It's been a long time since I last posted, especially since I was posting everyday in June. My affair with Jillian Michaels still continues just not on a daily basis and I am continuing to exercise at least 6 days a week. These past couple of weeks have been mostly devoted to Couch to 5K and so far I have completed just over "2 weeks" of that program. Because the program only requires a run/walk 3x a week, and I am trying to do about 4-5x a week, I am already up to jogging/walking in 90 second intervals for 25 minutes comfortably. Up until this point I have yet to experience any major pain in my knee although today I felt a tinge of discomfort and forced myself to slow down, which corrected the problem quite quickly. All in all, I am excited that I am having success with running and I look forward to running most of the 4 miler I am signed up for in September.
On that note, I am still looking for more sponsors who would be interested in dontating $25 to the UVA Breast Cancer Research. The Women's 4 Miler is an annual event here in Charlottesville and I feel privileged to be a part of it... it filled up and sold out in less than a day!
If you are interested, click on the link below and the click that you would like to sponsor a runner... my name is spelled "reese" for this. There are 3500 runners in this event - if all were to get 5 sponsors we could raise a lot more money for this important cause!
I would like to sponsor Ashley for $25
A little can go a long way!
On another note, how does one know that they need new running shoes? Does my general muscle/joint ache come from the high impact, or do I need new shoes? I've had mine for about a year and half and have not done much running, but use them for all athletic activities. Any advice?
On yet another note, I went to the Endocrinologist yesterday and found out I have lost 7 lbs since my last visit... in January. So, 7 pounds in 7 months. I am due for a measurement check next week - will see where I really stand then! Stay tuned!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Mixed-Up Head and Other Topics
I don't know why it is, but Level 3 of this Shred gives me the oddest feeling. I once described it in a former post that my head gets all scrambly and I have a slight feeling of dizziness by the last circuit and definitely at the end. Although today's after-workout feeling wasn't as bad as a couple of weeks ago, I have to say that yet again, I have come out of Level 3 feeling a bit crappy. My muscles feel great and I know that I've gotten a good workout, but the type of up and down activities that make up Level 3 seem to mess with my equilibrium. Does anyone else out there have this problem?
On another more positive note, my Couch to 5K program is going smoothly and I am still able to run without pain or stiffness in my knee! Albeit, I am running very short intervals and short distances but still running! I've just finished Week 1 of the program and will be moving on to Week 2 tomorrow... the amount of running time increases as does the walking time. Eventually, the walking time will decrease.
On a diet note, I have newly discovered Quinoa a type of grain that is not only extremely tasty (if prepared well), but is extremely healthy and keeps you full. If you've never tried it, have a go! It has a lovely nutty flavor. Here's how I prepare it:
1 1/4 cup of Organic Chicken Broth
1 cup Quinoa
Salt, Pepper
Get the Broth up to a boil, put in Quinoa, give it a stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 12-15 mins. The Broth will get absorbed into the Quinoa - sometimes I have to add a TBSP more of broth after the 12-15 mins and cook it for a little longer. Fluff it and serve.
Here are some great foods that I've substituted Quinoa as the "starch"
Chicken Curry
Beef from the Crockpot with Quinoa
Cold Quinoa with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and a little Greek dressing (personal fave!)
Quinoa and Stir-Fried Veggies...
It goes well with lots of stuff. Enjoy!
On another more positive note, my Couch to 5K program is going smoothly and I am still able to run without pain or stiffness in my knee! Albeit, I am running very short intervals and short distances but still running! I've just finished Week 1 of the program and will be moving on to Week 2 tomorrow... the amount of running time increases as does the walking time. Eventually, the walking time will decrease.
