fitness Archives - Page 7 of 11 - My Life: A Work in Progress

Stats update! (Fitness Friday 2/7/14)

7 February, 2014 38 Comments

Fitness Friday Details:

Each Friday, I’m linking up with some awesome bloggers at JillyConyers.com and Wedonthaveitall.com. We motivate each other on our fitness and/or weight loss journeys. We’d love for you to join! If you’re a blogger, visit their sites to add your post to the linkys. If you don’t have a blog, leave a comment here and tell me what your goals are and how you did this week.

Challenges:

Well, it’s another cold week, but the snow is gone at least. I know those of you who are in the single digits or negatives are probably rolling your eyes when I say that 30s are cold, but hey! It’s what I’m used to! The weather is unusually cold for this area.

Last week I did end up not meeting my Winter Miles Challenge goal of 10 miles per week. I missed it by one mile! I was really disappointed, but my son was sick, so I just couldn’t get out there to run. I ended up taking Baby J to the ER last Saturday night where they treated him for vomiting, fever, and his throat (croup). He’s much better now, fortunately, but I think since I’ve already met my challenge for this week (woohoo!), I won’t take him out in the cold today or tomorrow. I’ll probably start taking him back to the family workout room in the base gym next week.

I’m also participating in the Lorna Jane Move Nourish Believe Challenge throughout the month of February. You can see me and others meet our daily challenges on Instagram. My account is emegburg. I’ll post a recap here later today or tomorrow.

With the snow, cold, and illness, it’s been incredibly frustrating this year at how difficult it’s been for me to meet my goals. I decided this week that I really do need to start focusing on what I do accomplish. I have a dozen reasons (excuses) to not exercise or eat right, but I’m doing it anyway. That’s a victory. Maybe it’s not as grand as I’d planned, but any progress is a GOOD THING.

Progress:

Diet:

I do have something exciting to tell you! Did you see last week’s Fitness Friday post? One of the things I brought up was that I’d come to the conclusion that I needed to eat more. I wasn’t losing weight anymore, and I’m also trying to build muscle. I decided to eat 700-800 more calories a day. It sounds like a lot, but turns out my body needed it. After being stagnant for weeks, I dropped 3 pounds! Eating less is not always the answer to weight loss.

If you want, please add me on MyFitnessPal. I use it to track both quantity and quality of my foods. It’s very helpful to ensure I’m eating enough protein and fiber, but not too much fat.

One of these days, I need to post an updated photo of myself! I’ll try to ask a friend to take one of me next week or this weekend, and then I can post it with next Fitness Friday.

Exercise:

Monday– Jogged 1. 8 miles and leisurely walked for about an additional 25-30 minutes.

Tuesday– Took a break from running and did a home workout for about 40 minutes.

Wednesday– Jogged 2 miles at an 8:40 pace, woohoo! That’s an improvement. I haven’t run that quickly since probably October or November. Also did some light core and arm exercises at home.

Thursday– Jogged over 6 miles and walked about 1 mile. Did some core and arm exercises at home.

Friday– Well, nothing yet! I’m planning on doing a home workout today and tomorrow. Yesterday was really hard to run. Actually, it’s been hard all the week with the cold. That wind really catches the jogging stroller! So home stuff this weekend, definitely.

I did meet my goal to workout 4 days this week, woohoo!

Stats/Measurements:

As I mentioned above, I held steady at 152 lbs. for two weeks, until I started eating more. I’m now at 149 lbs., woot woot! I don’t think I’ve seen the 140s in about 7 or 8 years! Of course my body composition is completely different than when I was younger, but that’s okay. I’m a mommy now, so I’ve had body changes. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to be toned and trim, but it means my body won’t look like it did when I was 20. Baby J is totally worth it. 🙂

The last day I posted measurements was my January 10 Fitness Friday post. My measurements are taken according to Weight Watcher’s Guidelines.

Previous Measurements (1/10/14):

Height: 5’10″
Weight: 154lbs.
Upper Arm: 12″
Abdomen: 34.5″
Waist: 31″
Hips: 38″
Thighs: 23.5″

Today’s Measurements (2/7/14):

Height: 5’10″
Weight: 149lbs.
Upper Arm: 11″
Abdomen: 33.5″
Waist: 30″
Hips: 36.5″
Thighs: 22″

Goals:

I’d like to see my arms get bigger- with muscle! I’m not working hard enough at strength training. I’ve been saying I want to build muscle, but I’m not putting enough effort in. The weather next week doesn’t look great either, so my goal will be to just keep up with running (get at least 10 miles in), but work harder at lifting weights and calisthenics… do more sets of each exercise.

