taking a break already

Things were going great but last night I was feeling weak after my run and then got a bad case of the chills a few hours later.  Mastitis!!!  Now I know why I had a headache off and on the last few days.

Anyhow, needless to say, I am taking a break.  This is my very first ever case (and thankfully, it seems mild).  It is probably the result of trying to do too much too fast.  So, I think when I get better, I'll just do walking as my exercise and some light pilates and ease into cardio more slowly.  Ah, well.

Exercise Plan

Although I wasn't planning on running yet (still spotting lightly), yesterday, my panic was starting to get out of control and so I went on my first run to battle it.  I jogged a very slow mile, but felt IMMENSELY better afterward.  No bad side effects (as in no extra bleeding).  So I think I can safely start working myself into a routine again.

Here is my plan, we'll see how it works:
M,W, F: One mile walk in the morning with kids.  One mile jog in afternoon by myself!
T, TH: Two mile walk with kiddos (did this on Thurs and it was quite nice.  Tired the kids out in a good way).
Weekends:  Play by here.  Exercise if opportunity allows, but take a break if needed too.

We'll let you know next week how I fare!

Weeks 50 & 51 for Jess

Before I post these, I was wondering: does anyone else want to continue this blog? I'm happy to keep blogging with you all if you're still interested - it's nice to have company - but if not, I can just shift my fitness blogging to my normal blog. Since we're coming up on exactly one year (week 52 next week!), it seemed like a good time to ask.

Here's the last two weeks:

5/29 - Sunday
5/30 - Body Rev Cardio Conditioning DVD (Bob Harper) - 60 min. section
5/31 -
6/1 - No More Trouble Zones DVD
6/2
6/3 - 20 minute hike
6/4 - 20 minute hike
6/5 - Sunday
6/6 - Ripped in 30 DVD - Level 1
6/7 - Ripped in 30 DVD - Level 2
6/8
6/9
6/10 - 60 minute walk
6/11 - 30 minute walk

Week 49 for Jess

5/22 - Sunday
5/23 - Ripped in 30, Level 2
5/24 - Ripped in 30, Level 3
5/25
5/26 - Ripped in 30, Level 4
5/27

5/28 - Pure Burn Super Strength DVD - 60 min. section

137 min. total <- I'm trying to get up to 150 min./week, regularly.

Ripped in 30, btw, is awesome, workout-wise. Jillian is more annoying and crass in it, though. But the actual workout is like the 30 Day Shred, only this time it's levels 4, 5, 6, & 7.

-Jess

Weeks 47 & 48 for Jess, plus some health news

5/8 - Sunday
5/9 - 30 Day Shred DVD, Level 1
5/10
5/11 - Shred It with Weights DVD - Level 1
5/12
5/13 - Biggest Winner Cardio Kickbox DVD
5/14 - 1/2 hour yard work (digging and wood chopping)
5/15 - Sunday
5/16 - Shred It with Weights DVD - Level 2
5/17
5/18 - 30 Day Shred, Level 3
5/19 - 30 Day Shred, Level 2
5/20

5/21 - Ripped in 30, Level 1

A couple of fairly good weeks, but I learned recently that I need to step up my game, because I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol. It's not much of a shock, because it runs on both sides of my family. I was kind of expecting it actually, and now that I'm thirty and my doctor's testing me for it, surprise! there it is.

So, now I have a medical reason to work out not just a few times a week, but almost every day. And now instead of just eating to keep my weight normal (which I've done successfully for the past two years), I need to eat to keep my weight normal and I need to eat for heart health. Bye-bye oh luscious buttered popcorn that I used to save my calories for! :D

Seriously, it's not so bad. In fact, it's kind of nice not to wonder exactly how much eating healthily and working out should matter to me. Or what method exactly I should be embracing. Now I know, and it's pretty cut-and-dried. And, honestly, there are worse things than clarity.

And, hey, now those ten pounds I've thought about losing for the past two years? They're not vanity pounds anymore! They're I-don't-want-to-take-drugs-unless-I-absolutely-have-to pounds.

