But really, I'm asking, how?

The sad part is, I used to be a morning workout person. I used to wake up at 5:45am every.single.day., 6 days a week (sometimes 7), and meet my bestie for a four mile run on a causeway next to the ocean and just talk the whole time and not be out of breath at the end. #thegoodoldays

This was pre-college of course; during college there's no way I could get up that early given that I really took the ol' 'going out' part of college seriously, and I worked 40 hrs a week, and I was getting my degree.

Then, I moved to NYC and was a teacher. 5:45am would no longer be even enough time because I had to be to work before 8, and realistically in NYC that means leaving by 7, for a 2 mile bus ride. Ugh. Not to mention, there's just literally no way I was running in the early morning in the NY winters, nor was I gonna run around my neighborhoods when it was dark out, by myself.

Then I was back to Tally in law school, and there was a little while there where I was working out in the morning basically with a personal trainer, but I literally have anxiety about working out "too hard" in the AM because I have (1) thrown up and (2) gone to the ER bc i (didn't realize at the time) had an exercise-induced migraine.

So, I think if I am gonna work out in the morning, to start with, I need to with walking and running. Eventually I would like to get back to adding in weights and strength training, but I think part of my problem is that I just try to do everything at once, and it's just not possible.

Anyways, so I'm going to, once again, attempt a morning workout routine. I've actually been trying to do this for a few weeks - I keep signing up for AM classes and then I back out. I've considered running, but, I do live basically in downtown Miami, and while I've never felt unsafe at the times I walk around, I wouldn't want to go running in the morning when it's still dark out. Part of exercising is that you want to be able to zone-out somewhat, amiright?

So, I don't know why I just remembered there is a gym in our building, and, instead of it being on the first floor, they conveniently (temporarily) moved it to the 10th floor - which is only 2 floors below me. Also, I'm realizing tomorrow is a Monday, so great time to start, and THEN I realized it was the start of a new month, great time to start, and when I realized it was MAY I realized it was a great time to bring back my old fave: "MileADayMay" !

So, for MAY, I am going to stick to running or walking or elliptically or stair climbing at least ONE mile every day -- when I wake up. 😑 I literally cannot take ONE day off, because all it takes for me is ONE day off and I will miss the next three. I also want to start with walking/running because I don't want to go sick and I know those exercises do not cause me to throw up/migraine. And finally, I need to start working out in the AM because of my work. I have been so busy lately, getting so many things thrown at me and that means that even on days I think: Okay, I'll do this after work, I either literally cannot because I have to work all night or I am so exhausted because the work day has been exhausting or I'm starving because -- dinner time. So, I need to workout in the morning so that I can "get it over with," and I hope eventually that turns into something I look forward to as "me" time. Also, I'm hoping this "mental" shift as to why I'm doing it will help keep me motivated (versus it being something I have to do.)

But please, enlighten me, if you're one of those crazy AM workout people - how'd ya start?

xo,
kim

Toughin it Out for the First Time

Hey yall!

So, I've decided to link up with Allie & Kay for Tough it Out Tuesdays. I figured what better to get back into a blogging groove than to start doing link-ups. I know, I know, doing a link up a day is pretty lame but I can't think my own thoughts right now and I'd like to think of these link ups as little writing prompts.

So, Tough it Out. It's no secret that I've been trying wanting to lose weight for YEARS now. ONE time I was really successful and lost almost 30 pounds but then I gained it all back. Basically what happened was that I plateau-ed and instead of being like, OK I guess I need to work out harder or just be happy with this weight, I just allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted, and NOT work out and then surprise, surprise, I gained it all back. 

The good news is I'm tall (5'10'') so I can actually eat a LOT and just maintain my weight. The bad news is that means that I had to have eaten SO MUCH in order to gain this weight. 

I don't know what to do. Weight watchers worked for me last time, but this time I'm just SO not into tracking. I have the app and paid for three months but NEVER use it. My bright idea was that I would just cut carbs and eat salads. But how boring is it to eat salads day in and day out? 

The other part: working out - I'm usually pretty good at. Unfortunately I hurt my ankle in February (yes, February) and I continued to run on it, but now it's at the point where if I go running my ankle is sore for 3-4 days afterwards to the point that I am limping. The good news is that I have a doctor's appt today with a foot and ankle specialist so hopefully he'll tell me something. My biggest fear is always that I'll go and they'll be like- you're crazy, there's nothing wrong with you. Sooo, there's that. 

Anyways, not really sure where I'm going with this post other than to say this: 

I KNOW I can do it (I've done it before) 

& 

Hopefully if I commit to this link-up and being inspired by this group of ladies who post once a week about their own journeys, I will start to be more accountable! Here's hoping at least!

How To Make Your Legs Feel Like They Were Beat With A Bat! (and other stories)

Happy Monday, y'all! 

And it IS happy for me because I'm on Spring Break! What, what! I mean, it's not spring break like it was in undergrad, or even as a teacher, because this spring break I'm just so excited to be able to catch up on all my school work, and outline for finals and hopefully finish my brief. So, in other words, I'm working all week but at least going to class won't get in the way!

I had a pretty good weekend. 

