CARILOUIE's SparkPeople Blog

Joined a new gym today - getting the Spark back!

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:02:08 EST

Today was a big step for me - I joined a new gym! I was holding off until I was done with my classes, and now that they are finished and I'm not driving all over creation, I have time for the gym! So I found a really nice gym only a five minute walk (yes, WALK) from my place, and it's clean, the people are friendly, there are tons of classes, and there is a POOL!!! Totally excited about the pool. I think I needed to join the gym more than I realized. I've been feeling a little bummed out, and...

Feeling a little panicked...

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:14:33 EST

This week I have my last final exam and I'm teaching my last two Spinning classes at the univ. gym. Yay! Maybe...? I am quickly realizing that this means I can't use "I'm really busy with school" as an excuse (for anything) anymore. Excuse for not working out, for not working, for not cleaning up the laundry... and this is a little scary for me. Yesterday I had a serious "now what?" moment.

I'll be doing an internship this summer, which is wonderful - I'm super excited, but I stil...

City living

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:03:14 EST

We have been in Philly for about two weeks now, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I have already found a great running group, and I dusted off my bike and rode up to the Art Museum this morning to do an 8.5 mile loop next to the river.

This afternoon I have to head out for some Hammer Gels - the running store is about 1.5 miles from me, and I'm going to walk. I LOVE walking through the city. It's so alive, and I get to people-watch. Not to mention get in lots of fitness!

New digs

Sun, 7 Apr 2013 08:33:05 EST

It has been a very busy week! Hubs and I are officially in our new place in Philly (hooray!) and I love it. I do not, however, love the unpacking. We went from a three bedroom house to a one bedroom apartment. We are very lucky we got a little basement with this one, because I would have NO IDEA what to do with half the stuff we have. It's a good lesson in downsizing and living more simply, which is what I strive to do anyway. This morning I walked less than two blocks for a cup of coffee bec...

Quick update

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:00:01 EST

Holy moly! I can't believe all that has happened within the last week or so.

- We found an apartment in Philadelphia
- We have some potential renters
- We are going to be out in a few days. Yes, days.
- I am going crazy - there's sooooooo much to dooooo!
- There is still lots of school work to be done.

So my fitness and nutrition has kind of taken a back seat. I haven't been totally forgetting about it, but I know that in about a week I can get back ...

Officially an instructor!

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:59:44 EST

My first indoor cycling class is in the books! Tuesday night was the first class, and it went so well. There were about 10 people there, which I was totally thrilled about! The class started at 4:15, and the first person came in around 4:16, so I was getting a little nervous. I thought I'd have to do the class by myself! But people came in, and we got sweaty and worked hard. The music was perfect for the class - I LOVE getting to buy great new music for my job! Tonight is hills night - I have...

Back from vacation...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 20:47:19 EST

I have never had so much fun getting ready for a job! I spent a lot of time tonight buying new music and putting together my cycle class playlists for the week. Tuesday afternoon is my first class! I'm so excited!

More exciting stuff - tomorrow the hubs and I are going to look at apartments in the city! We decided that he is going to move down until I finish school and then I will move with him. Even though it's going to stink being alone, I know that it's a good solution for our s...

Happy Friday!

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:29:32 EST

I'm feeling good on this beautiful Friday. I *should* have a relatively easy day teaching art, and then it's off to my mom's house to finish getting ready for Florida. Yahoooooo!

Because I'm such a planner, I was kind of lamenting my rest week I took this week. It kind of just happened when I realized how stressed out I was and my body was really just telling me to take it easy. But what's really great is that now I am going to be totally rested up for my vacation! Sounds weird, I ...

Almost time for me to relax...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:00:47 EST

This week turned into an impromptu rest week. On Tuesday my back started to hurt like I tweaked something, and I was in some nasty sort of funk. I just felt miserable all around. So I decided to take the rest of the week off planning any more workouts and I feel better. I haven't been tracking my food or workouts, and I've just been trying to relax. Hubs came home on Monday, and I realized that the whole time he was gone, I really didn't take any time just to *sit* and do nothing. I think I r...

Exercise funk?

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:48:48 EST

For the last couple of days I've kinda been down in the dumps. I've been especially concerned with my unemployment. Most days I'm really okay with it - I am doing awesome things with my time, and I'm actually being productive. So I realize that I'm not frittering away my not working time. But I was getting bummed about the whole productive member of society and regular paycheck thing. It's a light year for racing - I just can't afford all the entrance fees. Which stinks, because there are a l...

