Days 7 through 1 & beyond - Ultimate Cliff Hanger

Sooooo...Um, yeah. It's been a minute. A very hot minute!

I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging with my progress, but life just got completely hectic. So hectic that I haven't even exercised consistently for the past 2+ months. Now that's not to say that I haven't exercised at all. I have - just not as much as I would've liked. Not being lazy or anything, but I really have been that busy and that drained from being so busy.

But I'm trying to manage things better. Because, if I don't take care of myself...well...you know the drill.

So what have I been doing since I last wrote? Well, I've been walking to and fro the office (instead of taking the bus from the train) to maintain some kind of physical activity. And, when I've been able, I turn to Cardio Core Express for a quick cardio boost. I've also been doing a pretty good job of maintaining a healthy diet. So all has not been completely lost!

Oh, and I did finally try 6 Week 6 Pack. I was majorly disappointed! Not because it was a wack workout, but because it was a strength training workout. I thought it was a cardio workout that focused on the abs (similar to Cardio Core Express), but I was wrong. It's a core strengthening workout that incorporates some cardio - but not enough to get my heart pumping in the way that I wanted.

The verdict: 6 Week 6 Pack is a great core workout (trust - I felt it the next day!), and I will go back to it once I get closer to my target weight. But, for now, I'm shelving it to continue focusing on shedding lbs/burning fat.

And now, the news you've been waiting for: Since I began this self-challenge, I have lost a total of 13lbs.

I'm actually amazed that, after not working out consistently for so long, I've managed to maintain the weight loss. But that's the power of healthy eating for ya! I feel so much better when I put good food into my system. And so sluggish when I eat unhealthy things. I've fallen off a bit on eating as much veggies as I was before, and drinking enough water has always been a challenge, but I'm a work in progress. :)

I haven't re-taken my measurements recently, so I can't update you on those numbers, but I can give you two funny, if not slightly embarrassing stories (well one is anyway).

So I was going to a sound clash with E one night, but was running late. The weather had suddenly become blazing hot so jeans were not an option. As I was getting ready, I decided to put on a trusty outfit because I knew it fit well and looked good - no preening in the mirror or multiple outfit changes necessary. E had already gone outside so I put it on, hopped in the passenger seat and did my makeup as we drove along. We got to the venue and I had to go to the bathroom. When I got in there I was horrified! I saw myself in the mirror and my clothes looked super baggy, like they were about to fall right off of me. In my rush to get out the door I never paused long enough to notice that I looked like a motherless child - lmao!

In one sense, I was pleasantly stunned to see that I had made so much progress and hadn't even realized it. It actually felt good to know that what had once been a curve-hugging outfit was now completely loose. But then I still had to make it through the night, and I felt really sloppy. So I found a spot (E was the emcee for the night so he was up on stage while I was in the crowd) and kept miself steady fi di night! LOL!! I enjoyed myself just the same (who cares - it was dark!), but made a serious mental note to never run out the house without giving myself a once-over in the mirror again - lol.

The other story is not embarrassing really, but it does show that it hasn't completely sunk in that I've lost this weight...I went to this clothing store (you know the one ladies, where everything is super cute, runs super small, and the sizes don't go past a certain number) to browse around. To my surprise/delight I found several items in my size. I went to the dressing room to try them on, not expecting much (remem, most everything there runs small), but to my surprise everything was actually a bit too big on me. I needed a smaller size. Well that made my day! So now I just have to make sure I keep it up.

As a matter of fact, I'm starting 30 Day Shred all over again. And I'm doing it with my bestie. She had started a while back, but fell off so now we're doing it together. Starting tomorrow Monday.

I never did finish Level 3 so I'm hoping to get through all 30 days this time. And, although I complained about wanting a higher level of cardio, I can't front - I had great results using Shred. I felt healthy and toned.

So I'm gonna start going to bed early again to get enough rest and have enough energy to wake up pre-dawn. :) Either way, I'm enjoying the season!

Days 59 & 58 - Walk-a-thon

My body is still thirsting for rest so I haven't been getting up pre-crack-of-dawn. I have been doing a lot of walking though...so I still get some cardio in - even if it's not as vigorous as I'd like it to be. I've been keeping up with my healthy eating habits so I'm not too worried.

Speaking of thirst...One thing I do need to be better at is drinking more water. I've been trying to help my GI tract out with digestion, so I've been drinking less water at mealtimes. Problem is, I usually do most of my drinking before, during and after I eat, so I'm kind of lazy about drinking in between. As a result, I've been a little dehydrated lately. Gotta work on that.

Matter of fact, I'm going to grab a nice, cool glass right now!

xo

Days 64, 63, 62 & 61 - Walking Weekend

I got a really good, hardcore workout in on Friday.

I started with Level 3 of 30 Day Shred, and then headed to the park to do a 4 mile run/walk. It was my first time running on an outside trail in a long while so I didn't know how I was going to manage (I tend to get shin splints - prob because of my flat feet), but I did pretty well. Ran a very good portion of the way; and, even when I slowed down to walk, I didn't slow down too much.

Later that day, I unintentionally got even more aerobics in...I ended up walking 3 more miles around Manhattan. And on Saturday morning, I walked for 2 miles in the Bronx. All this at a good pace with a hefty bag on my shoulder. Needless to say, I was DONE by Saturday afternoon. I used Sunday as a day of rest (exercise-wise anyway).

The burn felt really good at the time, but oh-so-wrong afterwards. Talk about shin splints! My legs didn't want to move! Between all the running/walking and the Level 3 exercises (I didn't realize Jillian was getting me to work those inner thighs so much), it was an effort just to move my feet.

But I started feeling better yesterday evening. I was up and at it again, bright and early this morning - well, actually, it wasn't bright yet - it was still pre-dawn. :-/

In a way, the burn still feels good because I know my body's changing; but I'm very aware that I shouldn't be overdoing it. Level 3 is so intense that I think I will have to do it every other day to give my muscles time to repair (unlike in Levels 1 & 2 when I was able to do it every day).

I will be putting those "off" days to good use however...Since 30 Day Shred is mostly focused on anaerobic, strength-building exercises, I'll do some yoga or cardio in between. I'll probably do yoga tomorrow, because my body feels like it could use a really good stretch right about now. I'm sure I'll be doing cardio most of the other days though. I'll keep you posted...

Oh...E made another scrumptious dinner last night. On the menu: steamed fish (red snapper and porgy) with shredded carrots and pumpkin, and sides of asparagus and callaloo. As always, we made a lot so that it will last us for the week. No "food" this time; but I did put two American sweet potatoes in the oven to bake. We didn't eat them yesterday, but at least they're baked and can be warmed quickly during the week.

Here's a picture of the fish. Am thinking about the left-overs right about now. Lunchtime is calling me! :)

E's Steamed Fish