Friday night I had to stay in to finish these practice exam questions for my Contracts class. OK, I didn't HAVE to do them but my professor was gone for almost two weeks (he was working on something in Greece) and he said if we did them and sent them to him by midnight on Friday (you can see I'm such a diligent student) he would read them and send back comments embedded in our word doc. This is pretty amazing because law profs NEVER grade the practice problems they give you -- it would just be too much work for them. It took over a month to get my grades back from my finals last semester so of course they don't want to deal with that stuff during the semester. 

 

Saturday morning I went to do another stadium workout with Amanda and Sophie. These girls are nuts (in a good way!) and way better at working out than me so it's good to work out with them. This time I tried to actually run up the stadium steps a few times (last time I just walked) and my calves are not happy with me because of that. 

 

Saturday night we went to dinner at this pizza place -- it was my second time and I decided I don't like it. I mean, maybe I'm a pizza snob after living in NYC, but this is like a "fancy" pizza place that supposedly has wood-oven pizza...but the crust is never crunchy. 

 

Then we went to a new bar that just opened next door. It just seemed unfinished to me. There were a lot of people there probably because it just opened, but I wouldn't necessarily want to go back. I don't like "bars" where I'm sitting down at a table and there's no music or nothing to do. I need music, darts, bar jenga, pool, something! Even if I'm not playing the games, someone is. 

Yesterday I woke up with a little hangover and very sore legs but I decided it was so nice out I HAD to go running. My goal was to break a 10:00/mile. Usually I can't do it and I think it's because in my head I usually go for distance, not speed. This time I told myself it was OK if I had to walk after running as hard as I could for the mile. I have a nike tomtom watch and it will show me my "pace" as I'm going and it got down to like 8:50. I was like, holy shit! I'm gonna run this in sub-9:00/mile. But alas, baby steps. I did my first mile in 9:08!! I was so happy! I think on Sundays I'm gonna work on "speed training" because I really do want to get faster! 

I did 4 miles total and then later in the day I went and walked some trails with Amanda and Lola. Another 2.5 miles! So then I decided I deserved Chipotle and I watched Once Upon a Time, Resurrection, and Revenge. 

sunset from chipotle parking lot. haha

 

SPOILER ALERT:

- OUAT: Why do Neal & Hook get sent back with everyone else in the curse? They weren't brought there by the curse so it doesn't make sense that they would go back. Why wouldn't they have just crossed the line out of storybrook with Emma and Henry?

- Totally called that Walsh (what kind of name is that?) was a creep. 

- An otherwise blah episode that I've come to expect from OUAT where nothing really happens but you just keep watching, thinking maybe next time something will, and then they save it all for the season finale

- Resurrection: I don't know where they're going with this show and I definitely don't think it can be a multi-season show. 

- Revenge: HOW POINTLESS was the Victoria - Jimmy - Patrick thing????!! They just wanted a way to fill an episode with another "revenge" without having to flesh-out Emily's storyline. I will keep watching this show because I LOVE (and I mean LOVE) Aiden and Nolan, but I think it's so stupid!! Television viewers do not want to CONSTANTLY experience a "not again!" moment when watching a show! We want closure and we want the story to MOVE.FORWARD. I would have been totally happy if Emily's plan to frame Victoria had gone through, and then she showed up at her jail cell or sent her  a letter and was like, BTW - I'm David Clark's daughter. IN YO FACE. 

- UGH. But i'll keep watching. I literally cannot quit shows. (exception: Heroes).

Saturday Stadium Workout

Ughhhhh

What's worse than a Sunday hangover?

I'm not much of a drinker, but yesterday I was out drinking from about noon (brunch) until 10:30pm. I mean, I love day drinking as much as the next person, but that's so I can get home by 7 and be in bed by 8. Amiright?

But, before all that, I went with Amanda & Sophie to the stadium to do a "stadium workout." I didn't really know what to expect, but as a former Lost addict I assumed it meant we would run (and I would walk) up and down all the sections of the stadium.

What I didn't realize was that there were these sick things you could download from the internet called "stadium workouts" and there are all sorts of torture components .. not JUST the up and down in the stadium! 

What I should also mention is that Amanda and Sophie are both SUPER in shape and yes, I did just run a half marathon last weekend, but (and I hate to say it) running isn't really that hard of a workout once you get to the point where you can run a long distance. Anyways, so they are both super in shape which meant I had like two personal trainers but which also meant I couldn't slack! I couldn't find the sensor for my HR monitor, but Amanda burned 600+ calories so I probably burned at least 1000. 

So, this workout consisted of running, lunging, planking, push upping, mountain climbing, stadium running, tricep dipping, wall sitting, squatting and more running. Wow, even just typing that out makes my legs ache. And yes, today my legs feel like someone beat them with a baseball bat yesterday. Isn't that a great feeling?? 

So, I feel confident saying I've got this whole working out thing down. I've been working out consistently since Mid-January...now for the hard part: EATING RIGHT. 

However many times I've done it, I just always slip back down. To be honest, I don't even think I eat that unhealthily ... I've been the same weight for about three years (give or take 5 pounds) ... so all I have to do is lose 30 pounds, and then I can eat however I eat now and maintain that weight. Right?

So, uhh, give me some tips on how to stay full while eating delicious food and still being healthy. K? thanks!