LGi08 weigh-in one

week: -1
total: -1

A new challenge, a new counter. Sort of sad, to lose the big number from the previous challenge and start all over. But it's a clean slate, time to see what else I can do to keep getting healthy.

The Tang Soo Do is really working well to get us out of the house, but so far it's not killing me like I expected it to. Our instructor keeps asking if we're sore, and I keep saying "no, not really." I think it isn't very intense yet, because I don't have the right skills. When I learn to keep my balance better (like learning to ride a bike in some ways) then better form -- and sore muscles -- will follow.

your eyes do not deceive you

Figured no one would believe this without visual evidence. Husband and I shelled out the bucks the other night and joined a do jong -- that's a training hall for martial arts, if you couldn't guess from the picture. Tang Soo Do is our art, Moo Duk Kwan is our style. Moo means "stop conflict," and apparently the goal is "one hit, one kill," take your opponent down as efficiently as possible.

Earlier this summer we heard a presentation on the differences between historical and theatrical swordplay. Historically, the sword was not used for a lot of parrying and fancy footwork, but again, one hit one kill (clearly, this would remove a lot of the drama that goes into movie swordfighting).

Enough of that tangent for now though. We've attended two Tang Soo Do lessons. It reminds me a lot of the ballet lessons I took as a child, in that they both require a lot of balance and grace, neither of which come particularly easily to me. There was a lot to ballet intellectually that I just didn't "get" at the time either, which, in retrospect, I now understand (especially spotting), but would no longer attempt.

The master of our do jong also teaches yoga, so we gave that a try tonight. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and I'm not sure I'd say I liked it. But, if everyone else was concentrating as hard as I was, then I know none of them saw how awkward I was in some of those poses.

the end of one thing is just the beginning of something else

end of May Day Challenge
week: -2
total: -22

I already posted my end of challenge thoughts, so I won't bore you by reiterating them.

I would like to note that in this last week, I reached another mini-goal. According to my BMI calculations -- which are notoriously inaccurate for the very fit or the very overweight, but which I suspect are okay for average Joes like me -- I am out of the OBESE category and am now merely overweight. yay me!

Clearly though, there is still work to be done here, so MY GOALS FOR THE NEXT CHALLENGE:

• I will continue to make good food choices
• I will continue to exercise (we're thinking of taking up a martial art in the near future, and we are going to visit the class tonight, which will help us decide whether this activity is right for us)

If I have counted correctly, there are 16 weeks in the new challenge. In that time, I think I can probably continue my 1lb/wk loss, so I'll be setting my goal at 20 pounds. I won't be running off on vacation as often during this new challenge, so I'm sure I'll be checking in every week. I can't promise to always write something witty and inspiring though -- by the end of the May Day challenge I was running out of words.

oops

Looks like Beth at tales from the scales got a little ahead of herself. Next week is our final weigh-in, and the start of a new challenge.

It also looks like I miscounted on my weight tracker over there on the right. Ah well, I was never a math major.

Last Week evaluation

week: -0
total: -20

Well, when I started this May Day Weight Loss Challenge, I stated my goals for weight loss in general, and not for the challenge in specific. So for the next challenge, I will try to do that part better. I did better (slightly) than one pound per week. Thanks to the other ladies of the challenge who muscled through and checked in every week to the end, I've seen lots of examples of women being determined through good days and bad. Even if they didn't lose as much as they would have liked, they are still inspiring. Over the course of this summer, I've learned HOW to make good choices in both eating and exercising (particularly thanks to Mama Bear June and The Abs Diet.

I haven't reached my ultimate goal yet, although I have accomplished several short-term goals. I intend to continue this weight-loss journey, via the next Challenge, and I will always remember that every day is a new day to make good choices.

weighing in for week 17

may day challenge week 17
week: -6
total: -20

Last week's up week must have been a bad reading, because the day after, I was back down to something more reasonable, and I've lost again since then. As always though, the five day average is making a nice steady decline (and if you had that information, you'd see that, on average, I've only lost about 3 pounds since last week, but I'm using the Tuesday morning scale number here). Being at home, in my own kitchen, able to get to my gym, really makes such a difference, at least mentally. I'm sure it also helps that it's back to school (work) time for me, and a little more walking never hurts.

See more inspiration at the Tales from the Scales.

back on the wagon

So many excuses keep people out of the gym or away from exercise. I went over a week without formal exercise -- broke that chain on Sunday, happily. Out of town, too tired, too busy, gym too crowded, dental work (that one's for real, and I think is valid -- first I was numb, and was afraid I'd bite something in my enthusiasm, then I wasn't numb, and didn't really feel well).

I'm not a morning person, and forcing myself out of bed to hit the gym before I go to the office just ... well, I'm a failure on that front. I try to go right after work a few times a week, but inevitably it's the most crowded time for the gym, and some musclenut is hogging some machine that I want (I hate to ask him to move too, because he's been sweating all over, and I don't see him carrying a towel... ew!).

I'm trying to change my routine, to be a dumbbell user, instead of a machine user, but on at least one occasion all the girlie weights that I needed were missing too. I also have to say that it's a big jump from a 10 pound weight to the fifteen. I almost dropped a fifteen on my face trying to do a bench press last week.

But if I use that fifteener, even for just a few reps, eventually my body will adapt and I'll become adept. Just hope it doesn't take too long to get over that hump.

Where did I stand today?

plank: 60 sec
side plank: 20 sec
cobra: x20

dumbbell squat: 10 lb x 15 reps (go up)
chest press: 10 lb x 20 reps (go up)
bent-over rows: 10 lb x 20 reps (go up)
side arm raise: 6 lb x 12 reps
triceps kickback: 8 lb x 15 reps (go up)
biceps curl: 10 lb x 16 reps (go up)
leg curl machine: 70 lb x 15 reps (go up)