Day 8 Watch out Grammy's here I come

I have already hit a bump in the work out road. Its becoming harder to go, at least today its harder. I noticed that its been harder primarily when the weekend started. I think the reason is that there's so much to get done during the week and it feels more natural to go to the gym when your out. Since I'm used to my weekends being jam packed with work, I feel lazier now that I have nothing to do. Well besides homework, which does not sound fun right now.
I'm back from the gym. It was a late work out and it kicked my butt. It was fabulous! I did a two hour session this time, included abs, and thighs in addition to cardio. Drinking more water is a pain! Holy cow, I'm so un-camel like! I have to pee like an old lady. I'm not used to it. Hey, I'll try anything though at this point. That's what this challenge is really about seeing what I can learn. Day 8 and I've been filling you in about things I'd heard of and never really known what they were. How are you doing? Are you inspired yet world? You will be. Big day tomorrow. Stay tuned

We went out last night, so I slept in and it felt good. Maybe I overslept since I'm still tired? School is such a pain lately. It was so much more fun when I took only classes I was interested in. Why do I need a degree again? Is it to prove to others how capable I am? Does that even matter? I don't think so in the grand scheme of things. I feel like I was the schmo who was sold a piece of the Brooklyn Bridge (if you're familiar with the saying you get what I mean).
Fast food is evil. I have decided it is pure unadulterated evil. It sucks you in at 2 am, saying your hungry, why not, and we're all that's open. Sugar and salt calls my name around every grocery store corner. You can't go out to a restaurant and expect to be healthy anymore, unless somehow they cater to your need to be that way. Food for thought. "What is all this hoopla with drinking water, water and more water when losing weight?" I wondered. You always hear this but I certainly didn't know exactly what the science was. I mean ya, duh we need water but....

• According to weightlossforall.com "Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster."
• Some people mistake water cravings, a drop in hydration for food cravings
• Helps prevent over-eating
• Modern processed food contain little water
  
• A good rule regarding water; drink one ounce of water for every 2 pounds. Ex. If a person weighs 200llbs and they're trying to lose weight they should drink 100 ounces of water to gain increased energy and metabolism. Many of the functions of our bodies processes rely on water!
• If your exercising drink water before, during and after workouts. Drinking water is necessary for the recovery process and provides the energy you need to push through that work out.
• Water can also help reduce blood pressure, risk for some cancers, high cholesterol, and ease joint pain. It can improve the skin, healthy digestion, and increase metabolism

God/great spirit is saying Regina, you rock!

So that website I told you about I used to figure out what calorie intake I need or don't need, ha ha, to loose weight....Ok well I think I may have lost a pound. Maybe not but I have to tell you that working out, is amazing for my attitude. I feel so sexy and bold. Can you feel me one time on this...imagine you come home with that good tired, feeling the serene sense of accomplishment, and you want to express yourself. So you squeeze into your clothes that used to fit better, but this time your excited. You're excited because you know that soon those clothes will fit better then they ever did before. You feel hot and empowered. You feel like omg one day soon I can say to myself in the mirror "I have never loved you so much, body and I'm going to reward you by ______" (insert whatever reward you would like for body here)
My new client is fabulous. We went and some him perform tonight, Me, Shay, Stacy and Chi. He is truly a talented song writer. I see a future. I scored a pretty sweet connect today at my job interview, of all places. This was so serendipitous, my interviewer also has a hand in booking talent for one of the biggest local festivals in the East Bay. Providence Beezies...providence.

Tonight I'm meeting with an up and coming guitarist/vocalist, who's name I will not say. I'm excited. I'm hoping to add him to my client list. I have an interview on Friday to go back to a server gig. It could go either way and it wouldn't be bad to have steady income again. Will it take me away from the band? Will it take me away from my goals and dreams? I don't know.
Also, counting calories? Not the most fun but, I'm sure I'll get used to it and then eventually just know what to eat and not eat.

Day 4-oops

It was my first day of an early, class yesterday. Early to me is before 11am. This one is 9:30am so I had to be up at 8:30am. I am not traditionally a morning person. However today I am very proud to say I was up at 10am! Scored me another star for the day. I didn't get to the gym yesterday somehow. I'm learning to treat working out like a class or meeting/interview. It has to be scheduled almost to keep you accountable, otherwise its too easy to say later...later....and then its 11pm and its then you say tomorrow...

