blog throughout the week.  I really need to do this plan.

Another Two miles

I really thought I would be up for 3 miles, but I didn't like the way my right shin was feeling, and while it did feel better towards the end of 2 miles, I decided to be conservative and keep my run smaller at 2 miles.  I think a day or two off from running will be good for now.  I'm hiking tomorrow, that's definitely lower impact and I don't expect to feel that in my shin or anywhere else really.  I will aim for going to Pinkerton Thursday and do 2.5 miles - why not?  I'm itching to do more.

I found my heart rate monitor - both pieces, the strap and the chest piece had become separated (thank you dear daughter!), and then when I could only find one part, I couldn't find the other and vice-versa.  Someday I'll learn not to be such a slob.

I did my two miles in 34 minutes with an average heart rate of 145.  A pretty good workout if you ask me!

Overall, I think my goal will be to run 3-4 times a week with 1-2 other activities thrown in just to mix it up - hiking and inline skating.

Monday Morning

So, I did it - I had a reasonable (small) breakfast and I went out and ran/walked 2 miles.  I actually ran more of it than I thought I would.  I did slightly shorter intervals, and I guess that allowed me to do more running than I thought.  :D  I like this!  It was fun.  There was a very light rain coming down and I was a bit afraid of it REALLY raining.  While I don't mind the rain one bit, I wasn't so keen on being out in the rain and a mile back to the house, maybe 5 minutes in the rain would have been okay.  I need to look up the best something to wear for running in the rain... a light-weight poncho maybe?

New Goals, new doings

I've got to get moving more.  My sleep has been crap for the last several months and I know one of the things I could be doing right would be to get some exercise everyday.

I was talking with a friend about running the other day (I still need to find my marathon attempt pic) and that got me thinking - I would like to run again.  It's a great exercise and it doesn't require much money beyond a good pair of shoes.

I'm going to find a 5K race about 2 months from now and aim for that.  I know I can do it.  It's not like I'm going to win the race, I just want to be able to run it and run it well.  3.1 miles is NOTHING!!!

So... first things first though... this week:  I want to run 3 times for 2 miles... and well, I might do 3 miles.  And of course I'm not much of a runner, I will be doing a run/walk, running as much as I can without knocking myself out.

Let's see... and other Lose Kim Lose type goals.... no junk food at all this week, and then Friday afternoon I can have my favorite chimichanga.  And if I study for my Spanish final as I have already planned for - then I just may pack a margarita to sip with my chimichanga!  HA!  I've had a beer at the YMCA pool with this pour-it-into-another-container-put-it-on-ice technique.

...and earlier thought today was, after running 20 miles, another treat should be mine.... but what was it I was thinking of????  I'm hungry now - should have had something for a snack this afternoon.  Just something.  Being hungry is not good.

Back to it

Well, I discontinued this blog for a while.

But someone else I know is documenting her weightloss efforts, so I will do this too. Plus I enjoy going back and re-reading what I've written. It's nice to re-read the "oh lord I really don't want to do this" turned into "wow, that felt freakin' great!"


So, last weekend we got the kids their own inline skates. They had been sharing an old pair of mine on the back sidewalk and they were both reasonably good at it. So we got them each a decent pair of their own. I **KNEW** getting them their own skates would get ME out there moving more. And so it has been the case. In the 8 days we've have them, we've gone out 3 times now. 2 times to LP Field, where the parking lots are blocked to vehicles (no traffic to look out for) and plenty of sidewalks with no one on them. It's a great place to go to skate. The other time we went to Crockett Park in Brentwood and that has great paths for skating on - but I want the kids to be better skaters before we start sharing paths with runners/walkers and bikers.

Inline skating is a good workout. I've only worn my heart rate monitor once so far and it really has me working hard. This is great. I look forward to getting out and skating, listening to music and really getting into a good groove. Hopefully this week will give me some decent weather. It has to be DRY for skating - I don't mind cold much at all.


Today the kids and I skated for about an hour, downtown around the stadium again. I always feel it in my calves and in my outer thigh some. This is good. My plan tomorrow is to run/walk 3 miles as I've done a few times in the last several weeks before class (so that also means I have to have my homework done before then as well.) And in the afternoon hopefully have time for a strength workout. :)

Mood Enhancement

So, I was super cranky about 15 minutes after waking up this morning. It's not THAT time of the month or anywhere near it, and nothing specific had happened either - it just GREW and GREW. I was in a rotten mood.

So I managed to get to the gym this afternoon - I wanted to and looked forward to it. Today was a weight lifting day for me, I always like days like that.

I was completely undecided on how long to do cardio for... 30 minutes? my usual 40? 45? what about an hour? I did a few (like 3) intervals and then I adjusted to a slightly faster pace, about 140-150 spm and that kept my heart rate right about where I wanted to maintain it, which was in the 140's... upper 140's actually.

I got to 40 minutes and decided that I was feeling GOOD. I had gotten into that groove, that runner's high had hit me some and I wanted to keep going. I went for 58 minutes and it was awesome!! My AHR for the time was 147 - wtg ME!

