progress – Just Another Day at the Gym

More on that progress thing…

I love TimeHop! It’s so fun to see what I was up to on this day however many years ago. It’s a fun way to watch my kids grow. Well, today there was a screenshot from my watch on my TimeHop:

Apple Watch screenshot showing 469 active calories, 11,424 steps and 4.77 miles

For a second or two, I couldn’t figure out why I would have taken this screenshot. What was significant about it? But then the entire day came flooding back to me. See, my family was in D.C. on this day. We’d spent the entire day walking to different monunments, museums, and landmarks. And I.was.tired. I took a screenshot because this was the most active calories I had ever burned in a day. To be fair, this was a bit early in the day and I actually went much further, but the point was, it was very significant to me when I saw it. So much so that I felt the need to screenshot it. So for comparrison, it is probably about the same point in the day right now and my family is NOT in Washington, D.C.. In fact, we’re doing nothing particularly special today. But, I’ve corrected the screenshot to match right now:

Apple Watch screenshot showing 1,106 active calories, 12,617 steps and 5.78 miles

Basically, 4 hears ago, 400+ calories was a very good day. And now? 1,150 calories is a minimum. I don’t want to leave the gym until I’ve burned 1000+ calories.

This is me on that very day, four years ago, and then me now, about 4 minutes ago:

before photo showing me very obviously heavy set and an after of me with a lot less extra weight

It’s really nice to see some non-scale victories!

Uhhhhh….

Why is it that it’s days when I’ve completely lost control and eating everything in site that someone who hasn’t seen me in awhile says something about my weight loss and asks my “secret”? Ummm… yes well I do exactly opposite of what I’m doing right now. You going to eat the rest of that brownie?

Ch-ch-ch-changes…

I’m not sure what had me looking at old data from my Apple Watch but I was. And let’s just say… WOW. When I first got the watch, I wasn’t interested in those silly circles. Not even a little. But, I WAS interested in my watch, so I wore it the entire day. So the activity should be accurate, right? So back in 2015, some days – most days – I didn’t even 300 active calories. I had my goal set anywhere from 200 to 350 and I did NOT consistently close my circles. And the exercise circle? Ha! I can count on ONE HAND the number of times I closed the exercise circle the in first six months I owned the watch.

When truly started this journey back to me (this time), my move goal was 240. That was January 1, 2017. It didn’t get to 400 even until mid-April. My goal now? 720. But my average last week was over 900. I think of 240 now, and I can BREATHE 240. I AM crazy active now, but WOW. Just… wow.

It’s all so random

Photo of cast of the Disney Show, So Random — http://www.justjaredjr.com/photo-gallery/434129/so-random-d23-06/

Amusing highs include Pops not just saying good morning but actually coming up and talking to me. First to tell me that I have nice arms and then to ask how to tone up without bulking up. Like I’m an expert or something. Ha! I didn’t act like I knew what I was doing. I just told him that I follow an app but mostly got info from Michael, the physical trainer at Planet Fitness. It was really cool, though, that he came to talk to me.

There’s this blonde that I just don’t have a story for. I feel like I can’t because the truth is I really want to be her friend and work out with her. She talks to me. Always says hi when we pass each other, and SHE complimented my arms as well. I wish I knew how to actually TALK to people. There are a few people that come around the same time as I do and it would be nice to have workout buddies.

Well, I think I wanted a workout buddy because I get bored. I’d really been doing the same thing over and over. Rotating the same 5 workouts over 6 days. I kept telling myself I’d spend time adjust the workout but I just don’t know enough to figure it out. So then Meghan told me about FitBod. Yay! Now every day is different! And I’m learning all sorts of new exercises! And everything is getting worked on! I’m not bored!! Whoo hoo!! Who needs workout buddies! Maybe me a little bit.

Today was a weird day at the gym because I wasn’t at MY gym where I know MY equipment. Everything was newer and cleaner and crisper but I couldn’t find a tricep dip machine nor a glute kickback and what the heck where are the mats? The workout took WAY longer that it would have at my gym but I did kind of like being somewhere new.

I got a body scan today. I’m really excited because the last body scan in January was pretty awesome but since then, while I’ve only lost 2 pounds on the scale, I’ve lost 8 1/2 pounds of body fat and gained 6 1/2 pounds of muscle. What the what?! Go me! My body fat percentage went down 5.1%. The bad news hidden inside good news is that I have very little belly fat at all – which means this flab is all loose skin from being morbidly obese and will most likely require surgery to get rid of. But hey! I’m gonna focus on the positive for now. And that’s that I’m healthier than I have ever been in MY ENTIRE LIFE! I have to shout that a bit because frankly I ate like a morbidly obese girl who doesn’t care about her weight at all yesterday. But a poor choice day every once in awhile isn’t going to kill me. In the past, that would have made me just give up. But here I am, back on track today!

Okay that’s it. I wrote. I’m good for another few days

I’ve come a long way, baby…

So I did my fourth 5K on Saturday. I’m kinda proud. My goal was to finish in less than 35 minutes. I haven’t trained for it or anything. I walk on the treadmill six days a week and walk the mall with my mall two days a week but it’s truly walking. Fast-paced, but walking. So this was really good for me. I did walk some of the 5k but I really did run and jog the vast majority. And that 35 minutes? It happened. And the path was actually slightly longer than 5K thankyouverymuch. So was very proud and excited and the very next day my FIRST 5K showed up in my Timehop. It was the same event last year. So I had similar pictures. And last year I was so proud of myself and I’d lost so much weight and looking back, I have come even further. I’m over 50 pounds lightlThese milestones are helping me stay motivated to keep healthy. Because eating is so freaking easy.

Dr. Stewart and me holding up a picture fram and smiling through it. — KISD Fund Run 2017

My official time of 47minutes and 44.9 seconds — My time for the KISD Fund Run 2017

My ofifical time for 2018, 34 minutes, 40.4 seconds — My time for this year’s Fund Run

Holly, Dr. Stewart in a sombrero and me — Fund Run 2017

Originally Posted January 1, 2018

I could look at 2017 is the year my mom was battling cancer, and the year my husband had a heart attack and the first full year that my good friend had to deal with a terrible loss, but I’m going to choose to look at this as the year my mom kicked cancer’s ass, the year my husband survived a heart attack, the year my good friend became a badass. And it’s the year I made a change for myself. Completely for me. I’m nearly 80 pounds down (I was more than 80 down but cough Christmas. And I’m okay with that). I actually work out. At a gym. My body fat has dropped by over 20%. I can share clothes with my daughters. I have health goals and I’m reaching them. I feel better than I ever have! Watch out 2018!