“My Eyes Are Green…. Cause I Eat A lot of Vegetables…” (No, Really I Do, Now!)
Get some veggies instead! ;-)
Since joining this challenge one of the things I have started closely monitoring is what I am eating. That’s definitely an important part of healthy lifestyle and I really wish I could’ve made it out to the cooking course this past weekend. I’m sure everyone had a great time and learned a lot of helpful tips as we have been doing this entire process.I’ll admit, I’m not much of a veggie eater, but I’ve tried little by little to incorporate more of those foods in my meals.And it isn’t all that bad once you get into the habit of eating those types of foods.
That's better!
I’m also taking more time to actually prepare my food for my lunch instead of always opting for those “microwave” meals that always seem to be on sale!Even the meals that have the word “healthy” or “less fat” really don’t seem to be all that healthy or less fattening when you really take the time to read the labels. Speaking of time, that’s another key component that I’ve been focusing on lately. As I’ve said in earlier posts, there were always other things taking my time that prevented me from doing what deep down inside, I knew I should be doing (i.e. exercising, eating better, etc.)
Speaking to Coach Patricia during this past weekend’s Run/Walk Clinic I mentioned that my time management has gotten better in that I am actually planning my workouts, my meals, etc. so that I can be successful in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. And, I’m learning to take on less obligations so that I can have the energy to do all of these things.However, after many moons of being night owl, I still find it hard to fall asleep at a decent hour. But I am working on that goal! I no longer want to be a card carrying member of #teamnosleep -haha!
My other goal this week is to increase my numbers in the fit test exercises in at least three of the moves. Hopefully I am able to do that tonight! I have felt like I have gotten stronger since we are now officially mid-way through the challenge. I just want to continue to push myself even more during the second half of this program.
"You have got to plan your pleasure and your pain. I plan my pain when I go workout three times a week... I plan my pain, then I have my pleasure when I can get my jeans on!"
Well, here we are folks, finishing up week three. Can't believe how fast time is flying. I'm still feeling pretty happy about my decision and was even more excited to learn that I had lost 7 pounds since the start of this journey! Looks like I may have to up my initial goal of losing 10 pounds because I really do wish to lose a little more weight. I have a confession to make in that I originally made my weight loss goal lower than I normally would. Don't get me KZX coaches! I knew I wanted to slim down more than 10 pounds, but it has always been so hard for me to lose weight in the past and I didn't want to be disappointed...again.
But, I see that I was wrong in not believing in this program, and even more so, for not believing in myself... as a man thinketh, right? I had even more of an opportunity, so to speak (haha!) to believe in myself when I was called on stage during one of our workouts! If it's one thing I have always been kinda good at, is blending in the background when I want to... LOL! Don't know if that is a good thing or bad, maybe it comes from being horribly shy as a child, or growing up in a household with five (yes, five) siblings. It was kinda easy to drift off and do your own thing as long as you stayed out of trouble. Mom and pops didn't play that! So I thought I had this blending technique perfected. Until I was called on stage!
Mad random, I know! Went with my
stage fright thoughts - haha! Plus
this was a great series of books
I enjoyed as a child! :-)
The hardest part was just getting the nerve to go up there in front of everyone. After I stopped envisioning myself falling off the side of that thing, (clumsiness seems to be something else I have perfected too...) I began to relax and focus more on the movements in each exercise. I listened to Maia's voice as she directed the class and found out that I could do a little bit more, move a little faster, jump a bit higher, and so on. I see why going on stage is part of this program and I would encourage every one to try this because it does give you a different perspective. Now during the workouts, I try to pretend that I am on stage again which makes me focus even more on executing each move correctly and getting the maximum benefit from each routine. Like Maia would say, "Don't waste this time here, do your best with each move!"
My goals as we step into week four is to just keep pushing myself and to continue losing inches/weight. I'm seeing positive changes not only in my body but also in how I view working out and getting in shape in general. And that is a great feeling!
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't --- you're right."
Well, after the 1st week of boot camp, I’m happy to say that I made it through and was more than ready for week two! With the Labor Day Holiday, I missed having class but still made sure to get in my weekend workout. My Saturday actually started out with me helping one of my great friends move into her new apartment! Which was a total body workout in a way; we had a few flights of steps to go up and down each time to move in all of her stuff.But we still had a good time and we even had a few laughs due to the hilarious comments made by one of the movers. “Stupid mattress!” was one of the quips that made everyone laugh. Apparently he was having quite the time getting the bed up to the apartment, but thankfully it all worked out in the end. :-) Whether the mover intended for us to get such a laugh out of his comment is another story… :-)
If I could only figure out
angle I should hold the
camera.... hahaha!
That same day, I must have been feeling pretty great, because later on I went on a 5.7 km run at one of my favorite parks. Now I am not an avid runner, at all. I usually like to do a nice stroll or walk, but I had some of my favorite songs playing and was determined to work up a sweat… clearly by the photo, that happened! Being outside in the fresh air made the run even more enjoyable.Love the smell of honeysuckles and the sounds of birds chirping as the wind blew a nice breeze by the water. After my run I was surprised that my body did not feel tired or achy and I probably could’ve ran even further. I learned two things 1) I probably should not have placed so many items in my little handy backpack. It was way too heavy… what was I thinking? “Stupid backpack!” - hahaha and 2) Run a little earlier in the day. The only thing that stopped me was it started to get dark and a little cooler outside. The temperature change and how it became dark so much earlier in the day just reminded me that summer is basically over. So for my cool down music after my run, I had to play a little Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness” (yes, I am old school all the way – lol!)
For this week I am determined to start my weekend run a little bit earlier to see how much further I can run. Even though I have a long way to go, I can’t believe all the progress I have made already. During the warm-up exercises, I don’t get as tired during level 1 which is a HUGE step for me! Before, I would really feel winded, it seemed before we even got started - this is the honest truth! This progress is greatly contributed to the awesome support and camaraderie from all the coaches and participants in this challenge! I love how everyone pushes each other in a positive way to reach our goals. I am thankful for all the new buddies I have made in class and look forward to seeing how each of us change during this process!
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what
you become by achieving your goals."