I'm back!

Whew!  It's been a while but I am heading back to the gym again today.  I was co-chair of our annual school festival this fall.  In all honesty, I felt like I was working full time again.  It was fun and now it is over and I am going to be making up for lost time.

Week #1 - walk for 5 minutes, run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds for at least 20 minutes.

I am hoping to get 4 miles in.

Gym on Thursday

I made it to the gym yesterday.  The Duke only let me go for 20 minutes.  But it was 20 minutes I would not have gotten otherwise.  I walked and chatted with a friend.  4 mph.  :)

Food journal Feb. 17-23

Thursday, Februay 17
  Breakfast - 1 piece wheat toast
                     1 egg
                     1 piece of cheese
                    Points = 5
Breakfast - 1 piece wheat toast

                   1 egg
                   1 piece of cheese
                   Points = 5
Snack (Never again!)
                   1/4 cup of Trail mix = 9 points!  Ugh!
Supper
                   Stuffed Chicken Breast = 6 points
                   Broccoli = 0 points

25 points for the day!

To get to the gym...

In order to actually make it to the gym, these are the things that have to happen.

1. 0 of 4 kids can be sick.  We live 1000 miles from home and I have never had a regular babysitter sitting in the wings. 
2. I still go if I am sick - unless it is the tummy flu.
3. I have to put exercise above social mommy get-togethers.  I belong to MOPS (Mother's of Pre-schoolers) and we have a meeting every week and an off week activity every other week.  Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to quit this to get all of my workouts in per week.
4. I need to be my own workout buddy.  While it is a lot more fun to go to the gym with someone, I have to be my own motivator.
5. I need to stay motiviated by creating reasonable goals and rewarding myself.
6. Goal: lose 30 pounds in 7 months.  Very do-able.
7. Goal: Go to the gym at least 3 times per week.
8. I cannot give in to the draw of being home alone when my 5 year old is in preschool.  I love Tuesdays and Thursdays at home because I get some alone time when my 1 year old naps. It does not happen at any other time with 4 kids.  This is definitely sanity-saving.  I think I can still salvage some of this time by working out right away after I drop off the Knight at preschoool.
9. I need to work out at times that work for me and not feel bad if I cannot go when it is convenient to someone else.
10. Monday, Wednesday and Fridays need to be my regular workout days.  Tuesdays and Thursdays can be back-ups and extra.
11. I need to have "rewards" every 5 pounds and for 4+ workouts per week.
12. I need a good menu per week using weight watchers or some other method.

And we begin again!

Dear Gym,

It's been a while!  And I must say I have missed you.  What happened?  Well, life got in the way once again and I made the mistake of moving my workouts down on my priority list.  Sigh...  Life gets a bit nutso with four little rug rats running around.

I didn't post here, but I actually started off the school year in grand workout fashion - I hit the gym 4 times per week the first three weeks of school.

Then thing started getting busy.  The kids' teachers needed help in class.  Kids got sick.  And in our house when one kid gets sick, four kids get sick.

My routine shifted.

A little weight was gained.

Not a lot but enough that my new clothes are a bit snug.

Things change today! 

I have a new goal: I am going to run a 10K by my birthday (September 22).  This is a big birthday for me.  You know, the kind that ends in a "0".  In honor of my 30s, my plan is to also lose 30 pounds by my birthday.  Having four kids in 7 1/2 years has taken its toll on my body.

To put it simply - I want my body back!

I am not a pack rat, but I do  have some pre-kid clothing.  Yep - I too possess that article of clothing meant to strike fear into the hearts of women everywhere - my own version of the skinny jean.  And I am not talking current fashion.  I am talking my own particular pair of jeans that I wore at my lowest weight.

I plan to zip right past those jeans and buy a new pair in honor of my 40th birthday.

It starts today.

I am hitting the gym today.  My 5 year old has preschool so it will just be my 1 year old in the childcare area.  Today might not be pretty for him.  Or he might like it.  It is hard to say.  The women who work there know my little guy and will do their best to make him happy.  If need be they will call me back.

So I will start off working as hard as I can because I may only have 15-20 minutes.

As soon as we get back into the routine and he recongnizes faces and favorite toys, we will be set.

I'll let you know how today goes.

Next week - I am starting the Couch to 5K again.

I cannot go Monday because I am babysitting a friend's kids.

Tuesday is out for a doctor appointment.

So that leaves Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week.

Goals set.  Time to get busy.