I'm Not the Only One Improving

Well today we weighed the dogs. One week ago we weighed the dogs. Decided that everyone needed to take a little more off.

Today weighed everyone. Tazz, Rocks, and Fin lost .4 pounds each. Pretty cool! Maddie lost .2 pounds (not bad for a dog that doesn't exercise much). I'm really happy with their progress.

More exercise, less food. Hmmm. Could be on to something here.

The return of Fitness for Agility

There are many reasons to get fit. The age old question, how do I meet long term goals that are harder than short term rewards. I am coming to the realization that I live my life indulgently and I'm not sure why. I really want it to stop.

The Zig Zigler saying, "Don't give up what you want long term for what you want today" is extremely relevant to me. I often catch myself sabotaging my long term goals for gratification of a "food" nature", sometimes I do this without even acknowledging the consequences until the food is in my stomach.

I have in the past set weight loss goals. I have been successful as I've lost alot of weight, but I haven't really moved in a downward direction in a few months.

Circles of regret and failure seem to be my theme.

Ready to make a change? I sure am. I am on a 50 pound weight loss challenge. This 50 pounds will not get me where I need to be, but this 50 pounds will get me within tossing distance of my goals.

USDAA Nationals. In Kentucky. Really far for me. I still wanna go. Pretty expensive. Still wanna go.

Here it is: If Vici meets her 50 pound challenge by July 17, she is allowed to go to Kentucky in October (of course she must keep those 50 pounds off during the time between July-October or she forfeits). Kel has agreed. Friends are watching me. Here we go.

This week 3.5 pounds. Each week I will post my progress. The table below shows short term goals as well as long term. I need to meet my short term or I will not meet the long term. The plan should be to exceed the short term goals every month because as I lose more, I would expect it to be harder to maintain higher weight loss numbers each week.

I will post updates regularly but for sure on the short term goal dates. My strategy is to weigh in and attend weight watchers meetings, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly.

The day they closed the streets but nobody got to dance...

Today my street is closed. No not a party, a street paving project.

I don't usually get out during the day since I work from home (well ok, when I used to eat fast food I'd go out mid day all the time to savor the flavor...but alas...no more....now I savor the flavor at home with my home grown tomatoes, apples, and pears).

Back to working at home. I don't think much about going out when I'm working...I think about working. But today, since my freedom has been stolen for one day, all I can think of is that I need to go out and get "this," or I need to go do "that." Interesting how these things work.

Why is it that I have all the room in the world, an acre of land, and when the street closes, I want to curl up on the sofa, drink tea, and watch TV? Interesting how my mind works. Fortunately, I have a little black dog that will have none of this nesting crap. It is bad enough she has to put up with working. For her, it is all about adventure, exercise, and play.

I also am feeling a bit more energetic these past few days. I'm doing something different and it is working. My whole fitness for agility hasn't progressed in the past month or so. Not due to inactivity, but due to portion control and choices. I have made a commitment to myself to improve daily and despite alot of big talk, my actions have not been demonstrating a desire for improvement. Stagnant yes, improvement no.

Last week I made a decision to take a little of personal choice away and put a little bit of structure back in. I went and purchased 2 weeks of Jenny Craig meals. I know that eating on a food plan does NOT teach me to eat correctly. But I needed something and I decided that posting my food list on my fridge and having to write everything and have a list of food that I could eat that day would give me the boost that I need and put control back into my life.

So far, so good. I still have to make the decision every waking moment of the day to stick to it (husband brought ice cream into the house!). But at this point in my first week of this structure (6th day) I am achieving what I've wanted for the past 3 weeks but didn't have the fortitude to accomplish. At the end of this two weeks, I may go get another week, or I may just plan my week on my own.

But for now, I'm happy with the results and extremely proud for having faith in myself and believing that I can be a fit, healthy person. Even if I can't leave my house.

