END of WEEK 22!

I started this week of saying it seems I have so much to do and so little time. That definitely held true through this weekend.

Last night we were up all night with Nora. So this morning I was so tired I couldn't get out of bed until about noon. Then we were off the meet up with friends at the beach and then spend some time with my family! By the time we got home it was time for Nora to go to bed and I'm working on more paperwork (it seems that is where my week started, lol).

Unfortunately, I didn't get that last 700 calories burned. But I did have a wonderful weekend - was able to accomplish some work around the yard and spend quality time with friends and family. Couldn't ask for more! (except a little more energy and time to fit a workout in!)

Though I didn't get my goal in this week, which is a total bummer, a friend said to me today - As long as you get back to it you're OK. So tomorrow I plan to be back in the gym! Join the challenge with me!

700 Still to Go

I took they day off from working out yesterday. And today it seems that all the chores around the house have kept me busy. Not sure if I'll make it to the gym tonight....some how I have to burn another 700 calories!

Another 600

Burned another 600 calories today. I just have 700 calories left to burn!

Getting My Appetite Under Control

It seems that my appetite is crazy right now! I need to get it under control. Burning 800 calories the past 2 days should have helped bring my weight closer to losing my 2 lbs. But with the way I have been eating I have just been maintaining! That's a lot of extra calories I am consuming!

Hopefully today I can get back to better eating pattern. It just goes to show that working out alone doesn't always equal weight loss!

Burned 600 calories on the elliptical today. 1300 calories left to go! Did you fit in a workout today?

Another Busy Day!

Another busy day ahead, but I got all my paper work done yesterday! Now I'm off to get caught up on Nora's scrapbook while she is napping! I love crafts!

Burned another 800 calories on the elliptical this morning and did my ab exercises! 1900 calories remaining to burn this week! The elliptical is my favorite piece of fitness equipment, what's yours?

Week 22! SO BUSY, SO LITTLE TIME!

I realized this morning that I never posted my workout yesterday. I did get to the gym and burned 500 calories on the elliptical. The past 2 days back on the elliptical were a bit wobbly. My knees were shifting a bit - I think due to not working out regularly and wearing high heels in Vegas for 4 days. So I think my knees are happy I'm back in tennis shoes!

Today our schedule seems to be back to normal. We got to the gym around our normal time. I burned 800 calories on the elliptical and did my ab exercises. And I got Nora down for her usual morning nap!

Now I'm catching up on paperwork that I didn't get to while on vacation! I better get back to my work so I get a lot done while Nora is sleeping! Sometimes it seems there is so much to accomplish in a given day! As long as I fit a shower in before this evening I think I'll be good :)

Do you have a crazy busy day too? How are you fitting in some exercise?

BACK AT THE GYM!

I eventually made it to the gym today. I got 500 calories burned on the elliptical and started my ab exercises. Then Chris and I got called to the daycare because Nora was upset. I'm thinking that she wasn't happy being away from us and she was with some girls in the daycare she wasn't familiar with. Poor baby!

So we ended our workout a little early. At least we are working back up to our normal schedule! Hoping we get another workout in tomorrow and then starting week 22 on Monday!

I'M BACK FROM LAS VEGAS!

PURE nightclub

I am finally back in town and working on getting back into my normal schedule. At the beginning of this week my husband and I left for Vegas to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. It was a blast - 4 days of endless walking, partying, shows, and being poolside! 

Working Out In Vegas
I never made it to the gym in Vegas. I was going to pack my workout gear, but when we were packing we realized we didn't have room for 2 sets of tennis shoes. Oh well. Like I said - there was a TON OF WALKING.

XS nightclub

Healthy Eating In Vegas
As far as eating healthy while in Vegas - I wouldn't say I ate healthy. We only had 2 meals a day though which helped. I didn't have much of an appetite while we were there - not sure if it was the heat or that there was just so much to do that I didn't focus on it. One of my favorite meals was french toast at 2:30 in the morning!

Pool at Treasure Island

Relaxing Poolside
We didn't get much sleep in Vegas. The first night we were up until 3am. I can't believe I stayed up that late (it would have been 5am our time!), but I was so excited to go out! Each night after that I got tired earlier and earlier. Then we had to get up at 2:30am to check out of the hotel and get to the airport for our 6am flight. So I can say I really enjoyed our downtime at the pool!

Entertainment In Vegas
On our Anniversary we went to go see Mystere - and it was amazing! I wasn't sure I would be really interested in seeing many of the shows while in Vegas, but after seeing Mystere I was excited to see something else too! So the next day we went to KA!

Back Home
Last night we were able to get Nora to bed extra early at 5:30pm. Chris and I were in bed by 8pm and we all slept till 8am! It was great, but I was still tired so Chris got up with Nora and I slept another 2 hours. When I got up at 10am Chris went to go take a nap! Hopefully today we are catching up on our sleep and can get to the grocery store. The hope is we were back at the gym on the elliptical tomorrow!!!!!

