Mon 1/20 (Day 20): wow, am i really one-fifth of the way through my first 100 days of exercise journalling?
Jazzercise class, 7pm. This one seemed fixated on the quads, thighs, glutes more than anything else. Lots of plié moves, lunges, etc. Good stuff. Stopped for a smoothie at Smoothie King, and I actually had to analyze the menu and nutrition guide, because rather than the 190-calorie slim-and-trim-orange-vanilla I get when I go there, I needed to *add* calories to my day as I’d only had 850 or so during the day, even though I ate plenty as far as appetite was concerned. Weird. I had the Activator Chocolate at a whopping 400 calories, then drank about half of it, grabbed a green tea and hit the treadmill for 30 minutes, then some additional weights. Kind of a light add-on to my night, but now I’m showered, finishing my smoothie, and I feel really good, like that after-swimming tired. I am soooo grateful for having no back pain and for feeling well. Remind me not to take that for granted.
Thank you, Sadi! I was really quite scared that my back pain would be ongoing and I’d end up giving up. Last time I suffered a lot of pain for almost a year. This time I was willing to be proactive, and also I think my chiropractor is very caring and committed. Sure, he’s young enough to be my son I think, and I refer to him as Dr. Goofy, but he’s really made a difference, and so have my stretches. Not having pain is a good thing, but not worrying about causing pain is a real load off my mind. Happy new year, lumbar vertebrae!
Tue 1/8 (Day 21): one hour Jazzercise class, after the chiro adjustment which was nice because I was a bit sore from yesterday’s workout. Not ow-pain-sore, just good muscle-workout sore.
Tonight we did a lot of arm work again, and my biceps, triceps, and delts are pinging. I had to shift to the 6lb weights to handle all the reps. There was just no way I was getting on the treadmill after class tonight. I’m really tired. I hit the supermarket and bought some food to get me through the rest of the week, including some Egg Beaters and some multigrain bread, as I’m going to try to up my morning eating.
I’m going to plan on packing some workout togs in the morning, but I’ll play it by ear and tomorrow might need to be a rest day, depending on my energy level. I think the iron is helping a bit but I feel pretty fatigued, even though I’ve been getting solid sleep at night. This was the first time in a while I had two class nights in a row, and I’m feelin’ it. But, on the other hand, it feels really good to have worked my muscles. Might need to think about scheduling a massage soon.
Wed 1/9 (Day 22): a much needed evening of rest. Tough week.
Thu 1/10 (Day 23): Jazzercise class. Was feeling tired all week, so I made sure I had all my gear in the car and went straight from work to the center, getting there about half-way through the 5:30p class. I changed and did some of the strength portion at the end of that class, then dustmopped the floor between classes and got ready for the 7p class. They’re really working our arms in the new routines, but the backs of my legs are achin’ too. I think we’re all feeling it. Have had to use a lower weight to be able to do all the reps, particularly that tricep move behind the backs of our heads. Owie.
Fri 1/11 (Day 24): rest day, with chiropractic appointment. He noticed the muscle tightness from the workouts.
Sat 1/12 (Day 25): Jazzercise. Did both the 8a and 915a classes. Some changeups, but many routines were done twice, and I feel it. Skipped the latte this morning, so by late afternoon I needed a big ol’ nap. Lovely.
Thanks, MB! I believe is is helping, everything is helping slowly. I’m tinkering with a lot of things at one time, so it’s hard to say what combination of things is doing what.
Sunday 1/14 (Day 26): a rest day. I had time, but not much energy.
Monday 1/15 (Day 27): 7pm Jazzercise class. The arm (particularly overhead tricep) work is getting a bit easier with repetition.
Wed 1/16 (Day 28): rest day/evening.
Thu 1/17: Jazzercise class at 7pm. There are four different routines in the strength portion that challenge the arms. Triceps, biceps, delts, rhomboids. Most of which is concurrent with some oblique or quad/glute work. It’s all getting slowly a bit easier with repetition. I slip down to the lower dumbbell as needed. Might have to bring mine back into the office to use at various intervals.
Fri 1/18 (Day 31), Sat 1/19 IDay 32), Sun 1/20 (Day 33): no regular exercise routine. Did a weekend out of town and other than a little stretching, it was a rare weekend off for me. Guess that means I have to ‘hit it hard’ this week to catch up.
Mon 1/21 (Day 34): Jazzercise at 7pm. We had some new people (yea!) which is always motivating. Good set. I thought about doing the treadmill tonight, but think I am still a little tired from some late hours this weekend. I still seem to be up and down the same 2.5 pounds.
Still, I was ready to get back into the routine, and listened to several podcasts today to rev up my week. In addition to the Daily Boost, I do Fitness Rocks and the Logical Weight Loss Podcast.
Tue 1/22: Wow, I feel so off-track. I got stuck at work trying to fix a presentation for which the video wouldn’t play, then wouldn’t show up on the projector, and all sorts of other issues and revisions, and had to cancel my chiropractor visit at the last minute, plus miss Jazzercise. I NEVER miss class. I left a voice mail, as I check everyone in and I wasn’t sure Judy knew how to do a financial transaction should she need to. I showed up anyway about 10 minutes before class ended, to check.