Today is day three, its 8:53 am. Today I get two stars, one for getting my butt in that gym again and for being up early. Its a good start. Am I sore yet? A little. I tried a different stair machine yesterday and it was a challenge. According to this website; http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute my BMI is 29.9. This site also offers recipes, risk assessment, daily exercise planning and in general, good information. My BMR is 1,161.85 (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/) A little knowledge is a dangerous thing baby....now I know what my body mass index, and basal metabolic rate and I have learned these key facts are pretty much essential. If one pound of fat is equal to about 3500 calories, and I need aprox. 1600 calories a day using the Harris Benedict Equation than.....It would take about a week and a day to loose one pound of fat. I was reading its recommended to not go to low on calorie intake like no less than 1200 calories a day. I have never been a person to count calories, nor have I ever been motivated to!
OK Back at my computer now at 6:37pm and man I was hungry so in the course of the day .....
Starbucks Latte with two pumps of white chocolate syrup (they usually put 4+) apx 130 calories
Starbucks reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich 340 calories
Starbucks petite vanilla scone (one) 140
1 once spinach aprox 21 calories (See http://www.calorieking.com/ very helpful)
3 cups oatmeal with a teaspoon of brown sugar 64 calories
total so far = 695
Crazy....us folks have no idea what were consuming out there in the wild do we? Its a world of instant gratification and I'm paying dues now.
According to the official BMI website a good rule to weight loss...reduce calorie intake by 500....ok lets try that...
160 day challenge, 157 to go

20 minutes turned into 30 on the "StairMaster"
Then 20 minutes on the treadmill
MADE SURE TO STRETCH
Before and after and feel fabulous for it (not sore yet)
NOT yet, anyway.
My gym monkey friend (she hangs out in gyms practically) told me to make sure to eat within a half hour after. I don't really know why, but I'm sure its somewhere along the lines of why we have to drink water. Replenishment?
My food log revealed some frightening things. While I'm healthy about my choices at home, my late night cravings.....not so healthy to put it mildly. Can we say glass of wine and chocolate donuts.
Weighed myself, doesn't look like it but I weigh 185 pounds as of today.
The goal; 145 or a size 5 and general good looking muscle tone.
Only 40 llbs to go

Being over-weight is nothing to be ashamed of is it? Our society frowns so heavily on people for it. If your like me you have felt for a long time the "if only's". If I only I were thinner I would be happier. If only I was a size blah blah he would think I'm hotter. And all the bullshit society feeds us about beauty and what it means to be beautiful. I read some disturbing information at Barnes and Noble last night. I picked up some weight loss book. There were several surveys the author quoted. One stated that doctors are known to spend more time with patients of an average weight than obese. There was some even left field survey stating that some people even blame "fat people" for global warming. Are we that afraid of obesity? Yes we must be, to get irritated with fat people whom we don't know in line at the store or at a restaurant. A purely emotional response not logical. Fear is the greatest motivator and the greatest cause of insecurity.

I have made a wonderful chart designed to motivate and keep me accountable (also the blog keeps me accountable)
Here's a pic :) I have put a star for every time I achieve a goal to end the cycle of overweight, joblessness and insecurity that fear causes.

Day 1

Ok. So 10:30 comes and goes and so does my alarm. I'm not sure if I didn't hear it or my Sleep Alter Ego came out and was like "I don't thinks so, we went to bed at 3".
Needless to say goal one today; Get up Earlier than usual :)
Errrr sorry contestant one.
I woke up at the very ungodly 1pm. I am a late girl. Always have been, I guess its the curse of being a musicians daughter.
Anywho, so I have started a "Food Log" to see what my eating habits are typically. I will report back tomorrow what analyzing my diet has done.
The plan today is to begin 160 day challenge of working out, finding a job I love and becoming even more fabulous and confident. I'm going down to 24hr after a light breakfast and I'm going to do 20 minutes on that stair thing, 20 minutes on the treadmill, totaling 40 minutes of cardio. I'm going to start easy as I'm only taking a break every five days. I'm going to stretch for at least 15 minutes and stretch for at least 10 minutes after.
I saw the picture above after a recent show my band and I performed in and said "wow". You know how you justify things at times because you know it would take ALOT of effort to change. That was me before the picture. Well I'm not that overweight I would think. I'll lose it eventually, or I'll go vegan again one of these days (which does cause alot of weightloss). Now, true I'm no whale but if you're trying to make it as a singer/actress, lets be honest shall we. Looking your best in the spotlight, meaning physically fit is important. Not to mention it takes a TON of energy to do an hour-two hour set! I'm not going to be on a stage eventually in front of thousands winded because I don't work out! Ya dig?

The Reason

The mission; 160 day challenge to lose 20-30 pounds, get up earlier, get a job I love and generally turn the leaf
Contender: R. Martin, student, lead singer of a band, pretty but overweight her whole life!

Start date? 1/23/2010

I watched Julia and Julie the other night. I thought to myself...huh. I should do that. Self, I said, you need someone to hold you accountable for what you don't like in your life. That person is me.

This is NOT a New Year's resolution but a life resolution. I'm going to change the things that are like weights baring down on my dreams. The insecurities that poison your future will be incinerated by the joy of achieving goals only thought about. I think I'm ready. I'll be honest. This is a little scary. Imagine getting what you want. Would you know what to do with it? Would you realize that the universe actually wants you to succeed?

-Sincerely R. Martin