I think I love running now...

As you know, I've been on a major health/fitness/weight loss kick since January of this year. My workout routine has had a lot of variation over the months to accommodate my hectic school and work schedule as well as my abilities, but I've basically been trying to work out for 30 mins to an hour a day, 3-5 days a week. My strength training routine hasn't changed much in 2 years, but I've been experimenting with different forms of cardio to keep things interesting and figure out what I like. I started off with some amateur hip hop workout videos on youtube, moved on to more intense aerobics/dance videos, got really excited about everything Deanne Berry did for a while, and now I'm on to running with the very popular Couch to 5k program- and through some miracle, running has become my favorite.

I have never, EVER been a runner. In middle school and high school I absolutely dreaded the days that we had to run the mile and would always "run the straights, walk the curves" because i knew there was no way I'd get through it otherwise. I would see the cross country team running after school and question why on earth anyone would put themselves through that willingly while secretly marveling at their ability to run for more than a few minutes. I did begin going to the gym in high school/throughout college and could run fairly successfully on the treadmill, but I openly detested running outside. It was so much harder than running in an air-conditioned gym with your own little tv screen, and you couldn't just step off and quit whenever you wanted- you'd have to walk back to where you started.

There was always a part of me, though, that wished I could be a real runner- one of those people that is not only able to run outside for long periods of time but actually enjoys it. I decided to try couch to 5k simply because a bunch of people I follow on tumblr were talking about it, and I think it was one of the best fitness-related decisions I ever made. I'm not all the way there yet, but I'm actually on my way to becoming a real runner! I look forward to every workout, my endurance and stamina has increased exponentially in just the 5 weeks I've been with the program, and I think/talk about running and how much I like it pretty much all the time.

If any small part of you has any desire whatsoever to get into running, I seriously cannot recommend this program (and the smart phone app which is incredibly useful and only a couple bucks) enough. At the risk of sounding like every single other person who used this program and wrote or talked about it online: if I could do it and end up LOVING running, anyone can have the same results.

I'm halfway through the 9 week program right now, so I still have a few more weeks left but here is what I can tell you about the program and the first few weeks:

From what I can gather, the program is divided into three 3-week segments. The first 3 weeks are designed to basically just get your body used to the act of running without concentrating very much on endurance. The running segments are very short, but if (like me) you aren't used to running at all, they are still difficult. Not difficult enough to be overwhelming, but definitely enough to feel like a valid and challenging workout. The second 3-week segment is designed to transition you from running short periods to being able to run for longer periods. While the first three weeks were focused on getting your body into running-mode, I feel like the second three weeks are much more focused on getting your mind into running mode. By week 4, you are already capable of running but it may still feel difficult and mentally exhausting to push yourself to keep going. I definitely had to spend entire jogging segments during the fourth week convincing myself that I could do it and that I shouldn't quit. Right now I am on the fifth week, which has also been called the hump week or the "oh shit" week. My next run will be a full 20 minute jog that for the first time will not be broken up with walking segments- many people have felt that this week/jog is the big mental challenge of the program and once you are able to complete it the final weeks will feel relatively easy. The final three weeks are designed to simply extend the amount of time you are running (without any walking) until you reach 30 minutes and ideally 3.1 miles.

I'm not going to lie, I did not love running right from the first workout. I enjoyed completing the workouts because I felt like I was making progress and got a huge boost of endorphins each time, but the running itself felt like hell for the first few weeks. To make it easier, I would try to mentally trick myself by thinking over and over, "I love this! This feels soo great, I'm so glad I'm doing this!" while feeling like I was going to throw up and die. Around the beginning of the fourth week, though, something shifted and I no longer felt exhausted a minute or two into each run. I started feeling as though I could keep going at the end of each section and was able to get into a 'zone' where I didn't even think about the fact that I was running, I just ran and let my mind wander. And that's when the real excitement set in- I was running, I wasn't hating it, and I was actually kind of good at it! SO- that is all to say: if you try this program and have trouble pushing through each workout in the beginning like I did, just keep pushing and trying your best and eventually you will experience the same mental switch and begin to feel exhilarated instead of exhausted!


The most amazing thing about the program is the way it is designed really, really works. Many weeks I was so doubtful looking ahead to the next workouts, unsure I would be able to complete them. The first two weeks only have you running 60-90 seconds which sounds like nothing but actually feel exhausting in the beginning! I was terrified of week three, when I would be running 3 minute segments, and even more terrified for week 4 when I would be running 5 minutes at a time. Miraculously, though, the program really does prepare you in advance for each level of difficulty and yesterday I ran two 8 minute segments and barely felt winded! That's a far cry from week three, when I had to seriously struggle to get past the two minute mark.

SO now that I've rambled on for several hundred words about this amazing program, I want to finish by saying that out of all the benefits that running offers- weight loss, muscle tone, stamina, energy, a healthy heart and lungs- the most valuable thing I have received through running and in particular couch to 5k is an amazing amount of confidence. I never thought I would be able to run for 3 minutes at a time without stopping, let alone 20-30 minutes and yet this program helped me prove to myself that I can and that it will be fun, too. It has made me feel physically energized and toned and mentally motivated and strong-willed. If you don't want to run for the physical benefits, the mental benefits are more than enough reason to get started!