On a diet note, I have newly discovered Quinoa a type of grain that is not only extremely tasty (if prepared well), but is extremely healthy and keeps you full. If you've never tried it, have a go! It has a lovely nutty flavor. Here's how I prepare it:
1 1/4 cup of Organic Chicken Broth
1 cup Quinoa
Salt, Pepper
Get the Broth up to a boil, put in Quinoa, give it a stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 12-15 mins. The Broth will get absorbed into the Quinoa - sometimes I have to add a TBSP more of broth after the 12-15 mins and cook it for a little longer. Fluff it and serve.
Here are some great foods that I've substituted Quinoa as the "starch"
Chicken Curry
Beef from the Crockpot with Quinoa
Cold Quinoa with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and a little Greek dressing (personal fave!)
Quinoa and Stir-Fried Veggies...
It goes well with lots of stuff. Enjoy!
Mixed-Up Head and Other Topics
I don't know why it is, but Level 3 of this Shred gives me the oddest feeling. I once described it in a former post that my head gets all scrambly and I have a slight feeling of dizziness by the last circuit and definitely at the end. Although today's after-workout feeling wasn't as bad as a couple of weeks ago, I have to say that yet again, I have come out of Level 3 feeling a bit crappy. My muscles feel great and I know that I've gotten a good workout, but the type of up and down activities that make up Level 3 seem to mess with my equilibrium. Does anyone else out there have this problem?
On another more positive note, my Couch to 5K program is going smoothly and I am still able to run without pain or stiffness in my knee! Albeit, I am running very short intervals and short distances but still running! I've just finished Week 1 of the program and will be moving on to Week 2 tomorrow... the amount of running time increases as does the walking time. Eventually, the walking time will decrease.
On a diet note, I have newly discovered Quinoa a type of grain that is not only extremely tasty (if prepared well), but is extremely healthy and keeps you full. If you've never tried it, have a go! It has a lovely nutty flavor. Here's how I prepare it:
1 1/4 cup of Organic Chicken Broth
1 cup Quinoa
Salt, Pepper
Get the Broth up to a boil, put in Quinoa, give it a stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 12-15 mins. The Broth will get absorbed into the Quinoa - sometimes I have to add a TBSP more of broth after the 12-15 mins and cook it for a little longer. Fluff it and serve.
Here are some great foods that I've substituted Quinoa as the "starch"
Chicken Curry
Beef from the Crockpot with Quinoa
Cold Quinoa with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and a little Greek dressing (personal fave!)
Quinoa and Stir-Fried Veggies...
It goes well with lots of stuff. Enjoy!
On another more positive note, my Couch to 5K program is going smoothly and I am still able to run without pain or stiffness in my knee! Albeit, I am running very short intervals and short distances but still running! I've just finished Week 1 of the program and will be moving on to Week 2 tomorrow... the amount of running time increases as does the walking time. Eventually, the walking time will decrease.
On a diet note, I have newly discovered Quinoa a type of grain that is not only extremely tasty (if prepared well), but is extremely healthy and keeps you full. If you've never tried it, have a go! It has a lovely nutty flavor. Here's how I prepare it:
1 1/4 cup of Organic Chicken Broth
1 cup Quinoa
Salt, Pepper
Get the Broth up to a boil, put in Quinoa, give it a stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 12-15 mins. The Broth will get absorbed into the Quinoa - sometimes I have to add a TBSP more of broth after the 12-15 mins and cook it for a little longer. Fluff it and serve.
Here are some great foods that I've substituted Quinoa as the "starch"
Chicken Curry
Beef from the Crockpot with Quinoa
Cold Quinoa with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and a little Greek dressing (personal fave!)
Quinoa and Stir-Fried Veggies...
It goes well with lots of stuff. Enjoy!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Couch to 5k
I can't remember exactly who steered me in the direction of "Couch to 5K" but if you're reading this, THANKS! Two years ago this September I broke my 5th metatarsal in my right foot whilst training for a 5k run. I ran for about 10 minutes when I ran down a small slope from the road to the trail and snap - it was broken. Unfortunately I had to walk back to my car, hobbling and crying, trying to suck it up, thinking it was just a sprain or minor injury. I even decided to go to a friend's house for dinner that night instead of going to the emergency room. The next morning, still not able to put any weight on it, I found out I had broken my foot. Bummer.
