Fitness recap for the past few months

The downside of having three blog posts and working as a reporter is that sometimes, things suffer. So here is a recap of my current fitness challenges and state.

In the past few months, I have participated in a number of races including:

My first Tough Mudder!!!!

The Burpee 5K (yup, it was as bad as it sounds)

The Rockman Challenge (3 miles padds, 16 miles bike, 5K run, ¼ mile military style obstacle course and 50 meter sack hop across the finish line)

It's Glow Time 5K

Warrior Dash Wisconsin

Don't Mess With My Tutu (virtual race)

Still upcoming this year:

Ugly Sweater Run

Run, Santa, Run

(both set for Dec. 6, 2014)

Earlier this year, I was fairly heavy into working out and was working with a personal trainer on Sunday for an hour for about 10 weeks. The reason? I was with a group of five people who were training to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro from July 1-7. Our group received strength and endurance training, and it really paid off.

Day 4 climbing up Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro, "The Roof of Africa"

Unfortunately, I had a little mishap the day before the climb. I was getting into a car in Tanzania and did not have my head completely in when I stepped up into the van. As a result, I hit my head, with much force, on the doorframe, causing my neck to snap back violently. I was in tears immediately, and a rather large bump formed on my head.

I figured the safest place for me was on Mt. Kilimanjaro - what is there to hit my head on there? So the next day I went with the rest of my team to begin the ascent. I did not make it completely to the top, I had to turn around at about 16,404 feet. But considering it was my first mountain climb and my first time above 3,000 feet (and I was the only person on our team who had never climbed a mountain before), I was pretty pleased with the result.

After I returned stateside, I was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, which really threw a twist in my workout schedule for two months. As a result, I have put on 8 lbs. (and probably gained back the 1.1 percent body fat I lost on Kili). However, I am doing much better now and am determined to get back into a good fitness regime.

Creating a pattern is the tricky part. I work long hours and have had some setbacks in my personal life, but I am happy to report that I ran 2.2 miles last night and another 2.2 miles before work this morning. It would be great if I could get another run in today still and slowly make this a pattern. I have found that when I run in the morning, I have more energy and a better attitude when I go into work.

I am trying to make a conscious decision to change, and that includes blogging on a regular season. Here is to a new and improved me!

Embarking on a new year

My horrible habit of not blogging regularly creeps back up - it has been almost a year since my last post. Let's hope I can do a little better this year, huh?

So my 12 Weeks to a Better Me went as planned, and I successfully trimmed 15 lbs., bringing me down to 180 lbs. from 195.

Me with a friend at a martial arts tourney in March 2012.

Now, I am back at 190 lbs., but I am not upset. Why, you may ask? Well, my double chin has disappeared, I have lost some weight from my midsection and my thighs do not touch as much as they used to.

In the last year, I have stepped up my training. I do martial arts about twice - sometimes three times - a week, I have gotten back into running again, and Artemis and I love our walks. Also, during a recent doctor's visit, I learned that my body fat percentage is at 30.5 percent. It used to be 35 percent. So while it may be higher

Me this past December. Would you believe I weigh the same?

than it should be, I am celebrating the fact that I have shed 4.5 percent body fat! And it is just the beginning!

So while my scale may be telling me one thing, I know the truth: I have traded some of my fat for muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. I used to look at the scale, look at the mirror, and hate myself. Now, I am thinking, my weight is not that bad. I would like to lose another 10 lbs, but I am quite happy with how I look.

That being said, things are not perfect. I have been having lower back pain recently, and as it turns out, my pelvis, lower lumber and neck are out of alignment - my neck is actually out of alignment in 2 areas! So my running has taken a hit, and my martial arts, at least until my spine gets back in place.

But I am hopeful that things will work out, and I am not allowing myself to give up completely. I do some stretching on a balance ball, and still get out for short walks. I stick to eating healthy meals, and look forward to slowly trimming the fat, one inch at a time.

A new kind of workout...kinda sorta

Although not directly related to Favao, I would like to take a moment to share part of my workout regime with anyone interested enough to read this blog.

For my Facebook friends, you may have noticed the pretty constant status updates referencing Charity Miles and Wounded Warrior Project. In case you thought it was me spamming my own wall with meaningless Facebook activity, you were wrong. It is so much more.
 

Almost a month ago, on Jan. 19, 2013, I was reading the latest Shape magazine when I noticed an article about these free iPhone apps, one of them being Charity Miles. According to the article, you can actually earn money for various non-profits by downloading the app and running it while you workout.
 

Corporate sponsorships are behind Charity Miles, and for every mile you walk or run, 25 cents will be donated to the organization of your choice, and 10 cents for every mile biked. Now I normally walk my dog a few times a day, so for me it was a no-brainer, donate to a charity while doing my daily exercises? Sign me up. I downloaded the Charity Miles app that same day and have been walking ever since.
 