Ok, so there's my massive endorsement of the couch to 5k program. If you are at all intrigued by the idea of running, you should absolutely start out with this! Maybe in the next couple weeks I'll do a post about my favorite running/fitness clothes/gear which have made running that much more comfortable and fun :)

<3 Em

Weight Loss Update/Progress Pics

Hello Lovelies! I'm having a pretty relaxing day today... School, a bit of homework, a lot of internets, and later today I'll be rewatching a few 1970s films to study for my midterm tomorrow. Colton is headed off to Phoenix with a bunch of boys as soon as he gets out of work today for our friend Roland's bachelor party which means Clementine and I will be having the apartment to ourselves for the next 24 hours or so.

I wanted to pop in and write a quick blog about my weight loss progress! It might not be very interesting to you but health, nutrition, and fitness have become such a huge part of my life and thoughts over the past few months! This may sound odd but I really LOVE being aware of my calories, working out, and observing my weight as it changes because it all comes down to science... and I love that I can use science to help myself look and feel as good as can be!

I chose today to write because I'm just beginning a new cycle in my self designed workout schedule and so I snapped a couple pictures this morning to document my progress. When losing weight I've found it's so easy to not really notice the changes that are occurring because they happen so slowly. Having pictures to compare side by side really make the differences obvious...and they are a huge motivational boost to keep going!

Unfortunately I did not take any starting pictures in January when I first adjusted my diet, quit drinking, and started working out. All I have are some pictures from last September, when I briefly tried (and then forgot about) getting healthy. I'm actually 10-15 lbs lighter in the September pictures than I was in January, and only about 10 lbs lighter in the "during" pictures I took today than I was in September! So the pics don't really show my overall progress. I can still see a huge difference though, especially in the muscle tone of my belly.

Overall I've lost about 23 pounds in 9 weeks and I'm feeling great! I honestly think I look better now than I sometimes did at lower weights when I wasn't strength training. I definitely feel more confident :)

Sorry about the poor quality phone/underwear pics! Usually I would NEVER post pictures of myself like this because I have always been so self-conscious about the way I look... and scantily clad fat pictures? Um, NO. But now I look at the before pictures and just see the progress I have made, not the chubby bits I wish would disappear. Besides I've worn and definitely seen swimsuits that are more revealing. Although... I still feel pretty ballsy.

Have a healthy happy humpday!

Fitness Plans!

 This blog has been spring, spring, spring lately! hope you guys aren't sick of it yet ;) luckily, this post is less about spring and more about summer! I'm all pumped to hit the gym even harder than I usually do and really shape up for bikini season. I'm going to the salt river with Stew and his bro Brian on May 7th as an early bday celebration, and so I want to be ready!

Here is the basic fitness plan I already follow. You can find a more detailed post here.
-30 minutes cardio 6 days a week, alternating treadmills and ellipticals. I'm averaging 2.25 miles on the treadmill and 3 miles on the ellipticals.
- arms and shoulders weights twice a week
-chest and back weights twice a week
-legs weights/exercises twice a week
-abs exercises 3 times a week
I also occasionally bike to school, although since stew has gotten his license back I've been doing less of that.

In the coming weeks the changes I'm going to make are:
-abs 6 days a week, rather than every other day
-1 or 2 additional leg exercises that especially focus on the backside ;)
-1 or 2 love handle workouts in addition to the chest and back workouts I do
-45 minutes of cardio 6 days a week
-hopefully 1 hike or other outdoor recreational activity a week.

I've also been slacking a bit on the diet front, going out for dinner waaay too much. I blame it on how busy my end of the semester schedule is! Get home from discussion section at 7 o clock and make dinner for two and then go to the gym and do homework? um, no. But all that has got to change! Feel free to join me with a couple of these- you'll feel spectacular!

-no alcohol. this shouldn't be too hard because I'm not the heaviest drinker as is. It just means more sober driving and less relying on stewie... and less buffy the vampire slayer/screwdriver marathons.
-no sugar! I've never done this before. I think it's going to make it really easy for the fat to just fall off. It's certainly not permanent, and there's no chance in hell I'll be using that aspartame/sucralose crap. vomit.
-no white bread or flour. I already do this, although occasionally I'll use white flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour when I'm trying a recipe for the first time. I'm going to try and not eat much bread or pasta at all though, and focus more on whole grains like lentils, brown rice, etc.
-no dairy. Easy peasy. the only thing I'll have to cut out is good cheese... which I'll miss, but it's not like I haven't lived without it before.

since I'm already a vegetarian, this means I'm basically reverting to my old vegan lifestyle with the addition of less flour/bread/pasta, no alcohol, and no sugar. Hellllo fresh fruits and veggies and grains and nuts that will make me feel SPECTACULAR!

so excited for this. do you have any goals for the upcoming bikini season?

My Workout Routine

Me all ready to go work out... blegh I need
new workout clothes! Xmas list for sure :)

This post is going to be a comprehensive week-long workout routine. I'm posting it mostly for me, so that I can write down everything I want to do and make sure I stick to a schedule, but any of you are welcome to read it and use it too if you don't already have something you like- feel free to leave me some of your own tips, too! I'm definitely not a workout connoisseur. 

So, this post will have three parts. Part one will be a weekly schedule that's sweet and simple without any lengthy definitions. Part two will be a list of different weight training techniques to work out each body part mentioned in the schedule. Part three will be explanations of each particular weight training technique mentioned in the list, so that if I (or you) don't know/can't remember what to do for a certain workout, we can remind ourselves! Alright, lets get going :)