It was a bummer then, and it still is a bummer today. The walking cast/boot that I wore for almost 3 months changed the way I walked which later, I found out, caused me to irritate an existing knee injury. I finally got up the nerve and will to begin running again last summer and in doing so caused such inflammation in my knee that I couldn't walk without limping. Not to mention the random aches and pains in my foot that comes from changes in barometric pressure. A few doctors appointments later and lots of money down the drain for physical therapy, I decided to just give up the idea of running all together.
Not a week has gone by in these past couple of years that I haven't thought or fantasized about the time in my life when I was running 3 miles 3 times a week. And it wasn't that long ago, and no I wasn't that much younger. The high you get from jogging and the physical results that come from it are too much to stray away from this activity.
So, in the midst of all the other crazy ways I am using to get Shredded this summer, I have begun the "Couch to 5K" beginner running program. Today as Day 1 included 25 minutes total: a 5 minute brisk walk/warm-up followed by alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking. The plan asks that you run only 3 times a week. Each week the length of time running increases just a bit. Apparently in 2 months, one can run 3 miles. I am definitely feeling sore tonight but I look forward to reclaiming my enjoyment of running - I rule this body, not the other way around!
It was a bummer then, and it still is a bummer today. The walking cast/boot that I wore for almost 3 months changed the way I walked which later, I found out, caused me to irritate an existing knee injury. I finally got up the nerve and will to begin running again last summer and in doing so caused such inflammation in my knee that I couldn't walk without limping. Not to mention the random aches and pains in my foot that comes from changes in barometric pressure. A few doctors appointments later and lots of money down the drain for physical therapy, I decided to just give up the idea of running all together.
Not a week has gone by in these past couple of years that I haven't thought or fantasized about the time in my life when I was running 3 miles 3 times a week. And it wasn't that long ago, and no I wasn't that much younger. The high you get from jogging and the physical results that come from it are too much to stray away from this activity.
So, in the midst of all the other crazy ways I am using to get Shredded this summer, I have begun the "Couch to 5K" beginner running program. Today as Day 1 included 25 minutes total: a 5 minute brisk walk/warm-up followed by alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking. The plan asks that you run only 3 times a week. Each week the length of time running increases just a bit. Apparently in 2 months, one can run 3 miles. I am definitely feeling sore tonight but I look forward to reclaiming my enjoyment of running - I rule this body, not the other way around!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Time for More Change
I've just come down from an action packed weekend of eating more than I usually do and drinking around 2-4 glasses of wine each day. I can look past all this fun since it was in celebration of my 3-year anniversary and 30th birthday, but I have to say I'm not really feeling better for it. Even though my hubby might have something to say about this, perhaps I need to switch to the dreaded Michelob Ultra... and make a new rule that 1 glass of anything = 1 glass of water. Might I add too that the food we have been eating has been really nice and fresh, just too much of it.
On Monday, I became quite scrambly in my head after doing Level 3. And up until now I figured it was all the crap in my system. But today I am feeling a little bit the same way after my workout. You know, that scrambly-headed feeling that you get from too many corkscrews on a roller coaster! Dizzy. Slightly nauseous. I'm also having to force myself to eat, as I'm not hungry - something that is not good with a metabolism as slow as mine.
What am I going to do about it you ask? Well, I am on a strict, healthy, no alcohol diet (with an exception of this Sat. night - night out at a vineyard). We are traveling to Florida at the end of next week, and to feel bloated and fat is definitely a no-no when you are sporting a swimsuit!
So, the title of this blog "Time for More Change" is a comment on how I am feeling it increasingly frustrating that I am not losing weight. Everyday I experience a different emotion about this whole thing. Most days I feel good that I've lost inches, but there are days when I feel that this is far harder than it should be. What am I doing wrong? And don't hold 4 days of fun against me ;+) I need a new plan - my body is maintaining well with the South Beach Diet but not losing. So, it's time for more change - now how to get on with it?