So, we'll see. Hopefully the uber-clean-eating-and-sufficient-exercise works. If not, at least, by God's grace, we have good health insurance.

-Jess

Weeks 44, 45, & 46 Summaries for Jess

Week 44:

4/17 - Sunday
4/18 - Personal Training with Jackie DVD
4/19
4/20 - No More Trouble Zones DVD
4/21
4/22 - Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver Training DVD
4/23

Week 45 - nada. I took Bright Week off. Wish I hadn't, in retrospect, because it turns out that I feel terrible when I don't exercise.

Week 46:

5/1 - Sunday - 2 hour walk.

5/2 - 30 Day Shred DVD, Level 2
5/3 - 30 Day Shred DVD, Level 3
5/4
5/5 - Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver Training DVD
5/6

5/7 - 20 minutes of jumping rope, jumping jacks, & step-ups

Anyone else still going out there?

Jess

Weeks 42 & 43 Summaries for Jess

A lame-ish couple of weeks, but I'm finding my pace again. Just in time for Easter!

/3 - Sunday
4/4 - 30 Day Shred DVD, Level 1 & a walk
4/5
4/6
4/7
4/8
4/9 - 40 min. walking with 45 lb. backpack
4/10 - Sunday
4/11 - "Lose More Fat!" workout from April 2011 Fitness
4/12 - 13 min. "Burn It Off!" workout from Fitness, +7 min. jump-rope & jumping jack
4/13
4/14 - 22 min. circuit training
4/15
4/16

twice now

Just ran another mile.  My goal is to run a third on Friday.  I figure getting out 3 times a week is good now.

Weeks 40 & 41 Summaries for Jess

Hm. Well, I got sick again. So my workouts looked like this:

3/20 - Sunday
3/21 - Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning DVD - 60 min. section
3/22 - No Om Zone DVD
3/23 - sick
3/24 - sick
3/25 - sick
3/26 - sick
3/27 - Sunday
3/28 - sick
3/29 - sick
3/30 - sick
3/31 - sick

4/1 - sick
4/2 - half hour walk

Isn't that thrilling? :) But I did the 30 Day Shred this morning, so I'm back to normal, I think. I'm glad working out is enough of a habit that it doesn't disappear after a bout with illness.

-Jess

moved my butt today!

The nice weather we're having has totally uplifted my mood and I actually wanted to go running today.  So I did!  Ran a mile. It felt really good.

done?

So I am starting to think that exercise might just be done for me for now.  We drove to S Cal for a weekend to attend a wedding the first week of March and I just have been sufferings a series of discomforts since then.  Restless leg syndrome, pressure headaches that make me slightly dizzy if I don't lay down, and extremely uncomfortable/mildly painful pelvic pressure that makes walking and standing very uncomfortable.  Going grocery shopping tires me so much now that I have to put my feet up for an hour afterward!

Anyhow, I have given up on exercise for now because I just can't summon the energy and the physical strength/comfort at this time.  Maybe that'll change, but right now, I am taking it easy.

Weekly Summary

M: 2 mile walk with Luke
T: nothing
W: 1 hour yard work- pruning the crepe myrtle
Th: 2 mile walk, 1 hour yard work- raking
F: 1 hour yard work- chopping out crepe myrtle into small enough pieces for the garbage men to take away
S: 1 mile walk
S: 2 mile walk alone

Grandpa was in town this week, so I was privileged enough to take 2 walks by myself. I was feeling better too, so I got some much needed Spring yard cleaning work done.

Week 39 Summary for Jessica

3/13 - Sunday
3/14 - Bob Harper Pure Burn Super Strength DVD, 60 min. section
3/15 - Tae Bo Turbo Fat Burner DVD
3/16
3/17
3/18 - Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver Training DVD

3/19 - Dancing with the Stars DVD - Jive section

This week was weird, because I really had to force myself to exercise. I kept wanting to crochet instead! But not a bad week. Maybe I'll manage to do the Bob Harper 60 min. cardio DVD tomorrow. I haven't done that one for awhile, and I want to.

