Rebecca's 12 week workout (Start date 3/2/09): The 12 Week Challenge

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

You might consider trying to ride a bike for a while or test out a gym and use their exercise bike until you get better.

HealthyPals · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Good job on losing 2 pounds! Good work!

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Just think... 2 lbs a week... if consistant, that would be 20lbs in 10 weeks!!! Great job!

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Hi Rebecca,

How are your 12 week workouts going? Have you been continuing with the program this week?

rebecca3108 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

I was waiting to post my update after I got more of the workouts done. So here we go. Week 2!

Week 2 complete!

Day 1 3/9/09
(at home) 30 wall pushups, 10 modified pushups, 55 crunches, 30 sec wall sit

Day 2 3/10/09
(at home) 30 wall pushups, 30 sec wall sit, 10 modified pushups, 55 crunches
(at work) 20 mins walking, 5 min cool down, 20 squats
(after work) helped unload a cousin's trailer (he was moving to a new house)--probably about 30 minutes, lots of sweat!

Day 3 3/11/09
(at work) 25 crunches, 30 wall pushups, 30 sec wall sit, 20 mins walking, 5 min cool down
(at home) 20 crunches

Day 4 3/12/09
(at home) 55 crunches, 30 wall pushups, 30 sec wall sit
(at work) 15 mins walking

Day 5 3/13/09
Work weekly weigh-in: 197.8
Same as last week
(at home) 30 wall pushups, 30 sec wall sit, 55 crunches, 10 modified pushups

I don't really have a lot of comments about this week. My foot was feeling better, even after Disney on Saturday, but then yesterday the ball of my foot started aching again. And it's doing it again today. I don't know what the problem is, except that I probably need to get some sort of inserts for the shoes I wear to work, since none of them are well padded.

And I didn't lose any weight this week, which is quite discouraging. I don't know what to do about that. I mean, I know "exercise harder, eat less/better", but it's just so frustrating. *sigh* Maybe now that my in-laws have moved out, I can have some more time to myself at home to work out more. Plus, my promotion has officially been approved, so my hours at work should be changing in the next two weeks, so I'll have more time in the mornings too.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Congratulations on your promotion! I'm sorry your foot is bothering you. They do have tons of foot insoles and orthotics in the stores that could maybe help it? I know I have to wear arch support orthotics for my foot arch pain.

I know it can get discouraging, but try and hang in there. It's only been 2 weeks since you started the 12 week challenge. A lifestyle change takes time and can't happen over night. Patience is key. Having more time in the mornings will hopefully give you more time for your workouts too.

Benjamin Franklin once said "He that can have Patience, can have what he will."

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I had the same thing happen to my foot when I first started working out... the doctor told me that my arch couldn't support the strain I was putting on it due to my weight. She told me to go out and get high arch supports for all of my shoes... it really helped... within a week there was no more pain!

A lot of times women will gain water weight too for no particular reason and cyclical reasons... don't let weight loss be your only standard for success... Can you think of some other goals that you could add to the weight loss... like clothes fitting better, endurance improvement, ability to push harder... all of these things will help you diversify your journey towards health and help keep you motivated because if you see benefits you will continue... if you don't chances are you'll get discouraged. Weight loss, unfortunately, is one of the last results you will see if you are losing weight correctly and plan on keeping it off. You want to build muscle, improve VO2 intake (aerobic capacity) and then lose weight. Losing weight is like a flywheel it is so hard in the beginning but as you continue to push yourself and keep pushing it will eventually start to move and then it will start to build momentum... the hardest part is starting it... keep it up... it will pay off... don't give up and don't get discouraged... baby steps remember... Rome wasn't built in a day, but it was built!

rebecca3108 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

Here goes!

Week 3 complete!

Day 1 3/16/09
Took body measurements today, but as I did them myself, I don't know how accurate they are. I did my best. I know, I could have had someone help me, but I didn't. It'll at least give me some idea.
(at work) 16 mins walking

Day 2 3/17/09
(at home) 55 crunches, 30 wall pushups, 10 modified pushups, 30 sec wall sit

The crunches are getting easier. I'm thinking about adding more. I also switched to where I do some of them to one side or the other, instead of everything straight up the middle. Really feel like I'm beginning to see results with crunches. Yay!

Day 3 3/18/09
(at work) 16 minutes walking

Day 4 3/19/09
(at home) 55 crunches (some to either side, some up the middle), 30 wall pushups (I'm feeling these a little more, because I tried moving down the wall some to where I'm closer to the floor instead of pretty much standing up straight, 30 sec wall sit, 10 modified pushups
(at work) 47 minutes walking

I don't usually do this much walking, but one of the skinny girls I work with wanted to walk with me, so I figured, what the heck? Little miss power-walker, she is. I had to literally run/jog to keep up with her several times. And we didn't intend to stay out that long, but we kept making turns through the neighborhoods, and then we had to figure out how to get back to the office.

Day 5 3/20/09
at work weigh-in: 196.2 lbs
Weight loss of 1.6 lbs this week, 5.8 lbs total over the past 7 weeks
For the Biggest Loser fans, that's a percentage of weight loss of 0.81% this week, 2.87% over the 7 weeks. I'm happy with that. So far.

(at home) 55 crunches(again, middle and sides), 30 wall pushups, 30 sec wall sit, 20 squats
(at work) 10 incline pushups (I may do more as the day goes on, but I do have a little soreness on the right side of my chest, so I can't do as many in one sitting right now.), 26 minutes walking

Planning to do a walk at lunch, because the weather's so nice and I want to soak up the sun! EDIT: Walk completed!!

