Day 7 - Week One Recap

So my first official week of being back to working out is over, and I have to say it's been a pretty interesting week. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have done it if it wasn't for this blog, and everyone out there reading and responding to it. Like I said last week in the "Why I'm doing this" post, I wanted this blog to hold me accountable and it really has. I look at going to the gym as not only something to make me healthier, but every day I think I better go or else I won't have anything to blog about later! And here are a couple of things I've learned this week - not only about getting back into working out, but also about myself.

Number 1: Make sure to pack up your gym bag the night before. It's really a huge pain to have to run around in the morning to find your sneakers or yoga pants. And I'm not sure how many times my boss will be okay with the "I was late because I couldn't find my workout clothes" excuse.

Number 2: You can't be so hard on yourself. Not only did I get on my own case for not being able to make it through a workout without modifying the exercises (which is crazy seeing as how I haven't worked out since I got married 15 months ago), but I also felt guilty about not working out the last few days. Both times the emotion was pointless, and did nothing but make me feel bad, and what's the point of that? There are plenty of things out there that I can't control that can make me feel bad, why would I want to contribute to it?

Number 3: Stretching is key. I really wish I had stretched post 30/60/90 on Day 3. I think today was the first day I could go up and down the stairs without pain, and I really don't want to get lapped anymore on my way up and down the steps by my cat.

And Number 4: Life is too short to not do what you love. And I know everyone has heard that before and probably at some level accepts that to be true, myself being one of those people. But I really started thinking about that more and more this week. I want to be healthy. I want to be able to go hiking with my friends without the embarrassment of having to stop every 5 minutes. I don't want to dread putting on a bathing suit! But at the same time, I love eating - especially sweets. I love sitting around and watching TV. And I love having a few drinks with my friends. So I've determined that I can, and I will, have all of it. Because life's too short not to. And if that means going to the gym Monday - Friday so I can take Saturday and Sunday off to go out with friends, have some drinks, then lay around watching TV then so be it. But you do have to make some sacrifices, it's just a matter of what you want in the end.

Power Yoga Monday kicks off Week Two. Til tomorrow!

~Catie

Total number of minutes spent working out this week: 255

Day 6 - Regrets and Guilt

It's funny - this has only been my first week of working out, and I already feel guilty for not going yesterday or today. Maybe guilty is not the right word, but I just feel weird about not going. Is it possible to already form a habit after 4 days? And if it is, is it possible to lose that habit in as many days?

Yesterday was strange. I got up, and didn't need to pack my gym bag. I was leaving work, and went a different way home because I wasn't going to the gym. A week ago it would have felt weird to do those things, and now it feels strange to not. And then I went out with friends last night, and this morning I am feeling serious guilt for 1) not working out 2) drinking a few too many glasses of wine last night, and 3) being hungover enough today to not want to get off my couch.

On a side note, when did I become old? I used to be able to go out and stay out until 2 am and not feel a thing the next day. Now I go out, come home early, and can't get rid of my headache all day. I guess it was around the same time that I realized I can't eat pizza or cheese fries at 2am and not gain weight from it. I miss those days...

Back to the point. A friend of mine retweeted this quote the other day on Twitter, and it got me thinking - Never regret anything because at one time it was what you wanted. And I agree with this. But what if the things I once wanted are bad for me, like eating pizza at 2am or drinking too much? Should I still not regret them because at one point I did enjoy doing them? And what if that regret makes me change something about my life for the positive? Should I regret my regret, even if it makes my life better?

I guess there's no answer to that, because no one can decide how you feel except you. And in this case, I'm following this philosophy - sometimes the reason behind why we do something good doesn't matter. It's just that we did it. Til tomorrow.

~Catie

Total number of minutes spent working out this week: 255

Day 4 - The Art of Zumba, Part 2

So today was my second attempt at Zumba, and as much as I really wanted to like it, I just didn't. I had pretty high hopes for it too. And the funny thing is, my issue with this class was the opposite of my last one, and I still didn't like it.

Last class (Day 2) I thought the instructor was really fun, and there was a great vibe to the class, but she didn't give enough instruction and I got frustrated. This class the instructor was better at giving cues and direction, but she just seemed cold. She clearly had more skill at teaching Zumba than my Tuesday instructor, but she just seemed indifferent. Like she had to be there, put in her hour, and be done. Not a smile, not a "keep it up ladies!", nothing. And I'm sorry, but if I'm giving you an hour of my time - especially an hour where I could be at home being lazy - you better damn well make me at least enjoy my time.

I still got a decent workout, but I just didn't have the same energy as I did on Tuesday. Even with my frustration I was still jumping around and trying hard because the instructor acted like she was having a great time and didn't want to be anywhere else but Zumba. I apologize if I'm ranting, but seriously! It's hard enough to go straight from working all day to then go spend an hour working out. There are enough reasons for me to go straight home. But I got myself there, ready to have a good time dancing around, and instead I ended up being annoyed at the end of the class. If the instructor can't bother to put in the effort, why should I? I realized that was a bad attitude about halfway through, but for some reason I just shake it.

