Monday morning workout

This morning I did a pretty vigorous 65-minute workout on the elliptical. Missed using my iPod, though, because the battery had run out and I didn't realize it until I got to the gym!

Saturday I did 70 minutes on the elliptical, and yesterday the gyms were closed for Easter, so I had a morning walk around the cross country trail, and an evening walk around the East Campus (of Duke University) wall. It was a little chilly yesterday, but it was nice to "have" to walk outside.

Longer on the elliptical

This morning I spent 70 minutes on the elliptical. I was feeling generally tired before, now I'm even more tired...and run down. I hope to get to bed at a decent time tonight.

Old gym

Was back to my regular gym this morning. I like the elliptical machine there so much better. Spent 45 minutes on it this morning. I'll take a 15 minute walk around the quad today to fill out the hour of exercise. Did that yesterday, felt great!

Had blood work done at the Rice Diet Clinic this morning, will be interesting to see the results tomorrow.

I'm wearing a new pair of pants today, another size smaller! Yippee!

New gym

I went to the "new" gym to work out this morning, and did 45 minutes on the elliptical. It seems bigger, and has good windows, but the elliptical machines aren't as "high tech." *sigh* It was nice to have a change of scenery, but of course, it's farther away. :-( I'll adjust in time, though. The exercise time is important!

More elliptical

I spent 65 minutes on the elliptical machine again this morning. I'm feeling tired today, so I took it pretty easy, as far as effort. Enjoyed listening to a podcast of NPR's "This American Life."

Monday workout

I did 60 minutes on the elliptical this morning.

The regular early morning crowd at my gym is getting pretty sparse. I wonder if New Year's Resolutions are dwindling, or if people are starting to switch gyms, due to the branch I'm going to closing down next month. I made it over to the next closest branch of this gym chain yesterday afternoon, and it seems pretty nice. It'll be fine, but just farther away.

Yesterday morning, I walked around the cross-country trail, and it was lovely! The trees are blooming, so it's beginning to look quite lush.

Saturday morning workout

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical again. I'm feeling the need to work on upper body strength more, but haven't fit it in on a regular basis yet.

Last evening I drove by the new gym I'll have to start going to in the mornings in a couple of months, but it had closed for the night, @ 8:00 on Friday nights. I did look through the windows, and there seems to be a lot of equipment. Perhaps I'll get by there today.

Fresh Air

I did 65 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym this morning, so while I didn't exercise IN the fresh air, I listened TO "Fresh Air," an NPR show, via podcast on the iPod. Great way to pass the time, as the "Fresh Air" segments are pretty long....the one I listened to this morning, an interview with Will Ferrell of SNL fame, was 45 minutes long.

Two workouts

Last night I went to the Duke Fitness Center and walked for 30 minutes. Since it was my second workout of the day, it was nice to take it a little easier. I saw a couple of ladies for the Rice Diet there, which was nice.

This morning I was back on the elliptical for 65 minutes. I was a little tired and sore when I woke up this morning, probably from the extra exercise. (I also had two 15 minute walks at work yesterday.) But I went ahead and did a full workout. I'll probably head to bed a little early tonight.

Mid-week workout

This morning I got back to 65 minutes on the elliptical machine.

I found out earlier this week that the gym I go to for my early morning workouts will be consolidating with another branch of the same gym in a couple of months. In mid-May, the closest gym for morning workouts will be a little farther away, but won't share a parking lot with a Chick-Fil-A (a plus!). Although the new place won't have a pool and hot tub, I don't use those things in the early morning (no time). I still have my nights-and-weekends membership at Duke Fitness, still the best in town (except for the hours).

Quick workout

Overslept this morning, so I only did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine. It felt good to get the extra sleep though, even if the rest of the morning getting ready for work was rushed.

I've added listening to podcasts on the iPod to my morning workout routine. It's a nice change of pace. I'm doing some podcasts during the first part of my workout, then changing over to music.

Gold AwardI

I finally hit the Gold Award for the President's Challenge with this morning's workout, as I suspected I would, and thought I'd have to find another incentive program that would keep my interest, but lo and behold, there's a Platinum level that's not advertised (that I can find) on the website. It will take 500,000 points to earn it, and I'm 16% of the way there with my 80,289 points. Been working on this since October 3 of last year, so it will definitely talk me a while to hit 500,000 points!

Meanwhile, I walked around the East Campus wall last evening (in addition to yesterday morning's workout), and did 60 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning.

Weekend workouts

Yesterday, George and I took part in the community walk portion of the Great Human Race in Durham. It was a 5K walk, very nice outside! I was a little sore, but not much. I think that walking on pavement made me feel the soreness, since I'm accustomed to the non-impact feeling of the elliptical machine.

I was back on the elliptical machine at the gym this morning for 65 minutes.

Shaking things up a little

This morning I did 15 minutes on the treadmill first, then followed with 45 minutes on the elliptical. I definitely like the elliptical better, but it felt good to change the routine a bit. I hope to get outside for some exercise this weekend, sounds like it's going to be beautiful!

Another good workout

I did another 65 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning, burning 696 calories and going 4.96 miles! It would be great to be in the 5-mile and 700-calories-burned neighborhood with each workout. Hopefully, they will become more prevalent with time.

