June 29: the Pig is Gold!

I still wasn't feeling so hot last night after the weekend migraine. But, I was determined not to let that stop me from doing a little exercise. I reverted back to my favorite all-time brainless activity: WiiFat Free Step! I did 60 minutes of steps while Andy played guitar hero Aerosmith. It was miserable (the stepping, not Andy's playing). But, at least I made it through.

You'll be happy to know that when you reach 10 hours of "play time" on the WiiFat, your piggy bank turns gold. Now I truly am motivated to tears to continue on for another 10 hours of fat burning excitement. I can't wait for what lies ahead.

June 28: Migraine for Rhythm N Booms

After the intention of being a gluttonous pig on grilled steak, vegetables and a over sized Corona, I planned to plant myself in the grass and watch Rhythm and Booms from the yard. Problem was, I cam down with low grade migraine around 7 p.m. (no doubt from too much food and beer). I could sleep or even sit still, or I ran the risk of throwing up (AGAIN). Desperate for relief, I plopped along on the rat wheel for two miles at the slowest pace a human could go. I've known movement to occasionally bring relief to my headaches, and it did in this case for a little bit.

In all honesty, it's not fair to put this entry on my exercise blog because I really didn't get much out of it other than a few desperate moments of headache relief. But, I'm going to count it anyway. My diet has been terrible, and I don't want to weigh in later this week.....

June 27: The Slowest 4 Miles on Record

I've started to wonder if all the "hills" I've climbed in lieu of actually jogging on the rat wheel has actually done me any good in terms of actually getting in shape. Today was time to actually find out. Zipping along at a 14-minute mile pace, and a searing incline of 1 percent, I trotted along for 4 miles ... without stopping! Seeing as how I haven't actually jogged in a really long time, this was an accomplishment for me. To tell you the truth, it was a piece of cake. The hills and steps really do make a difference.

June 26: "I'm Fat, I'm Fat...."

"Don't you call me pudgy, portly or stout..." Ah yes. All in honor of Michael Jackson's demise. I had to revisit some old songs... good stuff to use the WiiFat to step to. Granted this was actually Weird Al's version, but none the less, I had a masterful session on the Free Step, hitting an all-time high of 4349 steps in 30 minutes, followed by another 4310 in the next 30 minutes.

I've been eating like there's no tomorrow, so I have to work it off somehow. 8659 steps in one hour should help.

I Caused a Rut

I think it's a cardinal rule that you're never, ever, ever, ever, ever supposed to weigh yourself more than once a week. Now, I know this rule, and I tout this rule to people I know who are trying to lose weight. The reason is that your weight can fluctuate wildly from day to day, causing you to feel crappy when it goes up for perfectly normal reasons.

So, anyone care to guess what happened????? I was ecstatic Tuesday that I lost 1.5 pounds for the week, bringing my total to 9! Yes, you can see my post from that day. What did I do last night? Step back on the scale. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? I actually hadn't eaten much of anything all day-- about 600 calories worth (not intentionally, mind you-- just nibbled on low calorie stuff). What did the piece of crap scale say? That I'd gained .7 pounds from the day before.

Bite me, bitch. That's what I say! So, I broke my own rule and paid for it.

Oh yeah, my exercise for the day: 50 minutes of steps, totally approximately 6800.

A Stepping While a Pee-Pee I Go!

Well, no pie last night. But, it did get me through a successful weigh-in on WiiFat. I'm SO close to the double-digit mark... but not really. That last pound is gonna be a killer! I've hit nine pounds lost in 8 weeks.

I did 50 minutes of free step and hit around 7600 steps. I was satisfied with that effort.

I hooked myself up to a pedometer for the first time today. It said it was mandatory I have the thing in a tight pocket. Well, I don't have any pockets in the skirt I was wearing. In fact, most of my outfits don't have pockets. And, Andy tried it in loose fitting pockets and it way over calculated. So I figured something nice and snug was the answer.... like my gut sucking undies! No WAY was that sucker gonna slip around in there. I tucked it right in one of that fat rolls on the side of my hip and figured it was good to go for the whole day.

Turns out these puppies are VERY sensitive. I got credit for 10 steps just while sitting down to pee in the afternoon! Now I'm very scared to look in there and see how I'm doing -- okay despite the fact that I work in a cube farm and it would be socially unacceptable to do so anyway.

I guess I better figure out a Plan B.....

Pie for Dinner: Sunday, June 21, 2009

Okay, when I fall off the wagon, I REALLY fall off. Let me say first, that I DID work out on Sunday the 21st. I did 3.3 miles of a slow walk on the rat wheel. I couldn't pick up a jog, I couldn't spike the incline over a 3, I couldn't get the speed over a 3.2. It was b-a-d.

Now, for the pie. Yesterday, Monday the 22nd, I had to drive 3.5 hours (one way) for a 1.5 hour meeting with a couple of colleagues. Then we made the 3.5 hour drive back. Of course we got stuck in a traffic jam. In all it was a 12 hour day, not including the 2 hours I put in at the office before I left. I got home at 9 p.m. Now, I'm not complaining much, except that it was virtually all sitting in a car, which stinks.

