I have completed my first night of working out! Woo!
I left work at 4:00 and went over there, and then changed into my workout clothes and went into the gym. I knew some of what to expect, based on the sheet he gave me on Friday, but it was nice to go through it for the first time and really start getting the routine in my head.
First he took my blood pressure and resting heart rate. My heart rate was 88, and my blood pressure was 128 over 86, I think. Then he gave me this thing to put on that monitors heart rate, and we went over to the elliptical machine. He showed me that the monitor I was wearing syncs up with the machine, so my heart rate was displayed on it (cool). He said we wanted my heart rate to get between 132 and 153 (I think). I got into the 140s and stayed there, so I guess that was good.
I did my 20 minutes, at a fairly light resistance, but then it's my first day. I was dripping sweat when I was done, though, so it definitely was a workout.
Then I had a five minute cool down on the elliptical, which brought my heart rate down to about 120, and then we went to the weight machines. He showed me how to set the weights (I need to wear my contacts while I workout, though - I don't like wearing my glasses when I'm getting all sweaty, and things are just slightly blurry without them), and then I did a lot of arm work - my arms are sore this morning. And I did some reverse crunches, and some leg things on the floor, and then he showed me how to stretch out the muscles I had worked, he took my heart rate and blood pressure (heart rate just over 100, blood pressure the same as when I started). And I was done!
So, yay! Now I know exactly what to expect. He'll make things harder on me as my body gets more used to it, and I'll have to increase the length of time I spend on cardio work and increase the number of repetitions I do on weight work, but I can get through this, no problem.
I have just under 13 months until I get married - I'll be in such good shape by then! I'm so glad I'm doing this program. :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
One Minute To Go
One minute until I clock out and go to the gym! Woo! I'm excited. And nervous. And happy. Mostly excited and happy.
I'll write more tomorrow about how it went!
I'll write more tomorrow about how it went!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
My Workout Plan
I got my workout plan! There isn't anything too surprising in it, really. Here's what it says.
First there is a lot of stuff about heart rate max (HRM), resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate reserve (HRR). I'm not sure what the first and last thing mean, but they give numbers for them all. My HRM is 195 beats per minute (BPM), my RHR is 90 BPM and my HRR is 105 BPM. I don't know what all of that means, but I'm sure I'll have it explained to me on Monday.
Then there is a formula for lower level training zone, and one for upper level training zone, and formulas equal math which equals me zoning out immediately. Zzzzz. :)
But then it says that my training heart range is 132-153 BPM, which I understand. And then is our goals.
"Our goal is to have you do 30-45 minutes of cardio and eventually progressing to 60-90 minutes. I suggest you do this 5-7 times a week." He did say that I may start out only doing 20 minutes, and working my way up from there - did I mention I'm so out of shape I'm basically starting at ground zero here? They have a lot of treadmills there, but I'm hoping to be able to use the elliptical more - I've used one of those once, and I liked it much better than a treadmill.
Exercises that can be done for my cardio, according to this sheet: elliptical (yes!), treadmill (or walking or jogging outside), bicycle, aerobic stepping, dancing, swimming. Of those I like the elliptical, I don't mind walking outside, I love to ride bike (although it's very difficult here because of hills) and I love swimming. But my pool is out of commission and staying that way, so it's not an option. And because of the hills and my bad state of cardio health right now, the bike isn't an option this year, either. I'll pick that up in the spring.
And then there's resistance training (weight machines). My legs are already pretty strong (woo! at least one part of me is), so we're focusing more on my upper body than lower body. I'll be doing 8-10 repetitions for 2-3 sets in the following exercises:
Chest press: 50 pounds
Lat pull-down: 50 pounds
Tricep press: 26 pounds
Bicep curl: 26 pounds
Kick backs: 8 pound dumbbells
Reverse curls: 8 pound dumbbells
Sitting crunch: 26 pounds
I'm not sure what some of those exercises are, but he'll walk me through them all on Monday, so I'll be finding out pretty quickly.
And then there is a cool down to stretch all major muscles that were used. I'm to hold my stretches for a minimum of 15 seconds.