One step at a time...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:01:08 EST

Three midterms this week. Ugh. I did NOT feel like studying - I think I made it out to be a bigger task than it actually was. When I broke it down into sections (for half an hour I'm going to work on these questions, etc.), it felt much more manageable and much less of a pain in the butt. And this is kind of how my life goes. I over-think many areas of my life - my workout schedules, my eating plan... and I get really overwhelmed. I'm really trying to work on doing one thing at a time. I work...

It's a low-key kinda day

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 14:54:34 EST

I *should* be doing school work but I just can't seem to muster up the energy to do it. Bleh.

I did manage to go through some clothes today to get ready for vacay, and found some stuff that I have under-grown. It is going to stay in a bag in the closet - if it's still too big by next winter, then I get rid of it. I've read the article on Spark that say you should get rid of clothing that is too big, but I have decided to keep this stuff hidden away for a while.

This morn...

Single digits!

Thu, 7 Mar 2013 08:55:18 EST

I think counting down to spring break is almost as exciting as counting down to the last day of school! In nine days I will be headed down to the Florida sun and warmth. Hurrah!

So for the time remaining until I go, I am kicking it HARD for Operation t.u.m.m. Careful and mindful eating, gettin' sweaty at the gym and on my runs, and sucking down the water. I notice a difference - last night's Pilates class was "easier" than it's ever been! My core is getting stronger!

To...

I'm on a roll!

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 22:05:32 EST

Today was a really productive day! I ran some errands, cleaned up the house, and planned some meals and workouts. Yahoo!

I also made some AMAZING treats - the recipe follows. It's from the blog rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com - I highly recommend you go there. There are lots of great tips and even a how-to to make a workout shirt! I made one and I love it.

Drank tons of water, got in some GREAT sweat time, and found some treasures at the thrift shop (and yes, I do sing the...

T-minus 11 days until the beach!

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 17:07:03 EST

I have class in a short bit, but enough time to recap my day. I had a really hard time getting up with the alarm this morning - didn't sleep very well last night. Ugh. So 30 minutes of snooze later, I got up and ready to run. The plan for today was 8.5 miles - I mapped it out over the weekend so I knew where I was going. Since now I guess I'm in "real training mode," I think I should be keeping track of when and what I eat and how I feel. So I had a little cereal and a cup of coffee about 30 ...

Start the week off right!

Mon, 4 Mar 2013 05:40:57 EST

ARGH my blog disappeared!

Today:
- water!
- food plan!
- work hard at cycle class!
- remember that I'll be sitting on the beach in two weeks!

Operation: T.U.M.M.

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 07:53:54 EST

I read the really nice comments on my last blog, and you know what? I actually *do* feel like I'm on a roll! There are so many good things going on right now that I can't help it!

For the next two weeks I am doing Operation:T.U.M.M. (Tone/Tighten Up My Midsection). I am going to Florida with my mom over spring break and need to get my tum bikini-ready! So that means no more evening lattes and bagels/muffins before class, no more ice cream, and really watching my sugar and processe...

Good stuff

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:32:36 EST

I love to read quotes, and some of my favorite quotes have to do with luck. I noticed that most luck quotes have to do with opportunity and working hard... So lately I've been grabbing every opportunity that comes along! And it's paying off.

On March 26th I teach my first Spin class at my school's rec. center. I have classes two nights a week! I'm really excited. I'm going this weekend to get certified. Which means that I can look into *other* spin jobs at different places, which ...

Planning and spinning and un-planning

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 09:02:13 EST

I have a very hard time deviating from my scheduled workouts. When I do, I feel almost out of control. A little strange, yes, but I'm working on it. This morning it was icy, do I didn't go on a group run I wanted to do. I have a wine and chocolate event later today (fun, right?), so it was like run this morning or re-do my workout plan. I got myself into such a tizzy about this - I have this irrational fear or regressing and/or gaining back my weight if I skip a workout or eat a donut. I am w...

Me vs the wind

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:19:47 EST

I have a six mile run scheduled for today. It's going to be cold and windy, but I guess that's why I spent the money on winter running gear! Suck it up and I'll be a better runner for it.

Tonight I am giving a group presentation for a class. I hate making excuses, but group projects in grad school are the WORST. People have lives outside of school and it's SO HARD to get together; e-mail collaborations are just so unorganized. BLAH. But anyway, it's put together and I think it's g...

Connections, baby!

