Yog-ahhhhhhh

Early in my journey I lived for a sweaty, hardworking workout. If I didn't end my workout exhausted then I didn't think it was a good (enough) workout. And I had to workout at least five days a week or I didn't think I'd done enough during the week. Even when starting with my trainer in December 2015, I was working out almost every day; running or elliptical for at least 30 minutes plus weights every other day. And maybe one day of yoga each week.

Earlier this year I shifted from living in the gym five days a week to doing weights twice a week, HIIT on the elliptical a couple times a week, and yoga once a week with more regularity. And then somewhere in the last few months it's changed again. Dance has become my cardio and I don't push myself to the limits on the elliptical. I still do weights twice a week with my trainer, and yoga happens about 3-4 (or more) times each week.

And I've been telling a lot of people lately about the yoga that I'm doing and people keep asking me to share links with them, so I'm gonna share them with y'all so everybody can enjoy!

I stumbled across "Yoga with Adriene" a year and a half ago as "exercise" I could do on vacation in Denver when I wouldn't have access to the gym and it would be too cold to run outside. At first I tried a different video each day from her "30 Days of Yoga" series. I found it a little too challenging for me because I had lost a lot of flexibility, on top of my knee issues due to the osteoarthritis (I can't do lunge poses and a few others).

But I didn't give up! I kept searching until I found a video I liked and could do. At the start of this year I came across the "Foundations and Flexibility" video. Forty minutes seemed like a doable length and the poses were just challenging enough but didn't bother my knees.


I did that video for several months before I started to get bored and wanting to expand my repertoire. It was also around that time that I realized how much my flexibility improved. I also realized that I needed something extra to really work on flexibility in my hips and back because I was still tight there. (It felt very evident to me when dancing.) I found this 30 minute video targeted for back pain. I like it's slower pace, especially when my back is feeling tight and sore after a long day on my feet or a strenuous activity that has tired out my back.

 After a little over a month of doing both those videos on rotation, I decided to go back and try the "30 Days of Yoga" series. I stopped after day four because I loved that video so much. It's another good one for the back, but not as long as the previous one PLUS it has some good core work with the plank variations. A good core is key to back health.



I hope you enjoy these videos and take some time to explore others in Adriene's series. I am in the best shape of my life, yet I don't live in the gym. Stronger and healthier than I was before and getting better every day.

No Cookies Needed

It had barely just started again and now it's over.

First, it was bad timing a year ago. Now, it's the distance. I love him and he loves me, but there's apparently just too many obstacles in our way.

No cookies needed

I'm tempted to go back to my old habits of finding comfort in food. I want chocolate! Or do I? My stomach is finally flat (or flatter than it has been in weeks while bloated). I'm feeling comfortable in my own skin - even naked. I feel slim and strong. Do I really want to go back to my old habits of finding comfort in food? NO! So I  need to find a substitute.

Exercise. Thank goodness it was also workout Monday with my trainer. I moved from sad that he called it off, to pissed off that he wasn't wiling to pursue me. I'm worth it. I'm a darned good catch. I'm freaking awesome! Darn him for not wanting it enough. Not wanting me enough.

So I took action.
I removed the electronic copies of the poems we'd written to each other.
I deleted our text chain and our messenger chat.
I deleted him from my contacts.
Swiftly. Like ripping off a bandaid.

I'm usually loyal to a fault, to a point where I hurt myself, but this time I don't want to do that. I've done enough of that in the past and this time I'm flipping the switch. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

But I don't feel shame, because I wanted it too. I initiated it, but he responded. But given his reason for not being able to pursue a relationship, perhaps he shouldn't have responded in the first place. But at least I've learned a lesson - don't hold on to the hurt.

I haven't cried since Monday afternoon.  I got a little sad on Thursday night during my Financial Peace class because it reminded me of a recent conversation with him. But I kept my chin up and reminded myself this wasn't about him, this was about me. I'd been feeling pumped about this class and I wasn't going to let him steal my joy.

This is about me feeling good about myself. And yah, I don't need sugary sweets to do that. I'm taking care of me and that feels great! I'm finding comfort in taking care of myself, support and love from my friends, and some inspirational words on the internet. I'm keeping myself open to love.

 

An Open Letter to My Trainer

Dear Mr. Trainer,

Ok... I do need my trainer, too.

I'm really grateful for the workouts you've put me through these last few weeks. I can feel changes happening through the focused workouts you've designed. I appreciate the focus you've given on making my body stronger and feel better. I love the challenge you've given me in my fitness training.
But this diet thing with more protein.... it's causing me some stress and frustration. You want me to eat more protein and less carbs. I just don't know how to eat more protein while eating a diet that also includes enough fruits and vegetables. I think that may be why (confession time) I ate a box of cookies this morning for breakfast.
I know. I know.