How's everyone else doing?

-Jess

Week 38 Summary for Jessica

3/6 - nothing
3/7 - Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver Training DVD
3/8 - nothing
3/9 - Crunch Boot Camp DVD
3/10 - Dance of the Inches: Hip-Hop Party - 2/3 sections
3/11 - Ultimate Tae Bo (hee, hee - this was way too corny and fun)

3/12 - nothing

Yay! Nice to be back to 4x/week. It's very good not to be sick anymore.

Katie - thanks for the comment on my last week's post. But I think I'd die if I tried to do everything all in one day!

-Jess

Yesterday

Yesterday's walk and yard work were a no-go. First, I forgot that we had a Lenten retreat all day, and second I felt faint again when I got home from the retreat. The midwives were not too concerned, but I think I'll call this week if the faint feeling keeps up. I just can't seem to get anything done when it happens. Sometimes that is most of the day!

I did manage my walk today and was feeling better.

Feeling Better

M: Yard work for 1 hour
T: 2 mile walk with Luke, yard work
W: 2 mile walk alone
Th: Bike riding 20 mins
F: Bike riding 45 mins
S: Bike riding 45 mins (planned) + yard work
S: 2 mile walk alone (planned)

This week Nathan came home and I got a lot of energy back! I think I was just emotionally worn out last week. Also, saw the Dr. and baby is doing well, weight gain is on track, etc...

Hope you all had a good week!

Week 37 Summary for Jessica

Well, after getting over the flu, I got a nasty cold. So, all I have to report for last week is two 35 minute walks. Hopefully this next week I'll be able to get back into a regular exercise schedule. I really miss it!

-Jess

On the mend a bit

So, I think I just needed a 'blah' week.  I had an encouraging midwife appt this last week.  Encouraging in that she said, "Yes, that is normal!"  Basically, this pregnancy has felt like the 3rd trimester in many ways for a while.  The feeling of carrying a bowling ball resting between your legs and fairly intense and regular Braxton Hicks have been a regular part of my life.  I just feel so much more uncomfortable with this one than the others and it is just my multiple pregnancies finally taking effect.

I did a light weight, pilates workout on Monday and ran 2 miles on Tuesday.  The rest of the week was shot because of preparing to travel and then traveling down to So. Cal for a wedding.  However, I feel encouraged and motivated again, and that is what matters.

Katie, like you, I have to take a break the day after (even if I walk or go to church).  Any activities that involve me being on my feet for a considerable amount of time greatly intensify the above symptoms for me.  But a day of rest helps minimize things again.

Working and Resting

For the past few weeks, I have had to slow down a little. I am struggling with feeling faint at times (not while exercising, just at times throughout the day). I can do a good workout one day, and then nothing at all the next. When I was pregnant with Luke, I experienced something similar. I apparently have low blood pressure that gets lower when I am pregnant and often causes me to feel weak and faint. So, when I feel like that, I usually nix any great exercise feats for the day.

The other reason that I have been tired is because of all the yard work that has had to be done- pulling weeds, planting, raking (bags and bags!). It is Spring here in Houston!

So here is what the past two weeks looked like as best as I can remember:

M: Prevention DVD + yard work for 1 hour
T: Nothing
W: 1 hour yard work
Th: Nothing
F: Prevention DVD
S: Bike riding 30 mins
S: 2 mile walk alone

M: 2 mile walk pushing Luke
T: Nothing
W: Walked around the Houston Rodeo with Luke for nearly 4 hours (too much)
Th: Nothing!
F: Bike for 30 minutes
S: Plan to bike
S: Plan to bike

Week 37 Summary for Jessica

2/20 Sunday - Dancing with the Stars: Cardio Dance DVD
2/21 - Dance with Julianne: Cardio Ballroom DVD - Cha-Cha & Jive sections
2/22
2/23 - No More Trouble Zones DVD
2/24
2/25

2/26 - 35 minute walk

-Jess