Workout Results 2/13-

I worked hard today, but my legs were sore, big time! Not sure if it is soreness from my glut work the other day or the 15% incline from yesterday, regardless, I am feeling it!! I had to really push myself to work hard, but it was well worth it as I had a fabulous workout. My ST was light today, I went for higher reps with low weight. I am trying to build up my endurance again since I took a break from lifting. My run felt great, my knee surprised me and held in there! Go knee Go! I am still icing 3 times a day, so I am hoping that all the TLC I have been giving it will pay off.

As far as my meals, I did well. I logged my foods during the day all except for dinner. We are having one last dinner with some of our friends here in Russia before we leave. I do not know what I will be eating but I promise to be good! I have done well with my deficits this week so we can count this as my cheat meal...I do deserve one...right?

Everything is going well with the move. We are still waiting to hear when the movers will be here to pack and ship our belongings that are going back to the US with us. They are going to take my treadmill away....I am so sad!! It will be about 2 months before it arrives back in Texas, where we are moving. I will still have the bike here in Russia with me so I will not be without a source of cardio for those last few days. We are flying out to Moscow in exactly one week from today! You can imagine how excited we are!

Stay strong and focused this weekend!

Goals for 2/13 -

1. Drink 128 oz of water - done
2. Log all foods for the day - done with the exception to dinner (eating out tonight)
3. Cardio - 45 mins and ST - Full body/Core - done
4. Ice my knee 3 times - done
5. Take all vitamins and supplements -done

Cardio - 44 mins
30 min Run with sprint intervals followed by a 3 min cool down walk.
11 mins of hill intervals on bike.

Full Body ST with Core -
Standard military push up - 20 reps
Diamond push up - 20 reps
Wood choppers with sumo squat - 3 sets of 15 reps with one 17 lb DB
One arm horizontal chops with bands - 3 sets of 15 reps for each arm
21's - 3 sets of 21 reps with 11 lb DBs
One arm tricep extensions - 3 sets of 15 reps for each arm with 11 lb DB
Sumo squat to press - 3 sets of 15 reps with 11 lb DBs
Lawnmowers - 3 sets of 15 reps for each side with bands
Plank hold to failure - 3 reps
Cross body mountain climbers - 20 reps
Mountain climbers - 20 reps
Standing oblique crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps for each side
Suitcase crunch - 3 sets of 15 reps

Total Time - 75.14
Calories burned - 862
AHR - 155/81% MHR - 188/98%
Calories consumed - 1,002 (not including dinner out) I will eat well...promise!

Looking ahead to this weekend....MUST stay on track despite the move!

1. Drink 128 oz of water each day
2. Log in all my foods for the day
3. Do not forget to ice my knee 3 times a day

Saturday 2/14 - 45 min cardio - Run/Bike
Sunday 2/15 - Day off

Workout Results 2/12 -

"Sow a thought, and you reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny." Charles Reader

1. Drink 128 oz of water - done
2. Log all foods for the day - done
3. Cardio - at least 30 mins - done
4. Ice my knee 3 times - done
5. Take all vitamins and supplements - done

Treadmill intervals of walking - 5%, 10% and 15% incline.
Time - 40.22 mins
Calories burned - 297
AHR -125/65% MHR - 166/86%
Calories consumed - 1,607

What I will be working towards tomorrow 2/13 -

1. Drink 128 oz of water
2. Log all foods for the day
3. Cardio - 45 mins and ST - Full body/Core
4. Ice my knee 3 times
5. Take all vitamins and supplements

Workout Results 2/11 -

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good." - Author Unknown

I did well today. My legs were still sore from Cathe's Butts and Guts dvd from Monday, but I pushed through. I feel accomplished, strong and proud that I pressed on another day...

Work hard, reach high!

1. Drink 128 oz of water - done
2. Cardio - 60 mins - done
3. Yoga - 30 mins - done
4. Take all supplements and vitamins - done
5. Log all my foods for the day - done
6. Ice knee 3 times - done

Lower body toning with cardio drills - 30 mins
45 min Treadmill - 5 min warm up walk, 40 min run with one interval of squats.