I only meant to eat one or two. I should have headed the warning from the lady who said don't open it until you're prepared to eat the whole box because it's hard to stop. I should have listened to my gut that said give the cookies to someone else because I knew they would be tempting to me.
I'm sorry.
I'm apologizing to myself and to you. I know you're investing time and energy to help me transform me. I'm investing time, energy, and money in this, too. And eating a box of cookies for breakfast defeats that. I get it. I'm not trying to undo our hard work. I'm stressed. I'm an emotional eater. I know that. You know that now, too.
I know I need to make some changes if I'm going to see the results that I want and that you are trying to give me. I promise that I'm doing my best every day. I wake up with the intention of doing the best to give my best. Please don't take this personally, it's not about your skill as a trainer - you're excellent - it's about my emotional-ness right now. I resolve each day, each moment to do my best to take care of myself. Sometimes I slip. I'll forgive myself. I'd appreciate your forgiveness, too.  I'm trying, really I am. No excuses, just an explanation.
The rest of this day will be better. ...but I still need to work on figuring out that protein - fruit/veg balance.
Sincerely,
Urban Hiker Girl

I See Me

I realized something today during yoga class. I'm beautiful. I'm beautiful and my body can move in amazing ways. Ok, so I can't do all the yoga poses with total ease and comfort and fluidity, but still, my body is beautiful and amazing. And I don't mean it in a conceited way. It's just a self-realization.

Yes, I know I'm beautiful when I get dressed up to go salsa dancing or have a night out with my girl friends, but I didn't realize how beautiful it is when dressed in workout gear, no make-up on, doing things that are challenging. But as I looked up from various poses to see if I was correctly mimicking the instructor, I saw my own reflection in the mirror of the darkened classroom. And I saw something beautiful.

I saw a long, lean shape. I saw thin places and curvy places. I saw muscle definition. I saw strength and areas that need support. I really saw me. And it's nice to finally see myself for all the things that I am. I'm amazing and wonderful. I'm special and unique.

In light of all my wonder over my freshly discovered beauty, I realized I deserve some things. I deserve to date a man who will honor and cherish this beauty, not just lust after it. I deserve to be with someone who will see all the beauty that I see and more.

From myself, I deserve continued acceptance and forgiveness. I deserve to honor and cherish my own body by exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep to nourish it inside and out. I am a beautiful creation of the Creator and I deserve special care and attention. I deserve to nourish my spirit through time with my Creator and His Word.

Wow. I really am beautiful and strong. It's not just something I say hoping to believe it. Today I believe because I have seen.

I'm NOT a Runner...Yet!

This used to be my motto for running.

When I first started my path as the Urban Hiker Girl, one of my goals was to be able to run. I wasn't exactly sure how far or when I wanted to run, only that I wanted to be able to do it. Comfortably. I wanted to be able to run and play with my niece and nephew and my students without going out of breath quickly, without hurting my joints, and without looking awkward.

I can run now! I can chase my niece and nephew and my students and not be out of breath and not look awkward. Granted, sometimes those kids are still faster than me, but I can do it.

I've started to add jogging on the treadmill into my workouts. For a while I was mixing it in with walking by varying my pace on the treadmill every time a song on my workout playlist changed (song change = pace change).

A few months ago I downloaded the Couch to 5k app (click here to get yours!), but I didn't start using it right away. I let it sit on my phone for a while. I even contemplated deleting it because I wasn't sure I was going to use it; I kept it because I paid for it and didn't want to throw away money.

Last week I started using it. I pushed through week one. It was mostly a mental battle because of the stress I've been under; the variety in the workout was similar to how I'd been varying my treadmill workouts so the physical part wasn't too hard. But now I can say: I'm becoming a runner! Week two, day one done and more to come!

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years.There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." ~John Bingham

Time to Get Creative

The end of another month is approaching. That means it's time to switch up my workout routine again. I've been alternating my workout sets (upper body sets and lower body sets) every other month. I'm kind of ready to bring in something new. 

I follow a couple blogs from fitness professionals (Jenna Wolfe on Today.com and MyFitnessPal.com's fitness blog). Usually, I pull in ideas from those places with workouts from my trainer I had many years ago in North Carolina, and mix it all together to make it work in my little fitness center at the apartment complex. It's been working so far; I've lost 20 pounds since living here and toned up a bit. But I'm getting bored with alternating the same workouts every other month. 

With the warmer weather here I'll definitely be incorporating more outdoor walk. I've mapped out two routes so far. One route is just under 4 miles and the other is about 4.5 miles. I think I need to look for a route that is about 3 miles, and one that is 5-6 miles, just to give myself plenty of options.

