great workout tonight

Got a great workout in tonight! It was really out of putting off working on my website for class, but nonetheless a great workout. Now I have a lot more energy and focus I think to tackle my school work. Definitely feels really good to work my muscles again- slow start as they have been in remission for a couple of weeks now, but once I got the blood pumping and the endorphins flowing I was good to go! I'm also happy to say that I've already been able to burn off the little extra weight gain from Thanksgiving and even a half a pound more! Good to be back on track, just need to keep it up. I think it will be especially need in these next couple of weeks as final exams and papers are due and will require me to be focused and at the top of my game.

getting back into the swing

Well I'm now back from some much needed rest and relaxation time over Thanksgiving break. Always good to spend some time with the family, but there was a constant struggle not to each too much. And now after a week of break, I am happy to say that I only gained a pound back according to the scale.  Though with not working out over break and having such a shaky couple of weeks before the break, I definitely feel as though I am losing some muscle mass. So, I need to get back into the swing of things so to speak and begin my workout regime again.

brief workout

Since I'm going home tomorrow and will undoubtedly be eating a ton of food over the Thanksgiving week I decided to get in a quick workout tonight to help combat the inevitable haha. Whenever I go home, it breaks my whole routine and schedule and since my father's a great cook there's always delicious food just hanging around, so my self-control kind of goes out the window.  I know it'll be a tough week weight wise to get through, so I know I will have to come back and hit the gym hard. A daunting task, but I'm up for it!

great work out

This afternoon I got home from class and therapy sessions and I finally said enough is enough. After missing my goals for the past couple of weeks (and especially last week with not getting a single workout in), I decided I needed to get back on track. To be honest it did take a lit bit of time to motivate myself properly so I find excuses to put it off, but after about 45 minutes of wasting time I went to do a workout.  And god it felt great! Though very exhausting and definitely noticeable that I missed getting any exercise last week.  Hopefully, I can get back on track though I am already anticipating that with next week being Thanksgiving week and I will be home, workouts will be harder to do and eating will probably increase- which equals a bad situation. But for now, I think I need to simply take one week at a time and focus on this week first.

procrastinated again

Last night was a total bust as well, so not a good week overall for making my workout goals.  Not sure what it was but just did not find any of the motivation needed to go workout.  I think maybe I am just exhausted with everything going on right now and am just waiting for Thanksgiving break to arrive so I can reboot and recharge my system.  Who knows though, maybe the writing of this post will make me want to go workout now, though right now I am not feeling it, so probably not.  I would say that on a positive note though, my weight is down and kept down.  I am continuing to make better choices when eating; especially with choosing healthier options and eating till I'm content instead of completely full like I used to do.  I think that effort is making a considerable different for me and thus, helping me keep off any unwanted weight while I am in this unmotivated stage of my workout process.

already behind...

So, I didn't get a chance (or maybe a chose not to get a chance) to start my workouts this week, thus since it's already Tuesday, I know that I can't make my workout goal this week. Which really sucks and is kind of depressing! It is even pretty demotivating for trying to make sure I get in at least two workouts now to finish off the week. Hopefully, I find the motivation, but at this point in the day I am feeling that weight of failing this week already which is not good :(

Finished the week's goals

Tonight I was able to finish my week's goals by getting in my third and last workout for the week.  I have to say though I am a little disappointed still because due to other obligations I was not able to devote as much time or energy to my workout as I would have liked. Consequently, I had a very light workout tonight to end the week.  Thus, even though I technically completely my goals, I feel it wasn't my best effort.  I know we discussed in class a lot about the nature of failure and that it's okay to not achieve my goals all the time, but it's still going to weigh on me because that's how I was raised.  Completing my workouts, but not doing them all to full standards is still kind of like a failure, not a complete failure, but a little one nonetheless.  Can't shake the feeling. Guess this whole experiment really was designed for us to fail.  Wow, I know I sound depressing here or something, and I am glad I was able to get in my three workouts, but it just in the back of my mind that I could have done better.  But I have hope that next week will be better.