Fitness for Agility - Going to the Dogs

Fin needs more strength. She is crazy and doesn't think about her body and often hurls herself without thought. I want to give her more body awareness and strength. To aid that, she and I have a twice daily routine we are working on.

It starts with the rear end work on the treadmill. I'd like to work up to 10 minutes. Right now we are doing 3-4 minutes and then take a break. Then do 3-4 minutes. It doesn't seem like much, but I can tell she is tired after her work out.

After the treadmill, it is time for the balance ball. I also work in stretching into the balance ball work. I'm really proud that she is now able to stand on her rear legs for short periods of time.

I'm hoping that this work will help her strengthen her abs and provide her with more rear end propulsion. Right now I think she is doing a lot of the work on her front.

We finish our workouts with a massage. She is really starting to enjoy her massages. In the past she had trouble staying still, she now lays down and readily offers behaviors letting me know she is ready for some body work.

We are also walking hills more. I hope in 3-4 months as I get more fit, all my dogs will improve with the new regime of training.

Fitness for Agility

1.4 pounds. I feel lucky.

It hasn't been my finest week. I guess the whole change your metabolism is working as I did loose this week. It is totally due to the exercise and lack of having high calorie things near me. Not due to portion control.

Just like in real life, I had trouble jumping off that plateau last week. I kept looking over the edge and darn it, it looked mighty far down. I thought about jumping alot, but never quite made it. I asked Kel to push me and he wisely informed me I had to jump on my own.

I've already jumped today. Writing down everything I'm eating and I'm keeping track of calories as well as points. I'm pretending I'm on week one of WW and going to focus on exercise and veggies.

Searching for that motivation. Hopefully I'll find it right around the corner.

Fitness for Agility

Another week. Another 1.8 pounds.

I'm fitting into pants that I haven't been able to put on in years. It is a good feeling. Unfortunately, it makes me feel slimmer than I am. This results in a loss of focus. After looking at the videos of me running this week, I've come a long way, but I have a long way to go and I must not loose focus.

Alot of people talk about plateaus. I don't think I've every really hit a plateau before, I'm either doing really well or I'm not. In my mind, when I hear people talk about plateaus, I've always thought of a plateaus as eatting right and working out but not getting anywhere (the body is stuck). But I think that I am in a mental plateau. I am happy with the results and maybe lack a little motivation to move forward. That's how I've been feeling. I'm not cheating, but maybe not working as hard as I know I can. The result is that I'm not moving in the direction I want as fast as I know I can.

This week I'm free jumping. I climbed the plateau and now I'm jumping off.

Fitness for Agility

It is Thurs so it must be Fitness for Agility!

This week was a little tough. Hard to find focus. I ate every point available to me. I was having to force myself to track my food. But I kept at it. Worked out 6 days. Lost .8 pounds.

I'm not disappointed. I knew I wasn't loosing this week. I had 3 fabulous weeks of weight loss and felt all week like I wasn't getting anywhere. I really feel that the work outs yesterday and this morning sorta kicked everything into gear.

This week I want to expand my creativity and think more about what I'm eating. I was doing a really good job planning everything, and this last week I found I was more seat of the pants which allowed for eating then tracking...rather than tracking then eating. When you eat before you track it allows for "creative eating" which is NOT good.

Goals for this week:
-Work out 5 times (I'll be at a dog show S/S)
-Plan all my meals, eat what I plan
-Get creative. Find a new recipe and get out of my eating rut.
-Go for more hikes

What are you doing this week for your health?

Fitness for Agility

3.4 pounds!

Wow. All I can say is Cabbage is my new friend. I'm tossing cabbage on everything! Yesterday had a lean cuisine mex meal. I cooked the meal and on a plate put a pile of cabbage, chopped tomatos and 1/4 avocado chopped. Took the meal out of the microwave and scooped it out and topped the cabbage with it. I was TOTALLY full when done.