3500 Challenge Works!
My 3500 challenge definitely kept me motivated to get to the gym this summer. I was in awesome shape when we went to Vegas all because I kept a consistent workout schedule at home. If I hadn't been keeping myself in check with the 3500 challenge I may not have gone to Vegas feeling as good as I did. I only gained 2 pounds while in Vegas and I am excited to get back to burning 3500 calories each week, getting these 2 pounds off and continuing my quest to be in the healthiest and in the best shape I can be!

I'm sorry I wasn't around and posting daily for the past week, but I am back and ready to work hard! If you have been keeping up with the challenge while I was gone, tell me all about it! If you were working out and took a break while I was gone, jump back in and start again with me! If you haven't done the 3500 challenge yet, try it now! There is never a bad time to start a new workout routine or rejuvenate your current workout!

Seems to Be 2 Weeks in a Row

As I guessed the other day, I didn't get to the gym today and won't be able to go tomorrow. So I guess this is going to be my 4th week to not meet my goal. The first and second time I didn't meet my goal it was back to back weeks. Now my 3rd and 4th weeks are back to back as well. Crazy!

This next week I am going to be quite busy and probably won't get on the computer much. I'll definitely post sometime next week; it just might be towards the end of the week.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend and great next week!

Change in Workout Plans

Yesterday morning Nora woke up with a fever and today she is still sick. So I never got to the gym yesterday and I won't be getting to the gym today either. I was off to such a good start this week. I thought getting my 3500 calories in was going to be easy. Now it looks like I might not get to the gym again this week!

At least I got to cuddle with my baby girl and watch Sesame Street this morning!

Hope everyone's week is going well - get a good workout in for me!

My New Secret Ice Cream Treat

I was in Target the other day and decided to try these out. Sometimes in the evening after Nora goes to bed I crave ice cream and send my husband to get a pint of my favorite Chocolate Shoppe ice cream. Problem is: I usually eat the entire pint that night. Not good for my waistline! So I thought we would try something different. They are ice cream, chocolate, caramel, and peanut - all delicious and only 150 calories.

The Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bar is my new secret weapon to keeping my calorie intake in check while still having a delicious treat!

I'm heading to the gym later today. I will post my calorie burn this afternoon!

Still Going Strong

Burned 750 calories today. 1150 left to go! Keeping my post short today. Charter is down and am using Chris's phone for internet!

Making Enough Time for My Workouts

I have a 2 hour window that I can workout in. When I first started working out again there was no way I would be able to workout for 2 hours. Then I built up my endurance on the elliptical and can go from an hour straight. Add in some ab exercises and stretching and I am at about an hour and a half.

Then Nora stopped napping for me after my workout and had screaming fits when I would shower. So for the past few weeks I have been trying to fit in a shower at the gym. That didn't leave me enough time to get through my full workout. I started cutting my stretching and ab exercises short or completely out in order to stay on the elliptical long enough. That wasn't a good idea. My let muscles got tight and my abs lost some of the strength I had worked so hard to build up.

Luckily, Nora started napping again. So I have decided to start showering at home. It's perfect again. I get my full workout in without stressing about the timing. Getting my priorities in order! It makes everything so much better!

Hope you get a fantastic workout in as well. I burned another 800 calories on the elliptical! What did you do today?

Week 20!

It's week 20 of the 3500 challenge! If you are visiting this blog for the first time, this blog is all about burning 3500 calories a week through cardiovascular exercises of your choice. Each day I post my progress and you can comment along with me!

Today I burned 800 calories on the elliptical! I spent close to 75 minutes of the elliptical. I love Monday mornings. I always seem to have more energy on day 1! What was your workout like today?

Yesterday, I talked about my priorities being a bit out of order and that it was definitely taking a toll on my calorie burn progress, weight maintenance, and keeping up around my house. So today I started the day off right: Steel Cut Oatmeal, Workout on the Elliptical, Shower, Laundry and Straightening up the house while Nora naps, and then off to Physical Therapy and running Errands. I am keeping track of my calorie intake too to help me get back in control of my snacking!

Hope everyone has a great start to the week!

End of Week 19

Well, I have to admit - I did not make my calorie goal for the week. Trying to burn 1280 today would be too much stress on my body. I forgot to stretch after my workout yesterday and my quadriceps are really sore today too. I seem to leave out those small things - like stretching - when I am in a hurry to get through things.

Do you ever have days, weeks, or months where you feel like you are always in a hurry to get things done? I have been this way all summer. I feel like I haven't really truly relaxed. I hurry to get stuff done to try and have a relaxing afternoon, but then I get home and try to pack in other chores before bed. So my relaxing time doesn't end up seeming all that relaxing. Right about now I wish I had a Genie and could wish that my house was all organized, painted, and thoroughly cleaned! Do you ever feel the same way? I just want to chill and enjoy the rest of this summer before it's gone - because we all know in Wisconsin - it doesn't last very long!

Along with being so busy, I haven't been staying on top of eating the right way. My weight each day has been slowing going up, which doesn't make me happy. It's amazing how when you get your priorities out of order how it affects you. All the chores around the house do eventually need to be done, but not at the expense of my health or enjoying time with my family.

