Jessica's Journey...January 4th "no excuses"

The Biggest Loser started up again yesterday.  I don't usually watch commercials or too much tv lately so I didn't even know that it was on.  But I was so excited to see it when I scrolled through the shows that we had recorded.

"No Excuses"

This motto or theme for the show during this season is "no excuses".  I have had so many excuses that I have used as to why I shouldn't work out, why I SHOULD eat that piece of chocolate, why I SHOULD just sit on my butt and watch a show without doing anything else...the list could go on and on.

Saying that there will be "no excuses" is pretty big.  That means that you are going to go the gym even when you don't feel like it.  That means that you will always eat what you are supposed to.  That means that you are on board 100% and you aren't backing out...because you don't have a reason to.

"No Excuses"

I am trying to wrap my mind around this and it is tough.  It is almost as if my mind is saying...you are doing this healthy thing but my body is saying...you are getting older and you aren't in shape enough to do this and everything is tired.

I know I wrote once before about how getting healthier is really something that you have to accomplish not only physically but mentally.  This is a mind thing.  The conversation that I had with another fellow gym member led me to realize this.  This woman was working so hard.  She was there everyday, just like me.  She did so many different things and was trying everything.  There was determination in her eyes.  During our conversation I mentioned that I was proud of her for being at the gym each day.  I didn't know her but it was more of a casual acquaintance, someone that you grow accustomed to just because you see them everyday at the gym.  She mentioned to me that her mind has to be in this game of getting healthy.  If her mind wasn't in it this would all be so much harder.

Sadly, I have not seen this women in a few months.  She has gained weight just from what I could tell from the last time I did see her at the gym.  I am not sure if her mind is still in this game and am wondering if the excuses are having more control than her mind.

I also think of all the new people that are now trying workouts, trying a gym and trying to get healthier.  I haven't seen a lot of new faces but there are a few...and they are trying really hard.  But, will I see them in 2 weeks, in 3 weeks or in 4 months still?  Only time will tell.  It all depends on if their mind is in the game or if their excuses are back in control.

My Workout Today:  I realized today that I am on week 4 of Phase 3.  All along I thought this phase ended at 3 weeks.  No wonder it feels long.  I knew today was going to be tough.  I tried to prep myself ahead of time though and get a few new songs to help motivate me through my workout.  I found one that worked great!  It is called, "One more" by Superchick.  My 1st and 2nd sets I do pretty well.  My 3rd set needs an extra push...especially when I am doing 14 reps of an exercise.  Just imagine...pushing a barbell over your head that is 40 lb 14 times, then 14 times again (as your arms are screaming at you to stop) and you still have to do it again 14 more times.  If I could scream at the gym I probably would have but there is a nice, big, white sign that says no screaming.  :)  Today I had a really hard time with my deadlifts.  My hands and lower parts of my arms were just tired and I could feel the muscles in those really get fatigued.  I am not sure that I have ever felt that before.  I also don't have grips yet and I think if I had them I would be able to do these better.  I ordered them (along with a foam roller!) and I should have these sometime over the weekend.  At the end of the workout I walked into the locker room.  My arms were hurting and were feeling like Jell-O.  I then realized that I need to ask myself at the end of each workout, "Could I have gone any harder today?"  Today, I don't think I could have.

Funny thing and then a fun thing...
I always seem to do something funny or embarrasing at least once a week while I am at the gym.  This morning I was stretching and knew what was around me but since it was 5am I must have still been sleeping just a tad.  I went to stretch my quads and as I was pulling my foot up I hit a stack of steps that someone had made a nice tower of.  It was pretty loud as they all tumbled down.  (Isn't it great when people don't put their stuff away after they use it?)

The fun thing was something we did at day care yesterday.  This was really fun for the kids!  Great exercise for parents!  Do push-ups (not the whimpy, girly ones...as I told my daughter) and have a kid on your back as you do them.  I was able to do a few push-ups with Quinn on my back.  Kindof cool!  See...something you can do at home with your kids.  They love the free ride, even if it is a quick one.   :)

Jessica's Journey...December 8th

Today was a pretty cool day...I'll share more about why in a few days.

Today I wanted to let you know about a great challenge that is out there from Walgreens and The Biggest Loser.

Walk.

I know that when I started trying to lose weight that just getting the motivation to get my butt off the couch and move was a challenge all on it's own.  I didn't want to wake up early.  I didn't want to eat right.  But I had to start somewhere.  I needed some motivation.

For me, that motivation came from others.

I had a few friends that met me at the gym.  I doubt that I would have started going to the gym if it wasn't for them meeting me there.  (Thanks Lori, Caroline and Kristine!)  I also joined a group that our local TV station had that was somewhat like The Biggest Loser.  I really wanted to be part of a team that competed in this but I wasn't chosen which kindof bummed me out a bit.  I kept moving and trying to lose on my own.  I joined www.sparkpeople.com as well and that was a really good motivation for me.  Tons of great tips, groups to join, ways to track what you eat, drink, measurements, exercise, energy level, etc.

If you are looking for some motivation, maybe this will work for you.  Walgreens and The Biggest Loser teamed up to provide a site that lets you get rewarded just for walking.  Get motivated from others and what they are doing.  You can check out the website here.

