Day 17

Unfortunately the days at the beach are starting to come to an end. Tomorrow and then heading home Monday night.
Eating today was a true test of will power. Breakfast and lunch were under control. Dinner could have been a disaster.

This is The Bobbie.... I am posting the pic of this for a couple of reasons. One it is an amazing sandwich. 2...I was really well behaved. We took half and then cut it into 4 pieces. I only ate one of the 4 pieces.









After we went for a sunset swim in the ocean. 30 minutes of bouncing around with the grandbaby, constantly water jogging the entire time or actually swimming. No clue how many calories that might have burned but I was moving.

Once we got home from that instead of sitting down to another meal I got up and went for a 1/2 hour walk/run. This is the first workout one since my ankles decided they were fubar. But slow and steady. I wish I had done the extra 2.5 minutes for the full 30 minutes, but my feet/ankles hurt and I don't want to be completely down again so I listened to the old body and stopped.









I think I have decided to get something along the lines of a Fitbit Flex. It is worn 24 hrs and is able to be submerged up to 10 meters. This is the only one I have found that has that capability. Since I spend so much time in the pool I really need that functionality. Anyone have one and have an opinion? I would love to hear it. Other suggestions are more than welcome also!

Day 16

Well...this is what vacation is for right? I give up about now. I realize dinners are just going to be out of control so I am trying to keep the morning/afternoon under control. But life is too short to freak about the small stuff when on vacation with your family.

We did go and play in the ocean at night so I burned off a few calories...but not enough to make up for the amazing crabs and beer and margaritas....Thank goodness this doesn't happen very often. I think that once the sun goes down tonight (Day 17)
I am going to try and get in a walk/run.

I am going to start Zombies Run! 5K over on Tuesday when we get                                                         home from the beach. Again. The goal for September is to make it to                                                       week 2 of the app...

Day 12 - Day 15

Quick week recap! Monday saw me back in the pool! My ankles held out well which made me happy! Tuesday - BASEBALL! Took my mom, sister, and granddaughter to see a Nationals game. It was so much fun! I should have turned on my Runkeeper! App and set it to walk. Probably got a good 2 miles in between walking to and from the car and then around the park.  Wednesday....Just hell day all around. Not a fun work day, then my daughter had an issue with her hip so off to the doctor we went. 4 hours, x-rays, prescriptions later....she has sciatica. Poor kid is just always having some sort of thing go wrong.  

Thursday....DROVE TO THE BEACH! Whoo hoo! Seriously...I need this time. But...I am not just going to sit on my ass! Last night we went on an almost mile and a half walk. Slow...but we were moving. You can only go so fast with a 3 year old in tow.  I put a few 10-15 second runs in there, masked as races with the baby, to see how my ankles would hold up. Mixed reviews on that! They did great while I was out walking and running but later that night lots of ouches getting up to roam around the house.  

New Goal! Run on the beach!

21 Beautiful Runner Photos to Motivate You Off the Couch:
Amazing images on that link from Mashable. If you use instagram check the hashtag #FromWhereIRun

Talk about motivation! I want to get to the point where I can run in beautiful places. Definitely motivation to get out there today and at least take a walk down the beach!

New Goal for myself...be able to run the beach next summer (at the latest) when I am here!

Day 8 - Day 11

Feet up!

So being overzealous slowed me down for the weekend. Feet were up and iced for most of the weekend. When I start back it is going to be slower and easier on myself. Such a stooge! Lesson learned!!!!!!!!

Hail to the Redskins!

The one thing I did get out and do this weekend was go to my first pro football game! I love brand new experiences. There aren't many things that we can say that about. So fun times! It was a lot of walking and while my ankles were a bit sore at the end of the night, in the morning I could still get up and walk around...so pretty sure I am on the road to healing!

World War Z

The kiddo and I made our way to the local movie/drafthouse to check out World War Z. Surprise! I loved it!

It had an automatic leg up because I can watch just about anything zombie related. But Brad Pitt added to that brings it back down to an even level. 

I really was happy with a lot of things about it. The zombie take was new an interesting. Not slow why can't you outrun me kinda zombies....but serious run for your life, as fast as you can or you are going to die. And the noise they made...OMG....scary ass pterodactyl screaming.
So I suggest going to see it. In a theater if you can.

We are cheap and would like to get a full meal and a few drinks along with our movie so we wait a little while for the drafthosue.

Day 7

Ass officially kicked. Restarted the Zombies, Run! 5k this morning with a friend from the office. Slower time. Which is OK. I actually think I overdid it the last 2 days. My ankles are fried. I am officially down for the night. Feet elevated. Ice on the ankles...hobbling to the bathroom when needed. It should be OK (or better) tomorrow. But I am definitely taking an off day from walking/running. Swimming will happen. Nothing with an impact on the feet though.

Weight seems to have stayed the same for the week though. THINKING that it is a mix of muscle gain vs. fat loss. I definitely have been eating less and working out so hopefully the next time I hit up a scale it will show a downward trend. But that isn't what my focus is on. Just getting healthy and being able to move and do what I want when I want without having to worry about am I going to run out of breath if I want to go hiking or taking my granddaughter for a bike ride. You get the idea....I just want to be able to move and still enjoy myself.

Swim tomorrow. Walk/Run break. Then full bore again on Thursday!