When I joined there were 15 organizations you could walk for, since then two more have been added.
Currently you can walk, bike or run for: Girl Up, Shot at Life, World Food Programme, RED to benefit the Global Fund (to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria), Every Mother Counts, The Nature Conservancy, Pencils of Promise, Partnership for a Healthier America, Habitat for Humanity, Autism Speaks, Feeding America, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Stand Up to Cancer, Wounded Warrior Project, ASPCA, Ironman Foundation, www.dosomething.org, and Achilles International.
 

Another great aspect of the app is you get to pick an organization every time you walk, run or bike. You could choose Autism Speaks one day and Partnership for a Healthier America another day. Or if a particular cause is close to your heart, feel free to do the same one every time. I personally choose to walk for Wounded Warrior Project every time.
 

Every little bit adds up. It has been almost a month since I downloaded the app and to date I have walked more than 68 miles for Wounded Warrior Project, which totals more than $17 for the organization in one month. Granted with slippery sidewalks and an even slipperier dog park I do not get out as much as I should, but I expect those numbers to keep ticking higher and higher as the weather warms up and I no longer have to worry about slipping and cracking my skull open.
 

If you are like me and wish to do something to make the world a better place but do not have a lot of extra cash to donate, this app is perfect for you. The download is free, all you need is a little space on your phone, and you can get fit and make the world a better place at the same time.
 

I must admit, I walk even more since getting the app. I find myself thinking, I need to get out and walk some more, have to do another few miles for Charity Miles. I walk to Wal-Mart, walk to the grocery store, Family Video, sometimes I walk just to walk. And all that walking not only burns calories, but it saves me gas as well. And with prices at $3.67 and climbing, that is definitely a good thing.
 

Check it out - Charity Miles - and get started today!

Back in time

When I stepped on the scale, I was transported back in time about 2.5 years. For once, that was a good thing. When I started working for The Star in June of 2010, I weighed about 175 lbs. During the next two years my lifestyle changed from a part-time athlete working out 24 hours a week to maybe 3 hours a week. Instead of walking 6 miles a day going to class and back and running errands, I sat at a computer for 8+ hours a day. It is no surprise that I packed 15-20 pounds on within a year.
 
But this morning, when I stepped on the digital scale, the red digits popped up 178.8 – my first time weighing less than 180 lbs. in probably a year and a half. That is even more miraculous considering the holiday season – the bean dip, the cookies, the chocolate, the chips, the homemade sloppy Joes! Oh, it was so delicious. Thankfully I was able to maintain my weight of 180-182 lbs. during the holiday season. Frankly, I view that as a triumph – maintaining my weight during the holidays, especially considering the average person gains 10 lbs.
 
I have been back on track for a couple weeks now though, and I definitely feel the results.
 
I will admit, I recycled my Favao plan. I was up to probably week 9 (granted there were some weeks I went off the plan otherwise I would be a lot farther along), and really did not like the meals, so I recycled week 3. Mmmm,..Hawaiian pizza for dinner.
 
Another great thing I recently discovered, thanks to Shape magazine, is the Charity Miles app for the iPhone. I really recommend it. You select a charity (I pick Wounded Warrior Project), hit Walk, Run or Bike, and then hit Start. The app keeps track of how far you walk, run or bike and when you are done, you report your mileage. For each mile you walk or run, corporate sponsors will donate 25 cents to your charity, and 10 cents for each mile you bike. It is a great way to get in shape while helping out others.
 
I downloaded the app on Saturday, Jan. 18 and so far have earned almost $2 for Wounded Warrior Project.
 
 Other possible charities include Partnership for a Healthier America, RED, Stand Up to Cancer, Feeding America, Every Mother Counts, Autism Speaks, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, World Food Programme, dosomething.org, ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Ironman Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Pencils of Promise and Achilles International.

Struggles...but back in the swing of thing

I know, I know, I'm horrible with keeping these promises to update, but thanks goes to my college buddy Jeff Wiza for bringing it to my attention that I fell off the posting wagon. Things have been really crazy the past month. I had dozens of story ideas sent to my inbox at the paper, and was booked solid. The past two weeks have been really bad. The last two Tuesdays I’ve started work at 8:30 in the morning and did not finish work until 6 am Wednesday. Last week I also had a group of people coming in for an interview at 11 on Wednesday, so I only slept four hours before getting up, showering and heading back into work another four hours.

I also had a couple snags a couple weeks ago when I realized that I was running low - and running out - on my Favao supplements. When I tried to place an order on my smart phone, I kept getting bounced back and forth between pages and found myself unable to complete the order. I then had to find time in my insane schedule to make it to the library to place an order because I do not have internet at my place.
I was finally able to place an order about a week and a half ago and picked my order up last Wednesday. I had some issues when I ran out of the body cleanse, but that got cleaned up within four days of going back on.