Then for the weights, I mixed it up again, heck I don't think I could do the same thing everytime even if I tried (I'm NOT walking around with a clipboard to take notes). I did 2 different exercises for chest, back, biceps, triceps, one shoulder ecercise, four different leg exercises, 2 different ab moves... I think I got it all in and it took 50 minutes. I like weights.

I don't really care for the weights area of the gym Saturday afternoons. Too many young guys, they're buff or on their way to it. There were too many weights left laying around. And this one guy was doing things that made my eyeballs nearly pop out, well, that may be some overstatement but... he was wearing a weightlifting belt, and I guess there's hook or something to attach a chain to, and that chain was looped through a 35lb plate... and he was doing pull-ups with that!! and then I saw him doing tricep dips with that on. CRAZY stuff!!

One, Both, Neither, None

Well, I didn't work out today. It was a day off for cardio for me, but I still thought I might do a yoga something or other in the living room this afternoon. School started for me today. Should.Not.Be.An.Excuse!!!!! ughhhhhhhh.... I didn't even shower this afternoon until I didn't like the way I smelled. ughhhhhhh... I just got into this mode of being a slob and sitting on my ass. I've got to MOVE. - just like the song says "I like to move it move it - I like to move it move it move it - MOVE IT!!!!!!!!

So now its evening, I did have wine with dinner and it was a really yummy wine, strong cherry undertones. And now I have this cherry ice cream topping in the house. It's cherries in syrup with orange liquor. SUPER YUM. It's not too sweet, its just right. And the cherries are fab, they burst when you bite them and to have this on top of vanilla ice cream.... mmmmmmmmmmm!!!! Totally what I want right now.

But then there's having a vodka/cranberry for "dessert" it's been nearly a week since I had such a treat... it's been on my mind for several days now. And the cranberry would substitute reasonably well for my cherry hankering...

I can't talk myself into having both, and I can't decide on which one - so I'm in all likelihood having neither.

Ohhhhh... but I gotta have something... but @%$$^#%@$!$#^#Y^$^U^Y$%^W%$!@$@$!!!!! I still can't decide on WHAT.

2.5+ mile hike

Yay! This morning I got to Edwin Warner Park and I did the Harpeth Woods Trail. It was 21 when I left the house and 27 when I started out. I wore many layers and I was fine. IT FELT GREAT.

This was a new trail for me, and the way I approached it was fine, but this trail has several places to start it, so I will definitely mix it up. I think next time I want to start by the Owl something or other loop, there's parking there.

I thought all the woodpeckers I saw on the west side of the hill was going to be the highlight of my day. But no, something better came into my life after the hike. BOOTS!

After my hike and stopping at my school to pick up a textbook before classes start tomorrow, I went to Cumberland Transit and got my first pair of hiking boots. Woooo-hooooooo! I did as the guy who sold them to me suggested, take them to the gym where I can walk in them on a treadmill for 20 minutes to make sure they remain as comfortable as I think they are. I can return them as long as they haven't been worn outside. So, I've done that already - AND THESE BOOTS ROCK!!! So comfortable, and they cover my ankle, they look good, have good tread, not heavy, just comfy comfy comfy. I can't wait to take them out on a trail, and to think of ALLLLLLLL the miles I'll do in these babies!!! So FANTASTIC.

Really Workin' it

Oh boy, I sure did!!

At first I planned to do an entire hour of cardio on the elliptical trainer, but if I were to do that I knew I would have to back off on the intensity I generally like to do. And of course I didn't - it really almost feels impossible for me to take it easy. So I did 45 minutes of cardio. I already forget what my average heart rate was. I started off with the machine's interval program, but it's high intensity is not going FASTER which is what I like to do, but makes it harder to do. Ugh, so I go slow because its hard. I much prefer my way which I switched to after the first 17 minutes. Generally I'm in the 130 +/-5 strides per minute range - when I kick up to my own high intensity, I'm in the 160's, maybe 170 and I feel like I'm zooming!! and my machine makes more noise then, and if people were to glimpse at me they would really think I'm tough. Ha! I do this for 90-120 seconds, my hearit rate is way up at this point and then I wait for my HR to return to under 140, I wait a minute and then I do the whole thing again, usually takes about 4 minutes. So.... that's what I like to do on the elliptical trainer.

Then I did a full body strength training workout. Let's see, for all these exercises I did 2 sets of 10-15 reps. I did 3 different chest exercises, 3 different back exercises, 4 different leg exercises, 2 different Ab exercises, 2 different bicep, tricep and shoulder exercises... and I think that's it. I rock! I really like weights... I mix it up, some machines, some dumbbells, some stretch bands and some plate machines... for instance I like dumbbells for biceps and shoulders - not machines. I like machines for legs - I don't mind holding dumb bells for lunges and squats. I generally don't use machines for Ab work (but I did try one today and I did like it) but the whole point with weights is to mix it up. and I do. I should next work out with weights Friday or Saturday. We'll see.