Now you might be saying, "But Jessica, I live in a state that has snow and is cold.  I can't walk outside."  Well, you can but I know that I don't want to right now.  So here are some other options for you on where you can walk:

• the mall (I was just there today and there are tons of people walking and actually a lot of people in wheelchairs too going around the mall), 
• your work, 
• Fleet Farm (that place is huge!  Lots of room to walk), 
• some of the local schools have their gyms open to walk.  Check out the community education site here for Rochester, MN.
• Target
• Walmart (just take a shopping cart and go around the perimeter a few times...no one will even know you are just doing laps)

Turn off your computer, get up off your couch and get going...see how many miles or minutes you can log in 1 week.

Jessica's Journey...December 6th

What can I write about today...

Goals.

I see 2 days left of phase 2.  2 days!

Phase 2 has really pushed me and I can't say that I have enjoyed every minute of this week (and it's only Tuesday).  The exercises aren't horrible but they aren't easy.  I think the biggest thing is just increasing how many times I am doing each exercise.  I get to the amount of reps that I did last week and I can just feel my muscles screaming at me to stop at that same number.  Well, guess what?  Jeff didn't write down 12 corkscrews this week...I am up to 14.  Everything is increased!

One of my goals is to get into a certain pair of pants that I have in my closet.  I am getting closer and closer to being able to wear these.  They are capris though and since we have a few inches of snow on the group these will be staying in my closet for awhile.

I am currently thinking of what other goals I need to set for myself.  At the moment I have no idea what goals I should put in front of me...besides what I want to wear.  I have a few things in mind for goals but that is has far as I have gotten...just in my mind.

Time for bed.  I have a long workout in front of me in the morning.  This one is my favorite (well, some of it is) out of all the days so that does give me a little motivation to finish.

Funny...I'm watching The Biggest Loser right now (shocker!) and some of the exercises they are doing are ones that I do.  So cool to see other people doing what I do.

Today at the gym...I did a little bit of running.  Last night I was really wanting to run when I got to the gym and not attend spin class.  I haven't been able to run for a bit since I was sick.  I have no idea where the urge to run came from but it was there.  And then I woke up this morning.  Why did I want to run again?  I still did and I had a good time doing some intervals on the treadmill.  I went just over 2 miles and felt great!  I didn't cough uncontrollably like I sometimes do and that was probably the best feeling of all.

Jessica's Journey...November 27th

At the moment I am watching a show about The Biggest Loser and more of a reunion type of show around Thanksgiving.  I heard this quote and just had to pass it along.

"Tomorrow is gone but today is here."    Olivia...The Biggest Loser

I don't think she could have summed it up any better.  Today is here!  Get up off your butt and start moving.  :)

Do you watch The Biggest Loser?  I am pretty much addicted to that show.  I have been known to watch the show while eating Culver's ice cream (that will really make you feel guilty too!) but lately I am usually just folding clothes or working on the blog while I watch the show.  I know that a lot of the show is drama and to give it appeal so people will watch but it truly is amazing how a body can change just from eating right and exercise.

Another part of the reunion show had Tara on.  Tara is quite the ambitious person and if you watched the season when she was on...you know that she won pretty much all the challenges during the show.  To find out a little bit more about Tara Costa and what she does today, you can click on this link to see an article that was just written about her.

Another contestant from the current Biggest Loser show, Bonnie, is full of spunk.  Bonnie is not a spring chicken, has some problems with her knees and really hadn't done much physically for awhile.  She wasn't sure what she could do and The Biggest Loser helped her see that she can do so much more than what she thought she was capable of.

I was reading a blog today that reminded me of Bonnie.  Jeff, the person that is helping me, has recently started helping a client.  She too is writing about her journey...and it is very interesting to get her perspective.  I am sure that our journeys are a little bit different but I do like hearing her thoughts.  She is blunt with how things are going and she is on the path of her journey and taking one step forward each day.  She already accomplished something that she didn't think she could do...which is how she reminds me of Bonnie.  If you would like to read the blog of the new client that Jeff has, just click here...Oh, and her name is Phyllis.  (Hi, Phyllis...hope you don't mind me linking my blog to yours.  I haven't met you but I know the journey you are on.  Keep up the good work!)

If I had Bob Harper in my house or with my at the gym each day I am sure that I would already be at my ideal size.  The reality is though that Bob, Jillian, or the new trainers are not with me.  I have to do what I can with the resources that I have.  I am thankful for those that help me out...both at home and for what I have to do at the gym.  I do get a little nervous about some of these crazy workouts that I have to do (and the ones that I don't know about yet) but I will keep pushing on and do my best.

Today I did go to the gym.  I wasn't feeling 100% so I did the best that I could today but...I was at the gym.  It was a little later than usual because this was my night:
1)  Quinn wasn't feeling too hot (he is 4) and got up a few times at the start of the night.
2)  Micah (6) got up and was sleepwalking and then wanted to have a conversation with me during his sleepwalking.  I'm sleeping, talking to me while you are sleeping is not a good idea.
3)  Sid (10) was coughing so I tried to convince her that she should put some more pillows under her to prop her up.  She didn't want to but I managed to get the pillows under her anyways.  Mom power!
4)  Quinn woke me up saying, "Mommy, my tummy hurts.  It's going boing, boing, boing."  Not the way I like to be welcomed in the morning.  We cuddled, tried to figure out what really hurt and see how he was doing before I totally freaked out.

My plan is to get to the gym in the morning.  My cough is back though so I am going full force on the meds to try to keep this to just a cough and not turn this into an infection in my lungs again.  I still have a really hard time telling the difference between asthma and a cough.  I am sure that there are things that trigger one and then the other but it is so hard for me to know the balance.  If I am up a lot in the night I will be home and in bed in the morning.  Just gonna have to see how the night goes.