This time I am bigger than ever but I am going to really give it my all – working out and trying weight watchers. Ready…

The top pic is me last year and the bottom is this year – for me these were good pics that show the difference 25 lbs makes.

I did my cardio tonight – 1/2 hour on the treadmill – the majority of it at 3.5-3.8 miles per hour and at a incline of 2.0% Then I did about 15 minutes worth of exercise and increased my weight that I was lifting – felt really good.

I woke late and was running late so I did not get my morning routine done – had every intent of getting it done at sometime during the day but never get it done. Better tomorrow.

I didn’t want to go to the gym tonight, in fact had talked myself out of it – the whole ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ kind of thinking which I was quickly like ‘oh, hell no…’ and put my shoes and gym clothes on and ran out of the house before I could talk myself out of it.

I did 10 minutes on the treadmill at a 1.5% incline – 3.5 speed – I upped it to 3.8 for a couple of minute. Then I did some of the strength building exercises – but I only did about half the usual because my wrist was making it difficult to lift weights with. I did wonder if it is a cause of gout kicking in, so when I get home I will do my cherry extract to see if we can nip this in the bud.

So with this new phase, I am going to focus again on exercise – my focus is going to be to go to the gym for 5 days out of the week – I think I am needing a day or two of rest every now and then – it’s still going to be best if I can exercise every day and this week appears that it will be one of those weeks – until labor day, that might have to be my day of rest.

I am pleased to report that I am still maintaining, if not losing. You know the problem with weighing yourself every day (I know, it’s not recommended, but who doesn’t do it if they have a scale right there in the bathroom.) The problem is those few pounds that fluctuate. I think that I am actually down a full 25 lbs from my high this year. For my contest that doesn’t count – I am only down 19 for that – I need to be down several more lbs by the first Monday of November, but I really see it happening.

Food-wise, I am going to try harder with the food diary – I am going to the IRISHFEST in KC this weekend and really think carrying a food journal will be very beneficial. It still helps that there is a lot of food that I cannot eat with the oral stuff that I had done to my mouth but this weekend I did find a candy that my mouth can handle,so that is not good. But I really missed candy, lol. I am proud of the fact that I went about 45 days without buying any candy.

I was also planning on starting the Core Plan of Weight Watchers this week since I am mostly following it anyway, but decided with the fest this next weekend that is too much of a hassle. Plus the truth is that I really don’t want to lose this weight with ‘dieting’. I think that I have since I have seen some success with losing weight by exercising, I really don’t want to have to change my eating habits much more and am feeling that this is really a healthier way to lose weight. I realize I might still have to make some changes, but for now, I would like to just focus on increasing the exercise (plus I really like how my arms are feeling and want them to look as nice as they feel, lol).

So, since Inever really documented anything on phase 5, I am re-starting it today and will simply start with the daily posts again.

For starters today – really proud of myself because I started doing my morning routines again.

I don’t think I have lost much since I took my measurements a week or so ago, so I don’t think I am going to be taking them for awhile. It turns out that with my weight-loss group, I am halfway to where I need to be by our November weigh-in. I have total faith that I will be making my weight by then, but I continue to fight wanting to diet.

I am really trying to make this as plausible as I can and be as realistic as possilbe. Too many years of counting points and calories. I know that if I jump on the bandwagon and do the ever faithful Weight Watchers or south beach – my weight will melt off. Right now I don’t want to be tied down to that. I am seeing success with just incorporating exercise into my routines and being as it is time for the fifth phase – I need to do something other than the exercise focus because it is now a habit (I am cautiously certain, lol).

So I have decided that for the next 24 days, I am going to keep a food journal. I know that when I have done weight watchers in the past, my more successful months have been the ones in which I have kept a food journal. Earlier this year, Good Morning America did a big report that studied one simple change that people made which allowed for one group of people to lose 50% more weight than the other weight loss group and it was a simple food journal.

They showed peolple carrying around the little notebook in their back pocket and writing things down as they ate them – that is my plan. After a week, I should have an average daily calorie intake – my hope is that I will not need to adjust at all other than to continue to do the food journal, but the reality is that if I learn that I am taking in something like 3500 calories a day – I will be well aware that there is a change needing to be made.