Now not only did I miss my Saturday class, but I only worked out once in the last five days. If I weren’t dead-tired I’d make myself do something now. Hopefully the distractions will disburse and I’ll get back into the flow. I really feel like I’m making no progress whatsoever. And I still didn’t get to the supermarket to buy healthy foods. Ate the last of my Egg Beaters today for lunch, as it was all I had.
Wed 1/23 (Day 36): Inadvertent rest day. I was going to hit the treadmill but went back to the office after the chiropractor visit, and got involved in some stuff that had me there late.
Thu 1/24 (Day 37): Jazzercise 7pm class. Worked hard. Used both ankle and wrist weights, which seem to get to my target heart rate faster, then peeled them off when we were working full-out. Noticed, since I’ve been a customer service rep for class, I’ve been hanging in the back to catch the latecomers and be available if someone walks in. But the floor was crowded in the back, so I did my workout right up front. There’s nothing like the idea that everyone else is watching you to make you go THAT much harder at it! I miss the front, actually.
Weight, finally dipped below that 160 mark again this morning, though it probably is above it now. I think there’s no way I’m going to achieve the 5 lb drop in January. I just could not sustain needle movement right now. But I’m happy I at least have kept going with my program.
Fri 1/25 (Day 38): Return To The Treadmill. Okay, sounds like a bad sequel, doesn’t it? But it was a pretty good sequel. My chiropractor (new one, as Dr. Goofy and he switched offices within the same practice) was checking in with me and I mentioned I was stuck above the 160 mark. He gave me some food advice, and asked what I’m doing on my non-Jazzercise days for cardio. Honestly, some days I don’t do anything other than a bit of walking. I used to do class six days a week but I’ve been doing more rest days, oddly enough, since I started this thread, though it was more about concern for my back initially.
So tonight I MADE myself hit the treadmill. Someone was on the other one. I started off thinking, at least do 20 minutes. At about 18 I thought, oh, I’ll just do 30. Then I flipped over to miles instead. Oh, I’ll just do 2 miles. Then 2.25, then 2.5, finally 3 miles in about 50 minutes. Not super fast, a bit of 15% slope in the middle, but mostly just 6-10. Then I did the quad machine and the arm thingy, didn’t count the reps but first one then the other, each twice until I tired out. Didn’t want to overdo it and be sore for tomorrow morning as I hope to once again double my Jazzercise classes. My heart monitor said I burned 410 calories.
Nice warm shower. I don’t really want dinner, I’ll just air-pop a bit of popcorn. I need to stretch some more though. And I think I need new walking shoes. Could use a bit more cushion.
Sat 1/25 (Day 39): Double Jazzercise class, 8-9a and 915-1015a. Two very good workouts, with some fast paced routines. Used wrist weights and got the heart rate up rather fast. (I have just caught on, but I do the moves with much better extension/arm motion when I’m up front, as I was for both sessions this morning, knowing the women behind me can see my lazy butt if I don’t. I can also see my reflection in the tinted windows up front. Seeing my body’s line makes me move better.)
Oddly, at the end of the first class, I had a moderate pain sort of around my left collarbone which I don’t understand. Might have just irritated a muscle or tendon. I almost stopped at the chiro on the way home, but thought I’d just try a hot shower and a bit of rest. Did something I rarely do—I turned my heat on during the day, in Northeast Florida. It’s cool and rainy and my apartment has east-facing windows, so stays very cool. Since I plan a brief nap, I wanted to bring the temp up to “snuggly.”
Later I need to go my produce run, halfway across town for the good ripe tomatoes and such, and I am feeling ambitious and may buy a few items of clothing. I still hate spending the money as I’m not finished losing weight (I hope) but I need a few warmer things to make it through even the Florida winter. My old sweaters are huge on me now. I may even buy a few new workout items. And socks. Never needed so many pairs of socks in my life!
Sun 1/26 (Day 40): Treadmill, 1.5 miles in 27 minutes, not super fast, but the middle 10 minutes or so on 15% incline, the highest setting, so I worked myself into a sweat pretty quickly. Did a little quad and delt work afterwards, though keeping it brief due to impending Jane Austen dose on PBS last night ("Mansfield Park"). Hey, priorities; I almost never turn my set on anymore...and I actually work in TV so it’s kind of weird. Best news of all, since Friday night, every weigh-in has put me under the irksome 160 mark. This morning, 158.0. I celebrated by getting out early and going to the supermarket to make sure I have protein and fiber for the rest of this week. My chiro recommended the Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread, which my supermarket has in its freezer section with the organic and vegetarian foods.
Mon 1/27 (Day 41): 7pm Jazzercise class. Good workout, but no screamin’ tricep routine tonight. Guess I’ll have to work them on my own. I was going to do a little treadmill after class, but as I drove by the fitness room in my complex, there were guys on both treadmills. I was really needing to get it out of the way then, so I just showered and changed. Perhaps I’ll get up early and do it then.
Sad news tonight before class: the sister of one of my instructors was just diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She has two kids and is about 5 months pregnant. They are going to do a mastectomy right away, and the cancer’s in her lymph nodes so they want to start radiation. I will be thinking of her and all she’s going through. I have been putting off a mammogram for quite a while now, but will definitely get the paperwork out and make an appointment.