There's this famous pie place, Norske's Nook, in Osseo, Wi.-- about 3 hours from home. Guess what dinner was? Yeah.... Um..... Hmmmm. It was SO GOOOOOOOD. Of course, to be sure to notice the size of the pie relative to the size of the plate...

Hills on the Treadmill: Saturday, June 20, 2009

For some reason, I haven't been able to bring myself to jog on the stupid treadmill. I feel like a rat running in a wheel. Except the hamsters don't seem to mind all that much. We've actually hit a record-breaking heat wave here in Wisconsin with the humidity index, so I've wimped out and used that as my excuse for not working out outside. I have to admit, the air conditioning is REALLY nice.

But, I did burn off 600 calories doing 5 miles of a brisk walk (3.5 pace) at a solid incline -- up to 8 percent per 1/4 mile-- on the hamster wheel. I was dog tired when I was done.

Step-A-Holic: Friday June, 19, 2009

Weekends are a real problem for me. It seems like any weight that I manage to burn off during the week, I put right back on over the weekend. My eating habits go downhill and my exercise comes to a screeching halt.

I left work a bit early with a really bad headache, after meeting Andy for lunch. The fact that I had gorged myself on tacos at Laredo's wasn't making me feel to proud of myself either. I knew the headache was going to let me jog-- not that I wanted to anyway-- so I dug out the WiiFat and started the Free Step.

Since I had broken the 4,000 step mark, I now wanted to know how fast I could go. I put on a good c.d. and hit the "plastic." For 30 minutes I cranked along-- totalling 4250! I did another 20 minutes after that at a much slower pace, but I cranked out another 2500. I was a good enough workout.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Not only am I behind with my posts, but my behind is ... well.... still there. I mean REALLY there. I felt okay that this was the third day in a row of exercising during the week, though. It's hard for me sometimes because it's 5:30 by the time I'm home and changed, and I'm hungry, and gross feeling. So, the last thing I want to do is exercise until 6:30. That means Andy and I don't eat dinner until 7.

This week has been B-A-D in terms of eating, so I'm scared to step on the scale. I'm trying to not be obsessive about it, but I have some work to do before next Wednesday when the WiiFat makes me weigh in again. That's the only device I'm using to record my weight....

This particular night, I got home from work, and Andy had already done a lot. He'd used the WiiFat and broke my FreeStep record for 30 minutes by hitting the 4,000 step mark.

Now, if you want to work hard but do something brainless, put the WiiFat on Free Step for 30 minutes, and do a pace that gets 4,000 steps in. You really do have to move along. Not wanting to be outdown, I had to try to beat him. I came in just under 4100. I did another 10 minutes after that as a cool down for about another 12oo.

It's kind of fun to discover cheesy mindless activites you can do that actually make you work a bit.

Can't Keep Going: Tuesday June 16, 2009

Whenever I seem to be in a great groove, I fall off the wagon! I bet I've gained back every single pound I've lost. I did the third workout on the WiiActive 30-day challenge, and it was pretty lame. According to the calorie counter, I burned off a whopping 100 calories, and I didn't work very hard this time. It was a lot of arm things with the orange band. Not that I don't need it, but I didn't really work up a sweat. So, I ended up doing 30 minutes of Free Step on the WiiFat afterwards. It ended up taking me more than an hour to do this workout, and I don't feel that I got that much done.

Green with Envy

Okay, after the gorgeous pictures Lisa just posted, mine not only look ridiculous, but very, very boring. I would KILL to be in Germany right now jogging through streets that look like that.

What have I got going for me? Hill climbs on the treadmill, 4 miles in length, to a VIDEO TAPE of Italy. Andy was clever enough to buy a 50-minute video of a beautiful Italian village. Litterally, all it is is some dude walking through the beautiful countryside. We stared at it while working out, wishing we were there. How ironic that I was staring at the tv screen, while my sister was actually seeing such beautiful things.

City Streets in Germany

For my #2 run in Germany, I decided to jog some of the streets in the old town of Landstuhl. I jogged for about 30 minutes only, but it felt good.

Hotel Christine (where I stayed) in the background

Streets in Old Town

Streets in Old Town

Just had to get a picture of the some of the signs... note the cafes everywhere!

Flowers everywhere!

Country Roads in Germany

Run #1 (well, actually "lumbering jog" #1) in Germany was 45 minutes (probably 3 miles) down a bike path and into a wooded area. Ahhhh.... it was really beautiful. We appreciate living in Mongolia, but the running scene just isn't good, particularly for a single woman out by herself. This means I have to rely on indoor exercise. Amy, next time we Skype, maybe you can tell me good ways to use the WiiFit. Really need to stop with the excuses and just get on with it.

A beautifully groomed bike path... little need to fear being run off the road or followed by a pack of dogs!
The entrace to the wooded area began at this asparagus/strawberry/flower field.

Ahhhhh....!

Ahhh....!