It's fun having the new playlist for my workout on the iPod. I don't have to scroll through songs nearly as much, which is nice! Funny how a number of the songs have the words dance, boogie, or groove in the title. ;-)

Faster workout

This morning I spent 65 minutes on the elliptical, with the resistance at 8 most of the time. Turning it up to 9 felt a little harder than I could take this morning, but level 8 seemed a little easy, so I picked up the pace, and finished with 4.96 miles and 698 calories burned.

Part of what helped me go faster today was that I've got a "workout" playlist going on my iPod! When I have the playlist tweaked, I post the list.

Getting back on track

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical machine, though at a lighter pace than usual. I'm still a tad sore in the legs, but it's getting better.

Meanwhile, the official times were posted for the Run for the Oaks 5K I did in Raleigh on Saturday, and my chip time was 46:30, right on target with what I suspected. I was the next to the last person with a timing chip to finish, and the very last person in my age group (40-44-year-old females), by 26 seconds. Still, I'm feeling really good about the race, and look forward to the next one.

George and I are talking about doing a 5K together this coming Saturday here in Durham. George is doing the walk portion, and I may do the walk with him. We'll see if I have my sea legs back by then.

Lighter workout

This morning I did an easy 50 minutes on the elliptical. I'm still pretty sore since the 5K, though not quite as sore as Saturday night and yesterday. Still, I don't want to overdo it too much, muscle-wise. Of course, I'm missing burning those extra calories and getting even more fit.

Interesting thing, how actually running the whole 5K on Saturday has opened up my thinking about moving up to 10Ks and on to the marathon. It's really given me a sense of accomplishment, a lot like actually finishing the Cary Road Race last April (where I walked a lot of it and finished in last place!). My next goal will be to break 45 minutes on the 5K.

The Day After! Run for the Oaks 5K Results

Well, the Run for the Oaks 5K went much better than I even expected yesterday! I was able to jog the WHOLE thing, much to my surprise, and I was so surprised when I saw the big digital clock at the finish line, that I stopped in my tracks for a couple of seconds to gawk at it! :-P THEN I remembered I actually had to cross the finish line, which I did somewhere around 46 minutes, 30 seconds! I broke 50 minutes at last, and beat my last 5K time by about 6 minutes! I was sooo excited!

The weather was chilly AND windy, but I had the wind at my back for part of the way, which helped. Being St. Patrick's Day, some people were dressed in green, and when I finished the race at City Market, they were getting ready for Raleigh's St. Patrick's Day Parade, with vendors (some of them with food!), musicians, and such, gathering. It was pretty festive, so a fun atmosphere!

I signed up for a timing chip to wear on my shoe during the race, but official results haven't been posted yet. Will post here when I know for sure.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sore today, but still managed to do a light 60 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I'll be taking it pretty easy while the soreness goes away.

Light workout

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical, but it was a pretty light workout. Tomorrow morning is the 5K in Raleigh--yay! I'm pumped!

Speaking of the 5K, I went to Raleigh yesterday evening to pick up my race packet, and the cute longsleeve t-shirt came in medium only! Wahhh! I'm still a long way from a medium size, but I'll get there!

Shorter workout

This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine, scaling back a little bit to get ready for Saturday's 5K road race, the Run for the Oaks. It's a beautiful day here, so I hope to go walk around the Quad at some point.

Wednesday workout

I did another 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning. Went to bed late last night, though, so I'm really feeling tired now. Need to get more rest before

I went to see the gynecologist for my annual physical yesterday, and he was pleasantly suprised and very encouraging about my weight loss. I love talking about the Rice Diet and sharing my story!

Before and Progress Pictures

I recently got copies of pictures taken the first day I started the Rice Diet, as well as pictures taked sometime in early February, I think. It's encouraging to see these pictures and to be able to notice my progress! (The pink top pictures are from the first day, and the blue top pictures are from February.) I still have a long, long way to go, but I'll get there. I have to remember the balance between taking things one day at a time, and remembering the big picture, both in terms of my health and in how I want to look, feel, and carry myself.

Today's workout

I worked out for 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning. It's been harder getting up since the time change Sunday morning, but so far I've been able to get a full workout in. I've been getting to bed at a decent time, to boot. The early morning crowd at the gym is a little thinner while I'm there right now, but I bet it'll go back to pretty normal soon.

I'm getting more and more excited about Saturday's Run for the Oaks 5K! I'm feeling stronger and lighter on my feet. It'll be interesting to see what my finishing time turns out to be.

iPod News

My new computer at work has iTunes on it, so I'm trying to learn about it on lunch breaks and at home (with the iPod and iTunes for Dummies book), so that I can add music and podcasts to the iPod I got for my birthday. It's been a great addition to my workout routine! Podcasts I'm going to try out include "This American Life," "Car Talk," "The News from Lake Wobegon," and something about learning Spanish.

Back on the elliptical

Saturday morning I walked the cross-country trail, and yesterday I took an ususual break from exercising. This morning I returned to the gym refreshed, and did 65 minutes on the elliptical, hitting the 5 mile mark and going beyond 700 calories burned for the first time in a while. Now I'm a little tired, but it felt great to have a hard workout this morning.

Yesterday (in my tiredness) I found myself grumbling a little about having to work so hard at losing weight. Sometimes I wish it were easier for me! The extra rest I got yesterday helped relieve this bad attitude shift. Another thing that helped was that I ordered something different from my usual supper at the Rice House. A little variety helps a lot!