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:04:36 EST

Yesterday I killed it at the gym. I mean, I was awesome. The weather was crappy, so I went to my school's gym to do my run. And I ended up doing a great upper body workout and an abs class. I was talking to the instructor after class, and she mentioned that they were short on class instructors, and they'd like to add more. So I ended up talking to the director of the gym (my girlfriend works at the university and took me to meet this woman) and she said that she'd be happy to have me as a spi...

Menu planning is so important!

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 07:11:59 EST

The past week has been kind of crappy as far as my nutrition is concerned. I had too much chocolate, I went out to eat a bunch of times, and last night's dinner was a waffle, which wasn't even all that good. I wrote about it in my journal because I feel really crappy about it - sluggish, dumpy, blah... I'm pretty sure that my poor nutrition habits had to do a lot with hubs going back to work. Not that I'm blaming him, it's more like I'm blaming myself because I got so used to him planning our...

Great start to the weekend

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 06:44:51 EST

I don't know how I'm going to top yesterday. What a great start to my weekend! I met a friend for coffee, and the barista at Starbucks commented on how good I looked and how much weight I must have lost. And THEN I went to the gym for some swimming and a sports conditioning class. When the class was over, the instructor told me "you are awesome at this class." (It's kind of P90X-ish - agility drills, medicine ball stuff, it's really tough!)

And now today I am headed out for a grou...

Ravenous!

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:37:48 EST

Yesterday I was RAVENOUS. Not just a little bit, but a lot. And I ate a lot. I'm not sweating it too much - it was one day and I'm back on track today, but still. I definitely notice it, though... today I feel a little more poochy than I did yesterday.

I am subbing today, and then I'm headed to the gym for some upper body stuff. I want to give my strength training the same love as I'm giving my running. And my running is coming along really well. Yesterday I did 7 miles and it fel...

The finger-crossing worked!

Sat, 9 Feb 2013 08:09:27 EST

There's a little bit of excitement around here! Someone is interested in renting out our house! On Wednesday night we had someone come look at it with the realtor. Yesterday they called with a couple questions, and the realtor told us that they'd be filing out an application! I am SOOOO excited. I wasn't sure how I was going to react - I was getting nervous about all kinds of stuff - could we afford to move? How was school going to work out? All kinds of stuff. But I felt nothing but exciteme...

Snow day?!???

Thu, 7 Feb 2013 21:37:13 EST

I feel like a little kid - I'm waiting to hear if there is a snow day tomorrow! But I'm excited for it in a different way as an adult - it means I get to spend a long morning at the gym working out instead of going in to sub. Ha!

Today's eating was not all that great. I felt SOOOO hungry today. Perhaps I need to take another look at how many calories I'm eating a day. My brother and I went out for lunch - I had chicken and waffles (MMM) and chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. ...

Yippee!

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 07:27:49 EST

I am having a skinny day today. The scale was kind to me (although, I have to admit, it wasn't really a surprise as I've been working out like crazy and doing really well with tracking my food), my outfit makes me look very small, and even my ankles look good. Ha!

I ran six miles yesterday. It was freezing outside, the clouds didn't open up AT ALL, but I felt great! I took it easy - I listened to my body, paid attention to my breathing, slowed down when I felt I was pushing too ha...

Hard core running!

Sun, 3 Feb 2013 12:33:41 EST

I truly feel like a real REAL runner today. According to intellicast, the temperature was 17F when I went for my run this morning. And you know what? I was hardly even cold! I was when I started, of course, but by the end I was perfectly toasty. All morning I was groaning about the run I had to do... it ended up being a fantastic 3.55 miles. I took a little drive so the second half would be downhill - I think this may end up being one of my new favorite running routes. There were three cars o...

I heart February

Sat, 2 Feb 2013 07:52:18 EST

I wrote in a previous diary that I felt as if *my* New Year was really at the end of January, since I started three grad classes and feel like I'm finally moving on with my life. I have so much momentum right now - I've been getting in TONS of fitness minutes, I've been ramping up the cardio, and my time at the gym has been awesome. My strength training workouts have been KILLER!

And (knock on wood) I have finally started to bust through my plateau. I had been sitting comfortably ...

Midweek check

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:45:49 EST

Today's good stuff:
- had a great workout this morning. I did lots of cardio and about 30 minutes of strength training.
- drank lots of water
- ate really really healthy with my hubs
- got organized for school

I had two of three classes at school and so far I LOVE them. I had Theories of Learning, a grad-level ed. psych. class. The professor seems really great and I'm looking forward to the books and articles we have to read. My other class is a supervision cla...

