Week 2

Like Emily, I did nothing this week. Start of the semester meetings, job applications, and class prep made going to the gym more trouble than it was worth this week. Will get back into the swing of things next week.

Week 1

So I managed to get back into things after Christmas and my winter minimester had ended. I have only gotten to the gym on Tuesdays & Thursdays, but I still consider myself to be on vacation for another week, when the semester starts up again. In other words, I feel like I can get away with it for another week and then will stop having the major excuse of "relaxing" to keep me out of the gym on Saturdays.

Have been battling a cough and a sore knee in the process, which has not been fun, but I have been able to avoid letting them sidetrack my routine.

Also, an update on the 10 lb challenge: I believe I lost a total of 6 lbs, but I'm not exactly sure. Now that the holidays are over, I'm trying to be more conscious about what I eat and how much I am eating. My hubby is trying to do the same thing, which should make the process a bit easier overall. I'm 12 lbs away from losing the extra pounds that I have been carrying since the birth of my son.

Jessica, how did it go for you and your brother?

Last week

Got to the gym on Tues, Thurs, AND Sat. Determined to at least try to meet the 10 lb weight loss challenge I signed up for (besides, I want my $10 back!). Will see if I've made any progress on Thursday of this week.

If anything, I'm trying to be more careful about what I eat in addition to working out more (goodbye chocolate candy snacks - for the most part . . .). If I can keep this up for a month, I know these will turn into good everyday habits for me. Here's to healthy success!

Recap of Last Week

I am back in the groove, having returned to my 2x/week exercise classes. I also signed up for a 10 lb weight loss challenge at my gym. My aerobics instructor is monitoring the participants, who have all paid $10 to join the challenge. The gist: try to lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks (right through Thanksgiving!). When you lose your 10 lbs, you get your $10 back.

I don't actually think I will lose 10 lbs that quickly, but the challenge has motivated me to be more careful about what I eat and will get me in the gym on Saturday mornings. Other bonus: if I actually do lose the weight, I will expand my wardrobe again (my pre-pregnancy clothes are still too small, but I nearly fit into a lot of them).

Katie, I have all the ingredients to make your muffins, but I haven't baked them yet! Between my hubby's law school applications, my job applications, and student essays, my free time is quickly disappearing.

Crazy Weeks All Around

No exercise for me last week. Was dealing with a sick child. He had a pretty high fever, and our AC went out the same day he developed it. No fun for anyone.

This week, it's time to get back on track. I'm going to try out your bran muffin recipe, Katie, get back in the gym, and try to add a Saturday exercise class (assuming we don't head down to the Homecoming parade that morning). Wish me luck.

BTW, Self.com has daily tips for snacking smarter. Thought you might appreciate this one: http://www.self.com/tips/healthy-snacks/02-100-calorie-snacks

Last week

Just body shaping on T/Th once again for me. I had planned on adding a Saturday morning class to the routine, but Little Ted developed a fever on Friday morning and is still battling it. His illness is going to affect this week's workout as well - no class for me tomorrow so my hubby and I can take him to the dentist and *hopefully* get to the bottom of this not-so-pleasant infection.

Thanks for the great recipes. I have been in a baking mood lately, and these are much healthier options than the chocolate croissants I made over the weekend. Will report back once I try them out - after our A/C is fixed. It went out the same day Little Ted's fever started. *Sigh* When it rains, it pours!

Last week's workouts

Su - nothing

M - nothing

T - body shaping

W - nothing

Th - body shaping

F - nothing

Sa - nothing

I thinking I've been in this aerobics class long enough that my body has gotten used to the exercise. I don't feel wiped out at the end of the class and can keep up with the exercises better now.

Goals for next week: add a day of working out (I need more movement to get the weight loss going again)

Find more healthy snacks (Halloween candy & cookies aren't helping me with my goals - any suggestions for healthy replacements?)

Weekend Workouts

Do you do them? I very seldom get any physical activity in on the weekends, mainly because family activities and errands take priority. If you are able to squeeze some in, how do you do it???

Back on the Treadmill . . .

. . . and no ice cream trips for me today (though we did pick up a couple of pints yesterday, and I enjoyed some mint chip after dinner) :-)

Spent 40 minutes on the treadmill:
11 minutes jogging at a 4.9 pace
9 minutes walking at a 3.2 pace
20 minutes walking on an incline; pace varied from 2.8 to 3.2
Burned 230 calories
Traveled 2.3 miles

No abdominals today, but I still have time to work them in if I remember to do it (let's be honest, I almost always forget).

On the Wii Fit:
Before I workout, I generally hop on my Wii Fit. There are lots of different activities you can do on it, but lately I've jsut been using it to trackmy progress. I can weigh in, and it calculates my BMI and log my progress. Since the last time I weighed in (Tuesday), I had lost 2.9 lbs!

Of course, you could do all this on your own, but it's way more convenient for me to let the machine do it.

I appreciate the info because, when I lose weight, I get extra encouragement to keep going, and when my weight goes up again, I try to spice up my routine, adjust my diet, or refocus on my goals.

First Post

Hello all! So glad to be a part of this group. I could use the accountability and extra encouragement.

Goals:
I'm still carrying about 2/3rds of my pregnancy weight, and my son is 11 months old. I found it very difficult to exercise as a working mommy/student, and I am still trying to find a schedule with some balance in it. Since the beginning of the summer, I have gotten into more of a workable routine.

I need to lose about 20 lbs by fall, for my health and so I can fit into my teaching clothes! Once I tackle that, I still have about 25 lbs to lose to get to my *ideal* weight (the closest I've ever been to that weight was +17 lbs, about 6 years ago). I'm not trying to do it all at once - I think a year is a good time line - and I'd like to get down to that weight before trying to have baby 2 (which I think we'll be ready to do in a year).

Routine:
We bought a treadmill at the beginning of the year so I could do a proper workout. Currently, I am trying to spend 45 minutes a day, 4 days a week on the treadmill. I run for 11 minutes (and am increasing that time incrementally) and walk the rest of the time (uphill, changing the incline each minute in the last 25 minutes of the workout). I've only been doing this for about a week or so, but have already seen some results, so I am eager to continue.

I also need to start adding in abdominal and arm workouts - my two problem areas. My hubby set up a good routine for me that I can share if you're interested. I also own a Wii Fit and like to do the yoga and strength exercises. But it can be hard to do with a little one grabbing at your ankles.

Today's accomplishments:
Treadmill: about 35 minutes, approximately 300 calories burned