I finally had to do it

[kerryc]

Well I finally had to do it! I've been yo yo-ing for a year? Year and a half on the SAME 10 to 15 lbs. GRRRRR So I hired a personal trainer and joined her gym. I've watched her group core classes up at Sandunga Dance Studio while I warm up for my dance lessons. I like her energy and encouragement she gives her students. She is a body builder, but has not gone "wild" with muscle building. I admire her body tone and the work she puts into it. The girl does not have any body fat. I figured she would be the best bet to help me hit the areas I need to fix.

Saturday morning was my first ..... venture. What I was doing was NOT unreasonable, but my body did try hard to revolt. No cutting and running, take as many breaks as you need, just complete the program.

Went to my massage therapist after because my back has been jacked. Poor Lenora had her work cut out for her. My neck no longer hurts now - YEA! I think that helped cut down on as much lactic acid. Sunday I was still pretty sore in my arm pits, lower belly and the back of my thighs. I got into the brine-ing tub with lots of Epsom salt. THAT did the trick. The deeper muscles are a bit stiff today, but not bad.

She wanted to see the costumes I want to get into by June. That got her excited, she's competing in a body building show soon and was going to have a red bathing suit made. She wanted to get it stoned as well. LOL Not a problem. Told here where to go to get her spandex, where to go if she needs a tailor and where to buy her stones. Told her to look on E-bay on ballroom dresses for stoning pattern ideas.

I CAN do this !!!! I want a new body in the new year!!!

[Newfygirl]

Cool! You are inspiring me to work harder on doing the same! I'm technically not overweight...but I have this belly fat I'd like to lose and some toning up I'd like to do.

[kerryc]

Well with all the ice I had to skip 2 of my workout sessions. Last night was back to legs. Jasmine added a bit of weight to a few of the machines. I think the hardest was 3 sets of 25 just laying back on a bench and picking up my legs into an L shape. My poor old belly/core just does not have enough power to pick up those fat legs. I'm feeling THAT today, every time I bend over.

The last time after a leg workout I had SOOO much more power in my ankles for my Bolero lesson. It blew me away!

My arms are a bit sore and my belly/core is sore. Not sure if I want to work on smooth or Latin dancing tonight. Maybe I'll let David make that call.... though I brought my short Latin skirt. Looks kinda funny when I put my smooth shoes on.

[rhapsody]

When do you find time to work out? I'm pretty frustrated, to be honest. I scramble in the morning to get my boys up and off to school and me to work. Leave work around 4:30, get home, cook dinner, help with homework, do laundry, help DH with his paperwork, etc., and then it's bedtime.

I guess I could always try to get up at 4 but when you don't get to bed until 11 or so that's not good either (insufficient sleep is a major contributor to weight gain - or not being able to lose).

[kerryc]

I hear you Rhapsody!

Monday and Thursday I go in at 5:30pm. Saturday I go in at 8:30am. My workouts last 30 to 45 mins, depending upon how many breaks I need between sets. I''m NOT a morning person and I don't turn out the lights until 12 or 1am. BUT I would rather haul my butt out of bed Saturday morning and get things going so I have the rest of the day to do other stuff.

What is suffering again is my dance times. In order to pick up some more cash my instructor is working two 1/2 nights and Friday is a full day at another studio. That switched up my Monday/Tuesday dance/workout nights.

I have a family event on Wed next week and the week after that is Christmas. I HAVE to be in dance class a min of twice a week or there is just no point. I should be in 3 times a week, but I for now I am rubber after my workouts. I don't have enough energy left to dance full out for practice - just yet. Both of us are having to give up part of Sundays to get my dance practice in. I have a comp the first week on June and I want to be smoking in my new costume AND on the dance floor!

You just have to carve out someMEtime. If you don't then other things run over your care and we each deserve some ME CARE TIME to be healthy. Join us and let's keep each other going!!

[rhapsody]

I guess what I need to do is start back with C25K during lunch. I can do my 30-minute walk-jog and then change and go back to work and eat at my desk. And then maybe one other day during the week go to the base gym during lunch.

I do need someMEtime. DH has been picking up a lot more slack lately - helping more with cooking and laundry whereas before I was doing it all. That does help. I've been sleeping a lot better lately since I'm not so stressed out about so much.

[kerryc]

Dec 12, 2013 13:55:36 GMT -5 rhapsody said:

I do need someMEtime. I've been sleeping a lot better lately since I'm not so stressed out about so much.

BOY good sleep REALLY makes a difference in so much!!!

I have GOT to cook up some chicken for left overs for the week. I have some 15 bean soup that I made with a Honey ham bone that had lots of meat on it. It's good, but pretty rich so eating it once every other day is about all I can do with that.

Last night I got home from my session. I had some carrot sticks with the little bit of hummus that was left over. My poor old belly/core was sore. It was quite an effort to get up from the couch. I was trying to decide if it was really worth eating more, but I was still hungry. I fixed and ate a full bundle of asparagus. I crashed for about an hr or so before getting up to shower and hit the hay. I was too pooped to even talk on the phone.

