New Installment of 9 Months Project!!!

I never ended my first 9 months project, but I'm back in action! Today is the start of my new 9 Months Project complete with pictures.  I have kept most of my weight off since a year ago.  But I did gain some back.  Last year I ran and ran and ran... a lot.  I trained and successfully completed my first mini marathon.  But I learned a lot along the way:  1) even though you are running, you still have to eat healthy if you want to lose weight, and 2) you need to incorporate strength training into your weekly routine in order to burn fat.  With this knowledge, I am starting off to a great start!  I have decided to start taking my vitamins again as well as count calories using MyFitnessPal.  I have also been trained at the gym and will incorporate strength training into my weekly routine.  I'm excited to see some results!

Here are some of my goals:

1.  Lose inches in my waist and arms.
2.  Lose 25 pounds.
4.  Don't eat fast food!
5.  No more soda, even diet soda!  Water, water, water.
6.  Look sexy for the two weddings I'll be in this coming summer!

Just like the last time, at the beginning of each month, I will post a current picture of my belly (with hopes that it is getting smaller!), and I will post the results of that month with how many inches and pounds I have lost.  Throughout the month, I will post some tips and things I have learned along the way.

Any encouragement and accountability is much appreciated! :)

Here goes nothing!! My current pictures of my belly...

April Weigh-In

Changes in Weight and Measurement Since Last Month

Weight: -6 lbs

Waist: -0.5 in

Arm: -0.5 in

Bust: -1.5 in

Thigh: -1 in

Hips: -1 in

Total Changes in Weight and Measurement

Weight: -21 lbs

Waist: -4 in

Arm: -2 in

Bust: -3.5 in

Thigh: -2 in

Hips: -2 in

Outside Running

Yesterday I ran outside for the first time. Since I started my running program, C25k, I have been running on the treadmill at my gym. I ran on the treadmill for two reasons: 1) It was too cold to run outside, and 2) Running outside intimidates me. Yesterday was the first "kinda warm" day this season, so I strapped on my tennies and headed outdoors. I downloaded a GPS feature to my C25K app on my phone. This helped a ton! I was able to start the day's run and the app tracked my speed, distance, and calories for me. Someone asked me if running outside was harder or easier than running on the treadmill. I said both. The actual mechanics of running was a little harder because you have to propel yourself forward, instead of the belt on a treadmill doing it for you. But it was easier in the sense that time moved quicker. The scenery gave me something different to look at and allowed me to take my mind off of running and how tired I was becoming. Also, I noticed that I burned the same amount of calories (according to my heart rate monitor) as I do on a treadmill, but I didn't sweat as much. I'm sure it was because it was a little chilly outside. But I loved running in the fresh air; I get so hot at the gym. I'm not sure if I will run outside all the time now, but I will surely switch it up more often. On a side note, with my run yesterday I met my new running record-- 28 minutes without stopping!!! I will do this a couple more times and the next interval up is 30. Pretty soon I'll be ready for my 5k!

What a drag...

(Warning: This post is a rant, and if you don't want to hear me complain, don't read it.)

Today I have just felt EXHAUSTED! Just mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. It really started yesterday. I drug myself to the gym and ran over 2 consecutive miles yesterday. The running itself was fine, but in my running log, I recorded that I was tired and fatigued. This morning, I was almost late to school. I overslept- yikes! I woke up later that I normally leave the house. Whoops! All day teaching I just felt like I could close my eyes and fall asleep on the spot. I went to a meeting tonight, which wore me out even more, then went to Zumba. It didn't start until 8pm and I was there 20 minutes early. Usually I do some cardio like the stairmaster or bike ahead of time... but not today. I just sat by the door watching the clock tick. I even almost left because I almost fell asleep waiting. During the class I could not give it my all. My body ached and I just was not in the right mindset to work out. I stuck it out and stayed the whole hour, but it was not easy. It's a little discouraging for me because I have been doing so well and working out has been a thrill. But not the last two days. I don't know if it is because I am getting sick (a lot of my students have been passing around a bug), or if it is because my body is tired from working out so much. Whatever it is, I hope I can kick it because I want to workout and feel good again. Well, its about 9:30 pm now and I think I'm gonna go to bed. Hopefully in the morning I wake up refreshed and strong!