Phase 5 here I come!!!

Day 21, p4 – did my morning routines. This evening I honestly was beat, I did not end up going to the gym. I don’t know if it was the day, the heat or whatever, but I just needed a break from it.

Day 22, p4

Morning routines. In the evening I went walking with my sister – not sure how far we walked – it was not a long walk, but it was 45 minutes at a good pace – I need to measure that route so I have a good idea of what I am doing.

Day 23, p4

Morning Routines – long day, but the end of the day was a really good workout. I think there are some of the machines that I have not necessarily been using correctly. One of these days, I am going to have to meet with the personal trainer to learn how to use some of the machines, maybe develop more of a exercise routine that focuses on trouble spots and to verify that I am in fact using the machines correctly. The couple that I adjusted and did a little differently, I notices that the muscles in the areas that are being worked actually felt tight and a little sore, hopefully that means I was doing it right.

Day 24, p4

I had a really hard time getting to sleep last night, which therefore caused me to have a really difficult time getting to sleep. Tonight I have plans to go walking with my sister again – I think since I missed my morning routines – which in the big picture do not have to be done in the morning – I plan to do my measurements – regular pushups, flexibility and such this evening.

Day 14, p4

I did not make it to the gym tonight. My house has tested positive for lead paint and this environmental group is coming to re-paint my trim starting tomorrow – so I had plenty to do that I counted as my workout this evening. I had to clear and clean off my front porch (much bigger deal that it would be for most, lol. Then I had weeds to pull and trim away from the house so they could paint without difficult. While cleaning off the porch – I was stung in the head by a wasp – right behind my left ear. Horrible, horrible pain and burning for the rest of the night.

The main reason that I decided I could bail on my gym workout was because of the rocks I had to move. There was this huge pile of lava rocks resting against the house. I had shovel the rocks into one garbage pan and 3 – 20 gallon tubs. I really did feel that I got a good workout even though it wasn’t at the gym.

Day 15, pt 4

I made it back to the gym tonight – no one was there, just the way I like it. I got a really good strength building day in, but couldn’t believe how hard some of them were. About halfway through I think I identified why – I have not been good at doing my morning routines and even though they are only about two minutes of quick energy bursts, it’s enough that I was feeling change. Some of the weights that I was lifting comfortably – tonight felt like it was my first time lifting and my reps ended up being lower than what I had built up to.

Tonight I also ended up going out to my uncle’s farm – picking some corn and zucchini and walking around a bit.

Day 16, p4

I woke and did my morning routines – it’s funny how comfortable and good they feel – what once was a struggle to make myself in do in the morning, no longer is.

Back to the gym tonight – it was absolutely crazy. I have never seen it so busy – easily 10 people in there. When I got there, I was able to get on a treadmill, but had I been just 5 minutes late – there would not have been a treadmill open for me.

I had to tune out the 3 guys on each side of me because they were – wait for it…running. Come on really? I did not allow my machismo to get the best of me (I cannot run at this time, lol. I am not in the right shape yet.) I walked, but I did increase my speed a little (okay so a little machismo took over).

Day 17, p4

This morning I remembered to do my morning routines as well. Tonight I went back to the gym and did my workout – it was a good workout. Again barely anyone in the gym. I tried a couple of new exercises (unsuccessfully). There are a couple of machines that I should probably set up a meeting with the trainer to learn how to use them – or just ask someone when I see them trying it out.

I tried the elliptical as well – I am just not successful on this machine. I see people doing it so successfully and am not sure what my major malfunction is, but it seems choppy and weird to me.

Day 18, p4

I have to admit to no exercising today – I went out with a friend who was in from out of town and even though I planned to leave early enough to go and exercise, we stayed out much later than expected. It was a lot of fun.

Day 19, p4

Again no exercising. It was around 100 degrees today with horrible humidity – I did some stuff in the yard, but no exercising. Tonight I went over to my sister’s to celebrate her birthday and again ended up staying much later than I expected. The funny thing is that I didn’t drink tonight with the thought that I didn’t want to drink and then go work out.

