August Challenge week of 8/25-8/31

[shoefling]

I thought that I would start the thread for this week and it is the final week of August! How is everyone doing on completing their challenge? I am behind and I am not going to make my goal number of workouts for the month. I am okay with that though because I have been holding pretty steady as far as getting at least 3-4 workouts in each week, I just haven't been able to increase that to 5 times a week like I had wanted.

I would love to get in 5 workouts this week but it is going to be really tough. I start classes this week and that will take up 2 evenings a week, plus I am taking 2 online classes. I will still be working full time on top of that. So I am going to be pretty busy for the next few months. I hope to just be able to keep getting in 3-4 workouts per week.

I am planning on running or going for a bike ride this evening. DH left to go out of town for a few days so I will be on my own and don't have any excuses not to get out there.

Everyone else check in soon!

[RebeccaT]

Hi shoefling! Thanks for starting the thread!

I won't make my goal for August, thanks to being out of commission all last week. :( I am disappointed, but sometimes there's nothing that you can do. I take comfort in the fact that I REALLY was sick, wasn't just using "I don't feel like working out" as an excuse. Life gets in the way.

Today I am back in the gym, feeling totally recovered health-wise but a bit out of shape! I will do strength training, probably upper body, and it will be interesting to see if I am able to stay at the same weights I was at two weeks ago.

I will be out of town starting on Friday for two weeks, in Greece! I am looking forward to the trip, and I am hoping to do LOTS of walking walking walking! I will also bring my Winsor Dozen Pilates card with 12 exercises I can do in my hotel. I'll need it for the stretching and strength training, since I won't have access to weights the entire time I'm there.

Hope everyone else is doing ok!!! :)

[sneezles]

Hi all! Well I didn't make all my workouts for last week due to the schedule at Ballunar but I certainly made use of all the prior workouts! On one of the landings I was on crown line and had to run out from the balloon to bring it down but had to change directions a couple of times due to the wind and a pine tree! Then once it was down you have to pull it out straight to help get the hot air out. We were up at 4:30 every morning!

This morning I did the Firm Max Cardio Burn and it felt great to workout again!!

[Kristine]

Hey Rebecca, I am so jealous that you are going to Greece (but fortunately I'm going next summer :)) - I hope that you have a wonderful time. Anyways, I don't know how much you like to exercise while you are on vacation, but whenever I am on extended trips, I like to bring along a resistance band so that I can still do some sort of strength training while I'm gone. They are fairly cheap and very compact so they easily fit inside a suitcase. That thing has kept me sane on vacations all around the world. ;)

[RebeccaT]

That's a great idea, Kristine! I can't believe I didn't think of it!

I already have a few bands that DH got for physical therapy after his shoulder surgery a couple of years ago; I'll bring those. Thanks for the reminder!

Last night I did an upper body workout. I was able to stay at the same weight on all of my exercises, but they were HARD! I am feeling it today, for sure. And to make matters worse, the air conditioning in the gym was broken. :eek: They usually keep that place like an icebox, so at first I didn't mind, but once I got warmed up (which took no time at all in that heat!) it was a little opressive. I am just glad I didn't do cardio - it would have been awful! Hope it's fixed today...

This thread sure has been quiet so far this week. Where is everybody??? Claire, Sandy, Alysha... hello???

[aggie94]

I'm here, I'm here. :o

I finished out last week with only 3 workouts, and that was over 2 days. My out-of-town trip really threw me off routine, and I'm still having a bit of trouble getting back into things. I haven't been sleeping well, so I'm exhausted most of the day and the last thing I want to do in the evening (or afternoon, for that matter) is drag myself to the gym.

So the nutshell version is that I haven't worked out since last Wednesday. I am still hoping to get in at least 4 workouts this week, and then hopefully I can get back to my goal of 5/week.

Hmm, I just went back and reread what I wrote. I have to say that it's not such a bad thing to have reached a point where "only" getting in 3 workouts a week is a bad week. :) It used to be that a bad week was doing absolutely nothing. I think I've come a long way.

[clairea]

I did manage to run 4 times last week. I think it was the first time I have done that in a while. I am starting to get back in the habit of getting up early (5 am) to workout and it is getting easier to get out of bed (until it gets cold:rolleyes: ). I ran yesterday morning, and did a good yoga workout this morning so this week is starting off well. I need to be sure to get something in tomorrow and Thursday. Friday morning I have to take DH over to the hospital at 6am for his treatment, then come home and get everything packed up as we will be leaving to go on vacation as soon as he is finished.

Claire

[shoefling]

I did some upper and lower body strength training last evening at home. I could tell it has been a while since I had done any! But it felt good although I am feeling it a bit today. This morning I started by going for a run, outside, in the heat! :eek: Needless to say it was pretty darn hot and humid out. So after about 15 minutes of running I walked for another 45 minutes. Whew, I am ready for a break in the heat! I hope to get up early tomorrow and run.

Rebecca, I am so jealous about your trip to Greece! My SIL's husband in Greek and they have been over there a couple of times in the last 5-6 years. They just love it and I am sure that you will too!

Claire, It's great that you are getting back into your routine. Keep it up!

Eva, I know what you mean about being happy with 3 workouts a week. I shoot for more than that but am happy when I get 3 in. It wasn't too long ago that I was doing absolutely nothing most weeks! It sure sounds like you have come a long ways!

Susan, It sounds like you had a great time with the balloons! Isn't it great to know when your workouts are worth it?

I agree that it has been pretty quiet this week so far! Where is everyone? Hope you all are doing okay!

