Post 2 in the Resolution Report series

This weekly report is my accountability to the world as well as a way to help others stay motivated on their own journey to fitness or ahem, a bikini body. I’ll share what I am learning along the way in the tips, techniques, resources & trends section of the posts.

Before I give you some actionable ideas, let me just report that I have lost four pounds in three weeks. YAY! Now, the critic in me thinks I should have lost at least six but hey, I’ll take it!  I’m trying train my brain to get over weighing my success in POUNDS and instead focus on STRENGTH  and BODY FAT loss. Not as easy as it sounds. (I’m half tempted to chuck my scale to avoid the temptation.)

At this moment, my body fat is at 28.2% and my BMI is 24.5.  My goal is to hit 21-22% body fat. I have a way to go, as you can tell.

My upcoming week focus and action items: Hitting my daily water goal and taking those before pictures

TIPS, TECHNIQUES, RESOURCES & TRENDS:

PULL OUT THE CAMERA: You know, a couple of years ago when my husband and I were really focused and on a roll, we took pictures every week of ourselves in bathing suits so we could see the changes that we were making in our bodies. As mortifying (MORTIFYING!) as those pictures were in the beginning, boy did they motivate us to keep our focus. It was thrilling to see visible changes. I have to admit, I’ve been avoiding the camera since January 1. I know that it is time to take that dreaded “before” picture. Sigh. I encourage you to pull out the camera and document your journey. It will keep you motivated and accountable.

FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER: Finding someone to keep you accountable and in essence act as a “cheerleader” is a priceless resource. In this case, tough love can be a blessing.  My partner is Lori. I just emailed her all of my measurements. Talk about vulnerability! Couple that with the fact that she herself has lost over 100+ pounds (not to mention the fact that she is my running partner) and you can imagine how she will help keep me on the straight and narrow.

HIT THE HEAVY WEIGHTS: Obviously I am a cardio girl. I would rather run than do most any other kind of exercise. But there is no denying how rapidly I see results when I hit the weights. (No wimpy weights either. That is just wasting your time, ladies.) I’ll be reporting more on this in my journey but let me just leave you with this little factoid: for each pound of muscle you have, you burn 50 extra calories per day.

EXPERIMENT: Now, obviously I am not a trainer or dietitian so remember these are my own trial and error recommendations… Protein supplements and shakes are very helpful when  you embark on a fitness and weight loss program. I’m a big fan of Myoplex Light (20 g of protein) and Slim Fast High Protein ( 15 g of protein) shakes. I try to substitute a meal with a shake a couple of times a week. Taste wise, I must admit that I prefer the Slim Fast products. They make me feel like I am “cheating” a bit more. Plus, mmmm… chocolate.  And their snack bars really satisfy when I need a sweet fix.

This is the fourth post in a series to focus on

Fitness Fridays! (More here…)

I’ve found some new fitness inspiration this week. I’m giving myself permission to take BABY STEPS. You see, I can’t run right now. I have some sort of injury which has caused me to lay off the running for awhile.

Instead I am focusing on three things:

• relaxation
• water consumption
• high concentration of vegetables & fruits

I’m shooting for 9 glasses of water per day, 60% of my diet from veggies & fruits and heavy doses of sleeping in and walking/meditating. I’m even taking an afternoon break from the office to go outside and walk around the block. It definitely clears my head. And I’ve been working on spending more time with God.

You know, it is amazing the progress that you can make when you give yourself permission to take it slow. My body is responding well, too. The bags are gone from under my eyes, I have a spring in my step and I even feel lighter.  As a matter of fact, I’ve lost 2.8 pounds!  Yippie!

Next week I will add weight training back into the mix along with more walking/cardio, water and veggies. I am hoping to report some good weight loss next week as well!

Tags: Fitness, Fitness Fridays, Inspiration, relaxation, weight loss

This is the second post in a series to focus on

Fitness Fridays! (More here…)

I’m shocked.  I’ve lost three pounds.  It is a miracle.

I’ve been working on adjusting my lifestyle.  The biggest things I have been focusing on lately are water consumption and weight training.  As far as cardio goes, I’ve logged only 6 miles so far this week but, really, I’m still taking it easy after the marathon.  We plan to do a 10 miler on Sunday.

My husband and I are once again embarking on the Body for Life Program. Heard of it?  We did it last year and had AMAZING SUCCESS.  Let’s put it this way, I wore a bikini last year.  And I’m not young.

So, because I laid off the weight training (fool!) I gained back much of the weight I lost.  Not all, but close.  So now we are focusing back on our diet and strength training in an effort to get back into shape.

If I get there – I promise you now… I’ll post a picture.  Maybe even a bikini.  Who knows?

My goal is 12-15 pounds or a size 5-6.  Okay, now that I have put it out there…people, please keep me accountable!

Tags: Body for Life, Fitness, weight loss

This is the first post in a series to focus on

Fitness Fridays! (More here…)

I have three days until I run the 2009 Frederick Marathon.  Three days.

WOW.

Everyone keeps asking me if I am ready.  Um, honestly, I don’t know.  How do you ever really know? I can give you one promise, though- I will do my best.  I will enjoy the experience.  And most importantly… I will wear hot pink and try not to throw up on the side of the road.

One of the most amazing opportunities that has come out of training for this specific race is that I was asked to write an article for Frederick Magazine on my training journey. That was very cool.  I wanted it to be real, to be honest and most of all inspiring. (If you are interested, you can see the multimedia companion to the article online here.)

Of course, my first fitness goal for the year is to get through the race.  (I’ll post a race report here afterwards so be sure to check back.) After the marathon, I would like to focus on loosing some weight and getting back on the Body for Life plan.

No rest for the weary…. One fitness journey is about to end and another is about to begin.  Join me?