There Really IS a Virtual Running Buddy for Everyone!!

Yes, it's true... fear not, all ye faint of heart. For leave it Wii to once again find a work out buddy for me to fill the empty void while my sister spends time overseas. NoBoobs has her place, mind you, but she doesn't run... not like the avatar I created of myself in Wii Active. Just look at the pure rapture on my face as my avatar ran laps around the track while I jogged in place. My favorite was the high butt kicks. Sheer bliss, those were!

Perhaps I am just being nasty because I was sweating and embarrasingly out of breath, with the avatar coach proudly proclaiming "Wow, you look like a track star!" Oh, so many long years ago in my baby life I WAS fast on the track... Somehow that doesn't fit the scene now.

Wii FATctive is the New Game in Town

Why is it that I'm a glutton for punishment? Probably because I've been a glutton for cake for far too many years? Andy and I decided to buy the new Wii Active "game" so we had more "stuff" to do with our Wii board. This one promises dozens of new things to do, like boxing and some weight lifting with those little band thingies.

I did try one of the medium workouts on it and felt that I did sweat it up pretty good. Problem was, it said I only burned 131 calories. Now, the simple fact that I had to do many of the activities 85 times to get the stupid motion right should have counted for something. But, at least I didn't give myself a black eye with the stupid elastic band. After the 27 minutes of that, I went back to WiiFat and did 30 minutes of steps. That last 10 minutes about killed me from monotony. But I made it.

My ultrafat Mii lost another 1.1 pounds and is now down to 28.1 BMI-- Big Mastodon Indicator. Seriously, I'm down 8 pounds in 44 days. I'm very pleased with those results. I'm ALMOST ready to post some more pictures....

... and one more time... June 9, 2009

I was convinced I was going to run tonight.... but I didn't do it! I walked/jogged three miles tonight on the treadmill. I think I ran half. I intended to go for a 5K, but I didn't have it in me... I did lose one pound this week..... Ah, so it is!

June 7, 2009

Again, 4 miles of hills on the treadmill. I kept the pace up as fast as I could.... I haven't been running, though, and I need to get back to it. ... Tomorrow????

June 6, 2009

I seem to have a lot of problems with weekends. And multiple days in a row. To try to start a new pattern, I did 4 miles of hills on the treadmill today!

Wii Who Are Fat take a Big Spill on the Hill

Andy has been doing a lot with the WiiFat lately-- using the aerobics thing where all you do is step on and off the board for a set period of time. He used it a couple of times earlier in the week while I was treadmilling and put it on for 30 minutes. He seemed to work up a good sweat and got like 3200 steps in. I decided last night to try that-- I was bored and crabby, which was a really new experience for me. Although I must admit that someone at work told me that I looked like I'd lost a lot of weight (only 6 pounds in all). I guess the evil elf babies have crawled out of my gut now. I think they only appear for pictures becasuse I'm pretty sure I don't look as bad as I do in that one photo. That WAS my favorite sweater, but now that i've burned it in effigy, maybe everything will be better....

So, I cranked up the Tom Petty and stepped on and off the board for a total of 40 minutes. It REALLY worked my calves. After all, it was more than 5000 steps in all. I'm not really sure of the total because I had to reset the board after 30.

Anyway, we went to run some errands afterwards, and I did a beautiful swan dive down the hill in the front lawn. Lots of neighbors were outside too! If only I'd stuck the landing! The look on Andy's face was priceless when I got up and said, "Well, that wasn't all that bad, was it." It was something between horrified and desperately trying to rein in the hysterical laughter.

No broken bones, but I am taking today off, since I'm a wee bit sore from the tumble. I have my meditation class tonight anyway.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Once again, I did the 3 mile hill climb on the treadmill... I tried to keep the pace at 3.3 for as long as I could-- dropping down to 3.2 when I hit the 12% incline. I burn about 400 calories on this walk, which isn't horrible. I just haven't felt like running-- probably because of the evil elf twins that are still stuck in my belly.

Monday, June 1, 2009

After serious humiliation at that last picture, I've at least exercised the last three days in a row. Which means I'm once again behind on my posts. I did my 3 mile hill climb on the treadmill on June 1st-- the 3-12% incline up and down at 1/4 mile intervals.

All Hail: The Incredible Pregnant Elf!

No, I'm NOT really pregnant. But I'll tell you, all it takes is one really disgusting photo to make you want to work out like a fiend. Or, well, sit and wallow on the couch like a fiend. I got this picture from a work event last Friday and I instantly wanted to burn it-- #1 I look like I"m 3 feet tall. I did get confirmation that the guy talking to me is about 6'7. Still... THEN, you've got the enormous gut being chopped off by the garbage can so I look like I'm carrying twins. NO-- I am NOT preggers. BUT OH MY GOD! Is this picture bad.

I did exercise a little bit, even though i had a migraine most of the weekend.... I mowed the lawn on Friday (does that count????), and I went to the dog park on Saturday AND on Sunday. I'm going to exercise more seriously beginning tonight, I really am..... right?????