Fitness-Friday-Jill-Conyers-button

And now it’s your turn! Did you meet any fitness or weight loss goals this week? Do you have any goal’s for next week? Or what are your plans for this weekend?

cooking, fitness

Two-Ingredient Fruit and Nut Balls (Fitness Friday)

31 January, 2014 39 Comments

I previously blogged about making fruit and nut bars (homemade Larabars), and today’s post is a variation of that recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, you may want to check out the original post, as that gives you an alternative to make them with a pastry cutter and an immersion blender.

With just two ingredients -dates and peanuts- you can make inexpensive fruit and nut balls that are packed with minerals, protein, fiber, and carbs. Store them in the fridge or the freezer, and grab one when you need it. They’re great for a post-workout snack or to keep your energy levels up during a run. My toddler won’t eat peanuts or dates by themselves, but together… he can’t get enough of them!

Homemade Fruit & Nut Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup halved peanuts
15 medjool dates

Steps:

Remove the pits from the dates. I like to slice them lengthwise, until I feel resistance from the pits. Then I stop, open the date, and just pop the pit out.

Soak the dates in a cup of water for about 5 minutes, to soften them (optional step). In the meantime, put your peanuts into the food processor and grind them until they’re finely chopped (about 10 seconds). They should look like the second photo below.

Remove the nuts from the food processor and place them into a bowl. Now put your dates into the food processor and pulse them for 15 t0 20 seconds. Add them into your bowl with the nuts.

(Sometimes I put the dates through the food processor first and then the nuts second. It doesn’t really matter, but if you’re soaking the dates, it saves time to chop the peanuts during that time).

Use your hands to mix the peanuts completely with the dates. Make sure it’s mixed really well and there aren’t any loose peanuts on the bottom of the bowl.

Then separate and roll your mixture into little balls. I make mine about the size of Swedish meatballs (1-1.5″ diameter). This mixture will make 14 balls that size. You’ll want to refrigerate (or freeze) them as soon as possible. They’re easy to wrap individually with plastic wrap, place in baggies, or just line them up inside a Tupperware-type container. (That’s what I do.)

If I make 14 balls from this mixture, then each one has about 128 calories along with protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Both dates and peanuts naturally contain calcium, iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium. Peanuts also contain magnesium.

(I was going to list the exact number of grams of each vitamin and mineral, but my brain was starting to hurt, and I was afraid I was just going to type the wrong thing! I’m horrible at math.)

If you can’t find dates at your regular grocery store, try a Middle Eastern grocery store. I’ve found dates at both a nearby military commissary and a Lebanese cafe/store. Another option would be to use raisins or dried cranberries. In that case, I’d use 1 cup of either to 1 cup of peanuts. Have a peanut allergy? You can use cashews, walnuts, or whatever suits your fancy. If you’re allergic to tree nuts too, then I’m sorry. 🙁

Fitness Friday Details:

Each Friday, I’m linking up with some awesome bloggers at JillyConyers.com and Wedonthaveitall.com to motivate each other on our fitness and/or weight loss journeys. We’d love for you to join! Don’t have a blog? Leave a comment and tell us what your goals are and how you did this week.

Diet:

This week I finally decided that my goal to build muscle probably won’t happen unless I eat more, especially protein. Once I came to that conclusion, I upped my limit on MyFitnessPal. But the limit wasn’t the problem; the issue was I just wasn’t hungry and eating enough. The first day, I forced myself to eat about 700 calories more than I wanted to. My stomach hurt that evening.

The next day… Oh wow! I was ravenous almost all day! It was like my body went crazy over the extra food and just wanted more. And I realize that’s what happened to me last week after my cheat day. I had trouble reigning my appetite in. I think I just haven’t been eating enough to sustain my current lifestyle.

Now that I know I need to eat more, I have to find the balance of exactly how much protein I need and how many carbs. I’ll probably switch it up a bit…heavy on the protein on lifting days and carb load if I have a big run.

I did do better at eating even more veggies and fruit this week, so that’s a win.

Stats:

Still right at 152 lbs. It hasn’t changed in two weeks, and I think that’s a combination of not eating enough (plateauing) and building muscle. I think I look more toned though, and that has me excited. Next week I’ll post my measurements, and we’ll see if I’ve made a difference in the last month.

Exercise:

Wow, this week was a difficult one. Like many people, the Polar Vortex has kept me and my toddler inside. We had almost a foot of snow here in Southern Virginia, which is not normal at all. Everything shut down for several days. I think schools are still closed today, actually. I can’t run outside with the jogging stroller, and even if the base gym were open (it’s probably not), Baby J has a bad cough, so I can’t take him there to infect other little ones.

If you want, you can read more about my internal struggle to LET GO over on my other blog. Home workouts have been the way to go this week!

Monday– Ran outside since the weather was decent. Got 5.4 miles in, then walked around the playground while Baby J played for 45 minutes or so.