I think the reason I'm so upset about Zumba is because I was really excited about it. I love to dance (just ask anyone who has seen me at a bar after a few beers), and the idea of getting to spend an hour dancing to fun music as my workout seemed perfect! And I do think that I would enjoy Zumba, maybe in a bigger city or with instructors who were better trained, but for the time being I will be sitting out Zumba and trying to find another cardio class.

That's life I guess, right? Sometimes the things you look most forward to are not all you hope they could be, and the things you dread (like 30/60/90) are actually the things that pleasantly surprise you. Til tomorrow.

~Catie

Total number of minutes spent working out this week: 255

Day 3 - Mind over Body vs. Body over Mind

You know the saying - "mind over matter" and "mind over body". A lot times I believe that to be true. Except today.

They hit today right around 4:00pm. What hit? My reasons and excuses for not working out. It was as if my mind had saved up all of my usual reasons, and threw them at me all at once. You've gone really hard the last couple of days, wouldn't it be nice to go home and read? And you're still pretty sore from Monday, you wouldn't want to hurt yourself. Etc, etc, etc. And I almost listened, I really did. But that's when I had to use my body over my mind. I literally had to ignore that little voice in my head and get myself to the gym. And once I there...I kicked its ass.

Today was by far the hardest workout I have ever done. EVER. And I'm dating myself all the way back to when I played field hockey in high school, and we had to run hill sprints after we left our bucket of practice balls at an opposing high school's field. Not pretty. And neither was 30/60/90.

30/60/90 is high-intensity circuit training in a way. It essentially consists of doing a movement, like squats, for 30 seconds. Then you pulse the movement for 60 seconds, and then you hold it for 90 seconds. Once you've done that you do 90 seconds of cardio, and then onto the next movement.

I literally wanted to cry, and I wanted to quit more times than I could count. I was holding my squat, looking at the door, and thinking I could just leave and never come back. I don't know anyone here. No one would notice. And to be honest at that moment I'm not sure why I didn't. My muscles were twitching, my heart was racing, and I really couldn't do anymore. My mind AND body were telling me to quit. But then I thought about something. How many times have I quit something in my life because it was too hard? Unfortunately, more times than I would like. Pretty much any time I've ever started a workout plan I quit because it was too hard or I wasn't not seeing results fast enough.

And at that moment I had to make a choice. I could either continue doing what I always do - quitting once it got hard - or I could tell that little voice to shut up and tell my body to deal. And that's exactly what I did. And you know what? When I finished that workout, the sense of accomplishment I felt was so overwhelming that I almost wanted to cry for a whole different reason. I realized right then that even though it's only Day 3, I had a pretty big breakthrough.

Sometimes it's mind over body, and sometimes it's body over mind. But in order to really make a change in your life, it's just you over your past. Til tomorrow.

~Catie

Total number of minutes spent working out this week: 195

Day 2 - The Art of Zumba

Zumba Zumba Zumba. Where do I begin...

My first experience with Zumba was good, but not great. It reminded me of when I went to see Avatar (stick with me - this will make sense!). When I saw Avatar in 3D here in State College, the glasses had really dark green lens. I still got to see everything in 3D, but everything was so dark because of the glasses that some of the vibrant colors were lost.

Same thing with Zumba. I still got a good workout, don't get me wrong. But the instructor seemed a little lost, and I think she was still new to teaching it, which made it not quite as fun. For anyone who has never taken Zumba, the best way I can describe it is a Latin-influenced aerobic dance class. There was great music, and a great energy with all of the women in the class, but I kept getting lost which made me frustrated!

I'm not the most coordinated person out there, so when I take an aerobics class I need direction. I need the instructor to say "Last one! Now grapevine!" - something like that. But I would be doing a step, look up, and realize the instructor was doing something completely different without telling us! Agh!

Luckily there is another Zumba class on Thursday, with a different instructor, so hopefully that will turn out better. But at least it was a good workout that really got my heart rate up. And it was pretty funny when the instructor would start speaking Spanglish - "Now shake it a la derecha!"

So overall I had a good time, got a good workout, but something just felt off. Oh well! I tried something new, right? And that's enough of an accomplishment for me. Til tomorrow!

~Catie

Total number of minutes spent working out this week: 135

Day 1 - Power Yoga and Candy Bars

I was sitting on the couch watching some TV, and decided I wanted some ice cream (more details on that tasty treat later) and realized something when I stood up. I'm sore! And excited about it! Granted, I may not be quite as excited tomorrow when I can't get out of bed, but for now it feels good. Really good.

