Working out Outside

I am so HAPPY summer is finally starting to come into existence.  It has been a long, uncomfortable winter, way to cold for this Cali girl.  (I know I grew up in the prairies but I am sure my being born in Cali has made it so I do not acclimate very well to these horribly cold winters)

Two nights ago, Mr. A and I went to the steam baths for a relaxing evening. It was something we hadn't done in a long time. Before going there though I was determined to get a run in, as I have made a resolution to be active everyday that I don't go to the gym. I am trying to get some extra cardio in so I can lose more fat weight, and not gain so much more lean muscle mass.  So out for a run I went around my neighbourhood.  It took me 30 minutes and I ran 3.04km.  Which I feel isn't bad for the first run of the season.  After getting home and changing it was off to an evening of relaxing.  It was a great steam, well except where they turned the lights out on us in the steam room.  That was a little frightening.

Then yesterday, Trevor decided to provided us with our first outside workout.  It was not as bad as I thought it would be.  We had to do 15 push ups, then lunges across a field, 15 overhead squats with a medicine ball, then lunges again, 15 medicine ball slams, then lunges again.  When these were complete we went for a .60km run.  I was able to complete this 3 times.  So my next goal will to be complete this 5 times.  It was nice out last night, not to hot just the perfect temperature for making the blood pump outside.  The only issue with working out outside are those pesky mosquitoes.  Man I wish they would spray for them, they are a complete pain, everywhere. 

The other wonderful thing that the city of Red Deer has funded are outdoor gyms.  Throughout the city there are multiple locations where these gyms can be located.  They are a resistance training gyms that use your own body weight and they are set up as a circuit gym.  If you can't afford gym equipment in the summer all you have to do is take a jog to the nearest outdoor gym area and you can workout until your heart's content.
So if your city is like mine find these gyms, and if not proposition your city council to help make your city a healthier city by installing these gyms!!!

The Results are IN!!!

Ok so I am going to provide everyone with my results and explain what my next step is in this process.  I am very excited about all this.

To start though let's go back to where I was 6 weeks ago.  On January 9th, 2009 I had my first weigh in and measuring.  At that point my weight was a whooping 200 pounds, my impedance (resistance) was 502, and my measurements were: Neck 33cm, Shoulders 108 cm, Abdomen1 89cm, abdomen2 102cm, glutes 114cm, right thigh 64cm, chest 96cm, calf 39cm, and bicep 35cm.  My body fat percentage was 37.3% which calculates to a total of 74.3lbs of fat on my body (gross!).  My lean body mass was 124.7 meaning I had a 1.7:1 ratio of lean body mass to fat ratio.  That being said the calculations show that I had 11% excess fat on my body.

My goal was to go down 20lbs.  I didn't quite make that, but I did drop 13lbs in my 6 weeks.  My long term goal is to get down to 169lbs and 26% body fat for a healthy body.  I would even like to drop down to 160 lbs, but that could change based on the muscle I gain which may keep my weight up, so I am not as concerned with the number on the scale as I am with the size of my wedding dress.

So my weight was down ~13lbs( this weight fluctuates during the day, so at the time of my weigh in I was at 191).  my measurements read like this; Neck 33 cm, chest 89cm, abdomen1 81cm, abdomen2 95cm , glutes 108cm, thigh 61 cm, calf and biceps were the same, shoulders 103 cm.  That equals a total of 15 inches lost during the 6 weeks. My body fat percentage is now 31.3% for a total of 61 lbs of fat which means I lost 13.3 lbs of body fat but I did gain 7 lbs of Lean body mass.  So I am now down to 5% excess body fat on my body (yeah). 

So there you have it those are my results and I am very happy with them.  I can now fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, so I am looking forward to continuing my lifestyle change to fit into those other clothes that I was wearing when I first started dating Adrian.

I plan to continue with One to 1 fitness doing the group work out classes, as I get closer to my wedding date I may look into changing my workouts so that I can work one on one with my trainer just so that I can keep on my path to healthy living.  I am very much enjoying this journey that I have taken, I am so glad that I did and the trainers at One to 1 are amazing.  If you are in Red Deer and looking to make a healthy change, stop in and join my class you won't regret it.  I look forward to sharing more results with you in the future!!!  I will post some pictures soon!!

6 weeks to a new me

I signed up for a six week make over with One to 1 Fitness in Red Deer.  I am in  a class with ten other people and I am on a new meal plan.  We are competing against each other for a chance to win a 3 month membership to the gym with a personal trainer.  It's a pretty cool prize but I don't know that I am in it for the prize per se. 

My motivation is coming from a desire to look my best and to feel my best.  Neither of which I am feeling today.  I am definitely going to struggle with this challenge, and the biggest struggle is going to be the eating component of this challenge. 

Seriously, I love food, and I especially love sugar.  So what do you think my meal plans consist of?  Yup, no sugar, good carbohydrates and proteins and some fats, but ZERO sugar. It is a struggle already. 

Yesterday, I had zero sugar in my diet, except for the naturally occurring sugar from the fruits that I ate and in the fruit juice I drank.  But other than that there was no sugar, and no artificial sweetener either.  Yesterday, I thought I was going to die. 

I made it until 4:30 and then I thought I was going to die.  I was nauseous, I had the worst headache in years, and I didn't have my full mental capacities with me.  I was detoxing or getting the flu.  But as I drove home from Basketball practice, everything got worse, I inhaled an orange on my way home and that seemed to appease the sugar beast within me for 30 minutes, enough time so that I could concentrate on the road, but I really shouldn't have been driving in my condition.  I was lethargic as well and just wanted to lay down to die. 

I got home and ate supper, if you can call a 1/4 cup of potatoes, and 1/4 cup of corn, that my youngest son helped me eat a supper.  Oh and one chicken wing.  Then I bathed my child and set him up to eat his bed time snack.  I then laid on my couch and watched Grey's Anatomy.  After Grey's at 8:00 I went to bed, I literally crawled into my bed attempted to read a book, but failed miserably, so I just laid down and I was out for the count. 

I woke up this morning with a minor head ache, not as debilitating as yesterday's headache but it's still there twitching behind my eyes.  I am subbing today and I have a Basketball tournament all weekend so it's going to be interesting how this new meal plan plays out.  Hopefully, the sugar monster will be beaten and I can get on with not feeling like a detoxing drug addict soon!!!

Monday is my next workout so look out world, here I come!!!