Tuesday– Visited the base gym with the family workout room. Ran 1.2 miles on the treadmill (varied pace) as a warm-up before lifting weights. I only lifted about 10 or 15 minutes before Baby J started fussing because he was tired. I would’ve let him just cry and lay on my jacket to rest, but there were other moms in there, and I didn’t want any judgment for being “that mom.” So we headed home, and I lifted a bit at home with my adjustable Bowflex weights.

Wednesday– Did 40 minutes of a Brazil Butt Lift workout and lifted for about 20 minutes. By Wednesday night I really wasn’t sore at all and felt like I hadn’t been doing enough on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday– I was able to get in a pretty intense ab workout once Baby J was in bed. I also did lunges, squats, and lifted with the Bowflex weights.

Friday– The forecast is supposed to be in the upper 40s today, so if this snow melts quickly enough, I’m going to try to run outside this afternoon. It’s supposed to be in the upper 50s tomorrow, so you can bet I will be outside running then! If I’m able to get in 5 miles between today and tomorrow, I’ll have met my Winter Miles Challenge for this week. I’ve really wanted to up my challenge from 10 miles to 20, but that hasn’t been possible with the weather and illness. Maybe next week!

So all things considered, it was an okay week! No, it did not at all go as planned, and I probably didn’t push myself as hard as I could have. But I did stay active even though I was cooped up alone with a sick toddler for almost 3 days!

Did you meet your goals this week? What are your goals for next week? What do you have planned this weekend?

fitness

Fitness Friday: 1/24/13

24 January, 2014 38 Comments

Giveaways you may be interested in! I have an open giveaway (until the 27th) for a bottle of Amacari from the South American superfruit camu camu. I’m also hosting a giveaway for an Armpocket– The Ultimate Armband (ends on the 29th). Finally, I’m participating in a group giveaway for a Bowflex fitness tracker (ends on the 30th).

I totally forgot about today being Fitness Friday until I saw some other bloggers posting! So here’s a quick update of my week.

Diet: (BTW, when I say “diet,” I’m using the original definition. It’s what I eat on a regular basis, my lifestyle. I’m not following any strict, crazy food regime.)

Overall, I stayed within my calorie limit, and ate mostly healthy foods. I went to see a movie on Tuesday with a friend sans children. I decided that obviously Tuesday would be my “cheat” day, so I could partake in theater popcorn, mmmmmmmmm. Then the next day, I had trouble reigning things in. I do feel that’s a problem for me. If I eat a ton of food one day, the next day I’m really hungry if I don’t do the same.

So next week, my diet goal would be to have better self control. I also didn’t feel that I had enough veggies this week. In addition, I probably need to eat more protein, as I’m trying to build muscle.

Stats:

I’m still holding around 152 lbs., which is fine. The weight on the scale could go up or down, as I build muscle. I didn’t take my measurements. I’ll do that once a month. My goal is still to build more muscle.

Exercise:

It was tough getting good workouts in this week and runs, because it’s been so cold. We actually had snow this week for the first time all winter. I think last winter we had maybe 1/2″ one day that melted immediately? It snowed here Tuesday through Wednesday, and it’s still on the ground, along with ice. So running outside hasn’t been an option. I don’t have shoes for that. Also, I think Baby J would need a face mask, because of the wind.

Monday– What’s crazy is the day before the snow- it was in the 60s! That day I did a total of 7.2 miles outside. I jogged/ran about 5 or 6 miles of that, and walked the rest.

Tuesday– Once I decided to go to a movie, I’d decided to forego my workout, since it was now my “cheat day.” NO WORKOUT

Wednesday– I’d planned to go a nearby naval station gym. They have a family workout room, where your kids can play behind a gated area, while you use machines and weights nearby. Well, they were closed all day because of 2″ of snow. -_- Seriously. I drove up there and everything. NO WORKOUT

Thursday– I finally made it to the base gym. Did a little over two miles on the treadmill and another two on an exercise bike. I’d planned to run a lot further, but man…running indoors is tough! Very boring.

Friday– Met a friend at her gym this morning. We did a variety of calisthenics and weight training exercises for about an hour, and then did some cardio for 20 minutes. That was my YMCA freebie, so I probably won’t be working out there again, but my friend showed me some exercises I can do at home and at the base gym.

So to recap- I exercised Monday, Thursday, and Friday. I have yet to meet my 4-day workout goal, but I’m planning on heading up to the base gym tomorrow morning. I’ll be sore after today, but I need to at least walk on the treadmill or do 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Next week, the weather is going to be cool still, but a little less cold (30s instead of 20s). Monday is supposed to be in the 50s, so I’m going to take advantage of that. Monday I need to do a long run outside. The half marathon is coming up soon. My other fitness goals for next week would be to do more strength training than I did this week (do at least 2 days).

So I did okay. Not awesome, but okay. How about you?

Did you meet your goals this week? What are your goals for next week?

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