Why everyone should get a HRM

Saturday by toy came in the mail. I got myself a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) and of course it's pink/purple and I LOVE IT! (Its more pink than purple in person)

I was not sure how I was going to like it, if I would like having that strap around my chest as I ran or if it would even be accurate on my calorie counts. I thought I didn't need one since I primarily run on a treadmill and It already tells me my calories burned. Until I wore it Sunday.

I got on the treadmill after inputting all my data into the computerized watch, height, weight, age, gender. I knew most of myfitnesspals either had one, or had used one before and recommended it, I was still a little skeptical.

Primarly during my 31 minute workout I focused on what my heart rate was since my treadmill goes wacko when you try to get a reading from the front grips. My target HR was between 124-170 I stayed roughly around 170 or ^ but I did focus on trying to take deeper breaths to lower my HR.

However, what I am really writing this post today about is astounding difference I saw in "calories burned"

Treadmill: 236 calories
HRM: 355 calories

(I will upload pictures when my computer stops being annoying)

But here is the proof that it works. Its accurate and its substantial.

Trust me, to get an accurate read you need an HRM!!

The First Bump in the Road

Today was my first bump in the road.

I hate to admit it, but If I don't admit this feeling then it will consume me. I have been getting up every morning since July 17th and running my c25k. I never thought twice about it, I woke up, put on my workout cloths, laced up my shoes, and got on the treadmill.

This morning was different... or was it. I got up, knowing I wouldn't have the same amount of time to workout b/c Jeremy had to take me to work (car's in the shop) at this point its about 6:30 am- 20 mins earlier than I usually wake up to run because Jeremy is doing his run about this time, but I get up, put on my workout cloths, grab my socks and head into the living room to lace up my shoes. I sit down on the couch knowing that if I sit to long I wont workout. So after about 8 mins of talking with my boyfriend I lace up my shoes and get on the treadmill. My body is tired, and I have this feeling of dread that if i dont finish this run then its over for me. So I start my warm up. After 5 mins of warming up its time for a 3 min run, I run at 5.0 mph like I do every morning and both of my knees start to hurt, not the normal burning I have been feeling in my right knee, but like a little sharp pain, like they are old and need to be walked out and stretched, but I cant get off the treadmill b/c I'm already pressed for time, I've started 10 mins later than I needed to, to finish my workout in time.

I finish my first run and my second walk comes around. Im about 9 mins into my workout at this point and my knee's dont hurt when I walk, so I tell mysellf that if they hurt on the second run then I will stop. Listen to your body I have always heard, and believe.

On the second run my knee's started to hurt again. So I stopped my workout with the notion I will workout, start an complete it tonight.

But here is where my fear comes in. What If I dont workout tonight? But then the only thing stopping me is me. Not this mornings slow start, not my knee's bc I have been icing them and stretching them during the day. Instead it would be me not wanting to workout. I cant let that happen. I am over-weight. I have goals and ambitions. I have dreams.

So I ask you, have I been weak, or strong???!

So though I had a mental, not physical, bump in the road I will prevail. I will workout tonight when I get home. I will remember who I am, and who I want to become.

This is the change, and the change is never easy.

I just wanted to add in my new HRM- It's purple, YAY, and I can't wait to sweat away the tears and pain.

No scale for 30 days

I am currently on a challenge with a friend, and other heath junkies, on myfitnesspal to not weigh ourselves for 30 days, or until August 19th.

I really like this challenge and here are the reasons why:

When I first started this "change" or "journey" back in February I weighed myself once a week on Tuesday for 3 weeks. On my third week I weighed in more.. or perhaps I didnt have a weight loss at all, and that threw me off. It threw me off my game, my focus and my motivation. And honestly I think I weighed what I did because the Saturday before I ran/walked 2 miles in a race here in town and it was the only form of exercise I had contributed to my weight loss. (Did I mention that I weighed myself on that Sunday after the race?)

Yes... I thought that from running and burning like 400 calories that I should have lost a little extra. But shock! I was up in weight. It was not because I had done anything wrong, what was wrong was my thinking that one day I was going to drop 5 pounds and not hold any water weight. Yes, I know silly right? Well I know this now and I know my weakness from last time.

So I quit, needless to say and I gained back the 7Ib I lost, plus 7 more. 14 pounds gained in less than 2 months. I don't know how I did it, but I did.

Now I have a new and thoroughly understand able motivation to keep off the scale this time. I have incorporated more exercise into my weight loss this time so I know it will help. But I don't want to get discouraged about not losing every week because I'm retaining water. This way its all about how I feel in my cloths, how the tape measure looks during the weekly "weigh-in" instead of the number on the scale and most importantly, how I feel in my body.

Let me just say I feel great! I feel empowered, I feel smaller all ready, and I feel strong for keeping to my word.

Am I smaller? I dont know, I havent even measured myself to see, and I honestly don't care at this point. At this point its not about me, its about strength vs weakness, and by my count I'm 5 up.

Strength:5

-1. First day I got up to run
-2. Second workout at 6:50 AM
-3. Going out to eat my family and eating my per-calculated sandwich over Mexican.
-4. Working out sat, on my rest day
-5. Coming home from a relaxing day at the pool and immediately lacing up my shoes to run.



