Well, today was pretty good. I wasn't AS crazy as yesterday, but I still managed to burn off a ridiculous 1250 calories. I'm sitting here eating my big bowl of fruit salad, and typing before catching some TiVo and hitting the sack. I didn't lose a pound today, but I didn't expect to. I've had a GREAT week already. After tomorrow, and it's been officially a week, I think I'm going to switch to regular healthy food. I love that I have a lot of energy and I love that I'm eating nothing bad, BUT I don't like the limited selection. I want to be able to bring a frozen dinner to work and have that when I'm hungry. It's hard to make the meals I've been making when you're at work. OH, one super tasty meal that I have, that's good for you, FILLING, and DELICIOUS, is ( I used to make this on my "regular" diet, and I miss it!) :
3 whole grain toaster waffles
1/8 cup walnuts
1/2 banana
1/8 cup lite surup
Put altogether and voila! FILLING like crazy, and looks so yummy and perfect. The calorie count on that is about 480. I've had that meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on different days! Not to mention my kids LOVE toaster waffles, and they are so easy, that I just plop some peanut butter on them and what a great snack!
Anyway, I'm super excited that tomorrow is the end of my first week. That means only 7 more weeks of crazy intense psychotic working out, and I can be more normal about my healthy lifestyle.
Wish me luck!
p.s. OH, and I ran 1.87 miles today!! I wanted so bad to make it to 2 miles, but guess I have somewhere to go for next time!

So, I'm leaving in a few minutes to hit the gym again. Twice daily has been the norm all week. It's not that I don't get all I want accomplished while I'm there, it's that the little boy I watch: his mom likes to meet there when she gets off work and we do some stuff together. That's a reason I squish so much in. Today I noticed that if you break up cardio, it's not too bad. I ALREADY knew that, but I noticed if I did the elliptical for 17 minutes, got off, then another 17 minutes, that's already 34. Then all I have left is 26, and 5 of them are cooling down anyway. I had to keep hopping on and off the machine today BECAUSE my kiddies kept wanting stuff to drink, or me to change the cartoon that was on. (they have a tv up there.) then, the cartoon would get over, and i'd have to put on a new one. I'M GLAD though... turned out getting off there so much, made it go by really fast. Besides, when you get back on and start over and see you've only gone 6 minutes, it doesn't feel like much, where if you look down and see 43 minutes, you're itching to get off. Just my thoughts anyhow... I'll write later tonight after I forge through dinner, and after I'm done with all my 'Arms,' and more running. I hope anyway... :)

Okay, so I am on Day 7 STRAIGHT of going to the gym with 3 kids in tow. I have 2, a three year old, and a one year old. Then I babysit another three year old, every weekday. There is a little play area at my gym, where you can work out and let your kids play. The equipment is old and the space isn't big, but it's better than nothing. I just want to point out that anyone who thinks getting to the gym is a challenge, I lug THREE kids with me. There and back. I always have to pack enough snacks and drinks, so they don't freak out, and I have to get them in their cold weather clothes with hats and coats and all that. You know what? It sucks the first couple of times, but then you know what you have to do, and you make a choice. Sit here and be lazy on the couch watching TV, or doing SOMETHING about the way I feel. Get up! Get healthy! That's what I'm doing. I just want some people to realize... yeah it's rough. But, the best things in life, are those that are challenging. You feel so good afterward!

So, today I hit the gym twice. Yeah, I'm kind of crazy. Considering that I lug 3 kids with me there and it's cold outside should prove that I am VERY determined. Altogether today, I burned 1600 calories. Yep, that exact number. I make sure to end all workouts where they add up to even numbers. (helps me keep going alot, I look on the display and it's 326, I'll keep trucking til it's 350.) Anyway, I ate really clean (1400 calories of turkey, fruits, veggies, and oh yeah, more veggies....) All the food is non-processed, which has made my skin 100% CLEAR. Nice side-effect. As if getting firm and losing weight wasn't awesome enough! Now, I know some are thinking I'm working out TOO much. a.) I kind of am... but then again, so are the people on NBC's 'The Biggest Loser.' and b.) When I get determined to do something, I try to do the BEST I can. Every other day I switch between legs/abs, and arms/back. Tonight was legs. I feel like I didn't do enough squats, but I did so much cardio and some awesome running, that I'm gonna pretend that it's all the same for legs! Plus, I'm ready for bed, and worked out ENOUGH today. For anyone curious, my weight in the last 6 days has already dropped nicely. On Friday, Oct. 20, I was 173lbs. Now, I'm 167lbs. This upcoming Friday is my official weigh-in day. I don't know why, since I weigh myself EVERY morning anyway. lol. I guess I like to know weekly averages. Anyway, I'll try to keep this up as long as I can. As of right now, I'm not burnt out, but I'm sure sometime over the next 8 weeks, I will get on here to vent because I just couldn't keep up at my crazy pace. That's to be expected though. Anyway, until tomorrow!
p.s. I did go to they gym AGAIN last night after writing. My total calories burned for yesterday was 1450.
Oh, and by the way... this is how I used to look.... this was just 2 years ago.... then you'll see why I want to get fit again SO BADLY!!! lol

Anyone out there in the world who sees people running like it's nothing and thinks, "I HATE running!" That's me!! I hated it with a passion. How could people move their body like that for so long, and still have energy to keep going? People who would be like, 'I'm going for a run...' What was that? If I went for a run it'd be down the street and then I'd die of hyperventilation.
Or so I thought...
I made a goal with myself a month and a half ago that I was going to run a mile. I WAS!! Other people do it all the time, why not me?
I started by attempting to run for 2 minutes straight. I did, but while panting and wanting to hit that glowing "stop" button that stared back up at me. Then, the next day, I wanted to try longer. Didn't happen. 2 minutes, again. I couldn't bear going 'less' than 2 minutes, so as soon as that 1:59 changed over to 2:00 I hopped off that treadmill. Things weren't looking good.
Then a friend of mine, who was on the same mission told me that she'd run for 4 minutes straight. I couldn't believe that. I was jealous. She's a smoker and I'm not! I promised myself that I'd run 4 minutes the next time, NO MATTER how much my legs wanted to fall off.
I ran 6.
I'd had a magazine over the display, so I didn't know it was that long. I was SOOO excited. Especially when I realized that at 5.0 speed, that meant I just ran 1/2 a mile!! That got me encouraged. The next time, I did the same, and then the next time.
Then one day (just yesterday actually!) I downed my usual energy drink before hopping on the treadmill. Then I ran before doing my elliptical. (which usually it's the other way around.) I covered the display and rocked out to some very choice tunes on my mp3 player. When I finally did check the display I saw that it was 1/10 away from an entire mile and I still felt great. (about 7 minutes in, my legs burned a little, but a minute later it went away, and it just felt routine). Guess how long I ran???? 1.25 miles. I was SO ecstatic. Now I realized I CAN be a runner. It's ALL about endurance. Today I went to the gym, and just to see if I could do it again, I ran 1.5 miles. Now, I've re-analyzed my goal and would like to attempt 3 miles straight in 8 weeks. It seems impossible now, but then again, so did running for 2 minutes when I first started.