I went to Power Vinyasa Flow taught by Jill at East Coast Fitness here in State College, with my friend Erin. She has taken the class a bunch of times before, and swore by it and the instructor. I was excited, but nervous. Here's the description I read earlier today, because I had no idea what I was getting into:

"Inspired by my teacher Baron Baptiste - Vinyasa means to move with breath... this 75 minute class is a flowing practice of sun salutations with strengthening powerful standing poses, integrating a balance series, breath & is an invitation to drop within yourself, allowing yourself to surrender into any challenge on the mat as you would a challenging moment in your day to day life. Vinyasa flow is a smooth, non-stop practice that truly invites you to practice life on your mat & take all you are on the mat into your day-to-day life on this earth... There is nothing like this flow!!"

Umm...what? Okay, so I'm not completely new to yoga. I took it in college and some classes post-college, but 75 minutes? And do I want to "drop within myself"? But I must say - I really loved it! It also didn't hurt that I had a great friend there motivating me, and giving me tips. If I can get to be half as flexible as Erin I will be happy!

Is it as challenging as a one-hour spinning class? I'm not sure - I think it's just different. Was I having trouble catching my breath? Not really. Was a sweating like a pitcher of ice water on a hot day? You better believe it. Were my muscles shaking? Still are actually. And right now, just walking from the living room to the kitchen (which is about 20 feet by the way), is making my thighs burn. And reaching into the freezer for my treat...oh yeah, by arms are definitely sore from all the down-ward facing dogs*.

*Side note - if you have taken yoga feel free to correct me - but there is no way that down-ward facing dog is a relaxing and rejuvenating pose! Come on now!

Now onto my tasty treat - my ice cream candy bar. I'm a big fan of sweets, and ice cream is no exception. Sometimes I wish I was lactose intolerant so I could have a good reason to not eat ice cream and cheese, but I'm not, so I'll just have to find low-cal options, and some self-restraint. And I did in my new favorite ice cream dessert!

It's made by Weight Watchers and it's called "Ice Cream Candy Bar". It has a points value of 3 and only 150 calories, and it's just like a Snickers Ice Cream Bar. I first heard about it on the Hungry Girl website (which is an amazing site if you've never been), and was skeptical. But I'm telling you - it's amazing. Even my husband, who can eat almost anything and still be thin, prefers them to the Snickers brand. Should I have had an apple? Probably. But sometimes I just needs some chocolate, so I might as well have something that doesn't make me feel like I just ruined my healthy eating for the day.

So, it's an end to Day 1 and I'm feeling good. Of course I know it's only Day 1 and I'm inevitably going to have some tough days, but right now I'm just enjoying the feeling of accomplishment. Started a blog? Check. Worked out on Day 1? Check. Felt excited and motivated for the first time in a long time? Check and Check. Til tomorrow!

~Catie

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has commented here, on my Facebook page, or have messaged me on Twitter. It means so much that people are reading and enjoying this! If you are trying to get healthy - tell me! Post your ideas, things you found helpful, anything!

Why I'm doing this...

So here's the deal. I am a 26 year old woman. I'm 5' 6". And I weigh...155 pounds. I know what some of you might be thinking - is she crazy!? Did she just tell the entire internet what she weighs? The answer is yes. Why? Because it's just a number. It does not reflect my IQ, how happy I am, or how good I am at my job. What does it tell me? To be honest, I'm not sure. But I'm ready to find out. Find out why the amount I weigh matters. Shouldn't how you feel matter? Whether or not you can go up a flight of stairs without getting winded matter?

So here is my goal - to get healthy. I don't want to look like a Hollywood starlet. I don't want to lose 50 pounds. I would like to fit into a size smaller (I'm only human!) But more importantly, I want to be healthy. My grandmother had diabetes, my father is pre-diabetic, and I have a serious sweet tooth. Seriously - I love to bake like none other. I even want to open up my own cupcake store, but that's another story...

Let me make something clear before I go on. I am NOT a doctor. I am NOT a dietitian. But I do like to read health magazines (Self is a personal favorite), and that's where I get a lot of ideas. But I'm not saying that what I do, or plan to do, will work for anyone but me. I just wanted to have a place where I could write about the challenges of getting healthy, get some feedback, and maybe even have an open forum where people can share ideas and their stories. But most of all, I wanted something that held me accountable, because if there's one thing I'm good at when it comes to working out, it's talking myself out of it.

So I'm not going to do it. I'm no longer going home after work before going to the gym. Why? Because somehow I manage in the 20 minutes it takes me to get home to talk myself out of doing anything productive. I'm not going to say "oh I had a rough day" or "I'm really tired" because if you try, you can find a reason to never do anything, and I don't want to live like that anymore.

So here is my quest. I am going to try to work out every day and I will write about my experiences as I progress through my first month, and all the months after that. And by saying to you all that I will do it - well I better not slack off. And if I do, I give you all permission to kick my lazy butt back into gear!

So let's do it. Let's get healthy. And not because some magazine says we have to lose weight, or because some guy you like was checking out the skinny chick at the bar, but because YOU want to. We all have our reasons to not work out, to not eat right, to not get healthy. But we also all have one big reason to get healthy - ourselves.

~Catie