Fitness Tools

I'm keeping a detailed journal for motivation and accountability. It will also help me to recognize the effectiveness of what I am doing. I track of everything I eat and drink, the calories and the nutrition. I'm also tracking my activity levels, workouts, stamina, and endurance. Seeing the numbers in black and white keeps me aware and helps me to make better choices. I can put off workouts and easily forget what I have eaten but my body doesn't....obviously :(
Here are some apps I have found to be extremely helpful:
My Fitness Pal -  diet/exercise diary tracks nutrition and calories from both food and exercise
TCounter - set up multiple counters (I use it to keep track of how much water I drink, cigarettes I smoke, etc.)
Round and Workout Timer - I like this one because you can set up interval beeps to know when to switch moves without having to reset it each time
Accupedo - simple pedometer that keeps track of how many steps taken all day
Runtastic - an advanced pedometer and run tracker that reads distance, rate, etc. (I use this one when go out for a run/jog/walk)
Record My Swim - this is essentially an aquatic pedometer
Evernote - I love this app! It is great to organize ideas, goals, journal, and I clip all of the exercises and workouts I find on the web here.
My goal is to get in killer shape without going to a gym for multiple reasons.
1. I need to workout before I can fit into my workout clothes
2. Social anxiety/Embarrassment
3. Meatheads gross me out
4. I'm broke and they are expensive
5. I don't like gym
What I do have:
1. Stability ball
2. Resistance bands
3. Hand weights
4. Yoga block
5. Yoga mats
6. Pool
7. Internet
There are so many fitness sites and YouTube videos out there to choose from it is overwhelming. The hardest part is narrowing them down.

Day 5

146.8 lbs, 34.4% fat, 46.9% water, 35" belly, 24.7 BMI
Lost 4.6 lbs!
This is a nice jumpstart but a pound a day is a bit unrealistic and unhealthy. Being healthy and fit is a higher priority than the number on the scale in the long run. That number is also the result of not having much of an appetite because of the constant dull headache from the trauma to my face. When I am hungry, I've been eating lean meats, veggies, and fruit instead of half a bag of Cape Cod salt and vinegar chips or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Though I haven't really worked out, I have been stretching. My boyfriend was making fun of me yesterday because I was in pjs, laying in bed all day webclipping different exercises, workouts, and fitness info online. I'll share my favorites once I get into the swing of things.

Favorite Things

There are always new things and products that pop up and I fall in love with. Foods, movies, tv shows, books, apps, games, etc. I am always looking for new things to love. There are also others that are disappointing crap. I am always open to other people's opinions on things both good and bad. If there are things you love or hate I want to hear about them!

My latest guilt free addiction is Seagram's sparkling seltzer water in key lime flavor. I've replaced soda with it and can drink as much as 
I want because all it is is carbonated water with "natural flavor" which 
I'm hoping is just a spash of juice. 
The nutritional facts read 0 all the way down with the exception of 35mg 
(1% dv
) of sodium.

Bored

I am bored out of my mind but don't feel like doing much. There isn't crap on tv and I can't sleep much more than I already have. I have a constant dull headache and I am somewhat confined to the house. This is the biggest reason I'm blogging my butt off today. Active mind with a tired body...

Day 1

"Day 1" was actually yesterday (7/11/13). These stats are from then:
151.4 lbs, 34.7% fat, 47.6% water, 35" belly, 25.4 BMI
Today and tomorrow are kind of shot given that my face really sore. The more I do the more it hurts. *See my nose whistle post. The best I can do is eat healthy, stretch, and take vitamins and ibuprofen. I'm documenting today to show my starting point.

8 Week Challenge

I'm giving myself 8 weeks to reach (or make significant progress towards) the goals I have set for myself. I'm sure I'll add more later but these are all I can think of for now.
- weigh 125lbs
- 15% body fat
- 26"-28" belly
- size 2-4
- run 3 miles
- 5 pull ups
- do a split
- do a back walk over
- eat healthier
- drink more water
- take vitamins
- quit smoking
- cut down on alcohol
I have one of those fancy scales that also gives your body fat %, water %, and BMI for your sex and height. I am also measuring my belly around where my belly button is not the smallest part of my waist. I carry the bulk of my extra weight in my torso/belly area. When I am thinner I don't have much of a butt so I need to build up enough muscle to still have one. 
I have weighed 125lbs and been a size 2-4 the majority of my adult life. I have a very depressing closet of clothes that size that fit a year ago. I have bipolar disorder and my doctor had put me on 300mgs of Seraquel XR and 150mgs of Lamictal. I started stuffing as much food as possible down my throat and I was groggy. A side effect of Seraquel is weight gain. The combination of a million extra calories and decreased activity caused me to pack on pounds with lightning speed. We are talking 25lbs in 2 1/2 months! My doctor cut my dose of Seraquel in half and doubled my Lamictal. I felt better and stopped gaining but couldn't lose weight to save my life. She took me off Seraquel altogether last week so hopefully now I stand a chance at losing some weight this time. I also got a bottle of Hydroxycut Max for women. The recommended dose is 2 capsules 3x's a day. I'm only going to take 2 a day. They have caffeine and I don't want to consume that much in a day. I have already noticed a difference in not needed food in my mouth constantly. Wish me luck!

Nose Whistle

I've had a broken blood vessel spider vein hermangioma thing on the bridge of my nose for awhile. My son calls it my blood whistle or nose whistle instead of vessel. I've gotten little ones on my cheeks, chest, and arms before. Getting rid of those was a piece of cake. They would hit them with a laser that felt like a little rubber band snap, the spot would turn a little darker with a small scab that would flake off in a few days. With my luck, the type I have and the location on the bridge of my nose is a whole different ball game. It also glows like a stop light and takes a pound of makeup to hide. Any time my heart rate, blood pressure, or body heat would rise, it got so bright I swear it could be seen from space. They had to zap the living piss out of my face and it hurt like hell. It is now day 3. I am itchy, sore, and have a huge black mark on my face. All I gotta say is this better fricken work. I also have a tiny bump which is a hardened cyst of some sort that would take surgery to remove. Though I would like that gone too,  I don't enough to have my nose cut open regardless how small the incision. I have included some lovely pictures. Don't be jealous. The lightest one is the before picture. The pic doesn't do it justice. It looked worse in person. The middle one was taken an hour after getting lasered. The darker one is day 3 (today). Fun fun :(