Gaining one pound: Ouch!!!

Well I found out a gained a pound during my last weigh-in. I got so depressed. I wasn't expecting that one. It's definitely a mood buster when you find out you have gained weight when you work so hard to lose it. At the same time, I know that I wasn't 100% on the ball last week with my eating.

All I know is that I don't want to ever gain. I think I can handle maintaining or losing but definitely not gaining. So I went out and purchased a scale for the house.

I am not going to become obsessive with weighing in but I am going to try to weigh myself at least once a week prior to my weigh-in with the trainer. That way if I see the scale tilting in the wrong direction I can get a handle on it before the real weigh in. Hopefully that will work.

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Fallen from Grace?

This week has already been tough and it's not even half way over yet. I officially started back to work full time. That within itself is challenging with my workout schedule, taking care of the house and together with my husband taking care of my son.

I didn't get a chance to workout yesterday which means I will have to work out today. Tomorrow I go for my regularly scheduled appointment at the gym with my trainer. I am not supposed to work out the day before I go to workout with my trainer. I'll have to modify my routine a little when I go this evening so that my msucles won't be too tired to get a good workout in with the trainer. There's no alternative right now. My routine requires me to be at the gym so there's no escaping it.

Also, it doesn't help that I had ice cream the past two nights in a row. If I am going to have it, I try to limit it to once a week if that. I feel quite guilty about that.

It's really not a big deal when you put everything into perspective but I think because it's my first full week it's going to take a little or a lot of adjusting. We'll see. I'll let you know by next week whether I have adjusted or not.

Related Topics: Plan Your Day to Lose Weight, Hard Choice for Moms: Work or Stay Home

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Strength, Success, Confidence!

I lost 1.5 pounds this week! Am I excited? YES!! That may seem like a low number but it's the highest number yet. In the past, I would be lucky if I lost 1 pound in a two-week period. Even the trainers were surprised. They asked what, if anything, did I do differently. The funny thing is that I don't recall doing anything different. I just hope it continues on this path.

My cardio portion of my weekly workout routine changed this week. I used to do the Elyptical machine now I am on the bike. It's a big change.

I don't know why, but for some reason I thought the bike probably wouldn't be as challenging as the Elyptical but boy, was I wrong. When I got off the bike for the first time, I was sore. I was more sore that when I got off the Elyptical machine. Which I think is GREAT!! Hopefully that means I have burned more calories.

With this fitness program, I have noticed a difference in my strength. My son seems a lot lighter to me these days. I remember the days where it would kill my back to carry him separately and in his carrier. Grocery bags are also easier to carry from the store to the car and then into the house. I am not lugging them with my back all out of place. A little strength goes a long way.

This week I also went to get my follow-up blood work done on my cholesterol levels. I get the results back next week. I am hoping that it decreased dramatically because I have been eating a lot of oatmeal these past couple of months. I have also incorporated other food items like Cheerios, Benecol Butter and Minute Maid HeartWise Orange Juice into my diet to help reduce my cholesterol. I can't wait to see the results.

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Form Matters

I weighed in again this week. Didn't lose anything but still gaining muscle. The weight loss thing is somewhat funny. One week I will lose and the next week I'll lose nothing when it seems I have tried twice as hard. It's kind of quirky that way.

I informed my physical trainer (Sega) about my headaches and backaches. He thinks it's due to my form when I am working out, in addition to the heat wave we have been having in the Washington, DC area.

He worked with me on correcting my form and gave me alternative exercises so that when I do the exercises on my own I am not sacrificing my neck and/or back. Basically, your neck and spine need to be always aligned and when you feel any strain in your back or neck, stop doing the exercise.

Either wait a few minutes and start the exercise again or do something else. If you are not right in front of a mirror to check your posture, you assume you are in correct position and that's not always the case. Therefore, I will start looking at myself in the mirror when I am doing strength training until I get it down.

I also learned how to recover when all the blood flow rushes to your head when doing exercises that entail leaning over. You lie down on your back and put your legs up in the air. That helped me out a lot. I thought I was going to pass out during our training session this week.

What's more, I learned how to do squats correctly. All of this time (years) I have been doing this exercise wrong and my knees would always hurt. So I am excited about that.

Before when I heard the word "squats", I cringed because I knew pain in my knees would follow. Everyone else may already know this but your knees are not supposed to move when you do squats. This makes the exercise more doable during my weekly routine.

Related Topics: WebMD Video: Strengthen Your Mom Muscles, Cardio or Weights?