Still on track

Tonight I got a nice stationary bike ride in while I did some homework reading.  I was doing some reading for my finance class, ironically about workouts for refinancing homes, so I decided to do a light workout while I was reading.  I got on a bike, set a decent resistance, and before I knew it I had ridden over 10 miles! I think the distraction of focusing on my class readings instead of the strain of cycling my legs allowed for the time to go by a lot faster and a lot easier.  It also knocked out two birds with one stone, so it definitely helped with time management.  I will have to remember this technique in the future as it proved very useful for me.

damn halloween candy...

I swear this damn halloween candy will be the end of me haha.  But despite the candy temptations, I would say that I am doing pretty well this week. I just got done with great workout. Luckily I don't care that much about San Francisco or Arizona so I could put a delay on my usual Monday Night Football routine and get a good workout in.  I wasn't able to get in any workouts over the weekend, but as long as I make time Tuesday and Wednesday I can still make my goals!

Made It!

This week I can say that I made my goals again! (and this time before the real deadline haha). Today I got another workout in, it was not as big of a workout as I wanted, but it still was productive.  It feels good to make my goals this week and is definitively making me feel (at least at this moment) that I want to continue this progress and make sure I get in my full three workouts again next week.  I think the success of this week will facilitate my motivation for next week.  

Dog Sitting has its benefits

So, today my friend needed someone to watch her dog for a bit while she was out at a conference.  This enabled me to find some motivation to go out on a nice walk with the dog and get some exercise.  As I mentioned before, I gained four pounds over the last weekend being home, so I've been very conscious about portion control and wanting to get back into burning off that added weight.  As it sits now, I lost three of those pounds, but still have another to go to get back to my weight from last week.  I think the dog walking helped and definitely put me back in a good direction, but I am starting to feel the effects of not hitting the gym physically and mentally.  So, my plan is to get a good workout in tomorrow, wish me luck!

This past weekend

This weekend I went home back to Cincy (which you all know now is an awesome place) for a post-lasik surgery eye exam (which went very well!) and also to visit with my family for a bit.  As usual my family is big on eating, so I was force feed lots of delicious food haha.  Which was of course great, but I gained back almost 4 pounds in a single weekend due to it.  My workouts were also thrown off with being home because I didn't have access to my gym like a do here in Georgia, so that wasn't good.  I did, however, go walking in the woods and hills down in Kentucky on Saturday as my family went shooting.  So, it wasn't much of a workout by any means, but it was still at least a little physical activity and was outside enjoying some beautiful nature, so I'll count it. 

still counting it

I didn't get to do my third workout for the week last night, but I was able to do a workout today, after class. So, even though I didn't technically make the cut off of class time, I'm still counting it as a successful week since I was only a few hours after my deadline.  And despite there being an asterisks for this week, I feel confident that I am getting back on track with a better workout schedule and will make my goals in full in this coming week!

more obstacles, but still trying

This week started off great with a solid workout on Friday.  But then the weekend hit and I got busy, and then I got sick for a couple of days- which meant no working out.  There always seems to be some obstacle in the way of achieving my goals.  I know last week we talked about failure not being a big deal and that it can be a positive experience and blah blah blah, but it still sucks and I don't like failing at my goals! So, I was feeling better this morning so I got a light workout in- nothing too extreme since I don't want to push it as during my sickness recovery, but I figured it'll help push the toxins out of my body and give me a clearer head for the day.  Which so far its working! I just have to get in a workout tonight and I'm thinking of a bike ride or something since its relaxing, yet still effective. Wish me luck!

good start this week

This morning I got up and worked out and it feels great- an awesome way to start the day! I feel like all day now I've had a lot more energy and focus! I think the fact that I didn't make my goals last week or the week before, motivated me to make sure I start off this week right.  Having gotten in this workout today at the start of the week I am feeling pretty confident I will be making my goals this week, so yay!

