Week Eighteen & Nineteen – Heavy Set

I can’t believe as of tomorrow I only have two more months left. Knowing this is definitely exciting and also a little terrifying at the same time. I know that I really have to step up my game if I am going to make my goal by the end of the year…

Actually everyone said it would happen and I’m starting to worry that maybe I’ve hit the dreaded plateau cause I barely lost one pound these past two weeks. Granted it was a big one-pound cause it threw me to the 50 pound mark, but its still only one pound.

I think maybe I’ve been a little too relaxed these past couple weeks. I know it’s nuts to think that working out 7 hours a week is a ‘relaxed’ week but if I want the weight to continue to come off I guess have to do more because apparently I’m not working out enough or maybe I’m eating too much… whatever I’m doing wrong, the bottom line is the weight isn’t dropping like I’d hoped and the only thing I can think of to do is work harder.

Here’s what I’ve done these past couple weeks:

10/16 3 mile walk at Hermann; 791 calories burned
10/18 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/18 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/20 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/20 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/22 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/22 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/25 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/25 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/27 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/27 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/28 3 mile walk at Memorial; 791 calories burned
10/29 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/29 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned

Even though I haven’t been putting in as many hours as I have in past weeks, I feel like I am working harder than ever. Whether it’s the Zumba gang or Justin, I’m constantly being pushed to increase my intensity. Working out with Justin these past couple of weeks I’ve really noticed a difference in the amount of weights I can now pull, push, squat, and lift. I still can’t believe it but last night I was able to do 120-pound leg presses, by far my heaviest set.

Truth be told, I’m really happy with where I’m at at this point. Not that I am throwing in the towel by any means. I told myself I would lose 75 pounds by the end of the year and I’m going to do it. Its just I’m really happy at this point. I like the way I feel, I like fitting into smaller clothes, I like the complements I’m receiving. The only thing I don’t like is the idea of not losing these last 25 pounds!

You know maybe there is something behind me feeling too relaxed; so I guess the million dollar question is: How do I physically finish a race that I've mentally already finished?

Week Seventeen – Double Standards

This week marks my 4-month anniversary and I’m happy to report that I’ve lost almost 50 pounds - well 49 to be exact!

So far (for those of you keeping score) I’ve worked out for 97 hours, burned a little over 82,000 calories and have taken 45 Zumba Classes. Damn, just writing that makes me tired!

Seeing the finish line approaching (Vegas Baby), I’ve decided to workout with Justin three times a week now instead of just once on Saturday mornings. Although sometimes exhausting, I’m really hope doing these double workouts will pay off. I guess you can say I have to step it up if I want to double down!

It’s not just on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays that I am working out for two hours – I’m trying to fit in extra workouts wherever I can:

10/09 30 minutes on the bike; 692 calories burned
10/09 30 minutes on the elliptical; 396 calories burned
10/09 30 minutes of weights; 363 calories burned
10/10 3 mile walk at Memorial; 791 calories burned
10/10 30 minutes on the bike; 692 calories burned
10/10 30 minutes on the elliptical; 396 calories burned
10/11 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/11 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/13 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/13 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/14 3 mile walk at Hermann; 791 calories burned
10/14 30 minutes on the elliptical; 396 calories burned
10/14 30 minutes of weights; 363 calories burned
10/15 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/15 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned

Although I have no idea who won the Commit To Fit contest last month, I do know it’s working. Not only have I proven to myself and I guess others too that I am committed; I can really tell that I’m getting stronger… and I guess that's the closest thing to a sure bet!

Week Sixteen – Moment Of Weakness

After the week I had last week and celebrating my birthday this week I was a little scared to get on the scale but I am happy to report I lost a few more pounds. I can’t believe I have lost 46 pounds in only 16 weeks. Talk about a sweet sixteen!

Although I am celebrating now, this past week wasn’t filled with celebrations. For the past few days I’ve been fighting off a cold and have just really felt drained. There were a couple days I just didn’t want to exercise and unfortunately took comfort in some foods I shouldn’t have. Hey we all have our weaknesses...

My week started off on my birthday. This was the first day I wasn’t feeling great and rationalized my lethargic mindset as having to do with not working out so I ended up going for a five-mile walk/jog. I really walked three miles and jogged two. Although in my mind I am running, I don’t want to offend actual runners by calling my speed level a run.