Day 6 3/21/09
Day 7 3/22/09

Don't know what I'll actually do this weekend. I usually relax more on the weekends, and Sunday is my husband's birthday.

Obviously, I wasn't as motivated this week. I could have done better. But at least I did a little something each day. I think I was less motivated by the 0 lb weight loss from last week, but I still was able to lose some this week, so I'm planning to jump back on the bandwagon.

HealthyPals · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

rebecca3108 wrote:

I don't usually do this much walking, but one of the skinny girls I work with wanted to walk with me, so I figured, what the heck? Little miss power-walker, she is. I had to literally run/jog to keep up with her several times. And we didn't intend to stay out that long, but we kept making turns through the neighborhoods, and then we had to figure out how to get back to the office.

Sounds like your walking buddy was a great way to push yourself! Good job on staying up with her. Maybe you should make her your official walking buddy?

Good job on still doing the workout this week even though you were so discouraged from last week. That's what you have to do and it worked, you had progress this week. And I'm sure you did last week even though the scale didn't say so. Just the fact that the wall push ups and sit ups are getting easier for you shows that you are making progress!

Happy birthday to your husband this weekend! Are you guys doing anything fun to celebrate?

rebecca3108 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

Well, she can be my sometime walking buddy, because we can only do it when we have the same lunch time. With me moving to the Financial Aid position, I'll be more flexible on lunch, so maybe I'll have some walking buddies. As receptionist, I'm a solitary walker, because other people that I could walk with have to cover the phones for me while I'm at lunch. But yes, with the new position, perhaps she and I can walk more together!

I don't know of anything for sure that we're doing for his birthday, but it's his choice. If he wants to go out to eat, we'll do that, but he thinks that last year I cooked him a birthday dinner. I'm up for whatever. But with the week that he's had at work, he'll probably just want to relax some this weekend. Maybe we'll drive over to Orlando and visit his parents and use their pool at the extended stay that they're staying in? I'd certainly like that, but again, it's his choice. That's the birthday rule.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Congratulations on a weight loss this week! That's great news!

I'm jealous that you can go out for a walk today and soak up in the sun. It's 45 degrees and rainy over here in Washington! :cry:

rebecca3108 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

Well, you're welcome to come on over! We have plenty of sun for everyone!!!

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I'm as soaked as I wanna be but it's not by rays... it's by the rain! It has been horrible, yucky weather. Oh well, that must mean we'll have an awesome summer, right?!?

Congrats on moving the chains this week. I know being stagnant can demotivate you; that is why you need fall back motivation goals other than weight because for some reason your body may just not respond due to any number of factors i.e. Stress.

As you start feeling like you can do more crunches, change it up a little first. Cross your legs at the ankle and lift them up to a 45 degree angle. This will increase the intensity and target your lower abs too!

Keep up the great work! Any luck on motivating the hubby yet?

rebecca3108 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

Here we go.

Week 4, semi-complete (got in all the pushups/crunches, but not the aerobic workouts)

Day 1 3/23/09
(at home) 75 crunches (3 sets of 75, one of which I had legs lifted), 30 side crunches, 15 modified pushups, 30 wall pushups

Day 2 3/24/09
(at home) 75 crunches (3 sets of 75, one of which I had legs lifted), 30 side crunches, 15 modified pushups, 30 wall pushups, 25 squats

Day 3 3/25/09
(at home) 75 crunches (3 sets of 75, one of which I had legs lifted), 30 side crunches, 15 modified pushups, 30 wall pushups, 20 squats

Day 4 3/26/09
Nothing. I was lazy.

Day 5 3/27/09
at work weigh in: 196.8
0.6 lb gain from last Friday
(at home) 75 crunches (3 sets of 75, one of which I had legs lifted), 30 side crunches, 30 wall pushups

Day 6 3/28/09
Day 7 3/29/09
I don't know yet what will happen this weekend. Knowing how my weekends usually go, nothing.

This has been a really rough week for me. I've been training my replacement at work, and also spent two days being trained myself for my new job. It's made my lunches really off from my normal schedule, which was when I usually went on my walks. I even brought my tennis shoes with me every day, but that's it. (They've had a lovely vacation in my car all week, but I made them ride in the front floorboard, so they couldn't see out the window and they're now mad at me. :neutral:

) Maybe next week I can do better, but I just don't know yet, because I'll probably be driving to the other campus to get more Financial Aid training, so I have no idea what I'll be doing.

No real luck with my husband yet. He did want to go on a bike ride last weekend, but then we discovered that our bike tires were flat and we didn't bring the bicycle pump when we moved from Michigan. Guess it's at his parents house. In his defense, though, he's always moving at work, climbing on things and such, so he really doesn't want to come home at night and continue working.

I've at least stayed close to the actual exercises required for weeks 3 & 4, but I've done horrible on the aerobic part. I'm going to try and continue with the actual program, but if I can at least commit to staying with exercising SOMETHING three times a week for the full 12 weeks, I'll feel semi successful.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Yes, something is bettter than nothing! You sound really busy right now so as long as your are able to get some stuff done in the morning, don't give up! Things will settle down soon with all of the trainings you are going through and you will get right back on track.

What does your husband do for work which makes him move and climb on things? That sounds like a fun job!

Quote:

but then we discovered that our bike tires were flat and we didn't bring the bicycle pump when we moved from Michigan

Lots of gas stations have free air pumps you can use to fill up the tires on your car and those also work for bikes! Sometimes they charge a quarter to use, but that's not too bad.

How is your foot doing? Has it stopped hurting?

Who is online