My New Toy

Now nothing can stop me! I just got my Timex Digital Heart Rate Monitor in the mail. It is wonderful! After digging up some reviews on the internet and asking some friends, I have found my newest essential work out tool. For those of you who might not be familiar, a heart rate monitor (HRM) is a device that allows you to measure your heart rate in real time. It comes with a strap that you secure around your sternum. That is the part that measures your beats per minute. It then transmits the information to your watch. I can time my workout, see what my highest and lowest heart rates were during the workout, and even how many calories I burned.

With my heart rate monitor I completed a fitness test that showed me what my maximum heart rate is. Then I learned about 5 "zones" in which I can workout. The levels are different percentages of your maximum heart rate. For example the level 1 zone is the least strenuous. Your don't burn as many calories. Zone 5 will push you closer to your maximum heart rate. For the best fitness results, it is best to workout in the different zones throughout the week.

I am really excited about my new "toy". I have been logging calories according to what different websites and fitness programs say. I am always curious as to whether the cardio calories that I'm logging are accurate. Now I don't have to wonder :) This is perfect because myfitnesspal.com, which is the online service I use to log calories, urges users to eat the calories they burn. I don't want to log too many calories because I don't want to eat calories that I didn't burn. I also don't want to log too few calories and not get credit for the hard workout ;)

March Weigh-In

Changes in Weight and Measurement Since Last Month

Weight: -7.4 lbs
Waist: -1 in
Arm: -0.5 in
Bust: -1 in
Thigh: -0.5 in
Hips: -0 in


Total Changes in Weight and Measurement

Weight: -15 lbs
Waist: -3.5 in
Arm: -1.5 in
Bust: -2 in
Thigh: -1 in
Hips: -1 in

March Goals

Since a new month is coming up, I thought I'd take the liberty of setting some goals for myself. Some are fitness related, others are not. If you talk with me or see me throughout the month of March- feel free to ask me about these goals and keep me accountable! :)

1. Do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred at least 4 times a week.

2. Drink at least 10 cups of water a day.

3. Read my Bible daily.

4. Call and catch up with a friend or family member daily.

5. Be able to run 30 minutes without stopping.

Running Record :)

I just ran 25 minutes without stopping!!! It's a new record for me and I am so happy :) I never thought I would be able to run-- let alone over two miles at once!! I'm getting closer and closer to my 5K :) Just thought I would share my little victory.

Proper Running Mechanics

For the last couple weeks I have noticed a dull pain in my right knee. Its nothing sharp or unbearable, but it is definitely noticeable. And it doesn't always happen only when I'm running, I even feel the pain between runs. I know that "running" doesn't cause knee pain or injuries, but it is HOW you run. And so I decided to start taking a closer look at my mechanics of running.

When I went to BlueMile to purchase my running shoes, I got to see a video of my feet running on a treadmill. I noticed then that my fight foot points outward as I run. My left foot is nice and straight, but my fight foot is almost at a 10 degree slant to the right. I decided that my right foot slant could be the cause of my knee pain. It made sense because it is my right knee that hurts and not the left.

For my last two runs, I focused on pointing my right foot forward. It actually took a lot of effort. It felt like I was running pigeon-toed. While the unnatural feeling was difficult to withhold the duration of the run, I think that I found the culprit of my knee aches. I noticed that running with my foot forward, took the pain away from my knee.

However, because my ankle is now overcompensating and doing something so "unnatural", I noticed an ankle ache today. I am not going to give up though. If I continue training my body and teaching it to run properly, it will be well worth the temporary aches and pains. I decided to do a little research to see if my findings were common. This is part of an article from the Washington Running Report:

Keep your feet pointed in the direction you are running: If your feet splay out to the side as you run, it could create knee pain while running any distance because you are torquing your knee with every foot strike. This will eventually over- stretch the medial ligaments and tendons of the knee and lead to pain and/or injury (medial meniscus tendonitis). You will feel it as a sharp pain on the inside (medial side) of your knee.

