Monday update...but probably not the one you're waiting for

Sorry to keep you all waiting on the much anticipated calorie expenditure information. I wore the heart rate monitor and watch yesterday while doing housework (I like to know how many calories ALL activities burns). I got a lot done, and I think I burned around 400 calories in 4 hours (not as much as I had hoped). DH got home, we were watching a movie on TV, then moved to watch it in bed, and while getting ready for bed I took the heart rate strap off...DH was sorely disappointed. Poor guy. I just wasn't in the mood after all the housework I had done.

Anyway, today I went back to the chiropractor for some more adjustments. Wowser, it was a doozy. I was explaining to the chiro that the pain had moved from primarily the left side of my neck to the right, and also was having low back pain now. So he goes to adjust my upper back by having me lay on my side with my arms crossed and the top leg over the other, then he pushes (squashes) you in the opposite direction. OMG, I thought I had been twisted in half...not good. Then he flipped me over on my stomach to hurt me some more, but my back was too tight so he had my flip back over on my back with my arms crossed over my shoulders...with his fist in my back all the while doing a wrestling take down move (putting all his body weight on me). Seriously, it knocked the breath out of me...I felt like I had been sucker punched in the stomach...I seriously had thoughts of my spleen being ruptured or something. Then he sends me to get a little massage (read: torture) on my very sore neck, and the girl is trying to get blood from a turnip. I have a high pain tolerance, and I was having to do deep breathes in order to not cry out. Then when I finally do tell her it really hurts (aka, please don't do it so hard ), she says "ya, that part does hurt huh"...and keeps doing the same thing. MERCY! All in all, it was the most traumatic visit to the chiropractor that I have ever had and I'm still not feeling any better, in fact I feel worse (no wonder huh).

Despite all that I went immediately to the gym ( I was feeling okay at that point because it was still fairly early in the morning....the pain gets worse as the day goes on). Anyway, I got my weights done and moved on to cardio. Today it took me 31 minutes to get to the "training effect" of 5.0 . I wanted to stop at about minute 18...but I think at that point I was only at 3.7, and I couldn't in good conscience stop there, then come blog about such a pathetic workout. So I pushed through..so determined to get to a 5 (even when the machine stopped at 30 minutes because that is all I had programmed it for), I was at a 4.9 at 30 minutes, and I knew I just needed to do one more "sprint" to get to the 5.0. See, this is where the watch really comes in handy. There is no way I would have pushed myself like that without the watch. In fact, I probably would have stopped at 20 minutes. I think what the watch is doing is factoring in that your body adapts to the level of exercise you consistently do, so you have to keep doing more of it in order to get the same amount of effect. Anyway, there was an older lady waiting for a machine behind me ( I had told her I was about done), and then another older lady next to me says, "this girl (me) has so much energy...she was running up that thing". I thought that was funny. I was doing 40 second sprints at level 12 on the stairmill..which literally makes you run up the stairs.

So, my workout stats from today (although my watch is still running and I've totaled 1746 calories in the 9:07 hours I've had it on)

Calories burned during workout: 710 ( a new record for me)
Workout time: 1:03
Training effect: 5.0
Oh, I just discovered that the watch has moved me up to an "activity class" of 7.5...this might explain why it was harder to reach the TE of 5.0 today
Also just discovered that my resting heart rate is around 64
Eating has been right on today, so I feel good about that. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.

What I've been doing...

Well I've gotten slightly off track. Thursday we had the potluck at our house, and I did fairly well, I only had one small serving of all the dishes, most of which were surprisingly healthy. I did only have one small slice of cake (which by the way, several people said was "the best cake [I] have ever tasted"). Also, as a side note, this was our bible study group we had over, with an age range of upper 20's to mid 80's. I thought it would be fun to have do some Wii bowling, because I haven't met anyone yet that doesn't have fun at it. So we convince the older couple..age 79 and 80 something, to try it out. They had SO MUCH FUN. Apparently this couple used to be in a bowling league but hadn't bowled in over 30 years...although they really wanted too. They left our house CERTAIN that they were going to buy a Wii for their home so they could bowl instead of watch TV in the evenings. How cute is that! I thought it was great!

Back to my confessional.... Friday, I was really craving carbs, really really really. Somewhat out of frustration over the scale. DH wanted to go out for hamburgers, but we settled for my favorite pizza place which also has great salads. I was going to have a spicy thai chicken pizza, but decided to get my healthy salad with chicken...and whole wheat breadsticks. I feel like I did pretty well there....had a little extra carbs, but nothing crazy. I did however come home and have a slice of leftover cake.

DH is working today and I was invited to go on a Pumpkin train ride with a friend and her 2 kids. I'm exhausted after a long day involving 4 kids under 6, 1 hour in the car, 1.5 hours on a "train ride", to a field with pumpkins which the mom's got to haul back onto the train (that's 2 pumpkins, one giant purse with all our jackets, snacks, and the camera), then an hour home. Anyway, the kids LOVED it...it just wasn't my idea of a fun (read: relaxing) Saturday afternoon.
I've also been struggling with a very sore, messed up neck, which I've been seeing a chiropractor for (which usually helps, but feels worse this time). I was in the car to go to the gym on Friday, but I just knew that my neck/back would be even more sore after such an intense workout....so I got out of the car, came inside to get some things I needed to return, and went shopping instead. :)

I'm hoping to rest tomorrow as well, then hit the gym on Monday. Anyway, as a positive note, I didn't have to cook dinner tonight as we had great soup and breadsticks leftover. The weather was absolutely perfect today. The kids had a great time today.

If you are any way related to me I may not want you to read to next paragraph. Especially if you are my father, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, etc. Read on with caution.

