Fun with Two Bears and Gir
Today was my mecca to Ren Fest. If I don't go, I get yelled at lol, so I go every year at least once. (At least I get free tickets) But anyway! Dragged Liz and Thomas with me, since they've never been. Got to see Scott, Ted, Devon, Bill, Martin, Fritz....and ran into an old aquaintance from High School who's jousting yet again this year. Weird, but funny to watch him double take every time he passed me on his horse lol. Drank wine, meade, and other yummies. Perused the wares, but didn't buy anything. Had a good time, even though I am a bit sunburned since stupid me forgot to take extra sunscreen. It was nice to hear "You look good!" and "I miss you!" from people and get huge hugs all through the day. I had to give Devon a hard time about not finishing my tattoo, which he promised to work on. I even got a few promises to hang out from some people...Scott at Castle and Martin said he's thinking about re-instating our fun fun Saturday breakfasts. Gods I miss those. So yeah, good day all in all.
I've been getting lots of questions about what diet/exercise regime I am on that's helping me see such great results. So, here goes:
Diet is simple: I limit myself to 1600 calories every day. I allow myself anything I want really...but after a few weeks of realizing what foods have what calorie intake, it was natural to start eating healthier just to make sure I have enough in my stomach to feel full. When you can eat an entire meal for 250 calories, it really doesn't make sense to eat a biscuit for the same, you know? I also allow myself one "treat" on Sunday nights if and only if I've followed my diet/exercise plan all week long. It's usually an extra scoop of ice cream or a cookie lol, nothing huge but it's a nice reward.
Unfortunately, counting calories is hard to get used to. You really have to make sure to check EVERY label or investigate everything you put in your mouth. I also keep a diet diary, where I write down everything I consume (yes, even the mint at work for 25 calories..it adds up quick).
Now for the exercise. The plan calls for 3 20-minute strength workouts and 3 30-minute cardio sessions per week for the first month, then increasing after that. My strength training plan can be found at Self.com. For cardio, I choose running because a)I walk everywhere, so it's the next step, and b) I've done it in the past and know it works. You can choose any cardio you want, just make sure you do the full thirty minutes (5 minutes to warm up, 20 minutes at a level 5 intensity--scale from 1-10, one being barely an effort and 10 being the max intensity you could possibly undertake, ie sprinting at full speed--and another 5 minutes to cool down). Because I want results fast, and I feel guilty for not doing "enough" this is what my personal schedule looks like most weeks:
Everyday: Yoga am and pm
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: running 45-60 minutes, total body strength training video for 30 minutes, 50 crunches
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 20 minutes monthly Self magazine's strength training workout, sometimes run for 20-30 minutes if I need it for stress
Sunday: Rest other than yoga, or make up for missed workouts (I'm not perfect).
It took about 2 weeks to start seeing a result in my weight, and after 3 I started seeing a significant drop in weight and inches.
I've been getting lots of questions about what diet/exercise regime I am on that's helping me see such great results. So, here goes:
Diet is simple: I limit myself to 1600 calories every day. I allow myself anything I want really...but after a few weeks of realizing what foods have what calorie intake, it was natural to start eating healthier just to make sure I have enough in my stomach to feel full. When you can eat an entire meal for 250 calories, it really doesn't make sense to eat a biscuit for the same, you know? I also allow myself one "treat" on Sunday nights if and only if I've followed my diet/exercise plan all week long. It's usually an extra scoop of ice cream or a cookie lol, nothing huge but it's a nice reward.
Unfortunately, counting calories is hard to get used to. You really have to make sure to check EVERY label or investigate everything you put in your mouth. I also keep a diet diary, where I write down everything I consume (yes, even the mint at work for 25 calories..it adds up quick).
Now for the exercise. The plan calls for 3 20-minute strength workouts and 3 30-minute cardio sessions per week for the first month, then increasing after that. My strength training plan can be found at Self.com. For cardio, I choose running because a)I walk everywhere, so it's the next step, and b) I've done it in the past and know it works. You can choose any cardio you want, just make sure you do the full thirty minutes (5 minutes to warm up, 20 minutes at a level 5 intensity--scale from 1-10, one being barely an effort and 10 being the max intensity you could possibly undertake, ie sprinting at full speed--and another 5 minutes to cool down). Because I want results fast, and I feel guilty for not doing "enough" this is what my personal schedule looks like most weeks:
Everyday: Yoga am and pm
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: running 45-60 minutes, total body strength training video for 30 minutes, 50 crunches
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 20 minutes monthly Self magazine's strength training workout, sometimes run for 20-30 minutes if I need it for stress
Sunday: Rest other than yoga, or make up for missed workouts (I'm not perfect).
It took about 2 weeks to start seeing a result in my weight, and after 3 I started seeing a significant drop in weight and inches.