My immediate goal is to find something that I can do while travelling that requires no weights, can use exercise bands or body weight, and can be done either in my room or outside. Spring Break is coming, I'll be visiting family, and don't want to lose what I've gained, but I also don't want to sacrifice family time either. 

Please share your favorite "anytime, anywhere" activities for fitness in comments. Links to videos to demonstrate are always appreciated!

Uncomfortable and Unsure

Confession: All week I've felt bloated and been gassy.

I'm sorry, I know it's not lady-like and perhaps it's TMI. But it happens to all of us, right? And hey, this is my personal blog you're reading, so it's like you're reading my diary of sorts.

I've been uncomfortable in my own skin all week. My clothes feel like they fit a little differently- uncomfortably- even though the scale doesn't say I've gained weight. But this discomfort has been affecting my thoughts, mood, and emotions.

I've noticed this week that I've questioned if my guy likes me. Nothing in the way he interacts with me has changed for the worse, so where do these doubts come from? I can only conclude that it's because I'm not happy with me. (In fact, things seem a bit better between us. I've been distant because I haven't felt good and he's seemed more eager to reach out to me, which is a good thing I believe.)

Reflecting on my food choices this week, I've stayed in my calorie limits and I don't think I've eaten anything terribly bad for me. In fact, I've eaten mostly good homemade dinners, which isn't always the case. But I've eaten rushed meals or eaten later in the evening than usual. I suspect that these may be culprits in my "stomach problems".

I also think I've missed out on eating enough veggies. That, I think, could be another big problem. Tomorrow, I'm back to my big salad for lunch routine. And if I get to bed soon and sleep well, I'm getting back to my workout routine after taking the past two days off for various reasons. (I know I shouldn't workout 7 days a week because the body needs rest, but I didn't even have energy for a short, moderately paced walk today that I was hoping to get in.)

So, while I'm feeling uncomfortable in my skin and having moments of doubt about my relationship (wondering if he still actually likes me, I know I still like him), I have realized it's not a good time to make any decisions (about the relationship, or other major things). I need to take care of myself and try to get back to status quo with my food, exercise, and sleep. I need to care for my physical self which will then help care for my emotional self- starting now. It's time for bed. Hopefully a good night's sleep, a salad for lunch tomorrow, and I'll start to feel like a new woman, my old self again.

Words

Your words matter- what you tell yourself, what you say to others. Let your words bring life.



My mother shared some healing words with me this evening. She was just thinking of the conversation I'd had with her the night before and had a suggestion for me on how to approach the person who'd said the hurtful words the day before.

I'd just arrived in the fitness center at the apartment complex and was getting ready to start my workout when she called. It was a time of day she doesn't usually call, so I figured it was important. It was. Her words brought tears to my eyes; tears of gratitude for her loving support and Godly wisdom. I have an amazing mother.

She suggested that I approach the person with some Biblical wisdom. God loves me because He made me. He loves me because of who I am- I am His. I am His beloved child, a daughter of the King. No matter what I look like, my Heavenly Father will always love me because of who I am (and Whose I am). I need this person's love to reflect the kind of love God has for me- a love that looks past my physical appearance and sees me for who I am.

I thanked my mother for sharing these wise words and told her I loved her. These words kept tears close to the surface as I completed my workout as they kept ruminating in my mind. (In fact, a couple times I had to stop and take some deep breaths to keep the tears from pouring out. I'd let them fall later, in private, I told myself.)

I'm not sure I'm ready yet to approach the person who hurt me with their words, but I'm grateful for my mother's Godly wisdom and timely advice. I am blessed.

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off

I've had it up to here!

I need to give myself an extra measure of grace today.

I'm stressed. I'm tired. I'm tense. I'm ready to cry. The cat keeps meowing (in a come hither, I'm in heat sort of way), I can't get the lid on the plastic container I'm packing, I keep nibbling at the fudge that I'm packaging up to give away (even though I don't want to eat it), my computer is working really slowly (and I might throw it out the window- or through the window!), and ... and I don't understand men.

I know, I know. It's the sugar. Sugar does bad things to me; it makes my body achy and makes my mind play games.

As if this season isn't stressful enough I'm dating a guy (and dating always is stressful). He seems like a pretty good guy. At least most of the time. He cheered me up earlier this evening with some funny texts. Now I want to throttle him. His last message, after I said "good night" was "cheers". Who says "cheers"? Are we toasting and I don't know it?! Or is there some other reason for a casual (platonic friends) greeting? More than likely, I'm reading too much in to this.