Great workout

So, after writing that last blog about my failure this week, I went and did a great workout.  Whew! I feel much better now physically and about myself- so thats good! I'm not sure still what's gotten into me though and why I am waiting till the last minute to work on my goals for the week.  I mean I'm doing much better with my portion control and choosing better foods when I'm eating so I am losing weight that way, but my workouts are definitely faltering overall (despite tonight).  I guess I need to just set up a plan and stick to it.  Strange, its a lot easier to give clients this type of advice then actually do it yourself haha.  Who would've thought!? I know the benefits and I know I'm much better off when I do the workouts, but its still hard to get started with them.  But thanks to all of you and your responses of support, that has definitely helped out a lot!

Lazy...

This week I have been lazy again.  I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but I am just not motivated to keep up my workout routine.  I did a very light exercise last night, and it really wasn't close to what I normally do.  So, I mean I don't want to discount it, but I don't want to count it really either.  Hopefully with writing this blog it will encourage me to get off my butt and go workout after this, so wish me luck!

Didn't make it again

Well my plan was to go for a run or bike ride this afternoon, or maybe even get a basketball game in with Deepu, but that simply just did not happen.  I can blame it on being discouraged by the rain or the presidential debate taking up a good chunk of my night or having to do school work, but really I just didn't schedule and prioritize enough time for my workouts this week. So, I have hit a two week slump where I have come up just shy of my mark, but I need to keep looking ahead, not get discouraged, and do better next week!  I have seen how this gives me energy and focus, as well as gets me in better shape so I need to get back into making my goals.

Whew!

Whew! Just got done with a great workout and boy am I exhausted, but energized all the same! I like this blog as a reminder to do my workouts as well as to help me motivate myself to workout.  I think the blog has really helped me stay on track with these goals of mine.  I did a mostly free weight and core workout today, so I need to get in some cardio later at some point.  So, I'm thinking of a bike ride or run later tonight when its cooler outside, but we'll see.

did the workout and forgot to blog about it

On Monday, I got a really good workout in, but then got caught up doing other things and completely forgot to blog about it. The exercise cleared my head and ironically it made me remember some other things I needed to get done, so I went and did those instead of remembering to blog about my exercise.  But the benefit I guess of forgetting about blogging earlier, and now writing about it now, it is making me want to go do a workout. So, I'm off to go workout!

didn't meet my goals

So, this is the first week where I haven't met my workout/exercise goals of doing that 3 times a week. I was able to get a short workout in tonight, but due to a lack of sleep and having a lot of school related work my heart simply was not in it, so it ended up being a brief workout.  So, while I was able to workout tonight, it was my only workout this week and thus, I didn't reach my goals. But with class tomorrow I will be starting a new week, so I can begin again and get back into the swing of things!

much too busy

This week so far as been crazy busy and I have made no time at all for my weekly workouts so far. For the past few days I've been in Missouri for the Financial Therapy Association (FTA) conference which has taken up the vast majority of my time. Being out of town, having a packed conference schedule, being away from my usual routines, prepping for doing a presentation, being away from my usual exercise areas, and having a midterm exam the day after I get back (today) has all weighed heavily on my inability to find time to work out.  Thus, this week has been a total bust so far. Hopefully, I will find time tonight to get in at least one workout.  But it goes to show that when things get busy, the things that get cut are usually some of the things we need the most and are the best for us.

sleepy this week

This week has been very tiring for me and I haven't gotten a lot of sleep due to assignments, assistantship work, and prepping for my upcoming FTA conference this weekend and early next week.  However, I was able to get in my third workout for this week reaching my goal.  It was not as good of a workout as I usually do, but my heart was not in it and I am crediting it to the lack of sleep I've been getting.  But at least my goal was reached.

I also wanted to comment on the Ratey (2008) reading we have to do this week and say that its great to read this article that backs up all the exercise and work ethic I am trying to accomplish.  It discusses how exercise creates an environment which allows the brain to be more willing and able to learn. And I think I have definitely seen that to be prove, as for most of the time (provided I am also getting enough sleep) I am much more alert and focused in my classes.  I think the article was a good incentive to keep up the work and continue to meet my goals!
 

Good motivation

After writing my last post I found that it was actually pretty motivating to go do another workout... so that's what I did. The writing and reflecting upon my previous workout and how I felt energized afterwards actually gave me a push to go do a workout today.  Its a little exhausting doing a workout right after I just did one last night, but its a good kind of exhausting where I'm sore but I'm mentally energized.  I'm glad I was able to get one in tonight.

