Saturday, October 1, 2011

Health Quest & ZUMBA

Today was my 5 week weight in on Weight Watchers. I am down -10.3 pounds on WW and just over 25 pounds less than my highest weight two years ago. GO ME! Am very pleased with my progress and am still in love with Weight Watchers online.

I confess - I was initially a little disappointed in my weight loss when I got on my Wii this morning. And I blame The Biggest Loser on my unrealistic expectations. I watched the first two episodes of the new season this week and I think watching these people drop such massive amounts of weight on week 1 and then still pretty amazing amounts week 2 (although almost all of them were in tears for ONLY dropping 2-10 pounds.....) it kind of skewed my perception of what reality is for a normal mortal. I am averaging a 2.1 pound loss per week since starting WW. Before Weight Watchers I would drop weight one week and then gain it back the next. Boing Boing Boing. So I need to use caution on my brain when I watch shows like that. I do not have Bob Harper standing on my throat and screaming at me. (Nor would I want that! Yuck!) Inspirational? Yes. Expectational? - NO.

So I am very pleased with how this week went. I did increase my Tread Mill from 3 one hour sessions to 4. AND!!!!!! I got my Wii Zumba in the mail this week. Zumba Fitness
LOVE IT! I got it in the mail on Tuesday and after my tread mill session I turned it on and started on it. I found it a little confusing to navigate the menu. And the tutorial would either stick on a step forever (if I did it without the wii stick in my hand) or skip through at lightning speed if I did hold the Wii stick, but once I got into the actual work out I was a happy girl. I was dripping with sweat at the end of the 20 minute beginner routine and panting for air. (Whether that is a commentary on my level of fitness or how good this is for a workout - I don't know. Either way.....) So on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday I added a session of Zumba to my workouts. After the first day I was VERY sore in my upper body and back. Day 2 was hard. I was sore and my list of excuses was mighty. Told myself to "Woman up!" and did it. Day three I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be and was looking forward to getting my three days of exercise behind my belt. When I woke up on Friday I was surprised at the lack of stiffness in my back and body in general. Nice!

So my new exercise schedule is: Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and I am doing one hour of knitting/walking on my treadmill at a 50% incline and then hitting my Wii when I finish on the treadmill for a Zumba session. Sunday, Monday & Friday are rest and recovery days. If I stick to this for the Tread Mill schedule I will be done with knitting on my Afghan in 7 more weeks. I am anxious to be done with it so I can ramp up my speed and change my focus. I can't go too fast on the tread mill when I am knitting so I have jacked the incline up to compensate and make it harder. I drip with sweat every session and my heart rate goes up - so I know I am burning calories and doing some good to my body, but I really want to keep ramping up the work outs - so that means this will probably be my final afghan on the tread mill.

I am trying to focus on the little things to see my success on the health quest. Like my pajama bottoms are all dragging on the floor now. And when I went to put on a long sleeve T that I lived in last winter I was sure it must be a 2XL because it was just too big. When I took it off and looked it was a 1XL - which means I am sneaking slowly into Large girl territory and will soon not be an XL girl. (Happily said goodbye to 2XL Jen awhile ago.) My jeans fit better every week and I foresee needing to go shopping for the holidays. And I am excited about being more comfortable in my own skin this holiday season. AND my 40th Birthday is 5 weeks away and I am excited to see where I am at on my 40th birthday! Go me!

THIS WEEK:
I want to stay on my exercise routine that I started this week.
I want to keep ramping up my water consumption. (I drink more water when I exercise!)
Take all my vitamins every day.
Try a new WW recipe.
Get. More. Sleep.

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