Day Two of Challenge

Today was my 2nd day on this challenge. There is just a feeling that's hard to explain when you are on the right course isn't there??? I mean when you know you're on the right track, you have the right mindset and you are doing all you can to go in a positive direction you just feel different. And that's the feeling that greeted me this morning when I awoke at 5am.

After a full glass of water, I promptly went downstairs where I have my treadmill and equipment. I did a 5 minute warm-up and then went for my run. I decreased my speed a little from yesterday because someone told me that it's more important to build up endurance than it is speed. Speed will come later. So I ran at 4.1 MPH and I was able to run 2.1 minutes and .2 miles. It's up!! And that's all I care about.

So between yesterday and today I've run .35 miles...got quite a long way to reach my 20 for the challenge. But I'm not going to let myself get discouraged. Especially after today when I read my bible and stumbled upon a Scripture in Romans 15:5 "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement..." The God who gives ENDURANCE and ENCOURAGEMENT...how awesome is that? I mean these are two things that I'm going to need in excess to finish strong in this challenge and God's word shows me right where to go for those resources. FANTASTIC!

Tonight after work I went down and did an interval training on the treadmill. I figured if I do this 5 days a week I will build endurance which will in turn build my cardio abilities up making it easier for me to meet the requirements of my challenge. Here's how my interval training works...

Walk at an easy yet brisk pace...one you could keep up for a long period Let's say 3.0MPH for 2min.
Walk as fast as you can without running for me that is 4.0MPH for 30 seconds.
Back to 3.0MPH for a 2 minute recovery
Then 4MPH for 60 seconds
3.0MPH for another 2min recovery
Then 4MPH for 90 seconds
3.0MPH for 2 min recovery
Back up to 4MPH for 2 full minutes
3.0MPH for 4 min recovery
Back to 4MPH for 90 seconds
3.0MPH for 2min recovery
Back to 4MPH for 60 seconds
3.0MPH for 2min recovery
Back to 4MPH for 30 seconds
3.0MPH for 2 min recovery

It's harder than it sounds! It takes a full 30 minutes to complete. When I get more fit I can step up the walking to jogging and the faster paced walking to actual running, but that's a ways off. :-)

After the treadmill interval I did some weight circuit training. That's where you do different strength training exercises without any rest in between. I get mine off of Jillian's website. I did 2-sets of 15 for each exercise. The whole workout took me an hour. I was beat!!! Three of the exercises from Jillian's site were SQUATS!!! There were regular squats, sumo squats and wall squats...ARRRGGG!! After running this morning and doing the interval training before the circuit that seemed brutal. But then there is that great feeling of accomplishment after you've completed it that makes the pain worth it.

I feel really good about the course I'm on...but I'm a bit worried after working my legs so hard today that I'll never be able to match or beat my run distance tomorrow. We shall see, right?

I'm trying to do some soul searching this time around, so that maybe I can eliminate some of the tricks my mind plays on me that seem to keep me trapped in the fat. One of the things I know is that I'm my own worst enemy. I mean I actually sabotage my own progress often. Thinking back upon it I realize that it often happens right when I'm about to break through a landmark boundary...suddenly my mind betrays me and strips me of ambition, willpower and drive. Then before I know it I'm going backwards. That's one of the things I'm going to figure out on this journey because that's an enemy in my mind that I must defeat if I want my weight loss to be permanent. If anyone out there has any insight into this self-sabotage I'm all ears!

Stats:
Weight 218
Accumulated Miles: .35
BMI:37.5
Body Fat %:43.8

Well that's it for me tonight. God bless and I'll be back tomorrow.

T

It's time...

Here I am a 46 year old woman with nearly 100lbs to lose. I always imagine people must look at me and thinking, "why in the world doesn't someone like that try to lose weight?" Naturally you would think I've never tried...but the truth is I've tried, and tried, and tried!!

Over the course of my obese adult life I've tried every diet I could find. I've also ingested every diet pill or potion I heard about (some I even had to purchase online from Canada). God only knows what all of that did to my body!

Then my sister Kathee turned me on to the show The Biggest Loser. On that show there were people older, bigger, less fit than I was. And in some cases seriously ill or injured! Yet they were able to lose 100s of lbs. 100s!!! One by one this show stripped away all of my excuses and also all of my fears and began replacing them with HOPE.

Through that fabulous show I was introduced to Jillian Michaels. I loved her style of training so much that I purchased books, DVDs and eventually joined her online weight loss website. Getting excited by realizing none of the information I was reading was offering me those same solutions I had tried and disproved in the passed, I ordered more...

Eventually I had all The Biggest Loser books and workout DVDs. I purchased Kim Lyon's diet/exercise book also. I began to devour the information...making small changes as I went. I subscribed to new healthy cooking magazines and ordered healthier cookbooks than I had previously used. I joined various online communities and began to learn as much as I possibly could about health and fitness.

In the process I met some fabulous online friends. There are seven women that I communicate with regularly. Even though some of us have never met face to face, we've developed a bond that would indicate otherwise. We share our successes, failures, hopes dreams and fear...and we support each other through them all. It reminds me of what military men describe as the feelings they have for their fellow soldiers during battle. This is a battle we fight!! One that people who do not have any or even those that have very few lbs to lose could never understand. And this group of women are a support team that I can't even imagine being without. :-)

Let me bring you to today. Over the last nine months I've educated myself and in the process lost nearly 20lbs. But now I want to get serious and lose the other 85lbs. I want to take what I know and really make use of it!! I feel like I've learned it...now I want to live it!!

Tomorrow starts the new season of The Biggest Loser AND a wonderful Fall Fitness Challenge on Jillian's website that I have ever intention of entering...and winning. I know that both will provide the incentive I need to begin strong and end well. Tomorrow I'll explain the challenge and what goal I set for my part. :-)

Stats:

Starting weight 218.5

BMI: 37.5

Body Fat %:43.8

Talk to you tomorrow,

T