Here is what happens. If your feet splay out with every step, you will land on the outside edge of your heel and your ankle will collapse inward. This causes over-pronation and creates a torque in your lower leg that is equivalent to someone grabbing your ankle and twisting it to the outside almost 1800 times every 10 minutes! (That is the number of strides you will take with each leg if you run a 10-minute mile with a 36 inch stride.) It does not take very many miles of running this way for your knees to start feeling the stress. Running this way could eventually hyperextend the medial ligaments and tendons of your kneecap.

What to do: Learn to run with your feet pointed in the direction you are headed. But do not just point your foot forward. Rotate your entire leg inward towards your centerline until your feet are parallel and pointing forward. This will strengthen your adductors (the muscles that run along your inner thighs) and straighten out your legs. This allows your knees to hinge in the direction they were designed to, instead of twisting as they bend.

If your feet turn out, your heel will strike on the lateral side and your ankle will pronate as your ankle supports your weight. If your feet splay out a lot, it will probably feel like you are pigeon-toed when you try to point your feet forward. If that is the case, rotate your legs medially only as far as you can, without feeling discomfort. Increase the amount you rotate your legs inward in small increments over a number of weeks or months, to give the muscles, tendons, and fascia in your legs, feet, and knees time to adjust to the new direction of movement. Changing the biomechanics of your body takes time and persistence, but it is well worth it if you never have to deal with knee pain again.

Ice Ice, Baby!

I got my first workout injury... and I'm not even mad! I was in Zumba tonight and somehow (don't ask me how) I really hurt one of my toes on my right foot. And, if you've ever done Zumba, you know how much twisting and jumping there is! I finished the class tonight, but the pain just kinda shot through my whole foot. I'm confident that it isn't a break, merely a small injury. It now has only a dull pain. But the best thing I can do for a quick recovery is to ice it. Ice Ice, Baby!

Here is a picture of my first workout injury. Ladies and gents, make sure you take care of your bodies! And ice those injuries!

Case of the Red Face

If you are like me, your face gets red when working out. I can remember even as a child, my face would get really red whenever I did some major exercising, especially running. When I was in 5th grade, I played soccer and was actually pretty good. However, my coach would pull me out for breaks because I looked like death with my beet red face. I felt fine, but my face told a different story. I also remember back to middle school and high school when we had to run the mile for a grade. Not only was I exhausted afterward, but my face would be red for the entire period after gym class. For a teenager, that was quite embarrassing!

Now that I have been running and really exerting myself, I have noticed the case of the red face resurfacing. I thought I was doing something wrong to cause this... so, I did some research. Several sites, including ehow, taught me that while exercising your face turns red because it is your body's way of cooling off. You are heated and your fast-pumping blood is rushing to your head (your brain). Your body sweats and your blood vessels dilate to help cool you off.

Any preventions? Nope. The only thing that might help a little is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. You should also wear clothes that are "breathable." It also helps to workout in a cooler environment. The other thing you could potentially do is decrease the intensity of your workout... but I don't suggest that. With all this being said, I am going to continue working out as usual and just hope that I don't scare anyone with my rudolf effect.

You spin me right round, baby, right round!

I have been going to a spinning class every Thursday for the last three weeks. The class is held at my gym, LA Fitness, and is called "Cycle." I have heard others talk about this class and had always wanted to try it out. But the intimidation overwhelmed me. I always heard how difficult the class was, but also how great a workout it was. I finally worked up the courage to pursue my first spinning class. I invited three friends who were also members of the gym to come with me; none of them could. I didn't want to go the first time on my own... but I had already mentally prepared myself to go so I finally decided to just go for it! I arrived at the gym and the instructor was very helpful. She showed me how to set up my bike and showed me how to change the resistance. I had my water bottle, my towel, and I was ready to go!