Chest stretch
Tricep stretch
Quad stretch
Hamstring stretch
Shoulder/back stretch
I'm only going to be working out at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, because he does the orientations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think if he doesn't have any of those scheduled we can work out then, but those days will be the exception, rather than the rule. So he put on the paper that he wants me doing cardio in my target heart range for 30-45 minutes at home. I can either go for walks or I can do videos (I'll do videos - I want to buy Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred, and before I get that there are videos I can do on Netflix's watch instantly part of their site - I love Netflix).
He also gave me a list of exercises I can do for resistance training at home:
Chair squats
Modified push-ups
Knee ups
Trunk lifts
Crunches
And there we are! That's my workout plan. I have to say, now that the orientation is over, and the stress test has come and gone, I'm kind of looking forward to getting started.
Oh, and he didn't give me any diet plan to follow or anything, but I'm planning on just tracking my food in Spark People, and I'm going to try to stick to around 1350 or 1400 calories. That's the mid-point of the range they give me for weight loss, and combined with the exercise I'll be doing, it should be sufficient for me to drop some weight. I hope. :)
Two more days of sloth-dom, and then the fun begins!
First there is a lot of stuff about heart rate max (HRM), resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate reserve (HRR). I'm not sure what the first and last thing mean, but they give numbers for them all. My HRM is 195 beats per minute (BPM), my RHR is 90 BPM and my HRR is 105 BPM. I don't know what all of that means, but I'm sure I'll have it explained to me on Monday.
Then there is a formula for lower level training zone, and one for upper level training zone, and formulas equal math which equals me zoning out immediately. Zzzzz. :)
But then it says that my training heart range is 132-153 BPM, which I understand. And then is our goals.
"Our goal is to have you do 30-45 minutes of cardio and eventually progressing to 60-90 minutes. I suggest you do this 5-7 times a week." He did say that I may start out only doing 20 minutes, and working my way up from there - did I mention I'm so out of shape I'm basically starting at ground zero here? They have a lot of treadmills there, but I'm hoping to be able to use the elliptical more - I've used one of those once, and I liked it much better than a treadmill.
Exercises that can be done for my cardio, according to this sheet: elliptical (yes!), treadmill (or walking or jogging outside), bicycle, aerobic stepping, dancing, swimming. Of those I like the elliptical, I don't mind walking outside, I love to ride bike (although it's very difficult here because of hills) and I love swimming. But my pool is out of commission and staying that way, so it's not an option. And because of the hills and my bad state of cardio health right now, the bike isn't an option this year, either. I'll pick that up in the spring.
And then there's resistance training (weight machines). My legs are already pretty strong (woo! at least one part of me is), so we're focusing more on my upper body than lower body. I'll be doing 8-10 repetitions for 2-3 sets in the following exercises:
Chest press: 50 pounds
Lat pull-down: 50 pounds
Tricep press: 26 pounds
Bicep curl: 26 pounds
Kick backs: 8 pound dumbbells
Reverse curls: 8 pound dumbbells
Sitting crunch: 26 pounds
I'm not sure what some of those exercises are, but he'll walk me through them all on Monday, so I'll be finding out pretty quickly.
And then there is a cool down to stretch all major muscles that were used. I'm to hold my stretches for a minimum of 15 seconds.
Chest stretch
Tricep stretch
Quad stretch
Hamstring stretch
Shoulder/back stretch
I'm only going to be working out at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, because he does the orientations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think if he doesn't have any of those scheduled we can work out then, but those days will be the exception, rather than the rule. So he put on the paper that he wants me doing cardio in my target heart range for 30-45 minutes at home. I can either go for walks or I can do videos (I'll do videos - I want to buy Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred, and before I get that there are videos I can do on Netflix's watch instantly part of their site - I love Netflix).
He also gave me a list of exercises I can do for resistance training at home:
Chair squats
Modified push-ups
Knee ups
Trunk lifts
Crunches
And there we are! That's my workout plan. I have to say, now that the orientation is over, and the stress test has come and gone, I'm kind of looking forward to getting started.
