Plateau Is Over At Long Last!

I thought I would be happier when I finally saw this number 162.5 yep that's right 2 hard fought pounds off but I wasn't maybe I was still asleep and also in shock....I lose weight slowly like glaciers that melt oh well.

Today is my 13th wedding anniversary and we will be going out to eat tonight. Why do special occasions have to fall when I finally lose weight? That was a rhetorical question don't answer that lol

Thanks you all for your support it means the world to me! I'm keeping this short and sweet for today.
Be well

February Ramblings

My February so far looks like this:
Feb 1st 3.19miles 48:20 minutes
Feb 2nd 3.14 miles 46:50 minutes for am workout plus weight training1 mile walk outdoors that afternoon
Feb 3rd 3.22 miles 49:04 minutes with afternoon bike ride of 3.2 miles
Feb 4th outside with 8 laps around my park roughly 2 miles plus abs

This week so far
Sun Feb 7th 3.32 miles 49:21 minutes
Mon Feb 8th 3.24 miles 48:01 minutes plus weights and abs
Tue Feb 9th 3.59 miles 55:19 minutes walked 10 minutes extra after my 3 miles
Wed Feb 10th 3.61 miles 54:21 minutes plus ab work

I'm working out as hard as I can and my fitness is improving. I can tell by my jog/run times improving this morning I completed two miles in 28 minutes and I got to the three mile at 41:59-42:00 minutes I was thrilled!

The cold weather is making my knees ache so I am sticking to the one workout a day for now but my time is edging closer to that hour mark which is where I get the weight loss results so we shall see.

Also, I am proud I have stayed out of my afternoon "soda" so far today which is MAJOR for me!

I have one more workout day this week depending on how my knees feel maybe tomorrow or maybe not...How's your February going so far? What are you most proud of ?

How Hard Are You Willing to Work?

Lately I find myself asking that question a lot and not just when it comes to weight loss. This is a question that must be addressed in all areas of our life. The above pictures show just two of my weight training efforts that I do at home.

I am striving to do one long cardio session plus one short cardio session 5 days a week. I am building up to this, since last week I did that twice and this week will be three times I think. The theory of why this works is because of burning more calories of course plus the "after burn" times two instead of just once daily its a speeding up the metabolism thing from everything I have been reading lately. I am still lifting weights a couple of times a week of course one doesn't take the place of the other.

When I look at my weight loss journals of a few years back I see that I worked out cardio wise for at least a hour daily and some days a hour & a half. Of course that was during spring and summer when I don't mind going longer when I am outside. I am finding it hard to get out of maintenance mode and back into weight loss mode but I am determined to get there!

I find that its harder to split up the cardio routine into two times daily at least for me and I love to exercise, yet this is still hard for me. How about you? How do you break plateaus? Do more cardio? Cut even more calories?

Saturday's Musings & Reading Suggestions

I worked out 5 days in a row with two days having "extra" cardio sessions altogether I went 16.5 miles, worked out with weights one day only, exercised abs twice, two days I did extra cardio exercise on one of them I walked and extra mile and the other day I rode my bike outside for 3 miles so far only a half pound drop but I am hoping to change that.

Have included pictures of what I am reading that is serious. My strategy is to read to learn in the mornings when I am fresh if I am not too exhausted from sleepless nights brought on by my being in menopause(thus the two top books which I just checked out today) I checked out the Body Fat solution book based on Shelley's recommendation and I just love it so far! The author makes great points about how we have to change our beliefs in order to change our actions in both exercise and diet endeavors plus it applies in all areas of our lives that we wish to change.

I found The Happiness Project over on Women's Day website and so I far I love this book too. As for the stuff on Menopause I thought I should learn as much as I can about what's causing a lot of the misery in my life right now. After I read the books I'll share what I learned with you.

I always learn so much from my blog friends and my online support group the Connectors.

I am grateful for all your support and positive comments.

TIRED

I am feeling tired today!This week workout wise has been something else. On several days I have done two cardio sessions in hopes of helping my creaky metabolism along it has helped slightly I am down a tiny half a pound.

On brighter news the weather has been better with several days of sunshine so I got my bike out yesterday afternoon and rode 3+ miles through my neighborhood. Today I walked in my park a couple of miles. It really does help to have changing scenery I couldn't stomach a treadmill walk or run today so out I went outside.It was so great to feel the breeze, see the brown grass, watch the squirrels play, look at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds go by as I walked. I am much too tired to jog today. I'm not sure it was great "cardio" but it helped my spirit tremendously! Best of all I felt happy at least for a while.

I'm not sleeping great right now being woke up with hot flashes some nights and other nights just waking up two or three times a night and not being able to get back to sleep. I went yesterday for my annual female exam and my doc upped the dose of estrogen in the patch I wear this being in menopause sucks! The only good thing is no more periods or sore breasts every month all the rest is not fun.

Since I've gone 16 miles since Sunday and I am tired and sore I'm thinking I am done working out for the week of course this remains to be seen. I had my husband take some pictures of me when I was weight lifting this week will try to get them posted later today.