weight loss update!

it's been exactly 3 weeks since I last posted about my weight loss journey, so I figured it was time for a bit of an update... both to benefit myself, as well as any other women who are also struggling with weight loss. 

I took a week off at the beginning of the month due to my bronchitis, but my trainer totally understood and told me it was best to let my body tell me how much is TOO much. granted, the weekend before I got sick, I super cleaned my house on both Friday and Saturday... I was sweating and breathing heavily, so I count that as a work out. 

I'm still hangin' in there with my trainer twice a week, and loving every single minute of it. she is so good at her job - she's not yelling in my face a la Jillian Michaels, but she tells me what to do and I know to take her seriously. the best thing about our gym is that the trainers have actual college degrees in the physical fitness realm, and they're extremely educated when it comes to knowing how a body works, including what kind of foods we should be ingesting and the work outs that will work best for us. what I love about Janie is that she doesn't rely on the machines for strength training - we I do most of the training using weights and other loose equipment. she sets up stations for me to work every muscle area, and I usually do 2-3 sets of each activity. I love that she teaches me new exercises each and every session, and they're all a little harder than the last. I do everything from lunges, to bicep curls, to push ups, to chest presses, to "mountain climbs", to crunches, etc. she works every muscle, and while I hate it when I'm doing it, it feels so great at the same time. I've learned to accept the fact that I'm going to sweat, and I actually feel a bit proud when I get home and take off clothes that are soaking wet.

I haven't worked myself up to doing a lot of cardio yet, but that's mainly because my lungs are still a little weak from the illness I had. I try to get into the gym about 10 minutes before my session is supposed to start, and I do a brisk walk (usually about a 3.5) with a 4-8% incline during that time to raise my heart rate before working out. I'm not a runner by any means, but I'd like to work my tolerance up when it comes to cardio. I'm going to make an effort to hit the gym on my non-training days to get in at least 30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical. 

I mentioned before that for the most part, the hubs and I eat pretty healthy. since we've both been training at the gym, we've made a bigger effort to watch what we eat, and to take in healthier calories as opposed to empty ones. we switched all our breads to whole wheat, and I've cut out cheese (which I used to LOAD up on) from my turkey sandwiches. I've been eating 6 small meals a day instead of just eating two big meals (lunch and dinner), and I've really been trying to watch my portions as well, since I know that being an over-eater is one of my worst qualities. now I believe it's completely necessary to mention that I do NOT cook. I also like my sleep in the morning, and I tend to stay in bed for as long as I possibly can before rushing out the door to go to work. I slack on breakfast on the weekends, since I usually sleep in if I'm out late. anyway.

I know not everyone wants a whole break down of what people eat when trying to become healthier, but I know it'll help me stay on track, and might help others as well. as soon as I wake up in the morning, I eat a NutriGrain bar and drink a glass of juice. if we have any fresh bananas, I'll eat one of those too. now I know it's not the healthiest breakfast option, but it's quick and it's better than not eating anything at all. I get ready for the day, and when I get to work, I eat Activia Low Fat yogurt. about an hour and half later, I'll eat something small to hold me over until lunch - usually it's a fruit cup or an apple, or a granola bar, or one of those 100 calorie packs. for lunch, I like to stick to salads and/or chicken. 99% of the time, it's a chicken Caesar salad from Three Brothers. I don't use a ton of dressing, and I try to eat only the greenest leaves. an hour or two after lunch, I eat another snack like I mentioned before (fruit or 100 calorie packs). before I leave work, I eat AGAIN. usually it's popcorn or some fresh fruit, like an apple, or a handful or grapes. dinner is always a crap shoot, since we don't really meal plan and our schedules vary so much from week to week. my training sessions are Monday and Thursday evenings from 6-7, so on those nights, I leave Sean to fend for himself, and I usually make myself a turkey sandwich on an English muffin or bagel when I get home. on the nights when we eat together, we keep it simple with either multi grain pasta, or some kind of marinated chicken with fresh (or frozen steamed) veggies. 

whew. I never realized how long it would take to explain all that. 

I've only lost about 2lbs so far, but I'm happy with it. I know it's because I haven't been pushing myself to do any cardio and because I was basically on bed rest for an entire week. even though I haven't seen big results yet on the scale, I feel it in my body. I feel SO great. I have a lot more energy during the day, and for the most part, I'm sleeping better than I was prior to starting this journey. I can definitely feel a difference in my muscles, in that they're much tighter and stronger. I'm building up a great tolerance for raising my heart rate, and I don't find myself being winded as much as I was when I first started. all in all, I'd say I'm making pretty good progress, and I honestly look forward to every session with my trainer. even after my 12 sessions are up, I might go ahead and keep paying for it, because I love it. 

so. there you have my update for the last 3 weeks, and I really hope that this can help anyone else who is struggling to find the motivation and the right tools to becoming a healthier person. 

Happy Tuesday!