Bucket List of Health

Katie posted her bucket list yesterday and a link to a contest.  Contest or not, I thought it would be cool to do one ... I never have before. 

               15.  To reach my mini goal of having my Daily Mile ticker say 300kms for 2011

               14.  To change my eating habits to a healther, cleaner style - and not just half way like I have been.

               13.  To be able to do 5 continual minutes on Jacob's Ladder before my next birthday (Jan.)

               12.  To start journalling the ups and downs of this journey.

               11.  Work out more at home and find ways to use what I have to get it done.

               10.  Start training for an all day bike trip in the spring

               9.  Begin Couch to 5k training (again) in preparation for the 2012 Army Run. 

               8.  Take one of Katie's fitness classes ... because she will be an awesome teacher.

               7.  Join Weight Watcher's online since doing it on my own clearly isnt working anymore.

               6.  Get to the point where I can get more hand-me-downs from Katie  :)

               5.  Start riding my bike to and from work this spring.

               4.  The first logical step .... GET A BIKE!

               3.  Take swimming lessons to improve my swimming abilities and techniques.

               2.  Join a Master's Swim Group

               1.  By the fall, be ready to take an all weekend biking adventure with a group.

              

Meet Jacob

Jacob ... meet your next victim.

Seriously - an amazing machine even if it is the machine from HELL ... and one that, without a shadow of a doubt, intimidates me the most in the entire gym. I think the only reason I put my brave girl panties on was because it was 12:20 am (yes ... A.M.) and there were only three other people in the gym with me. I had the entire cardio section to myself which was actually kinda eery. There is always so much movement in there - machines humming, people talking, sweat flying - that to see it so still just didn't seem right

BUT

because of that eery, unnatural silence,

i did

JACOB'S LADDER!!!

If you don't know what Jacob's ladder is, it is a machine that looks somewhat effortless but it is really quite a workout. My heart was racing. I could feel the sweat starting to bead towards the end. My legs were on fire. It works you harded than you expect, faster than you expect. It was great.

Truth be told, I didn't last more than two minutes on it and I had to have a 20ish second break around the 1min 19sec mark but that is okay ... right? I mean .. I conquered my second fear that night and gave it a shot. That is what matters so I will allow myself a pat on the back with a mental 'yay me' if you will. (btw ... my first fear was that the belt wouldnt fit. it did. phew!)

To see what Jacob's Ladder is, watch the video below. Even if you already know what it is/how it works, watch it and see a few variations they do to focus on glutes and abs. Maybe it'll add something new to your next workout!

Oops.  THIS is the video that shows a few different moves to work different body parts.  Sorry about that. 

Bad fatty, fat, fat

It's been a trying-ish several days.  Thursday night I started up with a bladder infection.  blech!  By mid morning Friday it was unbearable ... inside and out.  I was supposed to hang out and crash and Stéphanie's house but opted to come home where I could find more comfort in my own bed with my own pillows.  I have to admit ... it did help but the thought of moving around and breaking out in a sweat didn't appease the discomfort I had left.  Needless to say, it was a low key Saturday followed by Thanksgiving Sunday and Monday where in it seems that I have a new problem ... digesting fats.

My Mom bought a Butterball turkey and, in all seriousness, steer clear of them if you can.  The grease that sat on top of the gravy was nothing less that gross.  A big suprise to me since Butterball is always advertised as being the bird of choice.  Even to stir it whisk it before stirring didn't completely mix it in with the rest of the liquid.  After my meal - in which I neither over ate or went back for seconds - things just weren't right.  On Monday I had a plate of leftovers, smothered in gravy.  I would say 3x the amount of gravy I had on Sunday.  Ouph.  A lead ball in my stomach and other digestive issues.  I felt awful!  It still didn't click as to what it could be ... until the movies on Tuesday.   I had a small popcorn and asked for butter in the middle (the real stuff .. not Becel) and they over did it.  Now you have to understand that I really do like buttery popcorn.  i LOVE buttery popcorn actually but even I have my limits.  That being said ... it wasnt at the point of being unedible so I nibbled away as we watched out flick.  Double ouph.  Here came the digestive issues again.  NOT FUN. 

And that is when I realized it ... the fats are not agreeing with me.  All in all, that is not a bad thing.  It just shows me how working out and changed eating habits (albiet not the best changes but good changed none the less) have affected my body.  Once able to stomach these foods, I am no longer able to.  It's like my body was screaming at me "STOP EATING THIS SH!T" and quickly trying to get the toxins out. 

Lesson leaned.

Next movie ... frozen yogurt!

Whoa what a trip

Last night, Tanya and I ventured to the gym for a workout ... in the co-ed gym.  Yup!  I took the plunge, put my big girl panties on (literally) and faced my fears.  I worked out amongst the buff and tough fellas and it wasn't so bad.  They weren't gawking at my oversized self or snickering as I attempted to try new machines and free weight contraptions.  They just went about their business with the occassional look and some even offered to help when we looked really stumped. 

My intentions were to do my regular workout however, that quickly changed when I saw the equipment that was up there.  It is so different than what is in the woman's only section and overwhelming.  I walked around for a bit trying to find the machines that looked like the ones I was familliar with alas ... no luck.  That is when I really decided to throw caution to the wind and just go for it.  Tanya and I started at one corner of the gym and just worked our around trying this, that and the other.  Some things I liked others ... not so much.  What new things did I try, you wonder? 

• I used a contraption to do my squats.  It stabalizes your feet and lets your calves lean against something ... much preferred doing them this way.  I just have to work on my posture a bit more.  Using the ball really helped that.
• I did a leg press thing which had me in a reclined position and my legs almost 90 degrees in the air, pushing the weights up and down with my legs.  140lbs.  Not bad (or so I think)
• Ab crunch.  OW. OW. OW. OW.  Then again ... maybe it wouldnt have hurt so much if I didn't have it set to 90 lbs.  Ah well ... at least I did it. 
• Dip Assist.  WTF?  Won't be going near this contraption for at least another 25 lbs.
• Glute Press whojamajig - Looks like I did it right but I'm not sure.  I just know that I didn't feel it in my behind like I thought I would have.

So, that was my day.  A two hour workout with about 1.5 hours of actual working out.  (I figure a half an hour of figuring stuff out seems fair. haha).  I am hoping that the next time Katie comes to my swankified gym, we can do a workout up there so she can show me what is what.  lol

In the meantime, I continue to NOT lose weight.  Argh.  Eating is still not a hundred percent but it is soooo much better.  Becoming VERY, VERY frustrated with this.  I mean, it can't be muscles buidling that is keeping me here so what is it?  All I have to is stay focused because it is moments like these that make me want to stop what I am doing ... but I wont.  I will persevere ... it just may take some time.