Ok, so given the circumstances it's not surprising that I'm feeling stressed and anxious about dating. Yes, there's the whole "sugar makes me kinda crazy thing", but there was a spot in my past where dating at this time of year caused me a lot of hurt. The sugar craze is dredging up that memory. The guy I was dating started talking to another girl while I was gone for Christmas. When he picked me up from the airport on New Years Eve he confessed this all to me and broke up with me. Jerk. So, yah, I'm coming up to this holiday with a little trepidation. I know the guy I'm dating now isn't the guy I was dating back then. I'm pretty sure (like 95%) that he likes me; he's just not good at saying it so it leaves me uncertain sometimes. (And yah, there was another guy I dated who never told me how he felt. Months after I told him I loved him he still hadn't said it back, which is a big reason I broke up with him. I needed to not only see and feel how he felt about me, but I also I needed to hear it. I told him this evening that I like him, in a text, and he never acknowledged or responded. I'm a little hurt.) I know I need to leave the past in the past. I know THIS guy is NOT THOSE guys. But the sugar is making me think crazy thoughts. I need to stop the sugar so I can stop some of the crazy thoughts. I need to stop the sugar so I can think rationally.

I need to stop the sugar. Not only is it making me crazy, it's going to make my body achy and yucky. I already noticed the yucky feeling this afternoon when working out. My body didn't have any energy to really push the cardio because I haven't been fueling it properly. My workout this evening was tough. I'm glad I went and it made me feel a little better, but I don't feel as good after as I usually do.

I need to stop the sugar and get back on track with what I know my body wants and what makes me feel good because I'm seven-tenths of a pound away from my goal weight. 0.7 pounds! And I already printed my Christmas letter saying I met my goal weight this December. I don't want to make a liar out of myself.

Somebody stop me before I drive myself crazy! Oh, wait, that somebody is me.

I'm going to bed. Not getting enough sleep will only add to the stress. So if I can't stop the world and get off, I can at least go to bed and shut the world out for several hours.

It Takes a Village

It takes a village to raise a child.

It also takes a village to succeed on this journey.

That's the reason I started this blog. I wanted to share my journey and provide encouragement to others. I hope that through sharing my ups and downs we can build our villages and find support on our journeys.

Today I read a great blog article about the "#1 Habit You Should Have to Lose Weight". (Read it here) It reminded me of why this is so important to me. I need you. And hopefully, you need me, too.

So, on that note, I want to share some successes with you.

1- I'm staying away from sugar, mostly. I had a small bowl of gelato on a date the other night. I didn't finish it, and I didn't let it set me off on a sugar binge for days. It was a small victory.

2- I've been working out regularly. My doctor says I'm at a good weight, but if I wanted I could lose 5-10 more pounds. He also said I need to focus on toning. So, I'm beefing up the abs work to tone my middle a bit more.

3. And because of that hard work.... drum roll, please.... I'm down another notch on my belt! At the end of the belt. Kind of sad because I love this belt. Guess it's time to go shopping again.

Feeling It Today

Ever have a workout you knew you would feel later? Ever have a workout that surprised you when you felt it later? The latter happened to me today.

As I posted in the blog, yesterday I tried a new way of doing lunges- on a rolled towel to help work my core muscles.I also started doing side leg extensions with a big stretchy band. (You know the kind where you stand and lift you keep your leg straight and lift it to the side? I do those straight out, but I also bring my leg in across the middle of my boday. Today my core muscles feel very much how they usually do after doing abs work (not much different, so I suppose that means I need to do something more/different, but that's a topic for another post); however, my thighs feel different. I think it's a combo of the balancing on the towel for the lunges and the rather new use of the band for the side leg extensions. It doesn't hurt, but it does feel different.

I'm ready for that feeling of "feeling it" to happen more often, especially as I try to push past a plateau that I've been on this month. Like my father last month, this month I am struggling to get past the 200 pound mark. Overall I lost 6.6 pounds last month, but it was a bit of a yo-yo the last couple of weeks. I did hit my goal of getting to 201 by the end of May, and if I'm very diligent, I think I'll make the "under 200 by my birthday" goal. (My birthday is this weekend!)

My boyfriend suggested an hour of intense, crazy dancing every day to push me past. He even demonstrated his suggestion for me- at the bus stop no less- which gave me a good laugh, but not much motivation. I'm thinking more along the lines of adding a Zumba class in to my routine each week. My dance studio where I take salsa lessons offers Zumba almost every day of the week so I really just have to pick a day that works and go try it. (I used to do Zumba in the Curves circuit, so it's not totally new to me, but I also know it will be different from that.) I'm thinking Thursday might be a good day to go try it out. Here's hoping my motivation lasts until then...

No-Gym, No-Equipment, No-Excuses Workout = My Kind of Thing!

I can't afford the cost of a gym membership right now, so I'm on the no-equipment, no-gym workout plan. I stumbled across this video via a Facebook link from MyFitnessPal. I'm going to give this a try on my next legs workout day. What do you think?



Fast Fitness! The No-Gym, No-Equipment, No-Excuses Workout (with Video!)