Lower body work -
Sumo squats - 3 sets of 40 reps - 20 full reps/20 pluse reps
Hammer punches with lunge - 3 sets of 20 reps for each leg.
Low pluse lunges - 3 sets of 20 reps for each leg
Squats - 3 sets of 40 reps - 20 full reps/20 pluse reps

Time - 75.25 mins
Calories burned - 757
AHR -148/77% MHR - 185/96%
Calories consumed - 1,762

Midweek Motivation!

Happy Wednesday! This is the day where we often times slow down and loose track of the goals we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the week. Here are a few quotes to keep you motivated for the day...

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." Phillips Brooks

"Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." Mary Kay Ash

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born." Dr. Dale Turner

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship." Louisa May Alcott

"I've learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances." Martha Washington

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." Seneca

"Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point. " Harold B. Melchart

Goals for Wednesday...

Here are my goals for today. Only 9 days left until we leave!

1. Drink 128 oz of water
2. Cardio - 60 mins
3. Yoga - 30 mins
4. Take all supplements and vitamins
5. Log all my foods for the day
6. Ice knee 3 times

Workout Results 2/10 -

"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." Vince Lombardi

All goals reached for the day -

1. Drink at least 128 oz of water - done
2. Cardio - at least 45 mins - done
3. ST - Chest/Core - done
4. Take all supplements and vitamins - done
5. Log all my foods for the day -done
6. Ice knee 3 times - done
7. Stretch/Yoga for at least 20 mins - done

Time - 82:34 mins
Calories burned - 747
AHR -140/73% MHR - 184/96%
Calories consumed - 1,731

Warmup - Bike and Cathe Drill Max followed by 4 circuits of ST and treadmill runs.

ST Chest/Core -
Standard military push up - 20 reps
Spiderman push up - 20 reps
Dive bomber push ups - 20 reps
Treadmill - 10 min run.

DB flys - 3 sets of 15 reps with 11 lb DBs
DB press - 3 sets of 15 reps with 28 lb DBs
Treadmill - 5 min run.

Cross body mountain climbers - 3 sets of 20 reps
Mountain climbers - 3 sets of 20 reps
Treadmill - 5 min run.

Standing oblique crunch - 25 reps on each side
Suitcase crunch - 25 reps
Standard crunch - 25 reps
Ball exchange - 25 reps
Treadmill - 10 min run.

Cool down - 3 min walk on tread followed by stretch.

Change begins with choice.

I found this highly motivating and thought reading this was the perfect way to start off another great week. Hope you will find this as enriching as I have.

Change Begins With Choice
Jim Rohn

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

To Your Success, Jim Rohn

Goals for Tuesday - 10 days left!!

Only 10 more days here in Russia! Yesterday was a success as I was able to stay focused and I had a wonderful workout.

Here are my goals for today -

1. Drink at least 128 oz of water
2. Cardio - at least 45 mins
3. ST - Chest/Core
4. Take all supplements and vitamins
5. Log all my foods for the day
6. Ice knee 3 times
7. Stretch/Yoga for at least 20 mins

Workout results 2/9 -

Reached all goals for the day!

1. Drink at least 16 oz of water in the morning - done
2. Take all vitamins and supplements -done
3. Cardio intervals at least 45 mins -done
4. Stretch/yoga at least 20 mins -done
5. Ice my knee at least 3 times - done
6. Log in all my foods for the day -done

Time - 70 mins
Calories Burned - 685
AHR -145/76% MHR - 178/93%
Calories Consumed - 1,546

Cardio - Segments of Cathe Butts and Guts dvd.
Treadmill running/walking intervals and 3 miles of hill intervals on the bike.

ST- Shoulders and Back -
Shoulder press -3 sets of 20 reps with 11 lb DBs
Side body chops with bands - 3 sets of 20 reps each arm.
Front raise - 3 sets of 10 reps for each arm with 11 lb DBs
Side raise - 3 sets of 12 reps with 11 lb DBs
Wood choppers - 3 sets of 20 reps with 11 lb DBs
Jumping jacks - 3 sets of 20 reps in between sets
One arm DB rows - 3 sets of 12 reps with 28 lb DBs
Stretch/pilates cool down.

Getting back to the basics...

I think that it is when we are busy with life that we tend to loose focus, causing us so many times to wonder where we went wrong. As I was making my husband and I lunch yesterday, I noticed that I was not measuring and weighing my food as I normally do. Why was this? Well, we are moving and so much of our stuff is now packed away, and as they say, out of sight, out of mind. In the rush of all that is going on here, my routine is off - BIG TIME! But such is life...