Oh, and he didn't give me any diet plan to follow or anything, but I'm planning on just tracking my food in Spark People, and I'm going to try to stick to around 1350 or 1400 calories. That's the mid-point of the range they give me for weight loss, and combined with the exercise I'll be doing, it should be sufficient for me to drop some weight. I hope. :)
Two more days of sloth-dom, and then the fun begins!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Stabbity
Work is making me very annoyed and stabbity today, and I wish it were 4:00 so I could get out of here already. Nothing is going right AT ALL. GAH!
I'll be going down to the Wellness Center after work to pick up my workout routine. Then I can spend the weekend thinking about how much it's going to kill me dead Monday afternoon. :)
My neck hurts. Because of my work chair. Which is part of the stabbiness of today.
That is all.
I'll be going down to the Wellness Center after work to pick up my workout routine. Then I can spend the weekend thinking about how much it's going to kill me dead Monday afternoon. :)
My neck hurts. Because of my work chair. Which is part of the stabbiness of today.
That is all.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I Survived!
I survived! Well of course, you all knew I would. I knew I would, too, really, but that doesn't mean I was looking forward to the experience.
So I left work just before 4:00 and drove across campus to the Wellness Center. I walked in, feeling that lazy, scared part of my brain yelling to "run away! Danger, danger, run!" But I ignored it. I went in and met the trainer, then went into the locker room (very clean - I was impressed) and changed into my workout clothes. And then the fun began.
We started with a weight and height (I'm still 5'3", and my weight was 230 so yeah, all that junk food I've been eating has given me the expected weight gain). Then he took me over to this nifty little machine that I had to stand on barefooted, and it gave my body fat percentage somehow. I have no idea how it works, but it was cool. I was expecting calipers and fat pinching, but this was much less mortifying. The number was as horrible as I'd feared, though - my body is currently 44% fat. Eek! Wow, it's a good thing I'm starting this program.
Then he took measurements - biceps, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I don't know what the numbers were, so I think I'll take my own measurements and use those for this record. After that we went to the area where the treadmill is that is used for the stress test. I had to take off my shirt (I was wearing a sports bra, though, so didn't feel at all naked), and he attached electrodes to me. He took my blood pressure. He monitored my heart at a resting rate. And then I stood on the treadmill and he gave me this apparatus that I had to put in my mouth, so that the machines could monitor my breathing and gases and all that. (That thing sucks, by the way.) And then the fun began! The treadmill started at a nice walk, and went up from there. I made it to the middle of the third stage and then I had to have him stop it. I am so out of shape! It's really scary. (And another good reason to be grateful I'm starting this program.)
After I had gotten my heart rate down to normal and sat drinking some water and cooling off for a few minutes, he unhooked me from all the electrodes, and I was able to put my shirt back on, and we went to test my strength.
I have no upper body strength. I knew that, though. My legs, though, are pretty strong! At least, since I don't work out, I was happy with how they performed. I was able to do 10 of one kind of exercise, 12 of another (with the weights set at 115), and on the machine that works your thighs and butt, I was able to lift 290 pounds six times. At least part of me is strong!
Once the strength tests were over, he tested my flexibility (I'm not very flexible), and I was done. Woo!
He had three of those orientations to do yesterday, so he said he would have my workout plan for me on Friday, and I could spend some time studying it and start working out on Monday. I have to admit - I was a little relieved to have the rest of the week off, instead of having to start working out today. :)
So that was it! Whew! Thanks for giving me encouragement in the comments - I feel like those of you who read and comment will help me keep going when all of this exercising gets underway and I get tired of doing it. So, thanks. :)
Edited because: I had the trainer send me the measurements he took of me last night, and I just got them in my e-mail. I'll post them in the sidebar. I figured that was easier than trying to take my own.
So I left work just before 4:00 and drove across campus to the Wellness Center. I walked in, feeling that lazy, scared part of my brain yelling to "run away! Danger, danger, run!" But I ignored it. I went in and met the trainer, then went into the locker room (very clean - I was impressed) and changed into my workout clothes. And then the fun began.
We started with a weight and height (I'm still 5'3", and my weight was 230 so yeah, all that junk food I've been eating has given me the expected weight gain). Then he took me over to this nifty little machine that I had to stand on barefooted, and it gave my body fat percentage somehow. I have no idea how it works, but it was cool. I was expecting calipers and fat pinching, but this was much less mortifying. The number was as horrible as I'd feared, though - my body is currently 44% fat. Eek! Wow, it's a good thing I'm starting this program.
Then he took measurements - biceps, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I don't know what the numbers were, so I think I'll take my own measurements and use those for this record. After that we went to the area where the treadmill is that is used for the stress test. I had to take off my shirt (I was wearing a sports bra, though, so didn't feel at all naked), and he attached electrodes to me. He took my blood pressure. He monitored my heart at a resting rate. And then I stood on the treadmill and he gave me this apparatus that I had to put in my mouth, so that the machines could monitor my breathing and gases and all that. (That thing sucks, by the way.) And then the fun began! The treadmill started at a nice walk, and went up from there. I made it to the middle of the third stage and then I had to have him stop it. I am so out of shape! It's really scary. (And another good reason to be grateful I'm starting this program.)
After I had gotten my heart rate down to normal and sat drinking some water and cooling off for a few minutes, he unhooked me from all the electrodes, and I was able to put my shirt back on, and we went to test my strength.
I have no upper body strength. I knew that, though. My legs, though, are pretty strong! At least, since I don't work out, I was happy with how they performed. I was able to do 10 of one kind of exercise, 12 of another (with the weights set at 115), and on the machine that works your thighs and butt, I was able to lift 290 pounds six times. At least part of me is strong!
Once the strength tests were over, he tested my flexibility (I'm not very flexible), and I was done. Woo!
He had three of those orientations to do yesterday, so he said he would have my workout plan for me on Friday, and I could spend some time studying it and start working out on Monday. I have to admit - I was a little relieved to have the rest of the week off, instead of having to start working out today. :)
So that was it! Whew! Thanks for giving me encouragement in the comments - I feel like those of you who read and comment will help me keep going when all of this exercising gets underway and I get tired of doing it. So, thanks. :)
Edited because: I had the trainer send me the measurements he took of me last night, and I just got them in my e-mail. I'll post them in the sidebar. I figured that was easier than trying to take my own.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Nervous
Today is the day! I didn't expect to write in here this morning, but I got up so nervous about today that I just find myself needing to.
I don't know why I'm nervous. I'm a little afraid of finding out exactly how bad my numbers are - weight, fat percentage, measurements, all of it. I'm a little nervous about being in a gym environment, because I've never really gone to a gym before - I've always worked out to videos in the privacy of my own home. So a fear of the unknown is here, for sure. But I've been told it's a very non-judgmental place, so I don't have to be afraid of people watching me with derision in their eyes.
Above all of it, though, I think there might be some trepidation because now I have to find out if I can really do this. It feels like this is the time where I'll really be giving it my all, and what if I don't succeed?
But that's not a good attitude, and the thing is, I know I can lose weight successfully - I've done it before. It's just that I was almost 20 years younger then. :P I lost 40 pounds when I was in 22, and kept most of that off until I was in my late 20s, then life got rougher, and the weight crept back on.
So yes, I can do this! I don't have to be this size for the rest of my life, I don't have to develop heart disease and diabetes like my Mom did, and I can live a long, healthy life.
Okay, pep talk over. Thanks for listening! I'll be back tomorrow with news of how tonight went!
I don't know why I'm nervous. I'm a little afraid of finding out exactly how bad my numbers are - weight, fat percentage, measurements, all of it. I'm a little nervous about being in a gym environment, because I've never really gone to a gym before - I've always worked out to videos in the privacy of my own home. So a fear of the unknown is here, for sure. But I've been told it's a very non-judgmental place, so I don't have to be afraid of people watching me with derision in their eyes.
Above all of it, though, I think there might be some trepidation because now I have to find out if I can really do this. It feels like this is the time where I'll really be giving it my all, and what if I don't succeed?
But that's not a good attitude, and the thing is, I know I can lose weight successfully - I've done it before. It's just that I was almost 20 years younger then. :P I lost 40 pounds when I was in 22, and kept most of that off until I was in my late 20s, then life got rougher, and the weight crept back on.
So yes, I can do this! I don't have to be this size for the rest of my life, I don't have to develop heart disease and diabetes like my Mom did, and I can live a long, healthy life.
Okay, pep talk over. Thanks for listening! I'll be back tomorrow with news of how tonight went!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Back on the Horse
I started keeping track of my food on Spark People again. I stopped doing it all those months ago because I just couldn't bear to have to account for every single piece of food I put into my mouth anymore. I had done it for so long with no real results, that I had gotten completely fed up with it all. So I quit. Well, now I'm back to it, and it feels oddly good - I guess I took just enough time off.
And of course I'm starting to count calories again today because I have my stress test/orientation at the Wellness Center tomorrow afternoon. Woo! This is both a good thing and a very scary thing, but mostly I just feel excited to finally get this underway, and to finally feel like the tools to losing this weight once and for all are in my grasp. Time will tell, but I feel like this is something I can succeed at. I'll have a trainer pushing me, I'll have coworkers working out with me, I can't just decide I don't want to and stop. It's a good thing.
I even had a talk with my body this morning, while I was in the shower. :) I told it I was going to start eating less and eating better again, and that I was going to start working out 3-5 days a week (I think I can do three days a week at the Wellness Center, so I plan on working out at home the other two days, so that I'm getting cardio exercise five days a week - the weights I'll just do at the Wellness Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and that I needed it to do its part by burning off its fat and building up its muscle, including my heart. I need that to be healthy and strong, so I can live a really long time.
Oh, and J and I finally set a wedding date! We're getting married September 10, 2011 (so, 9/10/11, which has to be one of the best wedding dates ever). Spark People's website estimated I should be at my goal weight of 140 (although I might shoot for 135 - we'll see how I feel when I get close) in June of 2011, so by the time I get married, I should be at goal and loving my body again! It's very exciting.
I don't know if I'll post in here tomorrow when I'm done with the stress test or not. It's scheduled to run 4:00-6:00, and I'm not too good at doing online stuff at home, so I may not write again until Wednesday morning. But either way, the next time I write, I'll be telling how it went and giving my scary, oh so frightening beginning numbers.
See you then!
And of course I'm starting to count calories again today because I have my stress test/orientation at the Wellness Center tomorrow afternoon. Woo! This is both a good thing and a very scary thing, but mostly I just feel excited to finally get this underway, and to finally feel like the tools to losing this weight once and for all are in my grasp. Time will tell, but I feel like this is something I can succeed at. I'll have a trainer pushing me, I'll have coworkers working out with me, I can't just decide I don't want to and stop. It's a good thing.
I even had a talk with my body this morning, while I was in the shower. :) I told it I was going to start eating less and eating better again, and that I was going to start working out 3-5 days a week (I think I can do three days a week at the Wellness Center, so I plan on working out at home the other two days, so that I'm getting cardio exercise five days a week - the weights I'll just do at the Wellness Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and that I needed it to do its part by burning off its fat and building up its muscle, including my heart. I need that to be healthy and strong, so I can live a really long time.
Oh, and J and I finally set a wedding date! We're getting married September 10, 2011 (so, 9/10/11, which has to be one of the best wedding dates ever). Spark People's website estimated I should be at my goal weight of 140 (although I might shoot for 135 - we'll see how I feel when I get close) in June of 2011, so by the time I get married, I should be at goal and loving my body again! It's very exciting.
I don't know if I'll post in here tomorrow when I'm done with the stress test or not. It's scheduled to run 4:00-6:00, and I'm not too good at doing online stuff at home, so I may not write again until Wednesday morning. But either way, the next time I write, I'll be telling how it went and giving my scary, oh so frightening beginning numbers.
See you then!
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