Step into Summer Challenge

I decided to participate in a challenge that Fitblogger is doing.  Challenging ourselves to a healthier lifestyle.

It's called Step into Summer challenge, you can click the button on the right hand side to read more about it.

So this week - what was my challenge? Water. Water. Water.  Drink it. More. More. More.

Have I succeeded so far? To be honest, no.  I haven't.  I have been getting in about 32 ounces of water.  Which - for general standards, that's half of what I should be getting in. But for me, that's an improvement considering I used to only get in about a cup or two a day, max.

So - ideally my goal is to get in 8-10 glasses of water.  How can I do this? I'm going to drink my entire water bottle before lunch(so 24 ounces). Fill up at lunch, getting at least 1 serving in at lunch.  And then fill it back up after lunch, and finishing that before the end of the day.  That will give me 7 servings before I even go home.  From there, fill it up one final time, and finish it by the end of the evening - and I will meet my goal.

This will always be an ongoing battle with me, but it might take me two weeks to get into habit for it. So we will check in again on Sunday with my progress, and starting next Monday see if I need to continue or if i'm confident this is something I can keep up.

What do you challenge yourself to do this week, that is making a healthy change in your lifestyle? 

Best "Run" Yet

I like to use Sunday as a day to gauge my progress in my weight loss efforts. I usually weigh in on Sundays  and Thursdays, and I usually do a workout on Sunday that is either the longest, or fastest to see my progress.  Yesterday, I got on the treadmill, and figured I'd just jog it out and see how far I could go. I was encouraged after reading Cupcake Dream's experience.  She was talking about how she just went out and kept saying they were only at a mile, and kept pushing to do a little more, and by the time they finished - they had done like 4+ miles...

So that kind of stuck around in my head.  I hopped on the treadmill and figured I'd see how far I could go just jogging (4.0 mph).  The most I had previously done was 3 minutes, without feeling like I wanted to die.  So I was jogging along and actually hit my 3 minute mark OK.  Then a new song came on and I told myself I'd just do one more song on my iPod.  Then that ended, and I figured, I could do one more.  Towards the end of this song I started wondering how much further I could go. I peeked at the distance and saw that I was at around the .7 mile mark and I just wanted to make it to .75, then when I hit .77 I knew I could make it to .8 and I did.  .8 however though was where I had to crank it down and walk the rest of the .2.

So now, next week - the goal will be to jog the entire mile! 

Related articles

• Weight Loss Journey Begins (missnicolette.wordpress.com)
• My First 5k (200by40.com)

Ouch, Oh, Ouch - Help for the Hamstrings

I did a great workout on Sunday, but have been paying for it Monday and Tuesday.  I decided today I need to start doing a better job stretching my hamstrings. I can't be waddling up and down the steps during class change, I'll never get anywhere, not to mention I've been aiming for 10K + steps a day! It's getting tricky when it hurts to move.

So a few stretches I did this morning, and will do tonight after work in hopes of making it easier when I head to the gym or towpath tonight.

There are a lot of stretches to choose from - but my top three are ones I can easily do at home, and if I can get some alone time on my break at work - I can do in the afternoon.  The last one I can even do with students in my classroom as long as they're working on something and not staring at me.

1. Chair- Stretch

From Halhigdon

This has been the most helpful to me honestly.  I am not sure why, maybe because it's easier to do at my own pressure, but it's been what is helping me get through the day.  Now to figure out a way to do it and not look awkward with kids in my class...

2. Laying on back

From MayoClinic

Awkward.  I can do this in the morning and at night, but I can't do this mid-day while I'm at work, and that's when I really need a quick stretch to get through the afternoon.

3: Cross-Legged stretch

From exrx

This is a perfect stretch for throughout the day.  I can do this with kids in my room as long as they're working and I'm not lecturing. I can squeeze it in between class changes as well.  Wish I had thought of doing this yesterday...

Got a favorite hamstring stretch? Let me know! 

