Week 13

Days 86-92

I stepped up my routine. I am now up to one full hour (sometimes one hour and 5 minutes) for a total of 900 calories on "the machine".

My t-shirt is soaked by the time I am done. My shorts feel like I peed in them at the end of my cardio. There is a puddle of sweat that dripped off my arms directly below the hand grips. I am working out like a maniac.

Well, not really. I could go faster, I guess. I am on a resistance of 12 and incline of 11. I log in over 7000 strides and just under 5 miles per session.

I have bumped up most of my weight routine too. I am pushing a lot of weight on the machines. Holly is making me work on push-ups. Not very good at them yet. I am almost on the floor level. This week I had to do them on risers use for step aerobics. They were about 18 inches high. It is a huge difference from doing push-ups on the railing.

Weigh in  - 1 pound.

I guess it is slow and steady!

Week 12

Days 79-85

I am starting to get a little unhappy with my progress. I am working really hard but I feel that the scale is not moving fast enough for me. It seems to be all over the place. Up . down, up, down 1 or 2 pounds during a week. I weigh myself on the medical scale at the gym. I don’t even bother with the bathroom scale at home since it reads differently if you step on it three times in a row.

They say you shouldn’t weigh yourself every day. I confess that I do, right after I work out. So, it is consistent. Except for Saturdays and Sundays, it is pretty much the same time of the day.

This week’s weigh in was a fat 0. I think I need to ramp up my work out just a tad.

And although I have been watching what I eat, I think I need to start writing everything down.

I really wish I had more support and people around me who were into what I am doing.

If only I could be at the Biggest Loser Ranch for even 1 month!!

Week 11

Days 71-78

For this week’s high point of gym entertainment, I got to work out next to a Stepford Wife. If you don’t know what that is, The Stepford Wives is a movie. The wives of this particular town are all just a little bit too perfect. Beautiful, doting on their hubbies, keeping a perfect house, perfect kids, dinner cooked beautifully. There is just something not right. Well….they are not fully human.

So there I was on THE MACHINE, quite human. Almost enough of me to make another human. Looking like crap, so much so I should not leave the house, let alone be seen in public. My hair is pulled back in a sloppy pony tail, my work out outfit is unfashionable. No color coordination, blue socks, with pink T-shirt I have had since 1990. It is stretched out and has holes, the design is faded. And too boot, I am COVERED in sweat. It is literally dripping from the tip of my nose. My arms have beads of sweat just laying on top of them.

So, there is Ms Stepford Wife. She steps onto the treadmill next to me. Her blonde hair (would it be any other color?) pulled up into a neat ponytail with spangly stuff hanging from the rubber band which was color coordinated (dyed to match) her t-shirt. Socks to match, and even the design on her athletic shoes matched. She wore a base ball cap to pull her look together.

She grasped the hold-bars on the treadmill. I noticed that her nails were long and must be just done. All flashy with some sort of multi colored design with sparkles. The type of nails that scream “I am a kept woman. I never do housework. I never do dishes. I don’t do much of anything but look wonderful.”

It was not long, 2 minutes and 34 seconds (or 30 colories as marked by the calorie counter) before Mr. Suave stepped onto the treadmill on the other side of Ms Stepford Wife. Figures.

Apparently, they knew each other, but hadn’t seen each other in a while.

He says: “Hey! How are you”

She: “Hey! How’ve you been? Haven’t seen you in what? About 2 months?”

He:: “You look GREAT!” You been keeping up with your routine?”

She: “Yeah. Been tough though, keeping up with it all. But I have to keep up with my workouts, I would not want to get out of shape. That would be the worst thing ever!”

Wow….Here I am huffing and puffing, sweating puddles literally, looking like shit. There she is, taking a walk in the park so not to mess up her appearance. Probably scared shitless should she ever remotely resemble the likes of me. Maybe that is why she got on the treadmill next to me, not 2 or 3 down from me. My disheveled appearance only made her glow all the more.

Maybe I should dress more to impress. Maybe I should take more care in how I look when I go to the gym. Maybe I should get my nails done, my hair dyed to hide the grey, and get some decent looking work out clothes….

Nah. Forget it. I go to work out. Not to become decoration or a poster child for the gym.

So…this week it is status quo. About 50 min per day on The Machine for about 800-825 calories a pop. Then the weight machines  for arms, abs and legs.

Weigh in: -1 lb

Week 10

Days 64 - 70

My work week was tough. I had a training class every day in Sacramento. It is an 85 mile drive. So that meant I had to be on the road early to get there on time. And my return was late. This made for 12 hour days. I could have stayed up there, but I do like my own bed.

So gym clothes were in the car. I wore a T-shirt, and did a quick jean-workout pants swap in the car in the parking lot. I can't tell you why I didn't just change in the ladies room. Switching pants in the parking lot had a naughty feel to it, sort of like dating in high school...but I digress.....

Sometimes, this is how I feel at the gym!

Anyways, I did stop at the gym on my way home except for Monday. Mostly to prove to myself that I could do it. That I was tough. That I was dedicated.

Also, I needed it. Lunches with a coworker, that I used to work with in the San Jose office before I transfered to Modesto were much heftier than I am used to, even though I tried to be "good" with a salad at Panera on two occasions and a soft fresco taco on another.

Ok...Starbucks vanilla latte on two mornings just to keep my eyeballs open.

Still, my chow was more than I am used to.

I did not meet with Holly this week because I could not predict when I would arrive at the gym. But I thought of her. And what torture I might be missing.

Does extra time pushing on the gas pedal count for leg exercises? And time steering the car count for biceps?

Nice try, you say??

Anyways, I was at 1/2 mast all week with my energy. I still put in the time, but not quite the usual effort.

Weigh in: Big Fat 0. No gain. No loss Maybe next week I will have better luck!!

Week 9

Days 57-63

After  Monday’s training, I hit the treadmill for 30 min at  speed 3.9. I am reluctant to break into a jog. Maybe because I am afraid I can’t do it. At least not for any length of time. What if I get flung off the back of the treadmill? I am sure I would be embarrassed, if not hurt.

On Tuesday,  I was a bad girl today. I went to Panda Express for lunch. It was a much larger lunch (or any meal for that matter) than I have had for a long time.  I forgot how much food they give you. Enough for two, really. And to think that there are people who eat like this quite often. Even pre-diet, I could not eat that much on a regular basis.

It was good though. That is until I weighed myself…up two pounds! I am sure that is because of my heavy lunch and 2 cups of iced tea to wash it all down.

But the guilt set in.  I eased some of it by working on the Precor for 60 minutes /850 calories. Then a session of weights for the arms , legs and 200 “crunches”.

The next day, I was a little sore through the shoulders from the two consecutive days of working those muscles. But after my 800 calorie goal for the cardio work out, I put myself through the same paces as yesterday.

Weigh in was a disaster. Those two pounds I gained a few days ago from the Panda Express and gallon of iced tea decided to take up residence in the empty fat cells I had newly created. What does that food think? That I am a hotel? Will extra pounds make reservations on Fat-Cell-Hotel.com and spend 10 years with me?

I am sooo discouraged/upset/disappointed with myself. I didn't miss one day at the gym. Each day 55 minutes on The Machine at 800-850 calories. Only one thing to do…work harder, eat less! Please…someone send me the The Biggest Loser Ranch!!