I do not want to make excuses as to why I did not workout this weekend. We each have 24 hours in the day that are given to us and if we really sit back and look at how we spend our time, I guarantee you that we can all find blocks of time wasted on things that we WANTED to do, rather than the things we NEEDED to do. If you can sit down to watch 30 mins of your favorite TV show, or check in online your favorite sites, you can get up and get on the treadmill for the same amount of time. It is as simple as that. If we can take time to chat on the phone, flip through a magazine or paint our nails, we can take the 30 seconds it takes to measure and log our foods properly. It is about choice. It is about realizing that we are in control and then simply making the decision to do what is best for our bodies.

I want to take this time to remember how I lost my weight. What where the small changes I made each day that ultimately made the difference for me. I want to take away for one moment the thought of deficits, intervals, percentages of protein consumed and I want to get back to the basics of weight loss.

Before I look at what I did right, I want to go back 3 years ago and reflect on where I went wrong. How did this weight gain happen?

1. Lack of exercise. Simply put. LAZINESS! Not wanting to get out there and just do something, whether it be walking or biking each day to add activity into my life. I would make time to watch my favorite shows, but not for taking a walk with my husband each night.

2. Portion control. I love eating out at restaurants. This is something that we did often and it was a major factor in my weight gain. Not only are restaurants filled with hidden calories, but their portion sizes are far too large. Then there things like the bread, chips and desserts that so many times come along with, "Let's go out and celebrate" or "Let's have a nice, romantic dinner". The results of these special occasions add up over time.

3. The someday syndrome. This was a big one for me. I was in school for most of our marriage and with that came long hours studying. I was always thinking to myself, "I will get back on track when I finish this semester." We can always say that things will get better someday, but what about the here and now? After all it is what we eat and do TODAY, that will determine our health and well being in the "someday" down the road.

Now, lets fast forward to the present moment. I have lost a vast amount of weight, regained my life and have never felt better. I am getting ready to embark on a big lifestyle change. I am going back to the US or as one person said recently to me, fast food nation! I want to be prepared to face the countless temptations that lie around every corner back home. For me fast food is not one of them, rather, the vast amount of restaurants waiting there for us. And so once again I have a choice. When you go to a restaurant and order food, YOU are in control of what you eat and how much of it you consume. You also have full control of where you eat. Let's be honest for a moment. There is NO ONE forcing you to drive to that Mexican restaurant and stuff your face with chips. You are behind the wheel and you have a choice. So many times people look at themselves and ask why. Why am I gaining weight? Why have I not lost weight this week despite my workouts? I can tell you from experience that 90% of the time it is your diet. We underestimate the power of the nutritional component of weight loss. Mindless snacking, large portions, sugar filled treats, all of these add up over time and will eventually show on the scale.

I am ready. I am mentally prepared for what life will be like back home. For me it is no different that when I was preparing for going on vacations while over here in Russia. You have a game plan and you stick to it. If I knew that I wanted to treat myself to a croissant or a curry dish, I would make up my mind ahead of time that this would be my treat, and then I stuck to it. I was able to do well going to so many different countries with amazing cuisines because I worked hard in order to treat myself accordingly. So back home, I need to take the same approach.

Now I want to focus on the 3 simple changes I made that lead me to loosing my weight.

1. I logged my foods daily. I started using a site called myfooddiary back in 2007 and it changed my life. You have to have an understanding of how much you are consuming in relation to what your body needs each day.

2. I started exercising. The biggest factor for me was starting to walk each day on the treadmill. My aunt ( a doctor and athlete) suggested to me to start off with 90 minutes and so I did. The pounds started to melt off. I slowly increased my speed and began doing intervals, but it all started with good old fashioned walking, nothing more.

3. I started weight training in January 2008. I bought the at home program P90X as well as Cathe's Muscle Max, and these dvds changed my body dramatically. The progress as seen on the scale slowed down, but the tape measure became my best friend! I was loosing inches each week and could see a huge difference in how my clothes fit.

If you are thinking about changing your life but you are on the fence and scared to give weight loss one more try, just remember that every day you put off making the decision to change, is another day you are loosing out on the most rewarding journey you will ever take!

Work hard, reach high!

For a full back story on my journey to becoming who I am today, you can click here to visit my other weight loss site on Sparkpeople.com - Jensfitjourney