Day 6

Almost said screw it...but I didn't! Finally got home and got my phone recharged. 10pm by the time I headed out. All in all a very busy, productive, and fulfilling day. Got my girlie off to college. My oldest and her daughter rode with me down and back so it was about 5 hours of good talks and laughs with the grandbaby. Then home...quick Thai dinner (so lazy I know) Took about a 1/4 of each dish instead of the well usual inhale it all....then came home digested for 1/2 an hour while my phone charged...and then RAN!

I have decided to redo week one of the Zombies, Run! 5k training. I just felt like I hadn't made much progress doing it for just the 3 exercises. So....restart tomorrow morning. With a friend from work! Hopefully she will stick with me through the whole thing. We are about at the same level so should be good. Looking forward to the company. Even if it is at 6am...

Oh yeah...new running shoes. Feet hurt but in a much better way (is that possible?) than they hurt through the first 4 walks/runs with my cheap ass Target shoes.  Brooks Pure Connect. They were reviewed and recommended as being good for those lucky ducks (like me) with flat flat feet. Review on the shoes once I have broken them in and gotten used to actually having real shoes to work out in.

Day 5

Yeah....Sunday.
BUT... Now I have a plan. No more weekend days off. One will have an exercise day and the other will be a day to romp around with family. IF I have nothing to do with them then there will be 2 exercise days.
I can't sit in my house without snarfing all food and just laying on my ass. Which just widens all weekend as I sit there...

I did get to have a nice dinner with my family so we could say goodbye to my daughter. She is off to her Jr. year of college. Today I drive her. When I get back tonight it is off to do my 3rd Zombies, Run! 5k workout. We will probably be getting back to late to do a swim...but the run/walk will get me back in line!

via:http://www.downfallguild.org/

Day 4

image via: www.builtlean.com

Otherwise known as "LESSON LEARNED DAY"

I took the day off completely. Not a good idea in the long run. No walk, no run, no swim...and I just didn't feel great. I felt like the food I ate just kinda sat there turning into a big lump. I overate, and just sat around all day long.

I need to figure out a way to take days off from the scheduled exercise without completely losing everything I have worked the entire week for. Any suggestions? Hell I could have just gotten up and taken a nice walk around the neighborhood and I couldn't even seem to bring myself to do that. My mind had been set. A day off. And boy I took that to mean exactly that.

Not going to beat myself up about it. Just going to try and figure out a way to change it.

Day 3

Woot Woot! I feel pretty damn accomplished today. These 2 images are from the same workout. Zombies, Run! 5k day 2 completed and 3rd day of stats tracked on RunKeeper. Then a nice hour long romp with the babe around the pool.
After we went and had a nice dinner. I separated half of all of my food out so I didn't gorge and stuff my face like I usually do. We shall see how it works out. But I am liking this have a bit of what I like without worrying about every damn calorie. Just trying to be smart. No cravings. Yummy tastes. But a bite or 2 of dessert instead of the entire bread pudding! Sounds simple huh?
Now...the question is...Hell's Kitchen or a movie?

Day 2

Yesterday I got out and got moving. It was a day off from Zombies, Run! 5k so I decided to walk and swim instead. Not an incredibly fast walk as you can see. I am slower than a turtle. But at least I got out and did it. I can only get better/faster right? I am using RunKeeper to track all walks and hopefully one day runs! (Find me there: Jessica on RunKeeper).

After the walk I went and swam laps for 25 min. KICKED MY ASS. I am in the pool every day but that is usually running around after my 3 year old granddaughter. While I am moving and getting good movement out of it...it isn't the same and making it up and down and up and down those lanes. I had long breaks in between each lap but I kept forcing myself to do just one more until I was done.

Food was Good. Stayed in the allotted calories for the day. Until...

A friend asked me to come over and drink.

Well...it would be rude to turn that down right? I did modify my normal a bit. (Quite a bit) Glass filled halfway with soda water and then margarita poured on top. I still enjoyed it...It did 2 things really: Let me be social and have a few drinks like I wanted to...and I didn't get completely wasted. Considering how these nights with my friend normally end...both of these were good! So tired this morning but not hungover and I don't feel completely useless.

I use MyFitnessPal to track my food (Find me there: Jessica on MyFitnessPal). I decided to not go with a specific diet. I know that I won't be able to keep that up for an unknown amount of time...so I am just trying to modify portions and daily intake. 

OH! And the good (and encouraging news)....Down 3 lbs!!!

We Do Movies Too

One of the things I want to achieve from this blog is...a total human. The original idea was keeping track of my quest for being healthy. As I was setting it up I realized I needed to just make it a life blog. (No Drama) But the things that make me...well me.
So...let's start with last nights movie.

Watched Super...Such an odd odd movie. Good. Weird. Amazing cast.
I think it is going to need a re-watch. The quirk factor seemed produce a bastard child of Kick Ass mixed with Griff the Invisible mixed with general cult classic awesomeness.

If you have a problem with language this is not the movie for you. If you have a problem with violence....Not for you. If your humor is dark you should definitely watch this immediately.

Day 1

So I did it. Started. Maybe the threat of post apocalyptic instant zombie death will be enough to get me up off of the couch and working out!
Well maybe.
I hurt.
Maybe zombie death would be preferable....
Feel free to come and find me if you also are doing the Zombies, Run! 5k app. I will (hopefully) graduate here in 8 weeks to the full app.
Click here to Find me on Zombies, Run!