Bringing it all together

This is the 9th week in the 12 week Fitmixer bootcamp. Time for a quick recap time as we enter the last leg of this challenge:

• I am amazed at what I have been able to accomplish physically in these 9 weeks.  
• Weeks 7 and 8 were definitely slump weeks - vacation and a holiday just does that to me.
• I am a rebel when it comes to food. Shocker, right?  You don't get to be obese unless you're a rebel about food.  I want to do what I want to do.  Always seem to be making exceptions, because there always seems to be some event or reason to make an exception!
• On the positive, I am down about 8 lbs.  But have bounced around the same numbers the last two weeks.

What if - I actually ate right AND followed the workout sessions? 

I confess, I have only been able to concentrate on one at a time.  If I'm eating well, spending the time to plan, shop, cook, ward off temptations, well then I am not exercising.  And in this time of the most committed workout plan of my LIFE, I have been failing in the eating department.  A little of this, a little of that - BLT's are undermining all my hard, SWEATY, work.

If I am working out consistently, then that is where my time has gone.  Most sessions take me 50-100% more than the estimated time to complete.  It's new to me!  It is homework for me to figure out these exercises that I have never laid eyes on in my life!  It is effort to get this body into the correct posture, positions it has never been asked to do, so that I don't hurt myself.  It takes time to get my house, and the little people in it, in order so that I CAN get the time and space to workout. 

But it's worth it.  Absolutely.

I am so glad that I have put the time in.  Just like when I had to overhaul my pantry, my recipes, my way of looking and thinking about food in the first leg of my journey, this effort has been necessary and I know it will pay off.

What if - I actually ate right AND followed the workout sessions? 

We are rolling back into our regular schedule on the home front this week.  AND hubby is working a solid July (poor hubby), but that DOES mean, that I am fully in control of the house menu.  I really love hubby, but he is a detriment to my diet.  He is absolutely encouraging, but he absolutely LOVES the foods he grew up eating - the starchiest, meatiest, not healthiest foods.  So now is my chance to get our meals back in order.

And since he is working, we will be spending more time at home which means I can set the homefront schedule too.  YES, set it around my workouts!

What if I commit to FINALLY pulling it all together?  Eat well AND move well.

Because I feel great when I eat clean. And the poundage DOES fall.
Because for 6 weeks straight I hit every single workout session, and never missed one! PR! )
Because:

I. CAN. DO. THIS.

I am a blink away from escaping an obese BMI.

What if I not only cross that line, but SMASH IT, by the end of this?

What if I can finally stop saying WHAT IF?!

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Transparency Tuesday: Frustrations!

Weight loss journeys are littered with frustrations.  As I challenge myself, and raise expectations, it gets even more difficult, especially when old habits die hard.

What are my recent frustrations?

1.  Doesn't this look delish?  

It SO was.  I'm also positive it blew my calories for the day out of the water.  But at that point I was too afraid to look. 

It's what happens when we try a new restaurant and I "think" I'm making better choices.  It's a portabello mushroom sandwich with hummus, according to the menu.  Unfortunately I either missed, or they didn't specify that the mushrooms would be breaded and fried.

Did I mention it was REALLY good?

2.  That leads me to my second frustration.

Oh it's a lovely score from my first whole foods trip.  It's not terrible by itself, although I bit high in calories.  Unfortunately, it is not the best choice for me as it has also been accompanied by some hearty bread.  Calories are not created equal, especially when you're insulin resistant.  (Reminder to self: Stop it, you are working too hard in this boot camp to sabotage yourself)

3.  High carbs mean I am not getting in my bootcamp ratio of 50% carbs/30%protein/20%fat.  Which means virtually no movement on the scale in week 2.  Bummer.

4.  I have to admit, I get frustrated at least once in each days set of exercises.  There are some things I cannot do, especially where upper body strength is required.  I've always known I am weak in that area.  But these workouts are making me face that weakness and it can be FRUSTRATING.  Case in point? Friday's Bootcamp army crawls   WARNING: Word to the naive: Don't do this on carpet.  OUCH! That is all.

5.  Over sized workout gear.  Have you ever tried to do Burpees in capris that now fit more like high water pants in a waist size two notches too big?   I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  But if it happens to you, this song might start playing in your head as you add the "pull your pants up" and "adjust your giant shirt that is wrapping around your body" moves to the repertoire.



Well, it will now ;)

#5 has been a long time coming.  It is a welcome reward of losing weight.  I really put it off because I know I have a way to go, and don't want to invest in clothes that I'm going to shrink out of.

This weekend I headed out to the outlet stores to try on (gasp!) some new work out gear.  The gasp is because I usually just grabbed whatever item was the largest and cheapest on the clearance rack.  You know, the stuff you think is covering your lady, and not so lady like, lumps and bumps?Whatever.  It wasn't going to look good, and I knew it wouldn't fall off. 

But do you know they make workout wear for each specific type of movement you could do?  Wow! Plethora of options.  It was actually fun - and very educational.

I found a motivational shirt and some shorts, and am going to cross my fingers for the rest, because both Running with Sass and Runs for Cookies have entered the Under Armour What's Beautiful Challenge to win $500 in new gear and I get a sweepstakes entry in exchange for telling you about it in this blog post!  You can check out the Under Armour What’s Beautiful site, and even sign up yourself.

Meanwhile, I'll just wear this shirt I picked up this weekend to remind myself that I can overcome these frustrations if I tell myself to: