Lessons Learned + Goals

This week was full of challenges.  I challenged myself to eat a different breakfast each day and to step up my fitness after being sick for several weeks.  I learned a good bit from both challenges.      

First I learned that there are many more options for a quick breakfast than I thought.  I always thought cooking eggs in the morning would be the equivalent of waiting for the chicken to lay the egg.  I often make egg burritos for lunch but couldn’t wrap my mind around making eggs for breakfast.  But after a lovely lesson on microwave eggs I’m excited about using them for more protein as I spend more time in the gym (more on this later).  If I had the space I might even invest in some chickens to make those cool dark-colored egg yolk eggs….like little sunshine in the center of the egg.  And overnight oats are a lovely palette for so many different flavors that I should make the more often.  They are great grab and go.  And I also learned that I have far more options than days this week so I might continue to be more adventurous.  I didn’t even get to try the infamous breakfast cookie, pumpkin yogurt or waffle sandwich.  Perhaps I’m a bit more adventurous when challenged.  Up next Mount Everest…maybe not!      

And I was super ambitious when it came to amping up my fitness this week.  I had been so restless during the course of my respiratory infection that I had scrubbed my kitchen and organized my bedroom.  So I had to do something with all this pent-up energy and wanted to do a lot.  If you don’t remember here was my plan…     

• Monday- Couch to 10K Run, Wii Active challenge, PT Exercises
• Tuesday- Calorie scorcher (15 minutes walking hills, 15 minutes Elliptical Intervals, 15 minutes Biking intervals), PT Exercises, Wii Active challenge
• Wednesday- Couch to 10K Run, Upper Body Pyramid Circuit
• Thursday- Yoga, Wii Active Challenge
• Friday- Couch to 10K Run, Full Body Pyramid w/ PT Exercises, Wii Active
• Saturday- Yoga, 30 minute circuit Workout
• Sunday- Wii Active, Calorie scorcher.

Okay so I was a bit overzealous.  Hey I’d felt like I was cooped up for weeks on end and wanted to push myself to my limits.  Apparently my limits were a little lower than my expectations.  Here is what I actually accomplished.     

• Monday- Couch to 10K Run, Wii Active challenge, PT Exercises [I only did a few PT exercises after Wii Active]
• Tuesday- Calorie scorcher (15 minutes walking hills, 15 minutes Elliptical Intervals, 15 minutes Biking intervals), PT Exercises, Wii Active challenge
• Wednesday- Couch to 10K Run, Upper Body Pyramid Circuit
• Thursday- Yoga, Wii Active Challenge
• Friday- Couch to 10K Run, Full Body Pyramid w/ PT Exercises, Wii Active
• Saturday- Yoga, 30 minute circuit Workout, Calorie Scorcher
• Sunday- Wii Active, Calorie scorcher.

I need to not push so hard I guess.  PT exercises only really need to happen twice a week so I did okay even if I was pushing for more.  And Thursday was just hard so next week I can do something then even though I didn’t this week.  And the evil cashier at Panera made my latte with caffeine even though I specified decaf so Sunday was not going to happen as I tried not to pass out from the million hot daggers racing through my stomach thanks to my IBS flaring up.  But I know that I can workout back to my full potential and enjoy the buckets of sweat pouring off my brow.     

I just need to eat more.  I was starving all week since I was burning way more calories than I had been.  I need to space out my Weekly Points so I don’t snack on my arm of all the junk I put into my body this week.  Protein will be a staple at all meals…perhaps I should look into those chickens after all.  My stock in Almond Butter will go up and my bean stash will be seriously depleted.  But I’d rather eat all that then the sugar that hurt my poor tummy this week.   

 

Therefore this week here is my more modest fitness challenge for myself.

• Monday- Wii Active, Couch to 10K run, PT Exercises
• Tuesday- Calorie Scorcher, Full body pyramid
• Wednesday- Couch to 10K run, Wii Active
• Thursday- Wii Active, 30 minute circuit
• Friday- Couch to 10K run, PT exercises, Wii Active
• Saturday- Calorie Scorcher, Full Body Pyramid
• Sunday- Wii Active, Elliptical Intervals

I’m working on completing the 30-day challenge for the EA Active which are some great strength training exercises so I learned not to do strength at the gym those days.  My muscles are sore enough from all the training I don’t need my butt to fall off from too many lunges or jump squats.  Trainer Bob on my Wii is brutal and made me do 24 of them plus 40 side to side jumps in one day.  He’s no joke.   

And now for the other goals I had for the week…I know I was super goal oriented this week.   

 

Last Week’s Goals:  

•   Start strength training. I was my own trainer this week.  And I think I did pretty good.  The soreness in my bum is a good indication that I worked it hard this week.
•  No eating out. Sunday we had to eat out for work for lunch and dinner but other than that I was the chef du jour for the week.  Not all gourmet but they were at home.  And surprise surprise we saved money this week 🙂
•  No frivolous spending. I only bought one latte while out for my girls night with Sarah.  Other than that we bought basic food stock to add to the grocery store we keep in our pantry.  Just some fresh fruits and veggies and some milk.  Not bad at all.
•  Back to 10K training. I listened to my training plan.  2 miles and home even if my body could handle more.  Okay I didn’t go home but I stopped running and just walked.  I’m feeling great and ready to move onto the next week or runs.
•  Rework my budget. Hunni and I sat down with out budget and completely reworked it.  The credit cards are put away and cash is pulled out for necessary expenses only.  It was a smack to my face to see how our savings had depleted.  We have a plan and we are working it.
  
  
  

    

This Week’s Goals:     

• Change up breakfast.  Okay so I’m not going to go nuts and do an entire other week of different breakfast everyday.  But I want to try some other breakfast creations this week and recreate some of my favorites from my challenge (ahem…Angela’s PB&J oats). 
• Stick to training plan.  I want to earn as many if not more activity points this week as I did last week.  My plan (above) will get me to that goal.  And I don’t think I’ll die trying either.
• Catch up on LOST.  I need to somehow watch the Season Premiere from last week before Sarah comes over for girls night so we can be LOSTies.  I might have to hijack Sarah and her computer to watch it if Headquarters doesn’t fix my flash player quick.  I think there will be several calls made on Monday to either effect.
• Date Night!  I have a special Valentine’s Gift for Hunni that is silly but perfect.  And we are planning on hitting up the movies.  Too bad Angela said our first choice is like soy cheese.  I hate soy cheese so I might be searching Movie Fone for a different plan of attack.  I enjoy my permanent Valentine 😉
• Plan vacation.  I’m a workaholic to the max.  We haven’t taken a real vacation since last summer when we went to a bunch of weddings.  We keep saying we are going to visit friends but never get around to doing it.  Hunni and I agreed that we need to get on the horn and call said friends and make plans so we can get out of dodge and enjoy some time away from the office.  It’s hard to leave but once we do we enjoy it.  I won’t think about the pile of work that is left when we get back…this girl just wants to have fun.

So there you have it.  I’m a woman on a mission this week.  What are your goals for the week?    

BTW How about that Superbowl!  I love good games.  Much more fun to watch.  Sad my boy Brady no longer has the passing record for the Superbowl but I loved the onside kick to start the second half.  That takes some big brass you know whats.  And the 2 point conversion was great!  And I scared poor Leo screaming for that interception.  Safe to say I loved the game.  GO SAINTS! 
(Don’t worry Pat’s your still my number 1!  We’ll get there next season.)