Short workout

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning, as I had an early eye appointment this morning, and I got to bed late last night after a meeting in Raleigh. I did have a brisk 15 minute walk from my car (which I parked in my usual location for work) and the Duke Eye Center, all the way in the hospital complex.

I have to start getting to bed at a decent time! How did my life get so busy?! I thought I was busy before, but it keeps getting busier, it seems.

Shorter workout today

This morning I only did 45 minutes on the elliptical. Was tired and a little short on time, as I'd spent some time doing some chores this morning.Life has been so busy and hectic the past week or so! I'm hoping to get out for a walk around the campus today to round out the hour of exercise.

My fasting blood sugar this morning was 79! Wow!

My next 5K is a week from Saturday, so I'll continue to forge ahead!

Time at the gym

Last night George and I met at MetroSport to work out together. I got there first, and a new massage therapist was in the lobby, offering chair massages. Wow! That was great! I thought it was a great idea for her to be out there meeting people and offering short massages. The workout was a little shorter, though, 15 minutes on the elliptical and about 10 minutes of strength training. This morning, though, I was back at my normal gym with 60 minutes on the elliptical.

Tuesday morning workout

This morning I made it through an hour on the treadmill, but I must admit I am tired. I got to bed at an almost decent time last night, but didn't get home til 10:00 due to a meeting, and pretty much went straight to bed. Not much down time. Feeling a little run down in general. Hoping for some down time soon!!

Morning workout

Did another 60 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I'm finding that even if I'm tired, once I get 10-15 minutes under my belt, I often feel like I can finish the hour of exercise. If I haven't gotten warmed up and in a groove by then, then I know I'm tired and need to listen to my body.

Thursday workout

This morning I did another 60 minutes on the elliptical machine. Today was one of those times when I went in thinking I'd do 30 minutes and go home, but ended up being able to last the whole hour after all. I took it 5 minutes at a time.

Wednesday workout

This morning I did the elliptical for 65 minutes, using the intervals program to switch things around a bit. It was a nice change of pace!

Yesterday I stopped by the Rice Diet Clinic, and was able to see my first face shot, and then a follow-up taken a couple weeks ago. I was really encouraged by the difference in my face and neck. :)

Melissa, a friend of mine, joined me for dinner at the Rice House last night. It was such a treat to catch up with her!

This morning's workout & low blood pressure

I did 60 minutes on the elliptical this morning, a moderate workout. I was feeling a on the low side (88/52), even for me.

It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day here in Durham. Hope I can get outside for a walk sometime during the workday. I often feel refreshed when I do.

New week of training

Had a good weekend of exercise, with a walk around the cross country trail Saturday afternoon (beautiful weather for it!) and 60 minutes on the elliptical machine yesterday.

This morning I did 5 minutes on the treadmill and 65 minutes on the elliptical. I have a strong feeling about this being a fresh week on several fronts, including exercise and diet.

Slightly harder workout

I did another 60 minutes on the elliptical machine today, a little harder than yesterday, as I burned 637 calories--according to the machine, and went 4.5 miles.

Lately I've discovered a whole new wardrobe of t-shirts, ones that I got at various events, but that I couldn't fit into at the time. A fair number of those events offered XXL as their biggest t-shirt size, but I took them anyway, thinking, "One day I'll be able to wear this!" The day has finally arrived! I should get rid of the 3Xs now, but it's hard to get rid of a big, comfy t-shirt!

Lighter workout

I was tired this morning, so I did a lighter hour on the elliptical this morning, only burning 605 calories. Glad I did the whole hour, though I felt a little wimpy for taking it easy. I'm still kinda tired, the achy kind of tired, though, so I needed to listen to my body.

George and I have a date night at the gym planned for tonight, and I'll probably do some strength training then.

Another goal hit!

I did another 65 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning, and hit 5 miles exactly! In a bit of a numbers coincidence, that translated into 7333 strides, and 722.2 calories.

Earlier this week, I asked one of the nurses at the Rice Diet to check my resting heart rate, and it's down to 56! When I started the Rice Diet back in August, it was 70, and more recently, it was 60.

This morning, one of the nurses and I were talking about how maintaining the diet and exercise regimen is hard at times, but that it's a choice I'm making. I could let the diabetes win out, but then losing my feet, my vision, or kidneys to complications from diabetes would be even harder, in my opinion.

Another milestone

This morning I did another hearty workout on the elliptical for 65 minutes, for 4.94 miles. I'm inching my way toward 5 miles.

At the Rice House this morning, I got the okay to stop checking my blood sugars before each meal! Yippee! I'll still keep the monitor around, of course, but I'm excited to be able to give my fingers a rest.

Workout update

Both Saturday and yesteday, I did pretty vigorous workouts of 65 minutes each on the elliptical, Saturday at the Duke Fitness Center, and yesterday at Peak Fitness. I think the machines might be callibrated a little differently, as Saturday I almost hit my 5 mile goal, finishing at 4.98 miles! Yesterday I was back at 4.91 miles, and they seemed like similar workouts.

Today I slept in a little, so only did a 50 minute workout on the elliptical. I'm a little sore for the hard workouts lately, so my body probably appreciated the small break to heal.

Taking it up a notch

This morning, I did 10 minutes on the treadmill, then a hard 65 minutes on the elliptical. I burned 706.9 calories and went 4.80 miles. I'm feeling a little tired now and wishing I could take a 30-minute nap, but work calls!

Several people have mentioned my weight loss this week, most of whom told me I look pretty. It's made me wonder, did I not look pretty before? Surely part of it is that I feel and look healthier, and I carry myself differently. One co-worker told me about another acquaintance of hers who lost a lot of weight and how her face looked very different. She finally figured out that one of the nicely different things was that she could see this person's eyes better. I thought that was an interesting observation.

New 5K

I signed up for another 5K yesterday, the Run for the Oaks, on March 17 in Raleigh. Proceeds will go to help plant trees around the city, which is a cause with a different twist. The route is in the same area as the race I participated in back in October, and it's a pretty fast course. I'm looking forward to it!

Overslept this morning

I forgot to set my alarm last night, so I woke up naturally at 6 AM, rather than my normal 5:00. I almost took it easy this morning and give myself the morning off from exercise, but I decided to hop into my workout clothes and get whatever exercise in that I could. I managed a 30 minute stint on the elliptical, which felt good. I missed getting the whole 60-minute sweat in, but I do feel really good for getting the extra sleep.

Calorie goal hit!

A couple days ago, I got close to 700 calories burned on the elliptical, and was hoping to stretch for 700 calories burned soon. Well, today I hit the 705 calories burned mark in 65 minutes! Yay! I'm a little tired now, and wish I could stretch out for a short nap even, but am at work and can't do the nap thing. Oh well, good for the stamina! In this morning's workout I went 4.89 miles, so my next goal will be to hit 5 miles.

More exercise

Last night George and I went to the gym together and walked around the indoor track for about half an hour, then got into the pool and hot tub. :) It was fun to get some exercise and then some R&R and catch up at the same time. Between the walk and yesterday morning's hard workout, I'm still a little weary, so I took it a little easy this morning and did a 45 minute workout on the elliptical.

At the Rice House this morning, I met someone who's come all the way from Alaska to do the Rice Diet! Wow! :)

Hard workout!

This morning I spent 65 minutes on the elliptical, and really booked it, burning 690 calories in that time. I kicked the resistance up through 6->7-> 8, and still felt strong, which surprised me. I am tired now, though, and have a full day of work ahead. One of my new goals is to burn 700 calories on the ellliptical machine.

I had my iPod back in action this morning, which helped a lot! It was doing wierd things, so I finally took the time to go through my iPod and iTunes for Dummies book and learned how to reset the iPod. I was happy to find that doing that solved the problem! :-)

Friday workout

I made it through an hour on the elliptical machine this morning, kinda surprised myself, as I'm feeling droopy here at the end of the week. Part of what got me through was that I didn't think I'd have time to take any walk breaks today at work--busy day today! I did change the resistance a bit too, moving it up to 7 after about five minutes of warmup, then moving it up to 8 for the last ten minutes or so.

I hope to make it back the gym for an afternoon or evening workout this weekend, would love to spend some time in the hot tub.

Update: I did make it outside for a 15 minute walk around the Quad this afternoon. Brrr, it's cold outside!!

Hour-long workout and snacking opportunities

This morning I got back to an hour on the elliptical machine! It felt good, and I was surprised, since I had a Junior League meeting last night and didn't get to bed til nearly midnight (so I was tired!).

Okay, okay, so it wasn't totally the meeting's fault that I was up late. The Duke-UNC basketball game didn't start until 9:00, and the game was on TV, so I stayed up watching it. Duke was ahead for most of the game, so I was psyched to watch a Duke win, but they let it slip away, and Carolina stayed the course. Bummer.

By the way, survived the eating table at the Junior League meeting, and I even took one of my favorite things, homemade pimento cheese (and crackers to put it on). I did have three pieces of celery (no pimento cheese on them, either!), but no harm done when I got on the scales this morning. (Big surprise!) I did more socializing with a glass of water in my hand. I couldn't compliment anyone on how good their dish tasted, but I was able to find other things to talk about! :-)

I felt like snacking during the basketball game on TV (old habit) and after the loss (to feel better), but passed. This morning I felt better for skipping the late night snacking.

Early morning at the gym

This morning I did 45 intense minutes on the elliptical, was a great workout. I was inspired by a regular there at the gym who commented that she noticed I'd lost some weight. I told her about the Rice Diet, and she said she actually used to work security there years ago! Small world.

I made it out to the Quad for a 15 minute walk this afternoon to round out an hour of exercise for the day. What a beautiful afternoon! It's still nippy, but a big improvement temperature-wise over the past couple of days!

Short workout

This morning, I only spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. George and I had a covenant group meeting last night, so I ended up getting to bed later. :-( I hate using lack of sleep as an excuse, but I'm trying to listen to my body, and still find it hard to get to bed at a decent hour when I have meetings after work. Add to the mix the fact that I'm no longer depending on caffeine to keep me awake at work. *sigh*

My fasting blood sugar was 110 this morning, even with the exercise (would more have helped?) and being down on the scales this morning. I may have to go back on metformin. We'll see how my blood sugar readings go for the rest of the day.

Morning workouts

George and I worked out together yesterday morning at the gym, though I did all cardio on the elliptical and he got on the weight machines after a short cardio session. This morning I did a hard 45 minutes on the elliptical, so I decided to make it a little shorter in time.

This will be my first full day off metformin! Dr. Neelon stopped by my breakfast table at the Rice House yesterday and told me not to take any more metformin and we'll see how it goes. I'm excited about the prospect of being off the diabetes medication! I certainly weigh less than I did when I was diagnosed with diabetes.

Morning walk

I decided to walk outside on this cold morning, so I headed over to the cross country trail about a quarter to 8. Since it was so cold, I picked up the pace and finished in just under an hour, so I walked around in the parking lot to get an hour of exercise in. ;-)

Good night's sleep

I went to bed early last night, and it's amazing how much better I feel today! Wow! I got back up to 65 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning, and that felt good too!

I was excited to find out yesterday that my hemaglobin A1c is down to 5.6! It's down from 10.9 last July.

Last night I finished reading The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde, and started reading The New Psycho-Cybernetics, a book my sis gave me for Christmas. I remember the tennis coach at my high school having her team members read the original, and the team was quite good. I had the same coach for a PE class, and thought she was a neat lady. Anyway, I think the book will be a really good one for me to read, with the diet and exercise program I'm on. Bet I'll be writing more about it soon!

Brrr! Cold pool!

This morning I did 50 minutes on the elliptical machine.

George and I had fun working out together at the gym last night. We did some strength training first, then tried getting into the pool to do some water walking, laps, or something. Well, it's an outdoor pool with a bubble over it, but it was really too cold for my tastes. After a few minutes of shivering, we got out. Ah well, it was worth a try.

Gym date

This morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical. It was another morning where I felt tired and was just going to do 10-15 minutes, but did longer after all.

Tonight, George and I are going to the gym together in what's becoming a weekly gym date! We hope to get outside when the weather gets warmer and the daylight lasts longer.

Last night, Dr. Neelon did a presentation for Grand Rounds at the Endocrinology Clinic, and has asked me a couple weeks ago if he could present my case. Of course I agreed! He invited me to come and sit in for the presentation, and I went for it last night. It was very interested! I always enjoy hearing Dr. Neelon talk. He's very wise and insightful.

Motivation

Saturday afternoon, I went to Barnes & Noble to distract myself from some hunger pangs before supper. I found a couple of diet books with stories and tips to help with motivation, The Biggest Loser (based on the show), and Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul. I've been flipping through and reading stories ever since. I've enjoyed them so far, and think I'll enjoy picking them up again and again. I enjoy hearing about others' weight loss journeys. In addition to stories, the Biggest Loser book talks about the eating and exercising regimes from the show. The Chicken Soup book also has some dieting resources.

Extra workout

Yesterday morning I slept in a bit, so I didn't get to the gym until after lunch. I did 60 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, then later George and I went to the gym for some strength training. This morning, I did another hour on the elliptical. I must admit, I'm a little tired today....but it's a good tired.

Outside

I finally got back outside this morning to exercise! It was a beautiful morning, a little brisk but not as bad as it's been lately. I walked the Duke cross country trail, which is 5K, in 65 minutes, and it felt great!

More on the elliptical

Last night I got another 35 minute workout on the elliptical at the gym. I got to sleep a little earlier last night, but still just did a 30 minute workout on the elliptical this morning.

I think part of the time crunch is that I'm finding it hard to get out of the apartment on these bitterly cold mornings! Brrr! I want to cocoon and stay warm, but I need to stay with the exercise routine! It will pay off!

Morning workout

This morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical. Still doing shorter workouts, but feel okay about keeping the habit going. I'm feeling a bit of a sleep deficit, and need to make getting to bed a priority, I know. With so many other things going on, that's been a challenge lately.

Meanwhile, I had an interesting conversation with a co-worker earlier this week. She's Japanese, and I was telling her about the rice cooker I got for Christmas and how I can't wait to start using it after I finish at the Rice Diet. (Last time I was at her home I noticed she has a rice cooker.) She wasn't aware that I was involved in the RD, so I told her about it and shared with her my total weight loss (both before and since the RD). It turns out I was within 4 lbs of losing as much as she weighs, total! That was encouraging!

This morning at the gym

I got to the gym extra tired this morning, thinking I'd just do 10-15 minutes of exercise to stay in the routine of things, but once I got on the elliptical, I was able to do 30 minutes, and wished I'd had more time to round out an hour on the machine. I'm sure I'll get more exercise today, whether it's walking on breaks at work or another trip to the gym tonight.

Early morning at the gym

I got back on the elliptical this morning and did 55 minutes. The scales were good to me this morning, a nice reward. :) As I left the gym to return home for my get-ready-for-work-and-the-Rice-House routine, I noticed that the morning sky showed just an itsy-bitsy tad of color, a welcome sight!

Shaking things up

This morning I had a short workout on the treadmill, 35 minutes. Needed something different from the elliptical today, but was still feeling a little less than 100% this morning from a GI episode late last night. No fever or anything, so I'm sure it was just a passing thing.

It was nice to spend more time on the treadmill, actually kinda refreshing. It had bored me in the past, but this will probably be a good way to start shaking things up. Only drawback is that I don't burn as many calories on the treadmill.

Back to normal

This morning, I made it back up to an hour on the elliptical machine, felt good to get back to normal. Glad to have the gym to go to, as I'm not much of a cold weather person, and bet I wouldn't be exercising as much during these cold spells if I had to exercise outside on a regular basis.