What I found is that I LOVE SPINNING!!!! It is a difficult class, but you control your own bike. The instructor will tell you to increase the resistance on your bike, and you can move the lever at the rate that is appropriate for your own fitness level. The most difficult part of the class was for one whole song we stood up for 8 seconds, sat for 8 seconds, up for 8, down for 8, and so on. We did this while pedaling quickly at a high resistance level. It was like doing squats on the bike!

The intensity of a spinning class is determined by the following three factors:

- Your resistance

- Speed of pedaling

- Your body position (sitting in the saddle, standing straight up without weight on your handle bars, or standing and learning forward on your handle bars)

I try to push myself a little more each week. I get a wonderful workout and I don't even have to wear a helmet!

February Weigh-In

Changes in Weight and Measurement Since Last Month

Weight: -6.6 lbs

Waist: -1 in

Arm: -0.5 in

Bust: -1 in

Thigh: -0.5 in

Hips: -1 in

Total Changes in Weight and Measurement

Weight: -7.6 lbs

Waist: -2.5 in

Arm: -1 in

Bust: -1 in

Thigh: -0.5 in

Hips: -1 in

New Pumps!

After talking to some experienced runners, I learned that one staple for running is good running shoes. If you run with old, worn shoes you could get hurt. My friend and I went to a running store called BlueMile in Fishers. At this particular store, they video tape your feet as your run on the treadmill. After reviewing the tape, the sales associate helps you find shoes to meet your particular running style. I learned from watching my video, that my feel pronate as I run. This means that I slightly lean in on my feet when I run. I purchased some "stability" shoes.

These shoes offer extra stability in the inner part of my shoes so that I don't get hurt as I run. The particular shoes that I picked out are New Balance. They feel so comfortable! My new shoes help motivate me to keep up with my running!

Fast Food

Since I've been counting my calories, I decided to look up how many calories each of my favorite fast food meals consisted of. I was shocked at what I found. And I am so happy I have changed my eating habits. Eating out just once in a day takes up most of my daily calories. Soooo not worth it! I will definitely limit my fast food intake. Take a look at what I found:

Wendy's

• Spicy Chicken Sandwich: 460 calories
• Natural Cut Fries (Medium): 420 calories
• Sweet Tea (Medium): 140 calories
• Total: 1020 calories

McDonald's

• 10 piece Chicken Nuggets: 460 calories
• Medium French Fries: 380 calories
• Sweet ‘n Sour Sauce (2): 100 calories
• Sweet Tea (Large): 280 calories
• Total: 1220 calories

Taco Bell

• Mexican Pizza: 540 calories
• Soft Tacos (2): 480 calories
• Hot Sauce (6): 10 calories
• Light Lemonade (Medium): 10 calories
• Total: 1030 calories

Papa Johns

• Pepperoni Pizza: 210 calories per slice
• Total: 630 calories

Subway

• 6” Chicken Bacon Ranch: 650 calories
• Sunchips Harvest Cheddar: 210 calories
• Dr. Pepper: 200 calories
• Total: 1060 calories

Calorie Conscious

Some friends introduced me to a program online called myfitnesspal.com. If you are interested in counting your calories, this site is so incredibly helpful! They help set you up with a goal of how many calories you should consume per day. Then you log the food you eat and the water you drink throughout the day, and the site calculates how many total calories you have consumed that day and how many calories you have yet to eat. You can also log any cardio or strength training you do. My daily goal is around 1500 calories. My eyes have been opened to how much food I was eating before. I have to consume much less in order to reach my calorie goal. I also have to choose much healthier alternatives to the foods I had been eating before.

In addition to being more calorie conscious. I have done some research about losing weight and calories. Everything says to effectively lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume each day. At first I thought, how am I supposed to burn 2,000 calories at the gym?! Thats a loooong time on the treadmill. Then I remembered that you lose calories doing everyday things. I was curious how many calories I lose just doing my normal daily routines. I found this website: www.healthstatus.com. On this site, you can log how many minutes you do each of the listed activities a day. Then they give you a breakdown of how many calories you burn doing those activities. I found out I burned a little over 2,000 calories on a daily basis just doing the things I normally do. This is great because when I go workout at the gym, I am going above and beyond bringing me closer to my weight goal.

