A Great Exercise Week!

K, although I had a few issues in the “food department” this week, I did well in the “exercise department!”  Woo hoo.

I’m very happy about that.  Here’s the 411.

Monday:  I decided to switch my beloved Boot Camp class for a different class.  It was a tough decision but I realized it had become mainly a cardio class.  I get enough cardio from my running, so I want my classes to be mainly “weights” based.  I also realized that my FAVORITE Saturday morning weights class was offered at 9:00 AM on Mondays at a Gold’s Gym a little further away.  I really really love the instructor.  Really.  She works us SO HARD.  I think it’s like going to TWO classes!  It’s amazingly awesome.  So, I think it’s worth it.

Tuesday:  I went on a 3 mile run.  I ran 2 miles with my 8 year old and the other mile by myself.  I would have gone further, but I was pushing the jogger and my little doggie was with us too.  It was a pain, so I cut it short.  Still a great run though.  BTW, I talked my 8 year old son into running a 5k with me!  He is such a great little runner.  I don’t know what race we’ll do yet, but I’m gonna find us a good one!

Wednesday:  I went to my fav Muscle Works class at the gym.  Crazy awesome and I loved it.

Thursday:  I went to another fav Power Pump class at the gym.  We did a bunch of burpees in slow motion and they were so tough!  We also did a bunch of pushups and then at the top of each pushup we pushed off and caught air (hands and feet off the ground.)  Hard to explain, but very insane.  Loved. Every. Minute.

Friday:  I went on a 3 mile run in the morning.  I didn’t plan very well or I would have gone further.  I had to get back to take my oldest to school (he goes at 9:50 on Fridays.)  Love it.

Heading out for a run. My legs have really ballooned this week. It's making me sad. Seriously, I will take another pic when I deflate and you will actually be able to SEE the difference. Scary.

When my kids got home from school, I went out on another run with my 8 year old son and 11 year old daughter.  It was fun.  My daughter only ran a mile with us (I was so proud of her because it was her first REAL run!) and my son and I ran another mile and a half.  So….2 1/2 miles total.  Very fun.

Just before we left on our run. I love my kids!

Today:  We had a crazy morning so I couldn’t go to my favorite class. 😦  I did go to another good muscle class though.  When I got home, I went on a 5 mile run.  It was so so so HOT though so it was kind of a crappy run.  I really self destruct in the heat.  It’s pretty pathetic.  I had to walk most of the last mile.  I thought it was better to walk than face plant on the pavement though.  🙂  It was probably about 80 degrees, but felt like 180!  I am a wuss, I know.  Still glad I did it though!

Well, that’s it.  I am very very tired today.  I’m going to go to bed early.  Fun.

Oh, I’ll share a couple more pics.  My daughter was in the school play this past week.  It was so cute and she loved every minute of it.  It was a play based in ancient times and she was a Greek Dancer/Chorister.

My daughter dressed in her "Greek Lady" costume. She loved all the make up and was thrilled when I asked if she wanted to wear my "ancient lookin'" dangly earrings. She is very much all girl!

During the play. So much fun!

Well, I hope to have another good exercise week next week!  I also hope to have a good eating week too!!  Yay!

Hope you are all well and happy! xoxo

Resistance Training is your Friend

As I was leaving the gym the other day, I was thinkin’…..

I felt just a little bit leaner, stronger and healthier….and I was very happy about it.  I remembered when I left that same class the week before I felt a little sluggish and poofy.

Interesting……

Well, if you recall….last week I was living high on the hog!  I was chowin’ down on the sugar and livin’ it up!  It was very fun, but it really did have an affect on my body.  I felt bloated, more tired and I craved crappy food all the time!

On the flip side, I’ve been eating really really well this week and I can already tell!  The bloatedness (is that a word!??) is gone and I feel stronger and my cravings have stabilized.  Yay.

Sooooo, the moral of the story is that ALL of our food choices (no matter how big or small) have a significant effect on our bodies for better or worse.  Like the old adage says, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”  We cannot expect to feel healthy, fit and thin without doing the work!

Sugary, fatty, fake food=tired, sluggish, frustrated people!  Real , wholesome, healthy food=energetic, healthy, vibrant people!  Woo hoo.  Believe me….I am your own, personal Guinea Pig!

You are what you eat.  Plain and simple.

Also, I keep hearing about ladies who are afraid of lifting weights.  Why?????!!  I don’t know.  Maybe they’re afraid they’ll end up looking like one of these chicks….

Yikes!  Sorry for the disturbing images.  Eeee.

The truth of the matter is that there is some serious funky stuff goin’ on with these, um, ur ladies (that term is used loosely.)  This is a result of harmful supplements, wacko diets, and who the heck knows what else.  Weight lifting does not magically make you look like this.

Weight lifting + eating a healthy, “real” diet, will make you look like this (or your own version of this!)….

These are some of the beautiful models from Athleta.  I love Athleta!  Beautiful, high quality (albeit, expensive) clothes and strong, healthy (and feminine!) looking models!  I would love to look like ANY of the girls in that catalog.

Anyway, weight lifting will build muscle, which helps to burn fat.  As you build more muscle, you burn more calories by just existing.  As you continue to eat well and use weights in your exercise routine…..you will continue to lean down and firm up.

Awesome.

Also….I see a lot of girls at the gym who use 3-5 pound dumbbells for most exercises!  That is crazy.  There are a few exercises that need really really light weight, but for most exercises……………USE HEAVY WEIGHTS!!  Seriously, if you continue to use really light weights, you will get frustrated because you will SEE NO RESULTS!  You should be lifting as heavy as you possibly can without compromising your form.  Really, trust me…..you will like the results.

Also, when you’re building muscle you might not see a lot of results on the scale.  That’s because muscle weighs more than fat…..but it takes up a lot less room!!!  So, you may only lose a few pounds, but your clothes will become looser and you’ll look thinner!!!

Sooooo, (if you’re not already doing it), add some (heavy) weights to your routine!  yay.