I'm wondering HOW I am going to do it tonight. I have another session at 5:30 tonight THEN at 8:30 I'm to be up at the dance studio for a Christmas Party. Anyone have some extra energy pills I can take? LOL I'll get dressed up and go, but not sure how much dancing I will be doing!

[rhapsody]

Well, today I brought my sweats to work and did Week 1 Day 1 of C25K (using RunDouble) during lunch. Ow. My legs were complaining about halfway through but I told them to suck it up, put on their big girl pants and just keep going. And I made it all the way through. I was slow but I completed the session. My legs are still complaining . . . just not as loudly.

I'm a bit concerned, though, because I've had some sciatic issues and it was twinge-ing on me a bit during my "run." Obviously, I need to do some serious work strengthening my core. However, I think losing much of this excess weight (along with core strengthening) will alleviate much of the sciatic issues.

[Marci]

Congrats!! I find I am so energized after a workout. And starving. LOL

[rhapsody]

Well, I'm paying for the jog. *sighs* My sciatic nerve has said it doesn't like it. At all. Looks like I'm relegated to walking. However, I can do some of the "gym" equipment on the walking/jogging trail to bump it up a notch. I didn't walk today but may try tomorrow, depending on that right side is feeling.

[kerryc]

Well Jasmine (my trainer) kicked my butt last night. My sciatic nerve in my left hip was starting to hurt. She took the weight down a notch. My leg lifts were really hard this time. It was all I could do to get 2 sets of 25 in at the very end. I did NOT even want to eat when I got home, just crash on the couch. I did for about an hr then MADE myself get up and eat a little chicken. I didn't want to wake up starving in the morning. I crashed again on the couch, ended up laying on my belly because the sciatic nerve was really talking! I didn't wake up until 2am to clean up for bed.

Sciatic nerve is better today, but I'm sitting on my jacket for a softer seat. My lower belly core is sore today as well. I also got homework this morning by text. I have to do plank holds in sets of 30 to see how many I can work up to by Thursday. She said it would help with my pain. Texted her back and asked if that would REALLY take care of the pain in my butt?? snork (butt he's another story)

Keep going girls!!

[Marci]

Perhaps some stretches or exercises for the sciatica would help?

[kerryc]

Saturday was MEASUREMENT day. Not the weight falling off measurements I dreamed of, but I will take them! I have to keep reminding myself I started at Thanksgiving. I lost a few workout days becasue I was iced in. I had a big family birthday dinner for my sister-in-law AND I just went through Christmas and a Boxing Day party.

I'm up 3 lbs from where I measured (just before Christmas) but lost weight from when we took the measurement at Thanksgiving.

I've lost 1/4" off my neck, 2" from my waist, my bicepts are even now, but only a min changes in my thights and hips. Over all I lost a total of 4". Next measurement date is January 25.

As for me....

I've learned I can go MUCH further than I've ever pushed myself before. I've never pushed myself to the rubber arms or rubber legs feelings when working out.

I'm not trying to keep up with the treadmill but finally walking with it - guess I need to bump the speed up some more now.

I did pullups the other day. I have NOT done pullup since the 6th grade! I had NO idea I could still do them!! let alone 3 sets of 15.

I just LOVE my trainer Jasmine. She's fun, excitable, motivating, keeps the workout on tract and nice. This week is going to be a bit of a killer. I've moved my normal Monday night workout to Friday because I have a Chairty Ball I'm going to. So that will be Legs on Thur, Arm day an Friday and Arm day on Saturday. I may be just sleeping in next Sunday! LOL

[kerryc]

Last night was leg day. I got to work on thighs and lower back. I was amazed - Jasmine has been saying she could see muscle trying to show through. Last night I saw it on my right thigh...as I contracted there was a divit in the leg "insolation." May not sound like much to some, but I'm happy to start to see signs of my work showing through.

I have never worked the lower back. Having the rubber muscle feeling in your lower back is totally new to me!!! My workout hr just went by so fast. At the end my legs and lower back were done for, but the rest of me was like...WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? A few hrs after I got home I did stiffen up to the point I HAD to hit an Epsom Salt soak. I have a dance lesson on Tuesdays and I HAVE to be able to move. I think we will work smooth, not sure I'm up for Latin/Rhythm until Wed.

I'm glad to be back at work so I can get more control over my diet again. No fridge to find snacks in! Well there is less and less of that now the holiday goodies are almost gone. Not that I was all that bad, but I really want this month to better results.

Keep on working ladies!

[Marci]

I understand the excitement of seeing the muscles in the legs...Finally I can start to see them in my thighs. And I found it surprising that I am now skinnier than Kerry. That blew me away. I met my goal weight too. But perhaps I can get to the weight I was when I was 25?