Activity	Calories burned
Brush teeth	7
Reading	31
Writing	46
Walking - up stairs	59
Housework	64
Talking on phone	93
Hairstyling	96
Walking 2 mph	243
Driving	371
Standing	521
Sleeping	567
Total Calories Burned	2,098

Falling Victim to Holiday Hunger

Dear Health Savvy Internet Surfers,

Yikes. I did it. I ate Christmas cookies, pie, candy, lots of chocolate, alcohol, servings of homecookin' upon servings. And to top it all off, I neglected to work out for almost two whole weeks! I had decided to let my guard down for "just one day". But one day turned into several days of laziness and gluttony. I'm not too happy I let this happen... however, in spite of my little downfall, I MANAGED TO LOSE 1.3 POUNDS! Now I realize that this isn't much weight to lose considering it had been a whole month since my last weight in. But like I said in a previous post, most Americans gain at least one pound per holiday season. My goal for December was to at least maintain my weight. AND I DID IT!!! Now that I am back at school working, I've got my routines back, and there are fewer gluttonous gatherings, I should be able to lose more weight this month. I'll keep you updated.

Sincerely,

Obese Optimist

January Weigh-In

Changes in Weight and Measurement Since Last Month

Weight: -1.3 lbs

Waist: -1.5 in

Arm: -0.5 in

Bust: -0 in

Thigh: -0 in

Hips: -0 in

Wave Goodbye to Flabby Arms

I call them "flabby arms." My best friend calls them "lunch lady arms." Others call them "chicken wing arms." But whatever you call them, you know what I'm talking about. You know...the part of your arm that flaps when you wave goodbye. Here let me show you mine:

I am determined to tone my arms. So far I have been very disciplined with working out at the gym about five times a week. My workout routine consists of an hour on the treadmill with a five minute stretch at the end. And on Tuesdays I do Zumba. I would like to start introducing some weights and other exercises to my workout ritual. In one article I read, the author pointed out that many woman want to reduce the "flab" so they only focus on their triceps. Your triceps consist of 60% of your arm muscle and your biceps are the other 40%. Well, 60% and 40% really aren't that far apart. And the author warned readers that you can't only work your triceps-- work them both so you have an overall toned arm.

Some good arm workouts include, of course, dumb bell curls, push-ups, overhead extensions, and chair dips. Isometric-Training.com is a good website I found with some good triceps exercises. They even have funny little animations to show you how to do the exercises. I would like to start introducing some of these techniques into my routine. So maybe come spring I'll be ready for tank top weather!

The Pains of Holiday Gains

I could only assume that many people gain weight around the holiday season. With Thanksgiving-- the holiday intended to gorge yourself till you have to change into sweatpants because your jeans suddenly don't fit anymore, and Christmas-- the time of year for all the yummy treats and sweets! I decided to look into this theory more to see whether my hypothesis was indeed correct for the average American (or whether it was just true for me!). After reading recent articles from The New York Times and from CNN Health I learned that some Americans gain 5 to 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the average person gains 1 pound. However they did mention that individuals who are already overweight tend to gain more than 1 pound during this festive time of year.

My hope is that during this season I do not gain weight, not even one pound like the average American. I would love to lose weight this month, but if I can manage to at least not gain weight in December I will be pleased. I am not technically dieting. I am eating better and making healthier choices, but I have learned that when I "diet" I get psychologically frustrated and have a hard time being successful in my endeavors. So instead, I don't "diet" I just eat better. I don't eat out as much, I don't drink soda, I only eat 1 cookie instead of 4. With all this being said, I don't plan to deprive myself of the holiday yummies. But rather, I will eat smaller portions less frequently.

I found a great article from Health Guidance, which outlines 5 tips for keeping the weight off during the holidays. They are as follows:

#1 Drink Water-- And Lots of It!

#2 Increase Your Exercise a Little Bit Every Day

#3 Cut Back Where You Can at Other Meals

#4 Eat What You Like-- But Only a Few Bites

#5 Don't Eat After 7:00pm

Enjoy those Christmas cookies!! (But don't forget your sit-ups that night ;) )