Huh. Ca-razy!

So, I've been inspired by the Jackie Warner This Is Why You're Fat thing.  What I've really changed is how I do cardio.  The settings on our elliptical weren't high enough and I wasn't getting enough of a fat burn off it.  That has changed.  Now I'm using the "peak" setting and have raised the level as high as I can go and get moving for 20 minutes.  Then I cool down on it for about 5-10 minutes.  About 5 minutes into the first 20 minutes, I'm dripping with sweat... aren't you glad I told you that tidbit?   Before I was doing 30 minutes of lower intensity, even on the peak setting, but wasn't getting the intense cardio experience.

I'm also dropping and doing (girl) push-ups at least once a day, sometimes three or four.  I've progressed from barely being able to do 10 at a time to doing 40 at a time.   The push-ups have made an enormous difference in my lower back and abs.  For the first time in years, I can see my obliques again.  Hello, 6-pack!  How I have missed thee.  :-)

The truth is in the numbers, though.  Today I measured again and here are my results.  In the past 2.5 weeks, I've lost:

5 lbs - which puts me 2 pounds from my target
5.5" - which makes my brand new Lucy top too big... grrr for wasted money/ yea for getting smaller!
29.6% body fat - which means I've come down from around 32% fat.  Yes!  My goal is to have less than 25% body fat.  Fat percentage is the one aspect I'm really working on because that's the number (on my broken scale) that bothers me the most.

I want to be healthy and feel good about my body.  The truth is that when I move and exercise, I feel better.  Period.  I was feeling good, but after checking my numbers today, I feel GREAT.  (Pralines and all.)

~ G

So Here's the Thing

I've been watching Thintervention on Bravo.  It's the Bravo version of "Biggest Loser" and the scary gonna-get-ya-in-shape-if-it-kills-me chick is Jackie Warner.  Last year (last year?) I watched her reality behind-the-scenes at her gym show, but lost interest after the first season.  Eh, too much for me.  But, watching porkers try to slim down is far more interesting than watching a bunch of whiny buff-bots attempt to nail each other, literally and figuratively.  My favorite person from the first season was the chunky girl who hired Jackie as her trainer.  I kept thinking, "show me more of her!" Any hoo, I'm watching Thintervention and getting inspired.

I requested Jackie's latest book from the library.  Yes, we're on a first name basis.  If the chick can tell me through her book, of course that sugar is my smack, then I'm calling her Jackie.  I digress.  Again.  Finally, the book came in and I've been trying to "eat clean."  And I was.  Mostly.  Until today.  Um, yesterday.

See, the thing is, we had a party and some friends brought me a box of candy.  Pralines, to be exact.  Yummy, delectable, no self-control pralines.  I ate the whole box in 30 hours.  That would be ~2,000 calories.  To my credit, I ate cleanly when I wasn't shoving sugar smack in my face.  Progress.

So here's the thing.  I'm exercising.  I'm lifting weights.  I'm using the elliptical.  I'm using my yoga mat.  I'm weighing in on my scale that I'm convinced is broken... and I'm debating how much of my journey to get fit should be on the blog.  Is anyone even reading this?  Does anyone care that all I want is to fit into my jeans right out of the dryer?  Maybe some toned arms for next year's sleeveless season?

Is it TMI to put my weight, fat %, BMI, and inches on the blog?  I'm kinda game... I mean, this is an anonymous blog and all.  No one knows me.  Unless I get a book deal - then all bets are off.  Well, that or if Jackie Warner shows up and makes me purge the pantry.  And that's not a euphemism.  What kind of euphemism, I do not know... but some people have really dirty minds.

~ G