Balancing act

The past couple of mornings, I've had shorter workouts (25 and 35 minutes on the elliptical) due to time constraints. I see a pattern developing, where most workouts are an hour or so, but every few days I have shorter workouts. Then I return to an hour of exercise again. In the big scheme of things, I think that's okay for now. A short workout is better for me than not exercising at all. Momentum is important, but so are balance and rest.

In Rice Diet news, last night at supper they were out of one of my usual dishes, Mandarin orange slices, so I was "forced" to try something else! I had spaghetti squash with dill instead, and it was yummy! My fasting blood sugar was up a little bit this morning, 107 vs. my usual number in the 90s. Not sure if there's a correlation, but I enjoyed the change of pace. :) We'll see.

Another workout

I did another 60 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I was a little tired heading into the gym, but had a strong workout, burning 611 calories in 60 minutes. (I usually burn 500+ calories in the same timeframe.)

Tomorrow's weather report is calling for a cold rain, possibly with a wintery mix in the morning. Thinking about getting another workout in tonight just in case it's hard to get out from under the warm covers in the morning! Brrr!

Still going strong

I had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Day, but continued my exercise routine all weekend. Yesterday I even got a second workout in, some upper body strength training, in addition to my morning elliptical routine.

I've signed up for Discovery Health's National Body Challenge again. I'm always on the lookout for new tips and tricks, though I hope I don't get burned out over places to record my workouts and weigh-ins. I'll just do what I can in terms of recording. The most important thing is to keep exercising!

I got another 2001 Accord last Friday night! It's navy blue, and in great shape. It does have a few more miles on it than my last one, a little over 77 K, but it should last a long time, just the same. It drives well, and it certainly feels like home to me. :)

Tired this morning

When I got to the gym this morning, I was feeling the effects of a busy week (including car shopping the past couple of nights), so I did a 35 minute workout on the elliptical. Perhaps I'll be able to get back to the gym this evening for another short workout to round out the hour.

Morning workout and car issues

This morning I got to the gym about 5:20 for my 60-minute elliptical workout, since I had to go by the collision center after getting ready for work but before breakfast and work. At the collision center, I finished cleaning out my belongings and got my tag. Here's what my car looks like now (picture taken with cell phone):

A white trash bag is covering the window that broke away.

Last night I looked at a couple of cars at Carmax, a Civic and an Acura.

Latest workouts

Last night I got another workout in, spending 25 minutes on the elliptical. It gave me 65 minutes total on the elliptical for yesterday. Yay! This morning I did another 65 minutes on the elliptical. I got to the gym earlier this morning, around 5:30, so that helped.

With this morning workout, I hit the Presidential Champions Silver award level, and and now 56% of the way to the gold award. That takes a total of 80,ooo points, with points being awarded for exercising.

A little longer

This morning I spent 40 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym. I felt stronger and a little more awake than yesterday, but am trying to get to work a little earlier. I don't much like my workouts suffering, so I need to find a balance somehow.

Up and down

Had a pretty busy exercise weekend, including a strength training session Friday evening with George at the gym, and a full hour on the elliptical on Saturday. This morning I only lasted 20 minutes on the elliptical, though. Was tired this morning (still am), so I took it a little easy. Tomorrow I'll be back on track, I bet. I did enjoy getting an earlier start on getting ready for work, out the door to the Rice House, and on to work.

The crowd at the gym is a little different, seeing some new faces. I guess those New Year's Resolutions are kicking in.

On a humorous note, I got a chuckle when I received my daily tips email from HungryGirl.com. They were talking about a new tea-drinking mug out that has a little pocket for the tea bag. One can have the mug personalized with your name. There was a picture of the mug in the email, with MY name on it! Since mine is not the usual spelling, this caught me by surprise.

Shorter workout today

I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning, a little shorter than usual. I'm still feeling some residual tiredness that I felt yesterday after getting some extra exercise on Wednesday. I need to remember balance!

Meanwhile, I should find another 5K to shoot for soon. I need some fresh motivation! In the mean time, I'm 95% of the way to the President's Challenge Silver Medal! Every little bit helps.

Steppin' it up a bit

Last night I returned to the gym and did 15 minutes of strength training (upper body this time) and 15 minutes on the elliptical machine. My arms a little sore this morning, but not bad. This morning I returned for my early morning workout and did 60 minutes on the elliptical.

Christina Aguilera hits my favorites list on the iPod playlist again today. It surprises me, partly because I don't keep up with the "latest hits." Anyway, I've heard this one song in Spanish several times that the iPod screen said was an Aguilera song. No idea what it was about, but I've liked the beat a lot each time I've heard it. Well, this morning the English version came up, "Come On Over." You know, I think I like the Spanish version better, eventhough I know very little Spanish. :o)

More on the elliptical

This morning I was back up to 65 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym. I wasn't sure I'd hold out, but was glad I did after it was all over. I've started craving some strength training, so I might start mixing things up soon.

Yesterday afternoon I took a 15-minute walk around the quad. It was a nice afternoon, so it was a welcome break from my desk. Things are still pretty quiet around campus.

Today's workout

Today it was back to my "normal" routine, as I returned to work today after several days off. I woke up at 5 AM, but it was a little hard to get going again! (I didn't get to bed early enough!) When I finally got to the gym, I only lasted 30 minutes. But it was a start. Perhaps I'll get back to the gym or take a walk this evening. I do plan to take a couple of short walks here at work.

I haven't set a new 5K race as a goal yet. I'll check later and see if I can get one in sometime in the next month or so.