Ready for my next 12 weeks..

I'm a member of the local YMCA and the location I go to is a brand new location. So things have been a little slow there, but I really like it (and the price is really affordable!).  So I saw a sign yesterday to sign up for a free 12 week wellness program that you can get as a member.  One of my previous students works there and wanted to be my coach, and I was hesitant at first, but he's a good guy.  So I went with it.  I have my first meeting on Thursday and then we will meet about every 3 weeks after that to monitor my progress and make a plan.

My two main goals:

Run (well OK, walk/jog) a 5K in under 45 minutes and to work on incorporating more strength training. I get intimidated when I head over to the weight section in the gym  because I don't really know what I'm doing - so I usually avoid it.

I also started using weight watchers on my cell phone - I'm giving it a shot for a month to decide if I like the new plan. So changes are coming - just hope they're good changes :)

March Goals -

In January, I set a few goals. I adjusted them from my original because I was on the way to exceeding those regularly.  Well January took a shift and February was a crapshoot of issues, so I semi-met the goals...

My January goals:

• I'd like to regularly hit 7,000 steps, but I'd like to have a few days (maybe one a week) where I hit 10,000, 12,000.  (This will be possible when I meet March goal #1!!!)
• My goal is regularly hit 2,900 calories a day - again with a few days where hitting 3,200 ,3,500would be nice. 
• My goal is to have a day where I do 5 8 miles, and I'd like to have to an active score in the 900's.,1,000's. (This might be a bit more tricky ... will work on it this month as well! ) 

March goals: 

1. Walk 5x a week working on the pace I can do a mile in.  Ideally, by the end of the month I want to shave off 1:30, so I'd like to do it in about 15 minutes. (I'm figuring I can try to shave off 5 seconds each time I do it)
2. Calories, Calories, Calories.  We don't eat poorly when we're eating at home.  But this past month we were constantly going out to eat.  So back to our one time during the work week plan. Not only will this help save us $$ but it will be saving us calories big time!  This is going to be especially tricky because we're going to the gym on Tuesday/Thursday so I'll have to have something easy to prepare for right after work those days (or do it Monday/Wed night for the next night). 
3. Sunday - work out together.  Whether it's a bike ride (if this snow every goes away!) or even just a walk through the neighborhood or mall. 

And I am not buying one drop of new workout clothes (I'm addicted to buying them and rarely use them, I always wear the same things!) 

Related articles

• Calories Burned By Walking (brighthub.com)
• How to cut calories without slowing your metabolism (self.com)
• The Best Way to Burn Calories (brighthub.com)

Run, Walk, Run? Just RUN

I've been wanting to run for a while now.  I originally just wanted to get out and run, and I've tried various  programs, like the Couch25K, and other various run/walk programs to the point where I could eventually run.  Well no matter what I try, it always seems too much for me at first, therefore giving up. So I've changed my mind and as soon as I'm cleared from the doctor to run again - I'm going to be starting again.  Instead of focusing on intervals and trying this, that and the other, I'm just focusing on speed and time.

I walk a 20 minute mile, sometimes faster, sometimes slower.  So my plan is to just constantly shave time off of that with my own little bursts.  Every time I get on the treadmill, even if it's just a few seconds, I'm going to shave time off of that - until I'm at a 10 minute mile. And yes  - I know, 10 minutes still isn't 'speedy' in many people's opinions, but you know what? A 10 minute mile, 6 minute mi, and even my 20 minute mi is still a mile, and that's a mile further than I'm going sitting here typing this - so I'll take it.  I really want to get down to a 10 minute mile so that when I only have 30-40 minutes, I can get a bit more in to my workout that a mile and a half.

I'll get there... eventually ;)

Related articles

• Healthy Streak - Run Every Day For the Rest of My Life (runkeeper.com)
• Time to break out the running shoes (cggrlogan.wordpress.com)
• Cardio Workout: Treadmill Intervals (fitsugar.com)