Worked out 6 days this week. Varied my workout so not doing the same old. Added 5 minutes of a stair machine to each day. Planned my food and ate what I planned. Worked real hard to eat 5 times or more a day. Main meal at noon. Reduced the bread.

Seriously didn't think I had lost that much as I felt I was always eatting. I had lost what I consider to be big numbers the last two weeks so figured that I wouldn't loose this week.

My main focus was just doing what I do. The new me. Working out, eatting healthy.

So nice to see results like this! Finally my brain is in gear and I'm moving in the right direction.

Fitness for Agility

2.4 pounds! Yippiee, yahoo, giggles...lots of giggling.

So, I enter my new weight in my online weight tracker. My reward? My points have adjusted and I now get to eat less. It is a sad, sad, comentary that as you loose weight, you actually have to eat less and exercise more. I guess it isn't much of a mystery after all.

Here's what I've learned in the last 7 weeks. (Laura I know you will laugh.)

1. Eat healthy foods. Eat lots of healthy foods. Healthy foods are less points and you can eat more. Don't eat white bread or pasta. Eat whole wheat. Carbs are good, white is bad.
2. Water. Drink LOTS of water. Diet coke is ok, if you drink tons of water.
3. Exercise. It isn't enough to go and walk. You need to push yourself and each time should be hard. As you exercise, what you used to do becomes easier. Don't do that any more. Get out of your comfort zone. Exercise should be uncomfortable.

This week has been a ho hum emotional week. I have struggled every meal. Each day I have had to force myself to go exercise and while I've been exercising I've had negative thoughts. It has been tough. But what I did was just go do it. Each meal I just said, this is what I do. Each step I said, this is what I do. I am sure glad this week is over.

Last night was a turning point. I got home from star trek and realized I had a positive attitude. I was looking forward to my WW meal I planned. I had a smile on my face.

Emotions. Gotta love em. Hormones. Crap.

Fitness for Agility

Seems to be working. THREE pounds today. :) A BIG old happy face.

I have changed up my cardio a little. I had been interval jogging/walking at 4.2 miles per hour. Last week I decided to push it and started for 1 minute at 5 miles per hour (I walk around 3.8). I couldn't believe that I was able to do 5 mph. So now I walk 5 minutes and run 1 minute.

Today after my work out David says, "go jog for 12 minutes." I'm like 12 minutes! So I put it at 4.0 miles per hour and took a steady jog. It wasn't fast, I didn't loose my breath, but I actually jogged the entire time.

So if anyone tells you to just stick with the exercise because it gets easier...they are either lying or they have no idea what they are talking about. It never gets easier because you have to constantly up it. However, I will say that it does become motivating. I am finding the more I do, the more confidence I am getting to try more.

This week wasn't the easiest week ever. I had my family down for a birthday. My goal was to not have any food go into my mouth that I couldn't put a point value on. So I cooked. I had lamb, chicken, and veggie skewers, brown rice, strawberries, angel food cake, and non fat whipping cream. For starters I made baked won tons and mini pizzas.

The food was really good and I felt totally satisfied (next time I need more of it - family could have eaten more).

The hardest part of my whole fitness for agility is the consistency. I'm only accountable to myself.

I've lost weight before, but not like this. I have NEVER written down so consistently what I'm eating and eating healthy...not just pretending to eat healthy. Always in the past I have looked forward to my weigh in day cause I could "take the day off" and eat anything I want. Then soon I would do the same the next day...into the 3rd day...and then I won't want to go and weigh in knowing that I've gained.

This time around, I feel like a different person. I sure hope this person stays around for a while.

Fitness for Agility

Just the facts mam. 1.2 pounds.

So since I rebooted my fitness program, I'm down 11.2 pounds. Not a bad thing...a good thing. Do I want to loose 5 pounds a week. Yep. But quite frankly, I'm thrilled that I am now 30 days no fast food.

I am stunned that I have been able stay away from fast food. I drove home last night from agility class and did not even think about McDonalds until I was already home. And that thought was, "Wow, I didn't even think about it!"

