I’m thrilled to be able to relate that I’ve been exercising again this week. And I’m hoping that by telling all of you that I am, I’ll be more inclined to CONTINUE said exercise program again.
You know, I hadn’t realized how much forward progress I had made when I was exercising the last time until this week when I started over again, and was back to struggling through. Back to looking at the counter on the DVD player and thinking, “Oh my goodness, are you SURE it’s only been 5 minutes?”
And I don’t know if you guys have realized the very best part of exercising… if I find that I’m not losing weight at the rate I feel like I should, I have a ready made excuse. Muscle weighs more than fat! So clearly, I am both losing fat AND gaining muscle, hence the barely moving scale. Okay, that might not always be the truth, but it makes me feel better…

Today is my second day of using the Weight Watchers food plan. So far, so good. I had gotten into quite the habit of just grazing all evening, so I’m struggling a little bit. It’s going to be good to re-teach myself when I’m hungry. Like right now. I’m blogging to keep myself busy for a minute because I want to go look for something to eat. I’m not hungry, but I keep trying to convince myself that I am. What’s with that?
I’ve been home from work for 2 hours and all I’ve had to eat is dinner? Oh, the horrors! I have some points left, so I will get a snack later, but right now I’m wanting to graze for the sake of grazing, and that’s going to be a struggle for a little bit I think.
I need to start thinking about exercise soon… I’ll still use my exercise DVDs that I have (I really wanted to add the word hopefully here, but what kind of a commitment is that?), but I’d like to do other things too. I had been thinking I might do some walking/jogging outside, but winter snuck right up on me. I’m in Indiana, and we’ve got some snow and ice on the ground now. Yeah, I don’t think so. I’d really love to get a treadmill or elliptical so that I could get moving… inside, where it’s warm. Even if it were a decent temperature outside… my neighborhood is not so great between the traffic and the creepy people lurking outside the bar down the road.

I’m kind of reevaluating my exercise program. I fully intend to keep doing it– I’m enjoying it so far, and I think it will really work for me in the long run. What’s not working for me, however, is the current rotation. As it stands now, my “rest” days on this program are Tuesdays and Saturdays. That’s not bad, but Mondays and Fridays would be more beneficial. I missed Friday’s workout because I didn’t have time. Well, I could’ve MADE time, but there were other things that I needed to do, and I chose not to do that. I think that’s a choice I’m going to be faced with a lot on Fridays, so I think I’m just going to take that out of my hands. I can’t be trusted to make the right decisions– if I could, I wouldn’t be fat!!

My mom told me today that she can see a difference in me, right under my chest. I’m not sure I see it, but it was nice to hear that- a little bit of encouragement. The diabetes walk was this morning too, so I did get some walking in. I told my mom that we must have lost 10 lbs just in sweat!

I’m about to make a statement that I never thought I’d hear myself make– I’m looking forward to my work out tonight. *gasp* Okay, take a breath, recover from the shock of that statement. But it’s true!! The program I’m using has two scheduled rest days a week, and yesterday was one of them. I didn’t mind the rest, but it felt a bit weird to not have something to do last night. And I find myself actually anticipating the one scheduled for tonight. I don’t expect this mindset to last forever, so I’m going to enjoy it while I can. I think tonight I’m scheduled to use the tape I’ve only done once thus far.

My right leg is really kind of bothering me today though… real achy, right above the knee. I don’t know why, but I’m hoping it won’t interfere with working out tonight. All I know is that no matter how I sit at work today, it just keeps aching.

The Firm lulls you into false sense of security! lol I kept mentioning that I was expecting to feel sore after the workouts last week, and it just wasn’t happening. Well, apparently week one is just to get you started… week two is when the ass-kicking begins! Yesterday was Hi-Def Sculpt, full length, with the weights. Let me tell you, today my thighs are screaming at me. Can’t you hear them? It sounds something like “Sit down, FatAss!” Of course, I’m used to sliding back and forth at my desk, so everytime I use my foot to push my chair closer to the phone, or closer to the file drawer, my thighs cry “Traitor!”

I didn’t pack my lunch today because I didn’t go grocery shopping over the weekend. I’m hoping they have something decent to eat… or that the salad bar at least is stocked well. Mondays are hit and miss as far as the cafeteria is concerned. I should balance my checkbook and put together a list for the grocery store.

Tonight is Cardio Party again, I believe. We’ll see if I can manage to keep up a little longer this time. It seems to get a little better each time, but I’ve not been sore at the beginning of the workout before either. Should be interesting!

Yesterday was a round of Hi-Def Sculpt Express, with weights. I made it through the whole thing (it was only 25 minutes) and I felt like I was really working my muscles! Tonight was Cardio Party again. I know it’s only the second time with that particular DVD, but so far I just don’t like it. I did as much as I could, but it’s more than not being able to keep up. 2/5ths of the video is dance-type moves, and I just don’t have that coordination, or capability really. I do what I can, and try to keep moving. There were a few times that I stopped and rested a minute, and I skipped the last section, again. But it was better than the first time, so little bit at a time. That’s the only way to go, right? Right.

I’m afraid the food is going to sabotage my progress this week though. I’ve taken my lunch the last several days, but dinner has been not so good for me. Got to get that under control.

I somehow got a day behind on posting about the Firm here. I started with Hi-Def Sculpt on Sunday, Cardio Party was on Monday, and yesterday was a day to rest. I’ll have to check the little calendar before I start tonight, but I *think* Hi-Def Sculpt express w/ weights is scheduled.

Anyways. Cardio Party. HA!! Can you hear me laughing all the way over there? I sooo could not keep up! This really showed me just how far I have to go. I don’t have the necessary coordination for this tape, but I’ll keep slugging through it. I kept finding that by the time I’d figure out the move they were doing, they’d moved on to something else. I did poop out a little early on this DVD cause the last section was all salsa/latin dance inspired moves… I was tired, I couldn’t keep up, and I couldn’t even figure out what I was supposed to be doing!! Still not very sore from this, but I’m sure it’s coming!

Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up a little better/hang in there a little longer next time this DVD comes into rotation.

The first workout in the Firm plan (they give you a suggested rotation) is the Hi-Def Sculpt. Let me tell you, the Firm is going to kick my ass. I didn’t use the weights since they suggest you not use them in the beginning, especially if you’ve not been working out, and I was still dying. I knew it was going to be promising when the warm up was wearing me out! I can definitely tell that I have a long way to go.

The downfall of doing exercise in my living room is the cats. They were interested, but leaving me alone for most of it, but once I got to the on the floor exercise, Pudge decided he needed attention. A good thing I wasn’t using the weights because he kept getting in the way, and he’d have a sore noggin right now!

I’m scared to see how sore I’m going to be from this. Maybe not tomorrow, but by the end of this week? Yikes! Next is Cardio Party… should be interesting!

So now we know where I’m starting… what’s the plan to make a change? I’m starting with exercise. I ordered the Firm’s TransFIRMation system, and I’m going to start there. They promise recognizable results in just 10 workouts, so I’ll be putting that to the test.

It comes with 4 different exercise DVDs, and a set of fully customizable weights.

I borrowed my mom’s measuring tape since mine seems to have gone MIA, and I got all my measurements. Did you know it’s really hard to take your own measurements? LOL I’ll measure again in two weeks after the 10 workouts to see what has or hasn’t changed.

I’ll be adding dietary changes into the mix eventually, but I am going to do one thing at a time. I’m not sure I can make the whole overhaul at once and not risk giving up too quickly.