Week 9: C'mon Pick Up Momentum!

Last Week's Results

Weekly fitbit results:

February 11 - February 17 Results

Other aerobic activities:

• None, or I had forgotten to write it down.

I'm glad I'm still hitting my 70k steps/week goal, but you can definitely tell I'm slowing down. Wait 'til next week - you can see I did the bare minimum during the week of 2/18.

I don't know if it's the adrenaline from staying up past my bedtime, but I have confidence I can drop 1 extra pound this week. Ever since I started using fitbit, I joined a fitbit group of lovely ladies from all over the States and even in England to try and keep me on track with my weight goals. I set an absolutely feasible goal of dropping at least 2 lbs./month until the month of October for you know what. At the start of each month, we check in and report how many pounds we've lost in the month. Well, the first is going to roll around towards the end of this week. I have met my month's goal, but I'd like a little extra credit here.

On an unrelated note, Groupon had a Leslie Sansone Super Walks Deluxe Kit deal. I smell a (mis)adventure to report in the month after I receive it in the mail. The last time I bought a fitness DVD set from Groupon (Rockin' Body), I was only consistent with its calendar of exercises for a week. It's still in my rotation of random aerobic sessions, but I feel like I can't commit. No hard feelings, Shaun T?

On the other hand, I think my last fitness DVD purchase was a good investment (ZCUT). Even Chris likes this business and looks forward to knocking out a workout. The mere fact that I have company at home helps me get back on the saddle. Chris and I did a round of ZCUT workouts last night and I'm beat, but running on adrenaline to catch up with stuff I didn't do during the weekend. My abdominal muscles ain't what they used to be. I better be reporting that I've done at least 3 of these routines/week and slowly developed the strength/stamina to do a competition situp without any modifications by next month.

Weeks Something to Something

Last Week's Results

Weekly fitbit results:

Other aerobic activities:

• ZCUT (Zuzka Light workouts)
• Rockin' Body
• Jane Fonda varieties
• Huntsville State Park hike
• Leslie Sansone something or the other

Man, it's mid-February already? I was pretty bad about logging in my physical activity in the last month, but I must have done something right to be at 159 lbs. My eating habits are still a work in progress, but at least I haven't gained an obscene amount of pounds. I'm pretty content with the progress I've made in the last month.

I didn't go below 70k steps/week, but I would like to maintain at least 80k steps. I'm keeping my goal at 70k so I can make sure I've ingrained the habit to do at least 10k steps a day. Some days I don't know where I find the energy and time to log in 16k steps, but I still need to make sure I'm at least active enough each day to get in 10k steps to meet that 70k goal.

The ZCUT workouts are brutal. My abs are sore and it shows how terribly out of shape I am. I haven't followed the workout calendar religiously, but I've done at least 2 workouts each week in the last 3 weeks to try and build up my endurance and allow time for my body to recuperate since I'm not accustomed to these types of workouts. The dance aerobics have not prepared me at all for this.

My goal for the upcoming week is to remember to record my physical activities every day so I motivate myself to be active and see how active I've been.

Week 4: Need to Do Some More!

Last Week's Results

Weekly fitbit results:

Week 3 results: Slowing down

Other random fitbit stats to spur some more mileage out of me:

Other aerobic activities:

• Knockout Body (20 min.)
• Leslie Sansone's Walk Away Your Waistline (15 min.)
• Rockin' Body (46 min.)
• Jane Fonda's Abs, Buns, and Thighs (50 min.)

By golly, this rain business needs to go away. For the last 2 days, I've been in hibernation mode. Yes, I've gotten the necessary amount and best quality sleep I've had in a while, but I've been inactive. Due to the rain, I missed out on a 7 mi. hike at Huntsville State Park earlier in the week. Having a slow, lazy start didn't help gain momentum during the rest of this rainy week. Also, as the temperature dips, I've fallen into a very common trap of wanting to duck down, mellow out, and just lie there, motionless. My eyelids grow even more heavy with the dim overcast taunting me.

I've got 3 more days left in this week. I need to get more active! I can't let myself get lower than 95k steps for the entire week. I've consumed more calories this week than has been allotted if I were to lose any weight as recommended by fitbit.

My sudden desire to hone my culinary skills is a partial culprit here. Take a look-see at what's cookin' this past week:

Carb overload of the banana walnut variety

Honey Bunches of Oats Chicken Strips paired with some spring mix

Chicken Parmesan paired with whole wheat linguine

The oven mitts are off. Time to step it up.

Week 3: Keeping Steady

Last Week's Results

Weekly fitbit results: (UPDATED Thursday, January 3, 2013 since the e-mail barely came in. It gives a better overview of the achievements.)

Week 2 results: Even Steven?

Other aerobic activities:

• Paula Abdul's Cardio Dance (35 min.)
• Jane Fonda's New Workout (35 min.)
• Leslie Sansone's 1 mi. Walk (40 min.)
• Jane Fonda's Step Aerobics (35 min.)
• Jane Fonda's Complete Workout (35 min.)
• Rockin' Body: Rockin' Abs (46 min.)

I'm guessing it's my stubborn and competitive streak that make leaderboards a great source of motivation in this fitbit endeavor. I am about average in the Houston circles, but it's an ego boost to see myself in the top 4 every now and then in other random fitbit groups I've joined. I haven't seen myself this active in a while, but my caloric intake has derailed the efforts a little bit. I am hoping the stats will awaken the eating giant and slay it.

My Jane Fonda library is active again, hurrah! I can't believe I was able to do some of these routines effortlessly (or rather with less physical exertion) only a decade ago. Doing the high impact versions of these routines with greater ease within 1 month is my current resolve.

I'm glad I've been able to reach my stairclimbing goal of 10 flights during the week. fitbit has been good to me. Climbing those stairs has catapulted more aerobic activity just to make sure fitbit registers these events.

Now to work on those sleeping habits. I'm sure the lack of repose is also derailing the weight loss progress. Let's hope I keep steady in this first week of the new year.

How do people keep their weight loss new year's resolution?