My diet is pretty off and on.  Well I should restate that, my choice in foods is getting better- haven't cut wheat out, but I am watching my intake, and I'm eating more fruits and vegetables- but I am not always doing great with my portion control or late night eating. Since I am a night owl, I get hungry late at night and its definitely been a struggle to not grab a snack or something which undoes all my efforts for the day.  So, I still need to work on that aspect of self-control, but its hard cause food is so damn good!

Another late night but a good one

So, my sleeping schedule has been really off recently which is good and bad.  I'm a very late night person so its not uncommon for me to be up till 1 or 2 in the morning doing work or just hanging out.  But last night I decided to put being up late to good use and decided to get in a workout then.  Around midnight I got a huge second wind and had a lot of energy so I went and did a nice workout to burn off that energy.  It did kind of energize me for a little while after so I didn't get to bed till around two, but the workout felt good and I actually was able to get up quite easily in the morning.  So, I think this week is off to a decent start so far.

Made it!

Despite the delay in writing this blog, I was able to make my exercise/workout goal this week by getting in some exercise yesterday. Thankfully with no class on Thursday, I was able to reach my weekly goal by instead getting up that morning and doing a six mile bike ride. Now I know six miles on bike isn't all that much, but it was still exercise and allowed me to reach my weekly goal.

Thanks for all the comments, suggestions, and support. Don't worry I'm not killing myself trying to reach these goals or anything (I actually found the late night work out kind of relaxing to end a stressful, work-filled day).  And yes, I agree I think I need to redefine my definition of what a workout and exercise constitutes since time doesn't always make itself available and different types of exercise take a different amount of time.  Though my workout routine, its typically an hour long so that will pretty much stay constant. But for the rest of it, I guess its up to my discretion of what constitutes a good workout.  

But I'm definitely starting to see a difference from these three workout/exercises a week! The food portion control is helping too. I've been able to hold off the initial weight loss and as of today lost an additional two pounds. I'm seeing a different in my overall appearance as well as having more energy and focus for other activities like school work. Just gotta keep it up!

Late Night

So as I expressed in my last post, I was under a crunch time to get my three workouts/exercises in this week and would have to do them back to back each day in order to meet my goal. Well unfortunately I ended up having a lot of school work to do today which meant my workout plans got pushed back and then back further still. Thus, I ended up doing my workout at midnight tonight. Fortunately, with no class tomorrow morning I can sleep in, but it is still exhausting and I know I wasn't doing a 100%. On the bright side I am meeting my goal, but this is not an ideal set up and I know I will have to work harder to set a schedule next week for meeting my goals.

Been a Hard Week for Motivation

Its been a hard week to get motivation to work out. I was able to work out today fortunately, but I haven't done anything since Thursday so far. I had plenty of time (relatively speaking) to get an hour workout in but I couldn't find the motivation to start.  I also had trouble keeping up with my diet and I definitely ate a lot of wheat products. So, overall not a great week so far. But as I said I was able to motivate myself to get a good workout in today, as well as eat a little better today. But with Thursday fast approaching, it means that I have to workout or doing something active both tomorrow and Thursday morning to keep my goals up.  I want to meet my goals each week, but not liking the pressure of having to get it in with this time constraint this week.  Lesson learned for future reference though I guess.

More Basketball

Whew! Just got back from a session of playing basketball again with Deepu and boy was it another good cardio workout with running around a lot. It was another great workout that has left me now exhausted, but at least I won this time! I think this will definitely help improve my endurance and is a hell of a lot more fun then just going out for a run in my opinion because its with a friend.  It also builds a sense of community and support for accomplishing this exercise program.  And because Deepu and I set times to do this, it gives me a sense of an obligation  to do the exercise so it is not as easy to shrug off the workout.  So, overall this working out is definitely helping me and going well I think.  The only thing is that my weight is not dropping any more, it did great when I first started and I have been able to keep it off so far but I can't lose anymore. I'm thinking this may have to do with my diet. As per our class discussion last week of how wheat products make you gain weight, I have been thinking about that more and more because I eat a lot of pasta, breads, and rice in my diet.  So, if I want to drop more weight, I'm thinking I will seriously have to consider cutting more wheat out of my diet- which sucks!