Back to old routine

Today I did an hour on the elliptical machine at the gym. It had been about a week since I spent an hour on the elliptical, so I'm a tad sore, but not bad. Since I'm off work today, I took a Rice Diet class on cooking, which was fun.

Today and Monday are university holidays, so I'm looking forward to a nice, long weekend.

A Different Route

This morning I set out for the gym, but I had a gut feeling that I wouldn't last an hour on the elliptical today, so I turned the other way and headed for the cross-country trail at Duke. It's a 5 km (3.1 mi) trail near Duke Forest, and walking it would take me a little over an hour. Once commited, I knew I'd want to finish the thing, and I did. It was COLD (about 35 degrees), so I walked fast. :-) It felt good to complete the trail. Although most of it is wooded, it also goes around part of the Duke Golf Course. Here is one of the views:

I took my iPod with me, but opted not to suit up today, so I could listen to the sounds of nature and other joggers/walkers.

In other news, there's no news on my car today. I hope to get an estimate on the damage tomorrow.

Off normal routine

I've gotten a little off track with the exercise routine this holiday season, but I've still gotten some in every day except Saturday and Monday (Christmas Day). I was on my way to workout on Saturday when I was in a car accident, and while I wasn't really hurt physically (just a little sore), my car is pretty bad. I had it towed to the body shop today, and hope to know the damage by the end of the week. I hope it's not totaled.

Meanwhile, today I've done 20 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes of walking. George wants to go work out tonight, so maybe I'll go with him and get some more exercise.

Today's workout

This morning, I did an hour and 20 minutes on the elliptical. Felt good, but I've been a little tired for the rest of the day. I'll probably take a nap when I get home. :)

Morning at the gym

I spent 75 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym this morning. Favorites tunes on the iPod this morning included Natalie Cole's "This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)" and Elton John's "Honky Cat."

Morning at the gym

I did 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and played a little bit with the resistance and the crossramp to jazz up the workout a little bit. I've come to enjoy my early morning workouts a lot, though sometimes I enjoy the end of the workout most! Love the way I feel when I'm done! I often enjoy the workout itself, especially when I'm feeling strong....or stressed.

I'm thankful to be on the Rice Diet during this holiday season. It's been challenging, as there have been numerous tempations. I've learned a lot about myself, including the fact that I have more willpower than I thought.

Past two days

Yesterday, I spent 65 minutes on the elliptical, this morning I did another 60 minutes. I'm still a little sore from Saturday's 5K, but my leg muscles are feeling a little better.

I just found the official results to Saturday's race, and I finished in 52 minutes, 12 seconds, the last of time officially timed people. (The race also had a recreational division, with no chip timing). *sigh* I need to remember that I did have fun running with Steph and being out on a beautiful morning around all the people (many in reindeer antlers and one person in a Santa suit!)!

Yesterday I started reading the book, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running, by John Bingham. Although I bought the book last week while Christmas shopping, yesterday was a good one to start reading it. Although I had a fun time overall running the Reindeer Romp on Saturday, I'm still a little discouraged about running slower than the last 5K. The book has been encouraging so far, though, and has some helpful tips as well.

John Bingham is a columnist for Runner's World magazine who started running at 43 as an overweight couch potato, and he shares his journey and insights now. Through his writing, he tries to encourage people to take it one step at a time, to have fun with it, and not worry about being at the back of the pack. It's helped me a lot in keepin' on with the 5Ks, since I'm seriously in the back of the pack right now.

Sunday morning workout

This morning I did a pretty vigorous 65 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym. Favorites on the iPod playlist this morning included Electric Light Orchestra's "A Fifth of Beethoven" and Bob Segar's "Old Time Rock & Roll."

At the Rice Diet checkin today, I asked the nurse to check my resting heart rate to see if it's gone down with all the exercise I've been doing. When I last had it checked back in August, it was 70. This morning it was 60.

Reindeer Romp 5K Report

I participated in the Reindeer Romp 5K this morning, and had a great time! My buddy Steph went with me, and was sweet enough to run along with me, eventhough she probably could've run faster. Since proceeds from the race were going to Girls on the Run of the Triangle, a lot of girls were out to run/walk to 5K (3.1 mi) course, and that was fun to see.

We finished the race in about 52 minutes, slower than I'd hoped, but it was still a good feeling. We "jogged" all but 8 minutes of it, which was an accomplishment. I put joggged in quotes because it was different from walking for me, but some people walk faster than I jog at times. One day I want to jog the whole 5K, at whatever pace!

Oh, by the way!

I forgot to mention that I did the treadmill "Fit Test" at the gym a few days ago, and scored a 34, "above average" for this particular rest. Making progress!

Morning workout

I did 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning, with the resistance up a notch. I'm a little sore right now.

When I got home, I realized I was without the new iPod! I rushed back to the gym, and it wasn't there. A lady came over and said she'd turned it in at the front desk. I was thankful and relieved! Favorites on the playlist this morning included "Mockingbird" sung by Carly Simon and James Taylor, and the Pointer Sisters' "Boogie Oogie Oogie," a fun workout song! :-)

Today's workout

This morning I did an hour on the elliptical. Glad to report that theh iPod is working normally again! Yay! Plugged it up to my computer yesterday to recharge, and after I unplugged it, it was working normally again. Go figure!

The weather here is lovely this week, highs in the 60s! I'll be getting some walks around the Quad in during the workday, which will help.

