Here's the Plan...

It's back!!  The wonderful, awesome, amazing feeling I get from working out...it's finally come back to me! 

Yesterday afternoon, I did my first work-out in three weeks!!  School ended, I made sure all of my kiddos were gone for the day, and I got changed, and then I got that "I really don't want to work-out" feeling.  I even started running excuses in my head that I could give my work-out partners as to why I didn't feel like it.  Then, that awesome motivational voice was in my head again - "DON'T YOU DARE!" It screamed.  I realized that I've made excuses long enough - I had to see it through.  Boy, I'm so glad I did.

Each week, the two teachers that do the work-outs alternate the circuits.  Last night, there were six circuits: standing lunges, cross-over run with high knee return (do the cross over run half the length of the gym and then high knee run back), jump rope, tic-tocs (run on the spot but throw your legs out to the side), walking lunges, and then knee to elbow standing lifts.  We did each circuit for a minute, and repeated all six circuits three times.  After I was done, I felt G-R-E-A-T!!  I was able to do all of the circuits for the full time each and every time.  I'm not going to say that it was too easy, I was still sweating my butt off by the time it was all over.  It was just a great feeling knowing that I was able to keep up, and I haven't lost all of the strength that boot camp gave me.  Not only was it a great work-out, but it was also really fun.  I will DEFINITELY be going back on Monday!!

I did not run this morning - not because I didn't want to, but because I slept later than I had planned.  Not to worry, I am going to go this evening....come hell or high water!!

So, on Thursday, I said I was going to share my Biggest Loser game plan.  I feel like I'm in a situation where I could really win this competition.  Even though I don't know everyone that is doing the competition, as I look around the faculty and staff at the school - I believe it's a good chance that I have the most weight to lose.  That can be an advantage - but also a disadvantage.  For the small competitors that only have a few pounds to lose - their percentage of weight loss will be much higher.  For a 150lb woman to lose 10lbs would give them a 6.7% weight loss.  For me to lose 10lbs, it would only give me a 4.8% loss.  That means I have to lose double the weight to get the a good lead on the competition....which means I HAVE to lose at least 20lbs in the next 10 weeks.  What am I going to do?  Well, here's the plan for now....it may have to be altered, but I'm going to see how it goes.

1. Continue eating the way I have been.  I'm going to stick to eating 4-5 meals a day.  I'm going to continue NOT counting calories, but focusing on what I've been focusing on for months - my protein and carbs.  I really don't have to do that anymore, because I'm so used to it now... but just watch my portions and make sure that I'm getting enough food in.
2. Start drinking water again.  I still drink water, but not to the levels I did while in boot camp.  I maybe drink 20 or 30ozs a day now, when I was drinking close to 100ozs every day.  I am now going back to the 100ozs a day.
3. Cardio Circuits on Mondays and Fridays.  The circuits gave my whole body a good work-out, so I'm definitely going to stick with doing them.  They are fun, "doable", and I think they are going to help burn a lot of calories.
4. Long walk/run on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  I am going to start out by doing 3 miles combined walk/run.  I will walk 1 mile, run 1 mile, and then alternate run/walking on the last mile.  Each week, I will make myself run more on the last mile, to eventually running the full 2nd mile.  Then I will do the walk/run mix on the first run...to hopefully, eventually, running the full 3 miles.
5. Sunday will be weight day.  A 30 - 45 minute session using weights.  I will use my home gym, my free weights, and just mix it up each week to get some strength training in. 

So, that's the plan.  It will change, I'm sure.  Once the Girls on the Run program gets started, that will change things up a bit.  There's a good chance that I will be doing Girls on the Run on Tuesdays - so that will fill in a block on one of my "off" days.  I guess I'll just have to see how it goes.

Before I go, I have to ask that everyone take a least a minute today to think about what day it is today.  Nine years ago, our country was attacked by terrorists.  Regardless of your beliefs on the war, what really happened that day, and current controversy on what is going to be in the place where the Twin Towers stood - no one can deny that thousands of people lost their lives.  Push all of your thoughts aside today, and just remember the people that lost their lives doing their everyday routine, the thousands of service workers that lost their lives doing their job of saving people, and all of the passengers and crew that were on the flights.  Let's not also forget -regardless of your beliefs - the military men and woman that have lost their lives since.

Till next time.  ;)

Voice image retrieved from:  http://www.renderosity.com/homepage.php?page=3&userid=132998
Sept. 11th image retreived from:  http://www.able-engravers.com/september_11th.htm