Although I wasn’t feeling great I decided I would still workout with Justin on Saturday morning. In retrospect, working out for two hours wasn’t probably the best idea. Towards the end of Justin’s workout my body just shut down on me (literally). Not only was I having to be aided by Justin just to finish all three sets, when we were doing triceps dips my arms just gave out on me and I ended up falling to the floor. At that point I wanted to just throw in the towel and go home but I didn’t. I finished the workout and even somehow managed to pull it together for an hour of Zumba.

I ended up missing Zumba Monday night in hopes of recuperating my ailing body and thankfully it worked. By Tuesday evening I was back on track. Actually, I was on a new track…

I’ve wanted to go to Hermann Park to exercise for some time but for some reason I always end up going to Memorial Park instead, that is until this past Tuesday. Although there wasn’t a lot of eye candy like Memorial Park (read: women) it was fun having new scenery to look at. At first I ran by the San Jacinto Reflection Pool and then around the Miller Outdoor Theatre and back around by the paddleboats and lake. That must have been the one-mile course because before I knew it I was back at my car. Not fulfilled, I set out on another trail. This time I went north along Fannin into the Medical Center. I turned by Memorial Hermann Hospital and went down past Ben Taub Hospital. All of a sudden I realized I was by the zoo when I heard the roar of an elephant. It was pretty cool to peek through the fence and watch him get a bath. Losing daylight I stepped up the pace and ran around the Hermann Golf Course and The Museum Of Natural Science.

Even though I was running at what I thought was a pretty good speed, I was still getting passed, which I was ok with cause I was passing people too, the walkers! And at that moment it hit me - I need to stop trying to keep up with people and just stick with my own pace. Not just on the track but in the gym too. Just like the more experienced runners, I need to stop trying to keep up with Denise. And who knows, I might pass Denise up down the road too...

Having such a great workout Tuesday night encouraged me to really step up my game last night. Before Zumba I did 30 minutes on treadmill. (Note: don’t leave your water bottle on the treadmill when you are running). After Zumba I went home and ate and decided I would go down to my gym and work out a little bit more. I ended up spending an hour and half down there. Let me just say, thank God for Skelaxins!

10/02 5 mile walk/jog; 791 calories burned
10/04 Commit To Fit, One Hour; 1091 calories burned
10/04 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/07 5 mile walk/jog at Hermann; 791 calories burned
10/08 30 minutes on treadmill; 273 calories burned
10/08 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned
10/09 30 minutes on the bike; 692 calories burned
10/09 30 minutes on the elliptical; 396 calories burned
10/09 30 minutes of weights; 363 calories burned

All in all I am really happy with my progress; not only for this past week but for the past sixteen weeks. For the first time I can see how your best strengths can come out during your worst moments of weakness. And even though it sucked at the time, I glad I'm dealing with my weaknesses cause I knoq I am already stronger because of it.

Week Fifteen – Outlook(ing) Good

I’m a pretty optimistic person. My glass is generally half full. Hell, even my blood type is B positive! I don’t know what I did to anger the Gods, but for some reason my week went from bad to worse…

Last week my week ended with being pulled over and getting three citations and a couple days later I damaged my car while pulling into my parking garage. Then on Sunday I received a call from my dad saying he called EMS for my mom because she was having trouble breathing - turns out she had pneumonia and has been in the hospital all week. As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, on Tuesday I had to have my car towed to the dealership cause I couldn’t put it into reverse.

Not to shift gears, and needless to say, working out has been pretty non-existent this past week. Actually the last time I was able to work out was this past Saturday. Thankfully it was for two hours!

09/27 Commit To Fit - One Hour; 1091 calories burned
09/27 Zumba class for an hour; 838 calories burned

Well unlike my car, things are starting to turn around. My mom is being released from the hospital today and hopefully I will have my car released soon as well.

Although I am not able to go to the mall to weigh-in at GNC like I normally do, I can tell I’m still losing weight. Primarily in the way my clothes fit. Because I wasn’t prepared to be away from home this long when I came down I’ve had to wash and reuse my two sets of scrubs I brought with me. I actually found some old clothes I had at my parent’s house but I was unable to wear them because they were way too big. Although it would have been nice to wear them in this emergency situation, it really made me happy to see just how much smaller I am now…

That’s one of the hard things about losing weight. I want to go out and buy a bunch of smaller clothes but I know this is just a stepping stone stage and don’t want to invest in clothes that will hopefully be too big for me in another month or so. Like I said, optimism is in my blood!