Day 20, p4

Today was a good day. I woke really early and made my dad a birthday cake (angel food – it was a huge hit). I also blanched and froze 20 cups of corn as well as a bunch of zucchini. Did some stuff around the house and it just seemed go, go, go.

I ended my night by being back in the gym. Since I had missed most of my strength building days last week, I did my strength building stuff. I was able to be back to my weight and reps as before last week, but there are still a couple I struggle on.

I also did the elliptical (just for 6 minutes – that thing kicks my ass, lol). After returning from the bathroom, I noticed that one of the elliptical is much longer than the others – the one I have been using, so I tried one of the others and even though it kicked my ass – it was smooth. I plan to start including it more into my workouts because just in the short amount of time I was using it, I felt some major burns in my legs that I have not felt for awhile. After doing my strength building exercises – I looked at the machines. The one that I had been trying is called the My Stride – I am guessing it is for some of you long-legged freaks and not meant for the ones who are left with the short stubby walking sticks, like mine. The one that I ended up using I think was just called the commercial model.

Last night while working out, I decided that other than the bicep building machines – my favorite machine is the one that does the ab crunches with me – weird, eh? I think it is because it is the machine that I am feeling some of the most progress with (although I am feeling that my arms are growing or developing a little better).

Day 8, p4 – Did my morning routines and that evening I went to the gym. I did only do my cardio this night. It was kind of funny because the time I was going – between 10 and 10:30, I noticed was a little more busy than I wanted and it was affecting me as I must be a little to self-conscience excercising around people. So I went at 11 – empty and then the same 5 people that I was trying to switch from working out with showed up – lol. Just one of those nights, I guess. I did end up working in the yard trimming my hedges for about 2 hours as well.

Day 9, p4

Today I had the best of intentions. I had a dental appointment and stayed home to go to this. I had the lead testers show up and tell me that my house had qualified for the new paint – so I was signing all of that and rushing to the dentist. I got home and was still going to shower and eat lunch and the lead testers for the yard showed up and it caused me to run late for work, oh well – some new yardwork andpaint – I can’t really complain. Except now they have given me all sorts of stuff which I am expected to get done to make their jobs easier, lol.

I had dinner with a friend and sat in the hot tub – totally having the intention of still going to work out, however, it was 1230 when we got out of the tub and I got on the road – they gym was easily 1/2 hour away and I decided not to go.

Day 10, p4

Today I was running a bit late, didn’t get my a.m. routine done. I skipped my writing group to work in the yard. I worked in the yard for about 3 hours, but some of that was just replanting to try and save plants from they areas they will be digging up. Who knows if it will work.

I got to the gym and it was empty. I decided since I had missed the previous day, I would do a double workout and that is what I did, for the most part. I think I really owed 10 more minutes on the treadmill, but justified the 3 hours of yardwork as a supplement.

Day 11, p4

Again no morning routine – I am falling out of that habit, so I need to make an added effort to get that done. It was a busy, busy night. I did not end up going to the gym (though I had planned on it since I will be camping for the next two days.) Honestly, though the excuses are lame – I had no gas (enough to get to the bank and station tomorrow when I get paid) and I have been playing with a tire with a slow leak for the last month and my luck is that even though I plan on changing it out tomorrow, it would break down tonight), so I just said no.

I worked in the yard a solid 3-4 hours, hard work – pulling weeks and bagging trash. I have so many spider bites tonight that it isn’t even funny.

Day 12, p4

Today sucked as far as exercising goes. Nothing went my way and even though I had planned on getting a walk in once I got to the campsite, I didn’t make it.

Day 13, p4

When I woke this morning, I quickly ate my oatmeal and went walking – there are some roads that I could follow. I knew from the gate to the campsite it was 1/2 mile, but I kept going to the next road and then to the highway – my pedometer showed almost 4 miles, but I will actually measure it later.

We also did a lot around camp and I felt really good about the morning walk.

Day 13

I woke early again and took the same walk – it really felt good. It turns out it was a 3.4 mile walk. Then we did a lot more walking as we played a terrible game of horseshoes and then some really good games of ladderball before it was time for me to go.