Sarah

[lindrusso]

Hi everybody. :)

I'm not getting all 5 workouts in each week, but I'm getting in at least 3. This week I hope to get in at least 4. Even the days that I'm not doing what I consider a full-out workout, I'm trying to walk around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. On Sunday I did this with DS - it was nice to walk and chat, but at his pace, I'd hardly call it a workout. :D

Eating is going pretty well. Due to the whole situation with DH, I'm not feeling terribly hungry, but I'm still eating. I may have to loosen up the bad carb restrictions a bit - when your stomach is all tied up in knots, sometimes you just have to reach for whatever sounds good. :)

So, my focus this week is to reduce stress and keep exercising.

Rebecca - Glad you're feeling better and have a wonderful time in Greece.

I'll take your attitude, Eva and be happy that I'm getting at least 3 workouts in a week. :)

Alysha

[clairea]

Alysha, having spent my share of time with my stomach in knots over DH's health, I really encourage you to eat whatever you can handle right now. Keeping your strength up is the most important thing you can do for your family, and if that means a few days of eating white bread and pasta, so be it, especially since this (the waiting) is a relatively short-lived thing (although I know it feels interminable). My situation is somewhat different as we know both the diagnosis and the prognosis for DH, so I am having to find a way to deal with it long-term which does not involve massive amounts of chocolate:rolleyes: , but when we go through a particularly difficult patch I still turn to those simple, easy-to-digest foods. Definitely keep exercising if you can as it will certainly help reduce stress.

Claire

[RebeccaT]

Alysha, just to echo what Claire said, please just take care of your body during this time of stress. Sometimes you just have to do what you can, and not beat yourself up over what you aren't doing.

I admire your strength, but you don't have to be Superwoman. Hang in there, girl, and check in when you need distraction. :)

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Hang in there, girl, and check in when you need distraction. :)

Oh, I've been doing a lot of that today! :o

Tomorrow I'm off to the Y to workout early and then for a day of shopping and getting out of the house. Shopping therapy does wonders. :)

Thanks Claire. I hope things improve for your husband. It sounds like it's been hard on you.

And don't worry, it has to be really, really bad for this girl to totally lose her appetite! :o ;)

Alysha

[sneezles]

Alysha...Hope things are going better for you and the shopping
helped with the stress (I know it does wonders for me :p ).

Rebecca...I hope you have the most wonderful time on your trip to Greece!!! How exciting!!!

Sarah...I can't wait for cooler weather!

Eva...It wasn't too long ago that I was determined not to do any exercise!!! When I was losing most of my recent weight loss the last thing I wanted was to build muscle and slow the weight loss but now I'm at the point where I look forward to working out!

Claire...I have found I really like the weight training more than the cardio! I even look forward to pushups now! :rolleyes:

This morning I did the Firm's Total Body Sculpt, it's about 55 minutes with some cardio but mostly upper weights and the FannyKicker!

[SandyM]

Originally posted by lindrusso
when your stomach is all tied up in knots, sometimes you just have to reach for whatever sounds good. :)

So, my focus this week is to reduce stress and keep exercising.


<sigh> I could have written this. This week (and last) have been full of stress, surprises, unplanned moments, etc. The eating wasn't horrible, but the exercise has been non-existent - thus my temporary disappearance from this thread.....:o :(

It's nice to be missed, though - and it makes me more and more accountable. I rely on you guys to keep me motivated.

Alysha and Claire - take care of yourselves, and enjoy the shopping, the chocolate - whatever it takes to maintain sanity.

Keep up the good work, everyone. I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

We rock!!! warts and all ;)

[RebeccaT]

Hi all! Sounds like it's been a rough week (or month in some cases!) for most of us! We'll get through, and find our groove. Even though I am no longer in school and don't have kids in school, I still think of September as a time of new beginnings... kinda like getting that brand new Trapper Keeper, the one with the purple unicorn on the front that you were bugging your mom for, and now it's yours... but I digress. :o :p

I did cardio yesterday, 15 minutes on the bike and 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Man, I am really paying for that week where I couldn't work out last week! Maybe my body is still recovering from being sick, I don't know. Fortunately, I haven't had to reduce the intensity of my workouts, but I am finding them to be just a scosh harder than they were two weeks ago.

Today it will be really hard to get in a workout - I have a ton to do. DH and I have to get our international driver's license taken care of, I have to try to find a swimsuit for DH SOMEWHERE since he has managed to lose his :rolleyes:, I have to deliver dinner to a friend from my church who had a baby two weeks ago, and DH and I have more pre-packing organization to take care of. Fortunately we are having leftovers for dinner. I may get in 20 minutes of Pilates tonight, but I am not holding my breath. :o

Happy humpday, all!

[shoefling]

I got in about 15 minutes on the bike and a 20 minute walk so my cardio is done for today. Yipee!

I agree that the start of the school year does seem like a time for new beginnings. And Rebecca, I remember begging my mom for a Trapper Keeper when I was in elementary school. I think I finally got one but it had to last more than one year. She wasn't about to buy a new one every year. :D

Hugs to all of you who have been struggling lately. I know there is a lot of stress going around! Remember that exercise can help decrease that stress and help you feel more in control! Keep up the good work!

[shoefling]

Hey all! Everyone must have started their holiday weekend early! ;) I went for walk this morning for about 30 minutes, nothing too strenuous but at least it was something! Tomorrow we are going to the Iowa football game so I probably won't get much of a workout in. Maybe some 12 ounce curls with my drink! :D ;) I hope that everyone has a great holiday weekend. Next week starts a new month and a new challenge!

[sneezles]

Well, I welll and truly fell off the exercise wagon this week! Haven't done a lick since Tuesday! Looking forward to staring again next week!