Getting into the groove

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:05:31 EST

So this is slightly weird - I'm Sparking in the university library. Ha! Just printed out my syllabus for my class tonight, then off to get some coffee and head over to class. So far, so good.

Today I did three running miles in the morning and 2.7 walking miles with my mom's dog. It's going to be so good for me to be able to walk the dog when I'm at my mom's house. I'll be burning calories left and right! Today's eating wasn't so hot, but I'm chalking it up to getting used to my sch...

The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on My Plans

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 06:13:27 EST

Mother Nature has put a kink in my plans for today. I was going to get in an early swim, but the timing of the sleet and freezing rain make it probably not the best idea. So, instead of getting myself bent out of shape, I looked at the pool schedule for school (yay! I am so excited to be on campus again!) and saw that they are open tonight from 9-10:30. Right after my class - perfect timing! So I think I'm going to be a late-night swimmer tonight and get in my mile after class.

Aft...

The early bird makes no excuses

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:11:04 EST

Just for the record, I LOVE getting up early to work out. The morning is my wonderful quiet time. Sitting with my coffee, planning my day? Yes, please.

Tomorrow I start a new adventure. My adventure includes being down at my mom's house for three days out of the week. Typically, when I go visit my mom, we go out to eat for just about every meal and there is hardly any physical activity that goes on. Fine for an occasional weekend, but not okay for an entire semester! On my to-do li...

Ring in the new...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 07:41:52 EST

This weekend is kind of like my personal New Years Eve. This past week was my last week as a full-time-available substitute; on Monday I go back to grad school with three classes on my schedule. To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

Ever since I decided to finish up my curriculum certification, I have been extremely impatient in waiting for the semester to start. I just want it done! I'm ready to look for administrative positions, I'm ready to move on, and I'm ready to not...

Over-planning?

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:06:42 EST

I am a total planner. I LOVE to write in my calendar, and I even use different colored Sharpies for different parts of my life. Most of the time, this works really well for me - I love the organization, I love keeping track of everything, and I feel put together. The difficulty comes when something doesn't go exactly as planned. Like getting sick.

Monday afternoon, while I was at the aquarium with my bestie, I started feeling a little bit like I had a cold. Ugh. So yesterday I came...

Sunday

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:27:05 EST

This morning I had a marathon workout! I did 5.25 miles on the TM and a GREAT upper body strength training workout. I put together a crazy little workout for myself. Spent two glorious hours at the gym.

I'm having a little trouble detoxing from my vacation... we had lots of bread and cheese and sweets, which hubs and I usually don't eat at home. Last week we bought all of our "normal" food at the store, but by Friday I was SOOOOO hungry for some bread! So we chowed on garlic bread...

Exciting stuff!

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 08:46:25 EST

I took the plunge. I registered for my very first half marathon! There is an interesting article in the latest issue of Runners' World about this - how it's kind of easy to say "I'm going to run a half" but never register for one. Well this time I registered. I am so excited!

Today I'm going to see Les Miserables with my mom, and then going to lunch. I'm looking forward to spending some time with mum. I have to make some good food choices today, though - last night I had a bit of ...

Oh, happy day!

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:37:50 EST

Today I'm wearing a sweater dress. The idea was that it's easy to put on, and I didn't have to think too much about my outfit. Didn't have a whole lot of time between swimming and having to go to school, so an easy outfit it was. I planned to throw on a thick belt to hide the inevitable sweaterdress middle-pudge, but the only problem was that today? There *was* no middle pudge. Even with tights on.

I haven't worn this dress in about a year, so I kind of imagined what it was going...

Back to the real world...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:57:26 EST

I definitely got spoiled on vacation. We had PERFECT weather - mid-80s every single day. I sat on the beach every day, and I got to run on wonderful flat Florida ground in the morning before it got ridiculously hot.

But now it's back to reality.

In the real world, it's 30 degrees, my luggage is still not here (although it is supposed to be coming today), and I have to put on real clothes to go to work. (I have a two-week gig subbing for testing - SO easy. Perfect!)

Bring on the warmth!

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 05:45:14 EST

This is going to be quick - I don't have a ton of time this morning. It is going to be SO crazy today. I have so much to do before we leave for the airport! But I am still going for a run this morning. Working out is the main way I don't make myself crazy.

Today:
- run
- drink all my water
- don't get too nuts-o with getting ready for vacation
- enjoy my kiddos at my sub job

eeeeeeeeek!