So today I am pushing the pause button. I ate my super healthy steel cut oats for breakfast and I am going to enjoy the afternoon with my family!

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Sunday! Week 20 starts tomorrow! I'm excited to get back to my normal routine tomorrow and start the week off right with my morning workout, steel cut oatmeal, and probably some laundry! :)

Still Behind!

I just got back from the gym and burned 700 calories on the elliptical! I was hoping I would be further along with my calories burned by today because I was hoping to go on a walk and was thinking I would sneak an insanity workout in before bed last night. Neither of those happened. So I have 1,280 calories left to burn by the end of the day tomorrow. I still think that it is possible. If I burn another 700 calories tomorrow at the gym, I just have to burn another 580 some how! Maybe I'll get a walk in today and a short workout in this evening! Lets hope so!

Finally Back To a Normal Day!

Worked out on the elliptical for about an hour and burned 720 calories! I am so happy I got back to the gym this morning! I have 1980 calories left to burn!

Hoping to get a good walk in with Nora and a friend this afternoon. Then when Nora is in bed and am going to try to get some other activity in - either stepping or Insanity!

JURY DUTY!

This week has completely thrown me off my normal routine. I found out last week Thursday that I was going to have to appear for jury duty July 5th. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to go, but of course my pool number was within the range of numbers that had to show up Tuesday morning. Once at the Court house I was selected to join a group of people to participate in a possible jury panel. There were about 30 of us and only 20 people were called to sit on the jury panel. Of course, I was number 5 to be called out of 20. And from that 20 person jury panel 13 were chosen for the jury. Of course, I was in the 13 chosen! So that was Tuesday and I did try my best to fit in some activity that day.

The big day was yesterday. I was up early getting ready for the day before Nora would be up so I didn't have time to workout in the morning like I usually like. Then I was off to the court house for the rest of the day for the actual trial. Luckily, the judge said it was a 1-day trial! There was a part of me that thought - there's not much to this case! The trial can't last that long and our decision should be quick. There was another part of me that thought - there's not much to this case so the jury will have a lot of different thoughts and we will be deliberating for a long time. It was a criminal case, so the jury had to decide unanimously. Of course, my second thought ended up being true - a long day and a long time to decide the verdict. I didn't get home until close to 9pm!

After that exhausting day I didn't have the energy to workout. I woke up with the same about of energy this morning. Jury duty is draining! So I think I will be taking the day to recuperate and get some other work and housework done today. It's going to be a challenge to get the rest of my calories burned in this week, but I will try!

I MISS THE ELLIPTICAL!

I haven't gotten to the gym since Saturday and I miss the elliptical. Worse yet, I won't be able to go to the gym tomorrow either! I will be so happy on Thursday when my days get back to normal and I should be able to go back to the gym!

Progress in my calorie burn: Between 2 hour long walks, Insanity, and stepping while watching some of America's Got Talent, I have burned a total of 800 calories. 2700 calories left to go! I'll have a lot of catching up to do later this week!

WEEK 19: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Yesterday I had planned to get some type of workout in - my bonus workout! And of course that didn't happen. My motivation was a bit lower since I had gotten my 3500 calories finished on Saturday. On top of that, I was behind on laundry and straightening up my house. So I took the time I had and focused on those. Then we spent the rest of our day and evening with family and friends!

Now that today is the beginning of week 19 I am dedicated to getting some type of workout in - even though it is a holiday. My plan is to do 50 minutes of an Insanity workout during Nora's afternoon nap! Do your holiday plans include a workout? If so, what are your workout plans? If you are taking the day off from working out to enjoy the holiday - GREAT! You'll have the rest of the week to get 3500 calories burned!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

HGTV + ELLIPTICAL = SPEEDY WORKOUT

If you've ever wondered = What do I watch while I am on the elliptical. Sometimes I watch GMA or the TODAY show. Sometimes I learn something great from the morning news. On the weekends though, I love to have HGTV on. I don't have cable so this is an extra special treat for me, hahaha. I love watching home makeovers. I seem to zone into these shows (reading the closed captioning of course). After a segment of the shows goes to commercial and I look down at my calories burned I love the results - because I haven't looked in about 10 minutes!

So thank you to HGTV for making my morning workout a little bit easier by distracting me with fun home designs!

I burned my last 700 calories! 3500 calories completed - what a great feeling! And I am hoping to get a bonus workout in tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Making Each Workout Count

I got my 700 calories burned on the elliptical this morning and I now I can enjoy the rest of my day! My elliptical workout wasn't quite at as easy as it was yesterday. Multiple times I thought - "I only have 1400 calories I have to burn over these next 3 days. I don't have to burn a full 700 today." I thought about stopping at 300, 500, and 600 calories. But in the end I stuck it out and made my workout fully count. I like burning the full 700!  Now I can burn 700 calories tomorrow and Sunday's workout is a bonus day. Or I can take Sunday off if I burn 700 on Saturday. It allows for some weekend flexibility!

I made today's workout count! Make your workout count for you today too!