On Monday, I became quite scrambly in my head after doing Level 3. And up until now I figured it was all the crap in my system. But today I am feeling a little bit the same way after my workout. You know, that scrambly-headed feeling that you get from too many corkscrews on a roller coaster! Dizzy. Slightly nauseous. I'm also having to force myself to eat, as I'm not hungry - something that is not good with a metabolism as slow as mine.
What am I going to do about it you ask? Well, I am on a strict, healthy, no alcohol diet (with an exception of this Sat. night - night out at a vineyard). We are traveling to Florida at the end of next week, and to feel bloated and fat is definitely a no-no when you are sporting a swimsuit!
So, the title of this blog "Time for More Change" is a comment on how I am feeling it increasingly frustrating that I am not losing weight. Everyday I experience a different emotion about this whole thing. Most days I feel good that I've lost inches, but there are days when I feel that this is far harder than it should be. What am I doing wrong? And don't hold 4 days of fun against me ;+) I need a new plan - my body is maintaining well with the South Beach Diet but not losing. So, it's time for more change - now how to get on with it?
Friday, July 1, 2011
Cat Belly
It's been a couple of days since I last posted. Not really much to write about everyday now that I am done with the initial 30 days. I am still working on Level 3 and feeling pretty badass - as my facebook status yesterday read "Doing full walking push-ups makes me feel pretty badass". It's true! To have begun this workout video and only be able to do maybe 10 push-ups on my knees to doing 30 second intervals of full walking push -ups feels great!
So what's the title of this post all about? I mentioned maybe 2 weeks or more ago to some friends that when doing any plank position my belly hung down like a fat cat's does. You know what I mean, right? Well, I am pleased to say that that belly is getting smaller and is dangling less and less as I progress through this workout! Every move in Level 3 either directly or indirectly targets the core - she goes to say that "you won't get ripped abs with crunches alone - that's a myth". Like with most things, there is no magic cure for losing weight and getting trim - it's just hard work and a good diet. For some, it takes A LOT longer.
To give you an idea of how my body works - I've apparently lost 4 pounds in the past 2 days. One word - whatever. It bugs me, but deep down I know I'm looking better and more importantly, feeling better. According to my "Accu-Measure Personal Body Fat Tester" I am "Average" for my age at about 30% body fat. Not bad I guess - according to my BMI though I am overweight.
Every time I do a circuit that burns, or I'm feeling lazy, I just remember that one of these days I'm going to drop weight and below all this chub will be lean muscle. Send your "weight loss vibes" everyone!!!! Mr. Thyroid is seeing to it that I stay right where I am, but you can counteract that...
So what's the title of this post all about? I mentioned maybe 2 weeks or more ago to some friends that when doing any plank position my belly hung down like a fat cat's does. You know what I mean, right? Well, I am pleased to say that that belly is getting smaller and is dangling less and less as I progress through this workout! Every move in Level 3 either directly or indirectly targets the core - she goes to say that "you won't get ripped abs with crunches alone - that's a myth". Like with most things, there is no magic cure for losing weight and getting trim - it's just hard work and a good diet. For some, it takes A LOT longer.
To give you an idea of how my body works - I've apparently lost 4 pounds in the past 2 days. One word - whatever. It bugs me, but deep down I know I'm looking better and more importantly, feeling better. According to my "Accu-Measure Personal Body Fat Tester" I am "Average" for my age at about 30% body fat. Not bad I guess - according to my BMI though I am overweight.
Every time I do a circuit that burns, or I'm feeling lazy, I just remember that one of these days I'm going to drop weight and below all this chub will be lean muscle. Send your "weight loss vibes" everyone!!!! Mr. Thyroid is seeing to it that I stay right where I am, but you can counteract that...
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