Supportive Workout

Yesterday evening, I was able to get a good cardio workout in by playing basketball with Deepu.  This killed two birds with one stone so to speak because it helped allowed me to run around and get exercise for my weekly goal and allowed Deepu to help reach his weekly goal of doing something physical. Additionally, the support and sense of community that one gets from doing an activity with other people, I think really helps to motivate me to stay on top of my goal.  And though it was tiring and Deepu kicked my ass at a friendly game of basketball, it was a lot of fun.  So, with these elements of support, exercise, and fun I think I should add this too my weekly routine in reaching my workout goal!

Week Number Two!

Today I had time before my Friday meetings and work began to get in a quick 45 minute workout this morning! I really hope I can stay on track with this program, because I have a lot of worries that if past history is any indication I will soon give up or find "more important things to do." It felt really good to get a work out in and I believe I have a lot more energy today now then I would've if I had simply slept in or just watched TV or something before starting my day.  For instance, I was able to go all in and focus on a powerpoint presentation I am working on for the upcoming FTA conference, instead of sluggishly getting around to do it. I think my brain is much more active and willing to do things. This may be physiological or it may simply just be psychological, but either way it seems to be working for me and helping me with my motivation to get things accomplished!

Good Morning

So, today I got up early and I think I was still feeling pretty good from my workout yesterday evening, because I had more energy than I typically did in the mornings- I am not a morning person at all! But I decided to actually go and do a workout again this morning! I worked different muscles as to not over do myself, but it made me feel really great and like on was on track!

I also realized I can work out in the morning and the energy will be with me throughout the day, because I didn't crash mid-day like I thought I might from exhaustion.  So with class tomorrow, and the first week of this new exercise routine coming to a close, I am happy to announce that I made my exercise goal! Now, I just got to keep up the pace!

Motivation is hard

My motivation for this is already lacking and we are in the first week haha. My plan was to come home yesterday after classes and work out, but all I wanted to do was rest and do some self-care (yes, I realize working out can definitely be considered self-care, but I wanted something more relaxing to do).  So I did not workout as planned, but made an additional plan to get up early this morning and workout before classes  today- that did not work out either as my bed was so damn comfortable.  But at last I was able to work out this evening! I decided enough was enough and I forced myself to go do it.  This sitting down and mapping out my process of motivation is pretty enlightening and hopefully I can curb it to help benefit me as I pursue this goal in the future.

I also want to give a shout out to Daniel for his support because even that little bit gave me an extra boost of motivation to go work out today!

And now that I have worked out, I definitely feel better and have more energy now (despite being sore) than I did all day today.  So maybe it would benefit me to get up before classes to workout and give me a boost of energy... though I'm afraid I'll crash by mid-day haha.  But definitely something to think about as I go forward and hopefully fall into a routine.

And so it beginnings

So, my goal is to be exercising like three times a week. This was inspired after helping Andrea move into her apartment the other day and being completely exhausted.  Realizing that I am out of shape from this (thank you Andrea for this realization) I feel that I really need to get back in shape.

Though it is not part of my primary goal I want to do some form of portion control with my eating habits as well.  This will definitely help get me back in shape and cut some weight. I would like to lose about 10 to 15 pounds of fat, but okay if the scale doesn't reflect that if I've gained back some muscle. This is a very hard task for me as I love all foods and love to eat a lot, but will help drop the weight and establish a better eating diet in the long run I think.

I think this blog will actually help me succeed in getting this routine down since its a mandatory reminder of working out. I did my first work out day yesterday which was great! (though technically I ran on Friday, but I gave up after 2 pitiful miles and so I'm counting Saturday as my first day) It was extremely hard to build the motivation, but once I got going it was great and gave me a nice burst of energy! I did mostly free weights and core training. I am a bit sore today, but according to my scale I dropped four and a half pounds since Friday morning. I know this is just a fluctuation, probably of water weight or something but its definitely still encouraging! I just need to keep up the effort.