Weakness: 1
-1. Walking during a running interval

Bring on the sweat!

♥

Why I Run

Recently some of my friends asked me why I run every day. Let me show you why....

That is why. I am over weight, though some think that I am crazy to think this merely because I weigh less than they do, I still have my own body to worry about, not theirs nor their self esteem. I am myself and my own person and I worry about only me at this point. I weigh 177.4 (or last time I checked) and I have run every day since Tuesday (aside from Thursday I had wicked cramps!) But dare you ask me why I run every day. Well there you have it. I am not happy in my own body. 

Yes, I am in a serious relationship of 3 years, yes I am comfortable and confident in that relationship, so men or "attention" are not the reasons I run, or lose this weight. I run for me, I run  for the person I wan to become. The person I want to see in the mirror when I wake up. I look around, I know what is unrealistic and what is unhealthy. I do not want any of those things. But I do want to be 130 pounds. That's not "too skinny" or "unhealthy" I am 5'5" I can pull that off.

What really upsets me though, is when someone gets mad at me for wanting to better myself. They want to lecture me on how I think my body should be treated!! I'm serious, I have had my sister and even some of my family, sit me down and tell me that I am working to hard, or that my goals are to skinny. Listen up, this is what I have to say to you, I am who I am, I want a better body for me, not you, so your opinions and negativity are not welcome. Seriously, I have hear this lecture from my sister, who is currently at 260IB and who wants to get down to 130IB tell me that 125 is unhealthy. BA!Hahahahah. Seriously? Really? You want to try that? Lets go!

But on the note of running. I run because I enjoy running. I seriously get up to run and even today when I went out to the pool with family, I couldn't even wear a bathing suit because I am so big. Nothing fits me anymore. I want to wear a bikini to the pool this time next year. And I know I can do that, but you know what else? I want to have a toned body, I want to look sexy in that bikini I dont just want to be "skinny" I want to be Sexy! So just like I ran today when I got home from hanging out and relaxing..I will run tomorrow on my "rest" day because I have the energy and the will power to get my ass off the couch and do it.

Now that's what they are really mad about.


♥♥

Where I am now, and where I woud like to be

I new since I was in high school that I would want to be a runner one day. Many things influenced this goal.

1st: I love runners legs. I just think that if I am going to work on getting good looking legs, running is what I need to be doing.

2nd: I want to feel powerful. That power that you get, that runners high that runners get when they completed 3.1 or 13.1 or 26.2 mile race and they didnt have to stop once to walk.



What I truly want above all else.. is to lose this weight.

Here are my starting numbers:

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 177.4

Measurements:

Right Arm: 12"
Left Arm: 12"
Waist (at belly button): 41.5"
Chest: 39"
Right Thigh: 25"
Left Thigh: 26"
Neck: 12.5"

Goal Weight: 130

Total weight loss: 47.4 IB

Like I said in the "365 days of change" posting, I have given myself 365 days to lose 47.4 pounds. I will weight myself every Wednesday morning. I will restrict my calorie intake at 1410 and I will train for my 5k race in October every other day (started on Tuesday 7/17/2012) with additional exercises depending on life.

So far I have met and exceeded my goals as instead of running Tuesday and today (as day 2) I ran Tuesday, Wednesday morning, and then I will run again tonight before the movies. I feel like at this point I am so large I need to workout everyday, and if that's what it takes to change me habits, then I will workout every day until its second nature. Every time during a day that I feel so full (even though my lunch was only 200 calories) and I feel like my pants (that are comfortable in fit) are about to squeeze me dead, I feel like jumping on the treadmill and working out.

All in all I guess I'm on the right track. I have determination and I have friends who will help me through it. I also have a $100 bet with my sister that I cant lose or I will never live it down!! lol

Now I want to be "skinny" my version of skinny, but this look at what I will not try to be, because a lot of people out there think that being "skinny" is something akine to sinning. But, seriously? I want to take care of my body not starve myself!

This is just gross. And its really sad that she thinks she looks good. I can see in her face that she would be pretty if she didnt worry so much about her weight.

To remark on what I would like to achieve, with of course hard work, healthy foods and exercise:

I don't think this is to unrealistic.. Maybe it is.. But I'm hoping its not.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

♥♥♥

26.2 Miles... wait.. What?!

One day I want to think this to myself.

Eventually I will train hard enough, and long enough, to be able to run a marathon. Right now however I am do Couch25k training a little app that is so hugely amazing! If you have never heard of it and want to start training your *never ran, jogged, or even walked fast body* to one day run a 5k, then this is for you!!

Oh  my gosh, I never thought I would be able to run races (I know, funny right? I mean good grief I'm very capable of walking and running and I thought this!) its always been my dream but I honestly never knew that you had to build yourself up, that all runners have to build up that momentum and endurance to run the races they do. I always thought, if I cant just get up and run, I'll never be able to. Oh how wrong I was!!