The Reindeer Romp is coming up on Saturday! I've been looking forward to this next 5K!

Back to normal exercise routine

I was back to 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning, felt good to get back on track.

Eventhough I'm doing something important for my health in exercising an hour every day, lately I've been thinking about other things I could be doing with the hour, like cleaning, writing Christmas cards, reading, things that I feel like I'm not having enough time for. It's all about setting priorities though, I guess. The important things will get done, the rest I need to try not to worry about.

Unfortunately, my new iPod is on the blink. It just spans through the songs now without stopping to play, and nothing I push or poke seems to help. Hmmm, any iPod gurus out there with suggestions?

Short workout

I did 15 minutes on the treadmill this morning, and that was it. Feeling tired this morning, so I decided to take it a little easier. I still plan to do some walking on my breaks here at work today.

Weekend workouts

Saturday, Sunday, and today, I did 65 minutes on the elliptical. Favorite workout tunes on the iPod included Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move," and Chicago's "Alive Again."

I had a wonderful manicure and pedicure on Saturday! Only downside was that the lady who worked on my nails asked me when my due date was. No, I'm not expecting a baby. :-/

Morning workout

I did 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning. Favorite songs heard on the new iPod this morning included Chicago's "Make Me Smile," Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move," and the Beach Boy's "Catch a Wave."

Each day this workweek, I've taken two 15 minute walk breaks around the Quad, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Today, I may break the trend. It's COLD outside today! Brrr! The high is supposed to be in the high 30's to maybe 40 degrees. Have I said brrrr yet?! I wish I had some gloves with me. That would help.

Next 5K-the Reindeer Romp!

I'm signed up for my next 5K! Yay! It's the Reindeer Romp in Cary, NC, on December 16. Proceeds will go to Girls on the Run of the Triangle. The description on Active.com says the course is relatively flat, so I've signed up for the competive division. I'll get a timing chip for my shoe. This being said, I know I'll be near the back of the pack finishing, but am hoping to beat 50 minutes.

Putting the elliptical to music

It's been a treat to have my own music to listen to while on the elliptical machine at the gym. The music on the gym's stereo system is rarely what I like, and it's hard to block it out. (I'd often wish they'd turn the music off altogether!) Today's favorites on the new iPod playlist included Cat Stevens' (aka Yusuf Islam) "Morning Has Broken," Paul Simon's "Kodachrome," and Christina Aguilera's "Fighter." I know, I know, I'm as surprised as anyone about the the Christina Aguilera song, but it sounded great on the elliptical machine! :)

I did another 75 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I feel a little less sore, but more tired. I may need to get to bed earlier, or cut down on the minutes temporarily to let my body rest and get used to the increased exercise.

In Rice Diet news, they have a new set of scales at the Rice House today. We have to type in an access code, and the scales send our weight to the computer. Going high tech.

More elliptical

Spent another 75 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I'm still a little sore, but am sure that will change in time. I'd like to work up to 90 minutes of exercise in the mornng before breakfast. It's almost too cold for me to walk outside during work these days.

Favorites on the new iPod playlist this morning included "Disco Inferno," the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," and "Surfin' Safari" by the Beach Boys.

The morning after

I survived my birthday rather well! I don't feel 43, whatever that's supposed to feel like. I certainly feel stronger and more healthy than I did a year ago!

Thanks to my sister and her family, I'm a proud owner of a new iPod since last night! It's very cute! Thanks for my uncle and brother-in-law, I have a long list of 1700+ tunes already on it, and have had a fun time exploring the list! It's a pretty eclectic roundup, but it's brought me several smiles already!

This morning I spent 75 minutes on the elliptical, and my body is feeling it now. Having the music to listen to really helped keep me going for a little extra! Fun songs of the morning workout included Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and Sheryl Crow's "All I Want to Do."

I'm still learning about the iPod, and look forward to learning more about playlists and such. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it! (Wondering if there's an iPods for Dummies book out there! :-) )

I've taken a 30 minute walk at work this morning, to help me get on a roll of doing an hour and a half of exercise during the work week. This is something I've just started trying to do in the past week.

Monday morning workout

Did 65 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and 5 minutes on the treadmill. Felt strong this morning, so I put a little extra push on my elliptical workout.

Today is my birthday, and since Mom and Dad are still in town, they're meeting me at the Rice House for dinner. I'm missing going out to dinner, but it's not about the food, right?

Still going

This morning I did another 60 minutes on the elliptical at the gym. Today was the first time I've beat the gym opening employee there in the AM, so it was kinda interesting to see the lights coming on.

Weight Milestone

I've lost 50.2 lbs on the Rice Diet! I'm psyched to have made this mini-goal before my birthday on Monday. :)

I did the cross-country trail before breakfast this morning. I jogged a little more of it then last time, including a half mile stretch without stopping, and a couple of hills. I finished about 3 minutes faster than the last time I did the trail and watched the clock. I've come to appreciate every little bit of progress!

More exercise

I got to the gym a little earlier than usual this morning, and much to my surprise, all 6 of the elliptical machines I like were taken. (The nerve!) I did the treadmill for 5 minutes, then hopped on the elliptical for an hour when one in my line of view opened up.

I'll try my best to walk during my work breaks today. It promises to be rainy at times as the cold front works its way through, but it should still be pretty moderate for part of today, so I'll give it a shot.