This month I increased my ability to run further, longer, more often, and am running out of breath less often. Oh and my feet are still yucky. Tee hee.

Final count on the Calendar of Progress:

1. I did sit ups and push ups instead of weights for the entire month. I lost over one pound, and assume it’s muscle mass, maybe a little itty bitty fat. Losing fat is going to be slower and slower going for these last one or two pounds.
2. I managed to run a longer route, putting me over 5 miles a day.
3. I drank like one or two drinks ever if we went out, except one night. That one is fairly common now.

I’m working on getting better at stretching before my runs, since the walking a block or two isn’t cutting it as a warm up. My legs have been extremely sore more often, and that’s a warning sign to me that I’m doing something wrong. I wish wish WISH that there were good classes at the gym here, I’m missing that the most out of anything. I saw people at Gas Works Park working out, but haven’t found any information on anyone doing anything I could get involved in. Not happy ’bout that!

www.ymcaofcentralky.org

To lose a pound of weight, you need to create a deficit of about 3,500 calories with diet and exercise.

To lose a pound of fat, you need to balance your personal body scale by taking in fewer calories and doing more activity. The best weight-loss program will show you how to do both. At eDiets, we help you lose the weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle, so you can maintain your weight loss permanently. Aim for one to two pounds of weight loss weekly. You may lose more in the initial weeks as your body adjusts to your new meal plan and activity. Your scale is not always the best indicator of your progress — if you add weights to your workout, you can actually transform your body to a more muscular and fit you.

Full article of myths and facts at Diet and Nutrition Information at eDiets.com.

To make it simple, that translates to cutting 500 calories a day through your diet AND/OR workout, to lose a pound in a week on a 2,000 calorie diet. In my world my calorie intake is less, but I know still that this means only now am I close to that high goal. And that’s okay, and very informational. After learning more and more, I’m no proponent of anyone doing anything for a quick fix or to get skinny, but have learned it’s really all about changing your lifestyle. Personally I know limiting any sort of eating out to once in a blue moon has had a huge impact.


www1.istockphoto.com

Some people hate feet. I like feet. Well, my feet, and nice feet. As with my hands, which I was once told prove a sheer lack of physical labor in life (which I’m okay with) my feet are kept in the best shape possible. Both are frequently manicured. I think it’s important. I’m attentive to put my best feet forward, if you will, especially in summer and open toed shoes.

WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME THAT RUNNING RUINS YOUR FEET?

My running and walking around the city has been impeded by the issues I’m having. Despite changing shoes and socks, and other tips, the more you’re on your feet…well, eew. I lost a nail, gross. I’ve got old and new overlapping blisters. Yuck. So I’m taking a break to cure my little piggys, and I’m stuck doing sit ups and wearing whatever hides whichever blemish is most notable.

And I’m depressed. Summer is for showing off pedicures, not bathing in ointments. And I’m not exactly a marathon runner yet, so who knows what that will look like. I guess at least you know you’re working hard if you’re trashing yourself.

www.completerunning.com

The new adventures that I mentioned last month started off pretty well. I succeeded in changing my routine, as I mentioned here.

Final count on the Calendar of Progress:

1. I did weights maybe a couple times.
2. I managed to run inside or out nearly every day that we were in town.
3. I didn’t drink too too much…

My experiment for this month was to do exercises that didn’t really require the gym in addition to my runs. It doesn’t really count as weights. Ideally, my goal started out as sit ups or push ups every night. But I hate sit ups and push ups. To get creative, I bought a magazine. I, nearly every night, would do three or four long sets of three or four of leg extensions, lifts, squats, dynamic lunges, scissors, and pilates type leg extensions and etc. The results were very interesting. Each day I felt as though I had completed a good workout. I would definitely believe that over a short time targeting a body part even without weights and a gym membership you can see results. My legs are stronger and I plan on continuing this regimen and adding on to it.

www.spiralvisions.com

Well, readers, the time has come. Despite this being my worst “working out” month in forever, I may have managed to walk off all the bad food and beverages. I have reached my all time fitness goal – measured not by weight, which has been going up – lb. of muscle being heavier and smaller than lb. of fat and all that – but simply by pants. I am a real deal, not too tight, size! 2! pants!. Well, size 2 everything. Which has come recently from the size!3!pants! post. I’m bikini ready. No longer worried about weight issues, about changing.
Final count on the Calendar of Progress:

1. The letter W (for weights) appeared a total of 4 times.
2. The letter C (for cardio) appeared a total of 13 times.
3. The letter D (for drinking) appeared a total of 500-ish times.

I hurt my knee pretty badly at the beginning of the month, and then have been hanging out with company, but I’m satisfied. So satisfied, in fact, that my monthly posts will no longer focus on counted days. I’m going to try and share the new things I’ve started doing, picking a month and targeting a core area in addition to the required cardio. I’m now in maintenance mode.


www.mis-minich.de