Today is July 19th, 2012 and I am going to go home and walk/run week 1 day 3 of my training. It took almost 3 months to get myself off the couch and run just the first day (which for me was 3 days ago) and it took me being mad at my boyfriend, Jeremy, to do it. But that's all it took. I was frustrated, upset, confused about him and everything else that's happened lately in my life, and all I wanted to do was run out all those feelings. I wanted to push myself until I couldn't stand up. But like I said thats all it took. I was addicted again. I got up early, and I mean early the next morning, at 6:05am to be excat (which as you read my blog you will see that I never, ever wake up before like 7:05 am unless Jeremy wakes me by continuously talking to me lol) Anyways I wake up, or better yet, my alarm wakes me up and I actaully listen. My body immediatly come alive. I get up, Jeremy was already doing his morning run and just finishing up. I thought to myself, I'm going to run again tonight but 5 mins after he got off the treadmill I did something I have never done before in my life. I laced up my shoes and got on the treadmill.

Thats right.

I ran... in the morning. I was tired.. I wanted to quit but I didnt. I didnt allow myself to quit and "pick up" again that night when I normally run. Instead I stayed on the treadmill until I hit my 30 min workout. I only burned 210 calories but it was the sweetest calories I have ever burned! I was so proud of myself I beamed all day long!!

Weakness: 0

Strength: 2

My third great strength (btw the first being day 1 of working out!) of the week is what happened at lunch.

Since getting back on the "wagon" and counting my calories again (btw you can friend me on myfitnesspal.com my username is msmith2020) I have been making my lunch and bringing it to lunch with me. Before, when I was doing really well. I had to take about 2-3 weeks of making my own food before I trusted myself to not over order, or over eat at restaurants. My sister, her husband and my dad decide to go out to eat. So that being said, I brought my lunch to work yesterday I was already beaming because of my run so when they mentioned going out to eat, my initial response was that I couldnt go bc I knew I didnt trust myself to not over eat whatever I ordered.. as well as the chips on the table.. have I mentioned it was mexican food?

Whats bugging me is I want to spend time with my dad and family, though we all work together we dont get a lot of chances to hang out, So I think.. I can go. I walk back to the kitchen, grab my lunch box and say "ready". They look at me weird. They ask "your brining your lunch?" I was like "yes, actually I am" I brought a sandwich and carrots and dip to eat for lunch so nothing had to be heated up, nothing had to be altered or changed to eat. When we got to the resturant I pulled out my food and while they filled up on chips and hot sauce I ate my food bc I know that if I have tried to wait till they got their food all I would have thought about was, mm chips.. hot sauce.. fried food. Instead I kept my mind busy eating my pre counted calorie meal and at the end of the meal, when we walked out the door I was beaming with pride.

Me... proud of myself... that has not happened in so.. very... long!!

Weakness: 0

Strength: 3

♥♥♥

365 Days of Change

If you have a sister like mine, you fight, you make up, your friends and then you hate each other. And when you have a challenge between one another.. its game on!

 I recently, as of today, started again changing my life to fit the me I want to be. My sister has always had weight issues and is about 88 pounds heavier than me. This gives her an advantage I know. But what gives me  an advantage is I know her habits and I know her weaknessess.
 Today we both signed an agreement for the following challenge. Which benefits me greatly bc I had already started with this time-line in mind.

We both have less than a year, July 9th 2013 to be exact, to lose our goal weights. I chose to pick my ultimate goal weight of 130 which is 47.4 pounds (47 pounds for the challenge) and asked her to pick a goal at equal or higher than my goal. She chose 47 pounds as well making her goal weight at 218.

There are two stages:

First, it's set at who ever loses the weight first. Though with her being heavier than me and more to lose, in the long run, she has the upper hand in losing the weight faster. I on the other hand, have the upper hand of knowing she wont excersise so that will be my largest contributer to my weight loss plan in beating my sister at this challenge. For winning the first stage loser has to buy winner a Cupcake charm from James Avery in reference to "our power over the cupcake".

Second stage: From the start date to the end competition date, which ever person has the least amount of gains wins stage two. For this the Loser buys winner a new outfit at their goal weight- up to, yet not exceeding $100.

And with this, we have a signed "contract" and two rewards. I cant wait to beat her!! LOL!



♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I am at my Largest

I have never been "skinny" but then I have never been "fat".

Growing up I have always been a good weight, height and build for my body. It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I even noticed a difference, that maybe I was a little over weight. I ended up losing roughly 40 pounds and got down to my smallest of 135. I stayed at this weight -145 until about my sophomore year in college. Around this time is when I noticed  I had started to gain the weight again.

I gained the freshman 15-20. When to work at olive garden and lost another 35ish-40 pounds with all the walking and long nights of work I was doing. It was great!

But here I am again. At my highest of 177.4 I have never hit 180 and it depresses me to think I am so close to doing so. But thats really the turning point. I have a life to live, and I said live not hide away from camera's or formal events because I don't feel like I can find anything to wear. I dont want to have to dread another vacation because I know I wont be at my ideal weight before then. I dont want to not go swimming because there might be another girl in the pool with a flat stomach wearing a bikini.

I want to be that girl.


So here is to me and my 365 day challenge.

It can only start with me and end with me. Since I have control over both results and outcomes. I choose for it to never end again. This time I am stronger.