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 20:17:01 EST

I can hardly contain my excitement! Hubs and I are going on a vacation! We booked our flight this morning, and on Tuesday we will be soaking up the rays in Florida. I can't even wait. I am getting packed, and I'm having a lot of trouble deciding what to take! I want to get in some running, and the place we're staying has a nice gym, so I want to get there, too. I have lots of workout gear going along with me!

I get a little crazy when it comes to getting ready to go on a vacation ...

Deal-ee-oes!

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 21:24:06 EST

I got some money from hubs' parents for Christmas - super excited because I haven't really been shopping for myself in a while (for anything fun, anyway. I had to get running shoes a little while ago). Yesterday my mom and I went shopping and I found a new fleece, a hat, and a skirt (in a size 4!!!). Since I didn't want to bore her with workout gear shopping, I decided to do that tonight. So tonight I found a new running 1/4 zip, knee-length gym tights, and two tanks. (The tanks were only $8 ...

Honesty is my friend.

Thu, 3 Jan 2013 06:36:52 EST

One of the most useful lessons I've learned on this Spark Journey is the importance of being honest with yourself. Honest with food tracking, honest with how many fitness minutes you *really* get per week (as opposed to the minutes you wish you had), and just about anything else.

Last night hubby and I had some stuffed French toast for dessert, and I had two glasses of wine. I also had quite a few tortilla chips throughout the day. Often when I eat like that, I don't track everyth...

Four years, today!

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 18:14:26 EST

Not even a full day into the new year and I already made a really awesome healthy choice! Instead of having a dinner of chips and guacamole (which I thought I really wanted), I threw together a salad using some shrimp and black beans that needed to be used up. Yay! My mom came up this afternoon for pork and sauerkraut, and I *know* I ate more than I should have at lunch. I made some awesome mashed potatoes and some really good buttermilk cornbread. But instead of throwing away the whole day b...

The Reflection Blog

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 21:53:44 EST

Now is as good a time as any to reflect on 2012! I discovered that I'm a lot stronger than I ever thought I would be. Not only in the weight-lifting department (although I have to say I'm getting pretty strong there!), but in all aspects of my life.

In April I finished a Tough Mudder - it was by FAR the most challenging physical thing I have ever done. And I did it! I trained my rear off, I worked with my team, and I did awesome.

Over the summer, I finished three triat...

Winding down the year

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:28:10 EST

I've been cleaning out drawers and cabinets for the last few months, but the New Year gives me a chance to clean out even MORE. I just cleaned out my files - shredded a ton of stuff, got everything together for 2012 tax time, and cleaned out some old receipts.

Washed the new sheets we got for Christmas and I have a pile of old sheets and towels to send to the Humane Society.

I am SO excited - hubs is talking to his boss today to get some time off for a vacation! We rea...

No more cookies.

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:14:11 EST

Today I took a really big step toward my goals. I had made some cookies for hubs' parents' visit, but we really didn't eat that many. There were SO many in the house. Yesterday I went a little crazy eating them, and I felt really awful when I went to bed. So today I had hubs take them to work. Even as recently as last Christmas, I would have said "well the faster I eat them, the faster they're out of the house." But not this year. I am SO close to too many goals to ruin it with some cookies, ...

Friiiiiiiiiiday!

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:39:26 EST

Well the good news is that today I felt a lot better and I was actually hungry. The not so good news is that we have lots of Christmas cookies in the house so I ate quite a few of those. Oops. I guess I'm glad I'm hungry, though. I lost two pounds because of the flu, so I suppose I can afford to eat a few cookies.

I'm hoping that tomorrow I feel well enough to get a little elliptical time in at the gym. I don't think I'm ready for a run yet, but the elliptical? Perhaps.

...

Land of the living

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:04:43 EST

Today I am finally starting to feel better. Yesterday I did, actually, but today is even better. As much as I hated being sick over Christmas, I'm happy with how I managed to take care of myself to get better. Bleh.

I will be skipping out on the gym again today, and probably tomorrow. I might go on Saturday for an easy time on the elliptical. I still get tired really quickly.

Today:
- bake cookies for tomorrow's visit with hubs' parents (they are coming up for brunc...

On the Friday before Christmas, Santa gave to me...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:18:31 EST

the flu.

I have been in bed for three days. Today is the first day since Friday that I finally feel like part of the living world. I will head down to my mom's house in a little bit.

What I learned from having the flu the weekend before Christmas:
- I actually really liked the rest
- No stress of wrapping or baking (although I had to wrap it all this morning)
- I have a wonderful hubby. He took care of my all weekend and brought me all kinds of good stuff ...