I did love Week 3 of the Favao meal plan, so much that I decided to repeat it instead of following Week 4’s meals. I really loved the dinner - half a pita pocket, pizza sauce, a slice of turkey, pineapple chunks, light onions, 3 oz. of grilled chicken, all topped with mozzarella cheese. Yummy! The only challenge was eating that thing, it was like 4 inches tall!

I am now onto Week 5, and have substituted the metabolic booster shake from Week 1. It tastes better and is a lot easier to make. I’ve also switched up the breakfast meal of oats with mixed berries and scrambled eggs. Instead of the hot oats, I make my scrambled eggs, add some salsa (think Week 1) and then put my mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries and blackberries) on the side. It is a challenge protecting my meal from the nosy cat and dog, but I’ve managed so far. (;

While there have been some bumps in the road (not taking the body cleanse on a daily basis resulted in me putting on 5 lbs., all of which have been flushed back out), the beauty of Favao isn’t that it gives me a grocery list, saves me money and has helped me lost 10 lbs. (and counting), it is that it has taught me what foods will help me stay healthy and energized throughout the day. If I don’t like one of the meals, I can substitute one I do like.

I honestly never thought I would be able to do everything I do - working 40-50 and sometimes 55 hour work weeks, taking the dog to the dog park or on walks for 1-2 hours every day, making it to martial arts and doing all my other personal projects - without the aid of Mt. Dew or chocolate. Putting in 8-16 hour days can be really draining, but thanks to Favao I am able to keep up with my same hectic schedule, minus the 48-60 oz. of Mt. Dew I was consuming on a daily basis. For those of you that don’t know, that is 2-2.5 of the bottled Mt. Dew, and each one contains about 70 grams, or 17.5 teaspoons of sugar. By those calculations, I was consuming about 35-45 teaspoons of sugar with my daily caffeine dose!
Now that elections are over and my schedule is more manageable, I should be able to get back to my weekly postings. Here is to a (hopefully) smoother weeks 5-8!

I'm back!

I know I promised to update on Friday, but last week was such a whirlwind down in Kansas and Missouri, I did not get back until 9 p.m. on Sept. 28, and by then I was just exhausted.

We did not have a huge option while we were down there, we wound up eating in the mess halls a few times, and in the food courts most of the rest of the time. A few times we were given our meals. Unlike when I was home, I also did not have the option to eat every 2-3 hours, as our days were packed, from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Our meals were served roughly at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. With that being said, I did notice a difference going off my scheduled meal plans, both with how hungry I was feeling and with not being "regular." 

That being said, I did put on about two pounds while I was down there, although I am honestly surprised it was not more. However, I am on my way to taking that off again, as when I weighed myself this morning I was back down to 184.5 lbs. For those of you that remember, I was at about 183.5 before my trip. I am confident that with being back on track, I will shed that extra pound in no time, and be well on my way to losing even more weight. 

Until next time....

Favao - Week 2

Hit a couple snags this week. What with my leaving for a week this upcoming week (Sept. 23-28) I have had to work major hours this week. Tuesday I worked from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then came back around 11:30 p.m. and worked until about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning.
 

Needless to say, I had to indulge and grabbed a bottle of Mountain Dew and a Poptart to eat during my third shift time.
 

That being said, I feel I have been doing well with making better food choices, and an orange and piece of string cheese has become my mid-afternoon staple snack.
 

I’m back up to a full scoop of the body cleanse, and it is nowhere near as bad as it was when I first started. My thought on that is when I first started, my body probably had a lot more toxins in it that needed to get flooded out. Now, with taking the cleanse regularly and putting good food in my body, it is probably less intense because there isn’t as much bad foods in my body. Within an hour of getting up I am flushing the baddies out of my body and am feeling well and ready to go, sometimes an hour and a half, but it is pretty quick.
 

The first week’s food is absolutely delicious, I love grilled chicken so the Mexican salad and the dinner with BBQ sauce and sweet potatoes are right up my alley.
 

Yesterday I ran out of the pre-made meals, so I went off of the scheduled lunch and dinner today and will be eating other healthier meals tomorrow as well. The reason I am not preparing another week’s worth of meals is because I will be going off the Favao plan for a week.
 

On Sunday, Sept. 23 I leave for Fort Leavenworth in Kansas for a media and the military workshop. While there I will be eating with the Army boys. While I cannot control what will be served, I can control portion size and hopefully be able to make good choices. With that being said, I will return next Friday (the 28th) and will be back on the Favao way, supplements and all.
 

Even with my couple snags this week, I have seen a decrease. When I stepped on the scale this morning, it read 183.5 – a decrease of 2.5 lbs. from last week’s weigh-in.
 

So far I am two weeks into the program and 6.5 lbs lighter. I’m definitely a believer...