Fitness. Check. Worked out hard this week.

Next week: More of the same. Hopefully the scale will reward me, but I'm not getting discouraged. I'm getting more determined.

Fitness for Agility

Lost weight this week. A pound. One small pound. A tiny thing. Hunk of Salmon. Slab of cheese. Meat for 4. Box of Mac and Cheese. Two cubes of butter off each butt. A pound. I like loosing 3 pounds...but one will do. It is a pound and it is going in the right direction. I did wear a pair of pants I haven't worn in a LONG while. That felt nice.

Twenty one days and no fast food. I hate to say it, but I feel better. I did hear that McDonald's is threatening bankruptcy, but I can't let the economy sway me. I am changing my behavior for the better and my long term goals are more important than short term tummy full of fat food.

Today is the first day of my new week. My goal is to hit the gym EVERY day. Five days I'll do one or more hours. Two days I'll do a little less. Let's see if that doesn't kick it into gear. I'll continue to write down everything I eat and count my points. It is all good.

Fitness for Agility is Back!!!

Went to work out this morning then off to weight watchers. Meeting was about eating right for spring holidays.

Not too hard for me to eat right at parties. Not going for fast food is my problem!

So I weigh in, and as expected, I got a GREAT number. Moving in the right direction. I even think my double chin is looking a little smaller day by day!

Goals this week. Have a daily workout plan. Abstain from all fast foods (even if that means giving myself a little treat at home). Write everything in my plan and don't go over points.

There were moments this week that were really difficult. One day, I started to drive for fast food, made a U turn and headed home, made another U turn headed back to the fast food...then made myself turn around and go home. I was really happy once I was inside the house. Why, oh why did I do that? THREE U turns! Think about the green house gasses I'm causing with my wishy washy ways.

The good news is that I made it. I also did not rush out to McDonalds after the weigh in to celebrate my weight loss. Usually my thang.

I'm the queen of excuses. But here's the deal. I've got eight months before the USDAA Nationals...even if I could loose 50 more pounds by then, I would be thrilled! Of course old whats her name on biggest looser lost 89 pounds in 3 months at home, came back to campus and gain 5...but for me 2 pounds a week will be a good thing (with an extra pound here or there to help out).

Fitness for Agility

I haven't spoken much about fitness lately. When people ask, I say, "I'm working at it...I'm trying hard." The truth is, I've been great about exercise...food not so much.

Recently I went back to Weight Watchers. Even though I went back and was writing down what I was eating, I wasn't really applying myself. I'd eat fast food and put it down in my journal, but would not look at the points. Simply put, I've been screwing up on my eating. Not everyday mind you, but enough that I essentially keep loosing the same 5 pounds over and over.

Last week I go in to get weighed and there was a new leader. Something clicked. Something about her made me want to stay for the meeting. So I stayed. It was the same old stuff...but different. She is real. She speaks to me as an adult. I can hear sincerity in her voice. The meeting was good...so I stayed after to hear the talk on how to do the program. Nothing new there, but heck, I like her.

Another thing happened. I watched biggest looser. The gal that got sent home, gained weight when she went back. I felt so bad for her...then I thought, you are no better. Get your act together and get fit!

So this week. I am religiously writing down what I eat. I am choosing healthy options. I am eating within my points. Yesterday I was sorely tempted...and I passed. It is a new me. Exercise AND eating right.

For me each hour is a struggle, but I'm working very hard to be at a goal weight of 40 pounds off (from my starting weight) by my birthday. It is certainly achievable. I had hoped to be 40 pounds off by now, but my own bad habits have gotten in my way. I am proud that I've been proving to myself that I can do it.

I'm going back to my weekly report each thurs. I'll weigh in not only on my progress, but also what is getting me there. Look forward to some recipes and fitness tips. This thurs I've got to tell you about my turkey, red beans, and rice. Only 5 points for a full cup of delicious and filling lunch. Today I did a halibut on the pan with brown rice and veggies...yum!