I haven't been completely without exercise in the last few days. On Wednesday or Thursday, I had come across a blog who was on the blog roll of another blog friend. I got a good giggle after reading one of this bloggers top posts... in which he sites an article about "Sexercise". Don't worry, it's just an article...nothing raunchy or off colored. Now being that I'm a Christian and also grew up where good girls didn't talk about such things, this is not something I would typically talk about in a public forum, but I'm married and I have children, so I think it's obvious that I have some experience when I comes to this subject.....plus it has to do with fitness and exercise. I was sitting in the living room when I read this blog..and DH was sitting in the same room. He heard me snickering while hovering over the laptop and asked what I was laughing about. I shared with him these pearls of wisdom, and he thought it was fantastic news. Then I told him how I thought it would be beneficial and interesting to wear my heart rate monitor...which goes along with my new watch (which also tracks calories burned) during said activities. I'm calling it a sexperiment, and DH wholeheartedly agrees that this should take place. Really, anything that gets him more action he'll agree to. I'll keep you updated....the hard part is to actually plan ahead and put the chest strap on in order to monitor said activities without totally killing the mood (more so for myself than DH as he needs very little encouragement). I do think this would be fascinating information.

Was that too much info? Oh well, I've always been one to just tell it like it is.

One small slice

I will only eat one slice, I will only eat one slice, I will only eat one slice...

Okay seriously...what gives

So I know that the number on the scale should not be the focus...but really, it does matter. I have enough fat to lose that something should be happening by now. I got on the scale today and got 139.6 . It is hard for me to post that number for a multitude of reasons that I won't get in to right now. Let me just say that I have seen that exact number.. 139.6 so many times in the last 2-3 months, it's just not funny. I feel like I am working out really hard, and eating 95% clean. According to the Turbulence Training book I should be shedding fat like crazy. Oh, and my bodyfat % was still the same on the Tanita (notoriously high...but consistent at least). This is when I start to get really frustrated. It's been 2 weeks (of serious commitment) and I've really made no progress. Seriously, the double chocolate Oreos are calling my name right now. I've been working out consistently for more than a year, so I should have a good amount of lean muscle mass to make a difference in my metabolism...however, for the last several months I can't seem to make the scale budge to save my life. When I was doing Body For Life (my second challenge specifically), I was eating about 85% clean, working out, and still dropping at least a pound a week. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.
No worries though, I'm not careening myself off the wagon just yet. At this point I refuse to count calories because it messes with my head. Could drinking 2 cups of coffee a day (with about 1 tbsp of 1/2 and 1/2) be affecting my progress....maybe it's the Zone Perfect bars (which really help get me past any sugar cravings...but aren't a great meal due to the ratio of carbs to protein). Anyway, I'm at a loss. I'm frustrated. DH made pizza for himself and the kids for lunch today, and it took A LOT of will power to stay away from it.
Whew, I feel better now getting that all out there. Back to drinking my water....

As as side note I am taking measurements as well, but I think I also need to start taking progress pictures again...maybe tomorrow.

Wednesday workout...

Still haven't weighed in since free day. I just don't want to be disappointed. Tomorrow we are having a potluck at our house, and I'm just not ready for another free day, so I think I will make a huge big yummy salad, and eat mostly that, and maybe a bite or two of dessert, then take my free day on Sunday. I just really like having a whole day to not think about food, or think and eat the food I am really craving.

Anyway, I forgot to mention on last nights post, but I plan on holding off buying any clothes until I have lost 10 pounds. Not only is this good motivation, but it also makes sense to not buy jeans when I am actively trying to lose weight.

Today's workout summary (according to the watch)
Workout time: 57.45 (includes stretching time)
Calories burned: 651
Training effect: 5.0 (reached at minute 28 of cardio...took a little longer than Monday) I think this is because on Monday I did squats on the smith machine with 25# plates on each side, then dropped the bar way down and did laying pull up things ( I don't know what you call them)
...anyway, my heart rate gets really high when I do that combo.

Clothes shopping woes

So tonight I was without my dear kiddos (thank you Grandma). I decided it would be good to get out of the house, and I really need some winter clothes. Retail therapy is one of my favorites. I've made a pact to myself not just to buy clothes because their a good deal, but to buy clothes that look great and are good quality....and not worry so much about the price. I've gotten in a rut of buying a lot of clothes that are just okay, but not great...spending more money on junk than if I had bought several classic, great looking items at a higher price. Anyway, so I forewarned DH that I was going clothes shopping and asked him what my budget was. He said he trusted me to spend an appropriate amount without going overboard. I was all excited, and decided to start out at Old Navy. I tried some things on, but nothing looked right. Then I headed to the mall. I tried on at least 15 pairs of jeans from $24.99 to $98.00. Nothing! Nothing looked right. I happen to hold a good majority of my fat right around my middle, so the pants have to come far enough up as to not have 'the cup runneth over'. Can they just make jeans that are a little higher rise, don't hug your thighs..you know..like a straight leg...not made for a 16 year old body with no hips and thighs like pencils. I feel like I am pretty well proportioned...what the heck. Anyway, to boot, all tops this season are either made to make you look pregnant, or made to look like a mini-dress for which you need leggings, and I just can't seem to go there at 30.

So I spent $0 dollars...okay, I did buy dinner at subway because I had gone 5 hours without eating...I know bad bad bad.

Now I'm moping. I guess I'll be wearing my black velour sweatsuit all winter long.

According to my watch.....

....I burned 1493 calories today (2 hours of Karate and 1 hour at the gym earlier) That should be enough to cancel out yesterdays free day. What's even cooler about the watch that I learned today, is that all I need is the heart rate strap on around my chest...and the watch can be 20 feet away (the Sensei didn't want me wearing it during karate, so it sat by my water), but it still picked up my heart rate etc. I thought that was great.