Courageous Joy

Weekly Fitness Goals (click button for more info)

Weekly Goal - 300 Minutes (60 minutes most days)
Total Weekly Minutes - 380 minutes
Annual Goal - 11,700 minutes
Minutes to Date - 5,192 minutes

I've decided to try to keep my weight/workout musings to this post once a week in order to spare my 4 faithful readers extreme boredom. ::snort::

Long time readers will know that I lost lots of weight while Mike was deployed. I did this by doing Becky Tirabassi's Thoroughly Fit Step Work Out (can't find a link online) 45 min 5 - 6 times a week, and eating 1200 Calories (10 - 13 servings of produce). I lost 1 1/2 - 2 lbs a week faithfully.

I joined Curves, which I LOVED. I've not found a place where I enjoy working out more. I think it would have been ok if I'd ADDED a Curves workout to my aerobic workouts, but I bought the line that 30 min 3x a week was ALL I needed. I gained a couple of lbs and maintained. THEN I had the thyroid storm of 2007. I gained 20 lbs in 6 weeks.

Debbie, our wonderful base dietician, and I looked over the food journals and decided that the food plan was in order. The only thing that had changed was that I'd quit doing 45 min of aerobics 5 - 6 days of the week. Debbie said the current recommendations now (as I've shared before) are "30 min most days of the week" to maintain, "45 min most days of the week to lose," and if you've EVER been obsese "60 min most days of the week." It all sounded overwhelming, but I began.

I faithfully worked out 45 minutes 5 - 6 days a week, watched what I ate (1200) and didn't lose a thing since Jan. Not one lb. Back to evaluate and we decided I'd up the exercise to 60 minutes most days of the week as I have such a sluggish hypo-thyroid metabolism. I did that for two months. I'd still not lost, but wasn't gaining either.

Two weeks ago the personal trainer at the gym told me that the key was to add weights 3x a week back to my routine. Something should have clicked. It didn't. The plan was to skip aerobics on the days I did weights. I knew that would be a problem as that is pretty much what I did in the year with Curves. I did cut the cardio down to 30 - 40 min on the days I did weights and kept it at 60 min on the days without weights.

Two weeks. I weighed. I GAINED 4 LBS!!!! I learned from Curves. I will not stick with this for a few months. I simply NEED the 60 min of aerobics every day....I can't cut my calorie intake lower. I've gone back to 60 min of cardio most days of the week and I'll figure out HOW to ADD the weights to that schedule.....and we shall see.

Food wise....I started counting it all out - not only calories but measuring and checking carbs, protein, fat and fiber to evaluate if I may have slid. My calorie count has been pretty consistent at lower than it should be. I've been missing breakfast to get the gym....which puts a body in starvation mode and does nothing to help my metabolism. I have begun having a smoothie, oatmeal, or piece of fruit before the gym again. I've gone back to eating smaller amounts every few hours (I HATE that!!!). I also need to up the produce to 10 - 13 again and not worry too much about the carbs - they are complex.

In talking with the dietician she speculated that my body was "young" and then the thyroid storm, and now it isn't responding the same way and so hormones may be kicking in in prep for mentalpause....which is something the doc mentioned with the migraines too. I don't like that. I'm selfish and want more babies.....but God has dealt with that these past 6 months too. I've learned to simply be content. Frankly, I'm fairly content with being overweight, and fairly content with no more babies....but I need to have a healthy heart and stamina....so I'll do what I'm told to do. LOL Anyway, the hormones may be working against me and the advice is to keep doing the right things......because it will take longer to see results as you "age" and especially with the whole thyroid thing.

I feel great about this week. I got 5/60 minute aerobic workouts in and 2 total body weight sessions. This upcoming week I will try to fit the 3rd weight session in. I'll continue to monitor produce and calorie intake. I doubt I'll continue counting carbs, fiber, protein, fat as I'm in range with those fairly easily when I get 1200 calories and 10 - 13 servings of produce.

Monday - 95 Minutes (25 min ARC, 40 min bike, 30 min weights)

Tuesday - 65 Minutes (bike, finishing The Appeal LOL)

Wed - None

Thursday - 95 minutes (30 min ARC, 30 min bike, 35 min weights)

Friday - 60 minutes (40 ARC, 20 min bike)

Saturday - 65 minutes (20 min ARC, 45 min bike)

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