Nothing is harder than taking charge of one's own life. It is much easier to tell other people what to do than to do something about one's own inconsistencies toward goals. My long term goals are what is important...not this short term gratification. Size 7 here I come!

A Quick Boring Post

This is a run from last night. I have too much work to do and have no business going to agility class. Went anyway. Got one of the quick runs filmed before it was just too dark to get anything.

Fin ran really nice. Best run of the night was midway through where she seemed to settle into it and ran really fast, but not nutso. I am still looking for more speed on the dog walk, but I like her nice straight fronts.

So let's get to the boring part. Been working on my fitness and weightloss. Food, still been my issue. So today I took a step that for me is huge. I told my fitness trainer what I weighed. I don't tell ANYONE what I weigh. I don't even like to get on the scale for the doctor. I, of course, weigh myself every day. I know exactly what I weigh. It is a measurement I am very close to. Telling him just about made me cry. Saying it aloud is so terrible and it isn't any less now that I've done it.

What is this called: acknowledgement that I need to make a change. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I've been improving. I'm way fitter than I've ever been...I mean ever. Even when I ran 10K's, my overall fitness was less (yes I could run a 10K and now really would have to walk most of it but we are talking fitness not endurance here). Yet, I am struggling.

I'm watching the biggest looser. I am inspired to do better by these poor people struggling. It is the woman that wasn't putting in the effort that has put me over the edge. I have a couple good days and then slip into bad habits.

So now. My new motto. Just do it.

No complaints, no excuses, no talking about it, just do it.

1300 calaries a day. Daily cardio. Weights twice a week. Situps and such 3 times a week. Done.

Fitness for Agility

Measure your fitness workouts by the amount of sweat that you produce.

For one year I worked out with a gal 2 times a week (I really enjoyed the workouts, BTW). However, I would hardly sweat. I generally would do 5 minutes of cardio, then we would do a set of weights (arms, legs and arms) then back to cardio. I started out going probably 5 days a week, but excuses, excuses and I would go the 2 times with her and then maybe one time on my own. I would say, the workouts made me feel like I was doing something for my health (and probably better than sitting at home eatting potato chips), but in reality, just because I paid someone to help me work out did not mean I was improving my fitness level. I would say that I improved the first two months, then after that, I stayed the same.

Since November 2009 I work out with a guy 2 times a week (at a different gym -- first gal moved). I show up early and do 15-20 minutes of cardio. Before I even start with him I have the first signs of moisture on my forhead.

Then it begins. I do more in the hour with him than I did in a week with the first gal. Ten minutes into my workout with him I'm sweating so much it is disgusting (having to wipe off equipment that I sit on...yuck). He laughs. I hate when he says, "Ok, step backs now!" or "Side to sides" I'm thankful when he says, "to the exit sign and back" (give me a chance to stretch those tired limbs of mine). The workout includes multiple sets of weight machines with a mixture of exercises that utilize my own weight...I keep moving the whole time and the few times that he let's me sit at a machine for a minute or two I'm extremely grateful (somehow the whole stockholm syndrome makes a lot of sense to me right about now).

The last thing we do before the end is Abs (sit ups, leg raises, supermans, and all the other new tortures he comes up with). I end with stretching and 10 more minutes of cardio (I use it to cool down really).

Every week, he works to raise my levels of what I'm doing making things more difficult. I go into the gym 4-5 more days a week on my own because I'm afraid of what will happen to me if I don't keep the fitness level up (fear is a good motivator). Also, I am finding that when I'm sore from the time with him, that going the extra days helps with the soreness.

I will say that I feel more confident in my fitness than I have EVER felt before. Yes, I'm sore pretty much all the time now, yes I still have a LOT of weight to still loose, but it feels good to know that I am doing something for me.

Sweat is a good thing for our fitness efforts. If you aren't sweating, you aren't improving.

Fitness for Agility

I'm now participating in TWO fitness challenges.

First: I'm in a challenge with the "getfitforagility" yahoo group to loose 12 pounds by Jan 15. Since I have to loose 12 pounds to hit my 30 so I can run Fin, I'm all on this! Winner takes home a goody bag (although if I loose 12 pounds I'll be the winner!).

Second: I'm in a fitness pool. No I'm not swimming (although some may say I'm swimming with the sharks). Each of us puts $20 in the pool and the person the marks the most hours of workouts between Dec 1-31 gets the whole whalloop. :)

So, what did I do today? I worked out at the gym. Did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 on the treadmill, then stretched, then went home to work.

I had yummy tilapia with a spinach salad for lunch and I've got soup cooking for dinner.

Fitness for Agility - more soup

Ok, so I'm taking this soup thing seriously.


Yesterday I wanted to do a mock minestrone soup. I really don't know how to make minestrone, but I was looking for that hearty flavor that we find in a minestrone.


Tossed some chicken broth in the crock pot with beef shank and porchini mushrooms (mom says I could have just used water as the beef would make it's own stock. Added garlic and onion and let that cook for about 4 hours.


I took out the beef and found there was alot of fat. Didn't want that so I skimmed it off added zucchini, carrots, more mushrooms and cut off the meat and tossed that back in. 2 more hours on low.


Raised the level to high and tossed in some white beans and string beans. The result was fabulous. Very hearty soup.


Kel said it was the best yet! Yum. No picture. Laura says soup pictures look like intestines not yummy at all. I'll refrain from showing more intestines on my blog.



Instead, you get to see sheltie pictures from halloween (thanks to mom for the costume!):

Halfway to First Goal

Ok, my first goal, "I will not run Fin in an agility trial until I loose 30 pounds."

I'm halfway there. Today I'm at 15.2 pounds. This means I only need to loose 14.8 pounds and Fin and I can enter a real trial. I guess I need to focus and work on sequencing! Get those turns sharp!

So today while I stood in line for Weigh in, I decided I needed new goals. "Once I loose the 15, I can't show her if I gain any of it back!" Ouch! Ok, I'm on a roll. Here is another. For the "April Team trial, I must loose another 30 to put her in team" I really want to get that team Q, I already have a team set up for April. Can I get 60 pounds down by April? I see alot of yogurt and grilled fish in my future :)

So. 44.8 pounds by April. That is only 5 months away. I'm now questioning my sanity! But it is written down. I know what I weighed when I started. I know what I want to weigh. I'm going for it!

Fitness for Agility

New weekly Blog entry will be "Fitness for Agility"

So, I'm on a mission. To loose weight and get quicker. Above in my fish persona, I'm the sleek blue fin tuna. Fast and tasty! But the truth is, I've been overweight a long time and as I reach new heights in the age category, my joints can't take what they used to.

I've written before about my weight loss adventures (joining Jenny, etc). And somehow, I find myself nearly a year later and not that much slimmer. So I begin the journey again. This time, however, I'm not going to measure myself in pounds, I'm going to measure myself in "Q's."

The fact is that Tazz will be faster, the faster I am. (He likes to chase me and pretend I'm faster than he is.) Although I've improved greatly in the last 2 months, I have a long way to go and I believe that Tazz will Q when I have his weight off my "butt." So my first goal is to loose a Tazz. That's a little more than four sacks of flour.

I started two weeks ago and am down 4 pounds. I've done this by simply not eatting fast food, and exercising more. Ok, Ok, I know I said I joined weight watchers, but I really didn't follow the program the first two weeks. I just did the best I could and that best was to NOT eat fast food.

One step at a time.

This week along with my fast food ban, I have two things I will add:

• write down EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth


• exercise 5 days of 30 minutes cardio (I'm choosing F/S/S/M/W because tues and thurs I go do weights)

Each Thurs I'll provide an update titled Fitness for Agility. Wish me luck, I need it!